Posts Tagged ‘religion’

Spiritual Training 12 June 2012

Posted: June 12, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Gideon 

Judges 6:06-10 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.  When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, he sent them a prophet who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:  I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors.  I drove them from before you and gave you their land.  I said to you, I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.  But you have not listened to me.  

Again the Israelites hit rock bottom before turning back to God.  How much suffering they could have avoided if they had trusted him! Turning to God shouldn’t be a last resort; we should look to him for help each day.  This isn’t to say life will always be easy.  There will be struggles; but God will give us the strength to live through them.

Lets Bring it Home:  Don’t wait until you’re at the end of your rope.  Call on God first in every situation.

Proverbs 11:03 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 11, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
 Proverbs 11:03 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. 

 There is a safe way to live – do right! And there is a dangerous way to live – do what feels good and sounds good! By committing to do only what is right at all times, you will have a certain guide for every situation. But living your life by your own feelings and choices will often lead you to great perplexity, and it will certainly destroy you.

What is integrity? It is the glorious character trait of always doing what is right, regardless of difficulties or consequences. It is the upright who have integrity. What is perverseness? It is turning away from what is right to act contrary to law or nature. It is transgressors, or sinners, who are perverse, for they choose to reject moral restrictions.

The upright always do what is right – they have integrity. Their confusion in life is minimal, for they have chosen to follow what is right in every choice and dilemma. They have a constant guide. Transgressors do whatever they want – they are perverse. They have no standards or parameters for their actions, and their perversity will destroy them.

What is right? Whatever the Bible says is right! Anything to the contrary is perverse and wrong! The Bible should be exalted on every subject, and all other opinions should be hated. Such a rule defines Bible Christianity. It doesn’t matter what a pope thinks, what is socially acceptable, what is traditional, or what will win you a promotion.

Is sex up to you? No! God invented the pleasure, and He has ruled concerning it. Joseph was a man of integrity, and he never had a doubt about what to do with the seductive advances of Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39:1-12). But Samson was perverse in his obsession with Philistine whores, and it cost him his eyes, his freedom, and his life.

The blessed Lord Jesus Christ always did those things that pleased His Father. He had perfect integrity and prudence in obeying the word of God and living a perfect life. For those who believe on Him, He is the Source and Means of everlasting righteousness.

Proverbs 10:09 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 11, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Proverbs 10:09 – The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out. 

A consistent course of righteousness will keep a man confident, and he will not stumble in life. But rejecting instruction and wisdom, and choosing his own way, will lead a man to trouble and pain; and this perverse rebellion will be revealed to others.

A sincere and faithful man, who walks righteously before God and men, will be secure in his conscience, in the blessings of God, and in safety from trouble  He is single minded with no fear of detection, for he has never practiced deceit or hypocrisy. He neither fears devils or wicked men, for Jesus Christ is his helper and heaven his home. He will not fear the future, for his heart and steps are fixed in God’s word. He knows that God is with him, regardless of what men may think. He knows that difficulties for other men will not defeat or destroy him. He is confident and safe.

But the man who chooses sin and perverts the way of righteousness will fall at once, and all men will know his secret perversity. To disobey is truly to be perverse, for it is corruption of, and rebellion against, God’s wisdom. Perversity is God’s word for disobedience, and we should respect the seriousness of it.

Spiritual Training 11 June 2012

Posted: June 11, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Gideon

Judges 6:01-05 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.  Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.  Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.  They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys.  They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locust.  It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.

The Midianites were desert people descended from Abraham’s second wife, Keturah (Genesis 25:1,2).  From this relationship came a nation that was always in conflict with Israel.  Years earlier the Israelite’s, while still wandering in the desert, battled the Midianites and almost totally destroyed them (Numbers 31:1-20).  Because of their failure to completely destroy them, however, the tribe repopulated.  Here they were once again oppressing Israel.

Proverbs 8:17 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 8, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me and those who seek me find me.

Lady Wisdom promises love to those who will love her, and she promises to be easily found by those who will seek her early. If you love wisdom, she will love you in return and bless your life. If you seek wisdom, you will find her easily, as she is not far from any man (1:20-23; 8:1-5). What is your problem? Love wisdom and seek her now!

Lady Wisdom in this text makes herself available to all who will love and seek her. What is wisdom? The power of right judgment! What is its basis? The fear of the Lord! Where is wisdom most clearly defined and explained? In the word of God! If a man loves Scripture and seeks it early, he will most certainly find knowledge and understanding.

Spiritual Training 08 June 2012

Posted: June 8, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command 
Judges 5 The Song of Deborah
(Read Entire Chapter)

Music and singing were a cherished part of Israel’s culture.  Chapter 5 is a song, possibly composed and sung by Deborah and Barak.  It sets to music the story of Israel’s great victory recounted in Chapter 4. This victory song was accompanied by joyous celebration.  It proclaimed God’s greatness by giving him credit for the victory.  It was an excellent way to preserve and retell this wonderful story from generation to generation.

In Victory, Barak and Deborah sang praises to God.  Songs of praise focus our attention on God, give us an outlet for spiritual celebration, and remind us of God’s faithfulness and character.  Whether you are experiencing a great victory or a major dilemma, singing praises to God can have a positive effect on your attitude.

Proverbs 05:18-20 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 5, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 05:18-20 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.  A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated, my son, by an adulterous? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?    

God does not intend faithfulness in marriage to be boring, lifeless, pleasure less, and dull. Sex is a gift God gives to married people for their mutual enjoyment.  Real happiness comes when we decide to find pleasure in the relationship God has given or will give us and to commit ourselves to making it pleasurable for our spouse.  The real danger is in doubting that God knows and cares for us.  We then may resent his timing and carelessly pursue sexual pleasure without his blessing.

Many temptations entice husbands and wives when marriage becomes dull in order to find excitement and pleasures elsewhere.  But God designed marriage and sanctified it, and only within this covenant relationship can we find real love and fulfillment.  Don’t let God’s best for you be wasted on the illusion of greener pastures somewhere else.  Instead, rejoice with your spouse as you give yourselves to God and to each other.

Spiritual Training 05 June 2012

Posted: June 5, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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UNDER GODS COMMAND

Judges 5.8 – When they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel. 

War was the inevitable result when Israel chose to follow false gods.  Although God had given Israel clear directions, the people failed to put his words into practice.  Without God at the center of their national life, pressure from the outside soon became greater than power from within, and they were an easy prey for their enemies.

Lets bring it home: If you are letting a desire for recognition, craving for power, or love of money rule your life, you may find yourself besieged by enemies-stress, anxiety, illness, fatigue.  Keep God at the center of your life, and you will have the power you need to fight these destroyers.

Proverbs 4:3-7 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: June 4, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 4:3-7 When I was a boy in my father’s house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.  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.  You can learn from the Scriptures and then create a legacy of wisdom as you teach your own children. 

 One of the greatest responsibilities of parents is to encourage their children to become wise.  Wisdom comes from God; parents can only urge their children to turn to him.  If your parents never taught you in this way, God’s Word can function as a loving and compassionate mother or father to you.  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 June 2012

Posted: June 4, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Judges, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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UNDER GODS COMMAND Deborah (Judges 4-5) 

Key verse: “Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading  Israel at that time ” (Judges 4:4)

Wise Leaders are rare.  They accomplish great amounts of work without direct involvement because they know how to work through other people.  They are able to see the big picture that often escapes those directly involved, so they make good mediators, advisers, and planners.  Deborah fit this description perfectly.  She had all these leadership skills, and she had a remarkable relationship with God.  The insight and confidence God gave this woman placed her in a unique position in the Old Testament.  Deborah is among the outstanding women of history.  Her story shows that use was not power hungry.  She wanted to serve God.  Whenever praise came her way, she gave God the credit.  She didn’t deny or resist her position in the culture as a woman and wife, but she never allowed herself to be hindered by it either.  Her story show Great God can accomplish great things through people who are willing to be led by him.  Deborah’s life challenges us in several ways.  She reminds us of the need to be available both to God and to others.  She encourages us to spend our efforts on what we can do rather than on worrying about what we can’t do.  Deborah challenges us to be wise leaders.  She demonstrates what a person can accomplish when God isn in control.  

STRENGTHS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

  • FOURTH AND ONLY FEMALE  JUDGE OVER ISRAEL
  • SPECIAL ABILITIES AS A MEDIATOR, ADVISER, AND COUNSELOR
  • WHEN CALLED ON TO LEAD, WAS ABLE TO PLAN, DIRECT, AND DELEGATE
  • KNOWN FOR HER PROPHETIC POWER
  • A WRITER OF SONGS
LESSONS FROM HER LIFE:
  • GOD CHOOSES LEADERS BY HIS STANDARDS, NOT OURS
  • WISE LEADERS CHOOSE GOOD HELPERS
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