Posts Tagged ‘spirituality’


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:06 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

God give us gifts so we can build up his church. To use them effectively, we must
1. Realize that all gifts and abilities come from God
2. Understand that not everyone has the same gifts
3. Know who we are and what we do best
4. Dedicate our gifts to God’s service and to our personal success
5. Be willing to utilize our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding back anything from God’s service.
God’s gifts differ in nature, power, and effectiveness according to his wisdom and graciousness, not according to our faith. Our role is to be faithful and to seek ways to serve others with what Christ has given us.

Prophesying in Scripture is not always predicting the future. Often it means preaching God’ message (1 Corth 14:1-3)

Lets Bring it home: What are we using our gifts for?


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

A woman who has no fear of God, who is wilful and wasteful, and indulges her ease, will as certainly ruin her family, as if she plucked her house down.


Under Gods Command

Romans 12:1-2 There fore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.

When sacrificing an animal according to God’s law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear the obedience from the heart was much more important (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21-24). God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices-daily laying aside our own desires to follow him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting him to guide us. We do that out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.

Lets Bring it home: Christians are called to “not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, “with its behavior and customs that are usually selfish and often corrupting. Many Christians wisely decide that much worldly behavior is off limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values, however, must go even deeper than the level of behavior and customs-it must be firmly planted in our minds-“be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It is possible to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reinstructs, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed


Under Gods Command

Romans 11:34-36 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

The implication of these questions is that no one has fully understood the mind of the Lord. No one has been his counselor. And God owes nothing to any one of us. Isaiah and Jeremiah asked similar questions to show that we are unable to give advice to God or criticize his ways (Isaiah 40:13; Jeremiah 23:18). God alone is the possessor of absolute power and absolute wisdom. In the final analysis, all of us are absolutely dependent on God. He is the source of all things, including ourselves. He is the power that sustains and rules the world that we live in. And God works out all things to bring glory to himself. The all-powerful God deserves our praise.

Lets Bring it home: Do we praise God like we should?


Under Gods Command

Romans 11:13-24 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I May somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature, were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

Paul was appointed as a missionary to the Gentiles. He reminded his Jewish brothers of this fact, hoping that they too would want to be saved. The Jews had been rejected, and thus Gentiles were being offered salvation. But when a Jew comes to Christ, there is great rejoicing, as if a dead person has come back to life.

Speaking to Gentile Christians, Paul warns them not to feel superior because God rejected some Jews. Abraham’s faith is like the root of a productive tree, and the Jewish people are the tree’s natural branches. Because of faithlessness, the Jews were the broken branches. Gentile believers have been grafted into the tree like a wild olive shoot. Both Jews and Gentiles share the tree’s nourishment based on faith in God; neither can rest on heritage or culture for salvation.

“Continue in his kindness” refers to steadfast perseverance in faith. Steadfastness is a proof of the reality of faith and a by-product of salvation, not a means to it.

Lets Bring it home: If you have not been grafted into the tree, trust the Lord now, and put your faith in Jesus right now. “Continue in his Kindness” refers to steadfast perseverance in faith. Steadfastness is a proof of the reality of faith and a by product of salvation, not a means to it. Remember: For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 31:25 She is clothed with strength and dignity’ she can laugh at the days to come.

A great woman is strong and virtuous. She will not settle for ease or compromise. She chooses courage and resolve. She lives a godly and noble life. Any woman can be great, but only a rare few are. Her future on earth and in heaven will be blessed and happy.

King Lemuel’s mother wrote this description to help her son marry a great woman (Pr 31:1). This kind of woman would help him be a better king and build a noble family and large estate. Every woman should strive for this character; every man should look for it.

A virtuous woman has an eye to the future. She is diligent and makes strenuous efforts to provide for her husband and children. She values integrity and graciousness very highly and does nothing to spoil her reputation. She never sacrifices the future on the altar of the present. She makes the choices now, and applies the efforts now, to yield great rewards in the future. She knows that slothfulness or compromise now will cost her much more later.

The front end of a wife’s life requires strength and honor for her latter end to be joyful and peaceful. Early in marriage, a wife carries, births, nurses, and raises small children, with a high-maintenance husband, on a small budget. The combination is painful for untrained girls. The contrast from the easy life at home during her youth is quite a shock.

But a virtuous woman, made so by God’s grace and good training, will put forth the effort and investment to get through the difficult early years. She knows and accepts the old saying, “A father works from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done.” She knows hard work now will bring greater happiness and rewards later, so she perseveres.

When a woman is young, there are also many temptations for folly, which can ruin her productivity or reputation (Ps 25:7; II Tim 2:22; Ezek 23:3,21). She has her own fleshly lusts that she must deal with soberly and strictly. Unless she chooses her friends wisely and guards the inputs to her soul, she can easily fall to foolish habits and sinful thinking.

Especially in a world obsessed with female freedom and frivolity, young women face many difficult tests in faithfulness, integrity, modesty, purity, and sobriety. But the virtuous woman is a chaste virgin before marriage, and she is faithful in heart, mind, speech, and body after marriage. She is strong both in labor and character. She chooses godly virtue in every decision, so that she is honored by God and all good persons.

How is strength and honor her clothing? She puts on these character traits like putting on clothes (Eph 4:22-24). She covers herself with them. Every day when a woman rises, she puts on clothing before showing herself to family or the world. A great woman purposes in heart and mind every morning that she will be strong and honorable that day.

What is strength here? It is diligent labor and vigorous efforts in domestic duties to be the best wife and mother (Pr 14:1; 31:13-27). It is courageous resolve to ignore temptations to folly by her own thoughts or the habits and ideas of family, friends, or the world.

What is honor here? It is her gracious and holy life in heart, tongue, and conduct that does not allow folly or sin to spoil her godly reputation (Pr 11:16; 31:11-12,26,30; Eccl 10:1). She always chooses the high road or noble path in every decision no matter what.

A virtuous woman fears God, which enhances her value more than any beauty or acts of service (Pr 31:28-30). She works harder than other women (Pr 31:17). She is an efficient and faithful wife and mother in duties at home and for the estate (Pr 31:13-27). She is always gracious, which secures her future honor (Pr 11:16; 31:11-12,26). She emphasizes godly character for beauty, rather than clothing or accessories (I Tim 2:9-10; I Pet 3:3-4).

Christian woman! Do not sacrifice your future on the altar of the present. Do not be slack in duties now or compromise godliness now, for it will destroy your future. Put in the effort and holiness now, and your future will be blessed. A virtuous woman will rejoice in the future from her prudent provision for it, her godly and righteous life that leaves a clean conscience, and the praise of others she has loved and served well (Pr 31:28-31).

Even a little folly can ruin a good reputation, like dead flies in good perfume (Eccl 10:1). You must always carefully protect your virtue and family, lest slothfulness brings your family down, or folly destroys your integrity. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and you can put on strength and honor today. If you are faithful to strength and honor, your husband and children will praise you, and so will the Lord Himself (Matt 25:21,23).

Your future happiness depends on diligence and virtue today. Consider child training. A child trained well today will give you joy and peace tomorrow; but a child neglected today will give you pain and shame (Pr 10:1; 17:25; 22:6; 23:13-14; 29:15). The child that should have been for your comfort in old age could drive you to an early grave.

Consider sex. If you cheat with romance novels, movies, or fantasies, it will lead to selfish bitterness toward your husband, marital defrauding, and break you or him down for either his or your adultery (I Cor 7:1-5). You will cause your husband’s bitterness that will make him grow distant and harsh and cost you family praise at the end (Pr 31:28).

A strong and honorable woman has a future of happiness. Her husband loves her more than ever. Her loving children are noble and successful with godly spouses and grandchildren. The family estate is significant with no financial fears. Her conscience is clean and thankful. She has been a tree of life to many in God’s kingdom. Her reputation is known far and wide. God is glorified and will praise her when she arrives in heaven!

Christian girl! You are not married yet, but you can still put on strength and honor for your future happiness and success. How? Be more diligent than any other girl in obeying your parents, keeping your room, helping around the house, and doing your schoolwork. How about honor? Be more careful than any other girl in holy thoughts, kind speech, pure relationships with boys, graciousness to all, and charity toward your enemies.

Christian reader, whether man or woman, you are the bride of Jesus Christ (II Cor 11:1-2; Eph 5:25-27). It is your duty also to clothe yourself with strength and honor. What is strength? A well-fought fight with diligent effort (II Tim 4:7)! What is honor? The apostolic faith earnestly kept in spite of heresies and trends (II Tim 4:7). If you have done these two things, at the end of your course is a crown of righteousness (II Tim 4:7-8)!


Under Gods Command

Romans 10:01 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.

What will happen to the Jewish people who believe in God, but not in Christ? Since they believe in the same God, won’t they be saved? If that were true, Paul would not have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to teach them about Christ. Because Jesus is the most complete revelation of God, we cannot fully know God apart from Christ; and because God appointed Jesus to bring God and man together, we cannot come to God by another path.

Lets Bring it home: The Jews, like everyone else, can find salvation only through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Like Paul, we should wish that all Jews might be saved. We should pray for them and lovingly share the Good News with them.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:1 A gently answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

God loves peacemakers. He blesses them greatly. You can be a peacemaker. You can end fights. This short proverb is one of the best. You can use it every day for God’s blessing.

The wisdom is simple. If someone is angry, use gentle speech to calm them. Do not use defensive or harsh words, for that will increase anger. You can end conflict and fighting by calming words. Reject the foolish and wicked response of fighting fire with fire.

Can a person fight a pillow? Impossible! The pillow will take any blows given to it without hitting back. This is no fight; all punches are absorbed, and the pillow is not hurt; so anger quickly gives up, and the fight is over. Can you be a pillow to others’ anger?

How can there be a fight, if one person turns the other cheek (Matt 5:38-42)? What rare wisdom taught by Solomon’s greatest son, Jesus Christ! Rather than fight personal enemies, love them, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them (Matt 5:39-43)!

Here is one of Solomon’s most valuable proverbs. If you remember this rule, you can handle every angry adversary and any confrontation. If everyone practiced this rule, peace would be increased in every place. What a blessed rule, from the Prince of Peace!

A common phrase from schoolyards to explain fighting declares, “It takes two to fight.” How true! If either party were to stop fighting and show kindness, every fight would end. School teachers and principals know this rule and use it to find both offenders in a fight.

You can have a profound influence for peace by ending fights in your part of the world. Starting in your marriage and family and working all the way out to your business, church, and neighborhood, you should be known by God and men as a great peacemaker.

But provocative and offensive words, the ones you naturally think of when angrily confronted or defending yourself in pride, cause fights to continue and escalate. Sometimes they are rightly called “fighting words.” A fight will get worse and do greater damage, unless you quickly bring the anger and contention to an end (Pr 17:14; 26:21).

If a person is angry with you, even if it is your fault, you can end the matter peaceably by responding gently and kindly, rather than with your own anger in defense (Pr 12:16; 15:18; 29:22). Will you crush your pride and end the fight (Pr 13:10; 21:24; 28:25)? The rule works with family members, job situations, the government, or anyone else. Use it.

Measure yourself by this rule of self-discipline and peacemaking. Do you get irritated by others’ provocation? Must you retort to anything said about you? Do you have to get the last word in? Are you prone to self-justification rather than self-deprecation? Do you excuse your tendency to argue by appealing to principle, even though it is clearly pride?

Solomon taught men to fear kings or other civil rulers, for kings in those times had dreadful authority and power (Pr 19:12; 20:2; Eccl 8:2-5). But he also taught that yielding could pacify even their great wrath (Pr 16:14; Eccl 10:4). Soft words are your most powerful weapon against an offended prince, or anyone else (Pr 25:15). Learn the habit!

God loves peacemakers (Matt 5:9), and He taught those who offended others to go and be reconciled to them (Matt 5:23-26). Jesus applied the proverb by teaching you to agree quickly with your adversary to bring peace. His spirit, which every true saint desires to have, is peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, and actively makes peace (Jas 3:17-18).

The sons of Zeruiah, David’s famous nephews known for their military success and great passion, were too hard for him (II Sam 3:39). They could never use soft words, for they did not have soft hearts. Jesus even rebuked the sons of thunder, James and John, for their ungodly spirit toward some ignorant and disrespectful Samaritans (Luke 9:51-56).

To be the peacemaker you should be to please God and be successful with men, you must start on the inside with your spirit toward others (Jas 3:13-18). Gracious and soft words can only come from a pure and gentle heart (Pr 22:11; Luke 6:45). Your gracious speech should only rarely be seasoned with salt like that of Jesus Christ (Col 4:6; II Cor 10:1).

 


Under Gods Command

Romans 09:15-16 For he says to Moses, “ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

The fallacy of gaining salvation by human effort remains as strong as ever-people still think good intentions are the key to unlock the door to eternal life. By the time they get to try the lock, they will find that their key does not fit. Others imagine that their efforts are building an invisible ladder to heaven made up of service, family, position, reputation, good work, and desire, although none of these rungs will support a feather. People are so busy trying to reach God that they completely miss the truth that God has already reached down to them. We cannot earn God’s mercy-if we could, it would not be mercy.

Lets Bring it Home: Are we as Christians living a lie? Are some Churches trying to reach God by the things mention above? When it is all said and done, the physical Church can’t save you, no matter how hard you work there or the things you do for the Church. You can be at Church all week and think your doing the right thing, but your family is being neglected due to you being there. What is more important? You can bless God my spending time with the family and the ones you love. Salivation is up to you my brother and sisters. If God has already reached down, back up and find his hand and grab on to it and learn to have a relationship with God’s son Jesus. By Faith!


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 25:16 If you find honey, eat just enough-too much of it, and you will vomit.

Moderation in all things. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Extreme use of anything is abuse. God and Solomon want you to maximize the use of things in life by not overusing any of them. This is an important rule of wisdom and success for your life.

God created honey as a sweet gift for taste, and it is good for your body. Yet too much can overwhelm your senses and make you sick. When you find something pleasant, use it prudently for its intended purpose, lest it be a snare to your soul, or you end up hating it.

Every man’s honey is different. What is sweet to your taste but tempts you to overindulge in it? What is your honey? It is your duty to identify those pleasures that captivate you the most and be temperate with them (I Cor 9:25). What is your honey? Eat only a little.

Honey is good and pleasant (Pr 16:24; 24:13). Honey is not forbidden; it is God’s gift. Be thankful for it. But too much is not good (Pr 25:27). How can something so good make you vomit? By proving that excess is bad! Excess, which is too much, shows good things have limited uses. Use them until sufficient, to their intended purpose, and not beyond.

God richly gives His children all things to enjoy (I Tim 6:17), but all those things must be used in moderation (Phil 4:5). He is not watching from a distance to see how we treat His gifts, as many imagine. The Lord is at hand. He made man upright and gave him gifts, but he has sought out many inventions (Eccl 7:29). And one such invention is excess!

This generation loves excess. They are proud to be X-treme! Christians should avoid any immoderation. God’s gifts of food and drink have been abused to destroy souls. Gluttony and drunkenness overcharge men’s stomachs and hearts (Lu 21:34). Young men gorge until they vomit; drunkards do the same and sleep in it. They sin against this proverb.

The wisdom here is mainly moral and spiritual, yet it also contains nutritional advice. Honey and other simple or refined carbohydrates are a principal cause of obesity and other maladies affecting health. With prosperity supplies an endless variety and amount of sugars and carbohydrates, an excessive society can gorge to a diabetic epidemic!

Consider other pleasant gifts of God to grasp the lesson. God gave bread to make hearts strong (Ps 104:15), but overeating bread, cereal, pasta, cookies, cake, chips, crackers, pizza, and other grain products destroys the heart. God gave wine to make hearts glad (Ps 104:15), but drunkenness is a sin of excess that can cause horrible heartache (Eph 5:18).

Solomon commended eating and drinking for strength, rather than pleasure. There is pleasure in eating, but it cannot dominate. And he commended nations with policies and examples of temperance (Eccl 10:16-17). The all-you-can-eat buffets may be a nice blessing for variety, but they are a curse for the man given to appetite. You should eat to satisfy hunger and promote health. Can you believe, “Enough is as good as a feast”?

What about marriage? It is a great gift from God for companionship and love, but you should live without it consuming your life (I Cor 7:28-35; Ps 73:25-26). What about hobbies and entertainment? They can be pleasant diversions, but too much emphasis and they bring poverty and waste precious time (Pr 21:17; Eph 5:16).

What about bodily exercise? It has a little profit, but extremes will cost you your soul by leaving more important matters undone (I Tim 4:8). What about righteousness and wisdom? Can you have too much of these things? Yes, indeed, when misapplied! The Preacher warned against excesses of either, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day (Eccl 7:16).

Consider sex. It is one of life’s sweet pleasures – tasted and enjoyed in marriage only, and then only within godly constraints. If it is emphasized out of place, its desires will consume the single person, and it will distort a marriage into selfish practices. The wonderfully pleasant expression of love can easily become a painful ritual of bitterness.

The proverb may also be applied to friends (Pr 25:17). Too much of even friends is too much! If you are obsessive in relationships, you will lose friends, because they cannot bear or keep up with your excess. The good gift of friendship pressed to excess will turn to hatred, and then you have ruined another precious blessing by your overindulgence.

Excessive indulgence in any pleasure dulls the appetite and enjoyment of that thing, so that you need greater and greater amounts to give you the original pleasure. The more fine food you eat, the less you enjoy that special dinner out. The more you travel for business, the less you enjoy the getaway with your wife. It is a simple lesson of experience that too much of anything steals much of its pleasure (Pr 27:7).

Viewing women other than your wife, which is a sin, will reduce pleasure from your wife. It will not enhance her or your appreciation of her. Once you start this sin, you will need greater stimulation to get the same pleasure you once easily had with her. Having dulled your senses and enjoyment, you must then dip deeper into the sewer of excess and drink longer to find the original sinful pleasure. Sin lies, as it takes you down to hell.

Christian reader, what is your honey? In moderation it is good, but in excess it is sinful? Is it eating, family, drinking, working, marriage, hobbies, exercise, sex, or something else? What is it? You will have the greatest temptations to be intemperate with those things that are sweet and pleasant to you. What is your honey? You must identify these weights or sins, so you can lay them aside to successfully run your race (Heb 12:1-4).

Once you identify your honey in life, how much pleasure should you seek in using it? Until you are sick? Oh no, you have gone way too far. Godly temperance and moderation avoid excess, so you must stay safely back from the sinful line. In fact, sincere persons will consider metaphorically cutting their throats, cutting off hands, or plucking out eyes in order to avoid even the temptation to excess (Pr 23:2; Matt 18:8-9).

There is honey for the Christian that has no limit, and it is free, and you may delight in its fatness (Is 55:1-5)! It is the wonderful facts of the gospel. Lady wisdom also offers bread, wine, and a furnished table (Pr 9:1-5), and there you will not be sick or disappointed by eating as much as you can. Fill yourself today with both the gospel and wisdom.

You should also seek to be filled with all the fullness of God, in which there is great blessing (Eph 3:14-19). You can also in good conscience desire the best gifts in the church and serve better than any of them (I Cor 12:31)! Choose good honey. O Lord, fill me with your Spirit, until I am filled to overflowing, and then give me a little more.