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Archive for the ‘Encouragement’ Category

Wisdom Of This World Is Foolishness In God’s Sight

26 Jun

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 – 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” ; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”

Too smart for God.  We see that more and more in our society.  Science has become the God for many and what’s sad is if the all the data collected was looked at closely it all points to God and creation.

So why does the world try to be wise without God?  Because you can’t serve yourself if you acknowledge there is a God whom has expectations out there.  If a person acknowledges God is real it puts a damper on selfish living.

That leads to another issue that is getting worse every day.  People are obsessed with wanting to serve a God that thinks exactly the way they do.  When they change their mind about something God does too.  It’s convenient that way and they don’t have to conform to anything their not comfortable with.

Wisdom comes from God.  Wisdom does not come from man.  The old saying is listen to someone that has aged and gone through many things.  They are full of wisdom.  That’s true to a certain point, but I will tell you that there is still worldly wisdom and then there is Godly wisdom.  Someone 75 years old that doesn’t have God may have some interesting things to say and be filled with a lot of knowledge.  It may create shortcuts and cut back the time of worldly failure for you.  However, without God, if one takes their last breath unsaved, that wisdom proved worthless going into eternity.

Seek the Lord’s wisdom.  All else is foolishness.

 
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You Can’t Hide From God

25 Jun

Jeremiah 23:24 – 24 Can anyone hide in secret places
so that I cannot see him?”
declares the Lord.
“Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord.

Sometimes I forget there are still people out there who believe God isn’t aware of their lives.  In this day and age it should be easier than ever to realize that we are a hundred percent documented by the Lord.  On earth alone today we are on many surveillance cameras.  We’re on them going into stores, walking down streets, etc.

If the Lord can count the number of hairs on your head, He knows what you are up to 24/7.

Matthew 10:29-31 – 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The good news is this.  Even if our lives are documented 24/7 by the Lord, He is still willing and wanting to forgive us of our sins.

Romans 4:7-8-   7 “Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

1 John 1:9 – 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

If one doesn’t realize that God is everywhere and knows what is going on at all times, they need to realize He is always present.  You can’t hide from God.

 
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The Lord Doesn’t Give To Wrong Motives

22 Jun

James 4:3 – 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Let’s say I have all the money in the world.  I have 10 people sitting over across the way who are starving and have no clean water.  I hand someone who is not one of the ten a million dollars.  He sees them, but is not one of them.  He now takes the money and goes and buys a big house, fancy car, plenty of glamorous vacations, etc.  Never gives anything to the 10 mentioned earlier. 

How do you view that?

Let’s say I have all the money in the world and I give it to one of the ten.  They are familiar with the rest and they take the money and do the same things as the first guy.

How do you view that?

Well the one that has all the resources in the world is God.  He can bless us with what we need for ourselves and others.  However as we see in the James scripture above, there are wrong motives out there.

I personally believe that almost all of us in America are guilty to some percentage of the above descriptions.  We may throw them a burger or a glass of water, but we still are trying to accomplish the American Dream. 

It’s tough pull in the day and age we live in. 

So who gives in abundance to those with wrong motives? 

Rock stars?  Hollywood Actors and Actresses that have no problem bashing God?  Those who encourage the things against God’s Word?  They have an abundance of wealth.  Are they being blessed by God?

No the prince of the air, Satan, has the power to do that when he robbed the right away from Adam and Eve.

What did Satan say to Jesus during the temptation?

Matthew 4:8-9 –  8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus didn’t say at the time that they weren’t his to give. 

The devil is offering many things to many people.  We need to worship our Lord and make sure we try and be the best servants we can with what has been entrusted to us.

 
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Psalm 56:1-7

20 Jun

Psalm 56:1-7 – 1 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

5 All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

In reading this it really reminds me that as Truth is rejected, the more God’s Word and His ways are scorned.  We need to continue to stand our ground because in the last days it’s not going to get better.  Positive thinking doesn’t change the reality of where everything is heading.

The middle verses remind us that we need to trust, praise and remember there is nothing that flesh can do in the long run of eternity.  That is in the hands of God when we all stand in front of Him.  Do your best to present all you can in preparation for that day.  Everything matters.

 
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For Our Sakes He Became Poor

18 Jun

2 Corinthians 8:9 –9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

King of all!  Yet He didn’t come in as rich ruler and force His will on anyone.  He came in as a humble servant so that we might through His poverty become rich.  Those who aren’t in the Light will not understand this.  God since day one wanted a creation that would serve Him with freewill.

Will you?  Not just acknowledge but serve?

 
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If We Claim To Be Without Sin, We Deceive Ourselves

15 Jun

I John 1:8-10 – 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Someone that doesn’t believe that they are fallen see no need to serve anyone besides themselves.  They are not humble and not honest.  Anyone who seeks Truth and is honest with themselves can see problems in the world and even their own actions.

All the Lord wants from us is to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness.  Seek the pardon.  Ditch the pride.

Not only does one make Jesus out to be a liar if they believe they have no sin, but unfortunately they are lying to themselves.

When can or will something be able to be fixed?  The first step is to acknowledge that it’s broke.  The next step is to be willing to do the steps necessary to get it fixed.  Seeking the Truth and His Word is how we began to find His place in our lives.

 
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Truth Can Sting

12 Jun

Galatians 4:16- 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Paul is asking this question to the Galatians. 

We live in a battlefield and the enemy hates the Truth.  The Truth is only popular to those who want to seek it. 

America is notorious for this today.  Tell me what I want to hear, not necessarily the Truth.  The attitude is I can transform what I want into the Truth.

There’s one problem with that isn’t there?  Your allowed to believe whatever you want but that doesn’t make it Truth.  You can believe 2+2=5.  You believe that if you jump off a building you can fly.  You’re allowed to believe anything you want.  God loves it when you seek Him and the Truth and leave your own fallen ideas behind.

However, as unpopular as the Truth can be in a hostile environment, God still wants us to proclaim it.  In fact Paul took joy in the persecution he was receiving at times, because he knew it wouldn’t go unnoticed by the Lord.  He knows there is a reward for such things.  However, we don’t get rewarded for persecution we get rewarded for being persecuted in the name of the Lord and Truth.

Be loving, be caring, but never sacrifice the Truth.  When were done on this earth and looking back, we’ll regret the times we didn’t do our best to teach others of the Truth, but won’t regret passing on the message that wasn’t received well.

 
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Paul Reminds US Of Jesus’ Mercy In His Life

11 Jun

1 Timothy 1:12-17 – 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Don’t let Satan beat you down into making you feel unworthy.  Focus on God and strengthen in the Holy Spirit.  If Paul allowed Satan to convince him that he couldn’t possibly serve God after his previous acts we would be out one of our most effective missionaries.  The Lord is full of mercy and loves you.  Run towards Him and allow Him to use you.

 
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It’s Easy To Slack

08 Jun

Hebrews 6:10-12  –10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Most everyone at times begins to tire, no matter what they may be doing on a regular basis.  When cannot slack though.  In Hebrews we are reminded not to become lazy.

The Lord is rooting us on and He is rooting for us to spread the Word to others who need it.  He doesn’t want anyone to perish and He wants to reward us for a good job.  Stay the course and make your focus “Him.”

Everything else that takes us away is a dangling carrot.  A diversion.  We need to keep running forward and serve our awesome God.

 
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Not Just Naked

07 Jun

Genesis 3:6-10 – 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

He also was hiding because he just broke the one command he wasn’t supposed to do.

He knew that he was now naked and he knew how to make excuses and place the blame. 

He also knew he was in trouble with the Lord.

When we start doing things contrary to what God wants, we start sputtering and feel naked.  However, when we feel those things that’s good in one sense.  At least the Holy Spirit is still getting through.  When those that decide they want God’s truth anymore, they stop hearing the right voice.

Stay in the Word and listen to the His voice.

 
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