"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart." (Ephesians 6:6) Thank you "God's Little Instruction Book" for the above
There is a saying. . . "A person's true character is revealed by what he does when no one is watching". What would others say of your character?
"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart." (Ephesians 6:6) Thank you "God's Little Instruction Book" for the above
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If your New Year's Resolutions have already fallen by the wayside - maybe this prayer is good for you.
"Thank you Lord for giving me the brand new year ahead. Help me to live the way I should as each new day I tread. Give me gentle wisdom that I might help a friend. Give me strength and courage so a shoulder I might lend. The year ahead is empty help me fill it with good things. Each new day filled with joy and the happiness it brings. Please give the leaders of our world a courage born of peace. That they might lead us gently and all the fighting may cease. Please give to all upon this earth a heart that's filled with love. A gentle happy way to live with Your blessings from above." One of the beautiful truths in God's Kingdom is that everything along our walk has a purpose;
"In all things God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). Remember that even our difficult times of hardship and trial can be used by God "for the good." As we continue to love Him with all our heart, God will use our trials to reveal and strengthen our faith. And a truer understanding of our faith is one of the greatest "goods" we can receive. January 6 is known as Epiphany, a day set aside to remember the baptism of Christ Jesus and to commemorate when the Holy Spirit came upon him and the Father voiced His love. Epiphany, sometimes known as Little Christmas or St. John’s Day, is also called the Feast of Theophany, which translates as “God shining forth” or “divine manifestation.”
The Biblical story of the Baptism of Jesus is recorded in all four Gospels. What is interesting to note is that Luke records John’s imprisonment before Jesus’ baptism. John Piper believes Luke did this to emphasize that John was not the Messiah and that Jesus was not baptized to be one of John’s disciples. I think the two lines of Scripture also deliberately mark the end of John’s burden on earth. His purpose complete, Jesus could now come forward. Luke 16:16 tells us that the law and the prophets were there for the people until John came, and then came the good news of Christ Jesus. Jesus’ ministry on Earth had begun. John, himself, exclaims: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Prophecy had come true. John, cousin to Jesus, was chosen by God before his birth to proclaim the Son of God. After many years in the desert, John came into society with a force unseen since the prophets of old. He came preaching repentance and baptism in water. He introduced the new covenant to the people, exclaiming that the Messiah had arrived. When Jesus came to him, John at first refused to baptize him, saying that Jesus should baptize him. Jesus replied: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” And so John consented. When Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. The Bible records that the Spirit came like a dove and alighted on him. Why a dove? Why this metaphor? It has certainly become the symbol of peace. Noah sent a dove out of the ark to discover land after the Great Flood. When the dove came back the second time, it carried an olive leaf in its mouth. The wrath was over. Peace was restored. God promised not to destroy in this way again. A new covenant was begun. Later, according to Leviticus 5:7, those who could not afford a lamb for sacrifice could substitute a dove. Centuries later, the dove “appears” again. He once again brings peace and a new covenant. Jesus, just baptized in water, was now baptized by the Holy Spirit. “Christ’s baptism in the Jordan was “theophany,” a manifestation of God to the world, because it was the beginning of our Lord’s public ministry. It was also a “theophany” in that the world was granted a revelation of the Holy Trinity. All three Persons were made manifest together: the Father testified from on high to the divine Sonship of Jesus; the Son received His Father’s testimony; and the Spirit was seen in the form of a dove, descending from the Father and resting upon the Son.” The Trinity was physically and spiritually revealed when a voice came from heaven. Jesus’ ministry of redemption and salvation had begun and God, the Father spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) The Father acknowledged His Son and the world was forever changed. As 2016 now begins to unfold, the following is for your consideration a(not an easy read but something we all should read and reflect upon as we put things into perspective and our plans in place). Consider those across our country or across the world who are caught up in terrorism or war actions, or struggling because of tornadoes, floods or other various tragic events. The headlines make it easier for us to be aware of these. For most, they don't choose the bad things impacting them, they just happen. Now reflect on the aspects of those times when we have to make decisions - and compare those to the above or those things that we don't choose or don't want? Unfortunately, sometimes we don't get to chose. Today you can via the following test. First, choose any three from the following:
Second, now choose two from the following:
Third, now choose one from the following:
Now if you are like most of us, picking the "nicer things" above is probably where you started but then your options got worse. Unfortunately, life is that way and it doesn't always go the way we want and in some cases, there are horrible tragedies that unfold. Now ponder all the above and choose one of the following:
_ life is hard, sometimes we're lucky and sometimes not - it is what it is. _ life is a mix of the good and the bad, I can't control all things so I will pursue my faith and trust God. _ life is full of unknowns so I'm just going to do the best I can and try to be a good person. In closing, all the above was shared to get us to think about all the things we can or can not choose (and yes there are so many other nuances in life). Being a good person doesn't guarantee you'll have a happy life. Being a Christian doesn't guarantee you will not have struggles. We may not understand why bad things happen to good people but we can trust God in all things. Have you tried trusting in Him? |
Author(s)These brief writings are a collection from various sources. We hope you enjoy them. Let us know if you have something that you would like us to post Archives
November 2022
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