Christianity Oasis Forum

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Welcome to Noonday Devotion

What a joy to share with you. I hope you enjoy my devotion and the guest teaching, and that you share them with all your friends and contacts.

Please take time to view the guest sites at the end of these devotions.

Thank you

Keith

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

This will be the last Noonday Devotion until August, we will be taking a break, but I will be still be around and posting to my contacts and the groups. We need time to relax and also we will be doing New Concept English three mornings per week and we will also be helping Ming our beautiful daughter get through TOFEL. I will hopefully do some writing and spend much more time with Helen. News from China will continue hopefully once a week and also Persecuted Church and also anything Else that would bless you. We are not going away.. please e-mail and let us how you are getting on and what you are doing in the Lord's service.

God bless you

Mark 6:31
2 Thess 3:1

NOONDAY DEVOTION BY KEITH

REPENT AND RETURN TO GOD

Hosea 1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel.
2 When the Lord first spoke with and through Hosea, the Lord said to him, Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of [her] harlotry, for the land commits great whoredom by departing from the Lord.

We always want to compare the Church with the Children of Israel.

The Lord continually through the Old Testament tells His people that they have deserted Him, they have gone after other gods, they have put other things before Him.

Can I ask my/yourself these questions

Have I/you deserted God to chase after our own dreams?

Have I/you put other things before Him?

God is righteously jealous.. he demands and has to have first place in our lives.. HAS HE?

Hosea was told to marry a prostitute to illustrate the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel and the total faithfulness of God.

These are strong words my friends

Have we been unfaithful to God?

I am sharing what God wants me to share.. God demands his children to walk in Holiness. He expects nothing less from us, this is not an option.. but a direct command

Isaiah 35:8 (King James Version)

8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

Are you walking that Highway of Holiness or are you putting others things before God. Be very careful church.. God is not pleased that his church is playing the harlot and being unfaithful to HIM.. amen

Being in the presence of God is the most important thing, we can be involved in all types of christian service.. go to all types of meetings.we can sing the right songs.. have all our doctrines lined up and still have our hearts far from God.. amen

Are you playing the harlot believer.. have you another love apart from God himself?

When I think of the children of Israel here in Hosea, I see a people who are contented and happy in their own eyes.. exactly like the Church at Laodicea.. who thought of themselves in this way

17 For you say, I am rich; I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and you do not realize and understand that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.

In Chapter 1, God tells Hosea to take a wife who is a prostitute to illustrate what the children of Israel were like, this people were like many in our churches today, they thought everything was OK,everything was running smoothly, when indeed they were playing the harlot. They were living in idolatry and serving idols.. paying lip service to the service and worship of God.

What illustration would God give us today to describe the church..well maybe not a prostitute.. but how about a TV.. or Sports team or even a ministry?. Have we been idolatrous to any of those?

5 out of the seven churches in Revelation have serious problems.. if that ratio is the same in today's modern church, we are in serious problems.. amen. 2-3 of them were in serious sexual sin.. is there sexual sin in your church.. if so.. it needs to be cleansed.. God will not bless Sin.. when sin is concerned.. he has a no tolerance rule.. How about us.. how tolerant are we of sin?

A final fact church, we are .. like the children of Israel in one respect.. we have been rescued from slavery like they were in Egypt.. but remember all of the adults except 2 never reached the promised land because of rebellion and idolatry. They took 40 years to travel 500 miles..they were a sticknecked and rebellious people, who were dealt severely by God. Please read Hebrews chapters 2-6

I speak to myself first of All, please be blessed. I have shared what God has given me to share.

God bless you

Keith




Guest Devotion by James smith


Is this pleasing to God?

(James Smith, "The Proper Aim of a Christian's Life" 1856)

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, to do this more and more!" 1 Thessalonians 4:1

In every place,
in every circumstance,
in every undertaking —
the Christian should ask, "Is this pleasing to God?"

God is pleased or displeased . . .
with every thought we think,
with every word we speak,
with every action we perform,
with every emotion we feel.

Perhaps we do not sufficiently realize this. We think, speak, feel, and act — without ever considering whether we are pleasing God, or not. But this ought not to be, for He . . .
gave us our being,
redeemed us from sin and damnation,
called us by His grace, and
has blessed us with innumerable and interminable blessings —
and all that we may glorify Him! And how can we glorify Him — but by habitually aiming to please Him? If we forget or lose sight of this — we forget and lose sight of the principal end of our being, and well-being.

For instance, the manner in which I employ my spare time — the amount of time I give to recreation or entertainment. Many Christians seem never to think whether the way in which they spend their time, is pleasing to God or not. If they did, would they ever go to some entertainments, or indulge in certain pleasures? Would the world have so much of their time, and the prayer-closet so little? How much time is wasted in frivolous ways, which are neither conducive to the health of the body, nor calculated to promote the spirituality of the mind.

Also, how many squander their money on dress, ornaments, or delicacies for the body — who never relieve the poor, or contribute to establish God's cause in the world; or if they do so at all, it is not in due proportion to their means. The pence are given to the Lord — the pounds are spent in the gratification of SELF!

If, when I am going to lay out money in ornaments or dress, or indulgences for the table, I was to ask, "Is this pleasing to God?" — would it not check my lavish expenditure? Would it not often change the course in which my money flows?

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way." Colossians 1:10

My object in everything I do — should be to please God. The one grand end of my life, the grand thing I am to aim at — is to please my Heavenly Father. I have . . .
nothing to dread, but His frown,
nothing to fear, but His displeasure,
nothing to seek, but His approbation.
If my Heavenly Father is pleased with me — it is enough.
What a comfort it is to know that my God is easily pleased — that it is not the amount of what I do — but the motive from which I do it, which He looks at! He is pleased with my poorest performances, with my most imperfect services, with only a cup of cold water given to one of His children — if my object is to please Him!

In everything I do, I should ask, "Is this pleasing to God?" If so, all is well.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do — do it all for the glory of God!" 1 Corinthians 10:31. This is the rule — and we should walk by it.




Special Sermon

I Hope you enjoy this excellent sermon

http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.as ... 7121529420



Guest Website


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http://www.4thegospelssake.com/