Posts Tagged ‘christianity’

Spiritual Training 15 January 2013

Posted: January 15, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer. 

 If God loves to forgive, why not give him more to forgive? If forgiveness is guaranteed, do we have the freedom to sin as much as we want?  Paul’s forceful answer is By no means! Such an attitude deciding ahead of time to take advantage of God-shows that a person does not understand the seriousness of sin.  God’s forgiveness does not make sin less serious; his Son’s death for sin shows us the dreadful seriousness of sin.  Jesus paid with his life so we could be forgiven.

Lets Bring it Home:  The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness.

Spiritual Training 14 January 2013

Posted: January 15, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Romans 5:20-21 The law was added so that the trespass might increase.  But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

As a sinner, separated from God, you see his law from below, as a ladder to be climbed to get to God.  Perhaps you have repeatedly tried to climb it, only to fall to the ground every time you have advanced one or two steps.  Or perhaps the sheer height of the ladder seems so overwhelming that you have never even started up.

Lets Bring it Home: In either case, what relief you should feel to see Jesus offering with open arms to lift you above the ladder of the law, or take you directly to God!  Once Jesus lifts you into God’s presence, you are free to obey out of love, not necessity, and through God’s power, not your own.  You know that if you stumble, you will not fall back to the ground.  Instead, you will be caught and held in Christ’s loving arms.

Proverbs 11:09 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 11, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 11, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 11:09 With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.   

The mouth can be used either as a weapon or a tool, hurting relationships or building them up.  Sadly, it is often easier to destroy than to build, and most people have received more destructive comments than those that build up.  Every person you meet today is either a demolition site or a construction opportunity. Your words will make a difference.  Will they be weapons for destruction or tool for construction?

Spiritual Training 11 January 2013

Posted: January 11, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Romans 5:15-19 (15) But the gift is not like the trespass.  For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!  (16) Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin:  The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.  (17) For it, by the trespass of the one an, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  (18) Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  (19) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 

 We were all born into Adam’s physical family-the family line that leads to certain death.  All of us have reaped the results of Adam’s sin.  We have inherited his guilt, a sinful nature (the tendency to sin), and God’s punishment.  Because of Jesus, however, we can trade judgment for forgiveness.  We can trade our sin for Jesus’ righteousness.  Christ offers us the opportunity to be born into his spiritual family-the family line that begins with forgiveness and leads to eternal life, if we do nothing we have death through Adam; but if we come to God by faith, we have the life through Christ.

Lets Bring it Home: Which family line do you belong to?

Proverbs 10:12 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 10, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 10, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs,    

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Carrying around hatred will just make you hate more, and add to issues.  The next time someone close to you does something to angry you.  Starts focusing on the love you have for that person, and let the Holy Sprit do the rest.  After a while, you should start forgetting about the sin that was done, and on the love you have for that person.

Proverbs 4:5-7 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 04, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
1

Under Gods Command

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

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

Spiritual Training 04 January 2013

Posted: January 4, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Romans, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

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

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

 

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

Proverbs 3:5-6 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 3, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 03, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

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

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

Proverbs 2:1-6 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs 02, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

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

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

Spiritual Training 02 January 2013 (Forgiving Others)

Posted: January 2, 2013 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Ephesians, Forgiving Others, Inspiration, Mathew, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Under Gods Command

Forgiving Others

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Older Entries
Newer Entries