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daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
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Wednesday,
January 15,
2020
Central
California Pacific coast
(Photo
by Steve Ephraim)
"Pay
Attention To The Gauges!"
Message summary: Let's pay close attention to the gauges that God has ordained in our lives and be careful to act upon them.
"Be very careful, then, how you live" (Ephesians 5:15). "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Timothy 4:16).
A gauge
is an instrument used as a means of measuring or
testing. We see a lot of gauges in many settings
including our car and homes. In
our cars a very important gauge lets us know if we
need to fill up our cars with gas. Many
a person has ignored this gauge to their own peril. In our house we have a gauge to indicate
water pressure from our well.
There
are health gauges like
cholesterol, BMI and blood pressure. We have financial
gauges like our monthly bank statement and net worth. We see many gauges in the course of
manufacturing.
Gauges
are important although in some cases we overlook them
or at times ignore them. After
all the consequences may not be obvious or
immediate.
The most important gauges a believer should
be aware of are in our spiritual life. And these are
often the most ignored. However the spiritual life is
the only part that matters through
eternity. Spiritual
gauges are not electronic or even physical. There are
no apps that connect to our spiritual being that can
be read on a smart phone! To measure our spiritual
growth or lack thereof involves a purposeful effort in
self-examination and in some cases our accountability
partners in life.
Note the
two Scripture portions used this morning.
"Be
very careful, then, how you live." John Stott
writes "Everything worth doing requires care. We all
take trouble over the things which seem to us to
matter—our job, our education, our home and family,
our hobbies, our dress and appearance. So as
Christians we must take trouble over our Christian
life. We must treat it as the serious thing it is."
"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." I memorized this verse at the time I was ordained in 1979. I never want to forget this vital truth, nor fail to persevere.
Four
spiritual gauges readily come to mind that help to
measure my spiritual growth:
1) Love for God's Word: "Oh
how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day"
(Psalm 119:97).
2) Faithful in prayer: "And
pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds
of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).
3) Obedience to God's Commands:
"Anyone who listens to the word but does not
do what it says is like someone who looks at his
face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes
away and immediately forgets what he looks like" (James
1:23,24).
4) Practicing the Fruit of the Spirit:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control" (Galatians
5:22,23).
Let's pay close attention to the gauges
that God has ordained in our lives and be careful to
act upon them.
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, there are so many
snares and traps the devil has set for us that
we are dependent on Your Word that is like a
lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
It's the light of Your word that shines in the
dark places where Satan has strategically placed
his traps with the intention of destroying our
relationship with You. Help us to watch our life
and doctrine closely and to persevere in them,
so that we save ourselves and those whom we seek
to influence for the Kingdom of God. In
Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, there are so many
snares and traps the devil has set for us that
we are dependent on Your Word that is like a
lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
It's the light of Your word that shines in the
dark places where Satan has strategically placed
his traps with the intention of destroying our
relationship with You. Help us to watch our life
and doctrine closely and to persevere in them,
so that we save ourselves and those whom we seek
to influence for the Kingdom of God. In
Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Build
My Life/"I Stand Amazed In
The Presence"
Video
Calvary Church worship team.
David Jeremiah has
a series of brief articles
using the gauge theme titled
"Dashboard:
Your Spiritual Indicators"
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA