Sunday, June 6, 2010
John 14:6
"6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." -John 14:6
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Trusting in and Obeying God's voice
Sometimes God speaks to our heart by His Spirit within us if we are tuned into His Holy Spirit by reading His Word.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." -Romans 8:14
If God speaks to your heart and tells you to do something, do you always obey?
What if it is something that doesn't make sense to you?
People have heard God speak to them to give a certain gift offering for instance to a ministry or to a person that He put on their heart. If they obey God, He will bless them back. If they don't obey, then God has to find another giver that He can use. Hopefully someone will eventually listen to God in the situation. Don't be left out of your blessing by leaving the obedience for someone else to do it.
Obedience to God's voice requires trust. We must trust in Him in order for us to move ahead in carrying out the act of obedience. This can be especially hard to do if what He tells us to do doesn't make sense to us. Once we hear His guiding voice, we then must make a choice to trust in Him completely. Then we can step out in faith and do the thing He told us.
Sometimes He tells us to do something that doesn't make sense and our mind wants to rationalize, and come up with excuses. But there is an unseen reason God wants us to do a certain thing. Maybe that thing He wants us to do is His requirement to bring blessing to us. It may not always have to do with giving.
I know someone who is not Jewish but was a Christian for most of his life. He never considered keeping the Sabbath Day according to the old testament because he figured that we are not under the law. Which is true. We are not under the Mosaic law, we are under the law of grace. But this person had been praying about a certain problem he had and couldn't get the breakthrough. Then one day God spoke to him in his heart and told him to keep the Sabbath Day! Well, for this Gentile Christian believer, it didn't make any sense. He said he never kept the Sabbath in his life, or even thought about it. And besides he said we are not under the law. But,... God told him to do it!
Well the man didn't listen right away. First he began to do research about what the Sabbath really is and how to really keep it. After about a month he began keeping the Sabbath, and now is seeing a miraculous turn around in his situation. You can determine whether it was his Sabbath keeping or his obedience to God that brought the breakthrough he was looking for.
All of the arguments were there about the old testament laws and all. The understanding was that he didn't start keeping the Sabbath in order to earn salvation, or that he would be condemned if he didn't, but rather out of obedience to God.
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." -Galatians 5:18
If the Holy Spirit leads and guides you into doing something like this, then you are free to obey Him and you are still not under the law. You are free.
When things like this don't make sense to us, are we always willing to change our lifestyles and our busy schedules to accommodate what God said to us? Or do we continually instead rationalize away what could have been the path He chose for us to take? Be careful not to miss out on the blessing God has for you!
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." -Romans 8:14
If God speaks to your heart and tells you to do something, do you always obey?
What if it is something that doesn't make sense to you?
People have heard God speak to them to give a certain gift offering for instance to a ministry or to a person that He put on their heart. If they obey God, He will bless them back. If they don't obey, then God has to find another giver that He can use. Hopefully someone will eventually listen to God in the situation. Don't be left out of your blessing by leaving the obedience for someone else to do it.
Obedience to God's voice requires trust. We must trust in Him in order for us to move ahead in carrying out the act of obedience. This can be especially hard to do if what He tells us to do doesn't make sense to us. Once we hear His guiding voice, we then must make a choice to trust in Him completely. Then we can step out in faith and do the thing He told us.
Sometimes He tells us to do something that doesn't make sense and our mind wants to rationalize, and come up with excuses. But there is an unseen reason God wants us to do a certain thing. Maybe that thing He wants us to do is His requirement to bring blessing to us. It may not always have to do with giving.
I know someone who is not Jewish but was a Christian for most of his life. He never considered keeping the Sabbath Day according to the old testament because he figured that we are not under the law. Which is true. We are not under the Mosaic law, we are under the law of grace. But this person had been praying about a certain problem he had and couldn't get the breakthrough. Then one day God spoke to him in his heart and told him to keep the Sabbath Day! Well, for this Gentile Christian believer, it didn't make any sense. He said he never kept the Sabbath in his life, or even thought about it. And besides he said we are not under the law. But,... God told him to do it!
Well the man didn't listen right away. First he began to do research about what the Sabbath really is and how to really keep it. After about a month he began keeping the Sabbath, and now is seeing a miraculous turn around in his situation. You can determine whether it was his Sabbath keeping or his obedience to God that brought the breakthrough he was looking for.
All of the arguments were there about the old testament laws and all. The understanding was that he didn't start keeping the Sabbath in order to earn salvation, or that he would be condemned if he didn't, but rather out of obedience to God.
"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." -Galatians 5:18
If the Holy Spirit leads and guides you into doing something like this, then you are free to obey Him and you are still not under the law. You are free.
When things like this don't make sense to us, are we always willing to change our lifestyles and our busy schedules to accommodate what God said to us? Or do we continually instead rationalize away what could have been the path He chose for us to take? Be careful not to miss out on the blessing God has for you!
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -2 Corinthians 5:17
Friday, June 4, 2010
Welcome to Sja my latest blog follower!
I would like to thank, and welcome Sja to my blog as my newest follower. I am glad you decided to join me because I like your blog as well.
http://sja-stall.blogspot.com/
I find that you have many interesting stories there. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. All in all it is a great site! I have found myself spending a lot of time there. Keep up the humor and good work. We love it!
http://sja-stall.blogspot.com/
I find that you have many interesting stories there. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. All in all it is a great site! I have found myself spending a lot of time there. Keep up the humor and good work. We love it!
New World Clocks & Counters page on blog!
Today I added a new feature page on the WordofTruth blog. It's called "World Clocks & Counters." It's pretty cool, so go check it out. On the main page scroll down and look on the right until you see a section titled "Pages." Then look for a link there that says "World Clocks & Counters." ...Enjoy!
How saved are you?
Can you get any more saved than you already are?
This question is for those who already consider their selves saved or are "trying" to get saved. They go to church and do everything that Christians are supposed to do.
I know that a lot of churches have membership cards for people to fill out that will have a check box for them to indicate whether they have accepted Jesus as savior.
But it's not checking the box that saves us. It's not becoming a member of the church that saves us. Or by joining a denomination, ...no!
Nowhere in the bible does it say that we have to join a denomination or a church membership in order to become a child of God.
Of course I'm not saying that you can't do these things. But sometimes people can do these church things without really becoming Born Again! So they become deceived into thinking they're saved without ever truly becoming born again like the scriptures tell us we need to be. This is called "religion." And religion without God in it is worthless.
I'm just clearing up some of the cloudy ways of thinking that seem to deceive people into "trying" to get saved.
The bible says:
"9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -Romans 10:9,10 ...and...
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" -1 John 1:7 ...and...
"10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." -1 John 1:10
So, if we are washed in the Blood of Jesus, then we are saved. We don't have to join anything else to become "more" saved. We trust in God alone through His Son Jesus Christ for our total and complete salvation. We don't have to try to hang on to the coat tails of the pastor or a priest to hope that our association with them somehow will make us closer to God. No! Only our one-on-one direct connection by faith through grace alone is all we need! We can have direct communication with God on an individual basis through Jesus Christ alone! This is a personal relationship with God, and it is called being born again!
Jesus said, "...Ye must be born again." -John 3:7
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." -John 10:1
"9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." -John 10:9,10
This question is for those who already consider their selves saved or are "trying" to get saved. They go to church and do everything that Christians are supposed to do.
I know that a lot of churches have membership cards for people to fill out that will have a check box for them to indicate whether they have accepted Jesus as savior.
But it's not checking the box that saves us. It's not becoming a member of the church that saves us. Or by joining a denomination, ...no!
Nowhere in the bible does it say that we have to join a denomination or a church membership in order to become a child of God.
Of course I'm not saying that you can't do these things. But sometimes people can do these church things without really becoming Born Again! So they become deceived into thinking they're saved without ever truly becoming born again like the scriptures tell us we need to be. This is called "religion." And religion without God in it is worthless.
I'm just clearing up some of the cloudy ways of thinking that seem to deceive people into "trying" to get saved.
The bible says:
"9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." -Romans 10:9,10 ...and...
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" -1 John 1:7 ...and...
"10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." -1 John 1:10
So, if we are washed in the Blood of Jesus, then we are saved. We don't have to join anything else to become "more" saved. We trust in God alone through His Son Jesus Christ for our total and complete salvation. We don't have to try to hang on to the coat tails of the pastor or a priest to hope that our association with them somehow will make us closer to God. No! Only our one-on-one direct connection by faith through grace alone is all we need! We can have direct communication with God on an individual basis through Jesus Christ alone! This is a personal relationship with God, and it is called being born again!
Jesus said, "...Ye must be born again." -John 3:7
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." -John 10:1
"9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." -John 10:9,10
Romans 1:16
"16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." -Romans 1:16
Thursday, June 3, 2010
God outside the Box
In yesterday's post entitled
So, to conclude yesterday's article and segue into today's I will say that we don't want to confine our wonderful creator to the small box of our limited understanding or to false religion. Let's get True Faith!
"17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -Romans 10:17
What do I mean when I say "God outside the box?" In the light of the analogy that I used yesterday, I am trying to describe how mankind has limited his own understanding of God. God really can't be limited or controlled, but it can seem that way to those who don't understand. If you have God in a box like man-made religion, only you can change that by changing your thinking. So what is He really like? Let's take a look at Jesus, since He is the true Son of God.
The miracles of Jesus: How did Jesus do the miracles? How did He walk on water, or raise the dead? How did He multiply the loaves and the fishes, or calm the storm? How did He ascend into heaven?
It is much simpler than we think. ...He created all the laws of physics and mathematical possibility etc. So those laws don't have power over Him. He is not confined to the laws of the physical universe the same way we are! The laws of the universe are not "boundaries" to Him! So for Him, it is natural to do what we mere mortals consider to be "miracles!" What we call "supernatural" is God's normal everyday nature! When He raised Lazarus from the dead,: "25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" -John 11:25
How does God overcome these boundaries and laws that limit us? The same way He created those boundaries and laws. ...By faith!
We need to see and recognize that this is God's true nature. When we get a hold of this reality and choose to Believe our faith then begins to grow!
"6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." -Hebrews 11:6
For those skeptics who say the miracles of Jesus in the bible are fake or are made up, or they say things like "prove it!", to them I would say: "faith is the key."
"1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1 and...
"...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." -John 20:29
When our faith is in God where it belongs instead of false religions, then God for us is no longer in a box! God is outside the box. In fact, He is bigger and His faith is bigger than the vast universe and our understanding of it! And He is faith. Even so, His understanding is imparted to us through our faith that He has given us, and by the study of His Word.
God in a box,I wrote a little about His creation of the universe and our shortcomings as humans to comprehend Him. If you didn't read it, I suggest you do that first before reading this article. But that's ok if you don't want to. You'll be missing out on a little. This article today is really Part 2 of that article from yesterday.
So, to conclude yesterday's article and segue into today's I will say that we don't want to confine our wonderful creator to the small box of our limited understanding or to false religion. Let's get True Faith!
"17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -Romans 10:17
What do I mean when I say "God outside the box?" In the light of the analogy that I used yesterday, I am trying to describe how mankind has limited his own understanding of God. God really can't be limited or controlled, but it can seem that way to those who don't understand. If you have God in a box like man-made religion, only you can change that by changing your thinking. So what is He really like? Let's take a look at Jesus, since He is the true Son of God.
The miracles of Jesus: How did Jesus do the miracles? How did He walk on water, or raise the dead? How did He multiply the loaves and the fishes, or calm the storm? How did He ascend into heaven?
It is much simpler than we think. ...He created all the laws of physics and mathematical possibility etc. So those laws don't have power over Him. He is not confined to the laws of the physical universe the same way we are! The laws of the universe are not "boundaries" to Him! So for Him, it is natural to do what we mere mortals consider to be "miracles!" What we call "supernatural" is God's normal everyday nature! When He raised Lazarus from the dead,: "25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" -John 11:25
How does God overcome these boundaries and laws that limit us? The same way He created those boundaries and laws. ...By faith!
We need to see and recognize that this is God's true nature. When we get a hold of this reality and choose to Believe our faith then begins to grow!
"6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." -Hebrews 11:6
For those skeptics who say the miracles of Jesus in the bible are fake or are made up, or they say things like "prove it!", to them I would say: "faith is the key."
"1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1 and...
"...blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." -John 20:29
When our faith is in God where it belongs instead of false religions, then God for us is no longer in a box! God is outside the box. In fact, He is bigger and His faith is bigger than the vast universe and our understanding of it! And He is faith. Even so, His understanding is imparted to us through our faith that He has given us, and by the study of His Word.
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