I have recently encountered several situation, from many perspectives, that God has used to bless me with a greater understanding of Spiritual authority. I felt the need to share with you so that you may be blessed in your servanthood.
It is important to note that ALL positions of authority are God appointed and should be respected as such. Although it is not always easy to do it the "boss's way" it IS necessary.
Romans chapter 13 begins with...
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience."
This scripture alone sums it up... at work, in class, in groups, organizations, clubs or whatever, submit to the authorities placed before you. you reward will be great. Respect them and their wishes and if you disagree simply approach them in love...if they stand firm on their position, then that is that. don't become a distraction to their work. submit to "God's servant."
It is so important that we dont rebel against them...remember "he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."
I often find that in instances like this if we would really ask ourselves, what would Jesus do? we would realize that Jesus would not rebel, he would submit and serve in a way that would best represent God. We should do the same.
It was the thought of the moment. Hope you enjoy it.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Drifting
"In light of the realization of who Jesus is,the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of God, far superior to angels and all created beings—we must be very careful to pay even closer attention to the Word of God that we have heard" (Hebrews 2:1).
It will not be the obvious, in-your-face sins that trip us up, but rather the gradual drifting away from the truth that we have come to know. Perhaps that sin will be neglecting to read the Bible and spend daily time in prayer. Perhaps it will be the letting down of our guard when it comes to the entertainment we enjoy or the ways in which we spend our money or our time. Or perhaps it will be our participation in unproductive, sinful things like idle gossip. The sins are different; the result is the same—spiritual drifting.
In order to prevent drifting in your walk of faith, ask the Holy Spirit to alert you to any subtle areas in your life where you may be drifting. Agree with what he shows you there, repent, and get back on course by realigning yourself with the Word of God.
Think of a boat in the water...the tide may cause it to drift in one direction or the other but if you have an anchor your boat will not drift. Seeking the face of God and studying his word is just like throwing out that anchor. It will keep you from drifting!
It is also important to keep strong believers with you (keyword 'STRONG') for the bible tels us that "the wise walk with the wise."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. "
But we must be careful of who we surround ourselves with. I suggest only making those with Godly counsel extremely close, for in your time of need or trouble you need them to provide you with the word of God, not mere opinion.
To aviod drifting spiritually, set clear goals for yourself and commit to them.
Proverbs 21:5 tells us " The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But Everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty."
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”
Many people say that drifting or backsliding is natural and it just sometimes happens, well I disagree. I want the people of God to begin to exercise the Word in a big way.
Being a CHRISTian is about progress and advancement! And that is exactly what we will do. WE ARE ABOVE DRIFTING. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT. Glory to God!
So lets remove the possibility of drifting from our very thoughts....
Count it all Joy! Point5
It will not be the obvious, in-your-face sins that trip us up, but rather the gradual drifting away from the truth that we have come to know. Perhaps that sin will be neglecting to read the Bible and spend daily time in prayer. Perhaps it will be the letting down of our guard when it comes to the entertainment we enjoy or the ways in which we spend our money or our time. Or perhaps it will be our participation in unproductive, sinful things like idle gossip. The sins are different; the result is the same—spiritual drifting.
In order to prevent drifting in your walk of faith, ask the Holy Spirit to alert you to any subtle areas in your life where you may be drifting. Agree with what he shows you there, repent, and get back on course by realigning yourself with the Word of God.
Think of a boat in the water...the tide may cause it to drift in one direction or the other but if you have an anchor your boat will not drift. Seeking the face of God and studying his word is just like throwing out that anchor. It will keep you from drifting!
It is also important to keep strong believers with you (keyword 'STRONG') for the bible tels us that "the wise walk with the wise."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. "
But we must be careful of who we surround ourselves with. I suggest only making those with Godly counsel extremely close, for in your time of need or trouble you need them to provide you with the word of God, not mere opinion.
To aviod drifting spiritually, set clear goals for yourself and commit to them.
Proverbs 21:5 tells us " The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But Everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty."
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”
Many people say that drifting or backsliding is natural and it just sometimes happens, well I disagree. I want the people of God to begin to exercise the Word in a big way.
Being a CHRISTian is about progress and advancement! And that is exactly what we will do. WE ARE ABOVE DRIFTING. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT. Glory to God!
So lets remove the possibility of drifting from our very thoughts....
Count it all Joy! Point5
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Should we judge or not? A MUST READ
Judging is a subject which many Christians like to avoid. When pressed to defend one's position, though, there often seems to be a distinct division–those who think no one should judge anyone else for any reason, and those who tend to pass judgment on everyone for everything. So which position is right, according to God's Word? Neither. The fact is that Christians are not only permitted to judge, but in certain scriptures they are instructed to do so. However, there are restrictions on what and how we are to judge.
Christians who think judgin is wrong are quick to point out the "do not judge, or you too will be judged" scripture (Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37), yet they either stop short of or fail to understand the meaning of Matthew 7:2 which continues, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
To understand what this means let's start with a good foundation for our understanding of judging. Our foundation is upon Jesus Christ. Jesus' purpose in coming into this world was for judgment (John 9:39). God the Father appointed Jesus as judge of the living and the dead (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). It is important to note that Jesus' judgment is just and right (John 5:30; John 8:16; Acts 17:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 16:5, 7; Revelation 19:1-2). This is because Jesus doesn't judge arbitrarily; it is His Word which does the judging (John 12:47-48; Hebrews 4:12). God's Word further teaches that God doesn't judge by external appearance (Galatians 2:6) but that He judges each man's work impartially (1 Peter 1:17). And finally, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 10:30; Jude 1:14-15).
Now I know we are not Jesus so please understand this yellow portion is merely a discription of the way God does things. Jesus does the judging by His Word. And everyone will be judged by Jesus and the standard of His Word.
Now, let's return to the passage in Matthew 7:1-2. Since we know that we will be judged in the same way that we judge and with the same measure we use, and we also know that we will be judged and measured by God's Word, this passage means that we are permitted to judge by that which we find in God's Word. It is when we judge by other measures (opinions, wrong motives, erroneous information) that we end up in a lot of trouble!If we judge others with our opinions, with wrong motives, or by using erroneous information, then we can expect the same treatment from God! Boy, that should stop us in our tracks before judging, shouldn't it!?
However, we shouldn't be so fearful of judging wrongly that we fail to use common sense, decency, and a knowledge of God's Word to pass right judgment. This is what has happened to our country; we have been turning blind eyes to all of the sin around us for the sake of not judging so much that more and more souls are bound for hell everyday. Instead, we need to realize that God's Word does, indeed, give us guidelines for judging rightly against sin.
Let's see what limits and qualifications God places on making a right judgment:
Use God's Word as the standard for judgment (John 12:47-48 and Hebrews 4:12 with Matthew 7:1-2). Be sure you are not currently guilty of doing the same thing when you make the judgment (Romans 2:3; also see specific examples in Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:19; and Acts 23:3) Do not judge by mere appearances (John 7:24) Do not judge with discrimination (James 2:4) Do not slander (James 4:11) Do not pass judgment on disputable matters or those things on which the scriptures are not clear (Romans 14:1-4) Judge with mercy (James 2:13) Be willing to forgive (Luke 6:37) In addition to the above guidelines, one of the most important things to remember is that we are only capable of judging the act. We are never to judge the intentions or motives of another person–to do so would be assuming the role that only Jesus can fill. In John 8:15, Jesus taught that we can only judge by human standards, and we could be wrong. Only Jesus can judge men's secrets (Romans 2:16). It is the Word of God which judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord returns, "He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts" (1 Corinthians 4:5).
We can see from these scriptures that only Jesus and His Word are qualified to judge intentions, motives, and attitudes. We are limited to judging the act itself. We must realize that there are some things which can be judged now and some things which cannot be judged until later, for sometimes it takes time for certain sins to be revealed (1 Timothy 5:24).
Christians are specifically instructed to judge the actions of those within Christ's church (1 Corinthians 5:12-6:4). Not to do so results in much sin within the body of Christ. In fact, God's Word teaches, "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment" (1 Corinthians 2:15).
The Bible gives some specific examples of things we can judge, so long as we follow the guidelines and limitations previously discussed. They include murder (Matthew 5:21), careless words spoken (Matthew 12:36), rebellion against authority (Romans 13:2), sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:3; Hebrews 13:4), and grumbling against each other (James 5:9).
So the last thing I would like to say is that much like everything else in this world we must go to the Word of God.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6)
Get that knowledge before you hastily do things that you are uncomfortable with, such as judging others.
And for those who Judge me...you can see that I am in the word, I am constantly seeking the face of God and working towards that knowledge so that I won't make these types of mistakes. Just know that my Judgement is never to condemn! If I say anything to you it is honestly just an effort to help you grow. I love you ALL, regardless of whether or not you love me..
There is only one way to do it..."Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."(2 Tim 2:15)
Terrance aka Point5
Christians who think judgin is wrong are quick to point out the "do not judge, or you too will be judged" scripture (Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37), yet they either stop short of or fail to understand the meaning of Matthew 7:2 which continues, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
To understand what this means let's start with a good foundation for our understanding of judging. Our foundation is upon Jesus Christ. Jesus' purpose in coming into this world was for judgment (John 9:39). God the Father appointed Jesus as judge of the living and the dead (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). It is important to note that Jesus' judgment is just and right (John 5:30; John 8:16; Acts 17:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 16:5, 7; Revelation 19:1-2). This is because Jesus doesn't judge arbitrarily; it is His Word which does the judging (John 12:47-48; Hebrews 4:12). God's Word further teaches that God doesn't judge by external appearance (Galatians 2:6) but that He judges each man's work impartially (1 Peter 1:17). And finally, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 9:27; Hebrews 10:30; Jude 1:14-15).
Now I know we are not Jesus so please understand this yellow portion is merely a discription of the way God does things. Jesus does the judging by His Word. And everyone will be judged by Jesus and the standard of His Word.
Now, let's return to the passage in Matthew 7:1-2. Since we know that we will be judged in the same way that we judge and with the same measure we use, and we also know that we will be judged and measured by God's Word, this passage means that we are permitted to judge by that which we find in God's Word. It is when we judge by other measures (opinions, wrong motives, erroneous information) that we end up in a lot of trouble!If we judge others with our opinions, with wrong motives, or by using erroneous information, then we can expect the same treatment from God! Boy, that should stop us in our tracks before judging, shouldn't it!?
However, we shouldn't be so fearful of judging wrongly that we fail to use common sense, decency, and a knowledge of God's Word to pass right judgment. This is what has happened to our country; we have been turning blind eyes to all of the sin around us for the sake of not judging so much that more and more souls are bound for hell everyday. Instead, we need to realize that God's Word does, indeed, give us guidelines for judging rightly against sin.
Let's see what limits and qualifications God places on making a right judgment:
Use God's Word as the standard for judgment (John 12:47-48 and Hebrews 4:12 with Matthew 7:1-2). Be sure you are not currently guilty of doing the same thing when you make the judgment (Romans 2:3; also see specific examples in Matthew 12:27; Luke 11:19; and Acts 23:3) Do not judge by mere appearances (John 7:24) Do not judge with discrimination (James 2:4) Do not slander (James 4:11) Do not pass judgment on disputable matters or those things on which the scriptures are not clear (Romans 14:1-4) Judge with mercy (James 2:13) Be willing to forgive (Luke 6:37) In addition to the above guidelines, one of the most important things to remember is that we are only capable of judging the act. We are never to judge the intentions or motives of another person–to do so would be assuming the role that only Jesus can fill. In John 8:15, Jesus taught that we can only judge by human standards, and we could be wrong. Only Jesus can judge men's secrets (Romans 2:16). It is the Word of God which judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). When the Lord returns, "He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts" (1 Corinthians 4:5).
We can see from these scriptures that only Jesus and His Word are qualified to judge intentions, motives, and attitudes. We are limited to judging the act itself. We must realize that there are some things which can be judged now and some things which cannot be judged until later, for sometimes it takes time for certain sins to be revealed (1 Timothy 5:24).
Christians are specifically instructed to judge the actions of those within Christ's church (1 Corinthians 5:12-6:4). Not to do so results in much sin within the body of Christ. In fact, God's Word teaches, "The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment" (1 Corinthians 2:15).
The Bible gives some specific examples of things we can judge, so long as we follow the guidelines and limitations previously discussed. They include murder (Matthew 5:21), careless words spoken (Matthew 12:36), rebellion against authority (Romans 13:2), sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:3; Hebrews 13:4), and grumbling against each other (James 5:9).
So the last thing I would like to say is that much like everything else in this world we must go to the Word of God.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6)
Get that knowledge before you hastily do things that you are uncomfortable with, such as judging others.
And for those who Judge me...you can see that I am in the word, I am constantly seeking the face of God and working towards that knowledge so that I won't make these types of mistakes. Just know that my Judgement is never to condemn! If I say anything to you it is honestly just an effort to help you grow. I love you ALL, regardless of whether or not you love me..
There is only one way to do it..."Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."(2 Tim 2:15)
Terrance aka Point5
Friday, November 14, 2008
Hope (not so much teaching, just me sharing)
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith unto this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5: 1-5)
Just meditating on this verse really pleases me! I am feeling a sense of renewed understanding and just thought this to be a perfect time to share with you.
You know I often go through things...being in ministry I go through a lot! I deal with the heart ache of haters and those who aim to destroy God's ministry through me, I battle with those who believe me to be unworthy of Gods plan, and I contemplate the errors of those who refuse to love me as the lord does. In these things I am often hurt....but I press.
I find myself so often in a position to teach others that I rarely get to share my issues...well God has shown me today that my issues are testimonies, tools for ministering to others. I was recently reminded of Daniel in the lions den and how it was appearent to him that he would be there even before he was. Looking at his story showed me that people are watching me..they are watching me to see how I act in my time of trouble. They want to know will I fall? Will I give up?
Because of this I often show my strong side and don't allow people to see that I too hurt. Well today I have learned that in transperency all things are visible, this includes both the hurt and suffering because that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope! and hope is worth fighting for.
Today God spoke to me and told me something.... He did not call me to minister to the people who don't care, but instead to minister for the ones who do! So all I have to say is I will not please everyone, but fortunately I am not trying to. I am only trying to please God
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
This is me, I wake up everyday for one reason...to serve Jesus! and because of that I don't speak negatively about people regardless of what they say about me. I warn the gossipers of their error but I still love them as Christ, and I respect their independence and their privacy.Do the same for me.
If I were to speak to those who have recently been talking about me in an ungodly way, what I would say would be just what Paul said in Phillipians 3
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
Just know that when people fail you (and believe they will!) God will still be there. So maintain hope because "hope does not dissapoint us"
blessings. .5
Just meditating on this verse really pleases me! I am feeling a sense of renewed understanding and just thought this to be a perfect time to share with you.
You know I often go through things...being in ministry I go through a lot! I deal with the heart ache of haters and those who aim to destroy God's ministry through me, I battle with those who believe me to be unworthy of Gods plan, and I contemplate the errors of those who refuse to love me as the lord does. In these things I am often hurt....but I press.
I find myself so often in a position to teach others that I rarely get to share my issues...well God has shown me today that my issues are testimonies, tools for ministering to others. I was recently reminded of Daniel in the lions den and how it was appearent to him that he would be there even before he was. Looking at his story showed me that people are watching me..they are watching me to see how I act in my time of trouble. They want to know will I fall? Will I give up?
Because of this I often show my strong side and don't allow people to see that I too hurt. Well today I have learned that in transperency all things are visible, this includes both the hurt and suffering because that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope! and hope is worth fighting for.
Today God spoke to me and told me something.... He did not call me to minister to the people who don't care, but instead to minister for the ones who do! So all I have to say is I will not please everyone, but fortunately I am not trying to. I am only trying to please God
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
This is me, I wake up everyday for one reason...to serve Jesus! and because of that I don't speak negatively about people regardless of what they say about me. I warn the gossipers of their error but I still love them as Christ, and I respect their independence and their privacy.Do the same for me.
If I were to speak to those who have recently been talking about me in an ungodly way, what I would say would be just what Paul said in Phillipians 3
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
Just know that when people fail you (and believe they will!) God will still be there. So maintain hope because "hope does not dissapoint us"
blessings. .5
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Love and relationships
I often find that great men and women of God get tripped up in the matter of relationships. This truly pains me to see the enemy come in and begin to tamper with a relationship that God has ordained. So I felt the need to post this to try and help people in their troubles
First thing to know is that confusion is not of the Lord.
1 corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace"
This is important because the first thing the enemy does is try to make you question your beliefs and commitments. He tries to confuse you and in your pain bad desicions are often made.
secondly psalm 55:22 reads "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."
This says that He will never allow the righteous to be shaken! NEVER!! If you believe that, yet you are shaken then you must know the enemy is at work. SO it is often key not to go running to other people but instead Give it to Jesus, Remain focused on God and God alone. Often if you just focus on living for Jesus and not even worry about your relationship God will take care of your problems for you.
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. "
In my observation, this is the biggest mistake I see people make. They get so worried and/or hurt that they start trying to figure it out on their own. Without Jesus you cannot succeed in knowing the solution to your problem.
For those who know this scripture, I see them often make a similar mistake. They dont ant to lean on their understanding, so they go to someone else and get that persons understanding. This is still problematic because it is still just a persons opinion. It has no more value than your own opinion.
Continuing on Matthew 6:33 says "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Are you seeking the Kingdom first? the answer to this question will be known when you see if the thing has been "added unto you."
Ultimately, If you are a follower of God, and in a relationship that God has confirmed is true to be his work, then you should expect troubles but know that God will not Give you anything you cannot handle. People give up far too quickly these days.
James 1:3 says "Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience."
Faith is to be proved to God and to one another, If you ahve faith in your relationship then you should be SURE of what you hope for and CERTAIN of what you DO NOT see.
Many times you will not see success, love, or even happiness, but if you walk by faith and not by sight then you will know that your success is nearby.
People of God, live in the scripture, don't allow your emotions to cause you to make bad desicions. God births beautiful lasting relationships but it is sometimes up to us to make them last.
If you are always confused, hurt, uncertain, emotionally pained, and faithless, then you know now that you are not casting your cares upon the Lord. It is time to change. It is time to prove your faith! it will test your patience, but be obedient to the Lord and after the Storm your reward will be great! I love you all. Blessings. .5
First thing to know is that confusion is not of the Lord.
1 corinthians 14:33 "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace"
This is important because the first thing the enemy does is try to make you question your beliefs and commitments. He tries to confuse you and in your pain bad desicions are often made.
secondly psalm 55:22 reads "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."
This says that He will never allow the righteous to be shaken! NEVER!! If you believe that, yet you are shaken then you must know the enemy is at work. SO it is often key not to go running to other people but instead Give it to Jesus, Remain focused on God and God alone. Often if you just focus on living for Jesus and not even worry about your relationship God will take care of your problems for you.
Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. "
In my observation, this is the biggest mistake I see people make. They get so worried and/or hurt that they start trying to figure it out on their own. Without Jesus you cannot succeed in knowing the solution to your problem.
For those who know this scripture, I see them often make a similar mistake. They dont ant to lean on their understanding, so they go to someone else and get that persons understanding. This is still problematic because it is still just a persons opinion. It has no more value than your own opinion.
Continuing on Matthew 6:33 says "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Are you seeking the Kingdom first? the answer to this question will be known when you see if the thing has been "added unto you."
Ultimately, If you are a follower of God, and in a relationship that God has confirmed is true to be his work, then you should expect troubles but know that God will not Give you anything you cannot handle. People give up far too quickly these days.
James 1:3 says "Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience."
Faith is to be proved to God and to one another, If you ahve faith in your relationship then you should be SURE of what you hope for and CERTAIN of what you DO NOT see.
Many times you will not see success, love, or even happiness, but if you walk by faith and not by sight then you will know that your success is nearby.
People of God, live in the scripture, don't allow your emotions to cause you to make bad desicions. God births beautiful lasting relationships but it is sometimes up to us to make them last.
If you are always confused, hurt, uncertain, emotionally pained, and faithless, then you know now that you are not casting your cares upon the Lord. It is time to change. It is time to prove your faith! it will test your patience, but be obedient to the Lord and after the Storm your reward will be great! I love you all. Blessings. .5
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Encouraging scriptures
For some reason today I was simply led by the spirit to share some scriptures with you in their purest form without my own additional comments. Enjoy and let me know which are your favorites! .5
1Sam 12:16........stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes...
Luke 18:27.........The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Num 23:19.........God is not a man, that He should lie. Has He said, and will He not do it?
Jas 1:4..............But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Rom 8:31...........If God be for us, who can be against us?
2Tim 2:1............be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Tim 1:13..........Hold fast the pattern of sound words...in faith and love...
Col 3:2..............Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:23............Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,...
Mark 9:23..........If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.
John 16:33.........In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Rom 8:18...........consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:37...........Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:39..........(Nothing can) separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 8:28..........And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2Tim 4:5............be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2Tim 4:7............Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith.(paraphrased)
Mic 7:8.............Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
Phil 4:13...........I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
1Jn 4:4.............(You) have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world.
Phil 1:6............(Be) confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ,...
Phil 4:4............Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
Isiah 41:10..........He promises to strengthen us in all our difficulties.
Jer 1:5..........Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I sanctified you.
Isiah 55: 8-......... My thoughts are completely different from yours." says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than you thoughts
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Peace and Blessings to all of you .5 fans I appreciate the support and the prayers.
1Sam 12:16........stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes...
Luke 18:27.........The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Num 23:19.........God is not a man, that He should lie. Has He said, and will He not do it?
Jas 1:4..............But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Rom 8:31...........If God be for us, who can be against us?
2Tim 2:1............be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2Tim 1:13..........Hold fast the pattern of sound words...in faith and love...
Col 3:2..............Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:23............Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,...
Mark 9:23..........If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.
John 16:33.........In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Rom 8:18...........consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:37...........Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:39..........(Nothing can) separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rom 8:28..........And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2Tim 4:5............be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2Tim 4:7............Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith.(paraphrased)
Mic 7:8.............Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.
Phil 4:13...........I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
1Jn 4:4.............(You) have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world.
Phil 1:6............(Be) confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ,...
Phil 4:4............Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
Isiah 41:10..........He promises to strengthen us in all our difficulties.
Jer 1:5..........Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I sanctified you.
Isiah 55: 8-......... My thoughts are completely different from yours." says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than you thoughts
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Peace and Blessings to all of you .5 fans I appreciate the support and the prayers.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Hope in Jesus
In my studying today I ran across the following on "hope." I have some things in life right now that I am hoping for and because of this, I really felt led to share it with others...here it goes:
"Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in "I hope something will happen." This is not what the Bible means by hope. The Biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown (Romans 8:24-25; Hebrews 11:1,7). Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous (Proverbs 23:18). Without hope, life loses its meaning (Lamentations 3:18, Job 7:6) and in death there is no hope (Isaiah 38:18, Job 17:15). The righteous who trust or put their hope in God will be helped (Psalm 28:7), and they will not be confounded, put to shame, or disappointed (Isaiah 49:23). The righteous who have this trustful hope in God have a general confidence in God's protection and help (Jeremiah 29:11) and are free from fear and anxiety (Psalm 46:2-3)."
This, in my opinion, is just a confirmation of being a "next level believer." It shows the suttle difference between being a wishful thinker and operating in a spirit led type of thought. The idea of hope being a firm assurance really takes our thought process to the next level and shows us that as Christ followers everything is very different. We walk and talk with a confidence and poise. We live in the victory and we operate on faith and EVEN OUR HOPE is a FIRM assurance, not merely a passing thought.
Glory to God!
***sidenote: Point5 is currently in the studio working on a new project so be prayerful that the annointing will flow through him and that the project will be blessed with the ability to convict the lost and motivate people to follow Jesus!
"Most people understand hope as wishful thinking, as in "I hope something will happen." This is not what the Bible means by hope. The Biblical definition of hope is "confident expectation." Hope is a firm assurance regarding things that are unclear and unknown (Romans 8:24-25; Hebrews 11:1,7). Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous (Proverbs 23:18). Without hope, life loses its meaning (Lamentations 3:18, Job 7:6) and in death there is no hope (Isaiah 38:18, Job 17:15). The righteous who trust or put their hope in God will be helped (Psalm 28:7), and they will not be confounded, put to shame, or disappointed (Isaiah 49:23). The righteous who have this trustful hope in God have a general confidence in God's protection and help (Jeremiah 29:11) and are free from fear and anxiety (Psalm 46:2-3)."
This, in my opinion, is just a confirmation of being a "next level believer." It shows the suttle difference between being a wishful thinker and operating in a spirit led type of thought. The idea of hope being a firm assurance really takes our thought process to the next level and shows us that as Christ followers everything is very different. We walk and talk with a confidence and poise. We live in the victory and we operate on faith and EVEN OUR HOPE is a FIRM assurance, not merely a passing thought.
Glory to God!
***sidenote: Point5 is currently in the studio working on a new project so be prayerful that the annointing will flow through him and that the project will be blessed with the ability to convict the lost and motivate people to follow Jesus!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Gossip: The overlooked sin
Let me ask, as a Christian do you occasionally slip up and commit a murder here or there? Or how about theft -- do you occasionally burglarize a home or steal things from the store? You may think this is silly to ask. Of course, a Christian doesn’t behave that way.
What about gossip or slander? Do you engage in idle talk or rumors about others? Do you participate in bad-mouthing or spreading rumors about others? According to the Bible, which sin is less severe? Murder or gossip? I’m sure you get the message.
Paul said, BOTH are sins equally worthy of death.
It seems that we always hear about lying, cheating, drinking, drugs, fornication, stealing, etc. and I would imagine, any of us who consider ourselves good Christians probably have a pretty good lifestyle as far as those things are concerned. But I am noticing that even in our Christian communities, around our Chrsitian friends GOSSIP is still a very real problem.
Romans 1:28 says “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,
Here, the word of God makes it quite clear that gossip is as much of a sin as anything else, listing it with such things as murder, and deceit.
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Prov. 26:22).
This scripture shows us very clearly that gossip is not to be taken lightly. Although sometimes it seems like a funny story or a way to make conversation, it is in reality very wrong and penetrates deeply into our "inmost parts."
Those of us who are aware of the truth of God's word should now know to be very careful, for we will have to give "an account for every idle word we speak."
"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down." Proberbs 26:20
Avoiding Gossip can be very helpful to us in our spiritual growth as well as our everyday lives in the physical. As you can see in this proverb. avoiding gossip is a powerful way of removing quarrels and drama from your lives... and I know we all don't llike drama! lol
I pray that this message finds you in love and that whoesoever has an ear to hear, would hear.
Peace and blessings, Point5
What about gossip or slander? Do you engage in idle talk or rumors about others? Do you participate in bad-mouthing or spreading rumors about others? According to the Bible, which sin is less severe? Murder or gossip? I’m sure you get the message.
Paul said, BOTH are sins equally worthy of death.
It seems that we always hear about lying, cheating, drinking, drugs, fornication, stealing, etc. and I would imagine, any of us who consider ourselves good Christians probably have a pretty good lifestyle as far as those things are concerned. But I am noticing that even in our Christian communities, around our Chrsitian friends GOSSIP is still a very real problem.
Romans 1:28 says “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 1:29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,
Here, the word of God makes it quite clear that gossip is as much of a sin as anything else, listing it with such things as murder, and deceit.
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Prov. 26:22).
This scripture shows us very clearly that gossip is not to be taken lightly. Although sometimes it seems like a funny story or a way to make conversation, it is in reality very wrong and penetrates deeply into our "inmost parts."
Those of us who are aware of the truth of God's word should now know to be very careful, for we will have to give "an account for every idle word we speak."
"Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down." Proberbs 26:20
Avoiding Gossip can be very helpful to us in our spiritual growth as well as our everyday lives in the physical. As you can see in this proverb. avoiding gossip is a powerful way of removing quarrels and drama from your lives... and I know we all don't llike drama! lol
I pray that this message finds you in love and that whoesoever has an ear to hear, would hear.
Peace and blessings, Point5
Sunday, September 7, 2008
I won the race!
So today I received some knowledge and I was beyond excited to share it with you...
Today I learned some interesting statistics..
#1... during sexual intercourse there are 500,000,000 (500 million) sperm released by the male.
#2... There is only a 5-7 day window (per month) that a woman's egg can conceive a child.
#3... 1 in 100 babies are still born
#4... 1 in 4 babies don't make it due to miscarriage
#5... and 1 in 3 babies are aborted
taking all of this in was amazing for me....why....because I struggle with things everyday and I know that all of you do too. In the situations we struggle with the odds sometimes seem to be impossible. It's as if we are in a race against a milliion others and we can think of so many reasons why we will not win...but...let me tell you something...
according to that first fact....we were at one time in a race, not against a million people, but against 500 million people...and glory to God because we won! That's why we are here now! The odds in that race were 500 million to 1 yet somehow we pulled it off and our very lives are our gold medals. We started out as winners.
When you factor in the other 4 facts that I shared, you can see how the chances of you exsisting are slimmer than any of us could ever fathom...BUT GOD... God made a way for you to exist and live a full and complete life. Had it been at any other minute or even second in time that your parents hooked up you would fail to exist!
God made you a special and a unique individual, God knows your innermost parts, he knows every detail about you. Every gene in your body, ever cell, every muscle or tendon...God knows! He even knows the number of hairs on your head.
"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" Matthew 10:30"
Think about Adam in the Garden of Eden...all alone, just him and God...he had a true form of originality... Adam was able to name the animals of the earth whatever he wanted. There was no influence from popular people, there was no style or trend that he was following.
It was just him and God...well today God is calling you back to your original, and unique self. Be you! No one else...live life in a fashion that shows only you and God!
I have a popular song entitled, "I am what I am" and in this song I explain that at times everyone turns their back on you. friends, family, even the church...BUT GOD never does.
I am what I am and you are what you are because of God. You were created at a special time, with all of the odds against you. Yet you overcame! You are victorious! and the odds may be against you sometimes on earth but you have won bigger races before, remember that!
Today I learned some interesting statistics..
#1... during sexual intercourse there are 500,000,000 (500 million) sperm released by the male.
#2... There is only a 5-7 day window (per month) that a woman's egg can conceive a child.
#3... 1 in 100 babies are still born
#4... 1 in 4 babies don't make it due to miscarriage
#5... and 1 in 3 babies are aborted
taking all of this in was amazing for me....why....because I struggle with things everyday and I know that all of you do too. In the situations we struggle with the odds sometimes seem to be impossible. It's as if we are in a race against a milliion others and we can think of so many reasons why we will not win...but...let me tell you something...
according to that first fact....we were at one time in a race, not against a million people, but against 500 million people...and glory to God because we won! That's why we are here now! The odds in that race were 500 million to 1 yet somehow we pulled it off and our very lives are our gold medals. We started out as winners.
When you factor in the other 4 facts that I shared, you can see how the chances of you exsisting are slimmer than any of us could ever fathom...BUT GOD... God made a way for you to exist and live a full and complete life. Had it been at any other minute or even second in time that your parents hooked up you would fail to exist!
God made you a special and a unique individual, God knows your innermost parts, he knows every detail about you. Every gene in your body, ever cell, every muscle or tendon...God knows! He even knows the number of hairs on your head.
"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" Matthew 10:30"
Think about Adam in the Garden of Eden...all alone, just him and God...he had a true form of originality... Adam was able to name the animals of the earth whatever he wanted. There was no influence from popular people, there was no style or trend that he was following.
It was just him and God...well today God is calling you back to your original, and unique self. Be you! No one else...live life in a fashion that shows only you and God!
I have a popular song entitled, "I am what I am" and in this song I explain that at times everyone turns their back on you. friends, family, even the church...BUT GOD never does.
I am what I am and you are what you are because of God. You were created at a special time, with all of the odds against you. Yet you overcame! You are victorious! and the odds may be against you sometimes on earth but you have won bigger races before, remember that!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
I have the victory!
Because God has truly pressed upon me to outfit bold, unashamed believers who are overflowing with the joy of the Lord and are "more than conqerers" I wanted to talk to you about using the victory that you have already been given in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Defeating Satan is something that we must do in our everyday lives...each day is a new opportunity for us to worship in spirit and in truth...but because of that we can be assured that each day the enemy will be hard at work to stop us from doing God's work.
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
this scripture is our garantee that we have already won the war! Thanks to the sacrifice of Christ we were translated into the kingdom of his dear son and given eternal VICTORY! That's something to be excited about! Glory to God.
We must excercise this knowledge and faith in the word of God an turn to God for our Victory.
Time and time again, the Bible instructs us to rely upon God to deliver us from our enemy.
In (Mt. 6:13), Jesus taught His Disciples how to pray. And one part of that prayer says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
According to this verse, who can deliver us from the evil one? Our Father in heaven!
In (James 4:7), the Holy Spirit inspired James to write, “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
Before we can resist the Devil, we must submit to God!
In (Eph. 6:10-11), the Bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.”
'That's it!Put on the Armor of God.Each day when we get up...seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness then suit up and get ready for war! Using the metaphor of a well-equipped Roman soldier, Paul told how we can be prepared for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:11-18).
The belt of truth. Since Satan depends on deceit to maintain his power, our first line of defense is always to be truthful. We must never distort or misrepresent the truth, regardless of any advantage we might gain by doing so.
The breastplate of righteousness. Any sin in our life leaves us open to Satan's attack. Even though we are given the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), we must still continually put on the protection of holy living.
The shoes of the gospel of peace. With our feet firmly planted on the truth that we are at peace with God and that He is on our side, we can stand firmly against Satan's attacks.
The shield of faith. In order to quench the "fiery darts" of Satan's temptations, we must trust and believe what God has said about every area of our life.
The helmet of salvation. This is the confidence that there is coming in the future a great victory celebration. It's also referred to as the "hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8). This helmet protects us against Satan's two-edged sword of discouragement and doubt.
The sword of the Spirit. Since the Word of God is the basis of our faith, we need to learn how to wield it with authority. Scripture is our best offensive weapon against the devil (Matt. 4:1-11).
Once we have put on the full armor of God, we are ready for each new day and the challenges that it brings...through focus on God and an undying faith in his word we truly do have the victory.
Defeating Satan is something that we must do in our everyday lives...each day is a new opportunity for us to worship in spirit and in truth...but because of that we can be assured that each day the enemy will be hard at work to stop us from doing God's work.
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
this scripture is our garantee that we have already won the war! Thanks to the sacrifice of Christ we were translated into the kingdom of his dear son and given eternal VICTORY! That's something to be excited about! Glory to God.
We must excercise this knowledge and faith in the word of God an turn to God for our Victory.
Time and time again, the Bible instructs us to rely upon God to deliver us from our enemy.
In (Mt. 6:13), Jesus taught His Disciples how to pray. And one part of that prayer says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
According to this verse, who can deliver us from the evil one? Our Father in heaven!
In (James 4:7), the Holy Spirit inspired James to write, “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
Before we can resist the Devil, we must submit to God!
In (Eph. 6:10-11), the Bible says, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.”
'That's it!Put on the Armor of God.Each day when we get up...seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness then suit up and get ready for war! Using the metaphor of a well-equipped Roman soldier, Paul told how we can be prepared for spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:11-18).
The belt of truth. Since Satan depends on deceit to maintain his power, our first line of defense is always to be truthful. We must never distort or misrepresent the truth, regardless of any advantage we might gain by doing so.
The breastplate of righteousness. Any sin in our life leaves us open to Satan's attack. Even though we are given the righteousness of Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), we must still continually put on the protection of holy living.
The shoes of the gospel of peace. With our feet firmly planted on the truth that we are at peace with God and that He is on our side, we can stand firmly against Satan's attacks.
The shield of faith. In order to quench the "fiery darts" of Satan's temptations, we must trust and believe what God has said about every area of our life.
The helmet of salvation. This is the confidence that there is coming in the future a great victory celebration. It's also referred to as the "hope of salvation" (1 Thess. 5:8). This helmet protects us against Satan's two-edged sword of discouragement and doubt.
The sword of the Spirit. Since the Word of God is the basis of our faith, we need to learn how to wield it with authority. Scripture is our best offensive weapon against the devil (Matt. 4:1-11).
Once we have put on the full armor of God, we are ready for each new day and the challenges that it brings...through focus on God and an undying faith in his word we truly do have the victory.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Prayer- Why? Who? What?
It seems that one of the biggest struggles Christians have is being in a constant state of prayer. All too often we can find ourselves only praying right before bed or before our meals.
So the question a lot of times is why should we pray? But first of all we must put things in order and understand to whom we pray. There is only one supreme Creator and sovereign God. There is only one way to Him and that is through His only son, Jesus Christ. God, our Heavenly Father, is the only one we can be assured of who hears and answers our prayers. He is the God of amazing love, mercy, and forgiveness.
By Him, all things are possible. Jesus says in Mark 10:27, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."
Daniel 9:18 tells us: “We do not ask because we deserve help, but because God is so merciful.”
One way in which God demonstrates of love is forgiveness of the sins each of us have committed. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
What do we pray for?Prayer is the key to the heart of God. Prayer is the only way to a real and personal relationship with God.
Pray acknowledging He is God, and that you accept His gracious gift, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior (Genesis 17:1, Romans 6:16-18).
Pray confessing our sins and accepting His forgiveness (Romans 3:23-26).
Pray that His will be done in our lives, that His Holy Spirit guide us, and that we be filled with the fullness of all God has for us.
Pray for (spiritual) understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 2:6-8, 3:5).
Pray with thanksgiving for all the ways He blesses us (Philippians 4:6.) Pray when we are ill, lonely, going through trials or interceding for others (James 5:14-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Pray to worship Him (Psalm 95:6-7).
Honestly, there is nothing we can’t pray about. Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” This shows us that the communication with God is meant to never end.
We find intimacy with God through communicating with Him in prayer. We go to Him in faith, knowing that He hears and answers all our prayers (1 John 5:14).
Be confident that God knows and wants what is best for us; so ask that His will be done in all we seek from Him. Then, thank Him for it, even though it hasn’t happened yet.
How do we pray?Jesus gave his disciples, what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6) as a model. In addition, Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us we can pray boldly -- “That is one reason that we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus. Let us seek him and never stop trusting him. Jesus understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
The Bible shows us that “God is not a man that he should lie.” Knowing this we can be sure that all of God’s promises will be kept. Go to the Lord boldly in confidence that he is keeping His end of the Bargain.Above all, pray with sincerity, honor, and humbleness before the Almighty God. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16).
So as the lyrics of one of my songs say, “There was a time when I would pray, couldn’t think of a thing to say…But Lord I FOUND MY WAY.” I pray that I have helped you to yet again find your way. Peace and Blessings. Point5
www.point5online.com
www.myspace.com/point5five
So the question a lot of times is why should we pray? But first of all we must put things in order and understand to whom we pray. There is only one supreme Creator and sovereign God. There is only one way to Him and that is through His only son, Jesus Christ. God, our Heavenly Father, is the only one we can be assured of who hears and answers our prayers. He is the God of amazing love, mercy, and forgiveness.
By Him, all things are possible. Jesus says in Mark 10:27, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."
Daniel 9:18 tells us: “We do not ask because we deserve help, but because God is so merciful.”
One way in which God demonstrates of love is forgiveness of the sins each of us have committed. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it” (John 3:16-17).
What do we pray for?Prayer is the key to the heart of God. Prayer is the only way to a real and personal relationship with God.
Pray acknowledging He is God, and that you accept His gracious gift, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior (Genesis 17:1, Romans 6:16-18).
Pray confessing our sins and accepting His forgiveness (Romans 3:23-26).
Pray that His will be done in our lives, that His Holy Spirit guide us, and that we be filled with the fullness of all God has for us.
Pray for (spiritual) understanding and wisdom (Proverbs 2:6-8, 3:5).
Pray with thanksgiving for all the ways He blesses us (Philippians 4:6.) Pray when we are ill, lonely, going through trials or interceding for others (James 5:14-16, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Pray to worship Him (Psalm 95:6-7).
Honestly, there is nothing we can’t pray about. Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” This shows us that the communication with God is meant to never end.
We find intimacy with God through communicating with Him in prayer. We go to Him in faith, knowing that He hears and answers all our prayers (1 John 5:14).
Be confident that God knows and wants what is best for us; so ask that His will be done in all we seek from Him. Then, thank Him for it, even though it hasn’t happened yet.
How do we pray?Jesus gave his disciples, what we call, “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6) as a model. In addition, Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us we can pray boldly -- “That is one reason that we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus. Let us seek him and never stop trusting him. Jesus understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
The Bible shows us that “God is not a man that he should lie.” Knowing this we can be sure that all of God’s promises will be kept. Go to the Lord boldly in confidence that he is keeping His end of the Bargain.Above all, pray with sincerity, honor, and humbleness before the Almighty God. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results” (James 5:16).
So as the lyrics of one of my songs say, “There was a time when I would pray, couldn’t think of a thing to say…But Lord I FOUND MY WAY.” I pray that I have helped you to yet again find your way. Peace and Blessings. Point5
www.point5online.com
www.myspace.com/point5five
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The New Testament tithe!
Many of you have read my last post "The generous man will prosper".... I have received messages recently claiming that my 1st point, the necessity of the tithe is wrong. The email states that the tithe(10%) is no longer required by God because it is a part of the old testament covenent which was changed at the time of Jesus. The claim is then maid that the law of tithing 10% has been abolished and that we are only to give what we feel.The email also says that tithing is not mentioned in the new testament (tisk tisk tisk).
well because I am very accepting of critisism and more importantly because the bible teaches us that "My people suffer for lack of knowledge," I must prove the tithe is in the new testament before these unGodly teachings effect the growth of our brothers and sisters in Christ!
The first thing I have to say is that the bible NEVER mentions the abolishment of tithing.
secondly, tithing began well before the law was introduced. The Law only regulated the tithe.
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, about 400 years (by my calculation) before the time of Moses and the Law, and according to Romans 4:12 we are to walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. If tithing was good for him, it should be good for us, too.
We give tithes like Abraham gave them—by faith, not necessarily by law (if not thats like saying you serve God because you have to,not because you want to). And beside that, if the people of God paid ten percent before the Law, and ten percent at the time of the Law, should we be doing any less ? I mean we have a better covenant now (Heb 7:22-22 "Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant").
Hebrews 7:8 (New Testament) deals with this directly. "In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living."
Christ is declared to be living right?
Thirdly, The early Jewish believers had no problem with tithing since they had done it under the Law. They gave their tithe to the elders of the church and did it by love. However, as the church became less Jewish this issue came up to the church fathers.
Jesus answered the question of tithing with Matthew 23:23 (New Testament):
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
Notice Jesus said, "You should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness), without neglecting the former (tithing)." The fathers argued, and rightful so, that Jesus word ends the discussion. Since Jesus said not to neglect the former,being tithing,then no believer should neglect tithing.
Wait...Jesus is the creator of the new covenant, and he just said it, plain and simple.
Here is more New Testament evidence.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 and says,
"Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. "
Paul argues that just as the priests got their food from the tithes of the people, so the preachers should live the same way. This passage clearly shows the mentality of the apostle and his understanding of carrying over the concept of tithing into the church.
The scripture that was used to argue against tithing was 2 Corinthians 9:7:
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
This was used to say that tithing is of our free will giving and not required, which is clearly untrue because the above passage is not dealing with giving to support the church at all. It is talking about giving to the poor. Giving to the poor was a free will offering. The Word of God clearly seperates tithes and "freewill offerings as 2 different things in the old testament book of Deuteronomy:
"But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. (Deut 12:5-6)"
So now that we have proved the tithe exists in the new testament, I just want to say be careful of who you let pour into your understanding because a little misunderstanding can lead to great disobedience. Now that you have it, Cherish understanding
Proverbs 19:18
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
God Bless. .5
well because I am very accepting of critisism and more importantly because the bible teaches us that "My people suffer for lack of knowledge," I must prove the tithe is in the new testament before these unGodly teachings effect the growth of our brothers and sisters in Christ!
The first thing I have to say is that the bible NEVER mentions the abolishment of tithing.
secondly, tithing began well before the law was introduced. The Law only regulated the tithe.
Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, about 400 years (by my calculation) before the time of Moses and the Law, and according to Romans 4:12 we are to walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham. If tithing was good for him, it should be good for us, too.
We give tithes like Abraham gave them—by faith, not necessarily by law (if not thats like saying you serve God because you have to,not because you want to). And beside that, if the people of God paid ten percent before the Law, and ten percent at the time of the Law, should we be doing any less ? I mean we have a better covenant now (Heb 7:22-22 "Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant").
Hebrews 7:8 (New Testament) deals with this directly. "In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living."
Christ is declared to be living right?
Thirdly, The early Jewish believers had no problem with tithing since they had done it under the Law. They gave their tithe to the elders of the church and did it by love. However, as the church became less Jewish this issue came up to the church fathers.
Jesus answered the question of tithing with Matthew 23:23 (New Testament):
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former."
Notice Jesus said, "You should have practiced the latter (justice, mercy and faithfulness), without neglecting the former (tithing)." The fathers argued, and rightful so, that Jesus word ends the discussion. Since Jesus said not to neglect the former,being tithing,then no believer should neglect tithing.
Wait...Jesus is the creator of the new covenant, and he just said it, plain and simple.
Here is more New Testament evidence.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 and says,
"Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. "
Paul argues that just as the priests got their food from the tithes of the people, so the preachers should live the same way. This passage clearly shows the mentality of the apostle and his understanding of carrying over the concept of tithing into the church.
The scripture that was used to argue against tithing was 2 Corinthians 9:7:
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
This was used to say that tithing is of our free will giving and not required, which is clearly untrue because the above passage is not dealing with giving to support the church at all. It is talking about giving to the poor. Giving to the poor was a free will offering. The Word of God clearly seperates tithes and "freewill offerings as 2 different things in the old testament book of Deuteronomy:
"But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. (Deut 12:5-6)"
So now that we have proved the tithe exists in the new testament, I just want to say be careful of who you let pour into your understanding because a little misunderstanding can lead to great disobedience. Now that you have it, Cherish understanding
Proverbs 19:18
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.
God Bless. .5
Monday, August 4, 2008
A generous man will prosper.
Proverbs 11:24-25 says "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."
I am truly touched by the above scripture because I love to see how God moves in the lives of his people when they give of themselves to one another.
For whatever reason, this is not always a scripture that people take hold of an impliment its truth in their daily lives, but hopefully after reading this that will change. Me being a man that lives by faith has allowed me to see on many occasions how my giving to someone else puts me in position to be blessed by God in a big way.
2 Corinthians 9:6 says "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."
Scripture shows us that in a very general sense, what we receive is very much related to what we give. If we choose not to give much of what we have then it really shouldn't be much of a suprise that we don't have much.
..."you know I always thought people would get tired of being broke. That's all it was for me. I just woke up one day and said 'I am tired of being broke' I opened up the Word of God and began to apply the scriptures that were necessary to get me out of poverty...sure enough, the Word will never return void."
There is however a method to our giving:
1st- we must be tithers and offerers....regardless of what you have heard, if you do not tithe your 10% you are stealing from God. The offering is anything in addition to God's 10%...a gift
Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.
2nd- We must know that "faith worketh patience" and that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see." As we give we must be faithful and claim the return as ours in Jesus' name.
3rd-Our faith also teaches us that our giving should be done in secret in order for God to openly reward us. It should not be seen by man.
Matthew 6:1-4 reads "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
The Bible is very clear on this—when we give in private, our Father rewards us openly, and His favor is evident to all of those around us.
4th- the scripture above touches on giving to the poor. This is very important. As followers of Christ, we should love the less fortunate and help them when we have the means to do so. God has promised us many blessings in return if we reach out to the less fortunate.
1 John 3:17-18 says "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
Luke 14:13-14 says"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
5th- It is important to sow a seed into the life of those in ministry as well as the word teaches us that they should make their living from the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 11-14 reads "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
and there it is 5 points from point5...
If you are obedient to God's word and follow the process of giving...both to God and to others. Jesus will bless you in ways you could never imagine! The effect of those blessings will be prosperity and favor. It's time to stop being broke. It's time to stop lacking.
I pray that this message is one that has given you revelation and will begin a change in your life for the better.God Bless. .5
I am truly touched by the above scripture because I love to see how God moves in the lives of his people when they give of themselves to one another.
For whatever reason, this is not always a scripture that people take hold of an impliment its truth in their daily lives, but hopefully after reading this that will change. Me being a man that lives by faith has allowed me to see on many occasions how my giving to someone else puts me in position to be blessed by God in a big way.
2 Corinthians 9:6 says "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."
Scripture shows us that in a very general sense, what we receive is very much related to what we give. If we choose not to give much of what we have then it really shouldn't be much of a suprise that we don't have much.
..."you know I always thought people would get tired of being broke. That's all it was for me. I just woke up one day and said 'I am tired of being broke' I opened up the Word of God and began to apply the scriptures that were necessary to get me out of poverty...sure enough, the Word will never return void."
There is however a method to our giving:
1st- we must be tithers and offerers....regardless of what you have heard, if you do not tithe your 10% you are stealing from God. The offering is anything in addition to God's 10%...a gift
Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.
2nd- We must know that "faith worketh patience" and that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see." As we give we must be faithful and claim the return as ours in Jesus' name.
3rd-Our faith also teaches us that our giving should be done in secret in order for God to openly reward us. It should not be seen by man.
Matthew 6:1-4 reads "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
The Bible is very clear on this—when we give in private, our Father rewards us openly, and His favor is evident to all of those around us.
4th- the scripture above touches on giving to the poor. This is very important. As followers of Christ, we should love the less fortunate and help them when we have the means to do so. God has promised us many blessings in return if we reach out to the less fortunate.
1 John 3:17-18 says "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
Luke 14:13-14 says"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
5th- It is important to sow a seed into the life of those in ministry as well as the word teaches us that they should make their living from the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 11-14 reads "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
and there it is 5 points from point5...
If you are obedient to God's word and follow the process of giving...both to God and to others. Jesus will bless you in ways you could never imagine! The effect of those blessings will be prosperity and favor. It's time to stop being broke. It's time to stop lacking.
I pray that this message is one that has given you revelation and will begin a change in your life for the better.God Bless. .5
Friday, July 25, 2008
ALL thing will be added unto you!
1faith
Pronunciation:
\ˈfāth\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural faiths \ˈfāths, sometimes ˈfāthz\
Etymology:
Middle English feith, from Anglo-French feid, fei, from Latin fides; akin to Latin fidere to trust — more at bide
Date:
13th century
1 a: allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty b (1): fidelity to one's promises (2): sincerity of intentions2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust
Now that I have properly defined faith... I would like to share scripture from the book of Matthew chapter six starting at verse 25:
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
This is especially important for us to know...that Jehovah Jirah is our provider! Living by faith leads us into a lifestyle of trust and commitment to a God that has promised us many things. We are told in his word that we reap what we sow...we are told in his word that by his stripes we were healed... We must however learn to trust our God and know that his word is absolute truth.
It is time to stop the hurting...we are healed! It is time for us to be obediant to the things we have been instructed. We know that God said if we just seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; ALL things will be added unto us...
All things means those bills you have, that shelter you need, etc. it is all provided. Our God has so much and loves us enough that if we would just dedicate our lives to serving him and live by faith...All things will be added unto us as well.
It is so important that we dont put restrictions on a limitless God. Look at Peter. The man walked on water!!! Jesus didn't do it alone. Peter stepped out on that water too. and when he looked back what did he see? A boat full of faithless believers. So many times Jesus said these words, "Oh ye of little faith"...
I don't know about you but I never want to hear those words. So what's it gonna be are you going to be a water walker? or a faithless boat sitter?
And yes many of you will say that Peter fell into the water, and your right! He did eventually fall in........ BUT FIRST HE WALKED! thats amazing...He was a faith filled wet water walking man of God! Not a dry, unbelieving, boat sitter. That is faith! So whatever boat your sitting in, get out of it! take a step out into the waters of everyday life. you might get a little wet but you will have the favor of the Lord! .5
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Step Out on Faith
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” Hebrews 11:6
What is Faith? It’s putting your belief and trust in something or somebody outside of yourself, and then acting on that belief. Think about the examples given in Hebrews 11. Like, for instance, Abraham, venturing from his home to the unfamiliar, trusting a promise that wouldn’t materialize for decades. How about that same patriarch, placing his beloved son, Isaac, on the altar, trusting that somehow God would either provide an alternate sacrifice or raise his son from the dead? Or think about Moses, choosing to leave behind the pleasures and power of the pharaoh’s palace to shepherd a group of grumblers out of slavery into the Promised Land. Step by step, day by day, Moses acted on his faith in a promise that wouldn’t even completely materialize until after his death. The writer of Hebrews recounts these and many other examples of trust in this “Hall of Faith” chapter.
Of course, acting on faith isn’t always easy. It calls us to step away from what is comfortable and safe and, like a two-year-old at the edge of a vast swimming pool, look into unknown and unfamiliar circumstances. Maybe it’s a challenge to surrender our finances to God’s control, a career change, a move overseas, or waiting patiently on the Lord for the right spouse. It may be forgiving an offender or risking something for the sake of integrity or purity. Whatever the case, when God nudges our heart beyond what we can manage and manipulate on our own, we have an opportunity to act on the faith that we profess to believe.
So the ultimate question becomes...what wil you do? Will you act out on the faith that you profess each day? Or much like many others, will you allow the fruit of your actions to contradict your words?
-Point5
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