Everyone likes receiving Gifts

1 Peter 4:10-¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

God has given each and every believer a wonderful gift. This gift may be prayer, evangelism, serving food, preaching, and/or teaching. Whatever your gift may be, use it to further God's kingdom, and not your own. God has called us to be His servants. Be encourage my fellow laborors as your work is not done in vain. While the works of the flesh will fade away, The things done for Christ will last for an eternity! God bless you as you serve the Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus is Lord!! 

 

Posted by Pastor Steve DeVroy

Name it and claim it...is it Biblical?

Against God's Will in 1 Samuel chapter 8 the people wanted a King to place over them so they could be like other nations. (verses 4-5) "all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”
 

The Israelites named it and claimed it because they had a desire of their heart. Now it is true that God places desires in our heart, but if He has not specifically told you it's of Him there is a danger in naming and claiming something. You may have a desire that is not of God, and if you keep asking, Like the Israelites, He may just give it to you.
 

(verse 8) the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. In verses 10-18 God told Samuel to tell the people all they horrible things a King would do to them and cause them to go through. Their lives would become much more difficult, but they had a desire and said in verse 19 “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. They were going to name it and claim it.
 

(verse 21-22)When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.” Terrible hardships followed.

Anything not of God will always end up in pain, struggle, and hardship. The Israelites learned the hard way, let us learn from their mistake, and find our example in Jesus when He said in Luke 22:42 Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done" Jesus had a desire for something too, but He knew better than to lean on his own understanding, instead he placed his trust in the Father. So instead of naming and claiming something, we would be better to be like our Lord and Saviour. "Father, if you are willing, yet not my will but yours be done" 

2 Timothy 1:6

God puts a spark of love for Himself in us, but in order to grow, we must make an effort to do the things required to keep that flame burning.

2 Timothy 1:6 tells us

"I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God..."



How to be a Biblical Super-Hero

Get Cape

Repent and believe. Mark 1:15

Wear Cape

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14

Fly
those who wait on the LORD...will mount up with wings like eagles. Isa 40:31



Bible Study and Prayer

First; studying the Bible without actually reading the Bible itself is a bleak and fruitless chore. Second; the student will only benefit from the Word of God in so far as he knows it and loves it.

~ Peter F. Ellis ~

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth"- John 1:1,14

(Jesus is the Word...You will only benefit from Jesus in so far as you know Him and love Him)

"...Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one, whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" - Romans 10:13-14 (you cannot believe in what you don't know, you cannot call on a God you don't believe in, and how can you believe in a God whom you have not heard speak to you? Just listening to a sermon won't do it, a preacher is not God, but when he speaks the Word of God, that Word is alive, as the Word is Jesus Himself)

Read the whole Bible, read the Word of God, get to know God intimately. Also spend much, much time in quiet time of prayer, just being still in His presence, hear His voice as He speaks personally to you and you will fall in love with Him. Jesus had no sin to confess. Jesus had all the authority and power of God at His disposal. He needed nothing, and yet He snuck off often to spend time alone with God in prayer. Why? Because He wanted intimacy with His Father.

Above everything, above ministry, above evangelism, above Bible study, above sermons, above it all...Spend intimate time with your heavenly Father...if you do not, the rest will amount to little or nothing. Fall in love with Jesus and reading the Bible will be a blessing to you.

I'm gonna do something great for God!

After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.” That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: "Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” ~ 1 Chronicles 17:1-6 ~

For God's will...PRAY PRAYoften.

 

 With the best of intentions we can try to do things for God, but if God did not direct us to do it, we are wasting our time, energy, and resources as it will never do any good for His Kingdom. Psalm 127:1 tells us, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain"

 

 Moral of the story...

  

Even in Ministry, if God ain't in it, you shouldn't be either! 

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever

1828 Webster's Dictionary Defintion of Grace

1. Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another; as a grant made as an act of grace.

2. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him. And if by grace,then it is no more of works. Rom.11.

3. Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. My grace is sufficient for thee. 2 Cor.12.

4. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Rom.5.

5. A state of reconciliation to God. Rom.5.2.

6. Virtuous or religious affection or disposition, as a liberal disposition, faith, meekness, humility, patience, &c. proceeding from divine influence.

7. Spiritual instruction, improvement and edification. Eph.4.29.

8. Apostleship, or the qualifications of an apostle. Eph. 3.8.

9. Eternal life; final salvation. 1 Pet.1.13.

10. Favor; mercy; pardon.

Today's Dicitionary Defintion of Grace.

1. Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.

2. A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.

3. A sense of fitness or propriety.

4. A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.

 

5. A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.

6. A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.

7. Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.

8. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God. An excellence or power granted by God.

9. A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.

10. Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop

 

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Hebrews 13:8 tells us...

 

"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever"

 

Then...9 out o 10 definitions had to do with God. The other 1 had to do with loving others.

 

Today...1 out of 10 have to do with God, and most of the others about self

 

Why is the Nation in turmoil? You do the Math.