Most Read Bible Verses---#18---Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners

When you think of the love of God, what comes to your mind?  We are limited by our finite minds and experiences to comprehend the true meaning of God’s love.  There are no conditions placed on God's love for us.  God’s love does not depend on you doing all you can to become good.  He doesn’t promise to send Christ if you promise to love Him; in fact God sent His Son while you were still in your sins.  God’s love for us has always existed.  His love is so great that He initiated the act required to reconcile sinful mankind with His holiness and perfection.  He did all the giving and sacrificing long before we were even aware that we needed His love.

God’s love is very different from human love.  Read I Corinthians 13 again for the model of God’s love.  God's love is unconditional and not dependent on feelings.  He doesn't love us because we're lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son who willingly died for us to restore that relationship.

Earlier in Romans (3:23) Paul wrote that we all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God.  The Bible is very clear that there is no human being ever in the history of mankind that was sinless…..except Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).  Yet, despite all mankind being sinful, God still loved His human creation so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins (John 3:16).   

With this seemingly unreal truth in mind, how can you not love God for what He has done and share that love with others?  How can you not tell others who do not know Christ as Savior what this love of God really means?  

Most Read Bible Verses---#19---Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

Do you know what ‘THRPL’ means?  THRPL is a somewhat convoluted approach that worked for me in memorizing part of this verse.  The first two letters TH can be remembered because the word ‘THE’ starts many sentences.  TH is true and honorable.  Then the ‘RPL’ descend from T in the alphabet---right, pure, lovely.  Just remembering these first five adjectives go a long way to remind you what your brain should be dwelling on.

The previous verse—Philippians 4:7—stated, in part, that the peace of God will guard your mind.  The Greek term for guard means “to keep watch over”.  Just as soldiers are stationed to guard and secure a village or city or nation, the peace of God does the same thing to your mind.  A mind of peace is free from worry, fear, doubt, and all other adverse stresses.  So a mind of peace that is a mind that can accommodate these qualities found in verse 8. 

Basically, Philippians 4:8 is instructing you to fill your mind with positive thoughts.  Easier said than done, right?  Worry and fear and all other distressing thoughts won’t disappear quickly if you habitually think this way.  Reading, listening and watching the news everyday will certainly fill your mind with negative thoughts and a mind geared to think negatively is also going to be adversely affected by all the hardships going on daily in your own life.  It takes a sincere desire to want to change and to try everyday to fix your thoughts on all these positive things listed in this verse. 

Philippians 4:8 advocates meditation (“fix your thoughts” or “let you mind dwell on these things”).  Here are the eight pearls of God that you should be thinking or meditating about:

1. What is true—The Word of Christ (…”I am the truth….”).  Could it be that much of what you think about are lies not supported by Scripture?  For example, do you think that you are not good enough or attractive enough?  Is this consistent with biblical teaching that you were created in the image of God?  Dwell on the truth, not on self-deceptive lies. 

2. Honorable things—What or whom do you revere?  Think about the Christians in your life whose lifestyles you know are honorable and noble.

3. What is right—Contemplate only on things that you are convinced are morally good, that are right in God’s sight.  What do your eyes look at?

4. Whatever is pure—I have a close friend whose favorite verse in the Bible is Matthew 5:8---“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”.  Pure thoughts are free from sin.

5. Lovely things—What is acceptable and pleasing in your life?  Think about your loved ones, think about things in God’s creation that you know are lovely and pleasing to Him.

6. Admirable things—What actions and attitudes do you see or hear about in others that you know would attract the admiration of the Lord?  Think about admirable things that you can say to and do for others.

7. Excellent things—These are things of moral excellence (see II Peter 1:5).  Moral excellence is obedience to the Word of God.  One of my favorite all-time Christian books is one of Swindoll’s books:  Living Above The Level of Mediocrity—A Commitment to Excellence (Thomas Nelson, 1989).  If you ever read this book, you will experience a change in your way of thinking and, in turn, behaving.

8. What is worthy of praise-What is adored by God?  Think about the sunrise and sunset (they “shout for joy”—Psalm 65:8).  Think about all other aspects of God’s glorious creation.  Everyday read and meditate what the Psalms say and teach. 

Can you better understand how fixing your thoughts on these positive qualities will enable your mind to be open to the peace of God?  Transforming from a negative to a positive mindset will not happen quickly or easily, but at least start the transformation right now if you haven’t already.  The main point of Swindoll’s book about a commitment to excellence in life is that it starts with the mind.  Fix your mind, your thoughts, on the things of God and He will give you His perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).  

Evenin

Most Read Bible Verses---#20---Joshua 1:8-9

Joshua 1:8-9 (NLT)

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

Who do you view as successful in life?  Do you see yourself as successful?  Is your business or church successful?  What is success?

Everyone desires and hopes to be successful in life.  Every business, church, team, program, event, etc. hopes to be successful.  We typically define success as winning, meeting/exceeding goals, possessing wealth, position, and power.  Is an all-pro football player a success in life?  Is a Fortune 500 CEO, or any CEO, for that matter, viewed as successful?  Is a church with 10,000 members viewed as a successful church?  Is a business that keeps climbing the profit ladder seen as successful?  Is a person who accumulates wealth and status really admired by others for all his/her success?

Yet, what is common about all these examples of success? 

·  They are defined by human viewpoints, not God’s view through His Word.

·  They are based on worldly values, not the values of God. 

·  They are temporal measures and achievements, not eternal. 

What does the Bible mean by success?  Well, look at the above passage (as well as study Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 3:5-10, and Proverbs 22:4).  Verse 1:8 says “Only then…….”  The words “only” and “then” are keys.  There is one specific thing that must be accomplished…..referred to as “only”…..and such accomplishment precedes (referred to as “then”) prosperity and success.  So what is the key to success in life, not only this life, but the life to come?  Being obedient to God.  And what helps you to be obedient to Him?  Studying His Word continually and meditating on it day and night.         

The keys to success are simple to remember, but difficult to practice.  OK, sure, spend quality time in God’s Word and think about it as much as you can.  Sure, that’s easy to remember.  However, it is so much more difficult to practice these disciplines day after day for the rest of your life.  Yet, being successful in God’s view involves your efforts to be faithful and obedient regardless of the cost.  You will be successful in His view because by studying and meditating and obeying His Word, you will be accomplishing His purposes for you while on this earth.  And, indeed, His purposes for you in this life could very well be achieving great things in the athletic and/or business world as well as in ministry and/or other endeavors He has planned for you to accomplish.  Yet these accomplishments are following His ways, not your own. 

You will be both prosperous and successful in all that you do in and with your life if you stay close to the Word of God.  Prosperity means being rich and could include being rich financially, but it mostly means being rich in your enjoyment of your life.  Prosperity includes being content, being at peace with God and others, being genuinely happy with what goes on with your life everyday.  Of course, events happen that challenge your contentment, peace and happiness, events such as illness, family problems, job problems, loss, disappointments, failures, etc.  However, your overall attitude toward whatever is happening in your life is balanced and controlled by your deep faith in the Word of God and all His promises to take care of you and all your needs.  You must believe this to enjoy a life of prosperity and success.  Do you? 

“Success is a journey, not a destination.  The doing is often more important than the outcome” – Arthur Ashe