APPROVAL OF GOD
ALOHA SAINTS, FAMILY & FRIENDS, Beloved of God and me, John 3:16
APPROVAL OF GOD, “WORTH CONSIDERING” 10/23/20 By Ken Smith
Today’s Scripture (Across my desk this morning from a Church in Texas.)
“Your approval means nothing to me.” (John 5:41, NLT)
Don’t Rely on People’s Approval
It’s great when people cheer us on and make us feel valuable. We love when a friend compliments us or a coworker helps us on a project. God uses people to help move us toward our destiny. But you can’t become so dependent on people that you’re trying to get your worth and value from them. It’s easy to rely on them to keep you feeling good about yourself and make you feel approved. But if they don’t give you their approval and meet your expectations, you’ll feel discouraged and inferior, and you’ll work overtime to try to win their approval. The problem is, you’re trying to get from people what only God can give. Your value, your self-worth doesn’t come from another person—it comes from your Creator. Jesus knew better than to rely on people. What they do or don’t do doesn’t determine your worth and cannot stop your purpose. Quit depending on others’ approval and start approving yourself.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the people You’ve placed in my life to help me move to my destiny. Help me, though, not to become dependent upon their approval or try to get my value from them. I declare that I have Your approval and love, and that’s all I need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Ken’s Comments:
This portion of scripture is very interesting in context. “ And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.] 39 You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! 40 And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life. 41 I receive not glory from men [I crave no human honor, I look for no mortal fame], 42 But I know you and recognize and understand that you have not the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [your hearts are not open to Me, you give Me no welcome]; but if another comes in his own name and his own power and with no other authority but himself, you will receive him and give him your approval. 44 How is it possible for you to believe [how can you learn to believe], you who [are content to seek and] receive praise and honor and glory from one another, and yet do not seek the praise and honor and glory which come from Him Who alone is God? 45 Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust]. 46 For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally]. 47 But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?]” 1 John 5:38-47. Jesus was referring to a prophesy in Deut. 18:15-19, “15 The Lord your God will raise up for you [a]a prophet (Prophet) from the midst of your brethren like me [Moses]; to him you shall listen. 16 This is what you desired [and asked] of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. 17 And the Lord said to me, They have well said all that they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet (Prophet) from among their brethren like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.” Jesus completely fulfills this prophesy and most everyone that I know has at least read the Gospels of Mathews, Mark, Luke and John. So before our Eternally Creator we are going to stand in eternity and be responsible for our humility and obedience to the words (commandments) of Jesus that HE shared with us.
Before I became a Christian in 1955 in my mind, I had created my own religion. I thought, I am not really a HOLY MAN and don’t think I would be comfortable living around one. And I am not at all like Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson or those kind. So must be there will be a migration of souls to those of like minded. So I was not concerned about death as I would be OK… Of course I had no empirical evidence to support that fantasy. Seems we all tend to make up some kind of a fiction of where we are OK as we are for our trip into eternity. And we bet our eternal soul on that fiction. We watched a film the other night “Heaven Is Real” about a little boy that went there and came back, Very Powerful Story. Our New Testament is a witness of Jesus making that trip into eternity and coming back with hundreds of witnesses to tell us about it. When we are young we are much too busy, most of the time, to think about it. But at my age, I am very interested. And you know, my 88 years on life has been a flash. It was only yesterday that I was on the ridge of the chicken house roof with a tea towel tied around my neck hollering SHAZAM to take a leap of faith into being Captain Marvel and flying around the farm. But older minds talked me out of it. And there has been plenty of time to find out about Jesus and Repentance and Redemption for which I am most grateful.
Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy, Ken<>< www.trinity-aloha.org
Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com> The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate Thursday despite a boycott from all 10 Democratic members of the committee. A new report has shown that the proportion of Jews living in Europe is at its lowest level in 900 years, Israel National News reports. The report was published Thursday by the European Jewish Demography Unit at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR). Defense Minister Benny Gantz met U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper at the Pentagon on Thursday where they signed a joint declaration confirming Washington’s strategic commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East
( Add / Delete: ken@trinity-aloha.org “Worth Considering” Library, find link on Homepage)
APPROVAL OF GOD, “WORTH CONSIDERING” 10/23/20 By Ken Smith
Today’s Scripture (Across my desk this morning from a Church in Texas.)
“Your approval means nothing to me.” (John 5:41, NLT)
Don’t Rely on People’s Approval
It’s great when people cheer us on and make us feel valuable. We love when a friend compliments us or a coworker helps us on a project. God uses people to help move us toward our destiny. But you can’t become so dependent on people that you’re trying to get your worth and value from them. It’s easy to rely on them to keep you feeling good about yourself and make you feel approved. But if they don’t give you their approval and meet your expectations, you’ll feel discouraged and inferior, and you’ll work overtime to try to win their approval. The problem is, you’re trying to get from people what only God can give. Your value, your self-worth doesn’t come from another person—it comes from your Creator. Jesus knew better than to rely on people. What they do or don’t do doesn’t determine your worth and cannot stop your purpose. Quit depending on others’ approval and start approving yourself.
A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for the people You’ve placed in my life to help me move to my destiny. Help me, though, not to become dependent upon their approval or try to get my value from them. I declare that I have Your approval and love, and that’s all I need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Ken’s Comments:
This portion of scripture is very interesting in context. “ And you have not His word (His thought) living in your hearts, because you do not believe and adhere to and trust in and rely on Him Whom He has sent. [That is why you do not keep His message living in you, because you do not believe in the Messenger Whom He has sent.] 39 You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! 40 And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life. 41 I receive not glory from men [I crave no human honor, I look for no mortal fame], 42 But I know you and recognize and understand that you have not the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name and with His power, and you do not receive Me [your hearts are not open to Me, you give Me no welcome]; but if another comes in his own name and his own power and with no other authority but himself, you will receive him and give him your approval. 44 How is it possible for you to believe [how can you learn to believe], you who [are content to seek and] receive praise and honor and glory from one another, and yet do not seek the praise and honor and glory which come from Him Who alone is God? 45 Put out of your minds the thought and do not suppose [as some of you are supposing] that I will accuse you before the Father. There is one who accuses you—it is Moses, the very one on whom you have built your hopes [in whom you trust]. 46 For if you believed and relied on Moses, you would believe and rely on Me, for he wrote about Me [personally]. 47 But if you do not believe and trust his writings, how then will you believe and trust My teachings? [How shall you cleave to and rely on My words?]” 1 John 5:38-47. Jesus was referring to a prophesy in Deut. 18:15-19, “15 The Lord your God will raise up for you [a]a prophet (Prophet) from the midst of your brethren like me [Moses]; to him you shall listen. 16 This is what you desired [and asked] of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. 17 And the Lord said to me, They have well said all that they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet (Prophet) from among their brethren like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.” Jesus completely fulfills this prophesy and most everyone that I know has at least read the Gospels of Mathews, Mark, Luke and John. So before our Eternally Creator we are going to stand in eternity and be responsible for our humility and obedience to the words (commandments) of Jesus that HE shared with us.
Before I became a Christian in 1955 in my mind, I had created my own religion. I thought, I am not really a HOLY MAN and don’t think I would be comfortable living around one. And I am not at all like Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson or those kind. So must be there will be a migration of souls to those of like minded. So I was not concerned about death as I would be OK… Of course I had no empirical evidence to support that fantasy. Seems we all tend to make up some kind of a fiction of where we are OK as we are for our trip into eternity. And we bet our eternal soul on that fiction. We watched a film the other night “Heaven Is Real” about a little boy that went there and came back, Very Powerful Story. Our New Testament is a witness of Jesus making that trip into eternity and coming back with hundreds of witnesses to tell us about it. When we are young we are much too busy, most of the time, to think about it. But at my age, I am very interested. And you know, my 88 years on life has been a flash. It was only yesterday that I was on the ridge of the chicken house roof with a tea towel tied around my neck hollering SHAZAM to take a leap of faith into being Captain Marvel and flying around the farm. But older minds talked me out of it. And there has been plenty of time to find out about Jesus and Repentance and Redemption for which I am most grateful.
Yours, in HIS great Love and wonderful Grace & Mercy, Ken<>< www.trinity-aloha.org
Worthy Brief <worthybrief@worthynetwork.com> The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate Thursday despite a boycott from all 10 Democratic members of the committee. A new report has shown that the proportion of Jews living in Europe is at its lowest level in 900 years, Israel National News reports. The report was published Thursday by the European Jewish Demography Unit at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR). Defense Minister Benny Gantz met U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper at the Pentagon on Thursday where they signed a joint declaration confirming Washington’s strategic commitment to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East
( Add / Delete: ken@trinity-aloha.org “Worth Considering” Library, find link on Homepage)
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