Sunday, 7/5/15 Heb 13:13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without
the camp, bearing his reproach. This may be the most disobeyed verse in all
the Bible. Trying to get believers today to bear the disdain that Christ bore
(and causes) is almost unheard of. Forget others though, you and I need to obey
this more. Heb
13:7 Remember them which have the rule
over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end (goal,
purpose) of their conversation
(lifestyle). Even if our leaders stumble, we should be unaffected because, 1we
knew they could fall, and, 2our eyes were on the
Saviour anyway.
Monday, 7/6/15 Heb 12:7, If ye endure chastening (present tense), God dealeth with you (future tense) as
with sons... How we react to the negatives put on us by our authorities
will determine how those authorities will act in the near future. Mark 15:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the
people, released Barabbas... While a leader needs to observe and evaluate
the follower for their status and spirit, in trying to please the followers,
Pilate ceased leading. You children who think your parents are boring or
insensitive or hopelessly backward: remember YOU were commanded to obey them
before any commandment was given to them. Wives, employees, church members,
citizens: same deal. Maybe if you’d be half as critical of your own actions as
you are of the poor leadership above you in your life, things would vastly
improve.
Tuesday, 7/7/15 Ps 69:4, They that hate me without a cause are more
than the hairs on mine head... Some people will have a problem with
you...for absolutely no logical or perceivable reason. Just be sure you’ve
done/do wwaaaaayyyy more than you needed to do to have a good relationship. Ps 74:1, O God, why hast thou cast us off forever?
Why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? Our fallen
nature is insecure regarding God. You WILL feel like the psalmist here at
times, many times...stay steady...this problem will pass. Keep walking with the
Lord...even if it's by habit with no visible results for a time.
Wednesday, 7/8/15 2 John
2, For the truth’s sake, which
dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Maybe a big reason that
so many Christians are having unrest in their souls/spirits/mental status (one
reason, not the only) is because their lives are at war with the truth that is
in their hearts. 2
John 2, For the truth’s sake, which
dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Don’t like the Bible?
Well, you’ll be really uncomfortable in Heaven. (You are coming, aren’t you?)
Thursday, 7/9/15 Ps
77:7-8, Will the Lord cast off for ever?
And will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his
promise fail for evermore? I know I’ve felt abandoned...God have mercy on
us for our insecurities and doubts. Bible characters were just like you...so
study and see how you can be just like them. Ps
78:8, And might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart
aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. Just a reminder: your
spiritual condition is in your control totally. It’s not offenses or
circumstances that have you down: it’s your pride and wickedness. Just
sayin’...
Friday, 7/10/15 1 Peter
3:12, For the eyes of the Lord are over
the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers... How does God
define “righteous” and who gets these benefits? Read vv10-11: ...let him refrain his tongue from evil, and
his lips that they speak no guile; let him eschew evil, and do good; let him
seek peace, and ensue it. 1 Pet 3:3-4, Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of
a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Ladies, do people look at you and think, “what a hot babe!!” or do they say,
“What a great spirit!”? (Which do you spend more time, energy, and money on
improving?) BTW: meekness is simply an honest life view in the
context of working with others, and a quiet spirit refers to a tranquil,
undisturbed attitude/demeanor.
Saturday, 7/11/15 2 Pet
1:20, Knowing this, that no prophecy of
the scripture is of any private interpretation. Basic rule concerning
understanding the Bible: no verse stands alone: it all fits with the rest of
Scripture. So, compare Scripture with Scripture. God doesn’t contradict
Himself; He is consistent. 1
Pet 3:10, For he that will love life, and
see good days (I’d like these 2 benefits!! How do I get them?) let him refrain his tongue from evil (gossip), and his lips that they speak no guile (sneaky
speech; dual interpretations): let him
eschew evil (shun away from hurting others), and do good (pleasant, honorable, useful); let him seek peace (look for harmony), and ensue (pursue like an attacker) it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Thoughts from some others
- How
can a man say He loves His wife like Christ loved the church, when he expects
her to make most of the concessions in their marriage? All the concessions
needed for Christ to build a relationship with us were made by Him. He adapted
Himself to win us to Himself.
- What
God promised you in your greatest moment of faith is no less true in your
lowest moment of doubt. You can still TRUST HIM.
- Rough
week? Struggling? Hurting? Fallen away from God? Lonely? Sinking? Angry?
Depressed? Get up off your self pity and go to church. There is a message
awaiting you. Stop looking for the bad and go expecting the blessing you need.
Whatever has made you feel like you are going down the drain, rejoice, It's
Sunday.
- You
may not have lost all of your marbles, but there is definitely a hole in the
bag!! (Too good not to share!!)
- Many
people love to share the fall of others, but they stay silent when they get
back up. It just shows whose side they are on, and it ain't the Lord’s.
- The
problem with many of us is that when we destroy an idol we spare the pedestal
and soon find something else to place on it. Don't just get rid of idols in
your life, destroy that pedestal that allows anything to be more important than
God.
-
Forgiveness is not the end of resolving hurt. However, it is the beginning
place, and there can be no final resolution without first starting the process
with forgiveness. Forgiveness does not
heal, but it allows healing to begin.
Forgiveness does not bring peace, but it starts the peace process. Forgiveness does not remove the sorrow, but
it keeps the sorrow from turning into bitterness. Forgiveness does not restore trust, but it
begins to remove the distrust.
Forgiveness does not remove anger, but it channels the anger to the act
and not the person. Forgiveness does not
bring immediate reconciliation, but it begins the process for it. It is a mistake to believe that forgiveness
is the final stage of hurt, but the process cannot begin until we first
forgive. Who do you need to forgive today?
- A
seed does not have a choice where it is planted. It just does its best to bloom
wherever it is. Some seeds get to be planted in lovely fields where other
beautiful flowers will grow. Some are planted in expensive ornamental vases.
However, some are planted all alone, in an unappealing place, but they strive
to grow just as much as the others. So it should be with us. It is not given to
us the choice of where we are planted, but we are given a responsibility to
bloom there.
- It’s
better to walk alone than with a crowd going in the wrong direction.
- Let
yesterday's sin be today's experience in His mercy and grace.
- When confessing
your sins to the Lord do not forget to confess your sadness, because no sin is
any more vile than for one who has the riches of Christ to be trapped in the
bondage of sadness.
- If
you are having negative thoughts about yourself the best solution is to stop
thinking about yourself.
- Losing
hope can often be a blessing in disguise. When we lose hope in ourselves and in
others, we then can look for hope in the only place we can truly find it and
that is with the Lord. When I lost hope in myself and other people and things,
I found hope in God.
- If
you cannot celebrate the grace God has imparted to a fallen brother, it is a
pretty good sign you are not celebrating the grace he has imparted to you.
- “Will It Ever End?” That was the question asked me by someone
very close to me recently. They asked... Will the attacks ever end? Will the
hate ever end? Will the lies and slander ever end? Will the garbage throwing
ever end? Do you ever ask that question?
Oh perhaps your "will it ever end" is different. Will my pain ever
end? Will this sorrow ever end? Will this feeling of abandonment ever end? Will
this empty place in my heart ever end? Will this loneliness ever end?
I do not know what your "will it ever
end?" is but many have one. The answer is, YES! It will end. OK I will not
tell you that it will end in this life, although it may. I will, however, tell
you this, we have a hope that those without Christ do not have. All of this
will end, and when it does we know that we will be in a place where that
question will never again be asked. We will be where joy and happiness and
peace will never end, but all sorrows, pains and trials will be over forever.
Until then may I suggest that you:
1. Let God's grace be sufficient.
2. Let Heaven become more precious.
3. Let your delight be in the Lord.
4. Let your "Will it ever end?" be your
testimony.
5. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly.
6. Let God's purpose be accomplished.
Yes, it will end and when it does, you will not
only be relieved, but you will understand why you had to endure it as long as
you did.
- Your
boring and relatively innocent testimony is just as sordid as the one you are
glad you don't have. Heaven blushes at our most "innocent" sins.
- The
biggest problem is not that there are hypocrites in the church, but that there
are so many in our homes.
- OK I
admit it. I have concluded that I am no longer qualified to serve God. However
I never was qualified and never can be qualified and if only qualified people
could serve God then there would be NO ONE able to serve. So, I will serve Him
anyway until HE tells me to stop.
- Do
not allow your sorrow for sins committed to exceed your rejoicing for sins
forgiven.
- God's
goodness cannot...MUST NOT be limited by our human definitions of what is good.
Good is not confined by what we like or whether or not things turn out the way
we desire. We say, "To lose a child is bad," but God lost a Son and
it turned out good. We think suffering is bad, but Christ suffered and it was
good. When something becomes broken we see it as bad, but God chooses the
broken for the good He can do with it. There is nothing that can happen to a
child of God that is bad because He only does what is good for us. We may not
understand it. We may wish it was different, but it is good because our Father
only brings good to His Own.
- A mother took her young son, eight or nine years
old, to a concert by Paderewski because she thought the child had some musical
talent and might benefit from hearing a genius play. They sat close to the
stage. The curtain was up, revealing the grand piano. Paderewski was in the
wings; it wasn't quite time to start.
The mother turned to speak to an acquaintance
behind her. As she did, the little boy wriggled out of his seat, ran up the
steps to the stage, sat down and began to play "Chopsticks" with all
his might. The mother was appalled. The audience gasped as Paderewski himself
strode onto the stage.
But instead of being angry the maestro smiled, sat
down on the piano bench with the little boy, whispered to him to continue and
then, putting both arms around the little figure began to improvise a soft, but
brilliant accompaniment to the childish music. He kept it up until the
audience, charmed and fascinated, burst into applause.
In all our faults and sins, God puts His loving
arms around us and turns our faltering notes into a triumphant song of grace
and mercy.
- Grace
does not ignore or indulge sin. Grace deals with sin, both with truth and mercy.
The purpose is not punishment for, but deliverance from. Many mistake grace as
being too soft on sin, while others ignore grace and show no mercy. Both are
mistaken. Grace is Godlike in that it both condemns the sin, while offering
pardon for the repentant sinner.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-
Bible thoughts! Psalm 7:10, My defense is
of God, which saveth the upright in heart. Why is it we always run to the
Lord last? He's the ONLY One Who has all the answers! He's amazing!
-
Pro 6:33, A wound and dishonor shall he
get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. God forgives, but men do
not, and the man involved will always remember his immorality. We must warn our
boys.
-
Ps 98:9b, He cometh to judge the earth: with
righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. When
our Lord returns, all the unsaved and the nations will be judged with
impartially and justly without a defense attorney.
-
1 Chron 16:8, Give thanks unto the Lord,
call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. 1) Give thanks
unto the Lord for all things. 2) Call
upon His name to let Him know how good He is to you. 3) Share with others how good He is, and what
He’s done for you! 4) Not heard from Him
in a while? Fix that by getting into His word and talking to Him.
-
Ps 99:5, Exalt ye the Lord our God, and
worship at his footstool, for he is holy. How often do we take time to
exalt the Lord, bow before, and worship Him? He never pushes Himself upon us;
we must put forth the effort and make time for Him.
- Ps 91:5a Thou
shalt not be afraid... In a day and age when fear could be a constant companion,
every child of God needs to read, memorize, and meditate on Psalm 91.
- Pro 15:15 All
the days of the afflicted are evil, but he that is of a merry heart hath a
continual feast. If we keep our hearts right, the circumstances of life
need never bother us.
- Bible thoughts! Ps 12:1, Help, Lord ; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from
among the children of men. What are we supposed to do when those around us,
even our leaders, aren't doing what is right? What does God really expect from
us? Well, we all KNOW that answer, eh?
- Bible thoughts! Ps 10:1, Why standest thou afar off, O Lord ? why hidest thou thyself in times
of trouble? Does it seem that God is ignoring you? Well, He's not! Ps 10:17,
Lord , thou hast heard the desire of the
humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Woohoo!
Our God is AWESOME!!
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