Archive for the ‘Encourgement’ Category

Spiritual Training 07 January 2013

Posted: January 7, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Romans 5:7-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

“While we were still sinners”- these are amazing words.  God sent Jesus Christ to die for us, not because we were good enough but because he loved us.  Whenever you feel uncertain about God’s love for you, remember that he loved you even before you turned to him.

 

Lets Bring it home: If God loved you when you were a rebel, he can surely strengthen you, now that you love him in return.

Proverbs 4:5-7 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 04, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 4:5-7  Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them.  Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; lover her, and she will watch over you.  Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  Though it cost all you have, get understanding.  

If you want wisdom, you must decide to go after it.  This will take resolve-a determination not to abandon the search once you begin no matter how difficult the road may become. This is not a once-in-a-lifetime step, but a daily process of choosing between two paths-the wicked (Proverbs 4:14-17, 19) and the righteous (Proverbs 4:18).  Nothing else is more important or more valuable.

Spiritual Training 04 January 2013

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Romans 5:5-6  (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  (6) You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the un-godly.    

All there members of the Trinity are involved in salvation.  The Father loved us so much that he sent his Son to bridge the gap between us (John 3:16).  The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our lives with love and to enable us to live by his power (Acts 1:8).  We were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save ourselves.  Someone had to come and rescue us.  Not only did Christ come at a good time in history, he came at exactly the right time according to God’s own schedule.  God controls all history, and he controlled the timing, methods, and results of Jesus’s death,

 

Lets Bring it home: With all this loving care, how can we do less than serve him completely!

Spiritual Training 03 January 2013

Posted: January 3, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

 Romans 5:1-5  (1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

(3) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.  (4) Perseverance, character, and character, hope.  

 Paul tells us that in the future we will become, but until then we must overcome.  This means we will experience difficulties that help us grow.  We rejoice in suffering not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character.  The Problems that we run into will develop our perseverance, which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.  You probably find your patience tested in some way every day.  Thank God for those opportunities to grow and deal with them in his strength.

(5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.     

These verses introduce a section that contains some difficult concepts.  To understand the next four chapters, it helps to keep in mind the two –sided reality of the Christian life.  On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with him is secure).  On the other hand, we are growing in Christ (we are becoming more and more like him).  At one and the same time we have the status of kings and the duties of slaves.  We feel both the presence of Christ and the pressure of sin.

Lets Bring it home: If we remember these two sides of the Christian life, we will not grow discouraged as we face temptations and problems.  Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 3, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 03, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 3:5-6   Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.  

Leaning has the sense of putting your whole weight on something, resting on and trusting in that person or thing.  When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we can’t trust anyone-not even God.  But God knows what is best for us.  He is a better judge of what we want than even we! We must trust him completely in every choice we make.  We should not omit careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others.  We must not be wise in our own eyes.  We should always be willing to listen to and be corrected by God’s Word and wise counselors.  Bring your decisions to God in prayer, use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God’s leading.  He will make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you.

Proverbs 2:1-6 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 02, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 2:1-6 – My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and it you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.  For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

Wisdom comes in two ways: It is a God-given gift and also the result of an energetic search.  Wisdom’s starting point is God and his revealed Word, the source of “knowledge and understanding” In that sense wisdom is God’s gift to us.  But he gives it only to those who earnestly seek it.  But because God’s wisdom is hidden from the rebellious and foolish, it takes effort to find it and use it.  The pathway to wisdom is strenuous.  When we are on the path, we discover that true wisdom is God’s and that he will guide us and reward our sincere and persistent search.

Spiritual Training 02 January 2013 (Forgiving Others)

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Ephesians, Forgiving Others, Inspiration, Mathew, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Forgiving Others

Matthew 6:14 – For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 

Why?  Those who are unwilling to forgive have not become one with Christ who was willing to forgive even those who crucified him Luke 23:34 – Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  We are also denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.  God’s forgiveness of sin is not the direct result of our forgiving others, but it is based on our realizing what forgiveness means. We cannot live as Children of Light walking around with sin and hate towards others.

Ephesians 4:28-32 – He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands that he may have something to share with those in need.  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.    

We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live.  Paul warns us against unwholesome language, bitterness, improper use of anger, brawling, slander, and bad attitudes toward others.  Instead of acting that way, we should be forgiving, just as God has forgiven us.  Are you grieving or pleasing God with your attitudes and actions? Act in love toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, just as God acted in love by sending his Son to die for our sins.

Lets Bring it Home:  Is there anything that you are holding against someone right now.  A friend, Mother or Father, Husband or Wife, co-worker or anybody else that you can think of? Now ask yourself this.  What is God holding against me right now that He will not let go because I won’t let it go?   Is it really worth to burn in hell over it for the rest of your life?

 

 

Spiritual Training 28 December 2012

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

 Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.  Perseverance, character, and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.     

These verses introduce a section that contains some difficult concepts.  To understand the next four chapters, it helps to keep in mind the two –sided reality of the Christian life.  On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with him is secure).  On the other hand, we are growing in Christ (we are becoming more and more like him).  At one and the same time we have the status of kings and the duties of slaves.  We feel both the presence of Christ and the pressure of sin.

Lets Bring it home: If we remember these two sides of the Christian life, we will not grow discouraged as we face temptations and problems.  Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

  

Proverbs 28:05 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 28, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 28:05 Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully. 

Because justice is part of God’s character, a person who follows God treats others justly.  The beginning of justice is concern for what is happening to others.  A Christian cannot be indifferent to human suffering because God isn’t.  And we certainly must not contribute to human suffering through selfish business practices or unfair government policies.  Be sure you are more concerned for justice than merely your own interests.  You can’t claim to follow God and ignore your neighbor.

Proverbs 27:15-16 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 27, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 27:15-16 – A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is lie restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.       

Quarrelsome nagging, a steady stream of unwanted advice, is a form of torture.  People nag because they think they’re not getting through, but nagging hinders communication more than it helps.  When tempted to engage in this destructive habit, stop and examine your motives.  Are you more concerned about yourself-getting your way, being right-than about the person you are pretending to help?  If you are truly concerned about other people, think of a more effective way to get through to them.  Surprise them with words of patience and love, and see what happens.

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