God loves to turn Crucifixions to Resurrections!
Life is ‘not’ a series of random, freak accidents that catches God by surprise! Nothing can come into the life of a child of God without God’s permission! Everything is Father-filtered!
Satan had to get permission to tempt Job .. God is an expert at bringing good out of bad .. God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections!
“At present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of TRIALS. This is NO ACCIDENT! It happens to prove your FAITH which is infinitely more valuable than gold.” – 1 Peter 1:6-7
Love in Difficult Times – called from the Margins of Society
Luke 15:11-24 NIV
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Love In Difficult Times (NOTES)
Matthew 2:13 New International Version
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 8:25 New International Version
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
Matthew 10:6 New International Version
6 Go rather
to the lost sheep of Israel.
Acts 16:9-10 New International Version
9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
2 Timothy 4:11 New International Version
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
Colossians 4:14 New International Version
14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
Luke 14:21 New International Version
21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
Isaiah 6:1-5 New International Version
Isaiah’s Commission
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
Proverbs 22:6 New International Version
6 Start children off on the way they should go,
and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 New International Version
A Rebellious Son
18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.
Matthew 18:1-9 New International Version
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Causing to Stumble
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
Fill Up on Scripture, even on a few bites at a time
“You have opportunities in this current season to consume God’s Word. You have moments today where you can turn to Scripture and allow it to reorient the rest of your day.
The question isn’t whether or not God will provide—He’s already given you His Word. The question is if you’ll find a few moments to eat and to remember the One whose hand it comes from.
Imagine a montage of the different places the Israelites ate throughout 40 years. Picture a map with a wafer at every point where they went out to gather what they needed to survive.
You may not be able to map out what the rest of this year (or this week) will look like, but imagine a map of all the places you could consume Scripture:What if you could look back months from now and find a trail of wafers leading from your bed to your baby’s nursery, where you returned to reread the same chapter every night?
What if there was a marker on every waiting room chair to represent all the times you read parts of the Gospels before seeing a doctor? What if there was one wafer inside each of your shoes, for all the afternoons you laced them up, went on a walk, and listened to an audio version of God’s Word?
For the Israelites, not every meal was memorable. But if they had gone without eating, they never would have made it through the desert—and neither will we.
When you fill up on Scripture, even when it’s only a few bites at a time, you are more prepared to embrace your circumstances and face whatever comes next.
The Israelites moved on from manna eventually. When they arrived in the Promised Land, they discovered ‘a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey’ (Deut. 8:8), and they no longer needed the meals that sustained them in the desert.
Eventually, you’ll move on, too. You’ll have more time or more capacity for bigger meals, more time you can spend in God’s Word. For now, snack on Scripture: standing up, sitting down, in the middle of the night, or on the move. Later, you can linger at the table. For now, keep eating, one bite at a time—and may even the smallest handful of truth be a feast for your soul.”— Katie Laitkep
Read the more of Katie’s blog post here: https://buff.ly/3CemBRm
Worms from Hell – “Where their Worm dieth not…
The Worms from Hell
Article#: 1330
These are the very last days, the last lap of the race, and this final stretch will be the toughest. But the redeemed can take great confidence in the promises of God, for His promises never fail.
I Corinthians 10:13:
There hath no temptation 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 be able to bear it.
Hebrews 13:5 speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ:
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Strengthening one’s faith is the business of all God’s saints. It is time to redouble our efforts. It is time to press in with our might.
Luke 13:23-24
23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
Building faith is the business of the saints.
Romans 10:17 declares the formula for building faith:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Immerse yourself in the Word of God. Jesus said in Luke 16:16:
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Soon, Jesus Christ will return in the clouds to receive the born-again unto Himself. Will you be one of those He is looking for? Are you born-again, born a second time, this time of the Spirit of God? Terrible, terrible times are approaching and Jesus Christ is the only way of escape. John 3:3:
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Are you ready to escape the wrath of God? Do you want all your sin and shame erased as though you never were guilty? Do you want the power to live a most beautiful life filled with promise and eternal purpose?
GodSaidManSaid has good news for you. Today is your day of salvation. Click onto “Further With Jesus” for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God. Don’t procrastinate. Your window of opportunity is closing. Do it now. We’ll wait for you here. Now for today’s subject.
GOD SAID, Isaiah 14:9-15:
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
GOD SAID, Mark 9:42-48:
42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
MAN SAID: The Bible is not to be taken as the literal, inerrant truth. It was written by mere men thousands of years ago and it is laden with gross exaggerations, folklore, and fairytales.
Now THE RECORD. The absolute inerrancy of the Word of God is breathtaking. To those of childlike faith, the Bible is the very wellspring of life. Consider that the declarations in the Word of God that skeptics dub as foolish impossibilities have been, and are continually being, certified as the gospel truth. What carnal men call foolish impossibilities, such as a 6,000 year-old earth created by God; one mother and father of all; mankind being made out of dirt; the woman formed from man’s rib; all of the earth being once vegetarian; Noah’s Ark; all of the earth once speaking one common language; Sodom and Gomorrah; Joseph, the Grand-Vizier of Egypt; Moses and the plagues of Egypt; David slaying Goliath; Jonah and the whale; the animalization of Nebuchadnezzar; and so on are all certified by archaeology, paleontology, microbiology, history, and other sciences as true!
Welcome to GodSaidManSaid. This is feature article #591 that once again proves the full inerrancy of Holy Writ. All of these features are archived on GodSaidManSaid in text and streaming audio for the edification of the saints and as ammunition in the battle for the souls of men. Every Thursday evening, God willing, they grow by one. Thank you for visiting us today.
Thousands of years before man’s vaunted science begins to discover the truth of a particular issue, he finds that God’s Word is already there — knowledge that only the Creator could know. The Bible speaks of Hell’ fire, a place of tormenting heat that sits in the bowels of the earth. This is a place that was created for Satan and his angels and for all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of their souls. At the very end of all time, Hell is cast into a place called the “Lake of Fire.” Revelation 20:10:
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:11-15:
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Jesus called this place outer darkness. Matthew 25:30:
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Now, concerning Hell and the lake of fire, the Bible speaks of worms that exist in this most uninhabitable place of infernal heat, brimstone, and finally, utter darkness. As a side note to this feature is the Bible’s noting of brimstone. Brimstone is sulfur, and when sulfur is burned, it produces suffocating odor. Science now understands that brimstone is an important ingredient in sustaining the worms from Hell.
Following, you will find excerpts from various sources that once again certify the veracity of the Word of God.
Source: thefeaturecreature.com:
The Pompeii Worm (
) is a deep sea creature reaching lengths of up to 5 inches with red tentacle-like gills on their heads that can withstand temperatures that rival those in Hell. The worms live in tubes near black smokers, or hydrothermal vents, one of the most inhospitable environments on our planet. Their tail end rests near the source of the heat which gets up to 176° F (80° C) while their head pokes out into cooler, almost room- temperature water of 72° F (22° C).
water bears that have previously been featured
Source: Popular Science:
The giant tube worm is one of the most conspicuous members of a diverse community that forms around hydrothermal vents. Scientists once thought that no living thing could survive the harsh combination of toxic chemicals, high temperatures, high pressures, and total darkness at these vents. But, in 1977, researchers diving in Alvin discovered tube worms and other bizarre organisms thriving at a vent off of the Galapagos Islands. Similar communities have since been found at several hundred hot spots across the world. These creatures are like nothing else on earth.
Source: Mother Nature Network, June 3, 2011, under the heading, “Worms from Hell unearthed that were 8 feet long:”
A complex life form has been found living 1 mile below the Earth’s surface, according to a study published in the journal
, proving life can thrive in a place where only bacteria were thought to exist. Nicknamed “worms from hell,” the newly discovered nematodes were found living in several South African gold mines, shattering scientific assumptions about the conditions needed for multicellular life. To find animals with nervous, digestive, and reproductive systems so deep underground is like finding “Moby Dick in Lake Ontario,” study co-author Tullis Onstott of Princeton University tells
. “This is telling us something brand new,” he says. “For a relatively complex creature like a nematode to penetrate that deeply is simply remarkable.”
. But the duo ended up finding the elusive nematodes, formally named
, living in extremely hot water fed by subterranean rock fissures and pools — essentially “uncovering a new realm of biology on Earth,”
reports.
Source: LiveScience.com, June 1, 2011, under the title, “Worms from Hell? Deepest multicellular life:”
How low can worms go? According to a new study, at least 0.8 miles (1.3 kilometers) below the Earth’s surface. That’s the depth at which scientists discovered a new species of worm, dubbed
in honor of Faust’s demon Mephistopheles (a nickname for the devil). The worm, reported this week in the journal
, is the deepest living multicellular organism ever found.
didn’t go for that.”
Source: Venitism Blog, August 14, 2011, under the title “Unearthing worms from hell:”
After digging holes in the Earth’s crust for nearly two decades, Princeton University geoscientist Tullis Onstott is now making headlines for unearthing worms from hell.
Source: Discover magazine, July/August 2012. Geologist and biologist Tullis Onstott interviewed by Discover:
Interviewer: Then you found still more perplexing discoveries in other South African mines — for instance, microbes similar to those previously seen only at the bottom of the ocean.
Interviewer: That’s amazing, since we usually think of radioactivity as deadly — but these organisms were actually living on radiation?
Interviewer: And does that microbe interact with other species down deep?
is entirely self-sufficient. It has its energy source, radiation. It contains everything it needs to exist, and it requires nothing from another organism. The fact that we’ve found it almost by itself tells us that it’s a one-species ecosystem. Such things aren’t supposed to exist. We thought all organisms depended on others, but this one doesn’t. We’ve found a whole new way to live.
Jesus said, Mark 9:44:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
God said worms and brimstone. Man said it’s impossible — at least until now.
God’s Word is true and righteous altogether. Surely a place to build a life.
GOD SAID, Isaiah 14:9-15:
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
GOD SAID, Mark 9:43-44:
43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
MAN SAID: The Bible is not to be taken as the literal, inerrant truth. It was written by mere men thousands of years ago and it is laden with gross exaggerations, folklore, and fairytales.
Now you have THE RECORD.
All Important Role – God’s Call and Its Responsibilities
1 Peter 2:1-12 NIV
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”[b]
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”[c]
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”[d]
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
Why Hurt People Hurt People?
Why hurt people hurt people?
1. Hurt people often transfer their inner anger onto their family and close friends Often those around them become the recipients of harsh tones and fits of rage because they have unknowingly become the vicarious recipients of transferred rage.
2. Hurt people interpret every word spoken to them through the prism of their pain. Because of their pain, ordinary words are often misinterpreted to mean something negative towards them. Because of this, they are extremely sensitive and act out of pain instead of reality.
3. Hurt people interpret every action through the prism of their pain. Their emotional pain causes them to suspect wrong motives or evil intent behind other people’s actions towards them.
4. Hurt people often portray themselves as victims and carry a “victim spirit” Often hurt people can cry “racism,” “sexism” and “homophobia,” or they often use the words “unjust” or “unfair” to describe the way they are being treated, even if there is no truth to this. (That is not to say that sometimes there really is racism or sexism in some instances; this is just used as an example.) Hurt people have a hard time entering into a trusting relationship. Hurt people often carry around a suspicious spirit.
5. Hurt people often alienate others and wonder why no one is there for them They often continually hurt the ones they love and need the most with their self-destructive behavior.
6. Hurt people have the emotional maturity of the age they received their (un-dealt with) hurt. For example, if a girl was raped by a man when she was 12 years old, unless she forgives that man and allows Christ to heal her heart and allay her fears, in that particular area of her life (sexuality with a man) her emotional growth will stop; even when she reaches her later years she may still have the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old.
7. Hurt people are often frustrated and depressed because past pain continually spills over into their present consciousness. In many instances, they may not even be aware of why they are continually frustrated or depressed because they have coped with pain by compartmentalizing it or layering it over with other things over time.
8. Hurt people often erupt with inappropriate emotion because particular words, actions or circumstances “touch” and “trigger” past woundedness. I have been in situations with people in which there was a gross overreaction to a word I spoke or an action that was taken. Although I was shocked and thought this reaction came “out of left field” it was really the person responding to an accumulation of years of hurt and pain that could not help but spill over in various situations. I myself have been in situations where I felt hurt, troubled or overreacted to something because it touched a nerve with what I was still dealing with due to a wound I received in the past. In these situations I have attempted to reason through the situation as objectively as I can with much prayer and introspection so I would not say or do anything damaging to another person or myself.
9. Hurt people often occupy themselves with busyness, work, performance and/or accomplishments as a way of compensating for low self-esteem. Often ministers are not motivated by a love for Jesus but a drive to accomplish. It is important that pastors and ministers be led by the Spirit instead of being driven to succeed.A minister should not preoccupy himself with making things happen. He or she should walk in integrity and humility and allow God to open up doors and provide a ministerial platform according to their assignment for their life and ministry.
10. Hurt people often attempt to medicate themselves with excessive entertainment, drugs, alcohol, pornography, sexual relationships or hobbies as a way to forget their pain and run from reality. Until the church learns to deal with and emphasize the emotional life and health of the believer, the church will be filled with “half-Christians” who pray and read the Bible but find no victory because they do not face the woundedness in their soul
I was looking for the Enemy, but the enemy in Inna Me!
I was looking for the Enemy, but the enemy is Inna Me!! (Please read this!!)
Galatians 5:16-24 New International Version (NIV)
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[a] you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
The Rich and the Poor – God’s Call and it’s Responsibilities
James 2:1-12 NIV
Favoritism Forbidden
2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
The Rich and the Poor (NOTES)
Hebrews 13:2 New International Version
2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Matthew 25:40 New International Version
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
James 1:1 New International Version
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
James 2:1 New International Version
Favoritism Forbidden
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
Matthew 22:39 New International Version
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[a]
The Obstacles to Maturity
The Obstacles to Maturity
“Therefore, laying aside all malice all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:1-3.
1st Obstacle: Unwillingness to take up the cross: Matthew 16: 21-27.
Peter was refusing to take up the cross when he said to the Lord, “far it (the crucifixion) be from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!” (16:22). The unredeemed mind is not accepting the things of God from His point of view. The unregenerate or fleshly mind is at enmity with God and so cannot comprehend His plans: Romans 8:6-8.
Peter was thinking as a man and letting Satan influence him. Peter needs to learn to die to himself, his own wishes, preferences & opinions. And let Christ rule totally without contradiction and without opposition.
Bearing the cross means, when your self-will and your confident attitude cross the will of God and you humbly choose to follow God’s will, you have taken up the cross.
How many believers and Christians are willing to take up the cross? Many want to enjoy the entertainment in the church and get benefits of being in the church community but not willing to die to self-will nor humble themselves.
So many fights and divisions happening in the churches are due to not willing to take up the cross. As long as you are not willing to take up the cross, you will never grow to spiritual maturity.
It is not how much Bible you know or how many theology degrees or how many titles or positions you hold that matters to God but whether you are willing to deny self and surrender wholly to follow His perfect Will at any cost! Be challenged!LikeCommentShare
Trust and Encouragement – God’s Call and its Responsibilities
2 Timothy 1:3-14 NIV
Thanksgiving
3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
Trust and Encouragement (NOTES)
Matthew 10:8 New International Version
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 New International Version
6 For I am
already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure
is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept
the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but
also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Timothy 1:9 New International Version
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 New International Version
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b]
2 Corinthians 11:16-33 New International Version
Paul Boasts About His Sufferings
16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. 17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. 18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. 19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
Acts 28:16-31 New International Version
16 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard
17 Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. 19 The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people. 20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
21 They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. 22 But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”
23 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. 24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25 They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “‘Go to this people and say,
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”
27 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
28 “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” [29] [b]
30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!
James 2:17 New International Version
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Matthew 25:14-30 King James Version
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Are we desperate enough for Revival?
I am hearing of this Spirit-led movement on the campus of Asbury University, also known as Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
No human leader. Spontaneous hunger! Chapel service on Wednesday has not ended. Students are staying all night. No bells and whistles. So refreshing! Here is a report: God is moving at Asbury – in 1970 a 10 day revival broke out at Asbury.
Currently they are on day 3 no plan of stopping. It is now spreading to other universities. Busses are coming!! Never planned all spontaneous Holy Spirit driven. People prostrate, shoes and socks off as the tangible presence of God is among them.
My question….do we hunger for God? What are the conditions to revival? Would we sense this outpouring? We need to become desperate for God. It’s clear we are but we each have to know it. That thought alone should drive us to the ground. Come Holy Spirit Come!!!!
The One Step We Miss – Ron Hutchcraft
The One Step We Miss
It all started with an S.O.S. from a counselor at a conference where I was speaking. I’d just extended an invitation for young men and women who wanted to make a commitment to following Christ. There were many young people in the counseling room after that, and a counselor came back and said, “You’ve got to talk to Kelly. She’s really hard.”
Well, I went back and sat down with her, and she seemed to really shut down. After some small talk to try to break the ice, I said, “Kelly, why are you here in the counseling room?” She said, “I want to know Christ.” I said, “Well, that’s great. Why?” She said, “Because part of me is missing.”
I showed her some Scripture that showed her that it was Christ who was missing from her life. And I said, “It sounds to me like you’re ready to open your life to Jesus.” And then her face turned very, very unexpressive and she said, “If you only knew how many times I’ve come and prayed and accepted Christ and nothing has ever happened.”
I was stuck for a moment. What do I do, just have her go through it again? It was like always meaningless and it didn’t work. I said, “Lord, if there’s something You know and I don’t, would you tell me what it is?” And then He gave me one question for Kelly, and it made all the difference. It might change everything for you.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The One Step We Miss.”
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Corinthians 7:10. It identifies for us the step we so often miss. “Godly sorrow,” it says, “brings repentance that leads to salvation.” Now, in that conversation with Kelly, the question I asked her that broke the log jam was this: I said, “Kelly, all those times you’ve made a commitment to follow Christ, did you ever tell the Lord you’re really sorry for your sins, you’re sad about your sins, and you’re ready to change?” She said, “No.” Oh, Kelly had said yes to Christ a number of times, but she missed the other step – saying “no” to sin.
I explained to her, “You can’t hold Jesus in one hand and junk in the other – that junk is what He died for; that’s the junk that killed Him.” When you start to name the sins of your life and you start to confess them to the Lord, you finally realize what it is you need a Savior from. And then you go to that cross to be saved from that sin; from your sin.
Repentance is so often the missing page in our Gospel. In God’s Word it says you have to have Godly sorrow that leads to repentance that leads to salvation. There’s no real conversion until you repent. Jesus told His disciples to “preach repentance and faith.” There’s no real power in your life if you keep sinning; until you let your heart be broken over your sin because of what it did to Jesus; what it took for Him to pay for it on the cross.
When I told her the step she’d missed, tears came to her eyes. She said, “I’m so sick of the junk! I want to get away from it.” Then confession began, and saving faith reborn.
Could it be that the reality you’ve been looking for begins with you being sorry for the sins that have broken God’s heart and drove His Son to the cross? Maybe this could be the day that it really comes together for you.
If you say to Jesus, “You know, Lord, you were supposed to run my life. I hijacked it. I’ve been running it, and I know now I have broken your heart. It cost you your life to pay for that rebellion against you. And I turn from the running of my own life. And Jesus, I am now pinning all my hopes on what you did on the cross. When you died on that cross it was my sin you were dying for. Jesus, right here, right now, I’m Yours.”
See. repentance isn’t some good work you do to get Jesus. No, it’s simply realizing that when you turn to Him, you’re turning your back on the sin He died for.
You want to make sure you belong to Him? That’s what our website is for. Please go there – ANewStory.com.
Repentance. Could that be one step you’ve missed?
Wisdom and Foolishness – God’s Promises
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 NIV
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b]
Wisdom and Foolishness (NOTES)
1 Corinthians 1:18-3:4 New International Version
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b]
2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[c] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[d]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[e] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”[f]
But we have the mind of Christ.
The Church and Its Leaders
3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
Isaiah 55:8-9 New International Version
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Men’s Work – Women’s Work
Men’s Work – Women’s Work
At our house as the kids were growing up, you didn’t have to wait for the Fourth of July to have fireworks. No. All you had to have was one of those days when one of my sons declined an assignment with these wonderful words, “Nah, that’s women’s work!” Oh, no! No, don’t wait for the Fourth of July. No, my wife and daughter were nowhere near excited about that particular philosophy of life. They had a problem with that idea that there are certain jobs that a man is above. Actually, I have a problem with that idea. Actually, I think God has a problem with it.
I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Men’s Work – Women’s Work.”
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 13. I’ll begin reading at verse 2. We’re going to read an episode from the life of the most secure man who ever lived; a man who had nothing to prove – the ultimate man, Jesus Christ. “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.”
Okay, now wait. Here’s the most complete man that ever lived, and He is demonstrating His sense of manhood and identity in a very graphic way, in a surprising way. He knows who He is. He’s coming from God; He’s going to God. He’s got it together, and He demonstrates that as it says in verse 5, “He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.”
Here’s the only Son of God. He’s not too good to do the lowliest job in the house. Well, the real man is man enough to choose to be a servant; to pitch in on the dirty work; to be as manly doing the laundry as he is lifting some heavy furniture; to be as macho changing a diaper as he is changing spark plugs.
Not too long ago there was an interesting comment from the wife of a friend of mine who had just come back from a great tour of speaking…kind of the conquistador, you know, and they loved him where he was. He came in and he wanted to tell all his war stories of how much they loved him there, and his wife said, “Honey, do you know you always come home like a spoiled king.” Ohhh… and you know what? He had to admit, she was right. He said, “I wanted the world to revolve around me.”
Well, I’ll tell you, there’s nothing very manly about coming home like a spoiled king. It’s small; it’s selfish. Jesus was just coming off Palm Sunday with the cheers of the crowd still ringing in His ears, and yet He went and washed the disciples’ feet. How many of us men make our wives feel totally insignificant by implying that what she does all day long is too unimportant for us to touch?
See, the sign of a real man is that he makes a woman feel important. And he does that when he arrives in her world like the Cavalry arriving just in time. He demonstrates his manhood when he serves his wife. Not because he’s a wimp, but because he’s secure and strong enough to love her in the ways that really mean something to her.
You demonstrate your dignity, not by how many people do things for you, but how many people you do things for. That’s manhood! Jesus, the ultimate model of manhood – a muscular carpenter – can be a foot washer. The mighty Son of God can be a servant. That’s the kind of real man that a woman loves to love.
God Gives the Power to do Good Works – J. D. Greear
| As a child of God, you are chosen—according to the purpose of God, by the power of God, for the glory of God. And that is the greatest, most empowering, most life-giving truth in the universe. Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (ESV). God predestined that your life would be filled with good works, to the praise of his glory. That means that the burden of “fixing” your life is not on you. God has already decreed and supplied the power for it! Many people feel so defeated, thinking they have to summon the will to overcome a particular sin or heal their marriage or be a bold witness for the gospel. But that’s the wrong picture of the Christian life. God has already provided the power for you to do the good works he planned for you. You can be confident in his plan to use you, because Jesus said that’s why he chose you: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16). The Bible teaches that you are chosen, not to unravel the mysteries of how God has worked in your past but to give you confidence of what God wants to do in your future. When you think you’ve failed miserably as a Christian—and you will sometimes—you can have the strength to get up. Proverbs 24:16 says, “The righteous falls seven times and rises again.” If you are discouraged by how much you fall, remember that the righteous person shows their righteousness not by never falling but by getting back up. Falling just demonstrates that you are not perfect. Getting back up when you fall demonstrates that you believe the gospel. |
Promises Of Restoration and Gladness
Joel 2:21-27 NIV
21 Do not be afraid, land of Judah;
be glad and rejoice.
Surely the Lord has done great things!
22 Do not be afraid, you wild animals,
for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green.
The trees are bearing their fruit;
the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
23 Be glad, people of Zion,
rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given you the autumn rains
because he is faithful.
He sends you abundant showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]—
my great army that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,
that I am the Lord your God,
and that there is no other;
never again will my people be shamed.
Living Right V/S Empty Rituals!
Isaiah 58:6-10 NIV
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Living Right Over Empty Rituals (NOTES)
Isaiah 58 New International Version
True Fasting
58 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness[a] will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 58:1-12 The Message (MSG)
Your Prayers Won’t Get Off the Ground
58 1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins! They’re busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people— law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and love having me on their side. But they also complain, ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’
3-5 “Well, here’s why: “The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit. You drive your employees much too hard. You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won’t get your prayers off the ground. Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?
6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places
9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again
Matthew 25:35-40 New International Version
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
The Just Shall Live By Faith!
💫 ❤ BE NEAR 💖
🌞 My friend was going through some difficult challenges in her life and family. I didn’t know what to say or do, and I told her so. She looked at me and said, “Just be near.” That’s what I did, and later on we started talking about God’s love.
🙇♀ Many times we don’t know how to respond when others are grieving, and words may do more harm than good. Serving others requires that we understand them and find out what they need. Often we can help by meeting practical needs. But one of the best ways to encourage those who are suffering is to be near — to sit beside them and listen.
🙇♂ 🙇♂ God is near to us when we call out to Him. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles,” the psalmist says. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” By putting ourselves in the shoes of others and allowing our hearts to feel compassion, we can help those who are hurting. We can be near them as God is with us and sit close to them. At the right time, the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say, if they are needed. — Keila Ochoa
God, grant grace throughout this day
To walk the straight and narrow way,
To do whatever in Thy sight
Is good and perfect, just and right.
— Huisman
The best way to encourage others may be to just be near.
🎊 Stay Blessed My Friend 😊 🌹
Make Every Move Count
💫 MAKE EVER MOVE COUNT ❤
🌞 Car racing legend Bobby Unser faced the toughest race of his life—and won. He and a friend, Robert Gayton, were snowmobiling in New Mexico when both of their sleds quit working.
Snowdrifts as high as their chests, temperatures as low as zero, and winds as stiff as 70 mph hampered their attempt to find shelter. They even had to spend one night in a snow cave they made.
Late the next day they found a barn with a heater and a phone. After the rescue, Unser said, “Every decision we made had to be right.” He and his friend had experienced a terrifying struggle with the elements they couldn’t control as they did everything possible to stay alive.
🙇♀ We are living in a world that is hostile to our spiritual survival. Every day we go up against forces that could destroy us. Some are internal — our pride and selfish desires. Some are external forces — ungodly media influences, acquaintances who don’t support our faith, the stresses of life. Wrong decisions as we face these “blizzards” can lead to destruction.
🙇♂ Every move we make – each word and action – must be done in His name. We must live according to God’s principles and act as we think Jesus would. That will make every move count. — Dave Branon
May everything we do—
By word or deed or story—
Be done to please the Lord;
To Him be all the glory. — Roworth
When making a decision, ask, “What would Jesus do ?”