Spreading the Saving Grace of Christ Jesus. Giving God the glory in all circumstances and allowing Him to transform lives and hearts through the atoning work on the Cross. "For we are saved by grace through faith...Ephesians 2:8-9. Love and praise Him with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. Love thy neighbor as thyself and these are the 2 greatest commandments. For even Christ Jesus came not to be served but to serve and sacrifice.
Our hearts are as our conscience which causes us to know if something does not seem right it allows us to step back and weigh if it be of God or not. In the book of Romans we learn how our heart’s show us if we are obeying the Lord from the heart so sin does not overpower us, because if we no longer serve sin then we press on and yield ourselves to righteousness (Romans 6:16-23).Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God sees to it that His people who truly live for Him are gathered together which was at one time scattered from Him, and see they have a heart set only on serving Him!(Jeremiah 32:37-41).Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
Don't ignore the warning signs. You may need to examine your ministry's priorities. (Lightstock )
A desperate friend recently contacted me because he was worried that his son might be under the influence of a Christian ministry with questionable doctrines. The leader of the ministry preaches that any church that doesn't experience regular healings isn't following the true Jesus—and he suggests that only his small congregation has an inside track with God. Thankfully, my friend's son discerned something was off track.
Satan loves to pull Christians into unhealthy extremes. And immature Christian leaders sometimes allow youthful pride, greed or insecurity to suck them into toxic spirituality. The result is always a trail of wounded people. In my years of ministry, I've learned there are several clear signs that a ministry has veered away from the truth and into deception. Here are the most obvious:
1. Lack of spiritual accountability. Healthy leaders know they need to surround themselves with mentors and advisers who can question them if they step out of line. Proverbs 11:14 says: "In the multitude of counselors there is safety." But if you are following a teacher, prophet or apostle who has not submitted himself to any form of accountability, you are asking for trouble. Never align yourself with a Lone Ranger, no matter how fiery his sermons are. He will likely lead you off a cliff.
2. Overemphasis on money. You'd think we would have learned this by now, after so many American charlatans have conned people out of their life savings to build their mansions. But the charismatic church today is still vulnerable to the extremes of financial shenanigans. Godly leaders always call people to fund the work of the church and gospel outreach; unhealthy leaders, on the contrary, manipulate people in order to line their own pockets. Don't be charmed when a preacher makes outlandish promises about what will happen if you give to him.
3. An elitist attitude. All believers in Jesus are part of the body of Christ. Yet Christians who experience certain gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit are sometimes tempted to think they are superior. If they aren't careful, this subtle spiritual pride can morph into a dangerous elitism. Suddenly they are God's favorites, with special access to revelation that no one else knows and authority that no one else has.
Some ministries today claim to have inside information about end-times prophecy and the return of Jesus. In some cases they convince people to store up food and even guns to prepare for Armageddon. Back in the 1980s, a preacher named Charles Meade convinced many people to follow him to Florida, where his church taught that only those who aligned themselves with Meade's group would survive the last days. Don't let anyone suck you into this kind of cultic mindset.
4. A spirit of control among followers. A mature leader knows the members of his church don't belong to him. But there are insecure and untrained pastors who use manipulation and threats to keep their members loyal. True pastors don't have to constantly teach on spiritual authority to win their support of their flocks; but a controlling leader constantly emphasizes that he is in charge, and he demands total submission. This mindset can lead to serious spiritual abuse.
5. Constant talk of miracles with no documentation. There is a great hunger today in the body of Christ for the miraculous—and faith is rising for healing, prophecy and the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit's power. But in the rush to see God's power displayed, some people fall into the trap of hyping, sensationalizing or even faking miracles to get attention. This never bears good fruit.
In 2008, thousands of people traveled to Lakeland, Florida, to witness a "revival" that was supposedly marked by nightly miracles. Yet many of the healings (and even resurrections) that were announced from the pulpit were never verified—and the whole thing abruptly ended when the evangelist leading those meetings admitted to adultery. I hope we learned our lesson from Lakeland. God help us from ever repeating that tragedy.
6. Strange revelations that lack biblical basis. The apostle Paul warned us long ago that waves of deception would affect the church. "For the time will come when people will no longer endure sound doctrine ... they will turn their ears away from the truth ... " (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Never follow a preacher who claims "inside information" from God that no one else knows. Don't be mesmerized by his teachings—even if he claims that an angel gave him this information, or that he received it in a supernatural vision.
The test of truth is not how spooky spiritual something sounds, but whether it is in line with God's Word. Many false prophets can say, "God showed me this," but they are lying if their message contradicts Scripture. If something sounds really off when you hear it, don't ignore your gut feelings.
Don't be deceived. If you are a follower of Christ, you have been equipped with an internal alarm system that will warn you about any unhealthy teaching or ministry. Listen to the Holy Spirit, who is called the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). He can give you the discernment to know the difference between truth and error.
J. Lee Gradyis the former editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, 10 Lies Men Believe, Fearless Daughters of the Bible and The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. You can learn more about his ministry, The Mordecai Project, atthemordecaiproject.org.
Just to let you know that some of these "new" Bibles may be in error and have a more world-view opinion of God. GOD NEVER CHANGES! Many leave out Acts 8:37 altogether. They combine 36-39 and leave of "Jesus Christ is Lord," because some find that offensive and forcing them to say something they don't mean. Goes to show how little they do know about what the Bible really says. I have read the NEW KJV and personally, I find it helpful when I stumble upon a verse I can't understand but I use it as a reference Bible only. I read it cover-to-cover and when I changed to the KJV (Authorized) only, I found it very easy to understand. Test all things by His Word. God bless!
I only had 3 people answer my Bible Trivia question last week. It was which apostle wasn't martyred. The answer is "John." I'm hoping more will take the time to answer this week's question. It can be found beneath the "Just As I Am" video and beneath the blue off/on switch for my music player...awesome songs on there, by the way. Let me know if you need help finding it. It'd mean a lot for you guys to play as I want to add a Bible Trivia page to my blog. I want to see how many will play. It will be time-consuming but so much fun to do. PLEASE PARTICIPATE! God bless you all!
We believe that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," by which we understand the whole Bible is inspired in the sense that holy men of God "were moved by the Holy Spirit" to write the very words of Scripture.
We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings–historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical–as appeared in the original manuscripts.
We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error.
We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read or understood until it leads to Him.
2 Tim.3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
We also believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction. (Mark 12:26, 36; 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 10:11; 2 Pet.1:21)
GOD IS THE GOD OF THE LIVING!
Mark 12: 26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
Bodies are perishable but soul/spirit lives on. God is the God of the living soul. One day we will have a new and imperishable body like Jesus when He rose from the dead without propensity to sin. We will be perfected by Him at His call to come up.
Mark 12: (Jesus lives) 36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
David witnessed to Messiah and God our Savior, Jesus Christ. He will return with His bride and defeat all enemies and reign on Earth from Jerusalem for 1000 years.He will raise all who died in Him during the Tribulation and all Old Testament saints (Jew starting with Abraham and Gentiles ie; Abel, Noah etc)
HE HAS SENT GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT AT PENTECOST (with many ministries)
Mark 13: 11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURES ATTEST TO JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Reveals His Authority After Rising From The Dead (O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Cor.15:55) THANK YOU, JESUS!!!) AND HIS AUTHORITY SPOKEN OF IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Luke 24; 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
John 5: 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Acts 17: 2 and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Acts 18: 28 for he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
Acts 26: 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: 23 that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
Acts 28: 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Romans 15: 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
1 Cor.2: 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
2 Pet. 1: 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
STUDY TO SHOW OURSELVES APPROVED
2 Tim 2: 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
All true Christians believe in three Persons in one God‑head: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Three in One and One in Three, and the One in the middle died for me. The LORD Jesus Christ said, “Baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”Matthew 28:19 To Finish the Article, Click Here
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
This verse is also in Mark and Luke, but What does it mean? I always used to wonder about this verse, aside from it's obvious general scriptural implication that is pretty straight forward right? But really? A camel through the eye of a needle? Sounds absolutely impossible does it not? Would you believe me if I told you that it IS possible? Well it is, at least the way in which this reference was meant when it was written, and I find it to be quite an interesting reference too. So here it is; Back when this was written, the cities had large walls around them with a gate or gates that would be open during the day, but at night these large gates would be closed at night. A little known fact today is that there was a much smaller gate off to the side of the main gate that could be opened by a guard during the night while the large gate was closed in order to allow individuals or small groups of people to go in or out as needed without having to open the large gate. This smaller gate was called a "needle gate". These needle gates wete just large enough that a camel could go through it on its knees AND with no load on it's back. So in order for the camel to go through the eye of the needle gate, anything that might be loaded on the camel would have to be unloaded and then the person would lead the camel through the gate on it's knees. So you see, it IS possible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle gate. I hope you enjoy this bit of biblical trivia as much as I have since I found this information out.
The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” - Jeremiah 31:3
God is love. You cannot separate Him from love and He works in our lives because of His love. Many of us know that God is love, but how many of us live like we believe it? Fear, doubt, guilt and thoughts of self-condemnation are all factors that wage against the love of God. So each time that we worry, we are not resting in the love of God. Each time we feel fearful regarding our finances or health, we are not resting in the love of God. What does it take to accept that God loves us unconditionally so that we can rest in His love?
For me, I understood my need for a savior far greater than my need for love. I was raised in a church that reminded me of my unworthiness weekly. Jesus was identified dying on the cross because of my sins much more than He was identified with the hope of His resurrection. As a result, I expected God to be angry with me each time I opened theBible. Reading verses such as, “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” seemed foreign, as if God wrote them to the patriarchs and not to me.
However, as I continued reading the Bible, I realized that these “beloved” patriarchs were very much sinners also. They each had shortcomings and each made mistakes. Slowly, I began to realize that God knows and accepts my sinful ways better than I do. That’s why He made a way through Jesus to save me....because He loves me. The love came first!
God loves you so much that you cannot do anything to separate yourself from His love. He understands your struggles and limitations. But through it all, He wants you to find rest as you accept His love and love Him back. After all, 1 John 4:19 says, “We love, because He first loved us.”
Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5
Counselors tell us the first step in overcoming a problem is admitting the problem exists. That’s why introductions at many recovery group meetings begin with, “Hi, I’m (name) and I’m (name of the problem).” Such self-talk is hard, but in identifying the problem the next steps can move directly toward resolution.
Two of the wisest, godliest men in the Bible used self-talk and plain language when describing their despondency. David spoke to his own soul, asking, “Why are you cast down . . . and why are you disquieted?” And Jesus, on the night of His betrayal and arrest, readily admitted to His disciples that His “soul [was] exceedingly sorrowful, even to death” at the prospect of what lay ahead of Him (Matthew 26:38). Yet along with their honest confessions of pain they voiced their trust in God—David in the same breath as his confession and Jesus moments later when He put His faith in God’s will rather than His own (Luke 22:42). Tell God, as David did, or tell God and your friends, as Jesus did, if you are hurting. But only tell friends who will strengthen your faith in God. For the Christian, honesty is not the best policy, it is the only one. John Blanchard
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. --Matthew 5:44–45
My mother was married and divorced seven times. I had the privilege of sharing the gospel with several of my mother’s husbands, including Oscar Laurie, the man who adopted me. He came to faith in Christ, and I was very thankful for that. However, there was another husband of hers whom I will call Eddie. He was an alcoholic and almost killed my mother one night when he was drunk.
After I became a Christian, I sensed that God wanted me to share the gospel with Eddie. But I didn’t really want to. I thought, He is a bad man, and I don’t want to talk to him again. I don’t want to see him again. But I went anyway. And I would like to say that it was a glorious experience and that he got down on his knees and accepted Christ. But I can’t say that. He listened to me. He was nice. He was pleasant about it and said, “Well, you know I am glad this has happened for you, Greg.” I invited him to come and hear me preach, but he again said no.
There may be someone like that in your life who has hurt you, someone who has disappointed you. And you think because of that, you don’t ever want to talk to them again, much less share the gospel with them. But as believers, we are to overcome our personal prejudice and hang-ups. And instead of saying, “Never, Lord,” we need to say, “Yes, Lord!” Be willing. See what God will do. They may react like Eddie. Or they may react like Oscar.
Maybe there is even someone right now whom you regard as an enemy. What can you do? You can share the gospel--and leave the results in the hands of God.
Copyright (c) 2016 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Here's a few extra dosages...you can't overdose but just in case you need a dose of laughter during the night...or day! God bless you all and enjoy! ************* A Christian Barber... There was a barber that thought that he should share his faith with his customers more than he had been doing lately. So the next morning when the sun came up and the barber got up out of bed he said, "Today I am going to witness to the first man that walks through my door."
The barber said, "Sure, just sit in the seat and I'll be with you in a moment." The barber went in the back and prayed a quick desperate prayer saying, "God, the first customer came in and I'm going to witness to him. So give me the wisdom to know just the right thing to say to him. Amen."
Then quickly the barber came out with his razor knife in one hand and a Bible in the other while saying "Good morning sir. I have a question for you... Are you ready to die?" ******************* If a student wrote the Bible... Instead of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, He would have put it off until the night before it was due and then pulled an all-nighter.
The Last Supper would have been eaten the next morning--cold.
The Ten Commandments would actually be only five--double-spaced and written in a large font.
New edition would be published every two years in order to limit reselling.
Forbidden fruit would have been eaten because it wasn't cafeteria food.
Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov.
Reason Cain killed Abel: they were roommates.
Reason why Moses and followers walked in the desert for 40 years: they didn't want to ask directions and look like freshmen. ******************* Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother. The first said: "I built a big house for our mother."
The second said: "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver."
The third said: "You remember how our mother enjoys reading the Bible. Now she can't see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it."
Soon thereafter, their mother sent out her letters of thanks.
"Milton," she said, "the house you built is so huge. I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house.
"Gerald," she said, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver is so rude! He's a pain!"
"But Donald," she said, "the little chicken you sent was delicious!"
Laughter is one of my favorite gifts from God. We can laugh at ourselves because Jesus Christ LOVES to watch us play and laugh...no matter how old we are.
But He loves us so much that He died for us. He was buried and rose again on the
third day. He ascended into Heaven. By His blood and grace we are saved.
The free gift is simple, easy, free and for all. Just believe what I said as it is written in...
