Archive for the ‘Encourgement’ Category

Spiritual Training 27 January 2015

Posted: January 26, 2015 in 2 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

2 Corinthians 8:16-24Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.  In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.

Another “brother” was traveling with Paul and Titus, a man who was elected by the churches to also take the large financial gift to Jerusalem. Paul explained that by traveling together there could be no suspicion and people would know that the gift was being handled honestly. The church did not need to worry that the bearers of the collection would misuse the money.  Paul used every safeguard to maintain integrity in the collection of money for the Jerusalem church. Those outside the church can view skeptically the way believers handle money in the church. Financial scandals among high-profile ministries have alerted the non-believing world to the unethical gimmicks that some Christians use. It is possible to avoid mismanagement of God’s resources.

Lets Bring it Home: Does your church or organization have a system of checks and balances that prevent wrongful behavior? Are there financial practices in your ministry that need to be reviewed? Christians must have the highest standard of financial responsibility.

Proverbs 27:09 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 26, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Friendly Advice, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 27, Real Friendship, Spiritual Training, True Advice, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

The aroma, odor, or scent of good cologne or perfume can bring deep pleasure to your soul through your olfactory nerves (Pr 7:17; Ps 45:7-8; Song 1:3; 3:6; 4:10). Scent is a powerful sense. The effect is immediate and strong. In the same way, a good and honest friend can lift your spirit and cause great pleasure by sincere and profitable advice. This is an observation of Solomon. Do you have such friends? Are you such a friend?

Man by nature is selfish, and most friends pursue their own agenda and interests in their relationship with you (II Tim 3:1-2; Titus 3:3). They do not tell you this directly, but they talk far more about themselves than inquire about you. They love you for your ears! Their talk is self-centered, superficial, and without tangible value for your soul. They eat with you, banter with you, and flatter you, but they do not truly serve you for your own good.

Most friends are little more than acquaintances. They tell you about their circumstances, and they may even inquire about and listen to yours. They send you a birthday and anniversary card, and you return the same to them. They consider mutual flattery and your companionship when they need it to be sweet, but they know little to nothing of the sweetness described in this proverb. If you lose your health, position, or wealth, they are not nearly as friendly; they may even disappear (Pr 14:20; 19:4,7; Ps 38:11).

Great friends do much more (Pr 17:17; 18:24; I Sam 18:3; 20:17). They are more interested in your profit than their pleasure, your perfection than their peace. They understand true love – the sacrificial desire for your prosperity in soul and body. Hard times in your life do not drive them away from you; hard times draw them closer to you: they know they can fill a greater role and help you more in difficulty than in success.

What is hearty counsel? It is counsel from the heart – genuine, sincere, and affectionate. It is counsel filled with goodwill and kindly sentiment, warm with affection and friendly feelings. It is the opposite of superficial chatter, foolish banter, selfish exchanges, or evil flattery. And it is more than advice and instruction, no matter how true and valuable. Sympathetic understanding is a balm for the soul (Rom 12:15; Job 2:11-12; 42:11).

How is it sweet? It is rare, comforting, and provocative to the soul. It stirs the spirit with confidence, goodwill, hope, joy, and thanksgiving. As pleasant odors can stir the body, so hearty counsel pleasantly enlivens the soul. Pleasures are far better shared, and sorrows must be shared (Eccl 4:9-12). Most measure friendship as sweet depending on what they take from the relationship. But that is not true with godly friends (Matt 7:12; Acts 20:35).

Jonathan and David were the greatest friends in the Bible. They met after David killed Goliath and became Israel’s hero. Though the heir apparent of Israel’s throne, Jonathan loved David for his courage, graciousness, and godliness. While other men would have envied and hated David, Jonathan loved him as his own soul (I Sam 18:1-3). The affection and loyalty were so fervent that Jonathan covenanted his life and service to David, and David covenanted to protect Jonathan’s family (I Sam 18:4; 19:1-2; 20:9-17).

When fleeing for his life from King Saul, David often hid in obscure places for safety. Jonathan, though the king’s son and heir to the throne (I Sam 20:30-31), and though a mighty man of valor himself (I Sam 14:1-17), went into the woods and encouraged David in the Lord (I Sam 23:16). Jonathan reminded David of God’s faithfulness and promised his own. He lifted David up from spiritual discouragement and heartily comforted him. How sweet that friendship and counsel was to both of them that day in the wood!

Consider the counsel Jonathan gave David (I Sam 23:17). He first said, There is no reason to fear my father; God will deliver you (Ps 27:1-14). Then he said, You will be the next king, because God will keep His promise (I Sam 16:13). Third, he humbly submitted to God’s choice of David and promised his devotion and service (Pr 17:17). And fourth, he told David that his father knew he had chosen David over him (I Sam 20:30-31).

Was this friendship and counsel sweet to David? The answer is clear (I Sam 23:18). They made a covenant together before the LORD. Jonathan promised his loyalty and service to David above his father and Israel’s throne; David promised Jonathan his desired position and the perpetual care of his family. How sweet the friendship and counsel was to David! He counted Jonathan’s love greater than the love of any of his wives (II Sam 1:26).

Jonathan was not David’s only friend. This virtuous man had many friends. Consider Ittai the Gittite, one of many of the best of the Philistines that chose treason against their nation to spend their lives serving David (II Sam 15:16-23). Consider Hiram king of Tyre, who did favors for David and his son out of love to him (I Kgs 5:1; II Sam 5:11).

There are other friends in the Bible. Consider Jehu and Jehonadab purging Baal worship from Israel (II Kgs 10:15-28). Do you know of Paul and Timothy and the building of New Testament churches among the Gentiles (Acts 16:1-3; Phil 2:19-22; II Tim 1:1-5)?

Have you read of Aquila and Priscilla giving hearty counsel to Apollos (Acts 18:24-28)? Andrew was a true friend to Peter (John 1:40-42), and Philip to Nathaniel (John 1:43-51). What of Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17; 3:1-5; 4:13-17) and Luke and Theophilus (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1)? And Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-46)? And you cannot forget the hearty counsel that Jethro gave Moses (Ex 18:1-23).

Hearty counsel includes rebukes and warnings. David wrote, “Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities” (Ps 141:5). Kind correction by one who desires your perfection is sweet and true friendship. Contrary to the world’s ideas, true love corrects sin (Le 19:17). Godly men desire wounds of a friend more than kisses of an enemy, and open rebuke is better than secret love (Pr 27:5-6).

David had many wives, but he only had one great friend among them. Who was it? Not his first love, Michal, for she despised his intense love of God and His worship (II Sam 6:20-23). Not the mother of Solomon, Bathsheba, for she participated in the heinous sin of adultery with him (II Sam 11:1-5). It was Abigail, who heartily warned him against ruining his reputation by the murder of her wicked husband (I Sam 25:1-44). How sweet was this counsel? He blessed her and married her as soon as she was available!

Where are such friends found? They are very rare, but they are found among the disciples of Jesus Christ, who have learned true friendship from their Lord and Master (John 13:34-35; 15:11-17). These rare Christians are in the true churches of Jesus Christ, where the Holy Spirit and the Word of God have molded men’s hearts to be the sacrificing, serving, sensitive, and sympathetic friends that this proverb describes (Phil 1:3-5). After all, the blood and doctrine of Jesus Christ are by far the tightest bonds of all among men.

How do you learn such friendship? By the fear of the Lord, the love of Jesus Christ, walking in the Holy Spirit, and the practice of I Corinthians 13:4-7! It is these ingredients and these alone that will make you a heart-rejoicing friend. There are no shortcuts. Neglect one of these factors, and you will be a vain friend (Pr 18:24). You have the ability to relate to other men (Pr 27:19), and you must use it to improve them (Pr 27:17).

There is no room for selfishness, self-protection, or self-promotion in true friendship. You must be willing to expose yourself to your friend in order to help him. How else can you comfort him when he is in trouble “by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (II Cor 1:4)? The apostle instructed, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another” (Jas 5:16). Can you develop this heart of a true friend?

How important are such friends? They should be esteemed and protected above your own family members (Pr 27:10). Great efforts must be made to avoid offences (Pr 18:19). Solomon kept Hiram as a good friend, who had always been a lover of David (I Kgs 5:1-18). But foolish and profane Rehoboam forsook his father Solomon’s friends for his own ignorant buddies and lost the majority of the kingdom to his enemy (I Kgs 12:1-20).

Dear reader, will you add the precious odor of true friendship to this vile world? Or will you add the stench of selfish insensitivity? Will you make your way to the house of God and find this soul communion among the saints of God? If your church lacks this kind of friendship, then show them how it is done. And honor those that do it to you. There is no friend like Jesus Christ, so begin by cultivating your relationship with Him.

Proverbs 26:22 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 26, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 26, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 26:22 The words of a talebearer (gossip) are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly

Parents and teachers used to punish tattlers. God still does! Tattling is now a forgotten sin. But God remembers and punishes it! Tattling is talebearing, the spreading of injurious or malicious reports about another person. They cause deep wounds in men, which makes those telling them guilty of murder, because the sin is based in hatred.

This proverb’s wisdom was important enough to have a twin (Pr 18:8). Repeating the rule today will be valuable, for backbiting, gossiping, slandering, talebearing, or whispering are not condemned anymore. For reporters today, talebearing is falsely called journalistic liberty, or even duty. For fools, it is “letting you know the truth about so-and-so.”

God does not care if what you tell about another person is true or not – both are sins. If you tell something false about another person, you have slandered them. If you tell something true, you are a backbiter, talebearer, and whisperer. God hates all three. Talebearing is telling secret facts about another person to defame or hurt them (Pr 11:13; 20:19), so do not think you are innocent because you know the information is true.

Of course, you have not heard or read anything against talebearing in a long time. This generation is addicted to it, because there is little restraint on wickedness or wicked men. Tabloids, newspapers, news programs, and news websites all race to discover whatever secrets they can find about anyone and spread them as far as possible. It is a journalistic objective to make money from the salacious lusts of a hateful and wicked generation.

Every man has secrets – private matters – such as sins, faults, failures, losses, a firing, a criminal record, a bankruptcy, his salary, a divorce, a disease, or even a birthmark. They are his secrets, and no one else needs to know them or should know them. To tell even one person that does not absolutely need to know for God-given reasons is talebearing (Pr 11:13; 20:19). It is violent raping of another’s reputation out of envy, hatred, malice, or worse. It is your duty before God to protect anyone’s secrets as if they were your own.

Where does the vicious and vile desire come from to spread secrets about another person? It comes from pride, the devil’s sin, to exalt yourself at the expense of another. If you can make him look bad enough, then you might appear virtuous to fools or talebearers like yourself. It also comes from hatred, which is the devil’s work in the first family, when he moved Cain to kill his brother Abel, simply because Abel was the better man.

Telling secrets about another person deeply wounds his heart and soul, which is intended by “belly” (Pr 20:27). There are truly two wounded – the one having his reputation hurt by the report and the listener having his opinions sinfully altered (Pr 16:28; 26:20). God will severely punish these verbal murderers (Pr 26:20-26; Ps 55:21-23). Since Christians should not include such men (Ps 15:3), tattlers are obviously going to hell (Rev 21:8,27).

The wound of talebearing is quite irreparable, so it is like murder in another way. Once you spread a secret to others, your apology to the person you hurt does not bring back your words or repair the damage done. If you apologize to the person you told, and they forgive you, they still have information in their mind that should not be there. You have murdered a reputation.

Reader, you have two duties. First, you must avoid and reject talebearing yourself. How? Regard the reputations of others with Christian charity and love, and protect them with holy zeal. Carefully say only good things about others, especially when they are not present. God will see your efforts to protect and build others up, and He will bless you.

Second, you must reject talebearers from your friendship or church, for they are poison to the souls of men and destructive to the unity of a church (Pr 25:23; Ps 101:4-5). God hates these wicked souls that sow discord instead of unity, and you should hate them as well (Pr 6:16-19; Ps 139:21-22). Get angry about their sin and drive them far away.

Instead of being a talebearer, be a praise-bearer! Rather than spread bad things to hurt a person, spread praise to build up his reputation. Instead of being a backbiter, be a back-kisser! When others are not around, tell lots of good things about the person. Imagine the result if those that know you only said good things about you in your absence. How can you get this blessing started? Tell someone today something good about another person.

 

Spiritual Training 26 January 2015

Posted: January 26, 2015 in 2 Corinthians, 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

2 Corinthians 8:9-15 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

 

The Christians in the Corinthian church had money, and apparently they had planned to collect money for the Jerusalem church “last year” (see also 9:2). Paul challenges them to act on their plans. Four principles of giving emerge here: (1) Your willingness to give enthusiastically and cheerfully is more important than the amount you give; (2) you should strive to fulfill your financial commitments; (3) if you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need; (4) you should give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. How you give reflects your devotion to Christ.

How do you decide how much to give? What about differences in the financial resources Christians have? Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow: (1) Each person should follow through on previous promises (8:10-11; 9:3); (2) each person should give as much as he or she is able (8:12; 9:6); (3) each person must make up his or her own mind how much to give (9:7); and (4) each person should give in proportion to what God has given him or her (9:10). God gives to us so that we can give to others.

Paul says that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. Paul wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met.
Lets Bring it Home: Give until it hurts, but don’t give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your financial support.

 

Spiritual Training 24 January 2015

Posted: January 24, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Giving, 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 (Giving to the Needy)

    Mathews 6:2-4 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The term hypocrites, as used here, describes people who do good acts for appearances only—not out of compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those who are sincere in their faith.

When Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, he is teaching that our motives for giving to God and to others must be pure. It is easy to give with mixed motives, to do something for someone if it will benefit us in return. But believers should avoid all scheming and give for the pleasure of giving and as a response to God’s love. Why do you give?

It’s easier to do what’s right when we gain recognition and praise. To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives in three areas: generosity (6:4), prayer (6:6), and fasting (6:18). Those acts should not be self-centered but God-centered, done not to make us look good but to make God look good. The reward God promises is not material, and it is never given to those who seek it. Doing something only for ourselves is not a loving sacrifice.

Lets Bring it Home: Lets ask ourselves this question, why do we give? With your next good deed, ask, would I still do this if no one would ever know I did it?

 

Proverbs 23:34 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 23, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 23, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 23:34 You will be like on sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 

What is it like to be very drunk? Solomon compared it to lying down in a ship in a storm. Rather than being on deck, where his eyes could assist his balance, this man lies in the hold of the tossing ship, feeling as if he will soon be turned inside out. His head swims; his stomach retches! Better than that, drunkenness is like lying on the top of a ship’s mast, where the ship’s rolling motions are compounded greatly by the length of the mast.

The context is Solomon’s warning to his son about the terrible effects of drunkenness (Pr 23:29-35). He described a list of physical consequences (Pr 23:29), the enticing attraction of alcoholic beverages (Pr 23:30-31), the painful results being similar to a snake bite (Pr 23:32), the attendant breakdown of moral inhibitions (Pr 23:33), and the addicting nature of drunkenness (Pr 23:35). Here are plain warnings against getting drunk.

Drunkenness is a sin, but it is also stupid! Drunks lose self-control, their balance, the food in their stomachs, and their reputations. They voluntarily choose to pursue nausea in the belly and confusion of the mind; drunkards are great fools. Why in the world would a person drink too much of a thing that he knows will make him very sick and cause him much misery? Ignorance! A foolish heart! Peer pressure! Bad habits! Addiction!

What is the cure? Do not get infatuated with alcohol (Pr 23:30-31). Recognize and admit wine and strong drink are deceiving (Pr 20:1). Remember that a moderate amount can give the benefits God intended (Pr 31:6-7; Ps 104:14-15; I Tim 5:23). The sin of drunkenness occurs when a person drinks to excess, which is condemned (Eph 5:18).

Wine itself is no more sinful than bread. Drunkenness and gluttony are both sins of the human heart. Wine and strong drink are sources of drunkenness, but only when they are abused by consuming too much of them against God’s word. Bread, pizza, and donuts are sources of gluttony, but only when they are abused by consuming too much of them against God’s word. The sin is in the human heart’s choice to overeat or over drink.

Wisdom is the power of right judgment – knowing what to do in any situation to please God and good men. Wise men use wine or strong drink cautiously, especially if they are in authority (Pr 31:4-5; Eccl 10:16-17; I Tim 3:8; Titus 2:3). They want full control of their faculties, and they will not give it away for the momentary foolishness of drinking too much. They recognize wine’s value, use it only moderately, and hate drunkenness.

No matter what the world says, drunkenness is a sin (Luke 21:34; I Cor 6:9-11; Gal 5:19-21). And it is stupid, as the proverb declares metaphorically. Those who desire to be wise in the sight of God will use wine with great caution. They will rule their spirits and circumstances to keep from drinking too much. Such prudence will save them from the foolish sin of drunkenness, and it will save them from the gut-wrenching and mind-confusing consequences of drunkenness. Only fools will drink on without careful regard.

Spiritual Training 23 January 2015

Posted: January 23, 2015 in 2 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

2 Corinthians 8:7-8 But just as you excel in everything thing in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.    I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

The Corinthian believers excelled in everything—they had faith, good preaching (“speech”), much knowledge, much enthusiasm (“earnestness”), much love.. Paul encouraged them to also excel in the grace of giving. Too often, stewardship of money is given a different status than other aspects of discipleship. Most believers would not want growth in faith, knowledge, or love to stop at a certain level. Yet many decide a fixed percentage of their money to give and stay there for life. True discipleship includes growing in the mature use of all resources, so giving should expand as well. God can give you the desire and enable you to increase your capacity to give. Don’t miss this opportunity for growth.

Lets Bring it Home: God can give you the desire and enable you to increase your capacity to give. Don’t miss this opportunity for growth.

Proverbs 22:19 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 22, 2015 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 22, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 

Proverbs 22:19 So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you. 

Are you thankful for words? The smallest part of language that conveys meaning? The certain words of truth, bringing wisdom and knowledge, are necessary to know and believe God. They communicate the excellent things He has prepared for His elect (I Cor 2:1-16). God had taught Solomon the importance of words, so this wise king reminded his readers to consider the great gift he gave them – certain words of truth (Pr 22:17-21).

Specific words are also necessary to properly answer questions (Pr 22:17-21). Christians are to give a reasonable answer for their hope in God to those who ask, and a reason requires an intelligent and logical use of words (I Pet 3:15; I Sam 12:7; Is 41:21; Acts 24:25). Luke wrote two treatises of many words to a noble Greek man named Theophilus to prove the gospel facts about Jesus Christ and his apostles (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-4).

God chose to communicate to His elect children by words. He could have created music videos, an elaborate picture book with heartwarming scenes, warm and fuzzy feelings by dramatizations, chanting in Arabic, mumbling in Hindi, Charismatic tongues, or a special food to convey truth. But He chose the teaching of His inspired words (Deut 4:1-19; 6:4-9; 8:3; 11:18-21; 12:28-32; 17:18-20; 18:18-19; 27:1-3,8,26; 28:14; 29:19-20,29).

Trust in the Lord is not by feelings – it is by faith, which comes before feelings, and faith is usually contrary to feelings. Your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9-10), and you must believe this indictment to be saved from that internal liar (Pr 28:26; 26:12). Instead, put all your confidence in God’s written revelation and reject anything that contradicts it, whether it comes from within you or outside you.

The Bible has the words of God, preserved nearly 4000 years (Ps 12:6-7; Is 30:8; Matt 5:18; I Cor 2:13; 14:19; I Tim 4:6; 6:3; II Tim 1:13). Each word is necessary for man to live the life of faith (Deut 8:3; Luke 4:4). Jesus and Paul argued from single words (Matt 22:32,43; John 8:58; 10:35; Gal 3:16; 4:9; Heb 8:13). God will judge the publishers and readers of modern versions that alter, delete, and add words (Pr 30:5-6; Rev 22:18-19).

The best foundation for truth and faith you can ever have is the Bible, which is more sure than God’s own voice from heaven in the presence of Jesus Christ, Moses, Elijah, and your two best friends. This is what Peter wrote about his experience on the mount of transfiguration (II Pet 1:16-21). With the words of God to direct your thoughts and steps through life, you are fully set to be a world conqueror (Ps 119:105; Rom 10:17; I Jn 5:4).

Bible preaching is plainly described in the Bible, and it is nothing like the feel-good, rah-rah pep talks of seeker sensitive pastors (Neh 8:8). There are three steps: read the words, explain the words, and apply the words. You do not need intermittent chords from the organ, flannel graph figures on a board, an interpretive dance, a WWJD bracelet, or a chalk drawing. Preach the word, Paul charged (II Tim 4:1-2). How? By preaching words!

God’s elect love such preaching. The Holy Spirit praised the Bereans for being nobler than the Thessalonians. Why? Because they received such preaching with a ready mind (Acts 17:11). Jesus told His apostles they were blessed for hearing His words (Matt 13:16-17). So they in turn taught the words of truth to others (Acts 5:20; 10:22; 13:42; 26:25). Are you thankful for sound Bible preaching of words? Not many are (II Tim 4:3-4)! It is a good day and a great blessing when the words of truth are made known to you

Spiritual Training 22 January 2015

Posted: January 22, 2015 in 2 Corinthians, Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Giving, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Maceoniana churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

During his third missionary journey, Paul had collected money for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. The churches in Macedonia—Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea—had given money even though they were poor, and they had sacrificially given more than Paul expected. Although they were poor themselves, they wanted to help. The amount we give is not as important as why and how we give. God does not want us to give gifts grudgingly. Instead, he wants us to give as these churches did—out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do.

The kingdom of God spreads through believers’ concern and eagerness to help others. Here we see several churches joining to help others beyond their own circle of friends and their own city.

Lets Bring it Home: How well does your giving measure up to the standards set by the Macedonian churches? Explore ways that you might link up with a ministry outside your city, either through your church or through a Christian organization. By joining with other believers to do God’s work, you increase Christian unity and help the kingdom grow.

Spiritual Training 21 January 2015

Posted: January 20, 2015 in 2 Corinthians, 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

2 Corinthians 7:1-4 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

Purifying ourselves is a twofold action: turning away from sin, and turning toward God. “Perfecting holiness” means that the Corinthians were to have nothing to do with paganism. They were to make a clean break with their past and give themselves to God alone. In this phrase, Paul wasn’t suggesting that the Corinthians could become sinless in this life. Instead, he was prodding them to work at maturing in their faith. God had provided them with all the resources they needed, and Christ’s Spirit would empower them to become Christ like (Romans 8:2).

Paul insisted that the Corinthians should open their hearts for him. He knew how much those in the church need one another. If fellowship was necessary in Paul’s day, it is all the more crucial today, when time is more valuable than money. Each day holds barely enough time to care for personal and family needs, let alone to meet the needs of others. Yet the activities that occupy our time are not as important as the community described in these verses. Paul’s intention is not “coffee and donuts between church” fellowship. Believers need accountability that comes from lives intertwined by the cords of commitment and love.

Lets Bring it Home: If you are not in a small group Bible study, take the first steps. Offer hospitality to fellow believers; when others extend the hand of fellowship to you, grasp it enthusiastically.

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