Archive for the ‘Encourgement’ Category

Spiritual Training 23 May 2014

Posted: May 23, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

Paul urged the Corinthians to think of him, Peter and Apollos not as leaders of factions, but as servants of Christ entrusted with the secret things of God. A servant does what his master tells him to do. We must do what God tells us to do in the Bible and through his Holy Spirit.

Lets Bring it Home: Each day God presents us with needs and opportunities that challenge us to do what we know is right. The question is, do we always do what we know is right?

Proverbs 22:08 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: May 23, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 22, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 22:8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed

Sin will not work. Hypocrisy will not work. If you sin with a goal in mind, you will lose it. Sin will bring vanity – profitless and worthless loss. If you use anger or violence to pursue your sinful way, it will not work. You will fail miserably. Do not lie to yourself, for only godliness and righteousness will succeed and bring a good reward (Pr 11:18).

You reap what you sow. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal 6:7). Why the warning about deception? Because men believe they can get away with sin. But God will not be mocked. You cannot make light of His word by sinning against it. He will grind you to powder for rebellion. Repent!

Anger or violence will not bring success to sinful ways. You may temporarily force others into submission, but your wicked ways will not succeed. There is One much higher than you, and He will crush your feeble attempts to promote yourself and defend your sinful life (Eccl 5:8). Consider foolish Sennacherib (Is 10:5-19)! Consider Pharoah!

Not all anger is wrong. The anger condemned here is the rage or violence of a man living in sin. Phinehas was angry in a righteous cause, and it brought him a great blessing (Num 25:1-15). Jesus was angry, but His rod did not fail at all (Mark 3:5). Sinful anger fails!

You cannot cheat God’s laws and succeed. He will not allow it. If He allowed it, then His justice and righteousness mean nothing. If you compromise in any area of your life, you will pay for it. No matter what your intentions, they will not be achieved. You lose!

David tried to enjoy Bathsheba without consequences, but she conceived. He got her husband drunk to cover the sin, but he was too faithful. He cruelly killed him and married his wife, but it cost their child’s life and brought much judgment. David lost terribly!

A hypocritical father using anger to dominate his children will lose horribly in the end – guaranteed. A wife defrauding her husband sexually to protect pride will lose miserably. A husband sneaking pornography cannot press his wife into a loving relationship. An unfair employer will not survive in the end no matter how he plays his managerial cards.

Covetous men who do not give will not keep their estate by diligence or frugality (Pr 11:24; 21:13; Hag 1:1-11). A rebel child will not advance far no matter how energetic he might be to prove himself (Pr 20:20; 30:17). The joy of the religious hypocrite, who pretends on Sundays, is very short (Job 20:4-29). Be sure your sin will find you out!

But there is forgiveness from God for those who confess their sins, repent from their errors, and turn back to righteousness (Pr 28:13; I John 1:9). If you then sow godliness, you will reap God’s great reward of blessing and favor (Pr 11:18; Ps 19:11; Jas 1:25).

Spiritual Training 22 May 2014

Posted: May 23, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)

1 Corinthians 03:18-22 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of your thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”, and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile. So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours,

Paul was not telling the Corinthian believers to neglect the pursuit of knowledge. He was warning them that if worldly wisdom holds them back from God, it is not wisdom at all. God’s way of thinking is far more valuable, even though it may seem foolish to the world (1:27). The Corinthians were using so-called worldly wisdom to evaluate their leaders and teachers. Their pride made them value the presentation of the message more than its content.

22) whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Paul says that both life and death are ours. While nonbelievers are victims of life, swept along by its current and wondering if there is meaning to it, believers can use life well because they understand it true purpose. Nonbelievers can only fear death. For believers, however, death holds no terrors because Christ has conquered all fears (see 1 John 4:18). Death is only the beginning of eternal life with God

Lets Bring it Home: How do we evaluate our leaders and teachers? Are we more focus on the show or the content of the message? Right now, could you tell someone what the message was about and the scripture from the message last week without thinking real hard?

Proverbs 21:11 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: May 21, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 21, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 21:11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge

Different strokes for different folks! A word to the wise is sufficient! You cannot argue with dumb! These and similar adages and idiomatic phrases are taken from this proverb, which was written 3000 years before modern English. There are three kinds of men here, and there are only two actions that result in the proper treatment for all three (Pr 19:25).

A scorner is an arrogant and rebellious person that ridicules and shows contempt for authority, correction, and instruction. He is so conceited in his opinions that he cannot be taught (Pr 9:7-8; 13:1; 15:12; 21:24). He must be punished and rejected (Pr 22:10). Solomon said a scorner was worse than a fool, whose sins of folly, ignorance, and sloth are less than the scorner’s proud despising of reproofs (Pr 12:1; 24:9; 26:12).

A simple man is an ignorant man without abundant intelligence or character. He has little knowledge or wisdom, and he reacts to what he sees and feels more than what he can understand by prudent analysis and reflection (Pr 14:15,18; 22:3). Simple men can be taught, but it is a laborious process (Pr 1:4; Ps 119:130). Because they lack in discretion and understanding, they often learn better from object lessons and experience.

A wise man fears God and keeps His commandments (Pr 1:7; 9:10; Ps 111:10). He loves correction, instruction, reproofs, and warnings; he knows that such inputs are the only way to gain understanding (Pr 1:5; 12:1). These noble men receive teaching with a ready mind, search the Scriptures to prove what they have heard is truth, and then believe and obey it (Acts 17:11).  Though wise, they seek counsel for major decisions (Pr 24:6).

When dealing with people, especially those under your authority, there are two basic actions taught here. The two actions will effectively and wisely deal with the three kinds of men. You must identify the kind of person you are dealing with and apply the correct remedy. Here is the lesson: scorners cannot be taught and must be punished, which will deliver you from their strife and also give the simple an object lesson for their learning; and wise men can be directed and taught with simple reproofs or instruction (Pr 19:25).

Consider an office or home. You save yourself from contention and strife by punishing and rejecting the scorner (Pr 22:10). By punishing him before rejecting him, you give an object lesson to the simple to fear authority and avoid the scorner’s attitude and actions. Wise employees or children only need instruction or reproofs, for they will submissively learn from both. Your life has just been simplified: the scorner is gone, the simple is sobered and warned, and the wise loves you for making him wiser (Pr 9:8-9; 28:23).

he Lord Jesus Christ knew how to perfectly use these two approaches to drive away scorners, enlighten the simple, and instruct the wise (Matt 7:28-29; 15:12-14; 21:45-46; 22:46; Mark 12:37). Learn more about Him and His wisdom from the Bible, and then ask Him to help you be more like Him discerning your audience and rightly dealing with it.

Spiritual Training 21 May 2014

Posted: May 21, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)

1 Corinthians 03:16-17 (16) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (17) If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.  

Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand that they were a unified assembly (“you yourselves are God’s temple” and “God’s Spirit live in you”). They were not to see themselves as a collection of competing interests or independent individuals. Paul was emphasizing the intent of Jesus prayer in John 17:21-23 that believers be unified in God.

Lets Bring it Home: What actions could you take this week to strengthen your ties to fellow Christians in the Church of Jesus Christ?

Spiritual Training 20 May 2014

Posted: May 20, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)

1 Corinthians 03:10-17 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. (11) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already land which is Jesus Christ. (12) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,

(13) his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. (14) If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. (15) If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Two sure ways to destroy a building are to tamper with the foundation and to build with inferior materials. The church must be built on Christ, not on any other person or principle. Christ will evaluate each person’s contribution to the life of the church, and the day of judgment (“the Day”) will reveal the sincerity of each person’s work, God will determine whether or not they have been faithful to Jesus instructions. Good work will be rewarded; unfaithful or inferior work will be discounted. The builder “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” means that unfaithful works will be saved, but like people escaping from a burning building. All their possessions (accomplishments) will be lost.

(16) Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (17) If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.  

While some have applied these verses to personal spiritual growth, Paul’s teaching has to do with ministry to others. What do we do to build others up? Do we build on Christ as foundation? Do we build with perishable materials? The Corinthians could construct their church with lasting, eternal teaching or with the changing, temporary wisdom of the day.

Lets Bring it Home: Paul’s words challenge our methods of discipleship. Do we attach others to ourselves as the foundation, or to Christ? Do we use our abilities and spiritual gifts to build up others in the church or keep them tied to us? Do we use Bible-based teaching or merely adaptations of worldly wisdom?

Proverbs 20:18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: May 20, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 20, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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 Proverbs 20:18 Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain guidance.

Good advice is necessary for good decision-making, and good advice is only gotten from good counselors. Solomon here taught you to submit your major plans to the scrutiny and criticism of wise counselors, who can save you from disappointment and trouble. This is true wisdom – to deliberate before you act, and to establish your plans by wise counsel.

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, for your deceitful heart convinces you that your plans are brilliantly devised and certain to succeed (Pr 16:2,25; 18:17; 21:2; 28:11; Jer 17:9). You must use a multitude of counselors for safety (Pr 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).  Rushing forward in heady pride is foolish and will soon cost you. If you are prone to be impulsive and hasty by temperament or training, you must doubly heed this warning.

It is a sin to be hasty in spirit, in speech, or in action (Pr 14:29; 29:20; 19:2). Haste is destructive, as a common adage says, haste makes waste (Pr 21:5; 25:8). Paul condemned a sinful trait he called heady, which is to impetuously and rashly rush ahead in some activity or choice recklessly (II Tim 3:4). Slow down to get counsel and good advice.

If you neglect seeking counsel, you are proud, heady, hasty, or foolish. If you reject counsel you have been given, you are rebellious or stubborn. If you avoid counsel for fear of its criticism, your heart is foolishly involved in a risky proposition – you are already emotionally attached to a plan. It is foolish to get your heart involved before your head.

The only perfect counselor is the Lord (Is 9:6). But He has not left you without other counselors. You have His perfect Word, which can make you wise (Ps 19:7-11; 119:98-100). You have His ministers, who can be perfect counselors by His Word (II Tim 3:16-17; Mal 2:7). You have parents, who usually have much greater wisdom and experience, and they also have strong motivation to save you from trouble (Ex 18:13-27). You have friends and brethren who are known for wisdom (Pr 20:25; 27:9-10; Acts 15:1-6).

What kind of counselors do you seek and use for your weighty decisions? Though older men are not always wise (Job 32:9), they generally are wiser (Job 12:12). A saint is better than a pagan, if there are any moral considerations at all; they should have God’s wisdom in their heart and the highest degree of concern for your safety and prosperity. Look for critical counselors for sure, for the landscape is littered with the corpses of optimists.

When a plan or purpose is established, it is made stable, secure, and permanent. It has a solid foundation for the future, and this is obtained by good counsel. When plans and purposes are pursued without good counsel, they are usually disappointed (Pr 15:22). How can you avoid the mistakes that so many make? By keeping this proverb diligently!

Merely seeking counsel to fulfill this proverb is not enough, for you must also listen to the advice and follow it. Otherwise, the whole mechanism of safety and success is violated and overthrown. Rehoboam sought counsel, but he rejected the advice of the wise men who had counseled his father (I Kgs 12:1-19). And he lost the kingdom for it.

A multitude of counselors is not needed for every decision, and you can see this by the inclusion of war in the proverb. War is the weightiest decision made by men, for it determines the lives and futures of whole nations, with enormous hardships. It should only be pursued after thorough counsel from many angles (Luke 14:31-32). So the lesson does not apply to all decisions, but rather to those of serious consequence and risk.

But matters like marriage are certainly worthy of counsel. The pain and consequences can be horrible; most people entering marriage have no experience at it, so they need the good advice of others (Pr 19:13). An uninvolved third party can save you much grief in this decision, and he or she can probably spot potential problems more easily than you.

Other matters like business ventures, employment changes, housing moves, health issues, child training, investment alternatives, and similar plans should be subject to counsel. Why would you rush ahead in such large decisions without seeking good advice? The consequences of mistakes in these decisions far outweigh the hurt pride of correction.

A multitude of counselors is the wisest course, for they will give you much to think about from different perspectives and a variety of experiences. If their counsel is shared with a wise man, it will result in even better counsel. The bottom line should be found by considering the overall weight of answers, the answers of the wisest counselors, and the advice on the most important aspects of your plan or purpose.

Of course, this choice to seek counsel takes time. It also requires humility to ask others for their opinion, implying your need of their assistance. Such caution is prudent discretion, and such humility is wisdom. Do not let men or devils convince you that you cannot afford the time or that you can make better decisions than counselors yourself.

Young man, you need wise counsel more than most. Folly and vanity are still bound in your heart, and sober counsel can save you from much trouble and pain. Older man, you are not above this lesson, for the hearts of all men are deceptively dangerous (Jer 17:9). It is pride, not principle, that keeps you from seeking counsel and testing your own plans.

The ultimate counselor is the Holy Spirit, Who guides you by the Bible, not feelings. It is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Ps 119:105). If you submit your plans to the Lord, He will establish your thoughts (Pr 16:3; 3:5-6). If your heart is in fellowship with Him, you can move ahead with plans, submitting all to His will (Pr 16:9; Jas 4:13-15).

The more you learn the word of God, the more wisdom you will have (Ps 19:7-11; 119:98-100; Is 8:20). And this book of Proverbs is filled with the wisdom of the wisest man with the most experiences in life, and he wrote by the inspiration of God (Pr 1:1-9). The Lord Jesus Christ has all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and the closer you are walking with Him, the more wisdom you will have yourself (Col 2:8).

Proverbs 19:24 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: May 19, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 19, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Proverbs 19:24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

Lazy people do not deserve comfort or kindness. Solomon used sarcastic hyperbole to ridicule them in this proverb. They fold their arms and are too lazy to even feed themselves. They want food to fall into their mouths. An exaggeration? Yes, but one that makes a powerful point. So necessary is the lesson, Solomon repeated it in Prov 26:15.

You hear similar words when some say, “That lazy bum sits around with his arms folded.” Consider, when your arms are folded, your hands are held against your bosom by the opposite arm. You also hear, “He stands around with his hands in his pockets.” Lazy people dislike the thought of exertion, so they put their hands into safekeeping. David even asked the Lord once to take His hand out and use it to deliver him (Ps 74:11).

A great work ethic did not originate with man. God worked six days in creating the world, and His example should be good enough for you. He wisely ordained that work is good and should be done with diligent zeal. Before Adam sinned, God had appointed him the work of dressing the garden (Gen 2:15). Work is not a curse; it is a blessing.

The cure for lazy people is starvation. Welfare promotes slothfulness and encourages people to be lazy. Paul commanded that those who did not work should not be allowed to eat (II Thess 3:10), and Solomon commanded against giving food to lazy people, even in the plentiful time of harvest (Pr 20:4). Christian charity does not include sluggards.

Wise parents remember this rule. Children and teenagers do not deserve to eat unless they have worked in school, a job, or chores. Why create lazy adults? Fixing meals and snacks when they do not work hard is not love; it is cruel hatred. Train them to work hard, to work fast, and to enjoy a job well done. They will be successful and have plenty to eat!

A favorite place for lazy people to hold their hands in their bosoms is in bed. The pleasure of self-cuddling for an unnecessary hour of sleep is just too much to resist. The wise Preacher saw this love of sleep and ridiculed it (Pr 6:9-10; 24:30-34; 26:14). Snooze buttons on alarm clocks are foolish. Get up, sluggard! Get up! The day is wasting!

Once a person starts down the path of laziness, work becomes harder and harder. A lazy attitude toward work will make you sleepy (Pr 19:15); obstacles will seem much more difficult (Pr 15:19). Diligence begins in the heart and mind, when you choose to enjoy work. The best way to tackle a job is to start now, with intensity. Do not think about it. Hard work is its own reward, but you only know this blessing by getting to work.

Ever heard, “I’m too tired to fix anything tonight”? Virtuous women do not say this. A woman would feel better and less tired, if she ran to the kitchen and creatively put supper together. The words themselves, and the thoughts generating them, are mentally and physically disabling. Do not make excuses. Work! You will feel better and sleep better.

Lazy people have blessings, but they are too lazy to take advantage of them. They may take game in hunting, but they are too tired to dress it when they get home (Pr 12:27). An opportunity is frightening to them, for it likely involves more than sleep. What a shame!

Of course, sluggards always have excuses for not getting much done. They tell of dangers on the job (Pr 22:13; 26:13) and of unfavorable circumstances (Pr 20:4). And their arrogant slothfulness will resist even seven wise men giving good answers (Pr 26:16).

Solomon could spot a sluggard by checking his field (Pr 24:30-34). Dear reader, how clean is your car? Your house? Your closets? Your desk? Is there clutter anywhere? Why? Is there a lion in the way? Is it too cold? Or is folding your hands too exciting?

Saints should hate slothfulness (Rom 12:11). Their reputations and assets should reflect a godly work ethic. Instead of holding hands in your bosom, they should be put to good productive labor (Acts 20:34-35; Eph 4:28; I Thess 4:11-12). Instead of the idleness that ruins women (Ezek 16:49), let them keep a house full of children (I Tim 5:13-14).

The Lord Jesus Christ was intent on the work He had been given (John 4:34; 9:4; 17:4), and you should be thankful for Him and His diligent faithfulness in saving your soul. You now have an opportunity to be spiritually diligent for Him (Heb 6:11-12; II Pet 1:10).

Spiritual Training 19 May 2014

Posted: May 19, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)

1 Corinthians 03:10-11 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already land which is Jesus Christ.

The foundations of the church-of all believers –is Jesus Christ. Nothing and no one else will do, wrote Paul. A building with no foundation, or one poorly constructed, will not last. The finest materials used to construct a home quickly rot and fall apart if they are resting on the ground. And a building is only as solid as its foundation. The foundation of our life is Jesus Christ; he is our base, our reason for being. Everything we are and do must fit into the pattern provided by him.

Lets Bring it Home: Are you building your life on the only real and lasting, or are you building your life on the only real and lasting foundation, or are you building on a faulty foundation, such as wealth, security, success, or fame? Be careful how you build.

Spiritual Training 16 May 2014

Posted: May 16, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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PAUL ADDRESSES CHURCH PROBLEMS (1:1-6:20)


1 Corinthians 03:7-9 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building.

God’s work involves many different individuals with a variety of gifts and abilities. There are no superstars in these task only team members performing their own special roles. We can become useful members of God’s team by setting aside our desires to receive glory for what we do. Don’t seek the praise that comes from people, it is comparatively worthless. Instead, seek approval from God.

Lets Bring it Home: Our leaders should certainly be respected but we should never place them on pedestals that create barriers between people or set them up as substitute for Christ.

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