30 August 2011
28 August 2011
How thick is your helmet?
"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."- Ephesians 6: 14-17
Helmet of Salvation:
Besides your heart, your head, and brain, are the most important part of you. The brain tells every part of your body what to do and when to do it, it decides what you think about and what you say. You could even say, that the brain is the head honcho. ( :) )
It is so important that you have complete control of your brain. Your head determines what goes into your heart. And the bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So you have to be very careful with what you allow into your head.
The devil knows that whatever you allow into your head will eventually get into your heart. The devil gets into your heart in sneaky ways, through music, friends, books, TV, any type of media, He is very smart and knows what you like. He knows how to manipulate them into what he wants them to be. So how can we possibly counter attack his attacks when he comes in from all directions?
The answer is quite simple really. The Word. The Bible says that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. What does that mean? It means that even though everything and everyone may go away and leave us alone, God's word and promises will continually stay with us. By us meditating on the Word and praying to the Lord we will grow in Him, and we will speak His word. By us doing those things we will be able to defend ourselves from the devil's wily attacks.
The more that we meditate and pray on God's words the more that we will grow, and the thicker helmet we will acquire. And the thicker the helmet, the more we can counter attack.
So today I want to challenge you to thicken your helmet. If you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart just repeat this prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for dieing on the cross for me. Thank you for writing my name in the Lamb's Book of Life and for forgiving me for all of past, present, and future wrongs. I love you Lord. In your mighty name, Amen.
You are now a child of God. Talk to you pastor or someone who is older than you and who knows the Lord on a deep level.
Thicken your helmet.
Helmet of Salvation:
Besides your heart, your head, and brain, are the most important part of you. The brain tells every part of your body what to do and when to do it, it decides what you think about and what you say. You could even say, that the brain is the head honcho. ( :) )
It is so important that you have complete control of your brain. Your head determines what goes into your heart. And the bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So you have to be very careful with what you allow into your head.
The devil knows that whatever you allow into your head will eventually get into your heart. The devil gets into your heart in sneaky ways, through music, friends, books, TV, any type of media, He is very smart and knows what you like. He knows how to manipulate them into what he wants them to be. So how can we possibly counter attack his attacks when he comes in from all directions?
The answer is quite simple really. The Word. The Bible says that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. What does that mean? It means that even though everything and everyone may go away and leave us alone, God's word and promises will continually stay with us. By us meditating on the Word and praying to the Lord we will grow in Him, and we will speak His word. By us doing those things we will be able to defend ourselves from the devil's wily attacks.
The more that we meditate and pray on God's words the more that we will grow, and the thicker helmet we will acquire. And the thicker the helmet, the more we can counter attack.
So today I want to challenge you to thicken your helmet. If you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart just repeat this prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for dieing on the cross for me. Thank you for writing my name in the Lamb's Book of Life and for forgiving me for all of past, present, and future wrongs. I love you Lord. In your mighty name, Amen.
You are now a child of God. Talk to you pastor or someone who is older than you and who knows the Lord on a deep level.
Thicken your helmet.
27 August 2011
What size is your shield?
"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."- Ephesians 6: 14-17
Shield of Faith:
I have already talked about Faith. But since faith is so commonly talked about in the Bible, it must be very important.
What does a shield do for you?
wikipedia.com says that a shield is a type of personal armor that is used to counter off attacks.
In the ancient Roman days, the Roman army would take your measurements. How tall you were and how wide you were. They would custom make you a shield exactly to your measurements. The shield was one of your most important pieces of armor.
So if you have a shield of faith than you can readily fight off all of the wily works of the devil. It is essential for a Christian to take possession of all the pieces of armor. Especially the shield of faith.
Every one's shield dimensions are different. Just like every one's faith, our sizes are different. Depending on how much faith you have, the more you can do.
So just how much faith do you have?
How big is your shield?
Shield of Faith:
I have already talked about Faith. But since faith is so commonly talked about in the Bible, it must be very important.
What does a shield do for you?
wikipedia.com says that a shield is a type of personal armor that is used to counter off attacks.
In the ancient Roman days, the Roman army would take your measurements. How tall you were and how wide you were. They would custom make you a shield exactly to your measurements. The shield was one of your most important pieces of armor.
So if you have a shield of faith than you can readily fight off all of the wily works of the devil. It is essential for a Christian to take possession of all the pieces of armor. Especially the shield of faith.
Every one's shield dimensions are different. Just like every one's faith, our sizes are different. Depending on how much faith you have, the more you can do.
So just how much faith do you have?
How big is your shield?
25 August 2011
Quote
"Make your faith like the deepest of wells rather than the highest of billboards,"
-Jonathon Steingard
-Jonathon Steingard
23 August 2011
What Shoes are you Wearing?
"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6: 14-17
What shoes are you wearing?
Right you may be at home, like me, and be barefoot! Or maybe your wearing flip-flops, Toms, tennis shoes, sandals, heels, converse etc.
But today I want to ask you what Spiritual shoes are you wearing? That may seem like a pretty stupid question but the answer is incredible.
Peace:
After we put on our belt of Truth, breastplate of Righteousness, it's time for the shoes of Peace. Peace is such a beautiful word.
The dictionary describes it as the cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension. But peace is so much for than that.
Apart from being listed as an armor of God, peace is also a fruit of the Spirit. God must think that Peace is really important if it is a fruit and something with which we can defeat the devil with. That means that is must be super important to us.
The Bible says to put on shoes of Peace. Why is peace the shoes, why not the chain mail? or the sword?
Just because we can't literally fight with shoes doesn't make peace any less important that truthfulness or righteousness. We have to walk in peace on a daily basis along with the rest of the armor. To live in complete peace is a gift, a treasure. Not a lot of people know what it's like to live in complete peace. What does a life that is full of peace look like? Well, let me give you an illustration.
A peaceful life should be stress-free. But with the world as it is today how can we live a life without stress? Simple, Jesus. The Bible says to cast all our cares on Him. God knows what we are going through and he knows how to handle our floundering economy and growing debt. He has a more substantial plan for us than anyone could ever think, plan, or imagine.
A peaceful life should be full of love. But what about that one person who humiliated you today in front of the entire school? Should we still love them? Or what about that one guy who completely ran into your car and totalled it? What about him? Or what about all of the terrorists? Can we love them too? Yes! you can! God says to love you neighbor as yourself. That doesn't just mean the people who live on either side of your house, that means everyone in the world.
Hebrews 6: 11 says "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true."
A peaceful life isn't just one that you can earn, you have to work for peace just like anything else. By loving God and others, and giving everything to the Lord, peace will start to come into your heart.
Today I want to challenge you to choose one verse from the Bible to pray and meditate on. But not just some random verse, choose one that you can relate to. Pick one that will encourage and build you up. Trust and pray for Peace to enter your life.
So let me ask you one more time, what shoes are you wearing?
What shoes are you wearing?
Right you may be at home, like me, and be barefoot! Or maybe your wearing flip-flops, Toms, tennis shoes, sandals, heels, converse etc.
But today I want to ask you what Spiritual shoes are you wearing? That may seem like a pretty stupid question but the answer is incredible.
Peace:
After we put on our belt of Truth, breastplate of Righteousness, it's time for the shoes of Peace. Peace is such a beautiful word.
The dictionary describes it as the cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension. But peace is so much for than that.
Apart from being listed as an armor of God, peace is also a fruit of the Spirit. God must think that Peace is really important if it is a fruit and something with which we can defeat the devil with. That means that is must be super important to us.
The Bible says to put on shoes of Peace. Why is peace the shoes, why not the chain mail? or the sword?
Just because we can't literally fight with shoes doesn't make peace any less important that truthfulness or righteousness. We have to walk in peace on a daily basis along with the rest of the armor. To live in complete peace is a gift, a treasure. Not a lot of people know what it's like to live in complete peace. What does a life that is full of peace look like? Well, let me give you an illustration.
A peaceful life should be stress-free. But with the world as it is today how can we live a life without stress? Simple, Jesus. The Bible says to cast all our cares on Him. God knows what we are going through and he knows how to handle our floundering economy and growing debt. He has a more substantial plan for us than anyone could ever think, plan, or imagine.
A peaceful life should be full of love. But what about that one person who humiliated you today in front of the entire school? Should we still love them? Or what about that one guy who completely ran into your car and totalled it? What about him? Or what about all of the terrorists? Can we love them too? Yes! you can! God says to love you neighbor as yourself. That doesn't just mean the people who live on either side of your house, that means everyone in the world.
Hebrews 6: 11 says "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true."
A peaceful life isn't just one that you can earn, you have to work for peace just like anything else. By loving God and others, and giving everything to the Lord, peace will start to come into your heart.
Today I want to challenge you to choose one verse from the Bible to pray and meditate on. But not just some random verse, choose one that you can relate to. Pick one that will encourage and build you up. Trust and pray for Peace to enter your life.
So let me ask you one more time, what shoes are you wearing?
22 August 2011
Suit up!
"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."- Ephesians 14-17
Righteousness:
After the Bible talks about putting on your 'belt' of Truth, is says to put on the body armor, or breastplate, of Righteousness.
Now people talk about the word Righteousness but what exactly is it? Well dictionary.com says that Righteousness is the quality or the state of being just or rightful.
Now Job 29:14 says "Everything I did was honest.Righteousness covered me like a robe,and I wore justice like a turban." Here it says the Righteousness covered me like a robe or a garment.
Psalms 36:6 says "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,your justice like the ocean depths.You care for people and animals alike, O Lord."
Here they compare God's righteousness to the mighty mountains. What am I trying to get across?
We, in our own human ability, cannot obtain righteousness. It's that simple! Righteousness is the Lords. It is his to give. God is righteousness. Psalms 71: 9 says that God's righteousness reaches to the heavens, who can be compared to you?
For us to be righteous we have to like God. How do we do that? Well, we start with the Word. The Bible says that the Word was with God the Word was God and the Word is God. So if we start by reading out Bibles, praying, going to church, talking with some of our elders in the church, we will start to become more and more Christlike.
The book of Psalms is full of the word Righteousness, why? Well, the writer of Psalms, David, knew that God was righteous. He had had an encounter with God and he wanted the whole world to know about it. He knew that we couldn't obtain righteousness on our own, we had to have God's help to do that.
Righteousness is so important! That is why it is part of the armor of God. When we have the breastplate of Righteousness we have another tool to combat the enemy with. You wouldn't go into war without your protective gear on right? You wouldn't leave your weapon behind?
Well, Spiritual wars are going on all around all of the time! We are at war with the enemy. We can't just sit around and not combat the enemy. Pretty soon we are going to worn down, we are going to give in and give up. But when we put on our belt of Truth and we put on our breastplate of Righteousness, and the rest of the armor, we are ready to go to war. We can face the devil with Righteousness! Do you think that the devil is righteous? No, the Bible says that God is righteous; not the devil.
Today I want to challenge you to suit up! Stop living your life like nothings happening! WE ARE AT WAR!!! Whether you want to believe it or not we are not just living our lives like nothings going on. Put on your Righteousness and combat the enemy's lies!
Righteousness:
After the Bible talks about putting on your 'belt' of Truth, is says to put on the body armor, or breastplate, of Righteousness.
Now people talk about the word Righteousness but what exactly is it? Well dictionary.com says that Righteousness is the quality or the state of being just or rightful.
Now Job 29:14 says "Everything I did was honest.Righteousness covered me like a robe,and I wore justice like a turban." Here it says the Righteousness covered me like a robe or a garment.
Psalms 36:6 says "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,your justice like the ocean depths.You care for people and animals alike, O Lord."
Here they compare God's righteousness to the mighty mountains. What am I trying to get across?
We, in our own human ability, cannot obtain righteousness. It's that simple! Righteousness is the Lords. It is his to give. God is righteousness. Psalms 71: 9 says that God's righteousness reaches to the heavens, who can be compared to you?
For us to be righteous we have to like God. How do we do that? Well, we start with the Word. The Bible says that the Word was with God the Word was God and the Word is God. So if we start by reading out Bibles, praying, going to church, talking with some of our elders in the church, we will start to become more and more Christlike.
The book of Psalms is full of the word Righteousness, why? Well, the writer of Psalms, David, knew that God was righteous. He had had an encounter with God and he wanted the whole world to know about it. He knew that we couldn't obtain righteousness on our own, we had to have God's help to do that.
Righteousness is so important! That is why it is part of the armor of God. When we have the breastplate of Righteousness we have another tool to combat the enemy with. You wouldn't go into war without your protective gear on right? You wouldn't leave your weapon behind?
Well, Spiritual wars are going on all around all of the time! We are at war with the enemy. We can't just sit around and not combat the enemy. Pretty soon we are going to worn down, we are going to give in and give up. But when we put on our belt of Truth and we put on our breastplate of Righteousness, and the rest of the armor, we are ready to go to war. We can face the devil with Righteousness! Do you think that the devil is righteous? No, the Bible says that God is righteous; not the devil.
Today I want to challenge you to suit up! Stop living your life like nothings happening! WE ARE AT WAR!!! Whether you want to believe it or not we are not just living our lives like nothings going on. Put on your Righteousness and combat the enemy's lies!
21 August 2011
Armor of God
"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."- Ephesians 6: 14-17
Ephesians 6 is where the Bible lists the armor of God. When I was in Sunday School we used to have a little song to go with the scripture verse and I remember by children's pastor having actual armor to represent the spiritual armor of God.
These verses to me are so beautiful. They express how we can cloth ourselves, spiritually, against the devil. These are God's weapons. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. Personally, the last one is my favorite.
My little sister has a game called 'the armor of God.' To win the game you have to collect the whole armor of God and make it the center with all of the cards, which represent the different pieces. I loved this game because it was a way to instill in a child that to succeed in life you have to obtain all the pieces of armor. You can't just not have the shoes of peace. Without peace in your life you would totally stressed out! And you can't not have the helmet of salvation. With out salvation your not going to go to heaven.
All six pieces of the armor are essential to life. Today I am just going to focus on the belt of Truth.
Truthfulness is very hard to live up to. Telling the truth isn't exactly easy. Like for instance, if your mom asks you 'did you brush your teeth?' Well, when your a child it is easy to say yeah mom I did! Even though you didn't. And as an adult it's easy to say 'did you break this dish?' no I didn't, when in all reality you did.
Lieing is quite simple to do, but not easy to stop. Did you know that it takes ten days to form a habit and only five to break one? So if lieing is part of your everyday life, try to break it, because it is only a bad habit.
You may think that lieing once in a while is okay. A little white lie here, another over there. But those little lies turn into bigger things, and before you know it you have a lie so big that you don't even know what the truth is anymore.
John 8: 32 says "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NLT
When you tell the truth it may seem hard at first, you may get a consequence. But in the end it if just going to set you free. And not matter how many times you lie, or who you lie to, God knows. He sees everything that we do, we cannot lie to him. And eventually, those people that you lied to will find out. Lets just hope that it's from you and not someone else.
So clothe yourself with the belt of truth!
Today I want to challenge you to tell the truth. The next time that you feel tempted to lie, or an opportunity presents itself, tell the truth instead. Make it a habit.
Ephesians 6 is where the Bible lists the armor of God. When I was in Sunday School we used to have a little song to go with the scripture verse and I remember by children's pastor having actual armor to represent the spiritual armor of God.
These verses to me are so beautiful. They express how we can cloth ourselves, spiritually, against the devil. These are God's weapons. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. Personally, the last one is my favorite.
My little sister has a game called 'the armor of God.' To win the game you have to collect the whole armor of God and make it the center with all of the cards, which represent the different pieces. I loved this game because it was a way to instill in a child that to succeed in life you have to obtain all the pieces of armor. You can't just not have the shoes of peace. Without peace in your life you would totally stressed out! And you can't not have the helmet of salvation. With out salvation your not going to go to heaven.
All six pieces of the armor are essential to life. Today I am just going to focus on the belt of Truth.
Truthfulness is very hard to live up to. Telling the truth isn't exactly easy. Like for instance, if your mom asks you 'did you brush your teeth?' Well, when your a child it is easy to say yeah mom I did! Even though you didn't. And as an adult it's easy to say 'did you break this dish?' no I didn't, when in all reality you did.
Lieing is quite simple to do, but not easy to stop. Did you know that it takes ten days to form a habit and only five to break one? So if lieing is part of your everyday life, try to break it, because it is only a bad habit.
You may think that lieing once in a while is okay. A little white lie here, another over there. But those little lies turn into bigger things, and before you know it you have a lie so big that you don't even know what the truth is anymore.
John 8: 32 says "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." NLT
When you tell the truth it may seem hard at first, you may get a consequence. But in the end it if just going to set you free. And not matter how many times you lie, or who you lie to, God knows. He sees everything that we do, we cannot lie to him. And eventually, those people that you lied to will find out. Lets just hope that it's from you and not someone else.
So clothe yourself with the belt of truth!
Today I want to challenge you to tell the truth. The next time that you feel tempted to lie, or an opportunity presents itself, tell the truth instead. Make it a habit.
19 August 2011
True friends
Today I just want to talk to you about something that has really been on my heart recently. Friends.
Recently I have been going through a really hard time with my two best friends. I love them SO much, but they are breaking my heart! Why?
A friend is someone who is always their for you, who you can count on. Someone who you love and who loves you. A true friend will you before themselves, they will listen to you and give you advice. They will stick by your side through thick and thin, no matter what happens they will always be true to you.
That is the kind of friend that I someday hope to be.. I know that I am a very good friend, but I am human and I'm not perfect. No one is. True friends are hard to come by, and hard to become.
Today I would like to challenge you to be a true friend. Listen to that person, help that person, love that person. Be a true friend to someone and maybe they'll be a true friend to you too. :)
Please pray for me...and my friends....
Recently I have been going through a really hard time with my two best friends. I love them SO much, but they are breaking my heart! Why?
A friend is someone who is always their for you, who you can count on. Someone who you love and who loves you. A true friend will you before themselves, they will listen to you and give you advice. They will stick by your side through thick and thin, no matter what happens they will always be true to you.
That is the kind of friend that I someday hope to be.. I know that I am a very good friend, but I am human and I'm not perfect. No one is. True friends are hard to come by, and hard to become.
Today I would like to challenge you to be a true friend. Listen to that person, help that person, love that person. Be a true friend to someone and maybe they'll be a true friend to you too. :)
Please pray for me...and my friends....
17 August 2011
Quote
Today I read Jonathon Steingard's blog 'the sidelines'. and it had this really awesome quote on it:
"You were born in an origianl. Don't die a copy."
"You were born in an origianl. Don't die a copy."
13 August 2011
Stay Out of the Woods
Have you ever heard the story of King David and his son Absalom? Well, even if you have heard it your about to hear it again. :)
2 Samuel 18:8 - "The woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured."
Absalom, the son of King David had been raised as a Prince. He grew up in a home of worship. David loved the Lord with all of his heart. The palace was a place of worship.
Absalom's half-bother had fallen in love with Absalom's sister, Tamar. But he knew that he could never have her, so he called one of his to him and asked him what he should do. His friend told him to pretend to be sick when the King came to call on him. Then when the king asked what was wrong he was to say, 'send into me my sister Tamar and have prepare my favorite dish to me and feed it to me.' The king consented and Tamar came. After she had finished preparing the food and was about to feed him, Amnon ordered everyone out of his chambers. He then asked Tamar to come to bed with him, but she refused. He then forced her and raped her.
A couple days later Absalom found out what had happened and hid Tamar in his quarters. For a little while Absalom said to Amnon, but inside he hated him.
For two years Absalom was silent on the outside, plotting his revenge inside against Amnon. Finally, he asked his father if he and all his sons would come to his house and feast. The king said no but gave his consent for Absalom to have the feast. So all of his brothers came, including Amnon.
Before the feast Amsalom told his servants that when Amnon was drunk to kill him. And they did. Right after he was killed all the other kings sons fled.
Amsalom then fled to his grandfather's house and stayed their for three years. Meanwhile David was mourning his sons death and longed to be reunited with Absalom.
Don't mess with the woods!
David reconciles with his son and for three years everything is fine. But then Absalom starts to get jealous of his father and starts to rebel. (don't mess with the woods!) Long story short things went downhill. Absalom openly declared war on his own father, the king! When they went to battle King David understood the importance of honor and hold his men to deal very gently with son. So keep him alive and not to batter him.
2 Samuel 18: 8 says: "The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the woods than were killed by the sword."
When Joab heard that Absalom was stuck in the forest he slaughtered, despite of what King David had said. When the king heard that Absalom was killed he was very sad. He mourned his death for a long time.
Absalom lost both the battle and his life because of being in the location of the woods and not on the field. Half of the men that went into the woods never made it out.
The point of this story is the woods. Stay out of them! The woods represent the world and all that it has to offer. If is very important to stay near the battlefield of life and to stay out of the woods. The woods are always near and knocking on your door. The woods are easier to get into than to get out of. But once you are in, you normally don't get back out.
Some of the things that take a person to the woods are pride, jealously, bitterness, lust, greed, curiosity, and ungodly relationships. We will influence others in the wrong way if we are in the woods.
If the woods has a hold of your head (eyes, ears, mind), then the enemy can pierce your hear.
Your environment, prayer life, and who you are around will keep you out of the woods.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
2 Samuel 18:8 - "The woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured."
Absalom, the son of King David had been raised as a Prince. He grew up in a home of worship. David loved the Lord with all of his heart. The palace was a place of worship.
Absalom's half-bother had fallen in love with Absalom's sister, Tamar. But he knew that he could never have her, so he called one of his to him and asked him what he should do. His friend told him to pretend to be sick when the King came to call on him. Then when the king asked what was wrong he was to say, 'send into me my sister Tamar and have prepare my favorite dish to me and feed it to me.' The king consented and Tamar came. After she had finished preparing the food and was about to feed him, Amnon ordered everyone out of his chambers. He then asked Tamar to come to bed with him, but she refused. He then forced her and raped her.
A couple days later Absalom found out what had happened and hid Tamar in his quarters. For a little while Absalom said to Amnon, but inside he hated him.
For two years Absalom was silent on the outside, plotting his revenge inside against Amnon. Finally, he asked his father if he and all his sons would come to his house and feast. The king said no but gave his consent for Absalom to have the feast. So all of his brothers came, including Amnon.
Before the feast Amsalom told his servants that when Amnon was drunk to kill him. And they did. Right after he was killed all the other kings sons fled.
Amsalom then fled to his grandfather's house and stayed their for three years. Meanwhile David was mourning his sons death and longed to be reunited with Absalom.
Don't mess with the woods!
David reconciles with his son and for three years everything is fine. But then Absalom starts to get jealous of his father and starts to rebel. (don't mess with the woods!) Long story short things went downhill. Absalom openly declared war on his own father, the king! When they went to battle King David understood the importance of honor and hold his men to deal very gently with son. So keep him alive and not to batter him.
2 Samuel 18: 8 says: "The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the woods than were killed by the sword."
When Joab heard that Absalom was stuck in the forest he slaughtered, despite of what King David had said. When the king heard that Absalom was killed he was very sad. He mourned his death for a long time.
Absalom lost both the battle and his life because of being in the location of the woods and not on the field. Half of the men that went into the woods never made it out.
The point of this story is the woods. Stay out of them! The woods represent the world and all that it has to offer. If is very important to stay near the battlefield of life and to stay out of the woods. The woods are always near and knocking on your door. The woods are easier to get into than to get out of. But once you are in, you normally don't get back out.
Some of the things that take a person to the woods are pride, jealously, bitterness, lust, greed, curiosity, and ungodly relationships. We will influence others in the wrong way if we are in the woods.
If the woods has a hold of your head (eyes, ears, mind), then the enemy can pierce your hear.
Your environment, prayer life, and who you are around will keep you out of the woods.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
11 August 2011
Grace vs. Mercy
Grace and Mercy are very similar, but very different. In fact, some people even think that they mean the same thing!
Grace:
The Greek for Grace is karis. The word Grace means, according to dictionary.com, is
1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
Grace:
The Greek for Grace is karis. The word Grace means, according to dictionary.com, is
1. elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2. a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment.
3. favor or good will.
4. manifestation of favor, especially by a superior: It was only through the dean's grace that I wasn't expelled from school.
5. mercy; clemency; pardon: an act of grace.
But according to John Bevere's book "Extraordinary." Grace enables us to serve God in the manner that pleases Him. He says that Grace is getting what we don't deserve, and Mercy is not getting what we do deserve. Totally different things.
1 Corinthians 15: 10 says, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them- yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."
2 Corinthians 12: 9 says, "But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakens."
Paul always opened his letter with 'grace and peace to you.' Why? He knew that without grace and peace he couldn't abound to anything so he knew that they needed it too.
Mercy:
1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.
2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing: an adversary wholly without mercy.
3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.
5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.
Mercy is when we don't get what we deserved to get. To show favor on someone or something. That is why, in a lot of prayers, people cry out 'Mercy! Have mercy on me Lord!' Or in movies the person who is just about to be executed cries out for mercy.
A good example from the bible is the story about the servant who owed his master a lot of money. Millions and millions of dollars! So for punishment the master was going to put him in jail until he could pay it all. The man didn't have anything near that so he went to his master and cried out to him. He said, 'Lord, I don't any money at all. My wife is at home all by herself with no means to make any money. And if she did she would have to use it for her own needs. Or Lord, can please just spare me?' The man heard his pleas and decided to let him off. He showed him mercy.
Grace and Mercy are very similar, but they mean two different things. It is important to understand both of these words. We need to have grace in our lives and we all need to exercise mercy towards others.
So today I want to challenge you, find an area in your life where you have been given grace. Make sure that you thank the Lord for his Mercy and Grace in your life. Also find an area where you need to exercise more Mercy. And then do it! By you giving mercy you also will be shown mercy.
09 August 2011
Wild fire!!!
Hey everybody!
So today I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you to do three different things.
1) Do something, unexpectedly, nice for someone.
You could do the dishes at the house, when it's not your turn to do them. You could buy someone lunch at work, or take them out for coffee. You could clean up your siblings room or do the laundry. Anything that is unplanned and heartfelt.
2) Find a devotional.
Aside from your daily bible reading try to find a devotional. Right now I am doing "Sparkling Gems" by Rick Renner. You could do Lies Young Woman Believe, or other books like that. Daily bible reading is fantastic but it definitely to read something else along with it.
3) Tell at least one other person that you know about this blog.
I know that this may sound like a publicity statement, and it kind of it, but the more followers that I have the more inspired I am to blog. So I blog more! And the more people that are reading this, the more that they can be inspired too.
Without my followers, this would be completely pointless. So keep up the good work! And lets help spread the love of God, and hopefully my blog too, like wild fire! Thanks! <3
So today I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you to do three different things.
1) Do something, unexpectedly, nice for someone.
You could do the dishes at the house, when it's not your turn to do them. You could buy someone lunch at work, or take them out for coffee. You could clean up your siblings room or do the laundry. Anything that is unplanned and heartfelt.
2) Find a devotional.
Aside from your daily bible reading try to find a devotional. Right now I am doing "Sparkling Gems" by Rick Renner. You could do Lies Young Woman Believe, or other books like that. Daily bible reading is fantastic but it definitely to read something else along with it.
3) Tell at least one other person that you know about this blog.
I know that this may sound like a publicity statement, and it kind of it, but the more followers that I have the more inspired I am to blog. So I blog more! And the more people that are reading this, the more that they can be inspired too.
Without my followers, this would be completely pointless. So keep up the good work! And lets help spread the love of God, and hopefully my blog too, like wild fire! Thanks! <3
08 August 2011
"You are invited!"
You are invited.....have you ever got an invitation to a party or social gathering? They almost always start with the words, 'you are invited.' Well today you are invited to the party. What party? Well, just keep on reading and you'll soon find out. :)
Have you ever got something from your parents or friend and felt like you didn't deserve it? Well, that is what God has done for us. God has invited us to His party of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and freedom. If we all got what we thought that we deserved than we wouldn't be getting from God. God is perfect, and we couldn't be any farther away. But He loves us so much that he has decided to bless anyways.
A good example of this is when Peter denied Jesus. Mark 14: 27-31
"27 On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike[g] the Shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”
30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
31 “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same."
Jesus predicted Peter's denial. Even though Peter promised to never desert Him, His flesh had other ideas.
Verses 66-72
"66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.[m]”
68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.[n]
69 When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.
A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”
71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept."
Peter denied even knowing Jesus. Did Peter deserve Jesus' forgiveness? No, he did not. But God does not always give us what we rightfully deserve. Peter deserved to be left alone in his self pity, to not know the relief of forgiveness. But Jesus knew that he was only human.
One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15: 11-32
"11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
This is a beautiful story. The man's younger son had run away. He spent all of his money and felt like he didn't even deserve to be called his father's son. In all truth, he didn't. But God doesn't judge on what is fair or what isn't. If this world was fair we would all have lots of money, be perfectly happy with a perfect family. And most importantly Jesus wouldn't have died on that cross. The son realized that even his father's servants ate better than he did. So he purposed to come home and ask to be a servant. But when his father saw him coming down the road he ran towards him. He enveloped him in a huge hug and threw a huge party for him! He loved his son so much that he didn't care what he had done with his money, all that he cared about was that his son who was lost, dead, was alive and back at home where he belonged.
Our father, God, doesn't care how much money we acquire. It doesn't matter to Him how popular we are at school or at work. He cares about us. About His beloved children. God has invited us to the best party in the world, Heaven. But He needs the RSVP. I know for sure that my answer is 'attending.' How about you? What is your answer to the most amazing party that you could over go to?
Have you ever got something from your parents or friend and felt like you didn't deserve it? Well, that is what God has done for us. God has invited us to His party of grace, mercy, forgiveness, and freedom. If we all got what we thought that we deserved than we wouldn't be getting from God. God is perfect, and we couldn't be any farther away. But He loves us so much that he has decided to bless anyways.
A good example of this is when Peter denied Jesus. Mark 14: 27-31
"27 On the way, Jesus told them, “All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike[g] the Shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
29 Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.”
30 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
31 “No!” Peter declared emphatically. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the others vowed the same."
Jesus predicted Peter's denial. Even though Peter promised to never desert Him, His flesh had other ideas.
Verses 66-72
"66 Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67 and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, “You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.[m]”
68 But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.[n]
69 When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, “This man is definitely one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.
A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, “You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean.”
71 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept."
Peter denied even knowing Jesus. Did Peter deserve Jesus' forgiveness? No, he did not. But God does not always give us what we rightfully deserve. Peter deserved to be left alone in his self pity, to not know the relief of forgiveness. But Jesus knew that he was only human.
One of my favorite Bible stories is the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15: 11-32
"11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’
22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’
31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
This is a beautiful story. The man's younger son had run away. He spent all of his money and felt like he didn't even deserve to be called his father's son. In all truth, he didn't. But God doesn't judge on what is fair or what isn't. If this world was fair we would all have lots of money, be perfectly happy with a perfect family. And most importantly Jesus wouldn't have died on that cross. The son realized that even his father's servants ate better than he did. So he purposed to come home and ask to be a servant. But when his father saw him coming down the road he ran towards him. He enveloped him in a huge hug and threw a huge party for him! He loved his son so much that he didn't care what he had done with his money, all that he cared about was that his son who was lost, dead, was alive and back at home where he belonged.
Our father, God, doesn't care how much money we acquire. It doesn't matter to Him how popular we are at school or at work. He cares about us. About His beloved children. God has invited us to the best party in the world, Heaven. But He needs the RSVP. I know for sure that my answer is 'attending.' How about you? What is your answer to the most amazing party that you could over go to?
07 August 2011
Love
"Three things will last forever- Faith, Hope, and Love- and the greatest of these is Love."
-1 Corinthians 13:13
Love:
Today I am going to focus on Love, the last and most important of the three. As the verse says Love is the greatest of all the three things that will last forever. But why? Why is Love the greatest?
Love is one of the most complicated, if the most complicated, things in this world. First of all love is not a feeling, it's a choice. That is one of the reasons why a lot of marriages are failing today. The decide that they don't love each other any more. But you can't be ruled by your emotion or you will be a miserable and selfish person.
Love is so great. It is the most powerful and dangerous emotion, and decision. Love can cause us to do some very strange things. Like, act all funny, change ourselves, hurting someone else, killing someone else, or even letting ourselves be killed for that person. Like what Jesus did.
It says in John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God loved us so much that he sent His only son to die for us. Have you evaluated yourself lately? You are not worthy! That lady at the grocery that He died for, she's not worthy! Your dad? Not worthy! Me, I'm not worthy! No one in this whole world is worthy of what Jesus did. He shed his own blood on the cross for me, for you, for everyone.
God sent His only son. If you had only one son, your only child, could you send him to be killed and blasphemed for the world? For people who don't even believe in him? I know that if it was me, if I had a son, that I couldn't do it. No one could!
But when God sent His Son He wasn't thinking of Himself, He was thinking about you, me, your hair-stylist, the babysitter. He loved us so much that He didn't think about it would affect Him or His Son.
But when God sent His son to die Jesus had a choice. When Jesus was here on earth he could have chosen to live a different way than He did. But He didn't. He loved is so much that He allowed Himself to be beaten, to be cut down with words, to be hung on a cross, to die.
All because of Love. He did all of this because of Love. Their are no words to describe what He did, except Love. So the next time that someone asks you why you believe what you believe, why Jesus did all that He did, Love. Just say Love. That is the best answer, the best description to describe why He did what He did.
I know that this is kind of a kiddy song, but it so depicts His love.
-1 Corinthians 13:13
Love:
Today I am going to focus on Love, the last and most important of the three. As the verse says Love is the greatest of all the three things that will last forever. But why? Why is Love the greatest?
Love is one of the most complicated, if the most complicated, things in this world. First of all love is not a feeling, it's a choice. That is one of the reasons why a lot of marriages are failing today. The decide that they don't love each other any more. But you can't be ruled by your emotion or you will be a miserable and selfish person.
Love is so great. It is the most powerful and dangerous emotion, and decision. Love can cause us to do some very strange things. Like, act all funny, change ourselves, hurting someone else, killing someone else, or even letting ourselves be killed for that person. Like what Jesus did.
It says in John 3: 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God loved us so much that he sent His only son to die for us. Have you evaluated yourself lately? You are not worthy! That lady at the grocery that He died for, she's not worthy! Your dad? Not worthy! Me, I'm not worthy! No one in this whole world is worthy of what Jesus did. He shed his own blood on the cross for me, for you, for everyone.
God sent His only son. If you had only one son, your only child, could you send him to be killed and blasphemed for the world? For people who don't even believe in him? I know that if it was me, if I had a son, that I couldn't do it. No one could!
But when God sent His Son He wasn't thinking of Himself, He was thinking about you, me, your hair-stylist, the babysitter. He loved us so much that He didn't think about it would affect Him or His Son.
But when God sent His son to die Jesus had a choice. When Jesus was here on earth he could have chosen to live a different way than He did. But He didn't. He loved is so much that He allowed Himself to be beaten, to be cut down with words, to be hung on a cross, to die.
All because of Love. He did all of this because of Love. Their are no words to describe what He did, except Love. So the next time that someone asks you why you believe what you believe, why Jesus did all that He did, Love. Just say Love. That is the best answer, the best description to describe why He did what He did.
I know that this is kind of a kiddy song, but it so depicts His love.
05 August 2011
Hope
"Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- but the greatest of these is love."
-1 Corinthians 13:13
Hope:
Hope is defined as:
1.
-1 Corinthians 13:13
Hope:
Hope is defined as:
1.
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope.
2.
a particular instance of this feeling: the hope of winning.
3.
grounds for this feeling in a particular instance: There is little or no hope of his recovery.
4.
a person or thing in which expectations are centered: The medicine was her last hope.
5.
something that is hoped for: Her forgiveness is my constant hope.
The first meaning for Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. An example of this hope would that you are hoping that you will win this race. You are hoping that you get that ipod for Christmas this year.
The second meaning was that Hope is a particular instance of this feeling. This depicts the emotion of hope in that moment. When you hear this particular song you are filled with an instance of hope. Or when you watch a particular show it fills you will hope.
The third meaning of Hope is the grounds for this feeling in a particular instance. You are hoping in something. Your hoping that he will recover.
The fourth meaning is a person or thing in which expectations are centered. Our last hope is that they will reconsider your resume. We put our hope in Jesus Christ.
The last meaning is something that is hoped for. You are hoping in something that isn't really materialistic. Her love is all that I hope for. I hope that someday you will come to look at things differently.
The bible tells us to put our hope in the Lord. He is our Hope. Jesus is Hope.
"Hope, the patent medicine for disease, disaster, and sin." -Wallace Rice
04 August 2011
Faith-Part 2
1 Corinthians 13:13"Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love."
I wanted to brings this scripture up. If you remember in one of my very first posts I posted the whole entire chapter of 1 Cor. 13. I said that this is our decree, that we are going to live this out. Well I wanted to expound on this verse a little bit. Starting with Faith, I already did part one, now part two.
Faith:
In Faith part 1, I talked about Faith as in believing in things not seen. Today I want to talk about Faith as in believing something with your whole heart! So completely that you don't need any evidence. (Which is like almost the same exact thing but just a little different. :) )
I would like to talk about the story about the woman who had an issue of blood. She had been bleeding constantly for 12 years! Ladies, can you imagine, constant cramps, bloating, mood swings. For twelve years in a row, I think that you would be sick of it.
As Jesus was preparing to leave the woman thought "if I just touch His clothes than I know I will be healed." So that is what she did. She touched His hem and immediately was made whole. Then Jesus turned around and said, "Daughter, go on your way, your Faith has healed you." Did you catch that? Your faith? Not, your works or by my power, but by your faith.
Another story of faith was the Centurion who had a sick servant. Now their are very few places in the new testament where Jesus says "you of great faith." But this is one of those times. A Centurion had a servant who was sick and went to find Jesus because he had heard all that Jesus had been doing. He told the Lord, "I am a man of great power. I say go to one and he goes, and to another and come and he comes. So just say the word and I know that my servant will be made whole." He didn't even need Jesus to come and pray for him, or lay his hands one him. He just said say the word and I KNOW that he will be healed. Jesus replied "You of great faith, go your servant is healed." And when the centurion came to his home he asked another servant when his sick servant was made clean and he told him the exact hour when Jesus had said he was healed.
Our faith is so important to our lives. Why else would the writer of Corinthians list it as one of the three things that will last forever? Faith is something that is supernatural. We can't fathom it, nor can we really and truly comprehend it. It is one of the gifts of God. The more faith that we have the more that God can do in our lives. But the less that we have the more that we hinder God from doing all that He is able to do. Make it a point today to access as much faith as you can. Not just today but everyday! Be a person who is known for great faith!
I wanted to brings this scripture up. If you remember in one of my very first posts I posted the whole entire chapter of 1 Cor. 13. I said that this is our decree, that we are going to live this out. Well I wanted to expound on this verse a little bit. Starting with Faith, I already did part one, now part two.
Faith:
In Faith part 1, I talked about Faith as in believing in things not seen. Today I want to talk about Faith as in believing something with your whole heart! So completely that you don't need any evidence. (Which is like almost the same exact thing but just a little different. :) )
I would like to talk about the story about the woman who had an issue of blood. She had been bleeding constantly for 12 years! Ladies, can you imagine, constant cramps, bloating, mood swings. For twelve years in a row, I think that you would be sick of it.
As Jesus was preparing to leave the woman thought "if I just touch His clothes than I know I will be healed." So that is what she did. She touched His hem and immediately was made whole. Then Jesus turned around and said, "Daughter, go on your way, your Faith has healed you." Did you catch that? Your faith? Not, your works or by my power, but by your faith.
Another story of faith was the Centurion who had a sick servant. Now their are very few places in the new testament where Jesus says "you of great faith." But this is one of those times. A Centurion had a servant who was sick and went to find Jesus because he had heard all that Jesus had been doing. He told the Lord, "I am a man of great power. I say go to one and he goes, and to another and come and he comes. So just say the word and I know that my servant will be made whole." He didn't even need Jesus to come and pray for him, or lay his hands one him. He just said say the word and I KNOW that he will be healed. Jesus replied "You of great faith, go your servant is healed." And when the centurion came to his home he asked another servant when his sick servant was made clean and he told him the exact hour when Jesus had said he was healed.
Our faith is so important to our lives. Why else would the writer of Corinthians list it as one of the three things that will last forever? Faith is something that is supernatural. We can't fathom it, nor can we really and truly comprehend it. It is one of the gifts of God. The more faith that we have the more that God can do in our lives. But the less that we have the more that we hinder God from doing all that He is able to do. Make it a point today to access as much faith as you can. Not just today but everyday! Be a person who is known for great faith!
02 August 2011
Faith- Part 1
How many of you guys have seen the Santa clause movies? The ones with Tim Allen? Well, their is one line that his little boy tells him in every movie; and every time that I watch that's what I'm always thinking about after it's over. "Seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing." Now what exactly does that mean? You don't have to see something to believe it, but you have to believe something to be able see it.
Today I want to talk to you about faith. About the Santa clause quote from earlier. In our lives today that could be interpreted as this. When you see a miracle happen, like someone being healed of blindness, or someone is miraculously healed of cancer. You can think of a lot of reasons why that happened, but they won't be the right ones unless you have faith in God. See, without our faith we would be nothing. Everything that we saw we would have a 'logical' conclusion for it. Not a faith-based one.
Faith:
1.
Number two says that faith is a belief that is not based on proof. When God told Abraham that he was going to have children, Abraham did not have any physical proof that it was going to happen. He was over 100 years old, and his wife was well past child-bearing years. But they put their faith in God and he worked the impossible.
Number three says that faith is belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion. We have faith in God. We can not see Him, we cannot feel Him, we cannot hear Him, we cannot smell Him, the five senses do not pick up God. But our Spirit-man does! We have faith in Him, and we have faith in His word!
Number five says that faith is a system of religious belief. We have to have faith to believe in something. For us to be able to boldly proclaim that we are Christians, we have to have faith our religion, we have to have faith in what we believe in.
Faith."Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."- Martin Luther King Jr.
As that wise man said, we have to take the first step. Stepping out in faith may feel impossible but God does the impossible every single day! So why should today be different? Even though we can't see the end, we can't see the prize yet; we can step forward. Even though you can't see the whole staircase, your not going to get anywhere by just standing there. You have to make a decision to take that first step. No matter what it is, if it's reaching out to someone that you have avoided on purpose for years. Or if your taking the first step towards building your business. Whatever it is God is right their. He is waiting for you make that decision. He won't push you, He can not force to do anything. You. You have to do that on your own. And when you finally decide to do that, God will be right there to guide you. Put your faith in the Lord. What do have to lose?
"If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is the key to victory." - William Hazlitt
Today I want to talk to you about faith. About the Santa clause quote from earlier. In our lives today that could be interpreted as this. When you see a miracle happen, like someone being healed of blindness, or someone is miraculously healed of cancer. You can think of a lot of reasons why that happened, but they won't be the right ones unless you have faith in God. See, without our faith we would be nothing. Everything that we saw we would have a 'logical' conclusion for it. Not a faith-based one.
Faith:
1.
confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.
belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3.
belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4.
belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5.
Their are five different kinds of meanings that faith has. But I only want to focus on numbers 2, 3, and 5.a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
Number two says that faith is a belief that is not based on proof. When God told Abraham that he was going to have children, Abraham did not have any physical proof that it was going to happen. He was over 100 years old, and his wife was well past child-bearing years. But they put their faith in God and he worked the impossible.
Number three says that faith is belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion. We have faith in God. We can not see Him, we cannot feel Him, we cannot hear Him, we cannot smell Him, the five senses do not pick up God. But our Spirit-man does! We have faith in Him, and we have faith in His word!
Number five says that faith is a system of religious belief. We have to have faith to believe in something. For us to be able to boldly proclaim that we are Christians, we have to have faith our religion, we have to have faith in what we believe in.
Faith."Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."- Martin Luther King Jr.
As that wise man said, we have to take the first step. Stepping out in faith may feel impossible but God does the impossible every single day! So why should today be different? Even though we can't see the end, we can't see the prize yet; we can step forward. Even though you can't see the whole staircase, your not going to get anywhere by just standing there. You have to make a decision to take that first step. No matter what it is, if it's reaching out to someone that you have avoided on purpose for years. Or if your taking the first step towards building your business. Whatever it is God is right their. He is waiting for you make that decision. He won't push you, He can not force to do anything. You. You have to do that on your own. And when you finally decide to do that, God will be right there to guide you. Put your faith in the Lord. What do have to lose?
"If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is the key to victory." - William Hazlitt
01 August 2011
Forgiven
This song is Titled Forgiven. That word is so powerful. You have the power to forgive someone; do you know how amazing that is?!?!
Forgiven:
–verb (used with object)
1.
to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve.
2.
to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.).
3.
to grant pardon to (a person).
When someone says "I forgive you" they are granting pardon, they are giving up all claim, they are absolving the offense. They are letting you off Scott-free.
Their are many examples of forgiveness in the bible.
Psalm 130:4
"But you offer forgiveness,that we might learn to fear you."
In this passage David is telling us of the Lord's forgiveness.
Nehemiah 9:17
"They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,"
In this passage we learn that God is a God of forgiveness.
Jesus is perhaps the best example of forgiveness. When He hung on that cross, dieing for our sins, He said: Luke 23: 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Even when they were crucifying Him, beating Him, taunting Him, and gambling for His clothes. He pardoned them, he let them off Scott-free.
But can we say the same? When our siblings, or our spouses, wrong us what do we do? Do we yell at them? Do we threaten them into apologizing? And when they do are we really forgiving, or are we just going through the motions?
True forgiveness comes from the heart, not the mouth. When you truly forgive them you will not feel any anger or bitterness towards that person that wronged you. When we truly have forgiven someone we will have the same heart as Jesus.
When someone says, "you are forgiven", it just feels like a breath of fresh air. Deep inside we know that that person harbors no ill will towards us, that they love us. Jesus said that you can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven with unforgiveness inside of you. Unforgiveness is truly a very dangerous topic. With it you may not get to Heaven. But when you exercise true forgiveness you can know that God is smiling down at you; and saying good job.
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