Posts

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

  Good morning. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. That is so not going to happen in the natural. This, of course, is the same thing that Jesus said. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Too many times people want to gloat over those who are sad, and become jealous when someone else gets a blessing. If we truly love them, we will “feel their pain“. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. We should not look down on others. When churches start to grow and the members start to get blessed, it’s too easy to start thinking that you are better than those that are not blessed. When you start to think too highly of yourself, as one of my friends in high school and college used to say, “you are cruisin’ for a bruisin’”. God has a way of using our “wisdom“ to cause us to get ourselves into deep trouble. Father thank You that we all have the same worth i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.

  Good morning. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. Are you kidding? Do you realize what he/she is like? If you truly love without hypocrisy, you will be devoted to one another and give preference to the other person. (I didn’t say it would be easy). Not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the Saints, practicing hospitality. It’s hard to be diligent, fervent in spirit, to keep serving the Lord, rejoicing, and persevering in the midst of good things. It definitely takes the actions of the Holy Spirit to do all of those things when things are really, really bad. On the other hand, people devote themselves to prayer when things are going bad; but sometimes have trouble doing that when things are going good. When things are bad, people are desperate. But even the pastor has mentioned several times about people fal...
Post a Comment
Read more

Let love be without hypocrisy

  Good morning. Let love be without hypocrisy. Of course we know from I Corinthians 13 that God’s love could not possibly be with hypocrisy. Too many Christians say, “I love you brother/sister.”, but don’t really mean it. And too many times it can be a “I’ll love you as long as you love me (better). Abhor what is evil. Today’s Christians don’t. They not only tolerate it, many even accept/embrace it. Whatever you tolerate, eventually becomes the norm, and even becomes expected. Cling to what is good. If you cling to what is good, you won’t want what is evil. You won’t know what is good unless you immerse yourself in God’s Word. Remember that they train bank tellers to recognize counterfeit money not by handling counterfeit money, but rather by constantly handling real currency. Father help us to have Your love which is without hypocrisy; to look out for the well-being of others. Help this to be a great day for the reader and his/her family.
Post a Comment
Read more

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another

  Good morning. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. When we say something bad about a member of the body of Christ, it’s like saying something bad about a part of our own body - “Johnny, my foot has been a bad boy  lately”. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: If prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching... Each should do his/her best in exercising his/her gifts, not for his/her own benefit or glory, but for the benefit of the body of Christ. One should not be envious of the gifts of others and strive to obtain them. Father thank You that we have (and need) other members of the body of Christ. Help us to find and exercise our gifts for the benefit of the body of Christ.
Post a Comment
Read more

That we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

  Good morning. So why are we to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? So that we may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. This transformation of us is God’s will, and it is good; it is acceptable; and it is perfect. That is the meaning of this verse in context. I have said before that I do not like the term “permissive” will of God. I understand what is meant by it, but I disagree with the use of the term. There needs to be a different way of designating this concept (perhaps: permissive boundaries of God). God has only one will (desire); and it is perfect. Again, in context it is not necessarily talking about God’s will in general; but only in our transformation. Got any uppity friends? For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself then he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. When God is using you and it seems th...
Post a Comment
Read more

And do not be conformed to this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your minds

  Good morning. So we present our bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable to God. Anything else? Well a sacrifice doesn’t do anything; it just lies there. And do not be conformed to this world. This is something very important that too many Christians aren’t very careful to avoid. If you see and hear things over and over again, it’s hard to avoid incorporating them into your own life. They seem the normal thing to do. All right - that’s something we don’t do. What is something we do? But be transformed. The word transformed is the Greek word  metamorphosis. Our change should be like the change from a caterpillar 🐛 into a butterfly 🦋  (Hello wormy). They are like two completely different creatures, and so should we be. Butterflies don’t crave the same things that caterpillars do. How are we transformed? By the renewing of our minds. In other words; get rid of our stinking thinking. How can we do that? By immersing our minds in the Word of God. Physically you are what you ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Therefore I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

  Good morning. So since God did what He did for us, what should we do? Therefore I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Instead of feeling like we can do anything we please, we should respond to God’s gracious gift by giving ourselves totally to Him. Sacrifices aren’t alive when they’re placed on the altar. They don’t choose to be a sacrifice. It says that Abraham bound Isaac and placed him on the altar. It doesn’t even say that Isaac tried to get away. I don’t know how old Isaac was, but his dad was over 100. Surely he could have gotten away, but he trusted his father that no harm would come to him if he lay still and not try to get off the altar. Shouldn’t we? Father thank You that we have the opportunity to be a willing, living sacrifice for You. Help us to embrace that opportunity instead of resisting.
Post a Comment
Read more