Hands #7

So what about the hands of our nation as a whole? Would you say we have clean hands before the Lord or dirty hands before the Lord? This is what God said about Israel...are we any different?

Haggai 2:14
14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.

Let's take a moment and reflect ....our nation was founded on the Word of God. At one time our nation did a fair job of trying to be a godly nation although anytime man is involved there will be bumps in the road. Slavery, racial problems, broken agreements with the indians, civil war and the list goes on to show we have bumps!!! But as a nation we held on to the Word of God as a whole. Now as a nation we are trying to get rid of God's Word from all areas...schools, government, states, individual lives, and even now some are trying to tell preachers they can not use certain portions from the pulpit! Really???? 

So if we remove God's Word the guide book for His people how can we have clean hands before God? We won't know how! Take a look at this nation of ours, do you see clean godly hands or do you see dirty ungodly hands? Think about abortions, murders, rapes, drunkenness, adultery, hatred, vulgar talk, homosexuality, liars, thieves, and the list goes on.....all this is dirty hands before a holy God!

Our only hope is to get God's Word back into our lives and then apply what God has taught us! This nation must repent or the downward spiral will continue and the blessings of God will disappear!

As a member of this nation it starts with me and you....are your hands clean? 

Tom

Hands #6

One of the most important principles taught in the bible about the hands is in the area of work! God expects a man to work and take care of his family. We are not to be lazy!!! Look at this verse:

Proverbs 6:9-11
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.

Wow does this ever describe out nation right now!!! We have become lazy and think others are to take care of us! Look at all the entitlement programs of the government!!! Noon! Get a job! Work for your money. Now i realize some folks come upon hard times and need help for a time. I am not talking about that, I am talking about able bodied folks who are able and not willing or looking to work! Look what God says here:

2 Thessalonians 3:10
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

Folks when we get back to the teaching of God's Word and obey it things will be so much better! How long until we figure this out??? 

So let us examine our selves this morning....are we working or are we looking for someone else to take care of us? God gave you two hands...use them to take care of your family and to glorify the Lord!

Tom

Hands #5

When your hands are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and become pure what value is that? Look here!!!

Psalm 24:3-5
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Look at the promises for clean hands....ascend the hill into heaven, stand in the presence of God, and receive blessings and righteousness! Wooooohoooo! Who don't want that!

Do you have those clean hands this morning? You can! Call upon Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today! If you need help just ask be glad to assist in anyway I can. If you are already a follower of Jesus just bask in His promises!

Tom

Hands #4

As we continue to look at our hands in relation to our walk with Jesus I came across this verse which should make us do some thinking:

2 Samuel 22:21-23
21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his rules were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

Have you ever thought about that? The way that you follow and obey God may have something to do with the blessings of God? Now this has nothing to do with salvation which is by faith in Christ alone but it certainly could have something to do with the blessings of life. I am not talking about material blessing although God can do whatever He wishes here, I am talking about joy, peace, and happiness!!! When we are walking in obedience to the Lord we are living the abundant life!

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

When we walk in faith and see God working our lives we then grow stronger and stronger:

Job 17:9
9 Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

So as we look at our hands are we growing stronger in the faith by obedience and thus living the abundant life or do we have work to be done?

Oh Lord help us have clean hands and a pure heart before you this day!

Tom

Hands #3

One thing I have found as I have been looking at the hands is our own human hands create many of the idols we tend to worship! Not good! This doesn't say much for our own smarts does it?

Deuteronomy 4:27-29
27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

This same type verse can be found many times in God's Word. Some of you may be thinking right now...."what are some idols we make with hands these days?". Glad you asked! Money, cell phones, TV, cars, motorcycles, boats, food, and so many others things that our hands make and we put in the place of God! 

So that brings me to this....if our hands are leading us to sin what should we do?

Mark 9:43
43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

Seems to me that God takes sin very seriously and so should we!!! Let us be in control of our hands brothers and sisters through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Tom

Hands #2

There was a man in the bible named Joseph. He honored God in all he did. He had many ups and downs in life but He remained faithful. If you get a chance read about him in Genesis starting at Chapter 37. I want t you too see today though that because of his walk with God this happened:

Genesis 39:3
3 His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands.

The his here is Joseph. When we are obedient in following God our hands will succeed! Now let me say this, it will succeed in the purposes God has for us! I am not talking about money and possessions here! God's definition of success and ours is usually not the same! God is looking for servants who follow Him, do His will, glorify His name, and lead others to Him! That is what Joseph did and that is why his hands had great success!

What about your hands this morning? Are they succeeding or failing? Don't look at the worlds standards, look at God's! If they are doing the will of God, they are succeeding!!!

Tom

Hands

Today as we continue to look at different body parts and what God desires we do with them we will start a series on our hands. Have you ever stopped to think about if your hands are honoring to the Lord? Our hands are important! Think about how much in one day you use them. What a blessing form God to have hands! So let' start off our looking at the ultimate purpose of our hands!

Psalm 134:2
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!

This is the ultimate use for our hands! In worship, lifted up in surrender to our Lord, blessing and praising the Lord!

1 Timothy 2:8
8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

Just take some time this morning and look over these verses and then think about what your hands are doing.

Tom