How Firm a Foundation
June 22, 2009

"Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God." (Hebrews 6:1)

Many of the grand old hymns of the faith are still treasured, even today. Their strength and enduring popularity lie in their use of music to teach scriptural truth, many times weaving in phrases from various scriptural passages to make a doctrinal point.

Such is the case with the hymn (of unknown authorship) normally entitled "How Firm a Foundation." Each verse contains unusually rich scriptural insights, using the words of Scripture, primarily built around the theme of the security of the believer.

The first verse is quite familiar:

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say then to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Each Christian's pilgrimage begins at salvation. There at the cross, through the foundational instruction of the Word of God, we find everlasting life. We "have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil" (Hebrews 6:18-19).

Once founded and anchored, we march on to maturity as stated in our text, using the "word of God" (Hebrews 6:5) as our all-sufficient guide. He has told us therein all that we need to know to guide us through the days ahead, including the various perils and persecutions illumined in subsequent verses, all the while resting in Him for security, and ultimately realising the "hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18). JDM

Fear Not
June 23, 2009

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10)

The second verse of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation" follows quite closely to the words of our text.

Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

The Christian should hold no illusions regarding his possible circumstances.  Our Saviour does not promise a life of ease or wealth or even worldly acceptance.  He does promise that He will be with us no matter what, and that He is just and powerful, able to deal rightly with any difficulty, and that we will be ultimately victorious with His help: "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isaiah 41:13).

The New Testament authors reflected this theme in many other passages as well.  Paul prayed for the believers at Colosse, that they would be "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11).  Christ promised: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

We have no cause for fear, for our Saviour subjected Himself to far greater difficulties: "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3).  He is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).  His victory is complete, and He is with us. JDM

its the greatest thing i've found personally on nairaland. thanks a lot. to all those who participate here DESTINY says thank you and may the love of christ well in you richly.

monron:

its the greatest thing i've found personally on nairaland. thanks a lot. to all those who participate here DESTINY says thank you and may the love of christ well in you richly.

Amen. Thanks for your appreciation and may the Lord bless you abundantly and make you a blessing to the body of Christ.

Deep Waters
June 24, 2009

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2)

We live in a world that is plagued by the effects of sin and the curse, where even the most godly Christian is subject to the ravages of disease, accident, old age, famine, drought, and pestilence, and the sins and sinful choices of others.

Many times our suffering is deserved, due to the consequences of our personal sin or improper choices. The consequent suffering may be the direct result of our actions or may be the chastisement of God to correct our behaviour. God may also bring difficulties into our lives to mold our character, making us more like His dear Son. Whatever the cause, there are times when we must go through "deep waters." But we do not face them alone, as the third verse of "How Firm a Foundation" teaches:

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

James begins his book on the effective Christian life by discussing the benefits of trials: "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. . . . Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life" (James 1:3, 12). Job reflects the same triumphant attitude in our text, as do other Scripture writers (e.g., 1 Peter 1:7; Romans 8:18; etc.), and as have many saints down through the ages.

God has not promised to keep our lives free from times of distress, but He has promised to be with us through them and to use them to bring about our ultimate sanctification. JDM

Fiery Trials
June 25, 2009

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . . But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye." (1 Peter 4:12-14)

In addition to the normal distresses of life come outright persecution--direct opposition to the Christian and his faith by enemies of the cross.  Millions of Christians down through the ages have even suffered martyrdom for their testimony, and many are suffering today around the world.

Christ promised that we would be hated for our stand (John 15:18-21), but He also prayed for us, not that we would be spared the persecution, but that we would be victorious in it and sanctified through it.  "The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. . . . sanctify them through thy truth" (John 17:14-17).  This is the message of the fourth verse of "How Firm a Foundation."

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply,
The flames shall not hurt thee, I only design,
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

In His wisdom, He may choose to allow persecution to block life's pathway, but we will not face such opposition alone.  His grace will supply our every need.

Heating gold above its melting point allows the denser gold to be separated from the frothy impurities (or dross), thus purifying the gold.  Just so does God allow "fiery trials" in our lives, pushing us beyond the melting point, to "purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). JDM

Hey Guys.

Think this is my first time here.

Glad am in your midst.

Just wanted to let you know, that there are two things involved in THE WORD OF GOD.

What the Word Of God can not give you;

1. You do not need it,

and

2. It does not exist


, dream dreams that MUST come TRUE.
www.dreammentremfestac..com

[size=28pt] Private Lessons With God[/size]
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 07:53 Katrina Spigner SpiritLed Woman - SpiritLed Woman

On a Sunday morning, several years ago, I walked into the sanctuary at my local church during the praise and worship portion of our service. As I made my way to the balcony, I noticed the worshipers all around me up on their feet leaping, shouting in acclamation, and clapping their hands in seemingly sincere celebration.

But as others stood around me in exuberant corporate participation, I took my seat.

Consumed with the frustration I had brought to church with me that day, I sat and observed while pondering the questions that ran rapidly through my mind. "God, why am I here? What is all the hoopla about? How long is all this going to take? How much of this is really necessary anyway?"

As my eyes filled with tears, I could not understand why during a time when I should have felt the most enthused, energetic, and demonstrative about my spiritual walk, I sat lethargically discouraged with a deep sense of dissatisfaction and hopelessly questioning my salvation and my purpose. I had been a Christian for years. I had worked and held leadership positions in ministry. And, up until this point in my life, I really believed that I had a strong relationship with the Lord.

However, now I felt more agitated, aggravated, and discombobulated than I had ever felt in my entire life, and I was wondering how I had gotten to this place. To make matters worse, I felt as though I was invisible, like nobody else could really see me. I also felt as if I was the only one who was going through (or who had ever gone through) this experience. Here I sat, a single mother of two, working two part-time jobs, going to school to earn my bachelor's degree in the evenings, and now back at home living with my mother.

My marriage had failed and my father had gone on to be with the Lord. I had been scrutinized and judged by others. And at this point, my whole soul had been shaken by the grief associated with the many, many losses I had encountered in my life. It seemed that everything in me hurt. Inhaling and exhaling no longer felt like a normal body function for me. Instead it had become an agonizing, laborious act of survival.

I never imagined that life could wound me to the extent that I could literally take it or leave it. But the vicissitudes of living had beaten up on my will to the degree that there seemed to be no recovery from the trauma. I felt as though Jesus himself had given Satan permission to sift me as wheat, but I was not sure if anyone was praying that my faith would not fail me.

Therefore, in the midst of this huge congregation of people, I felt more alone than I had ever felt before, and I was angry. As a matter of fact, at that very moment, I felt as though I could have stood up in the middle of the service, walked down to the front of the sanctuary, asked the worship leader to hand me the microphone, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Shut up! Everybody just shut up and sit down right now."

But instead, in that service, in the midst of my personal despair, in a last act of desperation, I asked God to help me. And, during my deepest lamentation, I heard this message in my spirit. "Now that I finally have your attention, let me teach you something." At that very moment, I realized God had orchestrated that place of emptiness and despondency because He had something He wanted me to learn. My private inner turmoil was directly related to the private lessons He desired to teach me.

This Is for You: Consider the definition of a "private lesson." It is "A course of instruction that is unique to the student that he or she can only learn through study or experience, and takes place separate from the company or observation of others." A description of a private lesson for a student of dance stated, "Taking dance lessons is a good way to learn choreography of a form, but individualized instruction is necessary if a student wishes to advance to higher levels. A private session with a perceptive teacher is one of the best ways to accelerate your personal progress."

And so it is with God. When He knows our sincere desire to go to next level, He does not leave us as we are. As our perceptive teacher, He moves us out of the status quo and He leads us into wilderness experiences that are unique to us, so He can teach us lessons that will accelerate our personal progress.

Why? The reasons are simple. He wants us to demonstrate what He has accomplished in us as a result of His individualized instruction in our lives. He wants our lives to manifest the excellence that is only obtained through one-on-one sessions.

In other words, it is extremely important to Him that we learn private lessons so that He can trust us in our public performance. Our response should simply be, "Where do I sign up?" God's Word to You: "And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not" (Deuteronomy 8:2).

Today's Journal Discovery

1. In what way(s) do you believe God has tried to get your attention so He can teach you something?

2. How has your "public performance" been affected because of your avoidance of your personal private lessons? What adjustments do you need to make in an effort to use your lessons to the purpose for which they were given to you?

3. How will you use the lessons in your life to move you closer to living on purpose?

Katrina Spigner is a sought-after author, speaker, and life coach who consistently presents her message of purposeful living to organizations nationwide. A dedicated mother of two, Katrina and her family live in South Carolina. To contact Katrina, go to www.katrinaspigner.com

[size=28pt]"Your Change is Upon YOU!"[/size]
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Circumstances do not possess enough power to "simply appear" on their
own. They are made. They are created. YOU DO possess the power to create
those issues, circumstances, and situations, that you will thrive in
"and not perish from!"

Circumstances are simply the "offspring of decision!" And you do
possess the power to give birth to excellent children!

God has empowered you to create LIFE for your life. Do not use your
ability to create "death for your life!"

Define the Atmosphere that is necessary for your inner kingdom. When you
are done, CREATE IT!

Peace,

============================================
"You Have the Right to Discover the Treasure!"

Dr.Undrai Fizer,Ph.D
The Kairos Letters

www.fizer.org
www.kairoslife.com

2

[size=18pt]who is this insecure person removing my post? why am i not allowed to post things like this on NL? [/size]

[size=38pt]Single & Satisfied[/size]
Monday, 22 June 2009 16:46 Helen Stubblefield Trowbridge SpiritLed Woman - SpiritLed Woman

The world has said that you must have a mate in order to be complete, and if you don't, there must be something terribly wrong with you. There were times I believed that lie. I'll never forget the woman in church who said to me, "Helen, you'd better hurry up and get married, or you are just going to dry up like an old raisin, and nobody is going to want you."

Another woman said, "You better get married soon, the biological clock is ticking. Tick, tick, tick. You'd better get busy and find a man." For years those words would vex my soul.

We are often led to believe that if we are alone, we are half a person. That is a lie! You are a whole person, and you are already complete—in God! A husband will complement your life, but he will not complete you.

The word "single" means more than unmarried and separate. It also means unique, remarkable, extraordinary, whole, sincere and pure.

This Isn't What I Asked For

From the time I was a little girl, I desired to be married. I received prophecies as a teen-ager and assumed I would meet "Mr. Right" in college and marry after graduation. But that didn't happen.

Every year, I had slogans to keep my faith and hope alive:

In 75, I will survive

In 76, God will fix

A man from heaven in 77

God won't be late in 78

A mate divine in 79

A gift from the Son in 81

God will come through in 82

A blessing for me in 83

He is coming through the door in 1984

You can imagine the myriad of emotions I went through over a period of 20 years until I finally married in 1994. Sometimes I was believing and trusting. Other times, I was doubting but holding on to the promises of God. Depression tried to settle in, but I refused to let it consume me.

At one time or another we have all blamed our appearance for our lack of a mate. You also may have thought it was your upbringing, your lack of education or your past.

Your blessing of a mate is not being withheld because you fell into sin or failed God in some way. It's not because you have been married and are now divorced.

Moreover, you are not out of the realm of blessing because you were pregnant and unmarried or decided to have an abortion. God hasn't given up on your future because you have made unwise choices in the past.

God has an ultimate plan for you. If you have a promise from Him for a mate, you will have one. His purpose for your life will be fulfilled, and His timing is perfect.

While You're Waiting

There are several things you can do while you're waiting for God's promise to come to pass.

1. Know who you are. God gave me a wonderful analogy one day as I was riding in a limousine. I was going to pick up a church guest, and a young man with whom I'd had a short dating relationship passed us in his Thunderbird.

As he drove by the limo he recognized me and waved. At that moment, the Lord said to me, "Helen, you wanted a Thunderbird, but I'm going to give you a limo."

Many women are satisfied as long as they get a man—any man. They don't care whether he is a Thunderbird, a Toyota or a Volkswagen Bug. Many wonderful women would even settle for a tow truck because they are so desperate. They feel they have passed the age where anyone would want them. But a tow truck picks up things that aren't working—things that need repair.

On the other hand, a limousine picks up royalty—a woman of distinction, who knows who she is and where she is going. Young women in the church settle for less than God's best when they choose a husband who will put them down, let them down and then take them down with him.

God wants to bless you with someone who will build you up. But first of all, God wants to make you whole. Then, when His perfect timing comes for your mate, you will attract another whole person. There is such power in a relationship that consists of two whole people!

2. Speak life to yourself. Practice the Lord's presence daily, and allow the beauty of your life with Him to be evident on the outside. Recognize the power God has given you, and then begin to speak to yourself. Tell yourself the truth about who you are in God.

More than self-esteem, have "God-esteem." Get God's Word inside you. Develop a personal, more intimate relationship with Jesus. Worship Him and praise Him continually (see Ps. 34:1).

In the natural realm, do everything you can to improve on what God has already given you. Get a new hairstyle, shed a few pounds, treat yourself to a makeover. Read, enlarge your learning capacity. Know what is going on in the world around you.

Most men want more than just a pretty package. They want to be able to open the package and find the goodness of heaven on the inside. They want someone with whom they can laugh and enjoy life. As you pray, God will show you what to do both naturally and spiritually.

3. Purify your heart. In your journey toward wholeness, you must allow the "dealings" of God to bring order and discipline to every aspect of your life. There are several attitudes which, if left unchecked, will keep you from receiving God's best.

* Compromise. Some single women in the church, because they are unable to wait for God's timing, completely discard the tenets of holiness and become involved in immorality.

You must ask God to deal with any areas of compromise in your life. And you must learn to say no to fleshly habits, hobbies and attitudes that are not pleasing to the Lord.

* Blaming others. Many of us attribute our present position in life to the way we were treated in the past by other people. But what is really important is not what happened to us but how we deal with it.

You are not responsible for what other people do to you, but you are responsible for your reactions to what they do. If a "hypocrite" is standing between you and God, he is closer to God than you are!

Don't let what someone did to you years ago keep you from a fulfilling future. Make a decision—today—to forgive those who have wounded you.

* Jealousy. At one time during my single life, God confronted me about the jealousy and bitterness in my heart toward married women. I would look at them holding their husband's hands and get mad. I would think, I'm just as cute as they are, just as intelligent and just as nice. So why do they have someone when I don't?

God told me I wouldn't receive my blessing until I was delivered from the spirit of jealousy. He also reminded me that His timing is perfect and that I needed to trust Him.

I repented and began sowing into the lives of married women. I started giving their husbands money when I would hear they were having an anniversary. You see, I was planting seeds for my anniversary. In the process, I was set free.

* Apathy. As a pastor, I saw many women, especially older single women, who had lost faith and found themselves with a spirit of hopelessness. They no longer believed that God cared about their personal lives.

This type of attitude literally ties God's hands. You have to believe in spite of your present circumstances that He will come through for you.

* Self-pity. You have to fight against the spirit of self-pity that tries to attach itself to you. Your own words will keep you in prison. But you are not the only one who is lonely and going through difficult times. God showed me how to fight this spirit while helping other single women.

Several years before I married, I started inviting five or six single women to my home for dinner on Valentine's Day. One was a single parent who brought her daughter, another was separated from her abusive husband. Others were either divorced, widowed or never married.

I made our time together very special. Each of the women received a Valentine card from Jesus, telling her how much He loved her and encouraging her. I chose a special gift for each lady, and I cooked them all a wonderful meal with love.

It became an evening of joy. I was able to rise above my own pain and minister to sisters who were also hurting. We laughed together and played games. We didn't feel sorry for ourselves, because we were learning to make Jesus the lover of our souls.

Change Your Outlook

Many people felt sorry for me after my 40th birthday. I remember standing up in church and saying, "Don't feel sorry for me. I have a promise from God that I am getting married.

"I may be old, but you will see me come down this aisle and get married." I wanted to see the fulfillment of the Scripture that says, "Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished" (Luke 1:45, NIV).

I learned to love my life as a single woman. You see, if you don't love your life now, you won't love it after you get married. Marriage does not fix everything in your life.

In fact, it can add pressures you didn't know as a single woman. So learn to enjoy your singleness. Serve God with all your heart, mind and soul. Get involved in the things that will advance His kingdom.

Not every single woman will marry. But if you have a promise from God for marriage, wait for His perfect timing. Don't go out and try to find a man; let him find you.

In the meantime, and for all time, make Jesus the lover of your soul. He knows every heartache and every tear. He understands you when you are unable to verbalize what you are thinking and feeling. He is faithful. Jesus is your ultimate mate, and you are His beloved!

Helen Stubblefield Trowbridge and her husband, Tim, founded Trowbridge Ministries International. She is an evangelist, musician and author of Can You Wait One More Hour?

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Comments

#4 John Ruffle 2009-06-24 20:50 True Christians are indeed members of his Body, and we are members of the "Bride of Christ". The single woman demonstrates this in a unique and fragrant way, in that she is "married to Christ". The challenge of singleness is to overcome lonliness, which can cripple the free response to Christ and hinders our works of service. A time of singleness is also an opportunity to explore Christian community, misson and vocation. It is indeed costly and not without pain. Yet, God indeed has a plan for every life, single or married, and the single person is uniquely blessed and equipped by God. Allow Christ to really become first in every one of life's areas, but equally, make sure that in your piety, you don't become unapproachable, where men can't reach you. Don't be held by past hurts - seek healing. Be a disciple - serve. Overcome lonliness through holiness. Abandon your hopes and dreams to Christ. Enter a deeper spirituality and love God with passion. Quote


#3 glorycloud 2009-06-24 20:05 Do not assume that God ever wants you to marry! If you do assume this, then you will begin to add to your assumption the age at which he wants you to be married, your status in life, the geographical place, and your support status to your husband's occupation and pursuits rather than to your own. Practically no one out there is like Dave Meyer, Joyce Meyer's husand although some do exist. What may be at stake is your ministry, your destiny on this earth! Surely, you can think of what would have happened to the world had Billy Graham not followed God's call in his life. Do not hesitate to apply this thinking to yourself! If no male has appreciation for what God can do through you, be assured God has full appreciation what he can do through you. If you want it God's call and marriage, you may have to wait until you put God first. It's not good for man to be alone…that's in general. Paul was alone. Many are alone. Alone is not loneliness. Quote


#2 angela serritella 2009-06-24 10:34 I THOUGHT YOU'D BE ABLE TO GLEAN FROM THIS ARTICLE. LOVE, MOMMY Quote


#1 Tom Winfield 2009-06-24 09:31 I liked this article until she got to the what-to-do section, based on knowing God has promised you a mate. Suppose you aren't sure that He has promised that to you? I counseled Christians for years. Something I used to tell single women and men who were obsessed with finding a mate was this—"There is something a lot worse than living alone and being lonely at times—and that is ending up in a bad marriage headed for divorce." I told them to live for the Lord, and with the Lord. His Spirit will impress us with whether to hope for His help in getting a mate. Now marriage is the normal, biblical state. So if we adhere to Matthew 6:33—Seek Him first, for then He will add those things that we need—we will be on solid ground. Our Father knows what we have need of before we ask… And He knows who pays attention to Him, and who doesn't.

Salam. Salam

I Will Never Leave Thee
June 26, 2009

"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." (Hebrews 13:5)

This marvelous promise of security ought to serve to strengthen us in the face of any and all opposition.  Our trust is in the Lord and His promises, in stark contrast to the preceding admonition to let our mindset "be without covetousness; and |to| be content with such things as |we| have."

A covetous spirit actually breaks the last of the ten commandments, and this warning tells us that such a spirit can afflict a Christian if he allows himself to become discontented with God's provision.  The presence of God is far more precious than material possessions, and this should be enough.

Actually, the promise is even more emphatic in the original Greek.  The word "leave," which means to uphold or sustain, is preceded by a twice-repeated negative.  It literally means, "I will not, I will not cease to uphold you!" The word "forsake" implies forsaking one in a position of hopelessness, and it is preceded by a thrice-repeated negative: "I'll never, never, never abandon you in a hopeless state!"

Furthermore, this is a personal promise from Christ Jesus.  The phrase, "He hath said," is in an intensive mode in Greek and could rightly be translated, "He, himself, hath said."  Our Lord stakes His reputation on His ability to provide us security.  No wonder "we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:6).  The last verse from the grand hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," now takes on new meaning. JDM

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake
I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

OLAADEGBU:

I Will Never Leave Thee
June 26, 2009

[b]"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." (Hebrews 13:5)[/b]

This marvelous promise of security ought to serve to strengthen us in the face of any and all opposition. Our trust is in the Lord and His promises, in stark contrast to the preceding admonition to let our mindset "be without covetousness; and |to| be content with such things as |we| have."

A covetous spirit actually breaks the last of the ten commandments, and this warning tells us that such a spirit can afflict a Christian if he allows himself to become discontented with God's provision. The presence of God is far more precious than material possessions, and this should be enough.

Actually, the promise is even more emphatic in the original Greek. The word "leave," which means to uphold or sustain, is preceded by a twice-repeated negative. It literally means, "I will not, I will not cease to uphold you!" The word "forsake" implies forsaking one in a position of hopelessness, and it is preceded by a thrice-repeated negative: "I'll never, never, never abandon you in a hopeless state!"

Furthermore, this is a personal promise from Christ Jesus. The phrase, "He hath said," is in an intensive mode in Greek and could rightly be translated, "He, himself, hath said." Our Lord stakes His reputation on His ability to provide us security. No wonder "we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:6). The last verse from the grand hymn, "How Firm a Foundation," now takes on new meaning. JDM

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to his foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake
I'll never, no never, no never forsake.

I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is a Rhema the Lord gave me in 1990 and that scripture has been the strongest anchor to me in good  times and bad.
I 've faced very difficult and challenging  situations and those times when I think God seems too far away,that word He spoke to me in 1990,flows like a river out of my bellies and a smile comes to my face.
And he has never disappointed me.
Thank you Jesus!

$osisi:

I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is a Rhema the Lord gave me in 1990 and that scripture has been the strongest anchor to me in good times and bad.
I 've faced very difficult and challenging situations and those times when I think God seems too far away,that word He spoke to me in 1990,flows like a river out of my bellies and a smile comes to my face.
And he has never disappointed me.
Thank you Jesus!

Thanks for sharing your testimony of the Lord's faithfulness to His Words. I pray that we will all learn to trust the Lord with His promises the more as they are stedfast and sure while the billows roll.

For Ever and Ever, . . .
June 27, 2009

"The LORD shall reign for ever and ever." (Exodus 15:18)

The Bible is a book of eternity, its words "for ever . . . settled in heaven" (Psalm 119:89).  The theme of eternity is prominent throughout; in fact, the words[i]"for ever," "everlasting,"[/i] and the like occur more than 600 times.  Many such occurrences (49 to be exact, or 7x7) seem to make the concept even more complete, being combined either as "for ever and ever" or "from everlasting to everlasting."

The first of these is in our text: "The LORD shall reign for ever and ever." He is the eternal King of all creation!  How beautiful and appropriate it is, then, to find that the last (the 49th) of these occurrences tells us that we--His redeemed saints--also "shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5).

To note just a few of the other truths that will last for ever and ever, consider first of all the creation: "Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. . . . For he commanded, and they were created. He that also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass" (Psalm 148:3, 5-6).  Not only the world of God, but also the Word of God shall endure eternally.  "All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. . . . So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever" (Psalm 111:7-8; 119:44).

On the other hand, those who reject God and His Word will endure forever, but will be forgotten forever.  "Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever" (Psalm 9:5).  "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11).

"But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him" (Psalm 103:17).  "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3). HMM

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6;23

hmm nothing compares to the promise i have in u Lord (eternal life!wow) i love u Lord!!!

jumoke 90:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 6;23

hmm nothing compares to the promise i have in u Lord (eternal life!wow) i love u Lord!!!

Glory to God in the highest! He has done great things, bless His holy name.  We don't have to pay the penalty for our sins as they have been paid for and we now have eternal life because of what Jesus has done.  Halleluyah!!!

True Christian Fellowship
June 28, 2009

"That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." (Philemon 6)

This one-chapter epistle of Paul to his friend Philemon is essentially a personal request by Paul that Philemon forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus, and receive him back into "the church in thy house" as a new Christian, recently won to Christ (vv. 2, 10, 15-16). Our text is Paul's prayer for Philemon and is similar to prayers by him for other believers (e.g., Colossians 1:9-10). It is an appropriate prayer on behalf of any fellow Christian. Its emphasis is on the blessings and responsibilities of true fellowship.

The "communication" of which Paul speaks is the Greek word koinonia, meaning "fellowship." That is, genuine Christian faith involves a sharing of one's life with others of "like precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1). That fellowship becomes "effectual" (literally, "full of power," from the Greek energes, "energizing" only through recognising and appreciating all the blessings we have received through Christ.

Paul pointed out that he himself should be counted as a "partner" with Philemon (v. 17). Here the Greek is koinonos, practically the same as koinonia. Both Philemon, the wealthy Colossian master, and Onesimus, his runaway bondservant, were Paul's spiritual children (v. 19), so they all theoretically shared "every good thing" in fellowship through Christ. Thus Paul offered to repay anything Onesimus had stolen or any other losses, should Philemon so insist (vv. 18-19).

The demands of Christian fellowship thus might cost Onesimus his freedom, Paul his helper, and Philemon his property. True fellowship is not mere Christian socialising. It is the sharing of love and concern, time and talents, possessions and even life itself, as need and circumstance demand, with others in the household of faith. HMM

Power of the Holy Spirit
29 June, 2009

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." (Acts 1:

This promise of our Lord signaled the beginning of the immense change from the old covenant to the new.  Prior to the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16) on the day of Pentecost, the saints of God were empowered both selectively and infrequently.

We, however, upon whom the "better thing" has come (Hebrews 11:40), are all temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).  Since we have been "quickened" (made alive) by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:18), we surely should then "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25).  What then is the dunamis (power) that the Holy Spirit provides to us?

Obviously, the power comes from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit Himself (Ephesians 3:16-20).  Our flesh has "no good thing" (Romans 7:18) to provide for an empowered, Spirit-filled life. Apart from the dwelling of God’s Spirit in us (Ephesians 1:14), we would be unable to live righteously (John 15:5).

But thanks be to the omnipotent and omniscient Creator that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts to use in Christ’s assembly to mature and to encourage each other (Ephesians 4:7-16). The Holy Spirit also grants us the ability to develop His "fruit" in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Then, with the encouragement and maturity we gain through our churches, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit being obvious in our daily lives, the great privilege of sharing the gospel with the lost becomes a delightful exercise of "power" (Romans 1:16) that is clear, not only in careful words of testimony, but in and through a life empowered by the Holy Spirit (1Thessalonians 1:5). HMM III

I've been greatly blessed by this thread. May God continue to bless the creator and the contributors

these are the beautiful words of 2 men looking back at Gods faithfulness

Joshua 23:10-14 (New Living Translation)

10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

14 “Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. [size=18pt]Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. [Not a single one has failed[/size]!

June 29th.



DIRECTION OF DISCIPLINE


"And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Matthew 5:30

Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off the right hand, but - If your right hand offends you in your walk with Me, cut it off. There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but, says Jesus, if it hinders you in following His precepts, cut it off. This line of discipline is the sternest one that ever struck mankind.

When God alters a man by regeneration, the characteristic of the life to begin with is that it is maimed. There are a hundred and one things you dare not do, things that to you and in the eyes of the world that knows you are as your right hand and your eye, and the unspiritual person says - Whatever is wrong in that? How absurd you are! There never has been a saint yet who did not have to live a maimed life to start with. But [size=14pt]it is better to enter into life maimed and lovely in God's sight than to be lovely in man's sight and lame in God's. In the beginning Jesus Christ by His Spirit has to check you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. See that you do not use your limitations to criticize someone else.[/size]

It is a maimed life to begin with, but in v.48 Jesus gives the picture of a perfectly full-orbed life - "Ye shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

[size=18pt]Being Real, Part One[/size]
by Charles R. Swindoll

Mark 1:35

Dave Cowens, one-time star basketball center for the Boston Celtics, disappeared. Without warning, he walked off the practice court, showered, dressed, and drove away. Alone.

He kept driving to . . . somewhere. His only explanation was the familiar comment, "I need to get my head together." He added that it could take as little as two weeks or as much as ten years. The sportscasters, management, team, spectators, and fans couldn't imagine what he was looking for.

I could. The Carpenters used to do a number that helps explain the superstar's puzzling reaction. It's a peaceful soul-song that talks about needing a place to hide away . . . to be quiet . . . to think things through . . . to reflect.

Perhaps that's what the Boston superstar was trying to say. He had everything imaginable---fame, possessions, job security, a strong body, lots of bucks---but maybe at that moment in his life he lacked something far more important. Something like a sense of purpose and inner fulfillment. Something which basketball and all its benefits could never provide. An inner itch that can't be scratched by achievement or people or things or activities. To scratch it requires a great deal of internal searching, which the athlete felt he couldn't do and still keep pace with the maddening NBA schedule.

To "find yourself" requires that you take time to look. It's essential if you want to be a whole person, real to the core.

Now, I'm not advocating that one suddenly stop everything else so he or she can work the hide 'n' seek process. That's rather unrealistic even if you aren't the starting center for an NBA franchise. It's a little like removing an anthill in your backyard with six sticks of TNT. Or like setting your car on fire because the engine knocks. Learning to be whole isn't prompted by copping out. But there are times in all our lives when we need to back away, slow down, stay quiet, think through, be still.

"I'd rather burn out than rust out!" shouts the zealot. Frankly, neither sounds very appealing to me. Either way you're out. People who are burning out may start a lot of fires and stir up a lot of noise and smoke. But who cares---if everything turns to ashes? People who are rusting out may move about as slowly as a sloth and live to a hundred and thirty. But so what---if all they accomplish in life is paying bills and staying out of jail?

There has to be more to life than just doing. There is! It's being. Becoming whole . . . believable . . . purposeful . . . lovable. Tomorrow, we'll talk more about the essential quality of being real.



Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

[size=28pt]DO IT NOW[/size]


"Agree with thine adversary quickly." Matthew 5:25

Jesus Christ is laying down this principle - Do what you know you must do, now, and do it quickly; if you do not, the inevitable process will begin to work and you will have to pay to the last farthing in pain and agony and distress. God's laws are unalterable; there is no escape from them. The teaching of Jesus goes straight to the way we are made up.

To see that my adversary gives me my rights is natural; but Jesus says that it is a matter of eternal and imperative importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord's standpoint it does not matter whether I am defrauded or not; what does matter is that I do not defraud. Am I insisting on my rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ's standpoint?

Do the thing quickly, bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must do it at once; if you do not, the inexorable process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure and clean and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will prevent none of the working of His spirit. Our insistence in proving that we are right is nearly always an indication that there has been some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit so strongly urges to keep steadfastly in the light!

"Agree with thine adversary quickly." Have you suddenly turned a corner in any relationship and found that you had anger in your heart? Confess it quickly, quickly put it right before God, be reconciled to that one - do it now.
http://www.myutmost.org/06/0630.html

Our Weapons
30 June, 2009

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh." (2 Corinthians 10:3)

This verse introduces a famous apologetic charge to the saints. The key to the whole passage is the qualifier "we do not war after the flesh."

We must conduct war with non-flesh weapons, since "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).  Fleshly wisdom (2 Corinthians 1:12) often is nothing more than a "snare of the devil" (2 Timothy 2:26) and may well spoil us if we are not very careful (Colossians 2:.

The objective, of course, is to bring every intellectual argument captive to the truth of Scripture.  This is done by the pulling down of strongholds and "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5).  This warfare, if not done according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 1:17), is "mighty through God" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Nowhere in these verses is there permission or an implied need to learn the thoughts of the enemy before we can bring them into captivity.  Biblical data insists that the flesh has "no good thing" (Romans 7:18) and cannot understand the things of God.  The weapons we have are not fleshly (i.e., natural thinking, natural emotion, human reasoning, etc.). Our weapons (Ephesians 6) are the "sword of the Spirit" (offensive) and the "shield of faith" (defensive), and we’re protected by the full armour of God—praying always.  It is not possible to learn all the subtle arguments of the enemy.  What is possible, however, is a knowledge of the truth through our having the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16) that will make us sufficient for "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).  HMM III

July 1st.



THE INEVITABLE PENALTY


"Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the uttermost farthing." Matthew 5:26

There is no heaven with a little corner of hell in it. God is determined to make you pure and holy and right; He will not allow you to escape for one moment from the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. He urged you to come to judgment right away when He convicted you, but you did not; the inevitable process began to work and now you are in prison, and you will only get out when you have paid the uttermost farthing. "Is this a God of mercy, and of love?" you say. Seen from God's side, it is a glorious ministry of love. God is going to bring you out pure and spotless and undefiled; but He wants you to recognize the disposition you were showing - the disposition of your right to yourself. The moment you are willing that God should alter your disposition, His recreating forces will begin to work. The moment you realize God's purpose, which is to get you rightly related to Himself and then to your fellow men, He will tax the last limit of the universe to help you take the right road. Decide it now - "Yes, Lord, I will write that letter to-night"; "I will be reconciled to that man now."

These messages of Jesus Christ are for the will and the conscience, not for the head. If you dispute the Sermon on the Mount with your head, you will blunt the appeal to your heart.

"I wonder why I don't go on with God?" Are you paying your debts from God's standpoint? Do now what you will have to do some day. Every moral call has an "ought" behind it.

[size=28pt]The Sin Tamer[/size] - Do we ever get to stop fighting against the evil within?[/size]
John Ortberg | posted 6/29/2009

How much sin should we expect in the church? We have gauges for other elements of church life. We generally monitor attendance. We know how many people are in small groups. Somebody counts the offerings. And often we don't just measure what we're interested in—we set goals.

Anybody hear of a church that set a goal for a 5-percent sin reduction next year?

I don't mean to be glib about this. Sin is, somehow, at the root of all human misery. Sin is what keeps us from God and from life. It is in the face of every battered woman, the cry of every neglected child, the despair of every addict, the death of every victim of every war.

Pastors have historically understood their primary battle to be not the battle to build a big church, but the battle against the power of sin. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood … ." Christians have measured the seriousness of the battle by the suffering and bleeding of Calvary.

And sin doesn't seem to be going away, either outside or inside the church. So how should we be thinking about sin, in our congregations and in ourselves?

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us," writes John.

It always helps to begin by identifying the boundaries over which error lies. Then at least we know what mistakes to avoid. And one boundary is the notion that we can be fully rid of sin in this life; that by enough vigilance and will-power and careful adherence to rules we can reach what used to be called sinless perfection (is there another kind?).

The problem with what might be called the "victorious Christian living" mindset is not that it takes sin too seriously. The problem is it inevitably becomes selective about which sins God hates the most, and they always end up being somebody else's sins. It misses the deeper layers of sin: sin not just as concrete acts of lying or cheating, but the sin of narcissism that infects my preaching and image-management that corrupts my conversations; the sin in my motives and emotions that is real but that I cannot simply turn off.

Jesus told the story about the tax collector and the Pharisee to a group of people "who were content in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else."

The irony is that "looking down on everybody else" is a violation of the law of love, which according to Jesus is the absolute essence of righteousness. Sin is protean. It is a cancer that keeps mutating, and just when you think you have killed off one form, it turns out a deadlier strain yet is threatening your heart.
Recalibrating your sin monitor

There is a paradox about sin: it may be impossible to know how well you're doing at battling it. People who are in great physical shape usually know it. Musicians who have honed their craft could generally tell you how.

But when is the last time someone whose soul you deeply admire said to you: "I have really been on a roll when it comes to overcoming sin lately"? Those souls among us who are doing the best in contesting it don't seem to think they're doing particularly well. Maybe this is more than just modesty or neurosis. Maybe they're aware of the insidious danger.

The Sin Tamer
Do we ever get to stop fighting against the evil within?
John Ortberg | posted 6/29/2009

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The Sin Tamer
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How much sin should we expect in the church? We have gauges for other elements of church life. We generally monitor attendance. We know how many people are in small groups. Somebody counts the offerings. And often we don't just measure what we're interested in—we set goals.

Anybody hear of a church that set a goal for a 5-percent sin reduction next year?

I don't mean to be glib about this. Sin is, somehow, at the root of all human misery. Sin is what keeps us from God and from life. It is in the face of every battered woman, the cry of every neglected child, the despair of every addict, the death of every victim of every war.

Pastors have historically understood their primary battle to be not the battle to build a big church, but the battle against the power of sin. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood … ." Christians have measured the seriousness of the battle by the suffering and bleeding of Calvary.

And sin doesn't seem to be going away, either outside or inside the church. So how should we be thinking about sin, in our congregations and in ourselves?

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us," writes John.

It always helps to begin by identifying the boundaries over which error lies. Then at least we know what mistakes to avoid. And one boundary is the notion that we can be fully rid of sin in this life; that by enough vigilance and will-power and careful adherence to rules we can reach what used to be called sinless perfection (is there another kind?).

The problem with what might be called the "victorious Christian living" mindset is not that it takes sin too seriously. The problem is it inevitably becomes selective about which sins God hates the most, and they always end up being somebody else's sins. It misses the deeper layers of sin: sin not just as concrete acts of lying or cheating, but the sin of narcissism that infects my preaching and image-management that corrupts my conversations; the sin in my motives and emotions that is real but that I cannot simply turn off.

Jesus told the story about the tax collector and the Pharisee to a group of people "who were content in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else."

The irony is that "looking down on everybody else" is a violation of the law of love, which according to Jesus is the absolute essence of righteousness. Sin is protean. It is a cancer that keeps mutating, and just when you think you have killed off one form, it turns out a deadlier strain yet is threatening your heart.
Recalibrating your sin monitor

There is a paradox about sin: it may be impossible to know how well you're doing at battling it. People who are in great physical shape usually know it. Musicians who have honed their craft could generally tell you how.

But when is the last time someone whose soul you deeply admire said to you: "I have really been on a roll when it comes to overcoming sin lately"? Those souls among us who are doing the best in contesting it don't seem to think they're doing particularly well. Maybe this is more than just modesty or neurosis. Maybe they're aware of the insidious danger.

For the most part, we simply do not have that understanding about sin.
Recognizing the badness of sin

I re-read Neal Plantinga's Not The Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin on a regular basis. In fact, if this article does nothing else, it will be worth writing if it convinces you to read his book once every few years.

He writes of how we have largely lost awareness of sin; how sin was once something Christians hated, feared, grieved, and fled; now when we see the word at all it tends to be on menus ("Sinful Chocolate Decadence".

However, the awareness of sin cannot be recovered simply by trying to crank up the volume when we talk about it. Merely saying loudly and often that sin is bad will not create the tectonic shift needed in our souls. We need to thoroughly understand what it is that is bad about sin, which is power to corrupt the goodness of life:

"Sin is both the overstepping of a line and the failure to reach it—both transgression and shortcoming. Sin is a missing of the mark, a spoiling of goods, a staining of garments, a hitch in one's gait, a wandering from the path, a fragmenting of the whole. Sin is what culpably disturbs shalom. Sinful human life is a caricature of proper human life."

We often speak of how people cannot comprehend the wonder of grace unless they grasp the badness of sin. And that is true. But it is equally true that people cannot grasp the badness of sin until they grasp the goodness of the life that sin corrupts.

When we do not understand the destructiveness of sin, we are more concerned about getting punished for our sins than the way we are punished by them.
Does God tire of forgiving the same sins?

Does the persistence of sin in my life threaten my salvation? People don't generally ask aloud, but they wonder: How much sin can there be in my life before I need to start worrying? In other words, is there a level of sin that is in the acceptable zone for a Christian, but if you go higher, you're in danger—like the level of mercury in Lake Michigan? Is there a low tolerance for impurity—like FDA standards for homogenized milk? Or is it more like the purity standards for hot dogs—lots of room for junk?

Is it possible to be a Christian and just never grow?

The problem with these is that they are the wrong questions. The issue is not whether God will stop forgiving sins. Jesus told Peter he needed to forgive an offender not seven times, but seventy times seven. And he wasn't saying Peter could withhold forgiveness for transgression number 491.

Jesus' point was that forgiving is always the right response to sincere repentance. God is not worried that he might be taken advantage of. He is not afraid that some bad boy will use his charm to put one over on heaven.

The problem is that, eventually, I become as used to my sin as I am to the watch on my wrist. I habituate. It doesn't bother me any more. I stop even wanting to be rid of it.

Sin damages my capacity for God. Sin blinds. The danger is not that God won't respond to my repeated repentance; the danger is that I might become so ensnared that I become simply unable or unwilling to repent. This is the dynamic at work when Paul says, "And God gave them over to a depraved mind."

So the question isn't "How much sin am I allowed?" The question is "Am I moving toward the darkness or toward the light? Am I growing toward God, or away from him? Am I becoming more sensitive and responsive to Jesus?"

It is because of this that sin is to be taken so seriously. Paul says to the church at Galatia: "Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted."

He doesn't just say: "Invoke church discipline if there's a sexual scandal." He says we're to help one another move toward freedom from sin. From all kinds of sin.

It is interesting in our day that many churches speak much of Matthew 18:15 and the need for values around resolving conflict. But that is only one application of the larger need stated in Galatians 6:1, which is for Christians not just to confront conflict but more generally to confront sin.

This can be done in a way that is not judgmental, because the reality is that we are in no position to judge the actual amount of spiritual growth that has taken place in another person; we do not see the genetic material they wrestle with; we do not know the forces that have shaped them.

Frank Laubach preached the gospel to a tribe that had a long history of violence. The chief was so moved by Laubach's presentation that he accepted Christ on the spot. He then turned to Laubach in gratitude and said, "This is wonderful. Who do you want me to kill for you?"

That's his starting point.

I was raised in a church where the Scriptures were taught, given parents who loved me and each other, in a city where being a Protestant Christian was considered normal. So if I think I am superior to the chief because I'm less likely to kill somebody, I'm sadly deluded.

The question is: Am I moving toward the light, and helping others do the same? If I see someone trapped in sin and do nothing to try to help, that is not love. It is the sin of conniving. Conspiring to allow sin to flourish and human life to suffer.

Awakening healthy guilt

As a leader I have to ask myself, "What are the sins in my congregation (and my life) that no one feels guilty over?"

Do I have the courage to awaken guilt?

Taylor Branch wrote how in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1950s bus drivers would accept money from African-American riders, but then would make them disembark and walk on the sidewalk to re-enter through the rear door lest they touch a white person going down the center aisle.

Sometimes, for the fun of cruelty, drivers would take the money and drive off while the person was walking toward the back door, leaving them without fare or transportation.

There was a sin of anger here. But it was not that black people got angry.

It was that white people did not.

Worse, it was that white people, who read the Bible and worshiped in church, did not rise up in fury to demand justice.

Are we lifting up and recognizing and encouraging the sin-convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit?

At Willow Creek recently, Bill Hybels preached a series called "Enough." After one of the sermons, he challenged members of the congregation to raise their hands if they were willing to surrender their possessions and lifestyles fully to God and actually decide to use their resources to serve the poor and honor God. There was a time for public declaration of intent.

Then Bill said he wanted to have a word with all the folks who did not raise their hands. And this is what he said: "I hope you have a terrible afternoon. And then I hope you have a terrible evening. I hope the Holy Spirit keeps after you, and you have to keep thinking this one through, until you're able to raise your hand as well."

Sins I know and sins I don't

But what's most difficult about sin isn't so much what to do about sin in the congregation I serve. It's what to do about the sin in me! The hard part of sin is my sin.

I get angry at people for not doing what I want. I avoid confrontation I know is needed because I want to avoid pain. I am apathetic toward injustice. I lust. I use other people. I manipulate. I get defensive. I am ungrateful for blessings. I withdraw.

Sometimes I am aware of my sin as I'm doing it.

The other night my wife asked me if I had someone's number on my cell phone. I immediately said no. The truth was, I was pretty sure it was on my phone, but I didn't want to take the ten seconds needed to look. I didn't want to tell her that, so I said no.

Then I felt bad.

So I had to stop, look my wife in the eye, and tell her that I lied to her, and that the reason for my lie was that I didn't want to give up ten seconds. (It turns out the number wasn't on my cell phone after all. Hmm. Are you lying if it turns out by accident you were telling the truth?)

It was humiliating and embarrassing, and is so small that even in the telling, it makes me look more sensitive to sin than I really am.

Sometimes my sin is so close to me, like my skin, I don't even know it's there.

What matters most, I suppose, is not so much that I am trying to reduce the sin factor. It's that I come to love the life God has created, the shalom God cherishes, and hate the sin that corrupts it, not because I am so "righteous" but because that life is so good.

Can my sin ever be totally tamed? Not in this life. Much of the sin that is in me I'm not even conscious of yet. As I grow more spiritually aware, I'll see deficits I don't have the sensitivity to see right now.

But even the sins I'm aware of are constantly tempting me. The Bible says, "We wrestle … ." We wrestle—not against flesh and blood. We wrestle—and as we faithfully wrestle, God allows us victories along the way. We wrestle—and as we wrestle, a Friend greater than we know is somehow at work wrestling in us and for us and through us.

The greatest sin would be to stop wrestling.

John Ortberg is pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, and editor at large of Leadership.

Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/communitylife/discipleship/sintamer.html

ifound this video interesting

Jesus Christ is Everything - Paul Washer

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8742977b76e3475fae47 &utm_source=newsletter0629&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklytopvideos

@JJYOU
thank you. . . that video is wonderful and the site too is good thanks. . . i pray God will give us the Grace to make Him our everything and to give Him all our time not only when it is convinient for us but always

Fear of the Lord
1 July, 2009

"Then had the churches rest . . . and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." (Acts 9:31)

There is something of a paradox in this requirement to "fear the Lord." On the one hand, we "have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" but have received "the Spirit of adoption" (Romans 8:15). On the other hand, we are told to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Our text insists that we are to be "walking in the fear of the Lord." Obviously, the context illustrates a lifestyle of godly behaviour that is produced by our attitude towards God’s sovereign majesty and unique holiness as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. We should "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth" (Psalm 96:9).

It is clear that the "beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7), the "beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), and the "instruction of wisdom" (Proverbs 15:33) is founded in the fear of the Lord. It is also clear that the fear of the Lord is that which mimics God’s hatred of "evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward [perverse] mouth" (Proverbs 8:13).

But the one who fears the Lord also knows "strong confidence" (Proverbs 14:26) and has an unwavering satisfaction in his or her life (Proverbs 19:23). Indeed, such godly fear promises to prolong our days (Proverbs 10:27) and to be a "fountain of life" that keeps us from the "snares of death" (Proverbs 14:27).

Knowledge of God should produce a "godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28) as we serve in the Kingdom--fear of His power and holiness and omniscience--yet also provide a steadfast rest in the knowledge that we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), gifted not with timidity, but with a spirit of "power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). HMM III

Guard Your Heart
2 July, 2009

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

The Hebrew word nasar, here translated "keep," carries the strong idea of protection or guarding. It is used 10 times in Psalm 119 to stress the necessity of "keeping" (guarding, protecting) the various kinds of instructions in God’s Word: "testimonies, statutes, laws, precepts, and commandments." Everything written down by God is worth guarding.

In our text, the importance of guarding our hearts is emphasized since it is the source for the "issues of life." Jesus said, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45). Our "heart" is indeed the key to much in our life.

It is no wonder that the first commandment of all is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mark 12:30).

Here are a few important principles that we must guard if our hearts are to produce the good "issues of life."

If we seek God with all our hearts, we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13).

We must believe with our hearts if we are to be saved (Romans 10:9; Hebrews 11:6).

If we hold on to iniquity in our hearts, God will not hear our prayers (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1-2).

If our hearts do not condemn us, then we will have confidence with God (1 John 3:21).

"He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart" (Psalm 15:2) will live forever with the Lord of heaven and earth. HMM III