Tag Archives: christianity

Bible Study, faith, God, Uncategorized

Love

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Personal observations which I have made over the years to apply Bible reading in my life.
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John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.
Observation
Disciples of Christ are to be identified by the love they demonstrate towards each other.
Application to my life
In my life the best testimony that I will have to anyone else will be the expressions of love between myself and others whom are fellow believers and have the desire to follow Christ’s teachings.  
How are these interactions able to be seen?  
What form do they take?  
Perhaps an example is by helping them out in an area of need.  Or it happens by spending time with them.  Doing things for them.  Establishing a close relationship with them and caring about the things they care about.  But should I cause them hurt or offend them somehow, I need to quickly recognize my fault and express my sorrow and ask for forgiveness.  I also would be quick to forgive them should I be hurt by something said or done to me.
The love that this depicts is a sacrificial love.  This love is not a selfish emotion.  It chooses to place others equal to or above our own interests.  This is something that isn’t human nature.  We are selfish by nauture. That makes this something that is most challenging.  Is that why Jesus gave this command?  Jesus was giving a command that could only be accomplished with the power of God.  By being obedient to God we as fellow believers can express this kind of love.
my prayer
Lord let me obey your command every way possible, Amen.
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Bible Study, faith, God, Uncategorized

Harsh Realities

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My journey of personal observations which I have made over the years to apply Bible reading in my life.
Matthew 13:41-42
The Son of Man shall send forth His angels; and they shall gather forth out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them that which do iniquity;
42 and shall cast them in a furnace of fire:  there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Observation
The consequence of sin, the consequence of rejecting God, is described in this passage.
Application
God sends us a clear message.  Jesus speaks clearly of how God regards mankind and what is in store for everyone.  Those that do not accept God will not recognize His authority and will choose to deny the reality that He is just, and that He has a plan to deal with every person individually.
As I work out my relationship with God, I can appreciate why saving grace is a foundation of my faith in God and a source for submitting my will to be under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Just as God’s declarations are clear, my life choices must also be clear.  I choose to practice discipleship and to live a renewed existence that is focused on removing sinful behaviors from my daily life, and replace them with wise behaviors.  My goal is to allow God to be in control of how I go about my daily life.
Prayer
Lord forgive me for the sin which I have thought about or acted out.  I desire to let You guide my thoughts, let You direct my actions.  I desire to let You be the source of my joy.  Show me how and when to express Your love to others, Amen
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The Syrian civil war has displaced thousands of Christians and Muslims, many who have fled to Lebanon. Open Doors
A pastor was quoted in the Gospel Herald saying that more people were becoming Christians after experiencing war in Syria.
Bible Study, faith, God, Uncategorized

My Journey

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Personal observations which I have made over the years to apply Bible reading in my life.
Matthew 11:5 “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
Matthew 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking , and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'”
Observation
Jesus performed miracles which helped people to recognize Him as Lord and Savior.  Many people rejected Jesus and refused to believe in Him.
Application to my life
As a Christian believer I understand that much of the world will reject Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Much of the world will reject the idea that being a follower of Jesus is the only way to know and have a right relationship with their Creator: God the Father.  The only way for people to be reconciled to God for all eternity and not lost forever is by submitting to Jesus and the Word of God which Jesus speaks of in the Bible.
I believe this happens today because that is what happened between Jesus and many people when he preached on earth.  Jesus understood that it would happen also.  Yet He still lived as an example to others and told them the truth about who God is and what people needed to do to be reconciled with Him.
For my personal role I desire to pray, my personal connection to use to communicate with Jesus.  Whenever I do this I can learn what His will is for me.  By having this regular practice I can closely follow His will.  What is His specific will?  That in every possible way for me to do it, I am to set an example for others, both believers and non believers, of how God wants me to live.  And I am to tell the truth about Jesus to anyone who listens, regardless of whether or not they accept it.
My prayer
Lord, and Heavenly Father, I thank you for your saving grace, I submit myself to your wisdom and place myself where I can follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in the decisions that I make and the practices that I do as I live and cultivate relationships with other believers and people whom I would share the good news with, Amen.