Archive for the ‘Personal Growth’ Category

Spiritual Training 29 September 2014

Posted: September 29, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command                                                                                                

All of us make hundreds of choices every day. Most choices have no right or wrong attached to them-like what you wear or what you eat. But we always face decisions that carry a little more weight. We don’t want to do wrong, and we don’t want to cause others to do wrong, so how can we make such decisions?

If I choose one course of actions:

Does it help my witness for Christ? (1 Corinth 9:19-22)

Am I motivated by a desire to help others know Christ? (1 Corinth 9:23; 10:33)

Does it help me do my best? (1 Corinth 9:25)

Is it against a specific command in Scripture and would thus cause me to sin? (1 Corinth 10:12)

Am I thinking only of myself, or do I truly care about the other person? (1 Corinth 10:24)

Am I acting lovingly or selfishly? (1 Corinth 10:32)

Does it glorify God? (1 Corinth 10:31)

Will it cause someone else to sin? (1 Corinth 10:32)

Proverbs 26:11 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: September 26, 2014 in Acceptance, 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 26:11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

A disgusting trait of dogs is to eat their vomit. When their belly must reject offending matter, they return and eat it again. It is a shame we do not have the same sickening horror for sin that we do for this picture of a dog vomiting his filth and eating it.

Peter declared this to be a true proverb (II Pet 2:20-22). He used it to condemn those who forsake their conversion and return to the vomit of this world. To escape the pollutions of this world and then return to be entangled and overcome in them again puts a man in a worse condition than before conversion.

A bad heart attack will get a man’s attention. A couple days after bypass surgery, he wants the intimate details of super nutrition and the best exercise program. He makes resolutions, plans his schedule, and orders a year’s worth of pita bread and lettuce and two treadmills. But after three months of no angina, he is again a couch potato inhaling pounds of cheese nachos and candy! Did he forget the crushing pain of his heart attack? Or does he crave the poison that almost killed him? Or both?

Consider a drunkard (23:29-35). He has woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, and wounds from his binges. He loses his job, his driving license, his wife, his children, and his reputation. He gets sick and feels as if he spent the night lying on the top of a ship’s mast! Yet he says, “When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.” Fool! Dog!

What filth have we vomited up and cast away by the grace of God and the conviction of His Spirit? What folly have we rejected? We will be tempted to return to it. Which vomit tempts us? Complaining? Pornography? Ungodly music? Drunkenness? Lustful fantasies? Gluttony? Television? Bitterness? Fornication? Disobedience to parents? Marital defrauding? An unscriptural church? Lack of submission? Backbiting?

There can be no partial turning from sin. It never works! It never will work! You can still smell the vomit, and you will turn to it again. We must flee from our temptations and sins with all our might and speed! We must eliminate the sources of the temptation! We must completely satisfy your appetite with spiritual things, so we have no hunger for vomit. There are no shortcuts. If we hang around the filth, you will take it up again.

If a dog had a conscience, it would be ashamed of its vile nature. But what of human sinners! Our return to defiling sin is worse! Where is their shame? We will soon have everlasting shame and contempt, unless saved by the Lord Jesus Christ (Dan 12:2).

Only by the grace of God and the gift of repentance can a man be saved from his folly and the snare of Satan (II Tim 2:25-26). If you have the least degree of conviction about any sin at this moment, repent immediately and take drastic measures to rid your life of that folly. Flee to Jesus Christ. Perhaps the grace of God will save you today.

Let us say with the psalmist, “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly” (Ps 85:8). Let us hear the warning of our Savior, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14).

 

 

 

Spiritual Training 26 September 2014

Posted: September 26, 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                                                                                                

1 Corinthians 10:28-33 But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake-the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Why should we be limited by another person’s conscience? Simply because we are to do all things for God’s glory, even our eating and drinking. Nothing we do should cause another believer to stumble. We do what is best for others, so that they might be saved. We should also be sensitive to the meaning of our actions to new Christians who are sorting out how to renounce sinful ways from the past and live for Christ. However, Christians should not make a career out of being the offended people with oversensitive consciences.

Believers must not project their standards onto others. Many believers who have been Christians for years are still oversensitive and judgmental of others. Instead of being the offended weaker brothers and sisters, they are no more than offended “Pharisees.”

Christian leaders and teachers should carefully teach about the freedom Christians have in matters not expressly forbidden by Scripture. New or weak Christians should not remain in a weak or sensitive state but should grow into maturity and discernment lest they prove to be an unnecessary burden on others’ freedom in Christ.

 Lets Bring it Home: God’s love must so permeate our motives that all we do will be for his glory. Keep this as a guiding principle by asking, “Is this action glorifying God?” or “How can I honor God through this action?”

 

 

Spiritual Training 08 September 2014

Posted: September 8, 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

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “Everything is permissible” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Sometimes it’s hard to know when to defer to weaker believers. Paul gives a simple rule of thumb to help in making the decision; we should be sensitive and gracious. The goal here is not a general sensitivity that worries about what others might possible think. Rather, it is a genuine awareness of others, and a willingness to limit what we do when there is a real possibility of misunderstanding and offense, some actions may not be wrong, but they may not be in the best interest of others.

Lets Bring it Home: We have freedom in Christ, but we shouldn’t exercise our freedom at the cost of hurting a Christian Brother or Sister. We are not to consider only ourselves, but we must also consider the needs and perspectives of others. When we love others, our freedom should be less important to us than strengthening the faith of a brother or sister in Christ.

Proverbs 08:28 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: September 8, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 08, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 8:28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep

How old is wisdom? How important is wisdom to God? How important should it be to you? These questions are answered in this proverb. The Creator God of heaven and earth had wisdom in the beginning, before He created the clouds in the sky and the fountains in the oceans. He used wisdom to create these things (Pr 3:19-20). You should love wisdom.

Proverbs 8 is a long personification of wisdom. King Solomon introduced Lady Wisdom and described her offer to men (Pr 8:1-11); he listed many of her benefits (Pr 8:12-21); he stated that God possessed wisdom before creating the world (Pr 8:22-31); and he repeated the offer of wisdom and warned of severe judgment on those refusing (Pr 8:32-36).

If the LORD Jehovah had wisdom in the beginning and used it to create the world, then surely it deserves your attention. You spend many hours, much effort, and lots of expense pursuing other things, why not wisdom? How many minutes and how much effort have you spent recently trying to acquire wisdom? It is time to get serious about your life.

God established the clouds above, and wisdom was with Him then. Do you grasp the wisdom of the water cycle and the many tons of water suspended in clouds? “He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them” (Job 26:8). “Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou” (Job 35:5).

“Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out. For he maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof: Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly. Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds?” (Job 36:26-29).

“Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?” (Job 37:16). “All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again” (Eccl 1:7).

“Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are? Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven?” (Job 38:34-38).

Consider a heavy rainfall of 4 inches. This is 2.5 gallons per square foot, approaching 21 pounds in weight. For an acre, this becomes about 109,000 gallons; 905,000 pounds; or 452 tons of water. No wonder Job said, “He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them” (Job 26:8). God established the clouds above. Glory!

But what if the same rain falls on the average U.S. county, which is 800 square miles, or 512,000 square acres? Then the number of gallons becomes 56 billion! And the weight of that water is 463 billion pounds, or 232 million tons! If just clouds over your head can hold this kind of weight, then you need some of the wisdom God used in creating them!

God strengthened the fountains of the deep, which are ocean springs. If you did not know there are springs and fountains in the ocean, the Bible has said so for 3500 years (Pr 8:28; Job 38:16; Gen 8:2). It was only in 1977 that deep-sea geologists found hydrothermal vents in the earth’s crust blasting forth hot mineral water far below the surface.

God had wisdom in the beginning. He always had wisdom. He used His wisdom to create the heavens and the earth. How will you live the rest of your life? By the traditions of your parents? By the habits of your childhood? By trial and error? By your peers? By the learned experts who warn about an ice age one generation and global warming the next?

Reader, wisdom is offered to you. Rudimentary knowledge of God may be learned from viewing and considering His creation (Ps 19:1-7; Rom 1:19-21). But great wisdom and understanding is acquired from God’s inspired scriptures, the Bible (Ps 19:7-11; II Tim 3:16-17). When did you last read them? When did you last hear them preached? You are missing the greatest blessing in life, if you do not seek out the Bible or preaching today.

Spiritual Training 25 August 2014

Posted: August 25, 2014 in 1 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                                                                                                

1 Corinthians 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.   

As followers of Christ we must give him our total allegiance. We cannot, as Paul explains, have a part in “both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. “Eating at the Lord’s Table means communicating with Christ and identifying with his death. Eating at the demons’ table means identifying with Satan by worshiping or promoting pagan (or evil) activities.

Lets Bring it Home: Are you trying to lead two lives, following the desires of both Christ and the crowd? The Bible says that you can’t do both at the same time.

Proverbs 25:11 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: August 25, 2014 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 25, Spiritual Training, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 25:11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in setting of silver

How beautiful is your speech? Would hearers compare it to a beautiful painting or sculpture? King Solomon praised good speech in this proverb by comparing it to an exquisite scene. In your city are many paintings or sculptures of fruit in bowls and other settings, and apples are commonly used. Fine homes are decorated with such lovely art.

Here is a simple simile, a figure of speech of comparison. It is identified by the word “like.” Apples, gold, pictures, and silver are not the real subject matter of the proverb. They only have comparative value taken together as a beautiful setting. Proper speech is praised and recommended by comparing and likening it to their combined beauty.

What are pictures, especially before photography? Since the other uses do not define the word (Num 33:52; Is 2:16), you should find a dictionary summary of this English word.

  • Picture.  A painting, drawing, sculpture, statute or other   symbolic representation of some thing as a work of art.

Can you visualize apples of gold in a painting or sculpture of silver? As in a silver basket or bowl? What a beautiful combination of color and images! So are words well spoken!

As the next verse shows, Solomon again used a simile to praise and encourage good speech (Pr 25:12), though there he used “as” to show the simile. Still using gold, he compared it to fine jewelry. You should easily get the lesson of learning good speech.

Right words used the right way at the right time are wonderful. The person speaking them deserves a kiss on the lips (Pr 24:26). Such proper words are wonderful (Pr 15:23,26; 16:13,24; 22:11; Eccl 12:10; Col 4:6). Will you start today to beautify your speech?

Some have foolishly dreamed this proverb proves an important rule of hermeneutics, or Bible interpretation – single words are more important than their context. They imagine a single word is like gold and its context like silver, and since gold is worth more than silver, then a single word is more important than its context. Incredible! Such wisdom is too high for us (Ps 131:1), since the Holy Spirit has no hermeneutics here, and especially a rule that is entirely contradictory to understanding a passage of scripture. Lord, help us.

Furthermore, a single word is not the point or lesson of the proverb. Paul said much more than one word when giving a word of exhortation (Acts 13:15). And he called Hebrews a word when closing out that lengthy epistle (Heb 13:22)? Solomon and you use the word “word” this way, as something said, quite often (Pr 12:25; 13:13; 14:15; 15:23; Eccl 8:4).

How did Jesus Christ speak? Most beautifully! The synagogue at Nazareth could not believe it (Luke 4:22); Mary could not get enough of it (Luke 10:39); His enemies praised it (Jn 7:46); His beautiful tongue and choice of words had been foretold long before (Is 50:4). Delight in His words as recorded in the Bible, and copy them as well.

Spiritual Training 22 August 2014

Posted: August 22, 2014 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 21, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command                                                                                                 I

1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

Idol worship was the major expression of religion in Corith. There were several pagan temples in the city, and they were very popular. The statues of wood or stone were not evil in themselves, but people gave them credit for what only God could do, such as provide good weather, crops, and children, idolatry is still a serious problem today, but it takes a different form. We don’t put our trust in statures of wood and stone, but in paper money and plastic cards.

Lets Bring it Home: Trusting anything for what God alone provides is idolatry. Our modern idols are those symbols of power, pleasure, or prestige that we so highly regard. When we understand contemporary parallels to idolatry, Paul’s words to “flee from idolatry” become much more meaningful.

 

Proverbs 22:12 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: August 22, 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

Proverbs 22:12 – The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

True knowledge is eternal. Jehovah God of the Bible has had all of it from the beginning (Pr 8:22-31). And He will preserve all of it forever (Ps 119:152,160). But He despises arrogant thoughts of the wicked (Ps 119:113). He will destroy and humiliate them by exposing their words as lies and their thoughts as hallucinations (I Cor 1:19-20; 3:19-20).

“Knowledge” refers to those who have knowledge, those who live right and speak the truth. It takes discipline, determination, and hard work to live God’s way, but God protects and rewards those who make the commitment to follow him.

The eyes of the LORD are a metonym for His providence in the affairs of men. Eyes are used for His providence because they are the human sense that perceives and guides, and this usage is easily found elsewhere in Scripture (II Chron 16:9; Ps 32:8; Zech 4:10). The God of heaven has committed His government of the universe to the preservation of true knowledge and the revealing of it to His dear children. You should thank Him gratefully.

But the dreadful and terrible God is just as committed to expose and destroy the thoughts and words of sinners. He is committed to blind, confuse, deceive, harden, and damn those who reject the knowledge He offers in creation, providence, conscience, and Scripture. Do you know the God of the Bible? Most preachers have replaced sound doctrine with entertainment and fables to scratch the itching lusts of carnal Christians (II Tim 4:1-4)!

Introduce yourself to the God of the Bible, Who will do exactly as described above, by reading any two of these passages: I Kgs 22:1-4; Job 5:8-14; 12:14-25; Ps 147:19-20; Is 8:13-16; 19:11-17; 29:9-16; Jer 4:9-10; Ezek 14:1-11; Matt 11:25-27; 13:10-15; 15:12-14; John 12:37-41; Rom 1:18-32; I Cor 1:17-24; 3:19-20; II Thess 2:9-12; I Pet 2:6-8. There are more passages, but these should get the sober point across to noble readers.

Pharaoh, the greatest ruler on earth, told Moses, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” Famous last words! After destroying Egypt, killing their firstborn, giving their wealth to Israel, and drowning Pharoah and his army in the Red Sea, the world knew the LORD. God had blessed Pharaoh’s life and rise to power just for this event (Ex 9:16; Rom 9:17). In fact, He told Moses beforehand exactly how the event would play out (Ex 14:4,17; Rom 9:18).

On March 31, 1912 the Harland and Wolff shipyard in England had finished their finest project. In just two years, 1000 workers had built the world’s largest and finest ship. So confident were the architects and workers that some called the ship unsinkable and said, “Not even God Himself could sink this ship.” Famous last words! Two weeks later the Titanic was in two pieces at the bottom of the North Atlantic with the loss of 1507 lives. Great human confidence, wealthy luminaries, and many children did not move the Lord!

God has reserved knowledge to Himself, which are His secret things, but He has also revealed much for His people to learn and do (Deut 29:29). He inspired men to write the Bible, and then He preserved its copying and translating so that His knowledge is available for those who will read it (Ps 12:6-7; 45:1; Is 30:8; II Tim 3:16-17; I Pet 1:25; II Pet 1:19-21). He prepares men to preach His word and form churches, which are the defense and support of knowledge on earth (Jer 3:15; Eph 4:8-16; I Tim 3:15; Jude 1:3).

Education is a handicap for finding true knowledge (Matt 11:25-27; I Cor 1:19-20; 3:19-20; I Tim 6:3-5,20-21). The faithless speculations of educated men have created the following absurdities among many others: the universe and reproducing life resulted from an explosion, mankind evolved from monkeys, capital punishment is not a deterrent, sodomy is normal, men and women are equal, the greatest love is self-love, Picasso was an artist, rap is music, war helps economies, corporal punishment warps children, etc.

Though great efforts have been made by secular and religious powers to destroy Bible Christianity, it is still represented in most every city on every continent. Bibles have been burned, ministers and believers imprisoned or put to death, threats issued, counterfeit doctrines created, religious ridicule used, and worldly temptations offered. But the eyes of the LORD have preserved His knowledge and His people in the earth. Glory to God!

What is the lesson? There is only one place to go for knowledge – the Creator God and His Bible. All other thinking is total darkness (Is 8:20; Ps 119:128). The information explosion has not helped at all, for men are ever learning without any truth (II Tim 3:1-7). Humble yourself before the God of heaven and beg Him to teach you true knowledge. Seek out a true preacher of the word that you might have help in learning (Acts 8:30-35).

Spiritual Training 21 August 2014

Posted: August 21, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command                                                                                                 Warning From Israel’s History

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warning for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bar. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Today’s pressures make it easy to ignore or forget the lessons of the past. But Paul cautions us to remember that lessons the Israelites learned about God so we can avoid repeating their errors. The key to remembering is to study the Bible regularly so that these lessons remind us of how God wants us to live. We need not repeat their mistakes!

In a culture filled with moral depravity and sin-inducing pressures, Paul gave strong encouragement to the Corinthians about temptation.

He said: (1) wrong desires and temptations happen to everyone, so don’t feel you’ve been singled out; (2) others have resisted temptation, and so can you; (3) any temptation can be resisted because God will help you resist it.

Lets Bring it Home: God helps you resist temptation by helping you (1) recognize those people and situations that give you trouble, (2) run from anything you know is wrong, (3) choose to do only what is right, (4) pray for God’s help, and (5) seek friends who love God and can offer help when you are tempted. Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory (see 2 Timothy 2:22).

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