Happy Friday!
God is SO amazing!...He gives me exactly what I need when I need it, if I ask Him :)! I was really annoyed last night...I let something small bother me, which I knew I shouldn't. I'm usually pretty good about ignoring stuff like that.
So this morning before I even opened my Bible....I asked God to open my heart and my mind...to take away the frustration, anger and annoyance. And this is what God reminded me....
Proverbs 4:20-26
Pay attention to what I say, listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead , fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
Right in that first line God made sure I was listening!! "Pay attention, krystina, listen closely"!....He sure had my attention! He reminded me to just keep my eyes in front of me and not sweat the small stuff! ...Keep my eyes on the goal...like the Bible says in
Philipians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Living for Christ is the most important thing in this life! So if your having a bad day today...listen to God, set your eyes on him, look straight ahead and press on! And don't sweat the small stuff :)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Who Understands?
Good Morning!
As I was doing my devotions this morning in the book of Jeremiah, I read a couple verses above what the book told me to read and found this amazing verse! It's very short, but has a lot of meaning.
Jeremiah 15:15
You undertsand, O Lord; remember me and care for me.
It made me think Wow! Whenever there's a time where I feel like no one understands or when you feel alone....memorize this verse and remember that our God always understands! He will remember us and care for us through everything we go through!
Carry that verse with you today...and everyday!
I'd like to share the verse from my Bible reading with you too:
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight....."
Just as we need to eat food everyday to keep our bodies nourished, we also need to read God's word and pray everyday to keep our souls nourished! The Bible will bring you comfort and joy in your life.
As I was doing my devotions this morning in the book of Jeremiah, I read a couple verses above what the book told me to read and found this amazing verse! It's very short, but has a lot of meaning.
Jeremiah 15:15
You undertsand, O Lord; remember me and care for me.
It made me think Wow! Whenever there's a time where I feel like no one understands or when you feel alone....memorize this verse and remember that our God always understands! He will remember us and care for us through everything we go through!
Carry that verse with you today...and everyday!
I'd like to share the verse from my Bible reading with you too:
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight....."
Just as we need to eat food everyday to keep our bodies nourished, we also need to read God's word and pray everyday to keep our souls nourished! The Bible will bring you comfort and joy in your life.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Psalms 23
Good Morning!
Wow Its been awhile since I've written a blog! I hope you all are doing well!
Its finally nice and sunny here today! So I'm sitting out on the deck enjoying the weather and reading God's Word.
While doing my devotions this morning, I found these verses....I LOVE them! They remind me that no matter what I'm going through, God's always there with me and for me. Whether I'm stressed, or going through trials or going through good times...He's always there!
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside quiet waters
he restores my soul
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows;
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Let Him Lead
Good Morning!
As I was doing my 40 Days in the Word challenge, the Pastor was talking about how God speaks to us through His word. How we need to Read it, Meditate on it, and then live it out.
Honestly, such a PERFECT devotion for today....As my husband and I are deciding where his next job will be come August. He has been interviewing like crazy, we've been writing out pros and cons and we have been praying hard that God will lead us where he wants us to be.
Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
The pastor gave a great idea that I tried this morning...He said to write down your prayers on a piece of paper and as you write let God speak to you.
At first it sounded weird, but I thought I'd give it a try and as I was writing out my prayer God reminded me of this verse:
Jeremiah 29:11-12
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
God knows exactly where He wants my husband and I to be. I believe, that He will lead us in the right direction and through prayer he will show us EXACTLY where that place is :)
God wants you to know today, that HE knows all the plans for your life already...He want you to prosper, to have hope and a future! And if you pray to Him, He will always listen to you.
As I was doing my 40 Days in the Word challenge, the Pastor was talking about how God speaks to us through His word. How we need to Read it, Meditate on it, and then live it out.
Honestly, such a PERFECT devotion for today....As my husband and I are deciding where his next job will be come August. He has been interviewing like crazy, we've been writing out pros and cons and we have been praying hard that God will lead us where he wants us to be.
Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
The pastor gave a great idea that I tried this morning...He said to write down your prayers on a piece of paper and as you write let God speak to you.
At first it sounded weird, but I thought I'd give it a try and as I was writing out my prayer God reminded me of this verse:
Jeremiah 29:11-12
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
God knows exactly where He wants my husband and I to be. I believe, that He will lead us in the right direction and through prayer he will show us EXACTLY where that place is :)
God wants you to know today, that HE knows all the plans for your life already...He want you to prosper, to have hope and a future! And if you pray to Him, He will always listen to you.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
No Matter what....
Good Morning!
Are any of you taking the 40 Days in the Word Challenge I posted last week?! Its never too late to start the Challenge :) Just go to www.40daysintheword.com On the bottom right click Sign Up...ITS FREE! And each day it will give you a short video devotional and a verse to memorize! Its really amazing!
I was reading Habakkuk's Prayer this morning and thought "Wow! My heart and prayer's need to be more like this!"
Take a look
Habakkuk 3:2, 17-18
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
Through the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
It's so easy for me to praise God, when everything's going perfectly...but I sometimes find it harder when trouble comes my way.
Habakkuk says even though there's no crops, no grapes growing, no animals to get food from....he still will rejoice in our Lord Savior......we can learn a lot from these 2 verses.
Next time there's hard times and trouble I"m going to re-read this verse and remind myself God is always there to Help us through the hard times and we should give him all our praise no matter what the circumstances are!
Praise God!
Are any of you taking the 40 Days in the Word Challenge I posted last week?! Its never too late to start the Challenge :) Just go to www.40daysintheword.com On the bottom right click Sign Up...ITS FREE! And each day it will give you a short video devotional and a verse to memorize! Its really amazing!
I was reading Habakkuk's Prayer this morning and thought "Wow! My heart and prayer's need to be more like this!"
Take a look
Habakkuk 3:2, 17-18
Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
Through the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
It's so easy for me to praise God, when everything's going perfectly...but I sometimes find it harder when trouble comes my way.
Habakkuk says even though there's no crops, no grapes growing, no animals to get food from....he still will rejoice in our Lord Savior......we can learn a lot from these 2 verses.
Next time there's hard times and trouble I"m going to re-read this verse and remind myself God is always there to Help us through the hard times and we should give him all our praise no matter what the circumstances are!
Praise God!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Soar on Wings Like Eagles
Good Morning!
Rise and Shine and give God the glory!!! :)
I wanted to share with you ONE of my favorite verses today...hopefully it will give you encouragement as you go throughout your days!
Isaiah 40:28-31
....The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
It's so encouraging to me to be reminded that God NEVER grows tired and weary, therefore he can give us strength and power when we feel weak.
We all are going to stumble and fall and make mistakes, but these verses say if we put our HOPE in God, he will give us strength! We can keep on truckin' along on our journey of faith and God will be there with us and won't let us grow weary.
Today, if you are feeling weak, tired and discouraged....put your hope in God and HE will renew your strength!!
Enjoy your day!
Rise and Shine and give God the glory!!! :)
I wanted to share with you ONE of my favorite verses today...hopefully it will give you encouragement as you go throughout your days!
Isaiah 40:28-31
....The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
It's so encouraging to me to be reminded that God NEVER grows tired and weary, therefore he can give us strength and power when we feel weak.
We all are going to stumble and fall and make mistakes, but these verses say if we put our HOPE in God, he will give us strength! We can keep on truckin' along on our journey of faith and God will be there with us and won't let us grow weary.
Today, if you are feeling weak, tired and discouraged....put your hope in God and HE will renew your strength!!
Enjoy your day!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
40 Days
Hey everyone!
My mom sent me a link to "40 Days In The Word" challenge! I'm on day 2 and the lessons so far are AMAZING!....They are only about 8 minute little talks. But they teach you alot in those 8 minutes. I wanted to share with all of you!!
Wanna take the Challenge with me?! Here's the link: www.40daysintheword.com On the bottom of the page, Under "Get Free Daily Devotions" click Sign Up...enter your email and a password and start on Day 1! Watch the little video and read the scripture!
They are teaching you to not only be a "hearer" of God's Word, but a "doer" :)
Dig in today!!
My mom sent me a link to "40 Days In The Word" challenge! I'm on day 2 and the lessons so far are AMAZING!....They are only about 8 minute little talks. But they teach you alot in those 8 minutes. I wanted to share with all of you!!
Wanna take the Challenge with me?! Here's the link: www.40daysintheword.com On the bottom of the page, Under "Get Free Daily Devotions" click Sign Up...enter your email and a password and start on Day 1! Watch the little video and read the scripture!
They are teaching you to not only be a "hearer" of God's Word, but a "doer" :)
Dig in today!!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Ask for Wisdom
Happy Tuesday Everyone!!
Yesterday you read about David, a shepherd boy, killing Goliath the Giant, with God's help! David went on to become King.
Before David died, he anointed his son, Solomon to be the next King. Solomon is known for all the Wisdom God gave him. Today we will learn more about him.
1 Kings 3:5-14
The Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Solomon asnwered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for both riches and honor so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statues and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
What if God told you to ask for anything...and He would give it to you?! Wisdom probably wouldn't be the first thing on our list to ask for. But Solomon, being wise as he was....asked God for a discerning heart and wisdom.
And what was God's answer?! He gave Solomon wayyy more than he asked for!! Because Solomon wasn't being greedy or selfish with his request, God blessed him with so much more!!....Wisdom, a long life, noone will ever be like Solomon, riches, and honor. Wow!! God is so good!
These verses talk about Solomon's Wisdom:
1 Kings 4:29-34
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man....And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
He spoke three thousand Proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
Lets ask God for Wisdom this week :) If you want to read more about Wisdom...I encourage to read the first 4 Chapters of Proverbs!
Yesterday you read about David, a shepherd boy, killing Goliath the Giant, with God's help! David went on to become King.
Before David died, he anointed his son, Solomon to be the next King. Solomon is known for all the Wisdom God gave him. Today we will learn more about him.
1 Kings 3:5-14
The Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Solomon asnwered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong.
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for both riches and honor so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statues and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
What if God told you to ask for anything...and He would give it to you?! Wisdom probably wouldn't be the first thing on our list to ask for. But Solomon, being wise as he was....asked God for a discerning heart and wisdom.
And what was God's answer?! He gave Solomon wayyy more than he asked for!! Because Solomon wasn't being greedy or selfish with his request, God blessed him with so much more!!....Wisdom, a long life, noone will ever be like Solomon, riches, and honor. Wow!! God is so good!
These verses talk about Solomon's Wisdom:
1 Kings 4:29-34
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man....And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.
He spoke three thousand Proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five.. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.
Lets ask God for Wisdom this week :) If you want to read more about Wisdom...I encourage to read the first 4 Chapters of Proverbs!
Monday, May 13, 2013
David and the Giant
Good Morning!
Its a beautiful, chilly day here! I love being able to have the windows open with the fresh spring air filling the house! ahhhh.. :)
I remember being taught in Sunday School about David and Goliath.....its been forever since I've read the story! This morning I went back to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 17, to refresh my memory.
A little background first.....Saul was the King of the Israelites during this time. The Israelites were at war against the Philistines.
David was the youngest son of 8 children. He was his father's shepherd. In Chapter16, David had already been anointed as the next King after Saul dies.
1 Samuel 17:4-7
A champion named Goliath (the Giant), came out of the Phillistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels, on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.
One "shekel" is equal to .0497 ounces. Imagine wearing all that bronze weight on your body! He must have been one strong Giant! Plus he was 9 ft. tall....very intimadating.
1 Samuel 17:8-9, 11
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Phillistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." On hearing the Phillistines words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
Imagine how terrified the Israelites were of Goliath! They Israelites are all average height....and here is this man, 3-4 feet taller than them, wanting to fight one on one. yikes!!
1 Samuel 17:32
David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.
Saul replied, " You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your Servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.
Saul said to David, "Go and the Lord be with you."
In these verses it says that David was just a boy...we don't know for sure his age, but he was probably younger. But age doesn't matter, David knew the Lord would protect him, as he had been protected so many times before from lions and bears.
Out of all the soldiers, it was a Shepherd Boy who stood up and was willing to fight, because he had the confidence that his Lord was with him.
1 Samuel 17:38-40, 42, 44, 45-46, 48-49
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the runic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
"I cannot go in these" he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in hand, approuched the Philistine.
Goliath looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. "come here" he said "I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head."
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he fell facedown on the ground.
Not only was David just a boy, and not a soldier, but he fought without the proper armour and without a sword. David fought Goliath with just a sling and a stone! God was with David the whole time and helped him kill the giant that day.
There's a good lesson for us this Chapter....no matter what our age, no matter what we do for a living, or where we are at in our lives....If we trust and believe in God and His Power, He will be with us and help us fight the Giants in our lives. Remember God is always with you, and He will help you when you ask Him :).
Its a beautiful, chilly day here! I love being able to have the windows open with the fresh spring air filling the house! ahhhh.. :)
I remember being taught in Sunday School about David and Goliath.....its been forever since I've read the story! This morning I went back to the book of 1 Samuel chapter 17, to refresh my memory.
A little background first.....Saul was the King of the Israelites during this time. The Israelites were at war against the Philistines.
David was the youngest son of 8 children. He was his father's shepherd. In Chapter16, David had already been anointed as the next King after Saul dies.
1 Samuel 17:4-7
A champion named Goliath (the Giant), came out of the Phillistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels, on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.
One "shekel" is equal to .0497 ounces. Imagine wearing all that bronze weight on your body! He must have been one strong Giant! Plus he was 9 ft. tall....very intimadating.
1 Samuel 17:8-9, 11
Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Phillistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." On hearing the Phillistines words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.
Imagine how terrified the Israelites were of Goliath! They Israelites are all average height....and here is this man, 3-4 feet taller than them, wanting to fight one on one. yikes!!
1 Samuel 17:32
David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.
Saul replied, " You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your Servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.
Saul said to David, "Go and the Lord be with you."
In these verses it says that David was just a boy...we don't know for sure his age, but he was probably younger. But age doesn't matter, David knew the Lord would protect him, as he had been protected so many times before from lions and bears.
Out of all the soldiers, it was a Shepherd Boy who stood up and was willing to fight, because he had the confidence that his Lord was with him.
1 Samuel 17:38-40, 42, 44, 45-46, 48-49
Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the runic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
"I cannot go in these" he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in hand, approuched the Philistine.
Goliath looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. "come here" he said "I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field."
David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head."
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead and he fell facedown on the ground.
Not only was David just a boy, and not a soldier, but he fought without the proper armour and without a sword. David fought Goliath with just a sling and a stone! God was with David the whole time and helped him kill the giant that day.
There's a good lesson for us this Chapter....no matter what our age, no matter what we do for a living, or where we are at in our lives....If we trust and believe in God and His Power, He will be with us and help us fight the Giants in our lives. Remember God is always with you, and He will help you when you ask Him :).
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Would you build an Ark?
Good Morning!
A few days ago I wrote about Faith and of some of the examples that the Bible gives of people who have been faithful to God. One of those people was Noah.....so I thought today I would show you a few of the verses from Noah's story.
Genesis 6:5-9, 13-20, 22
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air for I am grieved that I have made them."
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 ft. long, 75 ft. wide and 45 ft. high. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
You are to bring into the ark 2 of every living creature, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Noah did everything just as God had commanded him.
God saw that Noah was righteous and would obey God's commands. Thats why he chose him to build the ark.
Look how God told Noah exactly how to build it! And Noah was FAITHFUL and did exactly as God had commanded him to do. And God saved Noah and his family because of that.
Genesis 7:17, 21
For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.
Every living thing that moved on the earth perished-birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all man kind.
Genesis 8:1-2, 6-7, 15-16
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him ni the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. NOw the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.
After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth unti the water had dried up from the earth.
Then God said to NOah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
God didn't forget about Noah while they were on the ark....he was with them the whole time. And when the water had dried up from the earth God told them to come out.
When we walk with the Lord, follow where he leads and obey his commands....he will take care of us. He will bring us through the "floods" (or hardtimes) in life.
Be faithful! Live for God.
A few days ago I wrote about Faith and of some of the examples that the Bible gives of people who have been faithful to God. One of those people was Noah.....so I thought today I would show you a few of the verses from Noah's story.
Genesis 6:5-9, 13-20, 22
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air for I am grieved that I have made them."
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 ft. long, 75 ft. wide and 45 ft. high. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you.
You are to bring into the ark 2 of every living creature, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
Noah did everything just as God had commanded him.
God saw that Noah was righteous and would obey God's commands. Thats why he chose him to build the ark.
Look how God told Noah exactly how to build it! And Noah was FAITHFUL and did exactly as God had commanded him to do. And God saved Noah and his family because of that.
Genesis 7:17, 21
For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.
Every living thing that moved on the earth perished-birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all man kind.
Genesis 8:1-2, 6-7, 15-16
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him ni the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. NOw the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.
After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth unti the water had dried up from the earth.
Then God said to NOah, "Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
God didn't forget about Noah while they were on the ark....he was with them the whole time. And when the water had dried up from the earth God told them to come out.
When we walk with the Lord, follow where he leads and obey his commands....he will take care of us. He will bring us through the "floods" (or hardtimes) in life.
Be faithful! Live for God.
Creating the World
Good Morning!
Today I was thinking that its been awhile since I"ve read about God creating the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it. So I flipped my Bible to the very beginning and read again how AMAZING and creative our God is!
These are long verses so I'm not going to type them all out I'll just kind of skim through, but I encourage you to go back and read Genesis chapters 1 and 2! Pretty cool stuff!
Genesis 1:1-3, 6-7, 11, 13,24, 26-28,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of the God was hovering over the waters.
And God said "Let there be light" and there was light.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.
Then God said "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so. And there was evening, and there was morning on the third day.
And God said, ":Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind" And it was so.
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 2:2-3
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
How amazing is it that God created the World and everything in it?! He just spoke the words and "it was so"! We have one awesome God! And on the 7th day he rested! Thats what he commands us to do as well...work all week and on the 7th day we rest.
Thank God today for everything He has created!
Today I was thinking that its been awhile since I"ve read about God creating the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it. So I flipped my Bible to the very beginning and read again how AMAZING and creative our God is!
These are long verses so I'm not going to type them all out I'll just kind of skim through, but I encourage you to go back and read Genesis chapters 1 and 2! Pretty cool stuff!
Genesis 1:1-3, 6-7, 11, 13,24, 26-28,
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of the God was hovering over the waters.
And God said "Let there be light" and there was light.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so.
Then God said "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so. And there was evening, and there was morning on the third day.
And God said, ":Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind" And it was so.
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Genesis 2:2-3
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
How amazing is it that God created the World and everything in it?! He just spoke the words and "it was so"! We have one awesome God! And on the 7th day he rested! Thats what he commands us to do as well...work all week and on the 7th day we rest.
Thank God today for everything He has created!
Ten Commandmants
Good Morning! Hope you all are having a wonderful Thursday so far :)
Most of us have heard of the Ten Commandments: the laws God gave Moses for us all to live by. But have you ever actually read the verses in the Bible where God gives them to us?
I read it this morning and thought it was pretty cool, and wanted to share with all of you!
Deuteronomy 5:6-22, 32-33
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whold assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land you will posses.
These are the 10 commandments our God has given us to live by. We need to try our best to obey God's commands, obviously none of us are perfect and we won't always be 100% obedient. But always remember God will forgive you when you fall!
Have a great Thursday!
Most of us have heard of the Ten Commandments: the laws God gave Moses for us all to live by. But have you ever actually read the verses in the Bible where God gives them to us?
I read it this morning and thought it was pretty cool, and wanted to share with all of you!
Deuteronomy 5:6-22, 32-33
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
But showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do.
Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whold assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.
So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land you will posses.
These are the 10 commandments our God has given us to live by. We need to try our best to obey God's commands, obviously none of us are perfect and we won't always be 100% obedient. But always remember God will forgive you when you fall!
Have a great Thursday!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
What is Faith?
Good Morning and Happy Tuesday!
We here a lot of people use the word the Faith....but some of us might not know exactly what faith is.
In Hebrews Chapter 11, the Bible explains the meaning of faith and gives us lots of examples of people who had faith!
Lets take a look!
Hebrews 11:1, 3
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
By Faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
We have not ever actually seen God, BUT if we have FAITH, we KNOW that he's real and we know that he's there! We KNOW that God made the World and everything in it out of nothing, even though we weren't there to see Him do it! This is the meaning of Faith.
Now lets take a look at some examples from the Bible!
Hebrews 11:7, 11-12, 17-19, 23, 30-31
By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith
By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had mad ethe promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, cam descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Moses; parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
These are just a few examples the Bible gives of people showing their faith in our God.
Just think, what if Noah didn't have faith and didn't believe God when He told Noah to build a humongous Ark and load up 2 of each animal into it!? That would be hard to do, with the rest of the city people making fun of you for building this big, huge boat! But Noah did what God told him to do and God saved him and his family!
And Abraham had SO much faith in God, that when God tested him by asking him to sacrifice his ONE and ONLY son, Abraham was going to do it! And just when Abraham was about ready to offer his son, God provided a little Lamb to sacrifice instead and saved Abraham's son!
We need to have faith in God in our own lives! So God can show us how amazing He is! And show us that He is always there for us to save us, protect us, and most of all love us!
Put your faith in God!
We here a lot of people use the word the Faith....but some of us might not know exactly what faith is.
In Hebrews Chapter 11, the Bible explains the meaning of faith and gives us lots of examples of people who had faith!
Lets take a look!
Hebrews 11:1, 3
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
By Faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
We have not ever actually seen God, BUT if we have FAITH, we KNOW that he's real and we know that he's there! We KNOW that God made the World and everything in it out of nothing, even though we weren't there to see Him do it! This is the meaning of Faith.
Now lets take a look at some examples from the Bible!
Hebrews 11:7, 11-12, 17-19, 23, 30-31
By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith
By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age-and Sarah herself was barren-was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had mad ethe promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, cam descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
By faith, Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
By faith Moses; parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
These are just a few examples the Bible gives of people showing their faith in our God.
Just think, what if Noah didn't have faith and didn't believe God when He told Noah to build a humongous Ark and load up 2 of each animal into it!? That would be hard to do, with the rest of the city people making fun of you for building this big, huge boat! But Noah did what God told him to do and God saved him and his family!
And Abraham had SO much faith in God, that when God tested him by asking him to sacrifice his ONE and ONLY son, Abraham was going to do it! And just when Abraham was about ready to offer his son, God provided a little Lamb to sacrifice instead and saved Abraham's son!
We need to have faith in God in our own lives! So God can show us how amazing He is! And show us that He is always there for us to save us, protect us, and most of all love us!
Put your faith in God!
Monday, April 29, 2013
How Majestic is our LORD!
Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend!
This morning I read through a Chapter in Psalms. I haven't read in Psalms for awhile, and its really an Amazing book!
It's made up of poems...a lot of the poems are giving praise to our God, who deserves ALL our praise!!
Lets praise our Lord this morning with a Psalm!
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Isn't our Lord absolutely AMAZING!!?? Think of everything HE HAS MADE! The trees, all the beautiful flowers to brighten up our days, the sun to keep us warm, rain to water the earth, all the different seasons! He made YOU and ME!
Our God is awesome! All-Powerful! Creator of Heaven and Earth!
Give Him praise today for everything He has made!
This morning I read through a Chapter in Psalms. I haven't read in Psalms for awhile, and its really an Amazing book!
It's made up of poems...a lot of the poems are giving praise to our God, who deserves ALL our praise!!
Lets praise our Lord this morning with a Psalm!
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Isn't our Lord absolutely AMAZING!!?? Think of everything HE HAS MADE! The trees, all the beautiful flowers to brighten up our days, the sun to keep us warm, rain to water the earth, all the different seasons! He made YOU and ME!
Our God is awesome! All-Powerful! Creator of Heaven and Earth!
Give Him praise today for everything He has made!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Encourage, Encourage, Encourage
Good Morning!
As Christians, we need to encourage eachother everyday in our walk with God. I believe that Encouragement is So important. It keeps people pushing forward, and keeps them believing in themselves and knowing that they can do it...through the hard times and bad.
We need to encourage them at all times! Not just in the hard times, but also in the good times! It keeps them knowing that they are on the right track and doing great.
A couple of verses on what the Bible says about Encouragement:
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.
Hebrews10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
Keep encouraging other's! So that you can be encouraged in your walk with God as well!
As Christians, we need to encourage eachother everyday in our walk with God. I believe that Encouragement is So important. It keeps people pushing forward, and keeps them believing in themselves and knowing that they can do it...through the hard times and bad.
We need to encourage them at all times! Not just in the hard times, but also in the good times! It keeps them knowing that they are on the right track and doing great.
A couple of verses on what the Bible says about Encouragement:
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.
Hebrews10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
Keep encouraging other's! So that you can be encouraged in your walk with God as well!
Encourage, Encourage, Encourage
Good Morning!
As Christians, we need to encourage eachother everyday in our walk with God. I believe that Encouragement is So important. It keeps people pushing forward, and keeps them believing in themselves and knowing that they can do it...through the hard times and bad.
We need to encourage them at all times! Not just in the hard times, but also in the good times! It keeps them knowing that they are on the right track and doing great.
A couple of verses on what the Bible says about Encouragement:
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.
Hebrews10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
Keep encouraging other's! So that you can be encouraged in your walk with God as well!
As Christians, we need to encourage eachother everyday in our walk with God. I believe that Encouragement is So important. It keeps people pushing forward, and keeps them believing in themselves and knowing that they can do it...through the hard times and bad.
We need to encourage them at all times! Not just in the hard times, but also in the good times! It keeps them knowing that they are on the right track and doing great.
A couple of verses on what the Bible says about Encouragement:
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sins deceitfulness.
Hebrews10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.
Keep encouraging other's! So that you can be encouraged in your walk with God as well!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
77 TIMES?!
Good Morning! Halfway through the work week! Yay!!
Have you ever been hurt so badly by a friend, a relative, an enemy....that you thought "Wow, I can never forgive them for that?"
We are going to dig in today and see what the Bible tells us about forgiveness. I know its not always easy to forgive, but God really wants us to follow His example and keep forgiving and showing God's love to those people who hurt you.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?
Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Not only does God tell us to forgive others, but he tells us to forgive "seventy seven times".....this doesn't mean we are to count the number of times we forgive one person. If the same person continues to hurt you.....Keep on forgiving them, don't stop.
Just as God continues to forgive us, His children, for sinning! When we make a mistake all we have to do is pray and ask God to forgive us and He will....every time.
Colassians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
This verse in Ephesians not only tells us to forgive, but it also tells us to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger. It says to be kind and compassionate to others.
You know how it is...someone hurts you....and instead of forgiving you hold it all in and then you become bitter towards them and angry and it keeps getting worse!
It feels SO much better to forgive the people in your life who hurt you, and to move on. Treat them with God's love and be kind. Not only will it make YOU feel better, but they will feel the love and see something different in you! What a great way to be a witness to others!
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew tells us that when we forgive others, God will forgive us. This is so very important! Because we NEED and want God's forgiveness. Therefore, we need to forgive others.
I challenge you today, if someone has hurt you, give them a call, send them a text or email and tell them you forgive them. Its not easy, but it will be worth it.
Have you ever been hurt so badly by a friend, a relative, an enemy....that you thought "Wow, I can never forgive them for that?"
We are going to dig in today and see what the Bible tells us about forgiveness. I know its not always easy to forgive, but God really wants us to follow His example and keep forgiving and showing God's love to those people who hurt you.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?
Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Not only does God tell us to forgive others, but he tells us to forgive "seventy seven times".....this doesn't mean we are to count the number of times we forgive one person. If the same person continues to hurt you.....Keep on forgiving them, don't stop.
Just as God continues to forgive us, His children, for sinning! When we make a mistake all we have to do is pray and ask God to forgive us and He will....every time.
Colassians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
This verse in Ephesians not only tells us to forgive, but it also tells us to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger. It says to be kind and compassionate to others.
You know how it is...someone hurts you....and instead of forgiving you hold it all in and then you become bitter towards them and angry and it keeps getting worse!
It feels SO much better to forgive the people in your life who hurt you, and to move on. Treat them with God's love and be kind. Not only will it make YOU feel better, but they will feel the love and see something different in you! What a great way to be a witness to others!
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew tells us that when we forgive others, God will forgive us. This is so very important! Because we NEED and want God's forgiveness. Therefore, we need to forgive others.
I challenge you today, if someone has hurt you, give them a call, send them a text or email and tell them you forgive them. Its not easy, but it will be worth it.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friends
Good Morning!
Friendships are so important in our lives. That's why I thought I would look up and see what God has to say about friends and friendships.
Lets dig in!
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times
The Bible says at ALL times....we need to be there for our friends...when they are happy, when they are sad or going through a hard time....We need to always be there for them and show them the Love of God.
Proverbs 16:28
....a gossip separates close friends.
Gossipping can ruin relationships so fast! We need to keep our mouths shut. Keep secrets that friends tell you and don't talk about people behind their backs.
John 15:12-14
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
The most important thing God tells us, is to Love each other.
In this verse, God also tells us that we are HIS friends! He is the best friend we could ever have! We are so blessed to have such a loving God, who wants to be our friends, He will never let us down.
Friendships are so important in our lives. That's why I thought I would look up and see what God has to say about friends and friendships.
Lets dig in!
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times
The Bible says at ALL times....we need to be there for our friends...when they are happy, when they are sad or going through a hard time....We need to always be there for them and show them the Love of God.
Proverbs 16:28
....a gossip separates close friends.
Gossipping can ruin relationships so fast! We need to keep our mouths shut. Keep secrets that friends tell you and don't talk about people behind their backs.
John 15:12-14
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
The most important thing God tells us, is to Love each other.
In this verse, God also tells us that we are HIS friends! He is the best friend we could ever have! We are so blessed to have such a loving God, who wants to be our friends, He will never let us down.
Check your Attitude Young Lady/Man
Good Morning!
I've never really read about Attitudes in the Bible before...so I thought it was pretty neat when I came across some of these verses! God tells us the kind of attitudes that we should have.
Philippians 2:5-11, 14-15
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
The very first verse says "Your attitude should be the same as Jesus. Jesus obeyed God, humbled himself, and came down to this earth as a human to DIE on the cross for OUR sins!
We need to be obedient to God and we also need to be humble. God does not want us to have a proud "look what I did" attitude.
Then, a few verses down it says "do everything without complaining or arguing. When your boss, or parent, husband, wife asks you to do something...Just do it, don't complain about it or start an arguement. Yikes, I think we all could probably work on this one.
Follow Christs example and live with the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control. --Galations 5:22
I've never really read about Attitudes in the Bible before...so I thought it was pretty neat when I came across some of these verses! God tells us the kind of attitudes that we should have.
Philippians 2:5-11, 14-15
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.
The very first verse says "Your attitude should be the same as Jesus. Jesus obeyed God, humbled himself, and came down to this earth as a human to DIE on the cross for OUR sins!
We need to be obedient to God and we also need to be humble. God does not want us to have a proud "look what I did" attitude.
Then, a few verses down it says "do everything without complaining or arguing. When your boss, or parent, husband, wife asks you to do something...Just do it, don't complain about it or start an arguement. Yikes, I think we all could probably work on this one.
Follow Christs example and live with the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and self-control. --Galations 5:22
Need more PATIENCE!
Good Morning!
I'm usually a pretty patient person, but lately, I've been feeling like I could use a little more Patience! So I thought I would dig in to God's word and see what he has to say about giving me more patience. And what He showed me is that in order to have patience I need to fully put my trust in God! And believe that everything will fall into place at HIS perfect timing!
Here are a few verses on patience!::
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
God will give us patience if we pray and ask Him for it. We need to be faithful in prayer and not give up.
Ephesians 4:1-2
....I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humlity, gentleness and patience.
As God's children we need to show the World these qualities, within ourselves. Its not always easy, and no, we don't ALWAYS show these qualities, but, I believe, we should try our hardest to have these.
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
When we are waiting to hear an answer from God, the Bible tells us to "wait for it patiently". And when we do wait patiently, God sees that and is there for us and will help us through! How amazing and comforting to know!
A few verses on trusting in God, while we patiently wait :)::
Psalms 56:4
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.
I love this verse in Proverbs!! Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart.....and He will make your paths straight! God will lead us exactly where He wants us when we trust in Him, listen through prayer where He wants us, and patiently wait for His leading!
God's word is always so comforting! I'm definitely going to put all my Trust in Him and work this week, on having more patients!
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Monday, April 22, 2013
A Proverb to Start the Day
Happy Monday!
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
The book of Proverbs has SO many wise sayings! I thought to start the week, we would read through Proverbs 16.
Proverbs 16:3-5, 7, 23, 28, 32
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The Lord works out everything for his own ends-even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.
When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
I just pulled out a few verses, I encourage you to read the whole chapter! There's so much good stuff in Proverbs.
Everything you do--do it for God. Pray and ask God what His will is for your life and commit to doing it. When you work together with God your plans will succeed, because you are doing what He wants you to do.
This Proverb also talks about not being proud. Be humble in all you do. Give God the credit. Because only with God are all things possible!
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
The book of Proverbs has SO many wise sayings! I thought to start the week, we would read through Proverbs 16.
Proverbs 16:3-5, 7, 23, 28, 32
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
The Lord works out everything for his own ends-even the wicked for a day of disaster.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.
When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.
A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.
A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.
I just pulled out a few verses, I encourage you to read the whole chapter! There's so much good stuff in Proverbs.
Everything you do--do it for God. Pray and ask God what His will is for your life and commit to doing it. When you work together with God your plans will succeed, because you are doing what He wants you to do.
This Proverb also talks about not being proud. Be humble in all you do. Give God the credit. Because only with God are all things possible!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Your Most POWERFUL Muscle!
Goooood Morning all!
This week we started working through the book of Romans, but today I wanted to take a "day break" from Romans and talk about Controlling your Tongue.
A Few Fun Facts:
1-The tongue is the most powerful muscle in the body
2-The tongue never stops working! Even when you sleep its still pushing saliva down your throat
3- Every tongue has its own Tongue Print
Lets get started!
We are Representatives of God.We represent Him through our speech and conversations. I read that the average person speaks about 30,000 WORDS A DAY! Thats a LOT of representation time! We have the "job" of showing people what God is like! Thats a big responsibility!
So we want the words that come out of our mouths to be kind, caring, loving, positive and we want them to build people up and not tear them down.
James 3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
God is the Creator of all things. He made us all in His image....when we put down, or bully other people.....we are putting down God. How would we treat God if he came over to our house for supper? That's how we need to treat all people.
James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
James 3:5
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil amont the parts of the body. it corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
We need to watch and control our tongues.
Here's a little rule to live by:
T-is it true?
H- is it helpful
I - is it inspiring?
N-is it necessary?
K-is it kind?
If the answer is No to any of these, then don't say it, because you might hurt someone's feelings....which hurts God.
Control that tongue :).
This week we started working through the book of Romans, but today I wanted to take a "day break" from Romans and talk about Controlling your Tongue.
A Few Fun Facts:
1-The tongue is the most powerful muscle in the body
2-The tongue never stops working! Even when you sleep its still pushing saliva down your throat
3- Every tongue has its own Tongue Print
Lets get started!
We are Representatives of God.We represent Him through our speech and conversations. I read that the average person speaks about 30,000 WORDS A DAY! Thats a LOT of representation time! We have the "job" of showing people what God is like! Thats a big responsibility!
So we want the words that come out of our mouths to be kind, caring, loving, positive and we want them to build people up and not tear them down.
James 3:9
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
God is the Creator of all things. He made us all in His image....when we put down, or bully other people.....we are putting down God. How would we treat God if he came over to our house for supper? That's how we need to treat all people.
James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
James 3:5
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil amont the parts of the body. it corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
We need to watch and control our tongues.
Here's a little rule to live by:
T-is it true?
H- is it helpful
I - is it inspiring?
N-is it necessary?
K-is it kind?
If the answer is No to any of these, then don't say it, because you might hurt someone's feelings....which hurts God.
Control that tongue :).
Thursday, April 18, 2013
The WAR Inside All of Us-{Day 4}
Good Morning!
Today we will be looking at Romans chapters 7 & 8.
Lets Dig in!
Romans 7:14-25
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right but I can't I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't wan to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle in life-that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a lsave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nautre I am a slave to sin.
This is Paul talking about his constant struggle with sin....the war of good and evil going on inside him and inside all of us. We want so badly to do what is good and right, but since we are human and sinful, that doesn't always happen.
The good news??!!....Jesus Christ can free us from our sins.
Romans 8:5-6
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
A life of Peace!? Yes please! :). Let the Holy Spirit guide you through this life and control your mind and you will have peace!
Whatever is in your heart, mind and spirit will show in the words you say.....If you let the spirit control you, imagine how Kind, Loving, Comforting, and Peaceful your words will be towards others! What a great Witness for Jesus!
Romans 8:26-28
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know how/what to pray for. For example, if a loved one is sick...we don't always know how God wants us to pray for them.
But if you have the Holy Spirit in you, it will help you pray and the Spirit will let God know your heart.
Romans 8:31, 34-35, 37-38
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted , or hungry, or destitue, or in danger, or threatened with death?
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ourt through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convined that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.
God is the Almighty, Powerful King and he is on our side!! Not only is he on our side, but it says he PLEADS for us! Wow! The King of all Kings PLEADS for YOU!
It's so comforting to know that NOTHING separates us from God's love. He loves his children no matter what! When you are going through troubles and trials, or you are worried and afraid about today or tomorrow, when it feels like noone in this world is on your side or loves you...Remember GOD LOVES YOU! And GOD IS ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE!
Thank you, Jesus for being on our side! And for loving us through the good times and the bad!
Today we will be looking at Romans chapters 7 & 8.
Lets Dig in!
Romans 7:14-25
So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right but I can't I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't wan to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle in life-that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.
I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a lsave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nautre I am a slave to sin.
This is Paul talking about his constant struggle with sin....the war of good and evil going on inside him and inside all of us. We want so badly to do what is good and right, but since we are human and sinful, that doesn't always happen.
The good news??!!....Jesus Christ can free us from our sins.
Romans 8:5-6
Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. Letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
A life of Peace!? Yes please! :). Let the Holy Spirit guide you through this life and control your mind and you will have peace!
Whatever is in your heart, mind and spirit will show in the words you say.....If you let the spirit control you, imagine how Kind, Loving, Comforting, and Peaceful your words will be towards others! What a great Witness for Jesus!
Romans 8:26-28
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know how/what to pray for. For example, if a loved one is sick...we don't always know how God wants us to pray for them.
But if you have the Holy Spirit in you, it will help you pray and the Spirit will let God know your heart.
Romans 8:31, 34-35, 37-38
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
Who then will condemn us? No one-for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.
Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted , or hungry, or destitue, or in danger, or threatened with death?
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ourt through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convined that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.
God is the Almighty, Powerful King and he is on our side!! Not only is he on our side, but it says he PLEADS for us! Wow! The King of all Kings PLEADS for YOU!
It's so comforting to know that NOTHING separates us from God's love. He loves his children no matter what! When you are going through troubles and trials, or you are worried and afraid about today or tomorrow, when it feels like noone in this world is on your side or loves you...Remember GOD LOVES YOU! And GOD IS ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE!
Thank you, Jesus for being on our side! And for loving us through the good times and the bad!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
REJOICE through our Troubles?! How do I do that?-{Day 3}
Good Morning All!
I'm really excited, because one of my good friends is flying in today for a visit! It should be a good time! :)
This morning we are going to read from Romans chapters 5 & 6.
Lets Dig in!
Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Now, I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do when I'm going through trials is rejoice....complain-yes, get upset-yes, frustrated-yes.....But Paul writes that we can REJOICE!! Because those trials help us grow in our faith, by helping us develop endurance and character!
Romans 5:6-8
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
I like how it says "Christ came at JUST the right time". God's timing is always perfect. When we are waiting for an answer from God, we have to remember that in God's perfect timing He will reveal His will to us.
This verse shows us again how VERY MUCH God loves us!! What it says is so true...alot of us wouldn't be willing to die for good people, let alone our enemies! But Christ in all his love, grace and mercy died for all of us sinners. How amazing!!
The last part of Chapter 5 goes through and compares Adam (the first human God created) and God.
Romans 5:18-19, 21
Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christs one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Cecause one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is so comforting to know that Sin no longer rules over all people, but now God's wonderful grace rules in its place! Thank you Jesus for dying for our sins! And showing us sinners all of your grace and mercy!
Romans 6:3-6
Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
I was baptized, I believe, around the age of 7. I knew that the Bible said we should be baptized after we became Christians to profess our faith. But I guess I really didn't know the full meaning!
To me, these verses really explain what it means to be baptized! The symbol of being baptized is that we died with Christ and were raised to live new lives as Christ's followers. He washes away our sins, through baptism. Sin has no power in our new lives!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thank you Lord for that free gift of eternal life!
I'm really excited, because one of my good friends is flying in today for a visit! It should be a good time! :)
This morning we are going to read from Romans chapters 5 & 6.
Lets Dig in!
Romans 5:3-5
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.
Now, I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do when I'm going through trials is rejoice....complain-yes, get upset-yes, frustrated-yes.....But Paul writes that we can REJOICE!! Because those trials help us grow in our faith, by helping us develop endurance and character!
Romans 5:6-8
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
I like how it says "Christ came at JUST the right time". God's timing is always perfect. When we are waiting for an answer from God, we have to remember that in God's perfect timing He will reveal His will to us.
This verse shows us again how VERY MUCH God loves us!! What it says is so true...alot of us wouldn't be willing to die for good people, let alone our enemies! But Christ in all his love, grace and mercy died for all of us sinners. How amazing!!
The last part of Chapter 5 goes through and compares Adam (the first human God created) and God.
Romans 5:18-19, 21
Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christs one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Cecause one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God's wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is so comforting to know that Sin no longer rules over all people, but now God's wonderful grace rules in its place! Thank you Jesus for dying for our sins! And showing us sinners all of your grace and mercy!
Romans 6:3-6
Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
I was baptized, I believe, around the age of 7. I knew that the Bible said we should be baptized after we became Christians to profess our faith. But I guess I really didn't know the full meaning!
To me, these verses really explain what it means to be baptized! The symbol of being baptized is that we died with Christ and were raised to live new lives as Christ's followers. He washes away our sins, through baptism. Sin has no power in our new lives!
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thank you Lord for that free gift of eternal life!
The Body's Got Talent-{Day 5}
Rise and Shine and give God the glory! Have you ever heard this song? My mom used to wake us up for school by singing this song in morning. What a positive way to start the day! :) Thanks Mom!
We are continuing in the book of Romans today! I'm going to skip ahead to Romans chapter 12.
Ready to Dig In?!
Romans 12:2-8
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christs body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to eachother.
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others do it gladly.
The world often has much different views than God's views. We need to grow a deeper relationship with God, by reading and studying His word and talking to Him, so that we know what God's views are.
The Church is called the Body of Christ. All of us make up the different part's of the body. If our Human bodies were made up of all fingers we wouldn't be able to Eat! Or walk! Or see! Just as our Human bodies need different parts to function so does the church and this world.
The "body parts" of the church are the gifts that God has given each one of us! Some of you may be amazing singers, and can serve on the Praise Team at church. Some of you may be blessed with the ability to host or cook, you can use that to have a new couple from church over for dinner. Or maybe you are very encouraging to others, or God has given you the gift of teaching-lead a Bible Study or teach Sunday School.
There are SO many different gifts out there and there is not one better than the other...they are all very important in the Body of Christ! And God wants us to use those talents and gifts.
Romans 12: 9-
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Love eachother with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
When God's People are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other.
God says we need to "love eachother with genuine affection". People can usually tell when you are being real with them or faking it. So SHOW people you love them. Speak kindly to them, be happy when they are happy, cry with them when they are sad. Encourage them. Help them.
Pray for those who give you a hard time. And don't curse them back. Show them God's love and pray that God will show them His love. And we are to live in peace with those around us.
Romans 12:19-21
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back" says the Lord.
Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
When someone does you wrong, the first thing you do is think of all the ways to get revenge! But this scripture says to show those people love. And let God have revenge, because God's revenge will be better than any revenge you could give.
When keep showing people love they will see something different in you. And maybe, just maybe...they will begin to show you love right back :).
We are continuing in the book of Romans today! I'm going to skip ahead to Romans chapter 12.
Ready to Dig In?!
Romans 12:2-8
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christs body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to eachother.
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others do it gladly.
The world often has much different views than God's views. We need to grow a deeper relationship with God, by reading and studying His word and talking to Him, so that we know what God's views are.
The Church is called the Body of Christ. All of us make up the different part's of the body. If our Human bodies were made up of all fingers we wouldn't be able to Eat! Or walk! Or see! Just as our Human bodies need different parts to function so does the church and this world.
The "body parts" of the church are the gifts that God has given each one of us! Some of you may be amazing singers, and can serve on the Praise Team at church. Some of you may be blessed with the ability to host or cook, you can use that to have a new couple from church over for dinner. Or maybe you are very encouraging to others, or God has given you the gift of teaching-lead a Bible Study or teach Sunday School.
There are SO many different gifts out there and there is not one better than the other...they are all very important in the Body of Christ! And God wants us to use those talents and gifts.
Romans 12: 9-
Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Love eachother with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
When God's People are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other.
God says we need to "love eachother with genuine affection". People can usually tell when you are being real with them or faking it. So SHOW people you love them. Speak kindly to them, be happy when they are happy, cry with them when they are sad. Encourage them. Help them.
Pray for those who give you a hard time. And don't curse them back. Show them God's love and pray that God will show them His love. And we are to live in peace with those around us.
Romans 12:19-21
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back" says the Lord.
Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
When someone does you wrong, the first thing you do is think of all the ways to get revenge! But this scripture says to show those people love. And let God have revenge, because God's revenge will be better than any revenge you could give.
When keep showing people love they will see something different in you. And maybe, just maybe...they will begin to show you love right back :).
Its not Your Beliefs--Its your RELATIONSHIP with GOD{Day 6}
Good Morning!
This will be our last day in the book of Romans! We will be in Chapters 14 and 15 today.
Lets Dig In!
Romans 14:1-5, 10, 12-13, 17-19
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes its alright to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to comdemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord's help, they will stand and receive his approval.
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.
So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So lets stop condemning eachother. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build eachother up.
There are all different kinds of beliefs and religions in this world. These verses are saying that we shouldn't judge other Believer's beliefs. As long as they have accepted Christ as their Savior and live for Him they are going to Heaven.
It doesn't matter if they worship on Saturday or Sunday...God loves us all the same and accepts them. And we need to accept all the Believers whose beliefs may be different than ours.
For our goal is to build other's up and show them love. And to live a life of peace, goodness and joy!
Romans 14:20-23
Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.
It is better to not eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right
But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat somehting, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
These verses are saying you need to follow your heart. Do what you feel is right accoring to God. And obey His laws the best you can for you! Don't worry yourself about "how well" other believers are doing in obeying God's laws.
Romans 15:2,5-7, 13
We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giveing praise and glory to God,the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God accepts us all as His children. We need to follow His example and accept others as well. And we need to give God the glory, Always!
This will be our last day in the book of Romans! We will be in Chapters 14 and 15 today.
Lets Dig In!
Romans 14:1-5, 10, 12-13, 17-19
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. For instance, one person believes its alright to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables.
Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. Who are you to comdemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord's help, they will stand and receive his approval.
In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.
So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.
Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So lets stop condemning eachother. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.
For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build eachother up.
There are all different kinds of beliefs and religions in this world. These verses are saying that we shouldn't judge other Believer's beliefs. As long as they have accepted Christ as their Savior and live for Him they are going to Heaven.
It doesn't matter if they worship on Saturday or Sunday...God loves us all the same and accepts them. And we need to accept all the Believers whose beliefs may be different than ours.
For our goal is to build other's up and show them love. And to live a life of peace, goodness and joy!
Romans 14:20-23
Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.
It is better to not eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don't feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right
But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat somehting, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
These verses are saying you need to follow your heart. Do what you feel is right accoring to God. And obey His laws the best you can for you! Don't worry yourself about "how well" other believers are doing in obeying God's laws.
Romans 15:2,5-7, 13
We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giveing praise and glory to God,the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God accepts us all as His children. We need to follow His example and accept others as well. And we need to give God the glory, Always!
Book of Romans-A Little White Lie-{Day 2}
Good Morning All!
Thinking about the Boston Marathon tragedy today...I'm praying that God comforts all those involved and brings healing to the people and city of Boston.
Today we are going to continue our study in Romans! I learned so much yesterday, I'm really excited to read what else God has to say to me today!
Ready to Dig In?! Today I'm reading through Romans chapters 3 and 4.
Romans 3:4
Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true.
This is a good way to start out :). I'm sure all of us have told a little white lie in our lifetime. Isn't it amazing that God NEVER lies to us!!....When he tells us He loves us...he MEANS it! When he tells us He comforts us....He MEANS it! When he tells us He forgives us...guess what?!...HE MEANS it!
I love that!
Romans 3:22-26
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
These verses tell us how we can become Christians and have faith in God. We are all sinners and that's why God sent His only Son to die for all of us and forgive us of those sins. To be "right with God" we need to place our faith in Jesus, accept that we are sinners, thank Him for taking away our sins and ask him to come into our lives and hearts. Then we can spend eternity with our Lord and Savior!
Romans 4:25
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Amen.
Thinking about the Boston Marathon tragedy today...I'm praying that God comforts all those involved and brings healing to the people and city of Boston.
Today we are going to continue our study in Romans! I learned so much yesterday, I'm really excited to read what else God has to say to me today!
Ready to Dig In?! Today I'm reading through Romans chapters 3 and 4.
Romans 3:4
Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true.
This is a good way to start out :). I'm sure all of us have told a little white lie in our lifetime. Isn't it amazing that God NEVER lies to us!!....When he tells us He loves us...he MEANS it! When he tells us He comforts us....He MEANS it! When he tells us He forgives us...guess what?!...HE MEANS it!
I love that!
Romans 3:22-26
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
These verses tell us how we can become Christians and have faith in God. We are all sinners and that's why God sent His only Son to die for all of us and forgive us of those sins. To be "right with God" we need to place our faith in Jesus, accept that we are sinners, thank Him for taking away our sins and ask him to come into our lives and hearts. Then we can spend eternity with our Lord and Savior!
Romans 4:25
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Amen.
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