August 26, 2018
"Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance ; for you serve the Lord Christ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." (Colossians 3:24) Here we can see that Jesus is clearly teaching that service to Him will be rewarded AND that those who do not will also be paid back ! That means there are NO exceptions. Everyone will be either rewarded or punished spiritually upon the death of your body. That should encourage believers to serve with all of your heart. Likewise it should scare all non-believers that they will be punished for serving any one or any thing other than Jesus. Philemon shows us, however, that we are not to use this as an excuse to disobey our earthly bosses or overseers.
Ezekiel 48 : 9-10 says " The district that you shall set apart for the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. To these - the priests - the holy district shall belong." The Old Testament is an outward and physical manifestation of the spiritual truths taught in the New Testament. In this passage we see that God is rewarding the Levites with their land. They were expected to serve God ONLY. The tithes to the Temple were meant to keep them in food and God was providing all things to them. This is the same concept we saw in the last passage only in this world and not in the spiritual world. The message could not be any plainer : Serve God only and you will be rewarded !
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry ..." ( 1 Timothy 1 :12 ) Several key things here to see as it relates to service. First, we see that Paul was enabled to serve because he was counted faithful ... by God. Secondly, he was PUT into ministry by God. Lastly, Paul was enabled. This verse goes on to draw the difference between being saved and not saved verses being enabled to serve. No one then can serve God unless these three things are done. 1) you must be saved, 2) You must be enabled by God, and 3) however you serve you must be put there by God. That is why Christians will say that they were "called" to do whatever service they are doing. If you do not feel as though you were called by God to serve in a specific manner ... Don't !
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Helpfulness
August 11, 2018
Woman was created by God as an equal to man to balance and to complete man. She was to be a completer NOT a compete-er ! In Genesis 2:18 we see God saying," It is not good that man should be alone ; I will make him a helper comparable to him." God was not commenting on a fault with Adam but was commenting on his inability to carry out God's perfect plan of creation without help. Then He created woman. She is not inferior but equal. Yet created much differently because she was to compliment all that Adam was and yet complete him also. In today's American society it is a very hard thing to compete with men and still fulfill God's intended reason to complete the man. When a man and a woman are married their goal in their love for each other should be to put God in the middle of their marriage and to do God's will within that marriage. This is one reason why "Helpfulness" is one of God's keys to love.
Deuteronomy 33:29 says," Happy are you, O Israel ! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help and the sword of your majesty ! Your enemies shall submit to you, and you shall tread down their high places." This verse shows the mighty power of the right help at the right time by the right person ! The writer starts by showing that only the Jews had been "saved" by the Lord. Are we not also saved by the blood of Jesus ? That this truth also applies to those saved this way ? It goes on to show that because you are saved He will help them and to protect them. Again, does this not also apply to blood bought saints of Jesus ? You may say, "So what?" Look at what the power of His help does. Your enemies will submit to you and you shall tear down all the false gods the unsaved have. Therefore, when we find a mate who completes and compliments you with God in the middle, miracles can and will happen ! This truth shows the power of helpfulness !
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Helpfulness is not only an action to be taken but we see here that it is a word to be spoken. How can we be helpers to the saved and unsaved alike ? By controlling the tongue ! "Corrupt word" does not only mean foul language. It also applies to gossip, back stabbing, lying, bearing false witness, cursing and using God's name in vain ! This verse instructs us to do none of that but to use language that will help encourage others and to show and witness for God ! Since most of us talk a lot more than we do actions, it becomes very evident that by watching our speech and watching out for all the traps for us to helping others is a full time job ! Strive not only to help others physically but also strive to help others verbally !!!
Woman was created by God as an equal to man to balance and to complete man. She was to be a completer NOT a compete-er ! In Genesis 2:18 we see God saying," It is not good that man should be alone ; I will make him a helper comparable to him." God was not commenting on a fault with Adam but was commenting on his inability to carry out God's perfect plan of creation without help. Then He created woman. She is not inferior but equal. Yet created much differently because she was to compliment all that Adam was and yet complete him also. In today's American society it is a very hard thing to compete with men and still fulfill God's intended reason to complete the man. When a man and a woman are married their goal in their love for each other should be to put God in the middle of their marriage and to do God's will within that marriage. This is one reason why "Helpfulness" is one of God's keys to love.
Deuteronomy 33:29 says," Happy are you, O Israel ! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, The shield of your help and the sword of your majesty ! Your enemies shall submit to you, and you shall tread down their high places." This verse shows the mighty power of the right help at the right time by the right person ! The writer starts by showing that only the Jews had been "saved" by the Lord. Are we not also saved by the blood of Jesus ? That this truth also applies to those saved this way ? It goes on to show that because you are saved He will help them and to protect them. Again, does this not also apply to blood bought saints of Jesus ? You may say, "So what?" Look at what the power of His help does. Your enemies will submit to you and you shall tear down all the false gods the unsaved have. Therefore, when we find a mate who completes and compliments you with God in the middle, miracles can and will happen ! This truth shows the power of helpfulness !
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29) Helpfulness is not only an action to be taken but we see here that it is a word to be spoken. How can we be helpers to the saved and unsaved alike ? By controlling the tongue ! "Corrupt word" does not only mean foul language. It also applies to gossip, back stabbing, lying, bearing false witness, cursing and using God's name in vain ! This verse instructs us to do none of that but to use language that will help encourage others and to show and witness for God ! Since most of us talk a lot more than we do actions, it becomes very evident that by watching our speech and watching out for all the traps for us to helping others is a full time job ! Strive not only to help others physically but also strive to help others verbally !!!
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Faithfulness
August 4, 2018
"... for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land."(Hosea 4:1) In this passage we can see the prophet is bringing a legal case against the people from God. In the charge he mentions 3 things : no truth, no mercy, and no knowledge of God. All three of these are individual charges with one root cause ...there is no faith ! Without faith there can be no mercy, truth, or knowledge of God. Later in the next verse he goes on to list all of the infractions they have committed including breaking all of the commandments. This verse shows us what the result is of no faith in God. The same can be said of our relationships. Without faith and without God in any relationship there will always be no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God ! The result will always be harm to each other, the relationship, and to God !
The prophet Jeremiah says in verse 28 "...and he who has my word. let him speak My word faithfully." This is a direct warning to those who preach and teach God's word. You are held to a higher standard to give His word faithfully. This means to give the word accurately, and whenever called upon. God's word can only be effective when it is given ! That sounds simple yet it is not. If one little thing is wrong then the whole thing is wrong. That is why God's law was that whoever got one detail of His word wrong was to be stoned to death !! If you love God and His word you must deliver it as He says. Likewise for us. We must be there for each other with the truth AND whenever needed.
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2-10) Here, God says that Satan is about to put some in prison for 10 days to test them. If they remain faithful they will receive the crown which is life. This is yet another way of stating a truth that is all through the bible. Without faith there is no life. It was that way in the garden when Eve believed the serpent and it is the same here in Revelation when Jesus is coming back ! Our faith must be in Jesus for our spiritual life no matter what happens to our physical life. Eve thought God meant she would die physically because she listened to Satan. Here God is saying their physical life will be bad but for only a short time. Then they will have eternal life ! The message is the same for us ... Have faith in Jesus and you will have eternal life.
"... for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land."(Hosea 4:1) In this passage we can see the prophet is bringing a legal case against the people from God. In the charge he mentions 3 things : no truth, no mercy, and no knowledge of God. All three of these are individual charges with one root cause ...there is no faith ! Without faith there can be no mercy, truth, or knowledge of God. Later in the next verse he goes on to list all of the infractions they have committed including breaking all of the commandments. This verse shows us what the result is of no faith in God. The same can be said of our relationships. Without faith and without God in any relationship there will always be no truth, mercy, or knowledge of God ! The result will always be harm to each other, the relationship, and to God !
The prophet Jeremiah says in verse 28 "...and he who has my word. let him speak My word faithfully." This is a direct warning to those who preach and teach God's word. You are held to a higher standard to give His word faithfully. This means to give the word accurately, and whenever called upon. God's word can only be effective when it is given ! That sounds simple yet it is not. If one little thing is wrong then the whole thing is wrong. That is why God's law was that whoever got one detail of His word wrong was to be stoned to death !! If you love God and His word you must deliver it as He says. Likewise for us. We must be there for each other with the truth AND whenever needed.
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Rev. 2-10) Here, God says that Satan is about to put some in prison for 10 days to test them. If they remain faithful they will receive the crown which is life. This is yet another way of stating a truth that is all through the bible. Without faith there is no life. It was that way in the garden when Eve believed the serpent and it is the same here in Revelation when Jesus is coming back ! Our faith must be in Jesus for our spiritual life no matter what happens to our physical life. Eve thought God meant she would die physically because she listened to Satan. Here God is saying their physical life will be bad but for only a short time. Then they will have eternal life ! The message is the same for us ... Have faith in Jesus and you will have eternal life.
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