Posts Tagged ‘spirituality’

Effectual Prayer Produces Supernatural Results

Posted: June 9, 2025 in atonement, Battle of the Mind
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James 5:15-17 NIV

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

[16] Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 [17] Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.

Christ has opened the way for us to go directly to God for forgiveness. But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church. By “righteous person,” James isn’t talking about sinless people but rather those who can effectively pray for others because they have confessed their own sins and are in right relationship with God. This verse points us toward several important scriptural principles related to confession:

 (1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask that person to forgive us.

 (2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly.

 (3) If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess the sin to those who are able to provide that support.

 (4) If, after confessing a private sin to God, we still don’t feel his forgiveness, we may wish to confess the sin to a fellow believer to receive assurance of God’s pardon. In Christ’s kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Christians sometimes speak of “the priesthood of all believers.” In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. A priest acted as an intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ’s victory on the cross, that pattern changed. Now we can come directly into God’s presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16), and we are given the responsibility of bringing others to him also (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). When we are united with Christ as members of his body, we join in his priestly work of reconciling God and humanity.

Compromise, Justify and Excuses, Conviction, and the Truth.

Posted: April 6, 2025 in Judges
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Under Gods Command.

Compromise, Justify and Excuses, Conviction, and the Truth. 

Do we compromise the commands given by God? Do we engage in activities and visit places where we know we have no right to be, simply to avoid offending a friend or family member? Do we support sinful behavior? Then afterward we me up excuses to justify our actions.  These are the reasons why I read the Bible. Stories like these serve as a reminder to remain steadfast in my adherence to God’s commands. I already struggle at times to maintain my own integrity, and I will not allow anyone else to derail me from my path. 

Gods Command to King Saul

1 Samuel 15:3 NIV Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

COMPROMISED

1 Samuel 15:8-9: Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. [8] He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. [9] But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

 Saul and his men did not destroy all the plunder from the battle as God had commanded them to do (15:3). The law of devoting something—setting it aside—entirely for destruction was well known to the Israelites. Anything under God’s ban was to be completely destroyed

(Deuteronomy 20:16-18 However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. [17] Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. [18] Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God).

This was set up in order to prevent idolatry from taking hold in Israel because many of the valuables were idols. To break this law was punishable by death (Joshua 7). It showed disrespect and disregard for God because it directly violated one of his commands.

Let’s Bring Home: When we gloss over sin in order to protect what we have or for material gain, we aren’t being shrewd; we are disobeying God. Selective obedience is just another form of disobedience.

JUSTIFICATION AND EXCUSES

1 Samuel 15:13 NIV

When Samuel (Profit of God) reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”  

King Saul genuinely believed he was following God’s instructions and acting in righteousness. This is not unique to him; we all do and say things that we later try to justify with the word of God, even when we know we are mistaken.  

1 Samuel 15:14-15 NIV

But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”  

15] Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

1 Samuel 15:16-19 NIV

“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. [17] Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. [18] And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ [19] Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

Samuel reminded King Saul of the mission God sent him on. In those days they had the Profits, but today we have the Holy Spirit to convict us with reminding us of the mission God has us on and when we disobey. Its called Conviction. 

1 Samuel 15:18-19 NIV

And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ [19] Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

When confronted with our actions, we often quickly dismiss them as right. However, sometimes we need to take a step back and reflect on our decisions. Only then will we truly understand the truth behind our actions. 

1 Samuel 15:20-23 NIV

“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. [21] The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

Now Samuel broke it down to King Saul that obeying is much better than sacrifice.  We have to be careful that the Lord does not reject our prayers behind disobedience.

 [22] But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

After we deal with our in convictions, it will bring out the truth everything. 

CONVICTION BRINGS OUT THE TRUTH

1 Samuel 15:24 NIV

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.

Sometimes, we fear losing relationships with loved ones, friends, and associates because we refuse to condone their sinful behavior. Saul’s excuses had come to an end, and the time of reckoning had arrived. God wasn’t rejecting Saul as a person; the king could still have sought forgiveness and restored his relationship with God. However, it was too late to reclaim his kingdom.

Lets Bring it Home: If you do not act responsibly with what God has entrusted to you, eventually you will run out of chances to keep it. All of us must one day give an account for our actions (Romans 14:12; Revelation 22:12). At the same time, when we follow God, we may lose our reputations, possessions, or careers, but those are nothing compared to the eternal life we gain.

Friendship with the World Makes you an Enemy of God

Posted: January 31, 2024 in greed, hate, holiness, James, Lord fighting for you, lust of the flesh, Lying, Making Friends
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James 4:4-9 NLT

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. [5] Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. [6] And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [7] So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. [9] Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.

This verse may mean that because of our fallen nature we have a tendency toward envy and must keep it in check, or it may mean that God, who puts his Spirit in believers, wants intimate friendship with us. James is not quoting a specific verse or passage—he is summing up a general teaching of Scripture. (For more on the human tendency toward envy and discontent.

Romans 6:6-8 NLT

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. [7] For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.

The power of sin over us, as well as the penalty for sin, died with Christ on the cross. Our “old self,” our sinful nature, died once and for all, so we are freed from its power. The “body ruled by sin” refers to our rebellious, sin-loving nature inherited from Adam. Though we often willingly cooperate with our sinful nature, the desire to do so comes from our old nature. And it is this power of sin at work in our lives that is defeated. Paul has already stated that through faith in Christ we stand acquitted, having been declared not guilty before God. Here Paul emphasizes that we need no longer live under sin’s power. God does not take us out of the world or make us robots—we will still feel like sinning, and sometimes we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we can choose to live for Christ.

Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, his followers need never fear death. That assurance frees us to enjoy fellowship with him and to do his will. This affects all our activities—work and worship, play, Bible study, quiet times, and time spent caring for others. When you know that you don’t have to fear death, you will experience a new vitality in life.

Galatians 5:17-21 NLT

The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. [18] But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. [19] When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Paul describes the two forces in conflict within us—the Holy Spirit and the sinful nature (our evil desires or inclinations that stem from our bodies; also see 5:16, 19, 24). In this world, we face constant tension between the Spirit and our sinful nature, but they are not equal, opposite forces. In Christ, we have a victorious and new resurrection life. We shouldn’t be surprised when we experience resistance as we follow the Spirit’s leading. Satan is a persistent agitator for rebellion and has had centuries of practice. When we do what the Holy Spirit instructs, we can expect our sinful human nature to flare up in opposition. When we share our faith with others, it will make us feel foolish; when we serve others, it will attack our motives. Satan uses our nature to thwart the leading of the Spirit. Fortunately for us, each time we follow our sinful human nature we will receive reminders from God’s Word, from the Holy Spirit, or from other believers not to give in. The Holy Spirit will give us dependable guidance. Listen to him and ask for his power to help you experience the joy and freedom that come from letting him rule in your heart. (For more on the conflict between the Spirit and our sinful nature, see Romans 8:5, 9; Ephesians 4:23-24; and Colossians 3:3-8.)

We all have evil desires that we must not ignore; instead, we must deal with them decisively (in Paul’s terms, crucify them; 5:24). These desires include obvious sins, such as sexual immorality and witchcraft. They also include less obvious sins, such as selfish ambition, hatred, and jealousy. Here are four steps to help you deal with your selfish desires:

(1) Admit that you have a selfish, sinful nature—don’t be too shocked or too proud to acknowledge it.
(2) Surrender all your bad tendencies to Christ and ask God to do whatever is necessary to set you free.
(3) Commit your actions, thoughts, passions, and capabilities to Christ, asking the Spirit to help you restrain your evil desires and angry reactions.
(4) Make serving others a top priority, which will help you become more like Jesus.

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Posted: October 15, 2020 in Proverbs, Proverbs 15
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Godly, righteous people weigh their answers; those who are wicked do not think before speaking because they don’t care about the effects of their words. When you have something to say, think about it first. Do you carefully plan your words, or do you pour out your thoughts without concern for their impact?

Proverbs 18:13,15&17 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: November 18, 2015 in Proverbs 18, Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 18:13,15,17 – 13) He who answers before listening-that is his folly and his shame
15) The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.
17) The first to present his case seems right , till another comes forward and questions him

In these concise statements, there are three basic principles for making sound decisions:

(1) get the facts before answering;
(2) be open to new ideas;
(3) make sure you hear both sides of the story before judging.

All three principles center around seeking additional information. This is difficult work, but the only alternative is prejudice-judging before getting the facts.

Spiritual Training 1Samuel 1:12-17

Posted: November 17, 2015 in 1 Sameul, Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

(Samuel’s birth and childhood)

1 Samuel 1:12 -17As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
     15“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
     17Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

Eli was a Priest, and miss judged this woman at first. But instead of just walking away with that believe of her being drunk with wine, he spoke to her and told her to put away your wine. Then he found out he miss judge her, and listened to her story.

Lets Bring Home: How many times do we miss judge a situation, and walk away with the thought of what we think we saw? When at times if we speak to him or her, we also can find the truth in someone’s situation, and give him or her a word of encouragement that just might change his or her life. How many people have we walked by or came to us and we did not have time which later ended up in a bad situation or Suicide?

Spiritual Training 1 Samuel 1 10-11

Posted: November 17, 2015 in 1 Sameul, Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

(Samuel’s birth and childhood)

1 Samuel 1:10-11 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD Al mighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 

Be careful what you promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to Hannah’s credit, she did her part, even though it was painful (1:27-28).     Although we are not in a position to negotiate with God, he may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise.

Lets Bring it Home: When you pray, ask yourself, “Will I follow through on any promises I make to God if he grants my request?” It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps his promises, and he expects you to keep yours.

Spiritual Training 1 Samuel 1:8-10

Posted: November 17, 2015 in 1 Sameul, Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

(Samuel’s birth and childhood)

1 Samuel 1:8-10 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
     9Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. 10In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

Hannah knew her husband loved her, but even his encouragement could not comfort her. She could not keep from listening to Peninnah’s jeers and letting Peninnah’s words erode her self-confidence. Although we cannot keep others from unjustly criticizing us, we can choose how we will react to their hurtful words.

Hannah had good reason to feel discouraged and bitter. She was unable to bear children; she shared her husband with a woman who ridiculed her (1:7); her loving husband could not solve her problem (1:8); and even the high priest misunderstood her motives (1:14). But instead of retaliating or giving up hope, Hannah prayed. She brought her problem honestly before God.

Lets Bring it Home: Each of us may face times of barrenness when nothing “comes to birth” in our work, service, or relationships. It is difficult to pray in faith when we feel so ineffective. But, as Hannah discovered, prayer opens the way for God to work Rather than dwelling upon our problems, we can enjoy the loving relationships God has given us. By so doing, we can exchange self-pity for hope.

Spiritual Training 1 Samuel 1:1-7 Hannah

Posted: November 17, 2015 in 1 Sameul, Eli, Hannah, Uncategorized
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Under Gods Command

    1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.    
3Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. 4Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 

The book of 1 Samuel begins in the days when the judges still ruled Israel, possibly during the closing years of Samson’s life. Samuel was Israel’s last judge and the first priest and prophet to serve during the time of a king. He was the best example of what a good judge should be, governing the people by God’s Word and not by his own impulses. Samuel was the man who anointed Saul as Israel’s first king.

Although many great Old Testament leaders (such as Abraham, Jacob, and David) had more than one wife, this was not God’s original intention for marriage. Genesis 2:24 states that in marriage, two people become one flesh. Why then did polygamy exist among God’s people? First, it was to produce more offspring to help in the man’s work and to assure the continuation of the man’s family line. Numerous children were a symbol of status and wealth. Second, in societies where many young men were killed in battle, polygamy became an accepted way of supporting women who otherwise would have remained unmarried and, very likely, destitute. Nevertheless, polygamy often caused serious family problems, as we see in this story of Hannah and Peninnah.

The tabernacle (Tent of Meeting) was located at Shiloh, the religious center of the nation (see Joshua 18:1). Three times a year all Israelite men were required to attend a religious festival held at the tabernacle: the Passover with the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:16). Elkanah made this pilgrimage regularly to fulfill God’s commands. (See Exodus 23:14-17 for the regulations concerning the pilgrimage, and see the note on Exodus 40:34 for more on the tabernacle.)

Hannah had been unable to conceive children, and in Old Testament times, a childless woman was considered a failure. Her barrenness was a social embarrassment for her husband. Children were a very important part of the society’s economic structure. They were a source of labor for the family, and it was their duty to care for their parents in their old age. If a wife could not bear children, she was often obligated by ancient Middle Eastern custom to give one of her servant girls to her husband to bear children for her. Although Elkanah could have left Hannah (a husband was permitted to divorce a barren wife), he remained lovingly devoted to her despite social criticism and his rights under civil law.

Part of God’s plan for Hannah involved postponing her years of childbearing. While Peninnah and Elkanah looked at Hannah’s outward circumstances, God was moving ahead with his plan.

Lets Bring it Home: Think of those in your world who are struggling with God’s timing in answering their prayers and who need your love and help. By supporting those who are struggling, you may help them remain steadfast in their faith and confident in his timing to bring fulfillment to their lives.

Spiritual Training 19 September 2013

Posted: September 19, 2013 in 1 Timothy, 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

1 Timothy 3:16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angles, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

In this short hymn, Paul affirms the humanity and divinity of Christ. By so doing he reveals the heart of the gospel, “the mystery from which true godliness springs” (the secret of how we become godly). “Appeared in the flesh”—Jesus was a man; Jesus’ incarnation is the basis of our being right with God. “Was vindicated by the Spirit”—Jesus’ resurrection showed that the Holy Spirit’s power was in him (Romans 8:11). “Was seen by angels” and “was taken up in glory”—Jesus is divine.

Lets Bring it Home We can’t please God on our own; we must depend on Christ. As a man, Jesus lived a perfect life, and so he is a perfect example of how to live. As God, Jesus gives us the power to do what is right. It is possible to live a godly life—through following Christ.

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