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Post by T-Rex91 on Jul 19, 2011 13:03:22 GMT -5
I cannot stand when I sit through an entire sermon and have forgotten the point by the time I leave. Happened Sunday at a church I was visiting. Thank God my home church has webcasts on our site.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Jul 27, 2011 8:59:44 GMT -5
"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be."
--Diary and Autobiography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Jul 27, 2011 11:34:07 GMT -5
Is There Someone You're Trying to Change?Whenever you are trying to show someone his fault, remember that there are limits to what you can accomplish. You can raise concerns, suggest solutions, and encourage reasonable thinking, but you cannot force change. God may use you as a spokesperson to bring certain issues to the attention of another person, but only God can penetrate the other person's heart and bring about repentance. Paul clearly describes this division of labor in 2 Timothy 2:24-26: "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" (emphasis added). Taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 182Food for ThoughtIs there someone you're trying to change? Here's some biblical counsel: Stop! You may want to take a moment to write these words down on a note card and tape it to your mirror so that you see it every morning: MY JOB: To speak the truth in love
GOD'S JOB: To change people Our sense of what's "workable" or "practical" may be our biggest enemy in biblical peacemaking. God doesn't call us to be peacemakers in a given situation because it "works" (though often it does--even in ways we can never imagine); God calls us to be peacemakers so that people can see Christ in us. So next time you're in a conflict and in thinking about peacemaking you find yourself tempted to say, "Well, that'll never work in this case!", remember the difference between God's job description and your own.
www.peacemaker.net
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Sept 21, 2011 9:28:50 GMT -5
Staying Grounded God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble. James 4:6 When you need to show others their faults, do not talk down to them as though you are faultless and they are inferior to you. Instead, talk with them as though you are standing side by side at the foot of the cross. Acknowledge your present, ongoing need for the Savior. Admit ways that you have wrestled with the same or other sins or weaknesses, and give hope by describing how God has forgiven you and is currently working in you to help you change... When people see this kind of humility and common bond, they will be less inclined to react to correction with pride and defensiveness. Taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 172 Food for ThoughtCount the words you and your in the paragraph above. How many did you count? Nine? If there had been one or two uses of the words you and your, it probably wouldn't have drawn any attention. But nine? That's enough where we need to stop, look, and listen. Ken is wisely sharing a beneficial approach to use when we need to show others their faults: talk about your own.From our peers in the office to aging parents to the children at play in the backyard, nobody likes to be talked down to--nobody! Talking down usually invites a defensiveness that's hard to overcome. Side by side talking, however, lays a common ground that you and the other person can stand on. Interestingly enough, the root word for humility is humus, from which we get our word for ground. Being grounded, or humble, in our approach to these situations provides protection from the lightning bolts of pride and defensiveness. |
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Oct 5, 2011 9:19:31 GMT -5
"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." (Prov 26:11 NIV)
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Oct 18, 2011 9:11:46 GMT -5
Jesus is my rock,
my rock, my sword and shield,
and He's my wheel in the middle of a wheel.
He guides my footsteps and wipes away all my tears,
Jesus is my rock, my rock, my sword and shield.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Oct 19, 2011 8:55:05 GMT -5
Sometimes Our Sinful Desires
May Be the Least of Our Worries! It is important to emphasize the fact that idols can arise from good desires as well as wicked desires. It is often not what we want that is the problem, but that we want it too much. For example, it is not unreasonable for a man to want a passionate sexual relationship with his wife or for a mother to want to stay at home with a newborn baby. Nor is it wrong for an employer to want diligent workers or for a pastor to desire respect from his deacons. These are good desires, but if they turn into demands that must be met in order for us to be satisfied and fulfilled, they can lead to bitterness, resentment, or self-pity that can destroy a family, business, or church. How can you discern when a good desire might be turning into a sinful demand? You can begin by prayerfully asking yourself "X-ray" questions that reveal the true condition of your heart. What am I preoccupied with? What is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night?
How would I answer the question: "If only ______, then I would be happy, fulfilled, and secure"?
What do I want to preserve or to avoid at all costs?
Where do I put my trust?
What do I fear?
When a certain desire is not met, do I feel frustration, anxiety, resentment, bitterness, anger, or depression?
Is there something I desire so much that I am willing to disappoint or hurt others in order to have it? Taken from The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) pp. 104-5 |
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Post by Oldskool on Nov 24, 2011 14:18:22 GMT -5
I hate it when the church is packed and the Pastor allows the weakest minister to have his turn. SMH!!!
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Dec 13, 2011 11:01:01 GMT -5
I thank him everyday for his many blessings whether good or bad. Failure and rejection brings us humility so we can better appreciate things we accomplish.
Rejection=Gods Protection to send you in a new direction. God is definately good!!!!
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Post by Chal™ on Dec 13, 2011 17:29:32 GMT -5
The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want.....
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Dec 21, 2011 14:57:08 GMT -5
Jesus is on the mainline tell him what you want....
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Post by Chal™ on Jan 5, 2012 12:49:18 GMT -5
God is...
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Post by ReignMan19 on Jan 9, 2012 12:13:24 GMT -5
The Bigger Picture... I've been ignoring it.. its been placed right in front of me.
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Post by LejaOMG on Jan 9, 2012 13:24:47 GMT -5
that's the thing about the "Bigger Picture," it's usually not right in front of you. It's all around you. Makes it super freaking hard to see...
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Post by Gee-Are on Jan 12, 2012 11:52:41 GMT -5
Religion, spirituality and holiness are not the same things...
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Post by Chal™ on Jan 12, 2012 17:23:54 GMT -5
i wish more people would understand that.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Jan 19, 2012 9:41:15 GMT -5
"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"
Philippians 4:13
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Feb 6, 2012 20:02:18 GMT -5
When you try to abue, use, and mistreat people to increase your wealth it always comes back on you. God advocates for all even the less fortunate people.
Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself..., will only come to poverty.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Feb 28, 2012 9:23:14 GMT -5
giveshare.org/family/honorparents.htmlA Commandment With a Promise "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee," Exodus 20:12. "Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee," Deuteronomy 5:16. "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father . . . ," Leviticus 19:3. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord," Ephesians 6:1-4. "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged," Colossians 3:20-21. "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother," Proverbs 1:8. "A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother," Proverbs 15:20. "Children�s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers," and, "A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him," Proverbs 17:6, 25. "A foolish son is the calamity of his father," and, "He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach," Proverbs 19:13, 26. "Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old," Proverbs 23:22. "Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul," Proverbs 29:17. "For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth," Hebrews 12:6.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Mar 5, 2012 15:46:11 GMT -5
I can do all things through Christ...
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Mar 8, 2012 17:31:24 GMT -5
***Afternoon Tea***
TRUST GOD'S WORD, NOT YOUR FEELINGS
'He...was strengthened in faith. Romans 4:20
Have you read the story of Isaac blessing his two sons when he was old, almost blind, and nearing death (See Ge 27)? When Jacob, the younger son, wanted his older brother Esau's part of the family inheritance, which was twice as much, his mother Rebekah helped him steal it. Here's how she did it. Esau was hairy and Jacob had smooth skin. So Rebekah wrapped Jacob's arms and neck in goat hair and gave him some of Esau's clothes to wear. When Jacob went in to his aging father pretending to be Esau, his father asked him to come near so that he could feel him. His father told him that he sounded like Jacob but he felt like Esau, so he decided to trust what he felt over what he heard. As a result, he gave the birthright that was destined for his firstborn, Esau, to his second-born son, Jacob. Bottom line: he was deceived by what he felt. Now we know God was at work in all this. But the point here is, you can't always trust your feelings because they don't always line up with God's Word and they can deceive you. You say, 'I got my feelings hurt so I haven't spoken to my family in over a year.' Get over it! Learn to forgive. Refuse to remain offended. Practice love. If you let feelings rule your life they will mess you up. Feelings are like spoiled children: the more you indulge them the more they will control you. You shouldn't suppress your feelings or deny them, but you must not be led by them.
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Post by ShimmeringSTAR on Mar 9, 2012 12:08:42 GMT -5
Im angry with God and I give up. I dont want to Pray or be Prayed for. Am I that much of a horrible person? To be treated as I have. I give whole-heartedly. I Pray for others before myself. I wish those that hurt me the best. I wish those that dont hurt me the best. I help out when needed. Ill give my last never expecting anything in return. Just seeing them happy. I just give up. Maybe a cold heart will make me happy.
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Post by Rare_Commodity on Mar 13, 2012 9:37:49 GMT -5
^^ WOW nothing can be that bad that prayer won't help. You are probably mad at THE FATHER because you put your trust & faith in The Man...
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Post by ShimmeringSTAR on Mar 13, 2012 13:38:20 GMT -5
No...its to much to explain though
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Post by ShimmeringSTAR on Mar 14, 2012 13:43:29 GMT -5
Well I had some issues with God and Im still kinda angry..I guess its apart of my process...I talk to him and I do somethings and i want alot. I know he needs his time outside of my www.empowermenttemple.orgservice...I guess im saying okay God i know if I want you to do better I must do better. Im not a heathen but Im human..made in your image. So lets start over..Deal?!?! |
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Post by QueenOH on Oct 30, 2012 10:32:28 GMT -5
God loves me so much
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