Pay Attention

Hebrews 2

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?

Hey Christians, pay attention! Do not drift away from the Truth of Jesus! Easy to say that to others, isn’t it? This morning, I want to say it to Scott. Listen very carefully to the truth about Jesus, and live your life accordingly. Do not drift away, Scott! Your eternal life depends on it!

Yes Jesus

Hebrews 1

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

Yes, we have been living in the “final days,” or the “end times” since Jesus ascended into heaven. Yes, Jesus not only saves us from our sins, but He is the very force that is holding it all together. Yes, Jesus radiates God’s own glory, sits at the right hand of God, and yes, Jesus is the One to Whom all praise belongs. May my day today be filled with the praises of Jesus. Not just from my lips, but from my attitude and my actions.

Sing Praise

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.

I will praise you with songs.

Sing songs of praise to You, O Lord is more than just my “job.” It is my life’s desire. May my songs bring a smile to Your face, and may my life be a song of constant praise for You. As I go about my daily business, remind me of Your great mercy and grace. I have allowed my life to get too crowded as of late, and I need to repent for the sin of crowding You out. I have missed my time with Your Word, and I desire to get back into that precious habit. Thank You for loving me, and for forgiving me. You are amazing, O Lord, and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise!

Praying Today

1 Timothy 2

1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

I am praying today for all people. Those with whom I agree politically, and those with whom I disagree. I am praying that all of us would seek the Face of the Lord Jesus and live our lives accordingly. I pray for those in positions of political power, and for those who are governed by these leaders. I pray that we would all realize that our trust needs to be in Christ, not in politics. I pray that all would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. Then, all of this other stuff would not be nearly as “important” as some folks seem to think it is.

Paul's Purpose Statement

1 Timothy 1

5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

Paul sums up the purpose of his instruction quite succinctly here, doesn’t he? It is to lead all believers to be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. Wow! I cannot say that I have always had that same motive in my teaching, but I do indeed strive for those goals now. Help me Lord, to not get sidetracked by meaningless controversies. Instead, may I stay focused on You always!

Wow

2 Thessalonians 3

6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.

Now, this has caught my attention big time today. Paul does not exhort Christians to stay away from pagans, but rather, he tells Christians that they should stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from Paul and company! Wait a minute!! Idle believers who do not follow Scripture are to be avoided. Shunned even. Hmmm...

Lord of Heaven's Armies

Psalm 84

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

2 I long, yes, I faint with longing

to enter the courts of the Lord.

With my whole being, body and soul,

I will shout joyfully to the living God.

A familiar passage, but today I notice something for which I want to start paying attention. It is a title for God that I truly haven’t paid a lot of attention to in the past, but I see it over and over again, and it intrigues me: The Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My God is a Mighty Warrior who is out to win not just the battle, but the war of all eternity. I want to be counted on His side, to enter the lovely dwelling place, shouting with my whole being for joy to the LIVING God.

Broken Covenant

Jeremiah 22

8 “People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, ‘Why did the Lord destroy such a great city?’ 9 And the answer will be, ‘Because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshiping other gods.’”

Jeremiah is pronouncing God’s judgement against Judah and the people of the Covenant. When the city of Jerusalem is destroyed, folks will ask how that could have happened, and the answer is simple: because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshipping other gods. How easily that can be said of those who claim to follow Christ today. We are swayed by our own evil desires, and selfish attitudes. We worship at the altar of pleasure and self, and we do so at our own peril. Lord, help me to repent of this sin, and to worship You only and always.

Patience Please

1 Thessalonians 5

14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

Okay, so how do you tell the difference between someone who is lazy and someone who is timid or weak? I have someone specifically in mind as I ask this question this morning. I want to encourage and take tender care when needed, but I also want to be able to put a swift kick in the rear end when appropriate. My heart is broken this morning, Lord. Lead me in the way You would have me to go.

Quiet Life

1 Thessalonians 4

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

Okay, so I flat-out struggle with this one. I have not been known to lead a quiet life over the past 26 years in my walk with Christ. I have stood at the forefront of the battle against abortion, the radical homosexual agenda, and pornography. I have written letters to the editor of the newspaper, marched in protests locally and in Washington DC, and have led boycotts. Honestly, all of those activities made me feel good, and hopefully showed the Christian alternative to the pagan culture in which we live. But have any of those activities led to eternal changes? THAT is the question of the day, my friends. My one-on-one times with men I am mentoring has been much more effective. My open display of unconditional love to others has lifted the name of Christ much higher. My change from right-wing radical to follower of Christ has left me much more satisfied. I pray that I will live my life today in such a manner as to draw others to Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less.

Nothing Else

Psalm 80

19 Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.

Make your face shine down upon us.

Only then will we be saved.

This phrase is repeated several times in Psalm 80 and it is how the Psalm ends. Today, I am asking God to turn me again towards Himself. It is so easy to get distracted by the cares of this world, by my own selfish wants and desires, and by things that are good (but not best). Help me to focus on You, dear Lord. Nothing else.

Proper Motivation

1 Thessalonians 2

4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

I LOVE Paul’s attitude here. He knows that it is not his purpose to please men, but it is his purpose to please God. That is the way I want to live my life. My desire is to please God with all I do, with all I say, with all I am. May my heart be examined by the Creator of everything and may I be found to be motivated only by a desire to please You, O Lord.

Devotion

Colossians 4

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Three key points for Scott Blount to remember and to put into practice every day: 1)Devote yourself to prayer. 2)Keep your mind alert. 3)Have a thankful heart. While I do pretty good in these areas at certain times, the goal is to do well in all three areas daily. I have a long way to go in this regard. Praying about that right now.

Sigh

Jeremiah 8

8 “‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”

when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?”

Man, could that ever be written about the false doctrines of man-made pseudo-Christianity of today. It makes me sad to think of the twisting of Scripture that takes place in this world today. Why can’t we simply read the Bible and take it at face value? Why do we have folks who insist on adding their own non-biblical plans of “salvation” to the mix? Sigh.

Can't Hold A Candle

Colossians 2

8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

There are plenty of folks vying for the hearts and minds of people out there. None of them can hold a candle to Jesus. Period.

Christ the Reconciler

Colossians 1

18 Christ is also the head of the church,

which is his body.

He is the beginning,

supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness

was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled

everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth

by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Christ is Supreme. He is the Word of God, the Creative Force of the universe, the Head of the Church. In Him the fullness of God dwells, and through Him everyone and everything CAN be reconciled to God. The choice is ours as to whether or not we WANT to be reconciled, but make no mistake, the reconciliation comes ONLY through Christ!

Christ is Supreme

Colossians 1

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything

in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see

and the things we can’t see—

such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else,

and he holds all creation together.

This is the same Christ Who bids me daily to come and die and follow Him. I must die to myself because I am none of the things described in this passage from Colossians. Jesus is. How could I possibly think that I could come before Jesus? How could I dare be selfish and stupid that way? Father, forgive me for the times when I put Jesus in 2nd place in my heart. He is Supreme over all creation, and I am simply part of the creation! Not the other way around.

Considerate

Philippians 4

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

While I have often referred to verse four, verse five seems to have slipped my notice in the past. Yes, we should be filled with joy, rejoicing always, but the natural tie and and result of being filled with joy is to live a life that is considerate in all you do. Then, there is the kicker: “Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” How many times am I less than considerate of others without even thinking about it, or meaning to be inconsiderate? Far too often, I am afraid. Help me Lord, starting to today to be much more intentional and much more considerate of others ALWAYS.

What God Wants From Us

Isaiah 66

1 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?
2 My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.”

We have nothing of any value that we can bring to God other than our lives. God owns everything! The glories we can see on this earth (like the beautiful doubler rainbow and sunset Friday night) are nothing but a footstool for God. Our fancy buildings and contraptions are NOTHING to God. Our devotion and love are what He desires.

Call On His Name

Isaiah 65

1 The Lord says,

“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.
2 All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.
But they follow their own evil paths
and their own crooked schemes.”

God’s people at the time of Isaiah were the people of Israel. Today, God’s people are the Church. I fear that far too often, we, the Church, do not call on His name, and that we follow our own evil paths & crooked schemes. I must fall on my face daily and deny myself. I must call on the Name of the Lord so that I may stay on the path He desires for me always.