Words

LOVE and GIVING

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Do you know that Love and Giving go together like Love and Marriage, Horse and Carriage, Salt and Pepper, and Shoes and Socks, etc.?

Love gives according to the Bible. A familiar and popular verse is found in John 3: 16 NKJV “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God set the example for He is love and He gives. If you say you love then you must give. According to the Bible we must be careful how we use the word love. According to the Scriptures we will be held accountable for the words we speak as found in Matthew 12:36 NKJV. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. Some people always talk of how badly they are treated and how things always go wrong for them. Should we be surprised? After all, Jesus told us in Mark 11:23 that we would have what we say.

There are many Scripture verses that give instructions about giving. According to what God says in the New Testament about giving. It is centered around the believer’s relationship with God. Leviticus 19:18 says you are to love your neighbor as yourself.

Giving is not all about money. Believers are to be willing to offer whatever the Lord may ask. It all depends on a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ. It could be time, food, water, care, clothing, attention, or whatever circumstances may warrant. One of the most important gifts a person can give is sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Being a seed planter could lead to salvation of a lost soul.

Whatever a person gives, it must come from their heart. God honors a cheerful giver. I don’t believe God wants us to give until we become a recipient of someone’s giving. One exception would be by God’s total leadership. All our giving must be done in love and through prayer and God’s guidance. By our giving in love, the Lord brings us into maturity of faith and we grow in dependance on Him. This will help develop our knowing God’s will for our lives here on earth.

One of the most important aspects of love and giving is when we realize what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross of Calvary. When you receive and confess Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you join God’s family and you become an heir to all that Jesus has according to Romans 8:17 NKJV. God loves and God gives. In return you love Him and you give back to Him, then read and follow His instruction Book, the Bible.

When we give to Him freely from our heart with gratitude, we will come to realize that everything we have already belongs to Him including life. We own nothing.

There are five benefits of giving; Feeling Happy, Good Health, Social Connection, Gratitude, It is Contagious.

The only proof of love is giving. Giving is the action that demonstrates love. So, the measure of your giving is the measure of your love. The more you give — of yourself, your time, your attention, your affection, your patience, your treasure — the more you love.

According to Scripture, our greatest motivation for giving ought to be our love for others. Just as Jesus Christ died for the sins of others, we ought to give of ourselves for others.

Love calls us to “pray and never give up” Luke 18:1. John writes: “This is love, not that we love God, but God loves us” 1st John 4:10.

Jesus said in John 13:34; a new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have you, you also are to love one another.

Also, John said in 1 John 4:7; Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.The above verses tell us to love and give.

1 John 4:12-19 NKJV 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Now in closing, I want to leave you with a couple of scripture that are commandments for Love and Giving. They are,

Luke 6:35-36, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Matthew 6:14 NKJV 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

In the Matthew verse there needs to be a willingness, in love, to step forward to the one who hurt you and give forgiveness just as God will forgive you. Is there someone in your life that you must forgive so that you may be forgiven?

In the Christian world, we can find all sorts of excuses not to obey God’s voice:  Excuse-making is self-sabotage.  2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. God does not like excuses, so do not mock Him.

God is love. His love is agape love. Agape love is a sacrificial love. God is giving. He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins so that those who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior will have everlasting life with Him.

God loves you and so do I. How much do you love God and what are you willing to give Him?

FOR IT IS WRITTEN

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FOR IT IS WRITTEN

I believe that the title words Jesus spoke to Satan when He was tempted are very important to us today. We must realize and come to know that if you are born again and belong to Christ, you have the same authority over the devil as Jesus did when He walked on this earth. Jesus gave us everything He has when He died for us. You just have to believe and claim them. I did and He has.

The Bible points out three times that the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus quoted scripture. Each time, Jesus began with, “IT IS WRITTEN.”

Satan takes advantage of our circumstances when tempting us. His temptations increase if we are poor, hungry and have a strong desire for worldly possessions. The devil feeds on our lusts and desires. If we tempt the devil to tempt us, we provoke God and God will leave us to battle Satan’s temptations on our own. Since Jesus did not have a corrupt nature, He was only tempted by the devil and not by His lusts or desires.

Satan wants you to believe that he is strong and mighty. Do you realize that the devil only has the power and authority you give to him. Satan is the great deceiver, liar and intimidator. Whatever attacks and temptations he comes to you with, he only succeeds if you yield to him. Remember, Jesus did not yield to him. Satan usually goes after Christians, especially born again believers. Non-Christians already belong to him, so he does not bother with them. If Satan is bold enough to approach Jesus who was God, he sure is not afraid of a human being who do not have the authority of Jesus Christ with them.

Let me ask you, what your defenses against the devil are if you do not know what God’s Word says to do. Oh, you may know a few verses, but are they what you need to encounter Satan. Do you realize that the devil knows the scriptures, probably better than most of us and will counter your defense? Have you ever thought about, why doesn’t God hear my prayers and answer them? You are at the mercy of Satan if you are not prepared. The only solution is to have Jesus Christ in control of your life. That only comes by your surrender of your life to Him. Jesus will protect you if you belong to Him.

Do you realize that the devil’s temptations are believable? He is so cunning that he can have you believing that you are doing well when in fact you are sinning against God. Most often, Satan will fill us with pride and vain self-conceit that we get so wrapped in ourselves we neglect God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and fall into the sins of the devil. When the devil can get you to rely on your five senses to guide your life, he is winning. Our five senses lead to the opposite of what God wants because they are controlled by the flesh. Sin controls the flesh.

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit reside in the spiritual realm. In order for us to communicate with them, it must be done in the spirit. That only happens when we enter into the spiritual realm by being born again. Then like our physical life, we must grow spiritually. We must study and learn what instructions God has for us so we will grow spiritually. Our study book is the Bible.

In order for us to meet the temptations of Satan, we must do as Jesus did with plain declarations of the Scriptures. We need to know what the Bible says so we can test the matter whether it is the right thing to do or whether we are going on what we feel. Remember feel is one of the five senses.

We need to understand that Jesus did not have the New Testament to rely on. His quotations came from the Old Testament. They are from Deuteronomy 8:3 and Deuteronomy 6:16.  In the New Testament, Matthew chapter 4 and Luke chapter 4 record the story of Jesus’ temptations.

During your lifetime, whatever time that is, Satan will come into your life many, many times. He will come with the power you give him to overcome you. There will be false teachers that can lead you astray. Satan can be so impressive and so powerful that you will be deceived by him and yield to the sins that tempt you. If you are not prepared, it will overtake you. All you have to do is look around you and see how bad it is and it is going to get worse according to the Bible. Satan’s temptations are so great because our lusts are taking control of our lives. Look at the cell phone epidemic, the internet, sexual immorality, drugs, alcohol, self-desires, etc.

Praise God because there is good news. If you have given yourself to Jesus, then according to 1 Corinthians 10:13 “there is no temptations taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may able to bear [it].”

The Lord’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor. 1:25). If God is speaking to you today, Please listen to what He is telling you to do.

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is not the Bible laying on a shelf, but God’s Word being spoken by a believer.

You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of God. You must take the Word and speak it — just like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4).

Our battle is with an evil spiritual force. That means we are required to use spiritual weapons. Those weapons are speaking the Word of God. 1 Peter 5:8 says that Satan will devour those that don’t know the authority of Jesus Christ. God loves you so much He has given us authority over the devil through His Son Jesus Christ. I want you to realize the truth because I love you. Study the Bible to show thyself approved.

THE DEVIL IS GAINING GROUND

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THE DEVIL IS GAINING GROUND

I am writing this article as a witness of my Christian belief that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He inspired men to write what God instructed for the welfare of His creation. Since God created man with a free will to choose their destiny, we have the privilege to choose the pathway of life as we desire.

In the past year, I have witnessed political rancor and bitterness of feelings towards the President of the United States of America as I have never seen in my 60 years as a voter. I have had the privilege of voting for eleven presidents beginning with Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I support the First Amendment of the Constitution. Although the First Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech,” Americans don’t have the luxury of always saying whatever they want. Your right to free speech is limited by where you are, what you say, and how you say it. Now, it appears that we must be extra careful because of political correctness.

My point is to be a Christian witness over political ideology. According to the Bible, we are given instructions by God so that we can live a peaceful life here on earth. Where the problems come into play are because the instructions in the Bible are ignored.

Romans 13, it says “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

1st Peter 2:13, 14 and 17. “13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good…17 Honor everyone. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor” Peter goes on to talk about also honoring your boss as well as being willing to suffer for doing good. Those are not easy things to put into practice.

Ecclesiastes 10: 20. Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, and don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

There are stern warnings from God concerning our speech. Matthew 12:37 says; “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Following is a list of words that the Bible considers sin. Do you connect any of the words with our present political arena? How about with our news media? How about people?

“Gossip” – “Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.”

“Rumor” – “Unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth; hearsay.”

“Slander” – “The utterance of defamatory statements injurious to the reputation or well-being of a person. … A malicious statement or report.”

“Backbite” – “To speak spitefully or slanderously about (a person).”

“Talebearer” – “A person who spreads malicious stories or gossip.”

“Rail” – “To condemn or attack in bitter, harsh, or abusive language…”

“Revile” – “To denounce with abusive language.”

Have you ever been a victim of false statements? I have and it is not a situation that I would wish on anyone. Fortunately, Jesus was with me and I was exonerated of the false statements. Some people accuse others of doing wrong when they do not know it to be true.

I believe that the deterioration of our great country is due to Satan’s influence of deceit. It all began when God was taken out of daily lives. Today, it continues to be an ongoing trend with a greater influence. Is the devil gaining ground in his war against Christianity and the foundations that America was built on?  Satan has got us spending so much time on judging others that we have lost our prospective of life.

According to Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. According to Acts 4:12, neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

So, is there a solution to the way our country is going? Yes, if we would follow God’s instructions in His Holy Word, the Bible..

2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Mark 12: 30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

I look forward to the day that America and the world will experience a revival and many will come to Jesus Christ and His salvation. Hopefully many will do so soon. I pray that you will consider the Lords invitation as He loves you and so do I.

THE WORDS YOU SPEAK, THAT’S WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE.

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THE WORDS YOU SPEAK, THAT’S WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE.

Before I begin my topic, I want to wish all a Happy New Year. For those that have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, may the Lord bless you with the desires of your heart? For those that haven’t, may you consider the invitation of Jesus to enter into His eternal gift of salvation? It is a free gift with many promises. The most important is eternal life with Him in His kingdom.

I have written a blog sometime back similar to this. With some, they are able to control their tongue, others speak like the words come from a cesspool. The Bible tells us that we will account for what we speak according to Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment. Also in Proverbs 6:2 (NKJ) it says; you are snared by the words of your own mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth.

Words are powerful, they can get you into trouble, and you can curse others of which the devil can then place on a person. You can speak ungodly things and consider them innocent. I ask you, does God? Whether you are a Christian or not you will be held accountable for every idle word regardless if it slipped out of your mouth or not. When you have true faith in Christ it produces obedience. If a Christian is guilty of such behavior, they need to confess and repent and receive God’s forgiveness.

When you speak aloud, the Devil can take your words and put them into action. Most people don’t realize that Satan is the one who increases the problem. When you confess to being a Christian, you cannot praise the Lord one day and speak against God or someone the next. Christians should not willfully practice sin. I know that there are going to be some that will say it is no big deal. I believe that if it wasn’t a big deal, then God would not have made a point of telling us that we need to tame our tongue according to the Book of James.

Jesus said that you will have what you say. It will depend on you faith or your doubt or whether you have His salvation or not. Those that have not received Jesus’ invitation for salvation cannot expect to receive His blessings. On the other hand, you can believe on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoy His blessings according to Mark 11:23 (NKJV) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Oh, what a promise. Is there any reason to do otherwise? There is a lot we don’t understand but we must realize that we are responsible for our own destiny. You must know that God loves you more than you love yourself. He already proved this by sacrificing His Son for our sins and Jesus shedding His blood to cover them.

We are entering a new year and you can add a new resolution that you would consider receiving Jesus Christ’s invitation of salvation. If you do, God and the Heavenly Kingdom will rejoice. I love you and pray you don’t delay in making the most important decision of your life.

What We Believe

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WHAT WE BELIEVE.

Oh! How many times I have heard Christians speak the following and there was a time I probably spoke them. Now, I know better because I have learned differently from studying God’s Word. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth has become a Scripture verse that I have come to realize I must do in order to have a closer walk with Jesus. I believe that this article by Ms. McMenamin is worth passing on. God loves you and so do I.

 5 Things You Won’t Believe are NOT in the Bible

Cindi McMenamin, Author

Would you believe there are some secular sayings that sound so religious people often believe they came from the Bible?These pieces of presumed Christian “wisdom” can sound biblical on the surface, but a closer look at Scripture will show you that some of them are actually far from the truth of God’s Word.

Here are five sayings that are NOT a part of Scripture:

  1. God helps those who help themselves. 

I’m sure you’ve heard it and possibly even said it to encourage someone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get it done. But this verse is not in the Bible. And its premise is not true. To the contrary, God helps those who admit they can’t help themselves.

Scripture is loaded with examples of God calling weak, humble people who would have been inadequate for the Lord’s work without His enabling strength. Scripture says that Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. And Paul states “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV).

Furthermore, James 4:10 tells us “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” If God helped those who helped themselves, that verse would read: “Show yourself capable and God will come along and help.” Many times those of us who believe we can help ourselves don’t feel we need God and therefore, we don’t rely on Him. God wants us to admit we’re helpless so we can start depending on His strength to get us through situations. That is faith.

  1. God won’t give you more than you can handle. 

I think we’ve all said this at one time or another, primarily to comfort another believer or even an unbeliever who is struggling with something or fearful that something bad might happen. But this verse does not exist. And this statement doesn’t hold true. God will often give us more than we can handle so that we will depend on Him to carry the burden for us.

Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV), and Matthew 11:28-30 tells us to come to Him when we are weary and take His yoke upon us so we can bear a load that is too heavy to lift ourselves.

I believe we get the idea that God won’t give us more than we can bear from 1 Corinthians 10:13 which tells us “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” That verse tells us God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to resist. But He will allow us to struggle beyond our capacity in other aspects of life so we understand what it means to surrender and allow Him to carry the burden for us.

  1. We are all God’s children. 

Here’s another one that sounds true.  And although God is the Creator of all, He is not the father of all. Romans 8:9 clearly tells us “if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Jesus said those who are apart from Him are children of Satan, the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and Romans 8:15 tells us when we receive God’s spirit we have received “a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” God adopts us through our surrender to Christ Jesus. Therefore, a more accurate saying is: We are all God’s creation, but we are not all God’s children.

  1. The sinner’s prayer. 

As I was discipling a young believer, I asked her if she had ever said “the sinner’s prayer.” She read it in the discipleship material we had in front of us and then asked me where it was found in the Bible. “Well, it’s not. It’s implied,” I said.

This is a tough one for us because we want to point to something in the Bible that someone needs to actually say in order to be saved. However, Romans 10:9-10 says “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;  for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” No wordy prayer involving the words “repent” or “confess” or asking Jesus to “come into our hearts” exists in Scripture.

What we do find, however, are short heartfelt cries for God’s mercy, including: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42), and “Lord, I believe” (John 9:38).

  1. God works in mysterious ways. 

This might be one of the most quoted sayings of all time when it comes to God.  The only problem is that it isn’t a verse in the Bible. Yes, God does work in ways we don’t understand, but this saying is most likely a simplified paraphrasing of two verses.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 says,“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” And Jeremiah 33:3 reads, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” In this case, it’s not that this saying is wrong, it’s simply not in the Bible.

Can you think of some more sayings that people quote as if they’re Scripture?

What Do You Call Yourself?

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WHAT DO YOU CALL YOURSELF?

If someone was to ask you to define yourself, what would you say? Are you going to call yourself a Christian or are you going to say that you are a Believer? Before you answer, it is important to know what the Bible says about this subject.

Only three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; and 1 Peter 4:16) will you find the word Christian used. In Antioch (Acts 11:26) followers of Jesus were called Christians due to their behavior, speech, and activity because it resembled what Jesus Christ said and did. The unsaved people of Antioch used the name Christian to make fun of the followers of Jesus.

Now, let us look at the word Believer. There does not appear that the word Believer is found in the New Testament. The word Believers (not Believer singular) is found twice in the New Testament, Acts 5:14 and 1 Timothy 4:12.

Today, there is a strong distinction between Believer and Christian. The term Christian was not used to describe the first Believers and it should not be used now. Approximately 75% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. If our country had this many people following Jesus as they did in Antioch our culture would not be in such rapid decline as it is today. Many non-believers look at those that call themselves Christians and blaspheme the name. Unfortunately many people who claim to be Christians do not seem to exhibit the characteristics and lifestyles that demonstrate that they follow Jesus Christ.

The use of the word Believers really refers to the act of believing or of having believed. Most people if asked to describe their belief will not say they are Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu or something else. They will say they are Christians without having the slightest clue as to what they are saying. Many people will tag themselves with the title “Christian” without exhibiting the characteristics and lifestyles that show they follow Jesus Christ. The first-century Christians followed the teachings of Jesus Christ. Today, this practice has lost its meaning because people have lost the understanding of what it means to follow Jesus and His way of life.

Do you realize that there are people sitting in church today that do not believe in Jesus Christ, let alone trust Him and they call themselves Christians because they go to church. Unfortunately going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going into a barn makes you a farmer. Our society has put the label of a Christian on those that are considered religious or on someone that they consider has high moral values. It even goes so far as a good person is a Christian. Even a person who attends church regularly and works in the church is considered a Christian and the list goes on.

It appears that many people prefer to take the definition of a Christian that comes from Webster’s Dictionary than believe the Bible on what God says. Many secular definitions and interpretations of God’s Word falls short of communicating biblical truth of what it means to be a Christian.

Biblically, the word Christian comes from the Greek word Christianos which is defined as a follower of Christ who is called the Messiah or the Anointed One referring to Jesus Christ.

The Bible is very clear in explaining what a person must do to be a follower of Jesus Christ. In John 3:3-7 Jesus says: ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” What Jesus is saying is that a person must confess and repent of their sins. Then believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He died on the cross for our sins. Now we must put our faith and trust in Jesus in every aspect of our life.

The Bible teaches us in Titus 3:5 that the good works we do cannot and does not make us acceptable to God. Salvation in Jesus Christ is a free gift. You cannot earn it. Jesus paid the price on the cross so we may have eternal life with Him. All you have to do is receive it. . Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” If you would read and study Acts 11: 20-26 you will learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

I believe that there is another choice for a true follower of Jesus other than Christian and Believer. It is one that I prefer. Look at what Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) says: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. The word Amen means ‘so be it.’
The keyword or correct title for a true follower of Jesus is Disciple. You will find that title over 296 times in the New Testament. Are you willing to be called a Disciple of Jesus? Then pick up you cross and follow Him. Love to all!

THE HEART

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THE HEART

Image result for biblical heart images

The word “Heart” occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it an important subject that Christians should become aware of what God has to say about it. The “Heart” is the center for both the physical and spiritual activities of our lives.

The heart is the core of our being and the Bible sets the importance of keeping our hearts pure.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

This article is not about the heart as a vital organ, a muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. Neither is this article concerned with romantic, philosophical, or literary definitions. When the Bible in the Old and New Testaments speak about the heart, it never means merely human feelings.

The Biblical word “Heart,” is the inner part of man, made of three parts all together, with the primary part:

  1. Mental Process, which is the major part, which is to lead a person in their life.
  2. Emotions, enriching our lives.
  3. Will, where decisions are made between rational and irrational.

We need to remember that God created male and female in His image. Geneses 1:27, so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. With that in mind we must realize that God has a heart.

We have a heart because God does. David was a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).

And God blesses His people with leaders who know and follow His heart (1 Samuel 2:35 and Jeremiah 3:15).

Let us look at some additional verses regarding the “Heart.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Rather than trust our hearts, we are to commit our hearts to God. In all your ways submit to him.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Now, let us look at the other side of the “Heart.”

Mark 7:21-23 (NIV). 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.

We all have a heart problem. Our biggest problem is not external but internal.

Jeremiah 17:9-10, (NIV) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct.

Matthew 12:34 (NKJV) For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

There is hope, for God has provided a way for our “Heart” to be changed. In order to be saved, the heart must be changed. This can only happen when we have faith and believe in Jesus Christ. It happens when the power of God, by His grace creates a new a new heart of the one who believes in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for that is the Gospel.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV). 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone.

He will fill your “Heart” with new ideas, new wisdom, and new desires. It is a free gift. All you have do is receive Jesus as your Savior. God loves you and so do I. Love to all.

POWER IN THE WORDS YOU SPEAK.

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POWER IN THE WORDS YOU SPEAK.

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Have you ever considered how the words you speak affects your life? I have come to learn that what I speak has a great bearing on how my life is going to turn out. It is going to be good or it is going to be bad depending on what words I speak.
According to the Bible, the words you speak are going to affect your life in way you cannot imagine. The most important factor we need to realize is how the enemy (Satan) can use the words you speak and cause you so much grief. On the other hand, how the Word of God can give you so much peace.
The devil cannot read your thoughts, but if you speak aloud, he knows what you say and he knows if you put any of your words into action. In other words he can hear what you say, read what you write, and observe what you do.

 There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Satan is omniscient. There are no verses that say he knows everything or that he can read our thoughts. But he is very adept at predicting human behavior. That’s why you should Choose Your Words Carefully.

There are over a hundred verses in the Bible that caution you about the words you speak. With that information, you must admit that God is telling us to use our words carefully. Have you ever considered that the words you speak may be the reason you are in the circumstance you are in. Let us look at a few of the Bible verses that tell us about the words we use.

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Matthew 12:37 (ESV) for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Colossians 3:8 (ESV) But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

James 1:26 (ESV) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

James 1:19-20 (ESV) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

DEUTERONOMY 30:19 (NLT) “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

The last verse above says that you choose between blessings and curses. Let me point out some illustrations that the devil uses against you. Remember what I said about the devil using our words against us. Somebody says they have a cold or the flu and a person responds with “Oh, I’m sure I’ll catch it”. That person just opened the door for Satan to go to God and demand the right to infest them and then it happens. God has done His part by warning you through His word, the Bible. Satan is roaming about like a lion seeking to devour people like that. It could be more serious than something like a cold.

Let’s look at some other examples. Have you ever said something like, “How could I have been so stupid,” or “I’ll never amount to anything,” or “I am so confused?” I cannot imagine what the devil is going to do with those statements. Here are just a few more words that we hear that can cause our lives to be in turmoil: “I’m afraid not,” “I’ll be damned,” “Dam you,” “That scared the life out of me,” “I’m so sick of hearing that,” “I laughed till I thought I would die,” “This heat is killing me,” “My arthritis is killing me.” “I am heavily in debt and don’t know how I’m going to get out,”   I’m sure you get my point regarding the words we use in describing a situation in our lives.

There are going to be people that will believe that I may be stretching the subject. I used to think the same way until I began to understand some of what God is trying to tell us in His Word. Oh, I don’t know everything and I don’t pretend I do. There is not a human being alive that knows everything. God wants us to know as much as we can learn about Him while here on earth.

Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, this world we live in is infested with the influence of Satan. He has conditioned us to speak and act with doubt, fear, and death. If the devil gets you to speak negative words, you give him an opening to bring destruction into your life. Any negative attitude is giving the devil an opportunity to attack you.

Is it common for you to put yourself or others down? Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Do you have a negative comment or bash every imperfection in the world around you? If so, you have opened the door for Satan and his demons to attack you. Satan and his demons are relentless in their efforts to bring you down and influence you in what you say. They watch and consider everything you say and do.

Satan and his demons are in a supernatural realm. We are not able to combat him on our own. If you try, you are sure to fail. We need to partner with God. This a decision you have to make or you can continue on the pathway of destruction. This is the case with most spiritual issues. We must act first and then God will do His part that only He can do. We have to equip ourselves with “Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God.” In any war we have to study and know the capabilities of the enemy. Yes, we are at war with the devil and those that are his soldiers.

When Jesus died on the cross, He not only provided the gift of salvation but gave us everything He inherited from God. Jesus defeated the devil and stripped him of all his authority by the power of His blood.

PROVERBS 4:20-22 (NKJ) 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

The above promise is just one of thousands that are found in God’s Holy Word. Each person is responsible for learning what God has given us. He isn’t going to force you to accept His gifts. He wants you to come to Him willingly. When you speak, you are expressing a choice, life and blessings or what the devil offers…destruction. Personally, I will take the written guarantee that Holy Father has given to us in his Word. If you agree, you must learn to speak words of love, kindness, life, blessings, faith, praise, thanksgiving. These are words of life in its fullness. Jesus spoke words of life and when we speak in agreement with His Word, we are speaking words of life, health, and happiness. Follow His example. Love to all.

ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT COURSE?

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ARE YOU ON THE RIGHT COURSE?

I am sure most of us like to travel and see beautiful sights, explore and find exciting things. The great USA has a lot to offer as an example. I have seen a lot of this great country, not as much as I would like but I am still alive and who knows. When we travel we must take a certain course to reach a certain destiny. In order to become a born again believer, a person must take a certain course to reach that destiny. My question today is, are you on the right course? Let us look at some Scripture in order to help you determine if you are on the right course.

JAMES 3:2-5 NIV 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

Are the words you speak directing your life? I can assure you that the Bible says they are. What you say determines what you get in life. It did for the people of Israel. And the Bible says the things which happened to them are lessons for us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

I’m sure that many times the words you speak may in a joking manner or they may be said without thinking. Jesus said you will have what you say. He is telling us that the words we say set the course of our life. I want to point out a real important lesson regarding what you speak. For example if you curse someone, for whatever reason, the devil can take those words and use them against the person and against you. Another example is you speak negatively about something or someone, it will most often become a negative situation because the devil is out to cause trouble in any way he can. Satan uses our words to attack us. If you pray for someone or something and implement any negative words with your prayer, it most likely will not have a positive effect. Satan is looking for any way to destroy your faith or belief in God and he does so through the words you speak.

In what form you express or believe your words, the power behind them will drive you to your destination very quickly. The Book of Proverbs on several occasions calls a person a fool that cannot control their tongue. Words spoken by your tongue express your beliefs and release authority in your life. This works for everyone, whether they realize it or not. Now that you know this truth, act on it. Ask the Lord to help you always speak the right words to steer your life to victory. Love to all.