Under Gods Command
Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger, if you go in your own strength; you are more likely to drown. If you invite the Lord to go with you, he will protect your.
Under Gods Command
Luke 17:1-5 “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent, ‘forgive him.”The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you.
Jesus warned about God’s wrath for those who offend and abuse. How appropriate such a warning is in this day when corruption enters our homes every day in many television programs or on the internet. While Christians must guard against physical abuse, they also must be aware of and work against the mental and spiritual corruption that unfiltered television and internet surfing can bring.
To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see, it means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitude before you speak. Do you love the person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness’, it will not help the sinning person.
This was a hard one for the disciples; they wanted the faith necessary for such radical forgiveness. The amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness. Faith is not something we use to put on a show for others; it is complete and humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever he calls us to do. The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith-faith in our all-powerful God.
Under Gods Command
Zephaniah 3:1-2 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction.
Do you know people who refuse to listen when someone disagrees with their opinions? Their root problem is pride inflated self-esteem. God’s people had become so proud that they would not hear or accept God’s corrections. Do you find it difficult to listen to the spiritual counsel of others or God’s words from the Bible? Don’t let pride make you unable or unwilling to let God work in your life. You will be more willing to listen when you consider how weak and sinful you really are compared to God.
God First, family second
Matthew 10:34-39, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Christian commitment may separate friends and loved ones. In saying this, Jesus was not encouraging disobedience to parents or conflict at home. Rather, he was showing that his presence demands a decision. Because some will follow Christ and some won’t, conflict will inevitably arise. As we take our cross and follow him, our different values, morals, goals, and purposes will set us apart from others. Christ calls us to a higher mission than to find comfort and tranquility in this life. Love of family is a law of God, but even this love can be self-serving and used as an excuse not to serve God or do his work. Don’t neglect your family, but remember that your commitment to God is even more important. God should be your first priority.
Forgiving Others (Remember! Sin separates us from God.)
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.
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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, and they will walk and not be faint.
Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.
Coming up my Mother always taught me to never let things control you, but you stay in control. Those words were some of the great things that were taught to me by her. You see, a person is a slave to whatever controls him or her. Many believe that freedom means doing anything we want. But no one is ever completely free in that sense. If we refuse to follow God, we will follow our own sinful desires and become enslaved to what our bodies want. If we submit our lives to Christ, he will free us from slavery to sin. Christ frees us to serve him, a freedom that results in our ultimate good. Thank you Mom
2 Peter 2:19 – They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
James 1:2-4 States consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James doesn’t say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook (consider it pure joy) because of what trials can produce in our lives, James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance. We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete. Not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with us in our rough times. Ask him to help us solve our problems or to give us the strength to endure them. Than be patient. God will not leave us alone with our problems; he will stay close and help us grow.
In 1 Chronicles 28:20 we read:(Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished. David advised Solomon not to be frightened about the size of his task as King and builder of the temple.) Fear can immobilize us. The size of a job, its risk, or the pressure of the situation can cause us to freeze and do nothing. One remedy for fear is found here, don’t focus on the fear, instead, get to work . Getting started is often the most difficult and frightening part o a job.
In 1 Chronicles 28:9 We read that the Lord searches every heart. Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees and understands everything in our hearts. David found this out the hard way when God sent Nathan to expose David’s sins of adultery and murder (2 Samuel 12). David told Solomon to be completely open with God and dedicated to him. It makes no sense to try to hide any thoughts or actions from an all-knowing God. This should cause us joy, not fear, because God knows even the worst about us and loves us anyway.
Under Gods command 