Tag Archives: Christ

Speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men

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Mike

Mike (Photo credit: Tom Gill (lapstrake))

Speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men
-Titus 3:2

Years ago when I was in college, I was a young man running as hard as I could away from God. I was angry – angry at life, angry from disappointments, and working very
hard to feed that empty feeling in my gut with whatever the world had to offer.

During that time, one conversation in particular affected me significantly. I’ll
never forget sitting across the table from a fellow student I’ll call Mike. The
words that poured out of my mouth that day certainly reflected my state of mind.
“I don’t get it,” I said, “the hypocrisy of it all. All these people claim to be
Christians, yet they treat each other worse than most atheists I know.” Mike just
sat there and sipped his coffee as I continued my rant about the many things wrong
with the church, and those who walked through church doors each week. After I had
cooled down just a bit, I finally said to Mike, “Go ahead and tell me I’m wrong.”

Mike just smiled and said, “No, you’re not wrong. Christians can be no better or
worse than anybody else can. They’ve just been forgiven. Whether someone chooses
to let Christ change his or her life is a different question. Some don’t. They tuck
their fire insurance policy in their back pocket and go on with life in whatever
way they please. Then there are the ones who truly take up their crosses and follow
Jesus. They are the lights of the world that Jesus talked about. They stand out.
You see the evidence of that change all over their lives. The fruits of the Spirit
– love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control – permeate
their lives. It doesn’t mean they’re perfect; they just get up each morning hoping
and trying to do what Jesus would have them do, and love the way that Jesus would
have them love.”

Then he looked me right in the eye and said, “So, the question is, what kind of
Christian do you want to be? Just forgiven – OR – forgiven AND changed?”

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, change me. You said to those who believe in You to take up their crosses
and follow You. Lord Jesus, I’m Yours. Wherever you lead, I will follow. Let all
see the evidence of change in my life because of You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Do you feel forgiven by God? Since asking Jesus to be the Lord of your life, how
have you increased in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control?

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God is Absolute Truth

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Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God is Absolute Truth

A Young Radical

“The Word Of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword….it exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

Many years ago, I was speaking at a large university. A young radical student, who was the head of the Communist Party on campus, confronted me. He railed at me, because I was encouraging students to follow Christ.

Rather than argue, I invited him to come to our home for dinner. After dessert I said, “I want to read something to you from the Bible.” He reacted with obvious irritation. “I have read the Bible from cover to cover,” he exclaimed. “It’s a ridiculous book. It’s filled with contradictions, lies and myths.”

I replied, “If you don’t mind, I will read it anyway.”

I read to him from John, chapter 1: “Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is Himself God. He created everything there is — nothing exists that He didn’t make. Eternal life is in Him, and this life gives light to all mankind …” (The Living Bible)

When I concluded reading, he said, “Let me see that.” He read it thoughtfully, then handed the Bible back to me without comment.

Then I turned to Colossians, Chapter 1, which records, “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God….” (The Living Bible)

He was very sober. After reading a couple of other passages, he was obviously very moved. His entire countenance had changed.

Later, as he stood to leave, I asked him if he would sign our guest book. He penned these words, which I shall never forget: “The night of decision,” a decision to follow Christ.

Your View of God Really Matters …

When someone asks you if you believe if Jesus really is the only way to God, do you duck, argue or do you read (or quote) them Jesus’ very own words from the Bible? Who has greater credibility: you or Jesus? Today, let Jesus speak through you.

What More Does God Say?

Hebrews 4:12-13; Isaiah 55:9-11; Isaiah 40:8; Philippians 1:15-18

Because God is absolute truth, I will believe what He says and live accordingly

Culled from: DiscoverGod.com

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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As we abide in Christ Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will

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Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we abide in Christ Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will

John 15:7 says: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” As we abide in Jesus and allow His Word to reveal to us His will, then we have a foundation of faith. Our faith is not in what we presume, not in what we see, and not in religious practice, but it is in the Word of God. As we stay in Christ and let His Word dwell in us, then His Word fills us with faith. His Word is a revelation of His will; therefore, whatever we ask according to His Word we receive of the Father. Jesus gives us two great secrets to answered prayer.

First, we must be born again, and through Christ Jesus we are.

Second, we must let His Word reveal to us God’s will and fill us with faith. Then when we act on it and ask based on the Word, God gives it and performs it.

Have faith and ask!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Jesus staked His life for you and I on the Cross of Calvary.

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus staked His life for you and I on the Cross of Calvary

“And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross.” -Philippians 2:8

God stooped down to earth. He came down, down, down into the womb of a virgin. Jesus
stooped down to pick up His cross. He stoops down to lift you up – no matter what
you need. He has, He will, and He will continue to bend down, to stoop down to pick
you up!

You do not need to stand up on tiptoes to reach Him. You do not need to get a stepladder
and try to climb to heaven to get near to Him. You do not need to do anything.

And what a relief that is because for many of us our legs have been knocked out
from under us. Some of us have had the wind knocked out of us. We can barely breathe,
much less stand or climb.

Are you desperate for a miracle? Are you desperate for God to pick you up and deliver
you? From financial ruin? From a collapsed career? From a fractured marriage? From
a crushed heart? From depression? From dependence on unhealthy substances?

I promise you that you will receive the miracle you need! Yes! It will be the miracle
you NEED! It might not be the miracle you WANT. But, trust Him. In time, you will
see it will be the miracle you not only need, but the miracle you ultimately wanted.

I stake my life on this claim. Why? Because Jesus staked His life on it! When He
hung on the cross, He staked His life on the stake of life – the cross – so you
and I could receive the Grand Miracle – and every other miracle we need.

So, hold out your hands. Lift up your face. And pray!

PRAYER:

Thank You, God, for the miracles of yesterday!

Thank You, God, for the miracles of today!

Thank You, God, for the miracles of tomorrow and forever!

Amen.

Jesus staked His life for you on the cross. What is your response to Him for doing
that for you?

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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God’s Sacrificial Love

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The Last Supper of Jesus Christ

The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

God’s Sacrificial Love

“If I gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

(1 Corinthians 13:3)

Many years ago in China great numbers of Chinese people were being seized, bonded in slavery, and delivered to the mines of South Africa. They were forced to descend into the black depths of the earth where gold was mined. They worked long, sunless days deep in the caverns, with no hope—and it was never long before death from suffocation, infected lungs, or perhaps the occasional avalanche delivered the Chinese slave from his life of agony.

Lough Fook, a wealthy man, and a follower of Jesus Christ, took the pains of his brothers to heart. He placed himself on the human slave market and became a coolie slave for a term of five years. He was loaded aboard a ship with the other slaves, and made the sad voyage to South Africa. There Fook toiled in the mines for years, talking constantly about Jesus as he worked.

Every day, one or two more believers swelled the ranks of Christian believers in that darkened pit. The light of Christ shined brightly, and there was hope again. The day arrived when Lough Fook’s own human light was finally snuffed out, but he left behind nearly two hundred who had begun as slaves of the darkness, and now were willing slaves of Christ.

Like Jesus Himself Lough Fook had humbled himself and taken the form of a slave. He had become obedient even unto death. God’s love shining through Lough Fook made it possible. His love is supernatural and can never be extinguished.

Your View of God Really Matters …

Ask God to fill your heart and soul with His love starting today. Then you will see love conquer even the impossible.

What more does God say?

I Corinthians 13

Because God is love…
He is unconditionally committed to my well-being.

Culled for: www.DiscoverGOD.com

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you

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Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in prese...

Detail - Glory of the New Born Christ in presence of God Father and the Holy Spirit (Annakirche, Vienna) Adam and Eva are represented bellow Jesus-Christ Ceiling painting made by Daniel Gran (1694-1757). Post-processing: perspective and fade correction. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you

John 15:12, NIV

In the Old Testament, the meal offering consisted of fine flour that was ground to powder by being placed in a round hole, where it was grated by a square pestle. The flour was then mixed with oil, which represented the Holy Spirit. The oil and flour, thoroughly mixed together and offered to God, was a picture of a totally consecrated life.

Sometimes God puts us with someone whom He uses to grate us. For instance, perhaps you are very generous with your money, and you are married to someone who is so careful, he or she is almost stingy. Or perhaps you are very quiet, and God has put you on a committee with someone who talks nonstop. Or worse, perhaps you are a nonstop talker and you are on a committee with another nonstop talker! Instead of avoiding those with whom we are incompatible or just tolerating them, Jesus commands you and me to love them. And as we obey His command, He will use that person to grind off our sharp, impatient, un-Christlike edges.

Blessings

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Quality Prayer

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Resurrection of Christ

Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

QUALITY PRAYER

Matthew 6:7, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

MATTHEW 6:5-8

Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44).

Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers. This is not to say that communion with God is not important. It certainly is, but formal prayer is only one part of our communion with the Lord.

Psalm 5:1-2 uses the words “prayer” and “meditation” interchangeably. Therefore, communing with God through keeping your mind stayed on the things of the Lord is also prayer. There are also times in prayer when we need to be still and know that God is God (Ps. 46:10).

Many times we ask the Lord to speak to us, but He can’t get a word in “edge-wise.” We’re doing all the talking.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen! 

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Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour

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Bible

Bible (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour

Proverbs 21:21

Beloved of God,

Courage is defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face
difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.”

For many, it takes courage to simply get out of bed in the morning because of physical or emotional challenges.
For others, like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks, it took “courage” to
confront the giant of institutional and systemic racism. As Christians, we too
must exercise courage when it comes to standing up for our beliefs-standing for
what the Bible teaches. 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this
with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

If “fitting in or going with the flow” is what makes you comfortable, then it’s time for self-reflection and examination.

While we see much turmoil in the world, we must never lose hope in Christ. Actually,
the chaos should be viewed as an opportune season for the Church to be a true witness
to the world. The time that we spend on earth is merely a vapour or a “mist”, as stated in James 4:14, when compared to the time that we’ll
spend in eternity with Christ. Trouble does not last always!!!

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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What is wise to the world is foolishness to God

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Netherlandish Proverbs "The World Turned ...

Netherlandish Proverbs "The World Turned Upside Down" by Pieter Brueghel the younger after his father (Photo credit: Martin Beek)

What is wise to the world is foolishness to God.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness.”

Let no one glory in man! Listen to the counsel of man but always remember that God’s Word stands. Do not put your faith & trust in man. What is wise to the world is foolishness to God. Fear God & obey Him.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

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Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber ...

Jesus is considered by scholars such as Weber to be an example of a charismatic religious leader. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

 

2 Chronicles 35:5

“Then stand in the sanctuary at the place appointed for your family division and help the families assigned to you as they bring their offerings to the Temple.”
NKJV

Part of being a disciple of Jesus is helping others become disciples as well. When we read the word, we should be ready to share what we’ve learned with our friends and family. When we see God answer prayers, we have a great opportunity to display the goodness of God to others. Even when we walk through difficult situations we can look for others to help disciple since, one day, they could be in that same situation.

Each moment in life can be a discipleship moment, for ourselves as well as others. This week, look for chances to disciple someone. Discipleship does not necessarily mean sitting in a classroom but can simply be a conversation or even an action. As we look for these moments, be ready for God to act. There are many believers who are wondering what the next step in the walk with Christ may be, and you may have the answer.

Matthew 28:19 ” Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Life Lesson: We should be helping others in their walk with the Lord.

Dear God,
Make me a bold disciple. Father, I desire to serve others, love my enemies and give my all to You. I ask that You would give me opportunities to make more disciples for Your kingdom. In those moments, give me the wisdom needed to push someone closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. even so, Amen

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Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...

Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced
Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
-Revelation 1:7

I love sunrises and sunsets. When I behold the magnificent spectrum of colours spreading
across the sky, it is a feast for my eyes that warms my heart. Yet, with each sunrise
or sunset, I cannot help but wonder what it will look like when Christ returns.

Revelation says that, “Every eye will see Him.” That means everyone. Everyone! I
know on that day I will be rejoicing because Christ has returned, but I also have
a feeling that my heart will ache for some people I didn’t get to know better.
The neighbor I was too scared to talk with about Jesus. The one I was afraid would
laugh at me for my faith.

I won’t sugarcoat it – doing the work that Jesus has called us to can be hard at
times. You open yourself up to criticism and ridicule. And that only grows when
you say “yes” to full-time ministry because, when times are tough, you take public
blows from a crowded field of second guessers. Yet, what drives me each morning
to continue to do God‘s work is picturing the look on my neighbor’s face when Christ
returns, a look that says, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Perhaps you never thought you could be God’s instrument of change in someone else’s
life. Oh, how wrong you are. Today, you can choose be the ambulance driver that
brings someone you know to the Master Physician, God Almighty.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, show me the person You want me to introduce to You today. In Jesus’
name, I pray. Amen.

Name loved ones and acquaintances who need to know more about Jesus. How will you
model for them the love of Christ today?

May the LORD bless Nigeria, American and Israel and take care of us; May the LORD make His face shine upon us, And be gracious to us; May the Lord lift up His countenance upon us, And give us peace, In Jesus Christ Name, we pray! Amen!

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