Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

SET APART

...God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted
beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also provide a way out so that you can
stand up under it.
--Corinthians 10:13

I've always felt that I didn't fit in. I was never the prettiest, never the funniest, and no matter how hard I tried, I always fell short to somebody in just about everything. This plagued me. Sure, I had friends, and I had a family who would give the Waltons a run for their money--but still, I didn't ever really "fit in."

When I was in seventh grade, we moved to a new town. Again, no matter what I did, I just couldn't fit in. Eventually, I found a few good friends, but I still longed for and struggled to be part of a group. This became blatantly obvious to me one night.

My freshman year, four of my closest friends were seniors. None of them were bad kids. They were actually pretty good friends to me. I even thought for a while that I fit in with them.

One night after a basketball game, I went into town with them. As we were driving along, one announced that we were going to go to his older brother's house to drink. Immediately a strong, heavy feeling of conviction came over me. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not supposed to go there that night. My feeling of conviction was at war with my desire to fit in.

I struggled to find a way out, but it was about 10:30 p.m. and I was already in the car, on the way there. Let me not forget to mention how scared I was that these friends of mine wouldn't accept me if I turned them down.

"Let's go eat first. I'm hungry," one of them suggested. Whew, momentary relief. I decided that would give me time to think of a way to get myself out of the situation.

We got to a restaurant and I asked a girl with us to go to the restroom with me. When we got there, I told her that I didn't want to drink. She sort of laughed and said she wouldn't drink that night either, just for me. It made me feel a little better, but I still wasn't satisfied.

I remembered that my parents always told me that if I were ever in a situation that I knew I shouldn't be in, I could call them anytime, and they would come get me. I wanted to, but the fear of what everyone else would think scared me out of doing it.

Then it hit me. God said that he would always provide a way out. He was my only hope. I cried out to him, "Lord, I don't know how you're going to pull it off, but you said you would provide a way out of all bad circumstances. Please, show me a way out."

I went back to the table, hoping that my prayers would be answered. Because I was so nervous that night, I didn't eat. Minutes passed and my friends' food hadn't come. As a matter of fact, it took about an hour to be served in a restaurant that was usually fairly quick. By the time they got their food and ate it, it was nearly midnight, my curfew, and I had to get home.

Of course they were aggravated to have to change their plans because of me. After taking me home, they didn't want to have to drive back to town, so they went home, too. I know without a doubt that God showed me that his promises are real, and that he really does love us and take care of us.

My four friends were still my friends after that night, up until the day they graduated and moved on in life. Yet that was the last night that I ever tried to be like them in order to please them. In the long run, I think they saw my choices and respected them.

I've always known that I didn't fit in; I haven't always known that I've been set apart. Years of looking to God for guidance has shown me that I am set apart and was created for a reason. Rather than seeking acceptance, I now trust that God likes me just the way he made me. That has taken the pressure off so that I can concentrate on living the life that God has planned for me.

That's all that matters.

 

[beensetfree]

Pray at all times
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Ephesians 6:18 NASB

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Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26 NKJV

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And foreigners who bind themselves to the
LORD to serve him,
to love the name of the LORD,
and to worship him,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant-

These I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations."

Isaiah 56:6-7 NIV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.”

Matthew 10:34

The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if to do the right, and to believe the true, should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will count it but a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be yet more friendly, and reveal himself to him more graciously than ever. O ye who have taken up his cross, know ye not what your Master said? “I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; and a man's foes shall be they of his own household.”

Christ is the great Peacemaker; but before peace, he brings war. Where the light cometh, the darkness must retire. Where truth is, the lie must flee; or, if it abideth, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trodden under foot. If you follow Christ, you shall have all the dogs of the world yelping at your heels. If you would live so as to stand the test of the last tribunal, depend upon it the world will not speak well of you. He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your unflinching fidelity, since it is a testimony against their iniquities.

Fearless of all consequences, you must do the right. You will need the courage of a lion unhesitatingly to pursue a course which shall turn your best friend into your fiercest foe; but for the love of Jesus you must thus be courageous. For the truth's sake to hazard reputation and affection, is such a deed that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle which only the Spirit of God can work in you; yet turn not your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow right manfully in your Master's steps, for he has traversed this rough way before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.

 

[beensetfree]

Say Good-bye to Jesus for Me


Disciples are more than doers; they are givers. Yet disciples give more than words and knowledge to others; disciples give themselves to others. Disciples serve others by listening, supporting, encouraging, affirming, confronting, helping, loving, empathizing, and being there. Disciples are generous with their time and energy, imitating the One who knew how to serve. As servants, disciples learn how to be sensitive, to know when they are needed and when they are not needed. True servants can read people well. They can feel pain in others and know when to step in and help. True servanthood is very difficult, yet very important because it is the one unmistakable way people recognize Jesus in us (Matthew 25:34-46).

Every month Daryl's youth group went to Beverly Manor to put on a church service for the old people who lived there. Daryl didn't like to go, but he felt obligated. That's what Jesus would do, Daryl thought, even though Jesus didn't have old-folks homes in his day.

Lucky him!

Though Daryl had gone to five services at the Manor, he never really did anything. He just stood in the back of the room and held the hand of an old man. The man's name was Oliver, and he seldom spoke. He must have been in his eighties or nineties. Most of the time he slept through the church service. Daryl liked the old guy, though. He used to wake him up and talk to him, even though Oliver never seemed like he was listening. When Daryl would get ready to leave, though, Oliver seemed to know and would squeeze Daryl's hand. Daryl never told anyone about this, but each time he started to leave and felt Oliver squeeze his hand, he would lean down and whisper in his ear, "I'm sorry, Oliver, I have to go, but I love you and I'll be back next month. I promise."

On his sixth visit to the Manor, Daryl was looking forward to seeing Oliver again. But Oliver wasn't around. As the service began, Daryl became concerned. He said to the head nurse, "I don't see Oliver here today. Is he okay?"

The nurse asked Daryl to follow her to Room 13, where Oliver lay in bed, looking frail and near death. Oliver's eyes were closed and his breathing was irregular. Daryl walked over and grabbed Oliver's hand. He had never seen anyone dying before and Daryl had a difficult time holding back his tears. Daryl sat with Oliver for an hour. When Daryl started to leave, he knew he might not ever see Oliver again. Oliver squeezed his hand. Oliver knew, too. Daryl said what he always said: " I'm sorry, Oliver, I have to go, but I love you." When Daryl walked out of the room a young woman was standing there waiting for him. "Hello," she said, "I'm Oliver's granddaughter. He's dying, you know."

"Yes, I know," Daryl said.

"I wanted to meet you," she said. "See, I came to see my grandfather when the doctors said he was dying. They said he couldn't talk, but he could always talk to me. Last week he sort of woke up and said to me, 'Please say goodbye to Jesus for me.' I told him that he was going to be with Jesus soon. He looked at me with the most alert eyes I have ever seen and said, "I know, but he comes to see me every month and he might not know I've gone."

I asked the nurse if she had any idea what he meant and she told me that you came once a month and held his hand. I wanted to thank you for him, for me -- and, well, I imagine Jesus is very glad to have been mistaken for you."

Oliver died in his sleep that evening.

Read John 13:4-5, 12-17
The more you give the more you get.

What was the most unselfish thing you've ever done? As a journal entry, write about one thing you did for someone else with absolutely no thought for yourself.

May God grant you the gift of being a servant. May you know the words of Christ as true that it is in giving that you receive.

 

[beensetfree]

May your love abound more & more
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteous - ness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 NIV

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And beside this, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
and to knowledge temperance;
and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness;
and to godliness brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV

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But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

Proverbs 4:18 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Your refuge from the avenger of blood.”

Joshua 20:3

It is said that in the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the utmost. Even so the word of our salvation is near to us; Jesus is a present Saviour, and the way to him is short; it is but a simple renunciation of our own merit, and a laying hold of Jesus, to be our all in all. With regard to the roads to the city of refuge, we are told that they were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an easy passage to the city.

Once a year the elders went along the roads and saw to their order, so that nothing might impede the flight of any one, and cause him, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How graciously do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were by-roads and turnings, there were fixed up hand-posts, with the inscription upon them — “To the city of refuge!” This is a picture of the road to Christ Jesus. It is no roundabout road of the law; it is no obeying this, that, and the other; it is a straight road: “Believe, and live.” It is a road so hard, that no self-righteous man can ever tread it, but so easy, that every sinner, who knows himself to be a sinner may by it find his way to heaven.

No sooner did the man-slayer reach the outworks of the city than he was safe; it was not necessary for him to pass far within the walls, but the suburbs themselves were sufficient protection. Learn hence, that if you do but touch the hem of Christ's garment, you shall be made whole; if you do but lay hold upon him with “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” you are safe.

“A little genuine grace ensures
The death of all our sins.”


Only waste no time, loiter not by the way, for the avenger of blood is swift of foot; and it may be he is at your heels at this still hour of eventide.

 

[beensetfree]

Spiritual Attacks: Who They Attack And Why


How do demons or Satan attack God’s people? What are their specific tactics? Who do they go after and why?
Who is Targeted?
Why do demons attack? What does the Bible say is the reason? May I suggest these six reasons to begin with? Demonic or spiritual attacks come from, studying the Word, teaching the Word, obeying the Word, sharing the Word, and growing in the Word.
For one thing, we’re not battling an enemy that we can see with our eyes since “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

These demons of darkness are opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ and will do anything they can to prevent people from being saved, and they will do all that they can to make you lose your testimony or not share your faith. Maybe you’ve noticed that frequently, demons will work through unbelievers to attack, insult, degrade, and persecute those who do believe, even though believers don’t attack non-believers because they don’t believe. At least it is rare, but unbelievers will say they don’t believe in God or Jesus Christ, but the truth is, what they believe does not change what is true, so demons are a real and present danger. Take Daniel’s example. Daniel had prayed to God but it took three weeks for the angel of God to deliver the answer to his prayer. Why?

The angel told Daniel that “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia” (Dan 10:13). Michael, as one of the chief princes of the angels, said he had to come to ensure Daniel’s answer to his prayer went through. Apparently, they were fighting the “prince of Persia,” most likely a very powerful demon angel (SATAN?). Demons are simply fallen angels who choose to follow Lucifer’s rebellion and have joined with the prince of darkness to interfere in any way possible with the plan of salvation, and that includes attacking Christians…even if they have to use other people to do it (and they do!).

A Created Being
Whether you believe in them or not, demons are a real, but if I hear someone say that “Satan is attacking them or harassing them,” and then about a dozen others say the same thing, at about the same time, my question is, is it Satan or a demon? I have to think that they are probably going through spiritual attacks but it’s likely not Satan but his minions. That’s because Satan is not omnipresent like God is. He cannot be in more than one place at the same time, and it’s not like Jesus and Satan are in an arm-wrestling match! No. He’s done! He was defeated at the cross, so today, there are only skirmishes left from a defeated foe. As a created being, Satan can only be in one place at a time; therefore they are likely dealing with demons and not Satan since he most likely spends his time on the most effective evangelists, teachers, preachers, missionaries, but also world leaders and powerful businesses.


The Walking Dead
The Apostle Paul reminds believers that “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:1-2), and those still not quickened by God’s Spirit are under this same influence, whether they admit it or not, so “even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4). Christ-followers are the enemy’s primary target because we are the ground forces deployed behind enemy lines, infiltrating the enemy’s territory.

But….we are fighting forces more powerful than we are, which is why we need the full armor of God (Eph 6:11-20). That’s because “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly place” (Eph 6:12)! The demons focus on those who are entering enemy territory…bringing the gospel into the community, the town square, on the streets, into prisons, into the nursing homes, and just about any place that there are people, and that’s the mission of our church, however, demons will not waste their time on silent, underground, private-eye Christians who might look more like “pew potatoes” than believers who are living out the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)?

How they Attack
Demons would love to fill your head full of doubts. Demons will also try to persecute you, even using others to bring about railing accusations, false rumors, profanity-laced tirades, insults, name calling and flat out lies against you. The Devil’s name means slanderer, and that’s what he’ll try to do with your good name, but he and the demons will use others to do the same thing. The Apostle John writes that Satan is “the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God” (Rev 12:10b), so he is constantly accusing us of sin, 24/7, but tragically, demons may even use other professing Christians to persecute you over non-essential doctrines (tongues, the rapture, the millennium, etc.).

If the enemy can get the church to fight…unbelievers will see no difference between us and the world, and listen how subtle they are regarding sin. The Devil whispers, “Go ahead, it’s not that bad, everyone else is doing it,” but then after you do sin, he accusingly and condemningly says, “How could you call yourself a Christian and do that!?” By the way, Satan is right. We are all guilty of sin since we’ve been saved. The difference for us is when “we confess our sins, God forgives us and then cleanses us from all of our unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9), but as Dr. Irwin Lutzer once said, “When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future” (Rev 20:11).

Christ-followers can say with all authority, they “have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (Rev 12:11). Even so, demons will try to make you feel hopeless, lost, depressed, without purpose, that you’re in the wrong place, stressed and distressed, and that God can’t use you, but remember the Devil is a liar, and the only time you can believe him is when he says he’s lying, so they will try to destroy your faith and testimony, because if they can, they will silence your sharing Christ.

Conclusion
There is more to come in a later article about how demons attack in specific ways, and ways that might be unique to you, but there is one thing Satan or the demons cannot do, and that is snatch us out of Jesus or the Father’s hand (John 10:28-29), because “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1), so “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”(Rom 8:37-39).

 

[beensetfree]

Salvation is from The Lord
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

1 Timothy 4:9,10 NIV

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Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

John 3:3-7 KJV

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But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7 NASB

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It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began--to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus.

And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

2 Timothy 1:9,10 NLT

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“What think ye of Christ?”

Matthew 22:42

The great test of your soul's health is, What think you of Christ? Is he to you “fairer than the children of men” — “the chief among ten thousand” — the “altogether lovely”? Wherever Christ is thus esteemed, all the faculties of the spiritual man exercise themselves with energy. I will judge of your piety by this barometer: does Christ stand high or low with you?

If you have thought little of Christ, if you have been content to live without his presence, if you have cared little for his honour, if you have been neglectful of his laws, then I know that your soul is sick — God grant that it may not be sick unto death! But if the first thought of your spirit has been, how can I honour Jesus? If the daily desire of your soul has been, “O that I knew where I might find him!” I tell you that you may have a thousand infirmities, and even scarcely know whether you are a child of God at all, and yet I am persuaded, beyond a doubt, that you are safe, since Jesus is great in your esteem.

I care not for thy rags, what thinkest thou of his royal apparel? I care not for thy wounds, though they bleed in torrents, what thinkest thou of his wounds? are they like glittering rubies in thine esteem? I think none the less of thee, though thou liest like Lazarus on the dunghill, and the dogs do lick thee — I judge thee not by thy poverty: what thinkest thou of the King in his beauty? Has he a glorious high throne in thy heart? Wouldest thou set him higher if thou couldest? Wouldest thou be willing to die if thou couldest but add another trumpet to the strain which proclaims his praise?

Ah! then it is well with thee. Whatever thou mayest think of thyself, if Christ be great to thee, thou shalt be with him ere long.

“Though all the world my choice deride,
Yet Jesus shall my portion be;
For I am pleased with none beside,
The fairest of the fair is he”

 

[beensetfree]

Are You There, God?


There once was an older, destitute man. He had lost his
family, his dignity, his work and all his worldly
possessions. The only thing he had left was his faith in God.

One day, he walked along the city sidewalks; homeless as he
was. Peering around the city buildings, the passing cars, and
sidewalk shoppers - he remembered a time when he had the love
of his wife, the comfort of home, and the camaraderie of his
many friends and successful business partners. Just for one
moment, he could feel the love and passion he once used to
enjoy. But then he looked up into the sky, and he could see
the graying clouds rolling overhead; and the wind began to fly
past his ragged shirt sleeves.

Realizing that he was who he was, he knew he had to find
shelter before the rains began to fall. Across the street, he
saw the old city park that he used to visit when he was just a
child. In the far end of the park, he spotted the old gazebo
he'd frequented with his high school sweetheart. Suddenly, the
rain began to fall. These weren't just ordinary raindrops -
they were hard, heavy, and oversized droplets of water that
pelted his head and neck like small stones. His walk turned
into a fast run as he struggled to get under the shelter of
the gazebo. Shaking off his shirt and wiping the wetness from
his cheeks and forehead, the man sat back on the two-seater
swing beneath the gazebo. Then he shook his head in disbelief.
"Is this what life is all about?" he asked, shaking his fist
and peering up toward the gray skies, "What more do you want
from me?"

Just then, the sky began to clear and above the skyscrapers
he could faintly see some bright hues of red, purple, pink,
and even blue. It was a rainbow; and the sun's rays began to
shine through the break in the clouds. Now sobbing, the man
looked back up into the sky, and he asked,

"Are You there, God?"

But there was no audible reply.

A few moments passed when a park ranger made his way up to the
old gazebo. "Top of the day to you, sir," he said to the man.
The man glanced at the ranger as the voice sounded vaguely
familiar. Sure enough, the man remembered the park ranger as a
friend he once knew many, many years in his past.

"I think I know you," the man replied to the ranger, "aren't
you Ed from the country store?"

The ranger was slightly taken aback as he too recognized the
man. But the ranger's name was not Ed; that was his father's
name. "My name is Paul," he said, stretching out his hand to
the man on the swing, "Ed was my father."

"Oh," replied the man, "I'm Mark Baker," he paused to shake
Paul's hand.

The similarities were uncanny, but Mark certainly remembered
Ed, and this ranger was the spitting image of him.

"How'd you know my dad?" asked Paul.

"Oh, it was so long ago...you wouldn't want to hear how we
met," replied Mark.

Taking a couple steps beneath the shelter, Paul said, "Humor
me."

Mark explained that he and Ed had met each other in the local
hospital. Mark had gone there to pick up his lab tests where
he and Ed had struck up a conversation while they sat in the
waiting room. By the time all was said and done, he discovered
that he was the perfect match for Ed - the perfect kidney
match. "Needless to say," said Mark, "one thing led to another
and we were kidney partners for life."

"What happened to you?" asked Paul.

"Wall Street called me, greed took me, and I played my last
bit of luck," he replied. Sighing aloud, Mark blinked to clear
the water from his eyes, "and then I lost it all."

"I remember you," said Paul, then he pulled out a photograph
from his wallet, and pointed to two men standing side-by-side
by the old country store, "that's you, and that's my dad."

Peering at the old black and white photograph, he could
faintly make out the faces of the worn picture, "Sure does
look like me, doesn't it?" asked Mark.

Paul began smiling and he replied, "It is you," then he took a
deep breath, "do you know how long I have been looking for you?"

Mark simply shook his head, "Well, you found me...I wish under
better circumstances."

Just then, Paul placed his hand upon Mark's shoulder, "I wish
my dad would've been able to see you again. He talked about
you all the time...and especially right before he died," Paul
sighed, "because of you, he was able to watch me graduate and
get my high school diploma, and later, he got to hold his
newborn grandson -- my son."

"Wow," Mark replied, "I didn't realize that one kidney could
do all that."

"You don't understand, Mark," said Paul, "when he died, he
left you the old country store and the house. It's been
waiting for your return but you never came...until now."

And suddenly, Mark had received his answer...and his solution
to his homelessness. It had been there the whole time but it
took him losing everything before he would rediscover the
rainbow of hope once again.

Even in your darkest hour, when you ask - God shows up in the
most unlikely places.

 

[beensetfree]

Growing in Grace
Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

1 Thessalonians 4:1-5 NIV

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Herein is My Father glorified: that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.

John 15:8 KJV

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Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17,18 NASB

_____________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

Great Bible Verses To Use In Prayer


Do you have difficulty in knowing how or what to pray? Do what many have done before, and pray back the Scriptures to God.

Confession of Sin
One of the top Bible verses to use in prayer, and particularly in praying for forgiveness, is found in Psalm 51. This may be one of the greatest prayers of repentance in the Bible. Apparently, this psalm was written by David not long after Nathan called him out as committing adultery and conspiracy to have Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, murdered. This was so that David could cover up his adulterous affair with a pregnant Bathsheba…pregnant with David’s child, and end up marrying Bathsheba. One thing about the Bible…it reveals the biblical characters, warts and all, but it also shows how much grace God gives to the repentant sinner.

This is why David cried out to God in prayer, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin”(Psalm 51:1-2). David prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7), and that’s what happens. A person receives Jesus’ own righteousness. The Apostle said it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21), and why the psalmist cried out to God, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:1). And that’s exactly what God does for those who repent and believe.

Praise and Thanksgiving
My 84 year old mentor once told me that most people seem to forget praising God and giving Him thanks in their prayers. They are only praying for themselves, their own needs, and their own situation, but there are praise and thanksgiving prayers throughout the Bible, and the best time to pray these prayers is when you’re in trouble! Praise Him in your storm! Many of the psalms were written as praise and worship songs, but they were written while they were experiencing great difficulties. Psalm 7 is a good example. The psalmist writes, “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High” (Psalm 7:17). We should give God thanks for the many blessings He’s given us through Christ, but also praise God for the great majesty and power He has.

Nehemiah prayed, “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you” (Neh 9:6). That puts God in a class all by Himself, and why the author of Hebrews wrote, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise” (Heb 2:12). Daniel said, “I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules” (Dan 9:4-5).

Times of Trouble
If there is any place to run for refuge during the troubles and trials of this world, it is to the Bible. There you can find solace in the Scriptures, and read the words of Jonah when you are in your own fish’s belly. Jonah said, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice” (Jonah 2:21). We might be in a hard situation because of bad choices we’ve made, or by doing what we knew was wrong, so in times of distress, we might have to ask God to “forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4), and once again ask God to, “Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love” (Psalm 31:6)! If you’re in a hard place right now, cry out, “O LORD, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love”(Psalm 6:4).

With God, you can be brutally honest, and admit to God that “after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth” (Jer 31:9). God is more than willing to forgive if we are willing to confess. Confession is a good place to start when you’ve hit rock bottom due to some bad choices, and the promise is the same for us as it was for the ancient kings of Israel, that “you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies” (2 Kings 17:9). We know just as the psalmist does, that not a few, but “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). Use these Bible verses for times when you are out of options. When you’ve done all you can, all you can do is give it to the Lord.

Conclusion
I believe God wants us to pray back the great prayers of the Bible, and these Bible verses are those you can use in prayer for asking for God’s forgiveness; for praising Him and giving Him thanks for the manifold blessings through Christ; and when you are in a place where you can do no more and it is up to God to act now. If you know of someone else who might benefit from these Scriptures, why not share them right now?

 

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If God is for us, who shall stand against us?
Whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.

Proverbs 1:33 NIV

______________

They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid.

I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore.

Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 34:28-30 NASB

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The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear:
though war should rise against me,
in this will I be confident.

Psalm 27:1-3 KJV

______________

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

Jeremiah 8:20

Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible, you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead.

The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ. All these hopeful seasons have come and gone — your summer and your harvest have past — and yet you are not saved. Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has gone, manhood is going, and yet you are not saved.

Let me ask you — will you ever be saved? Is there any likelihood of it? Already the most propitious seasons have left you unsaved; will other occasions alter your condition? Means have failed with you — the best of means, used perseveringly and with the utmost affection — what more can be done for you? Affliction and prosperity have alike failed to impress you; tears and prayers and sermons have been wasted on your barren heart. Are not the probabilities dead against your ever being saved? Is it not more than likely that you will abide as you are till death for ever bars the door of hope?

Do you recoil from the supposition? Yet it is a most reasonable one: he who is not washed in so many waters will in all probability go filthy to his end. The convenient time never has come, why should it ever come? It is logical to fear that it never will arrive, and that Felix like, you will find no convenient season till you are in hell. O bethink you of what that hell is, and of the dread probability that you will soon be cast into it!

Reader, suppose you should die unsaved, your doom no words can picture. Write out your dread estate in tears and blood, talk of it with groans and gnashing of teeth: you will be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. A brother's voice would fain startle you into earnestness. O be wise, be wise in time, and ere another year begins, believe in Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost. Consecrate these last hours to lonely thought, and if deep repentance be bred in you, it will be well; and if it lead to a humble faith in Jesus, it will be best of all. O see to it that this year pass not away, and you an unforgiven spirit. Let not the new year's midnight peals sound upon a joyless spirit! Now, now , NOW believe, and live.

“ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE;
LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE,
NEITHER STAY THOU IN ALL THE PLAIN;
ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAIN,
LEST THOU BE CONSUMED.”

 

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UP AND AT 'EM

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
~Mark 1:35

Have you ever used the word "radical" to describe prayer?

Don't fall for the myth that prayer is a gentle, sedate, boring responsibility that all Christians have to endure. Prayer is the opportunity to grab the ear of God and talk to your heart's content. About anything and everything. Prayer is the chance to enlist the most powerful Friend in the world to help you--no matter what you're facing. Prayer is the opportunity to have your most nagging questions answered. Prayer is the chance of a lifetime. And you'd have to be a fool not to wring it for all it's worth.

If you're ready to boost the power of your prayer life, you'll find a couple of helpful tips in the passage above. If anyone understood the radical nature of prayer, it was Jesus. Notice the time of day he chose for his conversation with God. Very early in the morning. Jesus couldn't wait to get started.

Do you feel that way about your prayer time? Have you tried setting aside a time early in the day for prayer? You don't necessarily have to get up before dawn, but if you make prayer the first thing you do after you wake up, you'll be a whole lot better prepared to face the challenges of the day.

Notice also the way Jesus protected his time with God. He secluded himself in a place where nothing could interrupt his train of thought. He wanted his entire focus to be on his heavenly Father.

What steps can you take to follow his example? Do you know of a place where you can be alone--away from interruptions and distractions? The good thing about prayer is that you can do it anywhere--a closet, the shower, or even in the car. (Just don't close your eyes if you're driving!)

For a snapshot of Jesus' early ministry, read through Mark 1:1-45.

**

Common Excuses for Not Getting Up Before Dawn to Pray

* "If I don't get 12 hours of sleep a night, I'm a wreck."
* "I prefer the crack of noon to the crack of dawn."
* "I didn't know there was such a thing as 5 a.m.!"
* "I don't go to bed until 1 a.m.!"
* "I'm a slave to my body clock."
* "I'm not Jesus."
* "I don't have anything that important to tell God."
* "If God wanted me to be praying at sunrise, he would have made the sun rise later in the day."

 

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New Year New Song!
"Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?

I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.

The beasts of the field will glorify Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,

To give drink to My chosen people.
The people whom I formed for Myself
Will declare My praise."

Isaiah 43:19-21 NASB

__________________

A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.

By humility and the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

Proverbs 22:3-5 NKJV

 

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Let Us Humble Ourselves
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Isaiah 5:20,21 NIV

__________________

A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.

By humility and the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

Proverbs 22:3-5 NKJV

__________________

Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

Galatians 6:1-3 KJV

__________________

For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:18 NASB

__________________

He who disdains instruction despises his own soul,
But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.

Proverbs 15:32,33 NKJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

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3 Things To Look For In A Friend
The older I get,the more I realize just how precious and valuable friends are, so here are three important reminders about the kind of friends we need.
A Friend for Adversity
There’s something about having that one close, personal relationship with a friend. It’s something special to be sure, but it’s more than that. It’s a special bonding of two souls who come together as friends in order to do more together than they ever could alone. Marriages are a great example of that. In marriage, you have two best friends joined together. The two become one, and it is as Solomon wrote, “if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone” (Eccl 4:11), “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12).

Amos the Prophet asked, “Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet” (Amos 3:3), with the obvious answer being no, they cannot. Friends however, manage to do that by overlooking their differences. Proverbs 17 gives us a great biblical picture of what true friendship looks like, and why we need one another in good times and bad. Solomon wrote, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends”(Prov 17:9), but “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov 17:17). Just like a friend will tell you that you’ve got food stuck on your teeth, a true friend knows you well enough to tell you the truth….even if it hurts, because, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov 27:6).

The psalmist went so far as to say, “Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds” (Psalm 141:5). Friends stick with friends through adversity. That’s what friends do. Some may bail out on you, but that only proves that they are not truly your friend. Your real friends stick closer to you than your real brothers or sisters.

A Friend in Need
God called Abram, and told him, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gen 12:1-2), and remarkably, when God called Abram (later, changed to Abraham), Abram didn’t stop to consult with his family, friends or neighbors and ask what they thought about it. It simply says, “Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran” (Gen 12:4).

Imagine the faith that took. God called Abraham to go to a place he’d never been too, and possibly never heard of, but it only says Abraham believed God and his belief was accounted to him as righteous (Gen 15:6). That’s why Abraham was called a friend of God (James 2:23). He acted on his belief. Its one thing to state you believe, but the true proof of that belief is stepping out in faith, and believing what God says, even when we don’t see what’s ahead of us. Someday, you may have to ask a friend for help, and do something they might not even understand, or your friend might ask the same of you. The question is, will you believe him or her? If so, you truly are his or her friend.

A Friend in Deed
David and Jonathan might have been the best example of human friendship in the Bible. Even though King Saul was trying to destroy David, knowing he was to be the next king of Israel, Jonathan knew David was in the right, and had been selected by God. Jonathan was helping David and putting his own life at risk. He helped the next king of Israel, David, even though Jonathan would have been the rightful heir to the throne when Saul was gone. That didn’t matter to Jonathan. He thought more of David because of his integrity than what his father the king wanted.

Therefore, it says, “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Sam 18:1). Even though “Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David…Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David” (1 Sam 19:1). Even though he risked his own life in trying to help David, “Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself” (1 Sam 19:2). We are commanded to love our brothers and sisters, so when a friend needs help and it seems everyone else is against them, true friends step up and into the gap for their friend.

Conclusion
We can have friends in the world, just as long as we’re not friends of the world or with the world. That makes us enemies of God. James warns the young first century believers by writing, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us” (James 4:4-5). I have friends who are not Christian, and even a few atheists who I remain in contact we. We have accepted one another’s believe/disbelief and we can live with the differences. We might not agree about God but this doesn’t mean we have to be disagreeable.

One friend who is an atheist is one I’ve even developed a good friendship with. We have a few things in common, and think alike in some ways, but there is no substitute for that one, close, godly friend who will be honest enough with you to speak the truth to you and not be afraid to hurt your feelings if they feel that it can help you. Friends love you enough to tell you the truth, even though it’s not always what you want to hear. We know that Iron sharpens iron (Prov 27:17), and that’s good, because rust never sleeps.

 

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Pleasing the Lord
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 3:21-23 NIV

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Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:9,10 NASB

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For one is approved if, mindful of God, he endures pain while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it, if when you do wrong and are beaten for it you take it patiently? But if when you do right and suffer for it you take it patiently, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:19-21 RSV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

SO CLOSE

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
~ Psalm 139:7

Have you ever had that all-alone feeling, even in the middle of a crowd? Even surrounded by a dozen friends, it's possible to feel terribly lonely.

Though your feelings might be telling you that you're on your own, you can't always trust your feelings. The truth is that you are never alone. God is always with you. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter how you feel--you are not alone. God is there.

King David knew a lot about loneliness. He often felt alone and deserted. But he knew that those feelings weren't to be trusted, and he chose to trust instead in what he knew to be true about God. In Psalm 139 he reminds himself--and us--of these truths: God knows every detail of your life. He knows everything you do, everything you think, everything you feel. Even before you say a word, God knows exactly what it will be.

Do you realize that you could never get away from God if you tried? Not a single place exists where God's Spirit is not present. Even if you attempted to get away from God, it's just not possible. He is always, always, always with you--even when it doesn't feel like it.

God cares about the little things and the big things in your life. He cares about how you did on a test and the divorce your parents are going through and how much it hurt when your boyfriend broke up with you. Through every moment of every day--whether seemingly unimportant or clearly a big deal--don't ever forget the God is with you.

Read Psalm 139: 1-10 and be encouraged by David's reminder that God is always with you.

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God, thank you that even when I feel alone, I'm really not. Remind me that you're with me at all times. Teach me to focus on the truth that I'm never truly on my own, because you're always there, too...