WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 3
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his lie for my sake and the gospel’s the same shall save it”
(Mark 8:35).

We are currently looking at the Scriptures in the Bible which specifically mention a duty. Do you remember that the word for duty is “opheilo” and means “to owe, to be morally obligated, pay the debt, express human and ethical responsibility, to fall in duty, it’s a must”?

1. BEARING WITH THE FAILINGS OF THE WEAK

Romans 15:1: “We then that are strong ought (it’s our duty) to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

It’s easy to pass by those who are weak and struggling as we get on with our own lives with all our visions and projects. But God wants us to take time for the weak and fainthearted—to invite them to our homes, to bear them up, to encourage them, and to hold them up.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 exhorts us to “comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

2. THANKING GOD FOR ONE ANOTHER

Paul writes to the Thessalonians believers in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 and 2;13: “We are bound (we have a duty) to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

I think this is something we often forget to do, isn’t it? feel guilty as I think how often I forget to do this. If we thanked God more often for specific brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, we’d be reminded more of special things to do for them to encourage and spur them on in the faith. May God save us from getting so taken up with our selfish lives that we forget to thank God for other believers who are part of our lives.

Years and years ago I remember God speaking to me very powerfully. I was walking over the doorstep into my home when I heard God speak strongly to my heart, “Nancy, how can I reveal to you the needs of others if you are always thinking about yourself?” What a powerful question. We need to give God room in our hearts and minds for others. If our minds are totally taken up with thinking about ourselves, how will we have room to think of other people –to thank God for them and bless and encourage them?

Wouldn’t it be great to take on the challenge of thinking of one extra person each day? To thank God for them and to think of something special we could do to encourage them. Either give them a call, send them a card, write them a loving message, or listen closely to the Holy Spirit for some specific thing He would want us to do for them.

I find that I often wake up praying for a believer, maybe someone I haven’t even thought about for a long time. Obviously, they need my prayers and also to contact them.

3. TEACHING OTHERS WHO ARE YOUNGER IN THE FAITH

Hebrews 5:12 (NLT) says: “You have been believers so long now that you ought (opheilo—it is your duty) to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

How long are we meant to stay spiritual babies? We would be devastated if we were still spoon feeding our little babies and toddlers when they were four or five years old! And yet many adults still need to be spoon fed when they are adults! They still don’t feed from God’s Word each day for themselves. They wait for Sunday for the pastor to spoon feed it into their mouths.

As babies in Christ we soak up the milk as people teach us (1 Peter 2:2). But we don’t stay on milk. We’ve got to get into the meat and learn how to get daily food for ourselves and learn how to chew on it and digest meaty things. This Scripture doesn’t say it’s a good idea. It says we ought to be doing it.

But we should not only be getting into the meat. We should be teaching those who are younger in the faith than we are. It’s our duty! Of course, as mothers we’ll be teaching our children. You may be homeschooling but are you teaching them the truths and sound doctrine of God’s word?

I am amazed at how many children graduate from homeschooling and yet are not students of God’s word. They don’t even know it. They don’t know the doctrines of their faith. They don’t even know how to use a concordance. They don’t know the teaching of the tabernacle which is the basis of our Christian faith. It is from these types and revelations that the early church understood their salvation! It is from where Jesus spoke to the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). It from the Torah and the prophetical OT books that Paul taught the kingdom of God and the way of salvation each day (Acts 28:23, 30, 31).

What are you teaching your children?

PRAYER:

Dear Father, I want to be a meat eater of Your precious Word. I want to know what you think about all things in life. Please help me to be diligent in studying Your Word and to also teach my children diligently. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am filling my children RICHLY with God’s word. I am teaching them the deep doctrines of the faith.

WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 2
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

“Whosever will be great among you; let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to e ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”
(Matthew 20:26-28).

Here are some more biblical “duties” for you today:

1) WALKING AS JESUS WALKED

This is a tall order, isn’t it? 1 John 2:6 says: “He that saith he abideth in him ought (it’s our duty) to walk, even as he walked.” We read this Scripture in our morning devotions today. Our life must match our confession. If we confess that Jesus is Lord and abides in us, His life should be revealed through us—in our homes and in our family lives.

“Even as Jesus walked.” That’s a tall order, isn’t it? Of course, we cannot do it in our own strength. It is only as Christ’s life abides in us and flows through us.

2) LAYING DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OUR FELLOW BELIEVERS

1 John 3:16 says: “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought (it’s our duty) to lay down our lives for the brethren.” The NLT says it very clearly: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Do you think we could be a long way off the true picture of Christianity?

3) SHOWING HOSPITALITY AND PROVIDING FOR TRAVELING MISSIONARIES

3 John 1:5-8: “Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers . . . We therefore ought (it’s our duty) to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.” As we show hospitality and financially support those who are preaching and teaching the gospel of truth, we are co-workers with them and with the Holy Spirit. We are companions with them for spreading the truth.

Romans 15:27 (NLT) says: “Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.” The KJV states that it is their “duty.”

4) HUSBANDS LOVING THEIR WIVES AS THEIR OWN BODIES

Ephesians 5:28 (AMP): “Even so (read verses 25-27) husbands should and are morally obligated (it’s their duty) to love their own wives as (being in a sense) their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. “

This is God’s vision for marriage. His ways are wondrous. But there are two sad things about this Scripture. Firstly, the feminist movement are foundationally against men, especially in marriage. They’d rather eliminate them. How sad that they don’t understand God’s wondrous plan that a husband is to be as concerned about his wife as he is about his own body.

Secondly, it is sad that so many husbands have not been taught their duty and moral obligation from God. When they know it and embrace it, they not only gloriously bless their wives, but their own lives also! Their duty turns into glorious delight!

5) WASHING ONE ANOTHER’S FEET

You know the incident of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet which is a picture of servanthood and willingly choosing the lowly place. Although Jesus was God and had come from the glory of eternity, He was always willing to take the humble positron.

He reminded His disciples that the one who serves is the greatest in the kingdom of God. Therefore, after He washed their feet, He says to them, and to you and me: “Ye call me Master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet: ye also ought (it’s your duty) to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:13-15).

We may not literally wash someone’s feet each day, but we can willingly serve in our homes and those who are around us. Even in menial and lowly things. Jesus actually says it is our duty!

PRAYER:

“Dear Lord Jesus, You came to this earth to be a servant and to give Your life. Please help me to follow in Your footsteps and that to serve is the greatest ministry of all. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am JOYFULLY serving in my home. It is my greatest privilege.

P.S. Scriptures to look up about being a servant: (Matthew 20:26-28; 23:11; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 7:28; 22:24-27; Philippians 2:5-8; and 1 Peter 2:21).

WHAT IS OUR DUTY? Part 1
Beyond our Normal Selfish Lives

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I loved loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”
(John 13:34, 35).

There are certain things in life that we have a duty to perform. But because they are duty, it does not mean they need to be drudgery. Duty is either a delight or a drudgery, depending on our attitude! Our aim should be to make every duty in life a delight!

The Greek word for duty in the New Testament is “opheilo” and means “to owe, to be morally obligated, pay the debt, express human and ethical responsibility, to be bound, to fall in duty.” It literally means “it’s a must.”

It’s good to remind ourselves of duty in a general way, but the Bible mentions some things specifically, therefore we should take note of them, don’t you think? Let’s take a look:

1. LOVING ONE ANOTHER

1 John 4:11 says: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought (opheilo, meaning duty) to love one another.” That means beginning in the home with our husbands and children. That means those we don’t really like or who are not our type. That even means those who have spoken against us and treated us badly.

This word is used again in Romans 13:8: “Owe (opheilo) no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” In other words, we have a duty to love one another whether we feel like it or not.

2. SEXUAL INTERCOURSE FOR MARRIED COUPLES

Is this a duty? When God brought the first couple together, the first thing He told them was to be “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). That’s it! God’s ultimate plan. His first description of marriage. Therefore we owe it to one another.

1 Corinthians 7:3 calls it “due benevolence.” Now that doesn’t sound very romantic, does it? The Syriac version calls it “due love.” But let’s read it from a modern version: “The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations . . . “ (NLT).

The wonderful thing about this moral obligation in marriage is that although it’s considered a duty, God has created it to be a DELIGHT. God knows that both the husband and the wife need this oneness together. It is for their blessing and good. It enhances joy and harmony and diffuses stress. God is amazing.

Proverbs 5:19 describes it as “ravishing.” The full meaning of the Hebrew word is to be “enraptured, intoxicated, transported with delight, captivated, entranced, stealing away the senses.”

How often should this happen? This Scripture tell us “at all times” and “always.” Check it out to make sure I am not making it up.

There may be times in your marriage when you do not experience it as a delight. That’s when you move into “duty” mode. As you are faithful to do your duty, delight will come rolling back to you. It’s a divine law. It’s like the ebb and flow of the tide. Sometimes the tide goes out, but it is a universal law that tide always comes flowing in again.

God is so concerned regarding this that in Exodus 21:10, He states that if a man takes another wife (not allowed in the New Testament) he must not diminish sexual intimacy with his first wife.

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, thank You for showing me that You have created duty to be a blessing. Save me from living by my feelings and instead living by that which is right in Your sight. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am learning from experience that duty can be a delight.

Yes, It Matters!
Part 2

“If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold we knew it not: doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according o this works?”
(Proverbs 24:11, 12).

We continue to discuss our involvement in politics. Does it matter or does it not?

We see a counterpart to 1 Timothy 1:1-4 in the Old Testament. God told the Israelites to pray for the cities where they lived, even while in captivity!

Jeremiah 29:7 says: “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.” The word peace is shalom and the root word of shalom is shalam which means “to be safe.” Isn’t that what we want? We want to be safe in the city and nation in which we live. This is what God wants for us too.

The NLT and NET translations say: “Work for the peace and prosperity of the city.” We don’t wait to see what happens. We not only pray but we must work for peace. We must get involved. We must “pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Did you get that? Your welfare and the welfare of your children and children’s children is bound up in the welfare of what happens in your city and in the nation! Therefore, as parents, we must work and pray for the right government (the one whose agenda is the closest to God’s ways) to come into power.

The prophets of old did not hide from politics. Remember how Elijah challenged King Ahab? (1 Kings 18:17-20). They spoke the word of the Lord to the kings. They reproved them when they were wrong.

John the Baptist was not afraid to challenge Herod (who was known as King of the Jews) for taking his brother Philip’s wife! (Read Matthew 14:1-3).

Jesus was not afraid to challenge the sins of the scribes Pharisees who were the leaders of the people in that day. Who would even dare to say the things that Jesus said to them in Matthew 28:13-36?

We must not only think of the “now.” We must think of the kind of country our children will live in in the future. I am burdened for my children’s children and their children.

Do you think about the future generations? We have a responsibility to pray and do all we can so that they will live peaceable lives. I don’t want my future generations living in a situation that Venezuelans now live in. Or Eritrea, or other tyrannical countries, or China where there is another wave of intense persecution of Christians.

Of course it matters. Why would God tell us He will “heal our land” if we “humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14)? He wants our land to be healed but we must do our part.

Why would God promise us that He will not send His judgment if we turn from our wicked ways? Jeremiah 18;8 (NLT) says: “If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.”

Judgment, heartache, and persecution will come to the people of God if this extreme socialist government is voted in and abortion, homosexuality, and the evil of transgender continues. At this time, Biden is wanting to bring in Palestinian refugees to this country. And yet these people are brainwashed from birth to hate and eradicate Americans! They call Israel “the little Satan” but America the “the big Satan!” Instead of standing with Israel, he supports Hamas who were the perpetrators of the most horrific atrocities since the Holocaust!

But God has promised He will turn from His judgment if we repent, pray, and turn from wickedness. We have it our hands to turn God’s hand back from judgment if we do what He requires of us.

And yes, it does matter who we vote for.

Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, the Most High God, I come to You in Jesus’ name and ask that You will send a great repentance to the people of this nation. That we will repent for our evil ways. That there will be a great turning to righteousness and a great hatred toward evil. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I will not be silent in the face of evil but will pray and speak out boldly for truth.