Almost everything we acquire for ourselves today comes with an owners manual. Our forefathers led by God himself saw fit to compile the word of God into what we should recognize today as our own personal "owners manual". The Holy Bible contains the "will of God" without which we will not be able to claim the promises made by our Lord and Savior. A word of caution: Do not detract from or add to, any scripture. They are not to be subjected to any private interpretation. That's from scripture, look it up yourself and you are more likely to retain it. To study the word of God appropriately we are to gather together with like-minded people and collectively pray for guidance from the Holy spirit to lead us into truth. (That's his job). Study on your own but refrain from formulating "private interpretation" into doctrinal issue's without first going before the "like-minded" body and the Holy Spirit.
Do you remember the old gospel song, "He Abides"? I thought of that line " He is with me every where and He knows my every care. I'm as happy as a bird and just as free. For the spirit has control, Jesus satisfies my soul. Now the comforter abides with me." I needed this message.
I saw a similar picture in this. God the Father made a way. He did not have to, but His grace was extended on the cross. That grace was personified by Christ, God the Son who used the cross as the means to pay the penalty for sin. But we were still lost even after the resurrection, not knowing or even caring about redemption, until God the Holy Spirit came to seek us in our lost condition and carry us to safety. But how foolish are those who hide or resist that loving Spirit. He wants to help us, guide us, strengthen us, sustain us, reproduce Christ in us. Thank you Father for your enduring love.
🔷- 2 KINGS 2:14 - Elijah’s God .. Is WHO? - Is Elijah’s God .. Your God? (Divine Name King James Bible) 2 Kings 2:14 “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” American Standard Version 2 Kings 2:14 “And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they were divided hither and thither; and Elisha went over.” Darby Bible Translation 2 Kings 2:14 “and he took the mantle of Elijah which had fallen from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is Jehovah, the God of Elijah? He also smote the waters, and they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over.” (New World Translation) 2 Kings 2:14 “Then he took the official garment of E·liʹjah that had fallen off him and struck the waters and said: “Where is Jehovah, the God of E·liʹjah?” When he struck the waters, they were divided to the left and to the right, so that E·liʹsha went across.” World English Bible 2 Kings 2:14 “He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, "Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?" When he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went over.” Young's Literal Translation 2 Kings 2:14 “and he taketh the robe of Elijah that fell from off him, and smiteth the waters, and saith, 'Where is Jehovah, God of Elijah -- even He?' and he smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and Elisha passeth over.”
Good message. The tendency to want the popular way is reflected in Romans with the divided mind that results from refusing to look for truth. If you do not want truth, any substitute will do.
This conundrum is beyond me. How do you deal with people who persist in self-destructive behavior, without becoming an enabler of destruction? Isn't this why jails and prisons are necessary, to protect the productive society from those who seek to appropriate to themselves an unearned prosperity? Does God expect us to acquiesce to thievery, arson, assault, and murder? I remember in the book of Esther how the Jews took advantage of the king's decree that they could defend themselves on the day designated for their destruction.. The book goes on to say that their preparation was such that A: few wanted to rise up against them and B: their good reputation had won them many friends among the non-Jewish citizens. But what can be done if the rule of law is deliberately violated. How do you tell someone they need to obey the law when they have made a deliberate decision to violate the law? It is easy to say that we must depend upon the grace of God to deal with these people, but I am beginning to think about this in another way. Instead of asking for God's deliverance, maybe we should ask for ourselves to see His grace in our lives and seek His succor and comfort. I don't see things getting much better. The end times are expected to be times of chaos and lawlessness. Perhaps He is using Satan's own nature to prepare Christians as we are being sifted, refined, and shaped as jewels to brighten His heaven?.
Great Message. It is our desire to know God's will, and our obedience to His direction that serves as the assurance. Are we letting Him reproduce the likeness of Christmas in us, or do we resist the work?
At least you got to "The Comical Canadian" to buy in. We have discussed before how struggle brings out the evidence of God's power in a way that is much more memorable than daily trials. Too bad we can not be more cognizant of daily opportunities, and have to get hit over the head like this.
Sin can separate us from the presence of God. It can separate us from fellowship with God. It can block us from eternal life with God. But it will not stop God from loving us and wanting to restore the broken relationship. We should not think of the circumstances of life, the famine or peril or terror or sword as marks that He no longer loves us. Even our sin can not separate from His love, but it can separate us from His presence.
On the 18th, there was a one day event, the 3rd installment of Tim Mahoney's "Patterns of Evidence" movies where he tries to trace the path Israel took to the crossing of the Red Sea. It was interesting from a geographic perspective, but you brought out a different point. The journey was not just to escape slavery, but to equip the people for the battle ahead. Living in the wilderness is not God's plan for us; it makes the fruits of victory more precious and gratifying. On top of that, HE fights the battle.
I did not get to listen to this last week; I thought it was because of the press of time. However God wanted me to wait because this perfectly corolated with a message heard at our current church Sunday. When we think of God's gifts, instead of the material things, or even the relationships He brings into our lives, look at the Hope and Purpose we have because of what God has done.
Good message. I had not thought about advent as involving our getting ready for His second coming, but it makes sense. There is much to be done in the body of believers. He may have to do a great winnowing.
Good message. I was thinking about Temple building in another way. Certainly we build up the Christain community and represent God as His ambassadors. Wesley is a true example of that in the community. But you preached a message a few months back about us being living stones in the tabernacle. Do we let God use us as living temples where people can see Christ living in us? Are we continually repairing, enhancing, improving our own presentation of God's grace to others? If people don't even come in the church, can they still tell that God has done something in our own life by a gentle, winsome spirit?
Good message. Some people say you should embrace change, or others say you should not fear change, but they are missing the point. Change for the sake of change is foolish. Changing from something effective to something noticeably deficient is self defeating. There is no remedy for sin but the blood of Jesus. You can look for other forms of payment. You can try to obscure what sin is. You can hide the consequences in your mind. But bottom line, payment must be made. And payment is steep.
Good message. I recall an illustration of a dead man lying in a coffin while a seductive woman stood over him. There was no reaction or attraction, he was truly dead to her. So should we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, be dead to anything that would attempt to draw us from God's lordship over our life. Likewise, we live for Him. Our will is His will; dead to self, alive to Him.
Great message. There is nothing that God would rather do than reproduce the character of Christ in us. But He will not do it against our will; if our apathy, or obstinance, or pride resists God's effort, He will let us dry up. How many times have you heard someone say, almost as a point of pride, "That's just the way I am and I can't help it." If we try to change ourselves we will experience the dryness. But God is in the business of changing people, the way we think, the way we talk, the way we spend our money, the way we treat other people. If we recognize the need for change and quit dragging our feet, that freshness will return.
The whole realm of nature is not enough, He made that on His own. He also made us, but then gave us freedom; the freedom to be our own self. In a sense, ourselves is all that is really ours, it is another of the gifts we received. For that reason, myself is all I can truly give, all that God does not already have. Maybe that is why God considers us a special treasure.
Good message. His promises are validated by what He has brought us through. Our courage is the product of God's faithfulness. Our faith is the presentation of what He has enabled us to endure; the expectation that He will continue to bear our burdens; and the confidence of final victory.
Good message. I have read that lions are cowardly creatures, often timid and wary of their prey. They prefer a weakened, slower enemy that can offer less resistance. While our enemy is fearsome, he is also defeated. With the same power of the Holy Spirit, which had filled Jesus after his baptism, we can successfully resist the roaring lion. Better not try this on your own. The enemy would sift you like Pete.
Great message! Liked your using the Oswalt illustrations. The comment about winning the argument and losing the battle reminded me of an Indian proverb from Ravi Zacharias: "After you cut off someone's nose, do not give them a rose to smell."
Good message. Our enemies are spiritual influences that seek our destruction. They maybe hostile or apathetic, but the effect is the same. Regarding the "leaping walls". There are several books referenced in the Bible, such as the Book of the Kings of Israel, or the Book of the Kings of Judah. One such mentioned is "The Book of Jasher" in Joshua and II Samuel. This appears to be folklore and credits almost supernatural powers to Jacob's sons. In particular, Simeon and Levi were able to defeat the entire population of Shechem by leaping over the walls of the city and terrifying the enemy with shrill, ear-piercing yells. Perhaps David was aware of this legend when he mentioned jumping over walls in psalm 18.
Good message. Faith is not believing the impossible, but it is the realization that the God who created & rules the universe wants what is best for me; and He knows better than I what that is.
Good message. I needed that. One thing I thought of was deliberately putting out the fire. Make a decision to forgive, even when forgiveness has not been requested. This is not a normal reaction but is possible with God's help. Let Him remove the fuming within your own heart. Question. To what extent should the forgiveness be publicized? David never told Nabal of his own anger or even that there had been an offense. He was just going to unload on Nabal, until Abigal defused the situation, and Nabal became so unhinged it killed him. But never did Nabal admit this boorish behavior or attempt to make amends. David was saved from improper behavior and I do not recall that God ever chastised him for his attitude. Am I missing something?
No, your observations seem to be on target. I don't know that the forgiveness needs to be publicized. Maybe in some situations it would be more necessary.
Good message. Some historical info. Recent scholarship indicates that the pharoah who plundered Jerusalem was none other than Ramesses II, often mistaken for the pharoah of the Exodus. The biblical term Shishak was actually the Hebrew version of his nickname and, in a play on words, means "plunderer of Solomon's treasure". (From David Rohl, Exodus - Myth or History, pg 61-69.)
Good message. The power of the Holy Spirit does not necessarily give us new abilities, but focuses our God given talents into His service and His priorities. It won't make me a piano player or a preacher, but it will empower us to share what God has done in our own lives. We must be surrendered to His will and expect the opportunities to follow.
The difference in our God and other deities can be seen in this passage. One of the most noted sections of Hindu scriptures has the god Krishna supporting Arjuna rather than his enemy because Arjuna asked Krishna first. The righteousness of the cause was of no import. If we want God to be on our side in these life struggles, we must first be on His side and fight the battle in His way. This may be counter-intuitive. Our weapons are very different from the way the world fights. I do not mean we must necessarily be passive or unprepared. But we can resist without rancor. We need not resort to personal attacks. Become adept with our main weapon, the Word of God. I do not mean picking out a few "proof" texts, but a working knowledge of God's plan as He has revealed it. With His help, we can present the will and purpose of God without animosity and with a loving spirit.
We need to remember that the enemy is not looking out for our well being. He does not want us to be successful in advancing the kingdom. His desire is for our failure and destruction. Satan hates us even more than he hates his own followers, and he does not play fair. But God is still on His throne and has already won the victory. It's ultimately going to be alright.
