Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Eclipse
Category: Did you Know?
These are further explanations and insight to help further explain the awesomeness of the bible
Can you Guess the Psalm? 1/29/14
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Can you guess the Psalm?
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Fully Armed
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground
Out of the Dark
Ephesians 6 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Every Breath, Every Step
God knows us better than we know ourselves, so when we need something who better to help then the one that truly knows us! Job 31 4 Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?
Trepidation
What is anxiety? It is your worries, your fears, those things that concern you; more over it is apprehension. We as human beings like to be in control of everything; when we try to give just a little bit it freaks us out. 1 Peter 5: 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. When we do give it to god we think that it is not being taken care of fast enough. Then we will sometimes fall back but; 2 Peter 3: 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. When we lay our worries on Jesus and: 1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. So because he is patient with us we need to return the favor. He wants to be there for us. Isaiah 30:18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! He yearns to know you: 1 Timothy 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. So remember he is waiting for you so listen to what he has to say, he will guide you in every matter that you come up against. Romans 2 :4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? You will be greatly blessed by his grace. Ephesians 1 :7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. The more we depend on him the more he will open up to us. He does not get upset with you he just wants to know you. Exodus 34 :6 “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. He will not let you down he will carry you through the misfortunes and troubles that you are going through. Psalms 55 :22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. As we start depending on him you will not have to worry. What you need will be there, sometimes it may not be what you want (1 million dollars) but it is always sufficient. Matthew 6: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? When you stand in front of others that are trying to hold you down or telling you that you do not know what you are talking about or they are making you feel insignificant. He (Holy Spirit) will give you the words to say and comfort you when you need it. Luke 12: 11 “ do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” As we are going through the hardships that we have been dealt and the walls seem to be closing in on you pray. Philippians 4 :6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. When you listen to him nothing else matters. Hebrews 13: 5 be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Be resilient Deuteronomy 31: 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Do not fret! Joshua 10: 25 “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” Always remember God is always there he is everywhere! Even when it does not feel like he is around he is standing there with his hand out. Isaiah 41 :13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Why God?
Why does Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why does God allow evil? God Punish me? These are all questions we have either heard or thought ourselves. So why God?
To answer why does God allow bad things to happen to good people. When he created us God made us without shame Genesis 2 25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. But because of the decisions that Adam and Eve made Genesis 3 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. God had given Adam and Eve free choice1 and with this newly gained knowledge human beings made horrible choices that angered God. Genesis 6 5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” God still loved humans and found one person that still followed and was loyal to him his name was Noah. Genesis 6 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 9 This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. The times that we live in now are becoming like the time of Noah and the time of Lot. Lot lived in Sodom and Gomorrah these towns were destroyed because of their evilness: Jude 1 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Right now we are making bad decisions we have lost our respect and reverence for God. But always remember none of us are perfect, if we were our name would be different and we would not be here! Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God God sent Jesus to save us from ourselves. Jesus was the only person who was perfect, Jesus did not sin he was perfect! Hebrews 4 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. So to answer the question yes there are good people but none of us are perfect and with out sin.
- God gives us the choice Revelations 3 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. However the evil that is in this world fights back trying to take this awesome choice God has given us. The devil puts it best Matthew 4 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.” If you want what is in this world it is like bowing down and serving the devil.
Why does God allow evil?
- Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Yes there are good people here on earth but we all have done bad things. Sin is Sin, so to ask that question we assume that the “good” person is perfect. There is only one who did not sin, and he is our savior Jesus Christ.
- Jeremiah 17 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” When we do not accept Jesus Christ we will be judged for all the bad we do. Essentially Jesus is like the best lawyer you could ask for when he represents us we win. When Satan represents us we lose. When you decide to follow Jesus Satan will attack you in whatever matter it takes to make you question what is right. He will make you feel like bad decisions are good decisions and the good decisions are wrong. Matthew 4 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.”
Why does God punish me?
- Never forget God does not punish those who believe in the sacrifice that he did for you. Romans 8 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Everything All the Time
Did you know that you can not pray to much? He wants you to tell him everything totally depending on him every day. 1 Thessalonians 5 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Hope and Change
Hebrews 13 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Let there be love!
God is love! Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. God wants to know us on a personal level he yearns to be our friend John 15:15 “I have called you friends” When we become one of his friends we then fall under his protection Jeremiah 29:11-14 11 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. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord”. Through his love he sends you help through the holy spirit and his angels Hebrews 1 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? He loves us so much that he gave his only son so that we will be saved John 3 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned
Been there done that!
I hear a lot say that the bible was wrote thousands of years ago how is it significant to the time we live in now. Fact is that we are human beings and our human nature never changes. Sure they did not have an iPad, the latest kindle, or the best smart phone but they still had to deal with being afraid, wondering how they would live, and what others thought of them. That has never changed we are humans, Jesus came to earth so he could be an example for us. He showed us that it is possible even when we think it is impossible. HE UNDERSTANDS! Hebrews 2 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Take his hand!
Some of my best memories were when my parents were extending out thier hand to comfort me, letting me know it was alright. Our Father in heaven does the same thing for us. He tells us in the bible that is there to comfort us and not to be afraid!Isaiah 41 13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Why do you Question him?
God does not lie, He does not tell stories; the bible is not a book of fairy tales! Time and time again throughout the bible He pleads for everyone to come to Him and get to know Him. When He has said it so many times, why do you question how important you are to Him? Joel 2 32 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;
OPEN the Door!
He is waiting for you to open the door He wants the invitation to come in! No matter who you are He is anticipating your welcome at the door! Revelations 3 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear
One Little, Two LIttle…..
There is an old saying; I know that place, person, job or whatever you are talking about like the back of my hand. Did you know that God knows you so well that He knows even the hairs on your head. Matthew 10 30 Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. God is here for you and when you need anything who better to help you than someone who knows you better than you know yourself!
To open our eyes!
When I sat down and prayed this morning God gave me something profound to share. Many times Jesus said that He came for the sick not the healthy. So who are the sick? We all are! He wants to know all of us, He wants to help us be better people. He wants us all to come home and to be with Him in heaven, not just a few! We are all the same, “for all have sinned”, so knock on the door He will invite you in. Isaiah 42 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
It’s a prayer thing!
Jesus gave us directions on how to pray
Matthew 6 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
When I pray I talk to God like I am talking to a friend. You do not have to go into a long drawn out speech a simple thank you lord, help lord, or you are awesome lord will do. When you have more to ask just talk, he can hear you! When I talk to him I start with Dear Heavenly Father, Others use Father God, still others start by saying Jesus it does not matter how you start as long as you pray. While praying remember how would you talk to a friend; relaxed, with love, with respect? Remember he already knows what we need all we have to do is ask. It takes humility to ask for what we need, when we go in front of him with humility and respect he will be there with his arms wide open. In Jesus name Amen!
Beware!
With everything that is going on right now around the world. There has been a lot of people who claim they know when Christ is coming back to save us. This is something that is concerning. They each seem to be putting a time table when he is coming back, these are getting out of hand. As this keeps on happening people are getting disappointed because He has not returned. This is an unhealthy deception that is not supported by the bible. We read in Matthew 24: 36 & 44 36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. In the bible it says that no one but the father knows when Jesus will return. It does tell us that we should:
- Be Prepared: 2 Peter:3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. & 2 Peter 3:17-18 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- Be Patient: 2 Peter 3:8-9 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
- Finally: do not listen to the naysayers and scoffers. 2 Peter 3:3-4 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
I have seen people give up on Christ because one person, who was being so convincing, said it will be within months. Some other teacher said He will return within the year and after hearing these prophesies over and over. When Christ does not come they get discouraged. Luke 17:23-24 People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.
The best thing that we can do is to test these theories and to do what God told us to do in Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. God has given us a road map for us to follow, it is call the bible and he has given us every answer to the questions that we have.
If you pray for God to guide you before you start your search He will lead you to the answers that you need. So the question that I have; if the angels do not know and Christ does not know why then should we believe that someone on TV or the internet has been given special exception to know more than Christ?
But we know that from what the bible says, there is no doubt, Christ will be here soon Matthew 24:3-29 & 34 “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel
For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. “Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
But until then we have to continue to live our lives for Christ. If we throw our hands in the air because Christ has not returned, or we feel Christ should have returned already. I want you to know that the devil is trying to convince you that He has given up on us, trying to make you doubt. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. We should praise and thank Christ instead because He is waiting so He can save as many people as he can.
It could be your family, friends, coworkers or even your favorite speaker that is telling you. Remember only God knows when Jesus will return. I will always tell people it has gotten bad but it is going to get worse Luke 21:25-26 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
Finally, do not worry He is coming. Do not be upset when something that somebody has said does not come true because there is only one that knows, it is our Heavenly Father. There are many great teachers in this world and there will be prophesy 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
These people will share what they have been shown by the Holy Spirit. But do not be deceived by those claiming that they know when Christ is coming back; the signs are all around us that Christ told us to watch for. We all know He is close but He will “come like a thief in the night”. Live a life as Christ commanded and remember to love always!
Getting to Know Him
Do you want eternal life? Do you want to enter heaven through the only guide that can help you navigate your way there? To enter His home, get to know Him better, and make Him you Lord and Savior CLICK HERE…..
You do not have to dig ditches
A comment that I hear all the time “I am a good person why do I need Jesus to be a better person?” Just being a good person does not mean that you have been forgiven it means that you are an awesome kind-hearted individual that still sins. Jesus came to this earth to forgive our sins, no one is perfect and we have all sinned no matter who you are. If you were perfect your name would be different and you would not be here. All of us as human beings can improve ourselves! We need to stop digging ditches and ask God into our lives, through His sacrifice He will make us the best human beings that we can be. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:4-6
He will help you!
This time of year is hard for some of us, loved ones lost, feeling alone, for each person it is a little different. God does not want us to feel that way, if we let Him He will take care of us and provide all of our needs. God has made sure that throughout the bible there are examples of what He does for us when we are at our tipping point. At one point Elijah felt like he should not live another day “he sat down and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4 But God did not feel the same way He sent an angel to help Elijah All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 1 Kings 19:5-7 When Elijah listened to what God said and used what God gave him, he was then able to have the strength to go on So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights. 1 Kings 19:8 When we look to God for help He will provide what we need, He knows us better then we know ourselves and if you let Him in He will always help!
He has our back!
When we depend completely on God he will take care of all of our needs. He is our protection, counselor and friend. He always looks out for our best interests. He will calm the fear and put a hedge of protection around us. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4: 6-7
What is the Bible?
Did you know that through the Holy Spirit God guided the people that he chose to write the bible! These words that we have been given are one of the best owners manuals you can own. When we have a question, a problem, need encouragement or anything else God wrote it down so we have His help in everything! All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3: 16-17
Synagogue
Simply a Jewish Church
The Merriam Dictionary says:
1: a Jewish congregation
2: the house of worship and communal center of a Jewish congregation
The Chosen One
God loves you so much he chose you to receive his awesome gift! John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” For more information…..
Lean on him
Denominataionalizm
Today God has put something on my heart. Why as Christians do we fight between each other when there are children around the world being persecuted because they follow Christ. I personally dislike all of the theatrical confusion that the denominations cause, apparently God does not like it either. It says in There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 (sometimes that verse is taken out of context Jesus said in “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6) God dislikes it when we squabble and argue Paul said it best: For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 2 Corinthians 12: 20 Furthermore he told us: If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Galatians 5:15 Why would we want to destroy each other? And why would we do it and say that it is for Christ our savior who commanded us to love each other? Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12
There is something that so many forget, He sent us a guide: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”Romans 8:15 All of these different rules that human beings have made through each of the different denominations are causing us to loose what is important, Paul dealt with exact issue: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9 This comes from our human need to control everything. We are reminded of this in Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. God knows us well enough that this why many times in the bible He tells us to depend on Him.
When we allow our opinions and promote this discontent we start to forget what Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6 as we continue to make our rules more important than Gods rules it is making us fail to recall what we have been told: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 and remember that Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. Proverbs 30:5-6 When this happens it makes it easy for us to be deceived and why we have been warned: For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matthew 24:24 I am not pointing my finger at any one denomination or picking on one person, we all have to remember what we have been told: Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14: 1-13
We need to remember that God loves us and we need to quit fighting between ourselves and remember His children. Stop fighting; I do not think I can repeat that to much it is our human nature; this very nature is addressed in James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? With that tendency within us if we focus on the salvation we have been given through Jesus Christ and his forgiveness and realize that we are not of this world If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. John 15:19 So we need to STOP acting like we are of the world. Psalm 133:1 says it best: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!
Finally always remember that I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 1 Corinthians 1:10 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:3-6 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. Ephesians 4:1-2 As a christian we have been called to be one community through the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
He is our guide
Did you realize that one of the most quoted bible verses is not actually a bible verse? “God helps those who help themselves” became popular when Benjamin Franklin used it to try to help people get up and take care of themselves. In the bible god wants us to depend on Him for everything Ephesians 4:15-16 15 we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. This is but one of many examples in the bible of how he wants us to depend on him this verse says that he is the head. Our heads are the most important part of our body, without our head what could we do? Our heads contain our brain; our brain controls every aspect of our bodies. Our head contains our eyes; our eyes help us see so that we do not walk in to danger. Without our head we would not exist we would be a torso, a couple of arms, and a set of legs not knowing what we need to do or where we need to go. It then goes on to explain that through the head (Jesus) the whole body is joined together. So when you think about it he wants to help us make our decisions, guide us down the paths that we choose steer us in the right direction and support us on the way.
Do not get me wrong; I am not saying to sit down and pray and wait for something to happen. I am saying that we need pray and ask; then we need to get up and do what needs to be done. We need to let Jesus guide our steps through what we are going through Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. When he is our head he will not guide us down the wrong path. He will use everything to teach us how to be the best people we can be. Sometimes the paths he leads us through will help us in the future help someone else that is experiencing the same thing. All we have to do is listen to what he is telling us to do!
Our Friend
As I sat down yesterday and prayed about what I should share. God gave me a lot to share. This was information that I had heard but had never been pointed to so directly!
- Jesus loves us he said it in his own words John 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” I have talked with so many people that said nobody loves me; they feel depressed, unwanted and unloved! However if you think about what Jesus said, he loves us, he said this, it was him, the words came out of his mouth! I have found if I have a feeling of despair or feel unloved I just have to sit down pray and read the bible he will show me what I need to hear.
- Jesus Commanded John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” If Jesus loves everybody why can’t we? You know that is a big pill to swallow when I look around I see and feel the hatred that so many have. Do you realize though that for some people we may be the only love (light) that they experience? Just a smile, holding a door open for someone, tell them to have a nice day god said; Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” I have found that when I treat others the way that I want to be treated they will usually follow my lead, we might be the only breath of fresh air that they get the whole day.
- Jesus chose you John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you” John 15:19 “I have chosen you out of the world”. Jesus chose you to be his personal friend John 15: 14-16 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. Jesus tells us that we are not a servant of God but his friend. He laid down his life for his friends so that we would be saved from the world. Have you ever had a friend that you became so close and had such a great relationship that they became your brother or sister (brother from another mother). This is what Christ considers us! He asks one thing in return to follow his commands (John 15:12 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”) Smile at someone, let someone know you care, just show them love!
Damascus
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary Says:
Damascus is the capital of Syria. Located at an oasis at the base of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, it has been an important population centre since antiquity. Believed to be among the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, it has evidence of occupation from the 4th millennium BCE. The first written reference to it is found in Egyptian tablets of the 15th century BCE; biblical sources refer to it as the capital of the Aramaeans, The city changed hands repeatedly over the centuries, belonging to Assyria in the 8th century BCE, then Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It remained under the control of Rome and its successor state, the Byzantine Empire, until it fell to the Arabs in CE 635. Damascus flourished as the capital of the Umayyad dynasty, and the remains of their Great Mosque still stand. Taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1516, it remained under Ottoman rule until 1918; it was occupied by France in 1920 and became part of independent Syria in 1946. Today the city is a flourishing metropolis with many educational and scientific institutions.
Drink of Jesus 
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