Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

The Paradox Of Our Age

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees, but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, but more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, pray too seldom, and watch too much TV.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life, we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We've conquered outer space, but not inner space, we've done larger things, but not better things, we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've split the atom, but not our prejudice, We write more, but learn less, plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not wait, we have higher incomes, but lower morals, more food, but less appeasement, more acquaintances, but fewer friends, more effort, but less success.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, tall men, and short character, steep profits, and shallow relationships.

These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare, more leisure and less fun, more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce, of fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands,overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom.

Today, many want to gain the world at the "mere" expense of their souls.

Evil is contemplated and performed with both hands, yet we cannot lift a finger for our fellow man.

May God have mercy on our souls. Pray without ceasing. Let each of us examine our own ways.

 

[beensetfree]

Long Life...His Gift
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: that thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 6:1,2 KJV

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"Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:3,4 NIV

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you.

Proverbs 9:10,11 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]

“Ah Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Jeremiah 32:17

At the very time when the Chaldeans surrounded Jerusalem, and when the sword, famine and pestilence had desolated the land, Jeremiah was commanded by God to purchase a field, and have the deed of transfer legally sealed and witnessed. This was a strange purchase for a rational man to make. Prudence could not justify it, for it was buying with scarcely a probability that the person purchasing could ever enjoy the possession.

But it was enough for Jeremiah that his God had bidden him, for well he knew that God will be justified of all his children. He reasoned thus: “Ah, Lord God! thou canst make this plot of ground of use to me; thou canst rid this land of these oppressors; thou canst make me yet sit under my vine and my fig-tree in the heritage which I have bought; for thou didst make the heavens and the earth, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

This gave a majesty to the early saints, that they dared to do at God's command things which carnal reason would condemn. Whether it be a Noah who is to build a ship on dry land, an Abraham who is to offer up his only son, or a Moses who is to despise the treasures of Egypt, or a Joshua who is to besiege Jericho seven days, using no weapons but the blasts of rams’ horns, they all act upon God's command, contrary to the dictates of carnal reason; and the Lord gives them a rich reward as the result of their obedient faith.

Would to God we had in the religion of these modern times a more potent infusion of this heroic faith in God. If we would venture more upon the naked promise of God, we should enter a world of wonders to which as yet we are strangers. Let Jeremiah's place of confidence be ours—nothing is too hard for the God that created the heavens and the earth.

 

[beensetfree]

The Burden

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered.I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existence. "Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed the blackness that came over me.

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: The figure of a man standing before a cross. "My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to Me before I am ready to call you?" "Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry it anymore." "But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me, because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." "I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?" "My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a different one?" "I can do that?" He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of these."

All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a name. "There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken. "Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought. The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank my knees beneath its weight. "Take it off!" I said. ""What makes it so heavy?" "Look inside." I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak. "Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..." I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer. "I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and helping others. I didn't realize...."

"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.

I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: A childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I Came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.

"They're all too heavy, Lord" I said. ""Give back my own." As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the others. "Lets look inside" He said. I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said. "Why?" "There's a lot of junk in there." "Let Me see." The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden. He pulled out a brick. "Tell me about this one."

"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs." "My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight."

Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked. "Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...." "My child," He said, "If you trust Me, I will renew your strength, if you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."

Then He took some pebbles from my burden.

"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!" "My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight." My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now" I said.

"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick." "Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it." "My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound. "But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, so.....Lord! What happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars-as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh. "Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?" His loving eyes reached into my soul. "My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought it." "How?" "With My blood." "But why, Lord?" "Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give it to Me."

I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented me. He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple. "Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you cannot imagine now." "Yes, Lord, I will call on You."

I reached to pick up my burden.

"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's..... As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade. Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you."

 

[beensetfree]

Love & Honor Your Spouse
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Ephesians 5:31-33 NIV

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That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Titus 2:4,5 KJV

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Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Eccesiastes 9:9 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]

“The voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”

Genesis 3:8

My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art prepared to hear. If there be any slowness to commune it is not on his part, but altogether on thine own, for he stands at the door and knocks, and if his people will but open he rejoices to enter.

But in what state is my heart, which is my Lord's garden? May I venture to hope that it is well trimmed and watered, and is bringing forth fruit fit for him? If not, he will have much to reprove, but still I pray him to come unto me, for nothing can so certainly bring my heart into a right condition as the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, who brings healing in his wings.

Come, therefore, O Lord, my God, my soul invites thee earnestly, and waits for thee eagerly. Come to me, O Jesus, my well-beloved, and plant fresh flowers in my garden, such as I see blooming in such perfection in thy matchless character! Come, O my Father, who art the Husbandman, and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence! Come, O Holy Spirit, and bedew my whole nature, as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews. O that God would speak to me.

Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth! O that he would walk with me; I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to him, and every other thought is hushed. I am only asking what he delights to give. I am sure that he will condescend to have fellowship with me, for he has given me his Holy Spirit to abide with me for ever. Sweet is the cool twilight, when every star seems like the eye of heaven, and the cool wind is as the breath of celestial love. My Father, my elder Brother, my sweet Comforter, speak now in lovingkindness, for thou hast opened mine ear and I am not rebellious.

 

[beensetfree]

The Three Trees

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up.

The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first tree said.

The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"

The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me," he muttered. With a swoop of his ax, the third tree fell.

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feedbox for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake.

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

Many, many days and night passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feedbox. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband whispered.

The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful." she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through with the wind and the rain.

The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew she was carrying the king of heaven and earth.

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.

It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you want, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.

 

[beensetfree]

We will see His goodness
I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of
the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:13,14 NIV

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For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
But though He cause grief,
yet will He have compassion
according to the multitude of His mercies.

For He doth not afflict willingly
nor grieve the children of men.

Lamentations 3:31-33 KJV

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But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
He is their strength in time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Psalm 37:39,40 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]

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”

2 Timothy 2:12

We must not imagine that we are suffering for Christ, and with Christ, if we are not in Christ. Beloved friend, are you trusting to Jesus only? If not, whatever you may have to mourn over on earth, you are not “suffering with Christ,” and have no hope of reigning with him in heaven. Neither are we to conclude that all a Christian's sufferings are sufferings with Christ, for it is essential that he be called by God to suffer.

If we are rash and imprudent, and run into positions for which neither providence nor grace has fitted us, we ought to question whether we are not rather sinning than communing with Jesus. If we let passion take the place of judgment, and self-will reign instead of Scriptural authority, we shall fight the Lord's battles with the devil's weapons, and if we cut our own fingers we must not be surprised. Again, in troubles which come upon us as the result of sin, we must not dream that we are suffering with Christ. When Miriam spoke evil of Moses, and the leprosy polluted her, she was not suffering for God.

Moreover, suffering which God accepts must have God's glory as its end. If I suffer that I may earn a name, or win applause, I shall get no other reward than that of the Pharisee. It is requisite also that love to Jesus, and love to his elect, be ever the mainspring of all our patience. We must manifest the Spirit of Christ in meekness, gentleness, and forgiveness. Let us search and see if we truly suffer with Jesus.

And if we do thus suffer, what is our “light affliction” compared with reigning with him? Oh it is so blessed to be in the furnace with Christ, and such an honour to stand in the pillory with him, that if there were no future reward, we might count ourselves happy in present honour; but when the recompense is so eternal, so infinitely more than we had any right to expect, shall we not take up the cross with alacrity, and go on our way rejoicing?

 

[beensetfree]

Why Persecution Is A Good Thing


Why do most people have an aversion to persecution? If they only knew how God uses it, they would more easily accept it.

It Spreads the Faith
Perhaps the greatest enemy of the church during the first century was the church’s greatest cause for growth. He was Saul, a Pharisee, who was given authority to seek out and destroy the church, but while Saul was trying to destroy the church, he was actually helping to spread it. We read where there was “a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1), so this “church growth” was caused by Saul’s persecution. Saul, as he was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).

By his persecuting the church, he was inadvertently spreading the church. It was like trying to put out a grass fire but only managing to spread it. Besides, Jesus promised that the gates of hell would not stop his church (Matt 16:18), and Saul nor any of the Jews could stop it. When Saul was struck down on the Damascus Road by Jesus Christ, He asked Saul why he was persecuting Him, because by persecuting the church, he was actually persecuting Jesus (Acts 9:4-5), but the more persecution that came, the more the church spread, so persecution can never destroy the church, but persecution can certainly grow the church.

The Spirit of Glory
Many of the Jews in the first century had been forced from their home and their beloved Jerusalem, so the Apostle Peter tries to comfort these dispersed Jews, who had faced the most severe persecution among the early Christians. Peter wanted them to “not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1st Pet 4:12), but instead, he wanted them to “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1st Pet 4:13), so “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1st Pet 4:14). Our natural human nature doesn’t want to suffer.

We’d prefer to remain in our comfort zone and no-pain place. Pain might be gain in physical exercise, but it’s not what we normally want, however if you are persecuted for Jesus’ sake, you’ve been blessed by God, and you’re in very good company. Just before Stephen was stoned, he asked the Jewish religious leaders, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” (Acts 7:52-53). Obviously, the answer is they persecuted them all, some even to the point of death.



Expect It
When people revile you, call you names, use swear words at you, and blaspheme God’s holy name, don’t be surprised (1st Pet 4:12), because it’s to be expected. Paul wrote that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2nd Tim 3:12). And all means, all, and there are no exceptions. If you’ve never, ever been persecuted, then you may not be part of that “all.” You might ask yourself if you’ve never publically professed Christ or you’ve never personally received Christ. The New Testament church knows of no silent witnesses for Christ. Every believer is an evangelist.

All have been commissioned by God (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). God uses weak, broken, empty vessels to proclaim His Word and the power that comes with the gospel (Rom 1:16; 1st Cor 1:18), and it doesn’t depend upon us, but upon the God Who commissions us. He is pleased to use us as a means to save some, although clearly, God always does the saving (John 6:44, 70, 15:16), so if the world hates you, then God must love you, for if the world loves you, you (and I) are an enemy of God. Jesus said, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19).

Blessed by our Enemies
We know we’re not to respond in kind to people when they treat us badly. Instead, we trust God to take care of that in His own good time and way (Rom 12:19), so for now, we accept these blessings from God when we are cursed, hated, abused, and called names. We don’t get mad or get even, instead we’re commanded, ”Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28), and “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt 5:11). When people insult me or use derogatory remarks, I simply accept that as a blessing, because it is. If they insult you because you trust in Jesus, guess what we are to do?

Our response should be to “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11). Want to be Christ-like? Then, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:44-45). That’s what God does; forgives sinner who were once His own enemies (Rom 5:10), dying for the ungodly and wicked like us (Rom 5:6-8).

Conclusion
Most missionaries I know that request prayer don’t pray for the persecution to end. They simply ask that God be glorified in their persecution. They understand that persecution is a good thing. It shows whose side they’re on. If you’ve never suffered for your faith, it may be time to examine yourselves to see if you actually are in the faith or not. If no one in the world knows you’re a Christian, then that’s an anomaly to the Christian faith. If we can see persecution, which should come to all believers, is a good thing, and that we should expect it; then we can endure it better. Let’s remember that we too were at one time an enemy of God and dead in our sins (Eph 2:1), so pray for those still dead in their sins to be made alive in Christ by the Spirit of God. That’s the best thing you can do for your enemies; pray that they might be saved.

 

[beensetfree]

Do not worry about your life
"Do not worry about your life"

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Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Luke 12:22-26 NIV

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Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17,18 KJV

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Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?

James 4:4-5 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 that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”

Psalm 24:4

Outward practical holiness is a very precious mark of grace. It is to be feared that many professors have perverted the doctrine of justification by faith in such a way as to treat good works with contempt; if so, they will receive everlasting contempt at the last great day. If our hands are not clean, let us wash them in Jesus’ precious blood, and so let us lift up pure hands unto God.

But “clean hands” will not suffice, unless they are connected with “a pure heart.” True religion is heart-work. We may wash the outside of the cup and the platter as long as we please, but if the inward parts be filthy, we are filthy altogether in the sight of God, for our hearts are more truly ourselves than our hands are; the very life of our being lies in the inner nature, and hence the imperative need of purity within. The pure in heart shall see God, all others are but blind bats.

The man who is born for heaven “hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity.” All men have their joys, by which their souls are lifted up; the worldling lifts up his soul in carnal delights, which are mere empty vanities; but the saint loves more substantial things; like Jehoshaphat, he is lifted up in the ways of the Lord. He who is content with husks, will be reckoned with the swine. Does the world satisfy thee? Then thou hast thy reward and portion in this life; make much of it, for thou shalt know no other joy.

“Nor sworn deceitfully.” The saints are men of honour still. The Christian man's word is his only oath; but that is as good as twenty oaths of other men. False speaking will shut any man out of heaven, for a liar shall not enter into God's house, whatever may be his professions or doings. Reader, does the text before us condemn thee, or dost thou hope to ascend into the hill of the Lord?

 

[beensetfree]

See It Through

When you're up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.

When it's vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!

Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.

If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!

Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you're beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.

You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don't give up, whate'er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.

See it through!

 

[beensetfree]

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war,
so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough 'foolishness' to believe that we can make a difference in this world,
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen.

 

[beensetfree]

He loves us!
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free,
the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion,
for all generations.
Praise the LORD.

Psalm 146:7-10 NIV

__________________

For as a young man marrieth a virgin,
so shall thy sons marry thee:
and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride,
so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Isaiah 62:5 KJV

__________________

"I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul."

Jeremiah 32:40,41 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]

How to Fight in the Supernatural
Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?

I can only imagine that Sam and Dean from the CW series Supernatural were once very afraid of those things, because one of them murdered their mother.

But now they are 20-somethings with incredible power and a deep-seated motivation to take out the demon that destroyed their family. Armed with the warrior training imparted to them by their late father and the secrets of supernatural victory in his diary, they are on a fantastic crusade to destroy as much evil as possible and ultimately save the world.

Just a plot for a TV series, right? After all, that’s why so many people tune into shows like Supernatural, because it provides fantasy food for the imagination and an adrenaline rush for the mind.

However, I would like to propose that if you are a follower of Christ, you are more like Sam and Dean than you probably realize. The Bible paints a picture of the universe that naturalistic viewpoints simply cannot explain. This world is not just made up of things we perceive with our five senses, because there is an unseen world that is superimposed over ours.

And if we could put on special glasses that would allow us to see the unseen, it would send our heads spinning!

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), we don’t have glasses like that—but we do have the secrets of spiritual battle written down for us by our Father in heaven. Here’s how the Bible puts it in Ephesians 6:12-13:

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

It’s also clear from these verses that God has given us the armor we need to enter the fight. Do you want to make a difference? Are you ready to get off the sidelines and into battle? If so, here’s what you need to do.

1. Put on the full armor of God. If you walk into spiritual warfare without spiritual armor, you’ll be pummeled into spiritual silly putty. The armor is listed in Ephesians 6:14-17.

Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.

2. Pray! Pray! Pray! Samuel Chadwick once said: “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

Did you get that last part? He trembles when we pray! That’s why Paul finishes up in Ephesians 6 with this command:

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (Ephesians 6:18).

Bottom line: We live in the supernatural, so let’s use the supernatural weapons we have been given to fight for the souls of our friends!

Like Sam and Dean, we have a chance each day to fight the unseen and be a part of advancing God’s Kingdom! So enter the fray and engage with your friends about the spiritual realities of the world in which we live. Try using Supernatural as an opportunity to introduce God into your conversation with your friends. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Ask your friends if they think there are spiritual forces of good and evil at work in the world.
• Do they think there is a cosmic battle being waged? Listen, then share what you believe about this battle.
• Sam and Dean are in a battle against evil—this hero role in stories is sometimes known as the “messianic” role. Ask your friends if they know the story of the real Messiah, who came to earth, battled evil and rescued a planet from spiritual destruction.

PRAY: Father, thank You for providing the armor of God for us so that we can fight in the battle. Help us keep our eyes fixed on You so we can be victorious

 

[beensetfree]

Do you belong to Him?
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time

2 Timothy 1:8,9 NIV

__________________

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9 NASB

__________________

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:17 KJV

__________________

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]

“Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.”

Isaiah 26:4

Seeing that we have such a God to trust to, let us rest upon him with all our weight; let us resolutely drive out all unbelief, and endeavour to get rid of doubts and fears, which so much mar our comfort; since there is no excuse for fear where God is the foundation of our trust. A loving parent would be sorely grieved if his child could not trust him; and how ungenerous, how unkind is our conduct when we put so little confidence in our heavenly Father who has never failed us, and who never will.

It were well if doubting were banished from the household of God; but it is to be feared that old Unbelief is as nimble nowadays as when the psalmist asked, “Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Will he be favourable no more?” David had not made any very lengthy trial of the mighty sword of the giant Goliath, and yet he said, “There is none like it.” He had tried it once in the hour of his youthful victory, and it had proved itself to be of the right metal, and therefore he praised it ever afterwards; even so should we speak well of our God, there is none like unto him in the heaven above or the earth beneath; “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.”

There is no rock like unto the rock of Jacob, our enemies themselves being judges. So far from suffering doubts to live in our hearts, we will take the whole detestable crew, as Elijah did the prophets of Baal, and slay them over the brook; and for a stream to kill them at, we will select the sacred torrent which wells forth from our Saviour's wounded side. We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord for ever, assured that his ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our succour and stay.

 

[beensetfree]

Hi brother....just saw your post in the 'Alert ' feature....will pray for you of course. Blessings.

Pray for me Bro Beensetfree that I can revive my posting at the Today's Scripture Reading. I know to post such messages is not a joking matter and we need the power of Holy Spirit to guide us, to encourage us and more importantly to inspire us. It's very time-consuming but very fruitful both for the writer and the readers.
Pray that I can revive my posting. I have family and work commitment but that should not be an excuse.

I pray that God can forgive me.

[Note: Some of your messages are so inspiring that I copied and pasted on word documents for me to read again.]

God Bless
Psalm23

 

[beensetfree]

How Can I Control My Anger?

Are there ways we can control our anger? How can we receive God’s help?

Be Angry
The Bible actually says that we can be angry, just as long as it doesn’t lead to sin. Some things ought to make us angry. Things like child abuse, terrorism, and political corruption, so anger in itself is not wrong, if it’s for the right reason, however it should never lead to criminal behavior. This is contrary to God’s will (Rom 13:1-5), so when we’ve done all we can, we must trust God to ensure justice will be done but in His own time, not ours (Rom 12:19).

The Apostle Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26), but if our anger is misdirected, we know that not much good will come of it, since “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). To not let the sun go down on our anger doesn’t always mean the issues are resolved by bedtime, although that’s a worthy goal, but Paul may mean, don’t let the anger simmer for days and days without getting it resolved. Things that are not immediately settled can become unsettled, and that allows resentment and anger to grow.

Righteous Anger
Being angry is not the problem; what we do with it is. If someone writes an angry letter to their congressman about the conditions at a local VA hospital, that’s righteous indignation, and that anger is being used productively, but if the person who wrote the letter tries to take matters into their own hands, then that anger will “not produce the righteousness of God.” If the matter gets the attention of the public or elected officials, then the anger about an injustice or some inhumane treatment may change the situation for the better. Jesus got angry and overturned the money changer’s tables and drove them out with “a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables” (John 2:15), but it doesn’t say He used the whip on people or animals. It says He drove them out. These “changers” were taking huge advantage of people and had made the temple a den of thieves.

Learning Contentment
One reason most people get angry is because their expectations are not being met. They get cut off in traffic or there’s an accident on the highway and now they’re stuck in traffic. Now they’ll be late getting home or late to work, neither of which is good, but a person who has learned to be content in all things, doesn’t let circumstances dictate their contentment. First of all, if their contentment is found in Christ, it’s not found in things. If at the moment, all you have is Christ, then Christ is all you need, but if you need something more in life, there’ll always going to be something missing.

It’s not necessarily a “God-shaped vacuum” in the heart, but a person who’s cut off from God cannot find the lasting peace, joy, and contentment a believer has. Their contentment is not dependent upon what happens today or might happen tomorrow, but on knowing that whatever happens will work toward God’s best for us (Rom 8:28), and the future hope and glory we have (Rev 21:4) cannot even compare with what we go through today (Rom 8:18). When the Apostle Paul was addressing the Philippians concern for him (Phil 4:10), he said he was not “speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11), so how did Paul learn to be content?

Lots of practice, with real life opportunities, like “facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Phil 4:12), but what was this “secret of contentment” (Phil 4:12) he wrote about? It was the fact that he “can do all things through him who strengthens” him (Phil 4:13), meaning Christ. In Christ, he could do all things, but without Him, he could do absolutely nothing, and nothing is not a little something (John 15:5). Godly contentment is found in Christ’s ability to strengthen us during plenty and want, water or thirst, famine or feast.

Taking Inventory
1st Timothy 6:6-8 connects us with the idea of contentment and godliness, as Paul writes, “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content,” so it is a godly thing to be content with what you have, but also with what you don’t have. Things cannot bring contentment. Things might bring comfort for time, but things can be broken, stolen, or worn out. Being contented in Christ is easy, knowing our faith brings us the promise of eternal life.

There is nothing that compares to Christ, so Christ is more than enough…and in every circumstance. By taking inventory of our lives, we can learn contentment because we can begin to name all of the tremendous blessings we’ve been given; eternal life, fellowship with God, a future place in the kingdom, and unending joy in the presence of the Lord and of the saints. Most of us have been blessed with family, a job, a home, a car, friends, and food for more than a day, but even though we have all these things, they still do not bring contentment.

Our contentment is found in God and that contentment should diffuse any anger before it even starts. When you’re busy counting your blessings and thanking God, you’re too busy to get angry. Besides, grumbling creates more problems than it solves. When we grumble at life, we’re grumbling against God, and God is not pleased when we do, and when He sees we’re living in a discontented state and not being thankful for what we have and what He’s done for us (Eph 2:8-9), He is certainly not pleased with us and may have righteous indignation against us.

Conclusion
If you know more of the Word of God, the Spirit of God can bring certain verses to mind when you fell you’re getting angry. Also, think about the person who might have made you angry. Maybe they’ve got some serious financial or relational problems going on and they are hurting inside. Pain can make us do a lot of things we don’t normally do. Maybe someone’s seriously hurt or has been killed in an accident, and that’s why the traffic’s snarled. When you get angry at someone or about something, pray about it, pray for the person you’re angry at, count your blessings, and then snuff that anger out by memorizing these proverbs: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”(Prov 15:1), and “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention”(Prov 15:18).