Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

“That henceforth we should not serve sin.”

Romans 6:6

Christian, what hast thou to do with sin? Hath it not cost thee enough already? Burnt child, wilt thou play with the fire? What! when thou hast already been between the jaws of the lion, wilt thou step a second time into his den? Hast thou not had enough of the old serpent? Did he not poison all thy veins once, and wilt thou play upon the hole of the asp, and put thy hand upon the cockatrice's den a second time? Oh, be not so mad! so foolish! Did sin ever yield thee real pleasure? Didst thou find solid satisfaction in it? If so, go back to thine old drudgery, and wear the chain again, if it delight thee.

But inasmuch as sin did never give thee what it promised to bestow, but deluded thee with lies, be not a second time snared by the old fowler— be free, and let the remembrance of thy ancient bondage forbid thee to enter the net again! It is contrary to the designs of eternal love, which all have an eye to thy purity and holiness; therefore run not counter to the purposes of thy Lord. Another thought should restrain thee from sin. Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore be not the serf and bondman of sin.

There is yet a higher argument: each time you “serve sin” you have “Crucified the Lord afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Can you bear that thought? Oh! if you have fallen into any special sin during this day, it may be my Master has sent this admonition this evening, to bring you back before you have backslidden very far. Turn thee to Jesus anew; he has not forgotten his love to thee; his grace is still the same. With weeping and repentance, come thou to his footstool, and thou shalt be once more received into his heart; thou shalt be set upon a rock again, and thy goings shall be established.

 

[beensetfree]

Lonliness?
"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

2 Corinthians 6:17,18 NIV

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I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

John 14:18-20 KJV

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"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you."

Genesis 28:15 RSV

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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 once asked my Aunt who raised me as if she were my
mother where we stood on the spectrum between rich and poor.

I said, "I know we live well and have money, but we don't have
millions of dollars. What does that make us?"

She responded by saying, "I beg your pardon! We are rich,
we have always been rich and we will always be rich!"

I responded, "But Auntie, we don't have money like the Getty's.
She interrupted me and said as she pointed to her heart, and
then to her head,

"Rich is in here and up here. You will always be rich in heart
and mind.

If you have a lot of money that makes you wealthy.
If you have no money, that makes you broke.
You see, richness is a state of mind; not how much money you
have. It does not matter how much you have that counts in life.
It's what you do with what you have than counts.

And so long as you remember that you will always be rich.

 

[beensetfree]

“Who healeth all thy diseases.”

Psalm 103:3

Humbling as is the statement, yet the fact is certain, that we are all more or less suffering under the disease of sin. What a comfort to know that we have a great Physician who is both able and willing to heal us! Let us think of him awhile to-night. His cures are very speedy—there is life in a look at him; his cures are radical—he strikes at the center of the disease; and hence, his cures are sure and certain. He never fails, and the disease never returns. There is no relapse where Christ heals; no fear that his patients should be merely patched up for a season, he makes new men of them: a new heart also does he give them, and a right spirit does he put with them. He is well skilled in all diseases.

Physicians generally have some specialty. Although they may know a little about almost all our pains and ills, there is usually one disease which they have studied above all others; but Jesus Christ is thoroughly acquainted with the whole of human nature. He is as much at home with one sinner as with another, and never yet did he meet with an out-of-the-way case that was difficult to him. He has had extraordinary complications of strange diseases to deal with, but he has known exactly with one glance of his eye how to treat the patient. He is the only universal doctor; and the medicine he gives is the only true catholicon, healing in every instance.

Whatever our spiritual malady may be, we should apply at once to this Divine Physician. There is no brokenness of heart which Jesus cannot bind up. “His blood cleanseth from all sin.” We have but to think of the myriads who have been delivered from all sorts of diseases through the power and virtue of his touch, and we shall joyfully put ourselves in his hands. We trust him, and sin dies; we love him, and grace lives; we wait for him and grace is strengthened; we see him as he is, and grace is perfected for ever.

 

[beensetfree]

Telling the Truth
"Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.
Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane
the name of your God. I am the LORD."

Leviticus 19:11,12 NIV

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But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:8 KJV

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In your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands deal out violence on earth.

The wicked go astray from the womb,
they err from their birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 58:2,3 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]

Jesus’ Seven I Am Statements

What were the implications of Jesus using the “I Am” statements about Himself in the New Testament?

Bread from Heaven
When the Jews were wandering in the wilderness due to their disobedience of not crossing over into the Promised Land, God provided for “manna,” or as it were, “manna from heaven,” so the Jews knew exactly what Jesus was talking about when He said “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst”(John 6:35). God provided both bread and water to ancient Israel that kept them alive, but Jesus is the Bread of life and gives bread that satisfies forever and living water that, whoever drinks, “shall never thirst.” Ancient Israel grew hungry and thirsty in their journeys, but God provided for them; today, Jesus gives us eternal life and whoever believes in Him, even if they die, shall live again (John 10:25-26). This is the bread that leads to eternal life, so He is the Bread of eternal life.

Light of the World
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the nation of Israel was living in spiritual darkness, and it had been 400 years since a prophet of God had spoken, that is until John the Baptist spoke of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). John the Baptist was actually the last of the Old Testament prophets, and even though he part of the New Testament, he was the last of the Old Testament prophets.

John’s ministry was a sort of door hinge with the door to the new covenant on one side opening, and closing the door of the Mosaic Law of the old covenant. John knew why Christ came and therefore he rightly said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). May it be so with all of us so that Christ increases all the more and we all the less, so that others can only see Christ and not us anymore. Jesus as the Light of the World says, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12) and many in the spiritual void of Judea did see the Light, but until Jesus shines the light of His Word, we don’t even know we’re in darkness.

The Door
My uncle in Iowa has a farm with acres of corn, but he also raises sheep. There is only one thing about these sheep. They won’t come to a stranger. In fact, they run away when I started to go out to them, but if they hear my uncle’s voice, they come running. His sheep know his voice, and so too do those who are of Jesus’ own flock. He says, I Am the Door or the Good Shepherd, which could both apply to John 10:7 where Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7). Jesus as the Good Shepherd guards the door to the sheepfold; in fact, He is the door! One must go through Him to have access to the sheep, which is why He says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”(John 10:9). To get into the fold of God, you must come through the Good Shepherd (John 6:44).

The Good Shepherd
Not every sheep my uncle has comes home willingly. If some of the young ones get separated from the flock, he has to go out and find them, because sheep are not that smart. They’ll just stay in one place and eat the pasture till it’s gone, roots and all, so the shepherd not only has to lead them to greener pastures (Psalm 23:1), but he has to go after the ones that get lost, but Jesus reassures us by stating, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11), and later says, “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15). My uncle wouldn’t lay down his life for his sheep, but Jesus has done that for us, and has planned from before time began, to gives His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

The Resurrection
Jesus was never questioned about His raising the dead, and we know that many of the Jews believed in in because of the resurrections He did, so the Jews understood the implications of Jesus saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this”(John 11:25-26)? The Jews had seen or heard from witnesses that Jesus raise the dead, and they were about to see it again with Lazarus, yet their hearts were so hardened that they conspired to kill Lazarus and Jesus, because Lazarus was raised from the dead (although, I’m not sure why they were blaming him!). They probably wanted Lazarus dead because many of the Jews believed on Jesus because He raised Lazarus from the dead. How that was Lazarus’ fault is a mystery to me, but it only reveals the wickedness of the Jewish religious leaders.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life
The way it is written where Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), is specific in intent. He is saying “I am the way” and not one of many ways. He is the truth and whatever a person believes cannot change that. He is the life, in the sense of granting eternal life. He is not a way but the way; He is not a truth, but the truth; and He not only grants physical life, but is the way to eternal life (John 6:44). There is no other way at all (Acts 4:12). There is only one way and that is through Christ alone, or you believe He is a liar. The “truth” cannot be a liar, for He is God, and God cannot lie (Num 23:19; Titus 1:2).

The Vine
Reading John 15, you can see Jesus using the symbolism of the vine, which was one of ancient Israel’s symbols. You would have seen the vine engraved in the temple, on ceremonial vessels, and represented in the priest’s clothing. Israel was originally called to be a fruitful vine, but by the time Jesus arrived in Judea, Israel had become a barren, spiritual wasteland, a barren vine, with the religious leaders teaching the doctrines of men, and avoiding the weightier matters of justice and mercy. Israel, as the vine, had withered, and was in danger of being cut and burned.

Perhaps this is what John the Baptist meant when he warned the Jews, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9). A branch cannot produce fruit without abiding in the vine, which means we can’t produce any fruits unless we’re abiding in Him (John 15:5). On the other hand, wax fruit might look good, but it is useless when you’re hungry. And it melts under fiery trials.

Conclusion
The Apostle John met the resurrected “I AM” and writes, “I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades’” (Rev 1:17). Some glorious day, we will see Jesus “coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Rev 1:7), and we shall finally see the Great I AM Who says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev 1:8).

 

[beensetfree]

Give Him Glory!
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phillipians 2:9-11 NIV
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These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.

John 17:1-3 KJV
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All the kings of the earth
will give thanks to You, O LORD,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.

And they will sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.

For though the LORD is exalted,
Yet He regards the lowly,
But the haughty He knows from afar.

Psalm 138:4-6 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]

“He will make her wilderness like Eden.”

Isaiah 51:3

Methinks, I see in vision a howling wilderness, a great and terrible desert, like to the Sahara. I perceive nothing in it to relieve the eye, all around I am wearied with a vision of hot and arid sand, strewn with ten thousand bleaching skeletons of wretched men who have expired in anguish, having lost their way in the pitiless waste. What an appalling sight! How horrible! a sea of sand without a bound, and without an oasis, a cheerless graveyard for a race forlorn!

But behold and wonder! Upon a sudden, upspringing from the scorching sand I see a plant of renown; and as it grows it buds, the bud expands—it is a rose, and at its side a lily bows its modest head; and, miracle of miracles! as the fragrance of those flowers is diffused the wilderness is transformed into a fruitful field, and all around it blossoms exceedingly, the glory of Lebanon is given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. Call it not Sahara, call it Paradise. Speak not of it any longer as the valley of deathshade, for where the skeletons lay bleaching in the sun, behold a resurrection is proclaimed, and up spring the dead, a mighty army, full of life immortal.

Jesus is that plant of renown, and his presence makes all things new. Nor is the wonder less in each individual's salvation. Yonder I behold you, dear reader, cast out, an infant, unswathed, unwashed, defiled with your own blood, left to be food for beasts of prey. But lo, a jewel has been thrown into your bosom by a divine hand, and for its sake you have been pitied and tended by divine providence, you are washed and cleansed from your defilement, you are adopted into heaven's family, the fair seal of love is upon your forehead, and the ring of faithfulness is on your hand—you are now a prince unto God, though once an orphan, cast away. O prize exceedingly the matchless power and grace which changes deserts into gardens, and makes the barren heart to sing for joy.

 

[beensetfree]

Is Praying In Jesus’ Blood Biblical?

Does praying in the name of Jesus’ blood match what Scripture says what we ought to pray?

In Jesus’ Name
I take a lot of prayer requests at our church and our church loves to pray for others. It doesn’t matter if they’re from our church or not, but to know how to pray is important, and we must be biblical when we pray, and to learn how to pray in the way Jesus taught His disciples. One way to learn from Jesus was when He “was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples”(Luke 11:1), so Jesus’ disciples say Him pray and pray intently, and often, and with such intimacy, that they wanted to know how to pray like that.

They had seen Jesus numerous times displaying the power of God through His intimate relationship with the Father, so Jesus told them to pray first of all, to the Father, hallowing or revering His holy name, praying for His kingdom to come as well as His will to be done (Luke 11:3), and asking for our daily bread (Luke 11:4), and the forgiveness of sins, avoidance of temptation, and asking for forgiveness of our sins as we forgive others who have sinned against us (Luke 11:4). That’s the model of how we ought to pray. The Apostle John records Jesus speaking of a time that is coming, and now has come, when prayer is done through or in His name.

Jesus said, “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24), so we are told to pray to the Father but to pray in Jesus’ name. That’s what He told us. There are no other ways in which to pray He gives, and never does He tell us to pray through or in the name of anything else other than His own name. Not even one time.

By His Blood
The Pharisee who prayed that he was thankful that he was not like the tax collector didn’t understand that the tax collector, by confessing his sins before God, went home justified, while the Pharisee went home dignified, but being justified is infinitely more valuable than being dignified (Luke 18:14). The Pharisee trusted in his own righteousness (not safe), while the tax collector trusted in God’s mercy.

Since we know that God shows no partiality, but in fact will resist the proud (James 4:6), we know how to pray and why we need to pray, but why do people, it seems all of a sudden, want to pray in “Jesus’ blood?” or “in the blood!” Why? Aren’t we told to pray in Jesus’ name? How is praying in His blood biblical, besides, why would we not want to use Jesus’ name? He is our High Priest and Mediator before God. Blood is blood and cannot mediate or go before the Father to ask something. Jesus can! And, Jesus does, but never does the Bible teach us to pray in “In the blood” or “in Jesus’ blood.” Praying to God is not the purpose for the blood; the blood’s purpose is to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It’s the shed blood of Christ that reconciles us back to God, not communicate for us to God, nor does the blood have special powers when we pray in the blood’s name. Only Jesus’ name has power. We should be thankful for the shed blood of Christ, but not pray in the blood of Christ. We should not be praying in the name of something that is not personal, like Jesus Christ, by whose name we are told to pray. By now, you’ve probably heard someone pray for something using Jesus’ blood as having power. Yes, it does have power…the power to cleanse which means it has the power to save, but it was Jesus’ Who shed His blood and Jesus’ name has power, so it is in Jesus’ name we must pray…not in the name of or by the power of His blood.

The Purpose of the Blood
We have already read the purpose for the blood of the Lamb of God, and it wasn’t to make our prayers more effectual or powerful, so what is the true purpose of the shed blood of Christ? The Apostle Peter wrote “that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1st Pet 1:18-19), because “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1st John 1:7). Since animal blood could never take away sins, it was necessary for Jesus to have “entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12), since “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Heb 9:22). That’s what the shed blood of Christ is all about. That’s it! Nothing more.

Conclusion
The Bible records that “Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Heb 13:12), not in order that they might be able to pray in it. Praying in Jesus’ blood or “in the blood I pray,” which is frequently said, is not biblical and it detracts from the reason we are to pray in Jesus’ name; so that His name may be glorified. When we receive answered prayer after praying in Jesus’ name, we rejoice and praise God, and Jesus’ name is glorified. That’s why Jesus’ name is used, so to use His blood as a power in prayer is to place a higher value on His blood than on Him, and that would be a tragic mistake.

 

[beensetfree]

Salvation
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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
__________________

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]

“Good Master.”

Matthew 19:16

If the young man in the gospel used this title in speaking to our Lord, how much more fitly may I thus address him! He is indeed my Master in both senses, a ruling Master and a teaching Master. I delight to run upon his errands, and to sit at his feet. I am both his servant and his disciple, and count it my highest honour to own the double character. If he should ask me why I call him “good,” I should have a ready answer.

It is true that “there is none good but one, that is, God,” but then he is God, and all the goodness of Deity shines forth in him. In my experience, I have found him good, so good, indeed, that all the good I have has come to me through him. He was good to me when I was dead in sin, for he raised me by his Spirit's power; he has been good to me in all my needs, trials, struggles, and sorrows. Never could there be a better Master, for his service is freedom, his rule is love: I wish I were one thousandth part as good a servant.

When he teaches me as my Rabbi, he is unspeakably good, his doctrine is divine, his manner is condescending, his spirit is gentleness itself. No error mingles with his instruction—pure is the golden truth which he brings forth, and all his teachings lead to goodness, sanctifying as well as edifying the disciple.

Angels find him a good Master and delight to pay their homage at his footstool. The ancient saints proved him to be a good Master, and each of them rejoiced to sing, “I am thy servant, O Lord!” My own humble testimony must certainly be to the same effect. I will bear this witness before my friends and neighbours, for possibly they may be led by my testimony to seek my Lord Jesus as their Master. O that they would do so! They would never repent so wise a deed. If they would but take his easy yoke, they would find themselves in so royal a service that they would enlist in it for ever.

 

[beensetfree]

From: God
To: All His Children
Effective Immediately:

Please be aware that there are changes you need to make in your life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill my promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. I know, I already gave you 10 Commandments. Keep them, but follow these guidelines as well.

1. QUIT WORRYING
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to me. And, although my to-do-list is long, I am, after all, God. I can take care of anything you put into my hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME
Once you've given your burdens to me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on my list. Problem with finances? Put it on my list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For my sake, put it on my list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE
Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave me your burdens, and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with me and forget about them. Just let me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I want you to never forget. Please don't forget to talk to me - OFTEN! I love you. I want to hear your voice. I want you to include me in the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH
I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in me that I know what I'm doing. Trust me, you wouldn't want the view from my eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE
You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who are mourning. Share your faith with those who have none.


8. BE PATIENT
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes me a little longer than you expect to handle something on my to-do-list? Trust in my timing, for my timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for my sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes my heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget that!

With all my heart, I love you,
GOD

 

[beensetfree]

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

1 Thessalonians 4:11,12 NIV
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The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the lazy man will be put to forced labor

Proverbs 12:24 NKJV
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I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense,

And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,

And its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.

"A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,"
Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man.

Proverbs 24:30-24 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]

“He humbled himself.”

Philippians 2:8

Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of him. See the Master taking a towel and washing his disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of his biography, “He humbled himself”? Was he not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honour and then another, till, naked, he was fastened to the cross, and there did he not empty out his inmost self, pouring out his life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid him penniless in a borrowed grave? How low was our dear Redeemer brought!

How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark his scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and his whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in his outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God's only begotten.

Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at his feet. A sense of Christ's amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice.

 

[beensetfree]

You never know when someone
might catch a dream from you.
Or something you say may open up the windows
of a mind that seeks light;
The way you live may not matter at all,
But you never know, it might.

And just in case it could be
that another’s life, through you,
might possibly change for the better
with a better and brighter view,
it seems it might be worth a try
at pointing the way to the right;
Of course, it may not matter at all,
but then again, it might.

 

[beensetfree]

Get to Work!
Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 10:4,5 NIV

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Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.

Ephesians 4:28 RSV

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He who tills his land will have plenty of food,
But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,
But he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:19,20 NASB

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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]

“He that loveth not knoweth not God.”

1 John 4:8

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in the love of Christ, and the yielding of his affections to Christ in return. First, faith sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle, “Christ loved me and gave himself for me.” Then love gives the countersign, and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return. “We love him because he first loved us.”

In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the Christian religion, this double mark was clearly to be seen in all believers in Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ, and rested upon it as a man leaneth upon a staff whose trustiness he has tried. The love which they felt towards the Lord was not a quiet emotion which they hid within themselves in the secret chamber of their souls, and which they only spake of in their private assemblies when they met on the first day of the week, and sang hymns in honour of Christ Jesus the crucified, but it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming energy, that it was visible in all their actions, spoke in their common talk, and looked out of their eyes even in their commonest glances.

Love to Jesus was a flame which fed upon the core and heart of their being; and, therefore, from its own force burned its way into the outer man, and shone there. Zeal for the glory of King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians. Because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much, and because of their love to Christ they did much, and it is the same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love - the love of Christ constraineth them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them, they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Saviour with a pure heart, fervently. My reader, do you love him? Ere you sleep give an honest answer to a weighty question!

 

[beensetfree]

Courage & Confidence
Be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31:24 KJV
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He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV
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I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the
goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm 27:13,14 KJV
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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]

“Are they Israelites? so am I.”

2 Corinthians 11:22

We have here a personal claim , and one that needs proof. The apostle knew that his claim was indisputable, but there are many persons who have no right to the title who yet claim to belong to the Israel of God. If we are with confidence declaring, “So am I also an Israelite,” let us only say it after having searched our heart as in the presence of God.

But if we can give proof that we are following Jesus, if we can from the heart say, “I trust him wholly, trust him only, trust him simply, trust him now, and trust him ever,” then the position which the saints of God hold belongs to us—all their enjoyments are our possessions; we may be the very least in Israel, “less than the least of all saints,” yet since the mercies of God belong to the saints as saints , and not as advanced saints, or well-taught saints, we may put in our plea, and say, “Are they Israelites? so am I; therefore the promises are mine, grace is mine, glory will be mine.” The claim, rightfully made, is one which will yield untold comfort.

When God's people are rejoicing that they are his, what a happiness if they can say, “So am I !” When they speak of being pardoned, and justified, and accepted in the Beloved, how joyful to respond, “Through the grace of God, so am I .” But this claim not only has its enjoyments and privileges, but also its conditions and duties. We must share with God's people in cloud as well as in sunshine. When we hear them spoken of with contempt and ridicule for being Christians, we must come boldly forward and say, “So am I.” When we see them working for Christ, giving their time, their talent, their whole heart to Jesus, we must be able to say, “So do I.” O let us prove our gratitude by our devotion, and live as those who, having claimed a privilege, are willing to take the responsibility connected with it.

 

[beensetfree]

What is Discipleship? A Bible Study



Most believers say they are Christian, when asked, but few will say, “I’m a follower” or “disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Seeking Disciples
God doesn’t want any more religious people (remember the Pharisees?). He wants disciples after His own heart, with the express purpose of being more like Christ. Jesus Christ said, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). That’s a very radical thing to say, Jesus! What does that look like? “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23), so what is a disciple, and how do we deny ourselves? The word disciple comes from the Old English word, “discipul” which originated from the Latin “discipulus,” and means, “pupil, student, follower.” It comes from the word discere, meaning, “to learn” (from which we get the word “discern”), and from the root word, “dek” which means, “to take, accept.” The word disciple is also a compound word, “discipere,” which means “to grasp intellectually,” “analyze thoroughly,” and comes from “dis” for apart and “capere” “to take, take hold of.”

What does it mean to “renounce all” for Jesus Christ?

In what ways do we deny ourselves?

Have you thought of yourself as a student or disciple of the Word?

What is a Disciple?
Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40), so what is a disciple? A disciple is someone called to live “in” Christ, equipped to live “like” Christ, and sent to live “for” Christ, and to share in the sufferings “of” Christ. The Bible describes a person who’s trusted in Christ as abiding in Him (John 15:1-5; 8:31–32), and if you are abiding in Him, you are becoming more like Him, so discipling is being in the Word and living under the word, and allowing the Word to equip us, to send us, and to make disciples of others, and in our lives, bear fruit, love our neighbors (Matthew 28:18–20, John 15:8), and loving one another so others will know we are His disciples (John 13:34–35).

What are all the components of this “training” (Luke 6:40)?

What then is discipleship?

Why does loving one another show evidence we’re Jesus’ disciples?

Who are the “others” John is writing about in John 13:34-35?



Discipleship and Evangelism
God calls us and equips us to live in Christ, to live like Christ, to “Go!” for Christ, and to suffering for Christ, not to sit back and wait for the kingdom, so I do not believe there be discipleship without evangelism, and you cannot evangelize until you can state the gospel clearly so that others would understand it. Hiding God’s Word in your heart can help you avoid sin (Psalm 119:11), but it can also help you state the gospel in such verses like 2nd Corinthians 5:21, where Paul writes, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God,” and “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Verses like these (John 3:16, 3:36; Rom 10:9-13) equip us to share the gospel without having to wait and show it to them in the Bible. You might not always carry a Bible with you, but you can always carry God’s Word in your heart.

What Bible verses have you memorized?

Do you remember using Bible verses when you shared the gospel? Which ones?

Do you think it’s true that you can’t be a true disciple without evangelizing? Explain.

The Cost of Discipleship
“Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24), because “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40), so those who are like Christ will suffer persecution like Christ, although not to the same extent. Jesus said it comes down to this; “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26), so if you can’t bear that cross, Jesus said, they “cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). The Bible teaches that there is only a narrow path to eternal life and that’s why so few find it; it’s difficult (Matt 7:13-14). If it were that easy, the paths would have to be switched, and the path to destruction would have to be narrow and the path to eternal life would need to be wide, but that’s not the way it is.




What will be the greatest cost in following Christ?


How can we encourage others to forsake all for Him?

In what ways can you reflect Christ before others?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus sought out and choose the twelve disciples, not the other way around (John 15:16), and then He told them to “follow Me” and He will make them “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17), so they weren’t the first ones God called (John 6:44). In fact, He choose us before the earth even existed (Eph 1; Rom 8:29-30), and after we were called, He tells us to follow Him, but if we truly want to be His disciple, it means that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross (Matt 16:24) and study and grow in the grace and knowledge of God. The truth is we are a disciple of whoever or whatever it is we follow. Whatever we spend the most time and money on (not counting work), is what we worship.

To be a disciple of Christ’s you must study His textbook, the Bible. It’s like enlisting a man or woman in the Army and issuing them a rifle that they never learn how to clean and shoot. The risk of not making disciples of Christ is that they will almost always become lukewarm in faith, worldly in behavior, and hypocritical in witness. I know. I am proof of that! For this reason alone, anything less than a plan to disciple every willing person is going to be a catastrophic moral failure. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book on the cost of being a disciple of Jesus, and then almost prophetically lived it out. Ultimately, the cost of being a disciple of Christ was his death in a Nazi prison camp. He said if you want to be a disciple, look to Jesus! Dietrich Bonhoeffer desired to be a disciple of Christ so much that God allowed him to enter into the sufferings of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote of a passionate desire, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Phil 3:10), and that’s exactly what he found too. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was spot on when he said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

In what ways does Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s example affect us?

How do you discipline yourself in life?

What price do you pay for being a disciple of Jesus?