Denying Oneself / Sacrifice

Posted: December 8, 2022 in Denying Oneself
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The information came from Bible Study.

What and how are we making sacrifices and denying ourselves.

Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. [2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 6:8-11 NIV
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9] For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. [10] The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [11] In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We are alive in Christ Jesus

How we should Fast?

Matthew 6:16-18 NIV
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. [17] But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, [18] so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

That means we should not be going around turning down meals from people by telling them we are fasting. Just politely turn the meal down. We should not be complaining about how hungry we are, strickly between you and God.

1 John 2:15-17 NIV
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. [16] For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

Romans 10:17 NIV (How do we develop trust in God)
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Matthew 16:24 NIV
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

Romans 6:11-14 NIV (Count old things as if they are dead)
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. [12] Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. [13] Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. [14] For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:20 NIV
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We all need to ask ourselves, What does God have for your life?

We must read God’s Book of Instruction. We must trust him as we trust our family and friends. We do this by developing a relationship by spending time with the Lord, not just reading his word to check a block, but truly walking with Jesus Christ. He gives us examples through the lives of others in the Bible.

The Appearance of Evil

Posted: October 30, 2021 in Bible Study
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Under Gods Command

2 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil

Answer: Many Christians assume that to “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22, KJV) is to avoid any behavior anyone might perceive as being evil. Not only do we flee from that which is evil, we flee from that which appears to be evil. For instance, a pastor should not frequently be seen visiting a bar because someone may think he is getting drunk. However, the actual meaning of this verse is a matter of some debate within Christianity.

Depending on the Bible version you use, 1 Thessalonians 5:22 refers to the “appearance of evil” (KJV), “every kind of evil” (NIV and NLT), or “every form of evil” (NRSV, NKJV, and ESV). Each is a good translation. The Greek word translated “appearance,” “form,” or “kind” can mean any of these things. The same word is used in 2 Corinthians 5:7 translated as “sight.”

The difference in translations can lead to a difference in application. Is it the appearance of evil we should be concerned with, or is it staying away from all forms of evil?

One problem with emphasizing the appearance of evil is that it can make us slaves to the perceptions of others. There will always be someone who thinks that something you are doing is wrong or looks wrong to him. So, rather than spending our time getting to know God and serving Him, we worry about the possibility that someone, somewhere, might misconstrue our actions. In the same letter that he wrote about avoiding evil, Paul wrote, “Just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

 1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so, we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

 Our goal is to live righteously before God, not comply with others’ arbitrary standards of conduct.

At the same time, we are instructed not to allow our Christian freedom to become a stumbling block to others 

1 Corinthians 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak.

We are also instructed to be salt and light in the world (Mathews 5:13-16). Christians have been set apart 

2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 

Message Received! Over and Out. 

Posted: October 30, 2021 in Bible Study
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Under Gods Command

I remember back in the day when the first message recorders came out for the telephones.  We got every message that was left. We deleted and saved some of them.  When someone wants you to give a message to someone, we sometimes must write it down, so we will not be wrong on the delivery.  We now send text messages that will stay on your phone forever if you do not delete them.  We take notes when we go to presentations that interest our desire to have more. 

Why do we not take notes from the very message that can do more for us than anybody?  The Pastor prepares a message they have received from God, and most of us sit up in Church and do not take any note from the message that God delivered through your preacher.  That is the one message that can do more for you than anybody, 

We shout, we dance, and shout Amen!  But we will walk right out of Church, and two hours later, someone will ask you how Church was and what was the message, and you forgot that fast.  I feel it is a great disrespect not to take notes.  At least write down the scripture.

Now that we have YouTube and Fakebook, you can always go back and listen to the message again.  Start taking advantage of the technology God has blessed this world with, and use it for something good.  Let’s start going back and reviewing the message from the day we went to Church.  We are supposed to be taking that message to the streets and not keeping it for ourselves or letting it fall off our ears when we leave Church. 

Message Receive, Over and Out!   

Listening don’t always require a reply.

Posted: October 29, 2021 in Listening
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Under Gods Command

Scripture is not always the answer to give to someone who is going through something.  Sometimes your ear is better than a scripture from the Bible.  Allow them to speak their true feelings without convicting them or giving your opinion. 

When someone shares issues with you, don’t be so quick to shoot them a scripture or send them a sermon note, thinking that is the answer, and walk away. There are times when we know what we should do, but the emotional pain and love for that person brings out our true feelings that need expressing.   Sometimes your ear is the answer for them to speak to without you giving your opinion on what they are saying.  Remember, there is way more to their story when someone tells you a little part of their issue.  Don’t be so quick to always give your opinion based on a five-minute conversation or a text message when there is a mountain of pain they are carrying.  Texting is cool, but sometimes people need to hear from you. 

Even Jesus Christ expressed his true feelings out loud to God, knowing the right thing to do. 

Luke 22:42-44 41: 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42Father if you are willing take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthen him.  

Don’t you think Jesus already knew that he had to continue with the mission given?  In all this, he still expresses his true feelings to God, knowing what he must do, and by this, God strengthens Jesus to continue with his mission. 

Commentary: Was Jesus trying to get out of his mission? It is never wrong to express our true feelings to God.  Jesus exposed his dread of the coming trials, but he also reaffirmed his commitment to do what God wanted.  The cup he spoke meant the temple agony he knew he would endure-not only the horror of the crucifixion but, even worse, the total separation from God that he would have to experience in order to die for the world’s sins.    

Lords Name in Vain

Posted: October 29, 2021 in Deuteronomy 5:11
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Under Gods Command

Deuteronomy 5:11 (Using the Lord’s name in Vain) God D*m, Jesus F**king Christ and so on.

5:11 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him UNPUNISHED who takes His name in vain.

We are familiar with the sin to be avoided in this command, that we should not take the name of the Lord in vain by saying it in an empty or worthless way. But there is also a good work that is commanded: to use God’s name to praise him and ascribe to his glory. This is the opposite of misusing his name. While you might be able to keep yourself from swearing, how have you found time to praise God and honor his name.

Let’s Bring it Home: I hear people and family members always damming God, saying Jesus f**king Christ, or just Jesus Christ with no meaning of who God is. Or this one, Oh my f**king God. Read the last part of that Scripture, UNPUNISHED. Think about it. I have seen so many fights for people talking wrong about Mothers, Fathers, and Children. Do you think God will let you get away using his Son’s name in vain, and God is our Father for the ones who are saved.

You don’t talk wrong about family members, and God is our Father. It irks me when I hear someone say these things about my family and the family of God because of the relationship I now have with Crist. I have been guilty that I, at times, don’t even say anything when I hear someone use God and Jesus’ name in vain. Today I am taking a new stand. I will mention it once, and if you choose to continue, that is up to you.

Being Wash with the Word of God

Posted: August 18, 2021 in Uncategorized
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What happens when you take a shower once a week?  The funk starts to be among us.  How about taking a bird bath a couple of days a week?  Still start to stink.  

Some take showers every night to wash off the germs, microscope bugs, and dirt from the day.  

Now let’s see what the Lord says about Washing.  

Do you think you can go to Church once a week, then put the Bible on the shelf until next week?  I don’t think so. We hear a great sermon, get some good gospel music, and walk out of Church feeling good. 

When we put the Bible on the shelf or turn off our Bible App for the week, our sinful desire starts to take over, which is the dirt we call sin.   How do we nourish and clean ourselves daily with the word of God?   The word of God gives us commands on how we are supposed to live our life.  Reading God’s word shows and warns us of our sins.  It also washes out the flesh’s desire and helps us to walk in the Spirit. 

Our Spiritual Shower

Romans 12:02 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing, and perfect will.  

We got to clean ourselves daily by reading God’s word. When we go without food, we begin to get weak, and sickness starts to move in, the same thing with the word of God.  We begin to stink of sin, and that sinful desire starts to take over.  We have to feed the Spirit with the word of God daily to wash out those evil desires and remain healthy.  

1 John 7: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 

Psalm 51:2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Ephesians 5:25-27 (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her (26) to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (27) and to present her to Himself as a glorious church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.  

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Leviticus 16:30, for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

Mark 7:14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him, but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.  16 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.  18 And he said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of covering and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  23 “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.  

Let us Bring it Home: Do we worry more about what is in our diets and how we look to others than what is in our hearts and minds?  Jesus pointed out that sin begins in the attitudes and intentions of the inner person.  We are not pure because of outward acts. We become pure on the inside as Christ renews our minds and transforms us into his image.  

An evil action begins with a single thought.  Allowing our minds to dwell on lust, envy, hatred, or revenge will lead to sin.  Don’t defile yourself by focusing on evil.  Instead, follow Paul’s advice in Phillippians 4:8 and think about what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute.  

Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

Posted: April 13, 2021 in Uncategorized
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Luke 10:38-42 38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but few things are needed or indeed only one an Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary and Martha both loved Jesus. On this occasion, they were both serving him. But Martha thought Mary’s style of serving was inferior to hers. She didn’t realize that in her desire to serve, she was actually neglecting her guest.

Let’s Bring it Home: Are we so busy at times worried about what we are going to wear to Church, how we look and how we think others should dress for church? 

Are we so busy doing things for the Church to make us look good on the outside that we are forgetting the most important thing, which is sitting down with Jesus like Martha? Martha was sitting at the Lord’s feet, and Jesus said this was better for her and it will not be taken away. 

How many of us will not even invite people over to our house because we think it’s not presentable? 

Are you so busy doing things for Jesus that you’re not spending any time with him? Don’t let your service become self-serving. Jesus did not blame Martha for being concerned about household chores. He was only asking her to set priorities. Service to Christ can degenerate into mere busywork that is totally lacking devotion to God.

It is our inner House that we need to make presentable before God, and the only way to get that right is to invite Jesus into our hearts. When we do that and develop that deep hunger and thirst for his word is when the inner house begins to get cleaned up. 

Jesus Be Praised!

The Empty House

Posted: April 13, 2021 in Mathew
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Mathew 43-45  43“When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order. 45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.t That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

Jesus was describing the attitude of the nation of Israel and the religious leaders in particular. Just cleaning up one’s life without filling it with God leaves plenty of room for Satan to enter. The book of Ezra records how the people rid themselves of idolatry but failed to replace it with love for God and obedience to him. 

Let’s Bring it Home: We see drug addicts and alcoholics going back and forth into rehab. The question is why? Each time gets worse.  We pray for our loved ones and it appears the affected person turns to God for healing.  Once healed or clean, some throw the Bible back on the shelf.  That is where this verse of scripture comes in.  Your inner house is empty, and the devil sees this, then goes and gets seven more demons to re-occupy your inner house.  

Ridding our lives of sin is the first step. We must also take the second step: filling our lives with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. Unfilled and complacent people are easy targets for Satan.

Jesus Be Praised!  

Over Coming the World

Posted: April 11, 2021 in Proverbs 01
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If this is the case, why cannot people overcome their addictions, drugs, smoking, drinking, sex addiction, porn, hate, holding grudges, backbiting, gossiping and the list goes on and on? It is so easy to read scripture, but we need to live out and be the scripture, we need to trust the scripture, and it will not be until we have a come to Jesus meeting and decide today to have or start that personal relationship with the one that lives inside of you, then you will see and experience the power of Jesus. 

Stop dressing up the outside of you, and start building the inside of you with the Holy Spirit who is God. It all starts with excepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, but it does not stop there, it is the continuous building and working on a relationship. And those of you who been saved for a long time, do not think you are all that, because the devil is just waiting for you to let your guard down, and is looking for a chink in your Armor.

Jesus Be Praised!

Tough Love

Posted: April 11, 2021 in Tough Love, Uncategorized
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People, I am here to tell you that I don’t lend money out to enable a person to continue to do foolish things. 5 or 20 dollars here to support someone’s bad habit, especially to someone you know. This person might be a good friend or even a family member. At 60 years of age, you should have it together. As I look back over my life with the decisions I made, some good, some bad, I am the one who is living with the outcome of all of them.

This might seem harsh, but because you have pissed away all your years due to not taking advice or making bad decisions, and still in your 50s or 60s making bad decisions, I will not allow your problems to become mine. Not saying I will not help you, but I will only help you if you are headed in the right direction.

If you are 40 and older, and still running men and women, getting drunk, and using people to get by with no job or security in life. You need to stop now. I see people who have pissed their life away and then want to intrude on friends and family for resources to survive. With much love, it hurts to say no to a friend or family member who wants to borrow 5 or 10 dollars. Might not seem like much but giving that person 5 dollars is contributing to what is destroying him or her.

We need to stop giving strength to the devil’s schemes. The devil is out to kill, steal and destroy, and we are supporting that when we give to a person who you know for sure what he or she is doing with it. When you worked all your life and did the right things, you have the God-given right to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

I send this out in Love. Enjoy your life people, you worked for it, you earn it. Don’t let anyone stress you out to the point where you are getting sick. Pray for the person and lead them in the right direction. If they still want to go down the path of destruction, they go alone because it’s a choice they made.

Jesus Be Praised!

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