Tag Archives: inspiration
WHAT IS FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
Let’s look at a brief definition of these two Christian virtues. The key word here is “brief” as the complete Holy bible is about faith and righteousness.
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Faith is a secure and unquestioning belief in God, a trusting acceptance of God’s will and truth.
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Righteousness is being spiritually and morally upright; without guilt or sin.
We receive salvation and hope of eternal life by the grace and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We become a new creation different from all others in the world. We are unique as we have eternal life in us now. We will go on living even after this corruptible body we are entombed in returns to the dust of the ground. We need the righteousness of Christ in us as our righteousness is described by God as a filthy rag. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. But through the grace of Christ we are made Holy, sanctified, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. The perfect, sinless body of Christ resides in us NOW. We need to be reminded of this that we are Holy, belonging to Jesus Christ, bought and paid for with the high price of His blood. We are no longer of this world. We are citizens of heaven.
Galatians 3:7-9, 14 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Romans 4:5, 11 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness
As I said earlier we need to be reminded and how are we reminded? God’s Word says by preaching!
Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
The preaching of faith and righteousness is for all men whether they are lost or saved. We are to grow in the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those of us who are saved are all preachers of righteousness we are called to be priests of God. Spread the truth of faith and righteousness for all the earth to hear.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The fields are ripe for the harvest and needs many workers!
God bless your preaching!
GOD’S INSPIRATION
1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts.
FIFTH FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
I have covered four of the fruits of the Spirit in previous articles and now will get into the fifth fruit of the Spirit, kindness.
Kindness is one of those virtues of God that is just there. God’s kindness is the opposite of cruelty and exhibits compassion and sympathy. The definition of kindness in the Oxford dictionary is: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Yet people can show the kindness defined in the dictionary and never be compassionate or considerate. God’s compassion is like shoving you out of the way of a bus and letting the bus hit Him instead. That is exactly what Christ did for us on the Cross and there is no greater kindness than that God would take on the flesh of a man and give His life for mankind on the Cross so that we could continue living forever.
The apostle Paul understood Godly kindness and suffered more than any man showing the kindness of Christ through him.
2 Corinthians 11:25, 28 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; besides the other things, what comes upon me daily:
2 Corinthians 6:4, 6 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God:…, by kindness…
Ephesians 2:4 -7 God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Paul also tells us that we as believers are to follow his example and display the kindness of Christ who lives in us.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness
Read the Holy Word of God and pray that you understand what the real spiritual kindness of God is all about. Follow His example not the ways of this world.
I pray that God blesses you and gives you peace.
AMERICA’S WAKEUP CALL
A blogger made a comment to me: “maybe the reason God allowed Obama to be president was to give America a wakeup call”. That is a very interesting thought. God could be waiting to see how we react, now that we have a new president, to see if we take the opportunity to turn back to HIM. I firmly believe that God was directly involved in the presidential election. God has made it apparent that He wants us to take notice.
When God gave the nation of Israel their first king He told them to serve God and don’t rebel against His word and everything would work to the good for them. We as a people need to follow this example and be sure we follow God. God is willing to bless this nation now if we will only turn to Him and stop all the ungodly things that America has embraced in recent years.
If you fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the LORD your God. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king. — 1 Samuel 12:14,25
It is time to stand up and be counted that we are committing to God, the president, and this nation. Then we will be blessed beyond measure. God can take away blessings and then restore them twofold. Read the book of Job in the bible to see God in action. Our problem is we don’t believe God.
Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the LORD. — Lamentations 3:40
It doesn’t matter whether someone is professing Christian or not. God is not a respecter of persons. God does not withhold the needs of people because they are unbelievers. God loves all people. He loves you! God created the heavens and the earth to be inhabited by men for a very important reason. All creation is meant for the inspiration, edification, and encouragement to men everywhere to learn about God and to have free moral agency as to whether they want God in their lives. But He does not discriminate against anyone. He loves you and wants to give you His blessings only if you let Him. He says in His word that He is always at your door knocking patiently waiting for you to let Him in.
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. — Matthew 5:45
You can trust God and He promises to never forsake you or leave you.
God teaches us to love Him and to love our neighbors just as we would like for them to love us. May God bless your life for reading this!
DON’T BE A POLITICAL GRUMBLER !
Here are the words of God that puts us back into perspective in the midst of all the talk on both sides concerning the candidates for the presidency of the United States of America. Please take note! This involves both non religious people and those who have religious beliefs.
Does this describe you?
Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
Politics can be used for good or bad as is often displayed by people all over this nation, but because we are blessed to live in such a free society, we can express ourselves any way we please. That is not always a good thing! The whole population of the nation who votes for their choice for president is made up of individuals who speak for themselves. What and how we speak reveals our character, personality, and qualities. This brings to the for-front the real bearing of our purpose by the verbal communication that spews from our mouths .
James 3: 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.
I implore you to restrain from the common “political correctness” and let the goodness in your heart prevail instead of scorning the opposing candidate and whoever votes for them.
Colossians 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but let the spirit of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and self control be your beacon to this nation and the free republic in which we live under God.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING!
GOD DECIDES WHO LEADS
God will decide who our leaders will be!
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
God will deliver us from those who are our political enemies if we believe in Him.
2 Kings 17:39 But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
Wake up!
God will provide the right person to lead this nation. Now is a time to believe God can do what He says He can do.
PRAY! Look to Him!
God is still on His throne!
God Bless The United States Of America!
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS IN PAIN
No matter how much we are attacked, persecuted, or maligned, and it doesn’t matter who we are, what race, religion, atheistic, or political leanings these words are good to us and for us all and a perfect guideline to follow.
GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!
AMEN!
SOOTHING THE SOUL OF POLITICAL INTENSITY
Here is a thought for today in the midst of all the intense political unrest in this nation concerning the upcoming elections. It is good to stop and take a deep breath and examine ourselves and consider this.
Psalms 1:1, 3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
I pray that God gives us all an earnest, upright heart and divine discernment of the needs of America. Amen!
THE SECOND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY
On June 4, 2016 I wrote about the first fruit of the Spirit which was love. Now I write about the second fruit of the Spirit which is joy.
The fruits of the Spirit are very important to God and He wants us to know what they are for a reason. They are expressly about the Spirit, the character of the Spirit and we should imitate Him, have His character. The ways of the Spirit are Holy to God and He expects us to reverence the Holiness of the Spirit. Jesus severely chastised the Pharisees about being disrespectful of the holiness of the Spirit in Mark 3:29 “but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”
Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit for the Spirit dwells in them. The fruits of the Spirit should be our nature as we follow the Spirit of Christ in us. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What more joyful thing could you want than that? Jesus says in John 17:13 “But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.”
Later after the church had grown in the Spirit and increased in numbers we find in Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul gives us more insight to how joy is an important aspect of our lives when he says in Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Paul tells us what our joy should be like in Philippians 2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Then Paul sums up the spiritual meaning of our joy as being like a crown in the hope of glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 20 For you are our glory and joy.
The fruit of the Spirit is Gods holiness in believers and should be on display and shared with everyone.
WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM 