Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

How to Keep a Courageous Focus



What we choose to focus on can make a significant difference in our outcomes. We can concentrate on the positive aspects of our situations or embrace a negative viewpoint. We can adopt a worldly focus or choose to focus on our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. No matter what life circumstance we are facing, it’s important to always exercise faith-filled courage when determining our focus.
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2

There are many times in life I feel as though I’m setting off into uncharted waters not knowing if I were going to sink or sail. I often feel like Peter in Matthew 14:22-31, brave but afraid, trusting but questioning, walking on water one minute and sinking below the surface the next.

Jesus, walking on the sea in the midst of gale-force winds, came toward the disciples and asked them to take courage and not be afraid. Jesus then commanded Peter to step out of the boat and onto the raging sea, the same sea that was battering the boat he and his fellow disciples were holding onto for dear life. Peter, having faith he could do Christ’s will with Christ’s help, took a giant leap of faith. He placed one leg and then the other over the side of the plank-board boat, stepped out onto the water, and began making his way to Jesus (cf: Matthew 14:22-31).
In that moment of decision, I believe, Peter, being human, took a few steps in faith, heard a voice of doubt in his mind that began to recite a familiar tune: Are you crazy? You can’t do this! You’re going to get hurt, you are much better off to stay right where you are! and chose to focus on the world’s voice rather than Christ’s.

Oh, how I can relate to Peter. How about you? Whether our inner voices whisper, cajole, or scream there’s no doubt we listen to them. As soon as Peter took his eyes off Christ and focused on the bad things that might happen, he began to sink. Can we really choose to tune out these inner voices of doubt? I believe we can.
When we courageously choose to focus on God’s voice and His desires for our life, we can override our inner voices that accuse, judge, and threaten with messages from God that empower, encourage, and support.

In learning to make courageous choices, I’ve found it critical to keep my eyes on Christ. Unless I completely trust the loving arms of my Savior to hold me when the waters get rough, I will be forever susceptible to listening to my inner judge or accuser who is constantly standing by just waiting to bury me in fear.
So how can we keep a courageously focus, one that is on Christ and not the world?
Here are 3 daily practices I incorporate that help me maintain a positive, godly focus:

• Set aside at least 10 minutes a day to spend in prayer and communication with God.
• Set aside at least 10 minutes a day to read and study God’s Word.
• 
  
• Set aside at least 10 minutes a day to talk with a friend who offers godly counsel that is focused on positive aspects and is grounded in God’s Word.

By setting aside at least 30 minutes each day to incorporate these three practices, we can choose to maintain a godly focus that prepares us to face life with courage.
What steps will you take today so you too can keep a courageous focus?

 

[beensetfree]

Seek Humility The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:11,12 NIV __________________ LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress. Psalm 10:17,18 KJV __________________ You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 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]

“Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?”

Job 38:31

If inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature may soon show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars, or quench so much as one of the beams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the Pleiades shine forth in spring with vernal joy we cannot restrain their influences, and when Orion reigns aloft, and the year is bound in winter's fetters, we cannot relax the icy bands. The seasons revolve according to the divine appointment, neither can the whole race of men effect a change therein. Lord, what is man?

In the spiritual, as in the natural world, man's power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad his delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are ineffectual to stay the genial quickening power of the Comforter. When he deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be.

On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, bind up a man so that he is in soul bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but he. What a blessing it is that he can do it. O that he would perform the wonder to-night. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin.

I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dulness, but all things are possible with thee. I need celestial influences, the clear shinings of thy love, the beams of thy grace, the light of thy countenance, these are the Pleiades to me. I suffer much from sin and temptation, these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen.

 

[beensetfree]

5 Purposes God Created You For



We were created for a very specific purpose, and here are four specific purposes for which God created you.
To Glorify God
Everything was created for a purpose…including us. The Bible is clear about one of our purposes, and that is that we are to glorify God. For example, if we get into trouble, we are told to “call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). The psalmist knew that it was “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1). Answered prayer gives God glory, so the Lord our God is to be praised and we should seek to glorify His name. We certainly have nothing to boast or brag about.

The Lord says, “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8). If you look at the creation, you can see for yourself that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1), so rightfully we should say, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Psalm 8:1). The first purpose for which we were created was to give God glory and make His glory known to others, which brings us to our second purpose…we were created to make disciples for Christ.

To Make Disciples
When Jesus gave the Great Commission, which in essence is an imperative command, He didn’t give them a second option or Plan B. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt 28:18b), and since God has given Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth, He is passing this authority on to them, which is why He can say, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19). That doesn’t mean everyone that they share Christ with will become disciples of Christ. They are only told to go and make disciples, but it is generally understood that God will use them as a means to make disciples (Acts 2:47), and He did. He sent them into different parts of the world to bring the gospel since they had God’s authority, but the Commission is not quite finished yet. Jesus tells them that they are to be “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).

Teaching of His Glory
You don’t have to go very far to find out what Jesus taught His disciples (Gospels), and what He taught them to observe (i.e. John 13:34-35), but it’s more than just making disciples. It’s teaching them to observe the same things we learned in the New Testament. So how does making disciples glorify God? The more there are to worship and praise God in the kingdom, the more glory He will receive. In a prophetic Scripture, the psalmist writes, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name” (Psalm86:9). In the kingdom, “they [will] sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Rev 15:3a), asking, “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev 15:4). That is one of our purposes. It is to bring as many to Christ as the Lord our God will save, knowing that He alone saves (Acts 4:12), but He is still pleased to use us as a means to save some.

Works for His Glory
We know that we were created to glorify God, and part of that is done through disciple-making. God grants eternal life by His Spirit, and by means of someone sharing His Word. After that, they are taught the same things that Jesus taught His own disciples, and we find those teachings in the Bible. After they become His disciples, they do what He commands them to do (i.e. Matt 25:35-36). In fact, God has prepared works for them to do after they have been saved. The only question is, Will they walk in them (Eph 2:10)? Jesus told His disciples, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). Fruit never glorifies us but it always glorifies God, because we can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5). We must remain in Him or abide or dwell in the Vine (Christ) or we will only bear wax fruit, and not genuine fruits of the Spirit, but we will also begin to bear good works as a by-product of our salvation, but even this is from the Spirit of God, therefore, all works we do give God glory. There is no good we can do in our own human strength (Isaiah 64:6).

Transformed for His Glory
You’ve probably heard Romans 8:28 multiples times, where Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” It doesn’t say that all things are good, or that only the good things work out for our best. It says all things, and I believe that means good and bad things, will work out for our very best. It’s just a matter of time. At the time, it may not look or feel best, but only later will we see clearly that it was for our best…the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Despite what it looks like today, we focus on the coming kingdom, because “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory” (Eph 2:11-12). It never says we will always completely understand that purpose, but I believe we can trust His purpose, even if we don’t fully understand at the moment. After a person is brought to repentance and faith (Rom 2:4; 2 Tim 2:24-26), they become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17), but the struggle is not over. We are told, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2), and this transformation runs deep. It makes us desire to live a life that is pleasing to please God, and not to please self all the time.

Conclusion
Paul says, that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). That about covers everything, doesn’t it? God seeks glory for His name and that’s the reason He created us. “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Isaiah 43:7), should bring Him glory. There are more than just 4 purposes that we were created for, but there are no less than these four. If you can think of another one, please leave a comment so we can share it with the readers. For example, we know that the day is coming when “The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give” (Isaiah 62:2)…and all of this will give God glory, and that’s just what He deserves.

 

[beensetfree]

Abstain from Lust Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart 2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV __________________ Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Proverbs 6:25-29 KJV __________________ And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." John 3:19-21 NKJV ___________________ Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11,12 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]

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”

John 17:24

O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightest be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die.

And why? It is through Jesus’ prevailing prayer — “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” It is that which bears them on eagle's wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ's prayer. A good old divine remarks, “Many times Jesus and his people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say ‘Father, I will that thy saints be with me where I am’; Christ says, ‘Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me whereI am.’”

Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from his throne, and say, “Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?” Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, “Jesus, not my will, but thine be done.” You would give up your prayer for your loved one's life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction — “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.” Lord, thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.

 

[beensetfree]

Swimming Against The Current




One of the disappointing moments in a new Christian’s life happens when they realize following Christ isn’t going to make their life easier but harder. In fact, things aren’t just going to get harder, they’re going to get more complicated.

Take the question of evil. If you’re not a Christ follower, the question of evil is nothing more than a frustrating parlor game. After all, if you don’t have a theology to confuse, why struggle to find an answer to evil? Evil just is and the “why” really doesn’t matter. Evil is like the air around us. Moreover, if you want to do evil, you can use evil as a justification for your own evil choices.
But if you’ve decided to follow Jesus, then the answer is doubly difficult. Not only can we not use the existence of evil to justify or excuse our own evil behavior, but we have deal with the spiritual question of how a good God could permit evil to exist in the world.

New believers begin their walk fresh off hearing God has a plan for their lives, a life filled with joy and grace, and then, reality bites. Reality bites hard. A lot of new believers never get past this moment. They are surprised and discouraged at how hard life gets when you’re trying to follow Jesus. In our evangelistic fervor to “sell” the faith, we have to leave out certain parts…like obedience and crosses.

In his book, Letters from the Earth, Mark Twain writes about the day Adam discovered water runs downhill. If Adam had paid attention, he would have soon discovered EVERYTHING flows downhill. Societies and nations, cultures and even nature itself – left to themselves, nothing gets better on its own. The difference is this: when you are living as unbeliever, you are just going with the flow and everything in the world is flowing with you.

When you REPENT, which means to change direction, you turn and suddenly find out that everything that was flowing with you is now flowing AT you. You begin to see the world as it is and the first thing you discover is most of what is around us isn’t healthy for our spiritual lives. Living a holy life involves saying to no to things of this world and it means saying NO a lot.
The second part of this challenge is discovering how much that is in us ISN’T like Jesus. If the goal of discipleship is to become more like Christ, the first part of this process is to identify, then remove, everything in our lives that doesn’t look like Jesus.
This starts out easily enough. All of us have obvious sins we know shouldn’t be part of our lives. Most of those are superficial. That is, they aren’t ingrained into our souls. We can walk away from them fairly easily. It’s those sins we like, the ones we’ve carefully nurtured over our lifetimes that are the most difficult to deal with. You know the ones – the ones we aren’t really sure are sins in the first place…like pride and ego. I mean, after all, aren’t you supposed to be confident in yourself? Didn’t Jesus say to love yourself? How can that be wrong?

These sins have pushed their roots deeply into our souls. They are part of who we are. They define us and we like the way they make us feel. They’re addictive.
The second reason these sins are hard to deal with is we have to deal with them at different levels. We want to think about our spiritual life as a staircase. One step, deal with it, move on and you’re done. It doesn’t work that way. In actuality, Jacob’s ladder is more like a spiral staircase than a ladder. We deal with our sins, but we keep having to deal with them at a deeper level.

Have you ever forgiven someone and then, later gotten mad at them again? You say to yourself, “I thought I had dealt with this”. You had but not at this level. Now, you have go through the process of forgiving the person who hurt you, but at a deeper level.
The challenge of our spiritual journeys being a spiral staircase is we’re making progress, but we feel like we’re going in circles.
The other challenge of swimming against the current is, well, swimming against the current. You can never relax. You can never float. If you do, the current will drag you downstream and under. You have to maintain a constant awareness and vigilance, or you will swept away.

This is what most people don’t understand. They don’t decide to quit. They just decide to stop swimming and when they do, the current pulls them away.
Our culture isn’t trying to pull us toward Christ, but away from Him. We have to keep swimming, keep faithful in order to stay close to Him.
Sadly, here’s the good news few of us actually realize. There is a beauty and simple grace when you are close to Christ. Life has a perspective you can’t find anywhere else. We soon discover the things that clutter our lives aren’t really necessary in the first place.
We can live easier, more at home with ourselves, our friends and even the world. That’s the grace Christ gives you and most of us don’t even know it. It just happens because His habits soon rub off on us and soon, you’ll find yourself not having to think about being like Christ because being like Christ is just who you are.

 

[beensetfree]

He Lives! Our Hope. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV __________________ Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:5-6 RSV __________________ It is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:18-20 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]

“I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Luke 19:40

But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if he who opens the mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice. Certainly if they were to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of him who created them by the word of his power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who called them into being. Shall not we speak well of him who made us anew, and out of stones raised up children unto Abraham? The old rocks could tell of chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation's drama; and cannot we talk of God's decrees, of God's great work in ancient times, in all that he did for his church in the days of old?

If the stones were to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry, and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker, who broke our hearts with the hammer of his word, that he might build us into his temple? If the stones should cry out they would magnify their builder, who polished them and fashioned them after the similitude of a palace; and shall not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the temple of the living God? If the stones could cry out, they might have a long, long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time hath a great stone been rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify of Ebenezers, stones of help, pillars of remembrance.

The broken stones of the law cry out against us, but Christ himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song, and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying him who is called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.

 

[beensetfree]

A Study on Church Leadership



The character and effectiveness of any church is directly related to the quality of its leadership.

Qualified Leadership
The Bible stresses the importance of qualified church leadership and specific standards for evaluating the moral character of anyone that would serve in the ministry. A church might go only as far as the leadership takes it. Some churches will evangelize while others fossilize, but if there’s a failure to uphold the integrity of church leaders, there’ll be failure in the pews. Timothy faced such problems while in Ephesus, and this is why Paul gave him a detailed explanation of the qualifications for elders (1 Tim. 3:1-7), and it has been used throughout the centuries for this same purpose. The Apostle Paul had started the church at Ephesus, staying there around three years in order to train church leaders (Acts 18:19; 20:17, 31), so the Ephesian church had solid leadership, thanks in large part to Paul’s laying down qualifications for elders and deacons.

Satanic Influence
Almost like a prophetic statement, Paul told the Ephesian elders that, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29 30). In other words, Paul was certain that Satan’s most effective weapon to attack the church is to provide false or unqualified leaders who preach a false or works-based gospel, and that’s exactly what happened. After Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment, he decided to leave Timothy at Ephesus, leaving him specific instructions regarding church leadership. One requirement was that “an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Tim 3:2-3). Of course, the underlying implication is that these characteristics were missing in the Ephesus elders.

Departing from the Word
Not only was it understood that some would depart from the faith, but some of the leaders would depart from preaching of God’s Word, so Paul told Timothy that an elder must not be “a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive” (1 Tim. 1:3 4, 6-7), but he also “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Tim 3:6-7). If someone is ordained too quickly, they are not equipped or experienced to handle the Word correctly, and they can easily mislead others…either knowingly, or unknowingly. Either way, it must be addressed.

Prideful Elders
First Timothy 6:3-5 says, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” Much of their endless speculations and contradictions (like between their teaching and the way they live) is “falsely called ‘Knowledge’” (1 Tim 6:20), and tragically, by their “professing it some have swerved from the faith” (1 Tim 6:21). When teachers or preachers are blinded by pride, they become the blind leading the blind.

Apostate Leaders
First Timothy 4:1-3 says, “The Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Tim 4:1-2), including adding works to salvation (1 Tim 4:3). Paul tells Timothy he must be “trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed” (1 Tim 4:6), but “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim 4:7). This is why Paul advised Timothy to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim 4:16a). Elders or church leaders are not above correction from the church. First Timothy 5:19-20 says, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.” It seemed apparent that some of the elders were in need of public rebuke. If you look at the church at Ephesus and Corinth, their problems were related to poor leadership, and this caused division.

Conclusion
Paul instructed Titus, who was ministering on the isle of Crete, that he must “appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5). This church needed elders because it was new. Church growth had outstripped leadership, but by the time Paul gave Titus instructions, he knew exactly how to select them, and these instructions are very similar to 1 Timothy 3, and like that chapter, Paul tells Titus that an elder must be “above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain” (Titus 1:6-7).

Even after all this, Titus and Timothy’s task was not over because they had to ensure that the elders were qualified according to God’s standards (1 Tim. 3:2-7) and in their moral conduct (1 Tim 3:1-13), but they were always to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim 4:16a). God will hold church leadership accountable for how they ran Jesus’ church. Each will stand before Him and give an account on what they did (sins of commission) and what they didn’t do (sins of omission). Jesus is the Head of the Church and He expects the Body to cooperate, but the Body can more easily cooperate when church leadership is sound; in teaching sound doctrine and in living a life above reproach.

 

[beensetfree]

He Is The Living One! A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:26-31 NIV __________________ BUT on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead?" "He is not here, but He has risen!" Luke 24:1-6 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]

“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit.”

Luke 10:21

The Saviour was “a man of sorrows,” but every thoughtful mind has discovered the fact that down deep in his innermost soul he carried an inexhaustible treasury of refined and heavenly joy. Of all the human race, there was never a man who had a deeper, purer, or more abiding peace than our Lord Jesus Christ. “He was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.” His vast benevolence must, from the very nature of things, have afforded him the deepest possible delight, for benevolence is joy.

There were a few remarkable seasons when this joy manifested itself. “At that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Christ had his songs, though it was night with him; though his face was marred, and his countenance had lost the lustre of earthly happiness, yet sometimes it was lit up with a matchless splendour of unparalleled satisfaction, as he thought upon the recompense of the reward, and in the midst of the congregation sang his praise unto God.

In this, the Lord Jesus is a blessed picture of his church on earth. At this hour the church expects to walk in sympathy with her Lord along a thorny road; through much tribulation she is forcing her way to the crown. To bear the cross is her office, and to be scorned and counted an alien by her mother's children is her lot; and yet the church has a deep well of joy, of which none can drink but her own children.

There are stores of wine, and oil, and corn, hidden in the midst of our Jerusalem, upon which the saints of God are evermore sustained and nurtured; and sometimes, as in our Saviour's case, we have our seasons of intense delight, for “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God.” Exiles though we be, we rejoice in our King; yea, in him we exceedingly rejoice, while in his name we set up our banners.

 

[beensetfree]

A Pastoral Call to Humility



The character and effectiveness of any church is directly related to the quality of its leadership, and humility is a key characteristic.
Resisting the Proud

Grace is like water…it always seeks the lowest point, and never runs uphill to the high and mighty. Grace also flows toward humility, so God “gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). The Apostle Peter tells us to “be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5). Peter may have been quoting Proverbs 3:34b which says it is “to the humble he gives favor.” To emphasize the importance of humility, Peter says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Pet 5:6). Since God resists the proud, we should humble ourselves and acknowledge that whatever we have comes from God, since we have nothing to brag about (1 Cor 4:7). Either we will humble ourselves or God will do it for us. Moses was no weakling, yet he was called the meekest man on earth, but that certainly doesn’t mean the weakest!

Called to the Ministry?
How do you know if you’re called to the ministry? In the Old Testament, God spoke out of heaven or sent angels to deliver His call, while in the New Testament, this call would often come from Jesus Christ. In our day, I believe this calling comes from the Holy Spirit which compels a man to preach. He is miserable doing anything but that. There is nothing wrong with someone desiring this calling. The Apostle Paul said, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Tim 3:1). Paul never had an air of superiority because he said, “Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Cor 9:16)! It was certainly not Paul’s idea to become a preacher of the gospel. God told him that “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Save for the work of the Holy Spirit, Paul would have been the last man on earth to go from destroying the church to building the church, and who at that time or in their right mind would have tried to share the gospel with Saul!?

Irresistible Calling
The disciples couldn’t resist preaching the gospel, telling the council that “we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Jeremiah the Prophet resisted this call, telling God he was only a youth, but Jeremiah had no choice in the matter, saying, “If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot” (Jer 20:9). Others in your church or people you know might confirm this calling in your life, and a church may actually do the calling, but it is the Holy Spirit which is leading this process…not man. The Bible teaches that God “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” (Eph 4:11) to the church and this was “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12). One of the main points is that “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1 Cor 12:18), not as we have chosen.

Character and Leadership
I like where Biographer C.W. Hall quoted Salvation Army Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle who said, “The final estimate of men shows that history cares not for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart” (Samuel Logan Brengle [New York: The Salvation Army, 1933], p. 274). One pastor in a prison that I serve and preach in has a pastor that is bringing down the whole church on his own. He seems to think he needs to lead the Bible study, read the announcements, lead the board meetings, and lead Sunday school. This man has too much control and has refused to share some of these duties with others in church leadership. Slowly but surely, this church is losing membership because they see the pastor as being more of a dictator than a servant, which a pastor is called to be.

The greatness of the pastor is not related to how many things he leads, but by how many opportunities he gives others to serve. There is no room for someone being in the ministry for the money, job security, or prestige. Those are recipes for spiritual disaster. If the pastor is not ready to work in the face of great discouragement, little or no pay, being on call 24/7, and face opposition even within his own church, then he is not ready for the calling. It may be one of the reasons that Paul doesn’t want new converts placed as elders. The term elder refers to their age and spiritual maturity, while the word bishop or overseer refers to their office. It’s good to desire the office of an overseer or bishop (pastor), but this desire is not enough to sustain him through the gauntlet of his weekly ministry.

Elders
The word elders could be thought of as “olders” or more mature believers. This conflicts with many churches that have new Christians who are already ordained as elders. Paul knew it was not a good idea to have a new convert be ordained an elder…pride, being the main risk. Paul was concerned that “he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Tim 3:6). Because they are a church leader, elders must be more spiritually than others, and he must be able to man teach the Word. Paul charged the Ephesian elders to carefully guard what was given them (Acts 20:17-38), but God also wanted the membership to submit to its leadership. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb 13:17). The elders were also instructed to provide a godly example as they shepherded the flock (1 Pet 5:1-4).

Conclusion
For any man who is called by God into the ministry, there must of necessity be a strong or powerful internal passion that is so strong that it motivates him to endure the times when it seems overwhelming. His desire to minister will be so strong that he doesn’t have any other option but to preach. It is an all-consuming passion, and he pursues this task as if nothing else matters, but without humility, he will struggle daily because God has always resisted the proud and only given His grace to the humble (James 4:6).

 

[beensetfree]

King of Kings! Jesus Christ... God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15,16 NIV __________________ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 RSV __________________ But Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24,25 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 Son of man.”

John 3:13

How constantly our Master used the title, the “Son of man!” If he had chosen, he might always have spoken of himself as the Son of God, the Everlasting Father, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Prince of Peace; but behold the lowliness of Jesus! He prefers to call himself the Son of man. Let us learn a lesson of humility from our Saviour; let us never court great titles nor proud degrees. There is here, however, a far sweeter thought.

Jesus loved manhood so much, that he delighted to honour it; and since it is a high honour, and indeed, the greatest dignity of manhood, that Jesus is the Son of man, he is wont to display this name, that he may as it were hang royal stars upon the breast of manhood, and show forth the love of God to Abraham's seed. Son of man — whenever he said that word, he shed a halo round the head of Adam's children.

Yet there is perhaps a more precious thought still. Jesus Christ called himself the Son of man to express his oneness and sympathy with his people. He thus reminds us that he is the one whom we may approach without fear. As a man, we may take to him all our griefs and troubles, for he knows them by experience; in that he himself hath suffered as the “Son of man,” he is able to succour and comfort us. All hail, thou blessed Jesus! inasmuch as thou art evermore using the sweet name which acknowledges that thou art a brother and a near kinsman, it is to us a dear token of thy grace, thy humility, thy love.

“Oh see how Jesus trusts himself
Unto our childish love,
As though by his free ways with us
Our earnestness to prove!
His sacred name a common word
On earth he loves to hear;
There is no majesty in him
Which love may not come near.”

 

[beensetfree]

100 Encouraging Bible Verses




The Word of God is full of encouraging verses that give us hope and strength for every situation we’re in. Whether you’ve found yourself out of a job, struggling with your relationships, or nervous about an upcoming test or project at work, I’d encourage you to turn to these encouraging bible verses.

There are over 100 listed here, so I’m sure you can read through one that resonates with your situation! I’d encourage you to
bookmark this page or save these verses somewhere where you can quickly reference them when you need encouragement.


My 20 Favorite Encouraging Bible Verses
As I read through each of these verses, I pulled twenty encouraging scriptures that really stood out to me as inspiring. Here they are in order of where they are in the Bible.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 103:2-6 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Inspirational Video with Encouraging Verses about Finances

Over 100 Encouraging Bible Verses
Here’s the full list of verses I found that can really bring strength and encouragement when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 10:25 Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Psalm 16:8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 30:6-7 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

Psalm 31:3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
Psalm 34:22 The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 42:5-6 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 62:6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.
Psalm 103:2-6 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 119:114-115 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God!
Psalm 119:25 I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.

Psalm 119:50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
Psalm 120:1 I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me.
Psalm 121:1-2 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:7-8 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Psalm 145:18-19 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
Proverbs 2:7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 11:25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 30:19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 43:1 But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
Isaiah 54:17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Encouraging Verses in the New Testament
Matthew 6:25-26 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 7:7-8 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Luke 11:9-10 So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 6:47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 15:4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptationhas overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here!
Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Ephesians 3:17-19 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith inChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of Godmay be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 2:18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 3:6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 10:19-23 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

 

[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 __________________ 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 __________________ "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 __________________ 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]

“When he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:38

If we have been partakers with Jesus in his shame, we shall be sharers with him in the lustre which shall surround him when he appears again in glory. Art thou, beloved one, with Christ Jesus? Does a vital union knit thee to him? Then thou art to-day with him in his shame; thou hast taken up his cross, and gone with him without the camp bearing his reproach; thou shalt doubtless be with him when the cross is exchanged for the crown.

But judge thyself this evening; for if thou art not with him in the regeneration, neither shalt thou be with him when he shall come in his glory. If thou start back from the black side of communion, thou shalt not understand its bright, its happy period, when the King shall come, and all his holy angels with him. What! are angels with him? And yet he took not up angels — he took up the seed of Abraham. Are the holy angels with him? Come, my soul, if thou art indeed his own beloved, thou canst not be far from him. If his friends and his neighbours are called together to see his glory, what thinkest thou if thou art married to him? Shalt thou be distant?

Though it be a day of judgment, yet thou canst not be far from that heart which, having admitted angels into intimacy, has admitted thee into union. Has he not said to thee, O my soul, “I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness?” Have not his own lips said it, “I am married unto thee, and my delight is in thee?” If the angels, who are but friends and neighbours, shall be with him, it is abundantly certain that his own beloved Hephzibah, in whom is all his delight, shall be near to him, and sit at his right hand. Here is a morning star of hope for thee, of such exceeding brilliance, that it may well light up the darkest and most desolate experience.

 

[beensetfree]

Does God Get Tired And Need Rest?



Does God ever need to rest? Does God ever tire out? What does the Bible say?
The Sabbath Rest
There was a Sabbath rest for the people of Israel as it says in Exodus 31:17: “It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.” Why was God refreshed? Was it because after God’s creation was complete He said “that it was good” (Gen 1:25) because in the beginning it was good. The Garden of Eden was a veritable paradise in fact. God blessed this day as we read in Genesis 2:2-3: “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

The word used for “rest” in the Hebrew is not like taking a nap or sleeping. Rest in the Hebrew is “shabath” and it means “to cease, desist” or “to rest” so in the context of Genesis chapters one and two and in Exodus 31, just as God rested after the creation week, we too can rest or cease and desist from our everyday work activities. We can be refreshed, even if we’re not tired. The point is we can cease from doing what we had been doing during the week and find pleasure in that, just as God did after the creation week so the end of Exodus 31:17 could just as easily read “and on the seventh day he ceased from His creating and was refreshed” by His creation or took great pleasure in it as He “saw it was good.”


Never Weary
The idea that God gets tired or needs rest is contrary to biblical texts. Isaiah wrote “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28) and on the contrary “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29). The sections of Scripture that say God “rested and was refreshed” do not mean that God grew tired. God never grows faint or weary but we do (Isaiah 40:29). God “will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope” (Isaiah 42:4). Ask yourself, “Is anything too hard for the Lord” (Ex 18:14) since “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27)?

The Omnipotent God
Since we know that God never grows tired we can focus on His dynamic, all-potent power as declared in Hebrews 1:3 which says “he upholds the universe by the word of his power” and of Christ it is said “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18) and said “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). Want to know the scale of that power? “It is he who made the earth by his power” (Jer 10:12) and He simply “spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33:9). After we come to know God and after reading His Word, the Bible, it is by “faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command” (Heb 11:3). We have read of the omnipotence of God. We know He never tires but instead, gives strength to the weary.

Conclusion
Do you grow weary during the week? I think most of us do, at least those of us who don’t exercise. I can rest in the fact that God will give me strength when I am weak. We know that “He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable” (Isaiah 40:28) and so God never gets tired nor does He need to rest at any time. We on the other hand, most certainly do!

 

[beensetfree]

Obedience See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 30:15,16 NIV __________________ Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19,20 KJV __________________ If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:10 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.