edification corner
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This corner here is not for debates and contentions but for edification and strengthening of fellow Christians. I would like to solicit the support of other Christians here in this forum to please support this corner by posting messages that edify fellow believers. Anytime you have been blessed by your reading of the Scriptures in your personal devotionsÂ…Â…please feel free to post it here and share your spiritual blessings to us.
If ever you find something posted in this corner that you disagreeÂ…Â…please just keep it to yourself but just find and look for things that edify in the post and appropriate it to yourself.
“………………….. Let all things be done for edification.” [1 Corinthians 14:26]
Although the immediate context of that verse is about worship service in the ChurchÂ….I believe that that goes to all other aspects in our lives.
As much as possible keep your postings short and concise.
I appeal to my brothers and sisters here to please support this cornerÂ….anyway this is for our edification. Fellow Christians this is our ministry to our fellow Christians. -
Let me start:
Pr 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…………………..”
Psalms 111:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom………………………”
Let us understand first three important things in these texts:
1) What is the fear of the Lord?
2) What is knowledge referred to here?
3) And what is wisdom referred to here?
I. Definition of terms
1) What is the fear of the Lord? The fear of the Lord is the reverential fear from sinning against God. It is hating what God hates and loving what God loves.
2)What is knowledge referred to here? Knowledge here does not refer to any kind of secular knowledge but knowledge about GodÂ’s will.
3)What is wisdom referred to here? Wisdom is the application of knowledge. It is applied knowledge in short.
Our text could be combined as: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom”
II. Why is the fear of the Lord the beginning of knowledge and wisdom?
Because once a person fears sinning against God and wants to do His willÂ….that person wants to know about what God hates and what God lovesÂ…..He wants to have KNOWLEDGE of GodÂ’s will. And when he gets hold of that knowledgeÂ…..he would then apply it to daily life [WISDOM].
Knowledge is knowing that there is a sign post on the side of the road that says: “NO LEFT TURN”. Wisdom is heeding that sign post.
ThatÂ’s why if you continue the verse [psalms 111:10] it reads:
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
III. Practical application
A good deal of us have some measure of knowledge of what GodÂ’s will is. But we just donÂ’t apply it [IÂ’m often guilty of this to my shame]. We have knowledge yes, but we are often times unwise by not applying it.
Prayer: I pray that God will increase our fear of Him that we may do His will and not just read it in His word. -
Have you ever experienced having doubts about the Bible? Have you ever felt that God somehow seemed distant from you? Have you felt in your prayer life like God has put the receiver off the hook?And thoughts race through your mind that: “hey maybe I’m not a Christian or maybe I’m not that mature of a Christian…..[or something like that].” Or you wonder if mature Christians ever felt like you do. Well you’re in good company brother or sister. God knows how you feel. His saints have experienced it.
Doubts about the Bible? Your Galatian brethren went through it. The book of Galatians was written by Paul to quell wrong and heretical teaching being embraced by our Galatian brethren.
Ga 1:6 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,”
This was because false teachers have somehow succeeded in convincing the Galatian brethren [to some extent] that Paul was a false apostle of Christ, that Paul was only appointed by unscrupulous men but not Christ our Lord. Yup, they doubted PaulÂ’s apostleship and authority. ThatÂ’s why in the very beginning of the letter you will see:
Ga 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead),
And now in our times, Satan could very easily inject doubts in your mind to doubt Paul, Peter, Jamesm Isaiah and the Bible as a whole by attacking the integrity of the Bible, it's accuracy and it's inspiration through anti-Bible books, through shows on T.V. or etc.
God seemed distant and somehow seems that He doesnÂ’t hear your prayers?
Ps 10:1 Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
Ps 13:1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?
Or HabakkukÂ’s:
Hab. 1:2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save.
Yup, giant saints have experienced it too. And God knows it. He put it in His Scriptures. He knows how you feel.
So what do you do in times like these come?
1) Continue on reading the Bible [if you have doubts about it]. Faith increases every time you keep on hearing GodÂ’s Word. What did Paul do when the Galatian brethren had their doubts? He wrote them a letter for them to read. Keep on reading it till the scale of faith and doubt tips off in favor of faith.
2) If God seem distant and seemed to not hear prayer. What do you do? Let God know about it. Be honest about it to God. Tell Him about it [reverentially of course]. ThatÂ’s what David, Habakkuk and etc. did right?
3) a) Trust.
b) Rejoice in His salvation.
c) sing songs of worship to the Lord
d) remember His past answers and faithfulness.
ThatÂ’s what David did when he experienced it.
David says in verse 5 of Psalm 13 that: “But I have trusted in Your mercy..”
and “My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
And verse 6: “I will sing to the LORD
and: “Because He has dealt bountifully with me.” [‘has’ indicates he looked to the past when God was bountiful with David].
Past blessings are signs that He will bless you again [especially if you are faithful]. -
Trapped in pornography and lustful thoughts and youÂ’re a Christian?
Maybe youÂ’re not busy. Maybe you havenÂ’t had fellowship with other Christians. HereÂ’s a formula for you to beat this thing. FLEE, PURSUE AND FELLOWSHIP with other prayerful Christians:
2Ti 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
We are given two imperatives in that verse up there by Paul. FLEE AND PURSUE.
What are we to flee from? Youthful lusts
Lust here of course does not mean sexual lust exclusively but it includes it. So it is pertinent to our topic. The word in the original here was used by the Bible writers to mean: lust for money which is greed, lust for power, lust for pleasure which is hedonism, lust for sexual union with one not your spouse and etc. Younger people unlike old people often have this surplus desires, even sinful desires since they have the energy and youth to pursue it.
What does Paul say? He says FLEE. The word ‘flee’ in the original could mean: flee, run away; disappear, vanish. Why does it not say ‘walk away from it or jog away from it?’ Because this kind of lust requires a radical and drastic action on your part. When sensual films or shows on T.V. or magazines parade before your eyes do something immediately about it. Do not wait till the thing melts you deep inside. If you cannot flee or run away from it change the channel. If you cannot do this, disappear or vanish away from the scene of temptation. That’s what Joseph did right? [Genesis 39”12-13].
If lustful thoughts enter your mind, do something immediately about it. Change your thoughts. Be busy. It is true that our thoughts sometimes dictate what we feel and do. But the reverse is also true [though many donÂ’t know about this] that our actions [especially consistent actions] dictate what we feel and eventually what we think. Act like a clown and eventually you will think and feel like a clown. Change your thoughts by continually doing somethng godly.
However, fleeing is not enough. Have you tried fleeing from pornography and lustful thoughts in masturbation and yet you were good only for some time. You eventually went back to it again? Why the relapse? ItÂ’s because you were just fleeing away from it with no direction. ItÂ’s like running away from the left and staying in the middle. When you flee away from it you must get busy by PURSUING GODLY VIRTUES.
2Ti 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
The word ‘pursue’ is in the present tense in the original. Present tense in Greek signifies a continuing and progressing action.
Occupy your time by continually and habitually developing godly character traits. Continually fill your mind with that goal. And do this with other godly Christians:
2Ti 2:22 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
You cannot beat this thing alone. You must enlist the help and prayers of other Christians. Find an accountability partner whom you can confide your problem and pray about it. Let him ‘meddle’ in your life by constantly checking how your doing. Allow him to be your keeper.
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good post ironside, keep it up!
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I have heard of a story in the U.S. wherein authorities raided a house. They raided it because the inhabitants of the house where growing marijuanaÂ’s right inside cabinets. And that without using soil. I also heard of crew members growing vegetables right inside a submarine without using soil. A professor of this technology tried to sell tomatoes [grown from this technology] to McDonaldÂ’s, but McDonaldÂ’s refused because the tomatoes were just too big for their hamburgers!!!
Yup, maybe some of you may have guessed what IÂ’m talking about. HYDROPHONICS. The technology wherein it allows you to grow almost any kind of plant without using soil. However, in my observation, I realized that plants in whatever kind of technology you grow them are basically the same. Whether you plant them traditionally or hydrophonically, they need the same basic elements in order for them to grow strong and healthy. The formula remains the same. Put a plant in a right climate and provide it with the right kind of diet you will get a strong healthy plant.
Right climate + Right diet = a strong and healthy plant. In my reading, I noticed the same formula indicated in the Bible for the spiritual growth of a Christian.
RIGHT SPIRITUAL CLIMATE + RIGHT SPIRITUAL DIET = A STRONG HEALTHY CHRISTIAN.
In Psalms 1:1-3, the same basic formula is indicated:
Right Spiritual Climate verse 1:
Ps 1:1 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;
Right Spiritual Diet verse 2:
Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Equals a strong and healthy Christian verse 3:
Ps 1:3 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.
Here read it again:
Ps 1:1 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;
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 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.
ThereÂ’s the formula. ItÂ’s up to you to apply it. -
TRY EVANGELIZING WITHOUT SPEAKING A SINGLE WORDÂ…Â… MAYBE ITÂ’LL WORK
You have a best friend or a relative [members of your family] or officemate or classmate whom you have shared the gospel for quite some time now. You have prayed for his or her salvation yet he/she remains an unbeliever. Why donÂ’t you try another approach.
TRY EVANGELIZING WITHOUT SPEAKING A SINGLE WORD
How is it done?
1Pe 3:1 “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey [or believe, italics mine] the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,
2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.
The verse may primarily apply to wives who have unbelieving husbands but the principle is applicable also to all Christians who have unbelieving classmates, officemates, relatives and etc. The principle is: actions often times speak clearly than words. Godly living talks.
You cannot convince someone to accept Christ as Savior and Lord, if they see in your life a life void of Christ. I believe it was the 18th century preacher Harry Drummond who said in effect: “Many sinners are kept outside the Kingdom of God because of the lives of those who profess to be inside the Kingdom of God.”
Walk the talk so that you will have credibility when you speak the Word. HereÂ’s a poem I read somewhere:
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day,
By deeds that you do, by words that you say.
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the gospel according to you. -
You are a Christian but you fell into sin, terribly. So terrible that even you cannot forgive yourself. You wonder if God will ever forgive you and give you another chance. But then you think of the sin or sins that youÂ’ve doneÂ…you cower and lose confidence that you will ever be forgiven again and start over.
Why you forgot the promise my friend:
1Jo 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
Or if you didnÂ’t forget this promise and you still feel the way I described aboveÂ…Â…it means you donÂ’t believe in this promise. Why is your sin greater than DavidÂ’s when he committed murder, adultery, manipulation and etc.? Is your sin greater than PeterÂ’s when he denied the Lord three times. Or you think that you have committed the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit? If you have committed the sins of David and PeterÂ….did God not forgive them ? He did right? He forgave them. What makes you think He will not forgive you.
Or if you think that you have committed the unpardonable sin. Well, apparently not my friend. Why? Because you are seeking forgiveness. The sin against the Holy Spirit is a condition of the heart that is so hardened that it is past feeling already. Numb to God. Numb to conscience. Numb to spiritual things. The person who has committed this sin is a person who will not seek forgiveness for good in his life.
Your case is different. You sought forgiveness. You want to be forgiven. That means the Holy Spirit is working in you. So what do you do to be forgiven? Confess your sins in repentance and claim the promise. You donÂ’t need a sign from heaven that you are forgiven already. You donÂ’t need a good feeling that you are already forgiven. What you need is a word from God. HereÂ’s the word: 1 John 1:9. -
Yes we christians are not saved BY good works. But we are saved FOR good works.
Eph 2:8 ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created [saved] in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.Â’
One of the proofs of salvation is being ‘fruitful in every good work.’ Are you bearing fruit? Are you doing good works? Look around you, there are lots of opportunities for doing good. That brother of yours who needs encouragement. That sister who is sick and in need of prayers. That lonely visitor in your church who needs the warmth of your friendship. Opportunities abound…what are you doing? -
In 20 years what will you wish you had done today?
DO IT NOW
I read that somewhere in one of my readings. When I brooded over that question, mine is reading the Bible, the Word of God. What terrible loss would I incur if I fail to read the most wonderful book in history [me who is a lover of books] twenty years from now thinking about what could IÂ’ve done today.
It is a mine of true wisdom and knowledge, the one and only book which taught the way back to God [the greatest treasure anyone could possess]. Why donÂ’t you spend some time reading the Bible. A lot of us read books about the Bible but never read the Bible itself.
Col 3:16 ‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly……………………’ -
burp.
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He was a man who could cuss [speak bad words] for two straight hours without repeating a single word. He was a man who committed practically every sin in the book. His name is John Newton. The writer of the very famous hymn: ‘Amazing Grace’. After his encounter with Christ his life changed and was set free from sin. Eventually, he became a preacher and pastor.
Joh 8:36 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
1 Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
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‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
3 ThroÂ’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
Â’Tis grace hath broÂ’t me safe this far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
5 When weÂ’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
WeÂ’ve no less days to sing GodÂ’s praise
Than when weÂ’d first begun.
My all time favorite hymn. -
2Pe 2:1 ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.’
Just like during the times of Israel when there were false prophets among them, there will be false teachers during the Church Age. These false teachers will subtly teach false doctrines alongside the truth.
2Pe 2:1 ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
There false teaching centers around the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will deny ‘the Lord [His person] who bought them [His work].’ And this prophecy is happening right before our very eyes in our times. Liberal theologians who wear the garb of ‘scholarship’ deny the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They say that Christ was just a moral teacher [denying His deity] and his career ended in a tragic death on the cross, that His death has no saving value [denying His saving work]. It was just an example of how we should love one another; selfless.
2Pe 2:1 ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
The Lord bought them alright [atoned for them], ‘even denying the Lord who bought them’ but they rejected His person and His work. They are just bringing on themselves damnation.
2Pe 2:1 ‘But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
Brethren, we are living in the times were the essentials of our faith is under attack, let us therefore be zealous to defend the truth [1 Timothy 6:20] and hold on to the essentials of the Christian faith:
1) Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone
2) The doctrine of the Trinity
3) The inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures and itÂ’s sole authority in our lives. -
there is No REal Atheist
Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are CLEARLY seen [and clear it is indeed], being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
God has shown us through the things that He has made that He exists. The problem is not lack of evidence but the want of spiritual eyesight due to the blinding effect of sin.
If ever you look around you and you can't see God, that's sin working in you.
Sin has blinded the unconverted man's eyes and logic. No evidence so clear can convince such a one. Even if the Lord Jesus would perform wondrous miracles and would raise every dead people in the grave sin would always find 'loopholes' and every other thing just to explain away the miracle.
The Pharisees witnessed Jesus raising a dead person from the dead. What did they do? They sought all the more to kill him. The Israelites saw all the miracles during their journey to the Promise Land, they saw the sea opened for them, they witnessed the mountain of Sinai filled with God's presence, they saw all the miracles........what happened? Were they converted? No.
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened [by sin]
There's no real atheist. Just hardened and blinded suppressors of truth through the process of hardening over time became convinced that there is no God. God gave them over to thier debased mind. What a frieghtening thought.
Ro 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Our stance as Christians is not to prove to them that God exists. No. Rather, we are to pray for them and call them to repentance. -
blah blah blah
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Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
Think of that verse for a minute. God the Son becoming Man [without relinquishing His deity] and will remain a true Man all through out eternity. He did not become an angel and will remain an angel forever, but man, man forever.
Think of Him before creation. Before there ever was man, angels and all created works. He was there [as a Spirit] all sufficient in Himself as God in perfect fellowship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And yet, His plan after all was to become man forever and to be in us forever. WAW!!!!!!!!
Ps 8:4 ‘What is man that You are mindful of him……….’
We must be very, very superultramegaprecious and valuable in His eyes right? His view of man must be very, very, high and lofty that He decided to be like us for all eternity. ItÂ’s no wonder actually, after all we are created in His image and likeness.
Practical application
How oftentimes we fail to view our fellowman like God views us. We discriminate, look down and belittle. GodÂ’s image is sacred and Man is created in His image and likeness. Every time we belittle and look down on our fellowman is looking down and disparaging GodÂ’s image.
GodÂ’s image and likeness in us is reason enough for us to love our fellowman. Every time we fail to love our fellow man is failing to see GodÂ’s image and likeness in him. In essence, itÂ’s failing to love God.
Think of a picture of your mother or your father or your wife or your loved ones. Would you spit at it? Throw it away and burn it? No. But how many times we dishonor God by dishonoring His living ‘pictures’ no matter how distorted by sin. -
One of the primary differences between the first century Church and the 21st century Church is this sense of EAGER anticipation for the LordÂ’s coming. The 1st century church had an abundance of it which the 21st century Church have so little of. The former was so enthused and alert for the blessed hope while the latter has slumbered.
Ro 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body [when the Lord returns].
1Co 1:7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Tit 2:13 looking [expectantly] for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Are you eagerly awaiting for His return my Christian friend? Here are some test questions:
1) Are you striving after holiness? Anyone who truly has this hope strives after holiness and sanctification. This hope so real to you would make you go up notches the ladder of holiness.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
2) Are you active and energized in personal witnessing to the lost? This hope was so real to Paul that he went everywhere witnessing and testifying about the gospel.
3) Are you circumspect in your ways? Anyone who has this hope knows that when He comes, Christians would be in the Judgment seat of Christ where He will evaluate how we spent our Christian lives here on earth and give out rewards accordingly.
4) This hope would give you endurance in suffering and difficult times.
[2 Corinthians 4:17-18] -
Very encouraging, thank you for taking the time ironside!
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glad to be of service brother!!!!Originally posted by breytonhartge:Very encouraging, thank you for taking the time ironside!
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You can gauge yourself of how much you trust God by how much you tell Him
Ps 62:8 ‘Trust in Him at all times, you people;’
‘Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us’
It is a universal law that you cannot truly pour your whole heart out on a person if you do not, at first, wholly trust that person. If thatÂ’s true with regards to our horizontal relationship with our fellowmen, thatÂ’s also true with regards to our vertical relationship with God. You cannot pour your whole self out to God if you do not completely trust Him first.
The phrase ‘at all times’ in ‘Trust in Him at all times, you people;’ signify completeness. God wants you to trust Him fair whether or bad whether. Rain or shine. In health or sickness. Good times or bad times. In employment or unemployment and etc. Show me a person who is like that and I’ll show you a person who trusts in God completely. Show me a person who is like this and I’ll show you a person who pours his whole heart out to God.
The word heart in ‘Pour out your heart before Him;’ means the whole inner being. He opens himself out to God. His thoughts, his plans, his emotions, his frustrations, his disappointments, his victories, his failures, his sins and etc.
How much do you trust God my friend?
1) Are you pouring all or are your pouring only some?
2) When something comes up, what is your first recourse of action? Do you pray first before you fix the problem or do you fix the problem first and then pray? If the former, do you do this every time something comes up or some of the time only?
3) WhatÂ’s your level of communication with God?
A book by John Powell entitled: “Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?” gives us the five levels of communication:
Level 5> this is superficial communication. Or Cliché conversation: ‘Hi how are you?’ ‘Where have you been?’ “I hope we can get together soon” I like your dress very much”.
Level 4> we repot facts to each other. “WE remain contented to tell others what so and so has said or done. We offer no personal, self-revelatory commentary on those facts, but simply report them”
Level 3> It deals with ideas and judgments.
Level 2> it deals with feelings. “I am afraid”. I feel happy” I feel disappointed”
[by the way, rarely do husbands and wives reach this stage, maybe that explains the misunderstanding and the breakdown in most marriages or homes].
Level 1> most personal and intimate level of communication. Secrets, feelings and other deeply personal things take place here. This is gut level honesty. This is where marriages thrive. Fellowships become meaningful and prayer becomes deeper. ItÂ’s pouring your heart out.
WhatÂ’s your level of communication with God? Your level of communication with Him determines how much you trust Him.
Behind PaulÂ’s injunction to pray to God always is the call to trust God all the time.
Pour your heart to God my friend all the time, all of it. -
2Co 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,”
4 “who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
God uses people like us to comfort other people. We Christians are ministers [Epe. 4:12-13]. Sometimes God allows things that squeeze our comfort zones to happen in our lives so that we can empathize, sympathize, be sensitive and therefore comfort other people who are in the same predicament as ours. Like you and me this brother, that sister, that new Christian down there, that long time Christian up there also has their own share of fears and doubts, failures and weaknesses, victories and strengths, dissappointments and frustrations and discouragements. Like you and me they are also humans, though saved.
What a comfort it is indeed to have a warm, intelligent, sensitive and sympathetic human being to have on our side who went through the same things as we have in our days of misery and trouble. Our Christian brethren needs our warmth, our understanding, our listening ear, our time and our prayersÂ…..letÂ’s not wait for God to give us some thing that will make us sensitive to them. -
Isa 62:6 I ‘have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.Â’
These verses pertain to Israel when God will finally restore Israel in the land of promise during the Millennium when the Lord returns. He will rule all over the earth with peace, prosperity and righteousness for a thousands years with Israel as the top nation.
The statement ‘I have set watchmen on your WALLS, O Jerusalem’ imply that Jerusalem or Israel has been laid desolate but not forever. The time will come when God will once again show favor to Israel [after the Church is completed Romans 11:25-26] and fulfill all His promises made to them.
God sets up watchmen or intercessors to remind Him always [day and night] of His promises He made to Israel and their fathers [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and etc]. It doesn’t mean of course that God has a propensity to forget cognitively His promises like we sinful creatures do. God wants them to keep anticipating the fulfillment of His promises or to ‘wait on the Lord.’ God is delighted and glorified when believers hang on His promises and anticipate the fulfillment of His Word. It’s worshipping Him.
Practical Application:
Though this promise is made to Israel only, this does not mean that we [Church Age people, Christians] cannot benefit from it. By studying it we can somehow get a glimpse of the character of God, of who God is. God is a God who wants to be reminded of His promises always. Remind God of His promises He made to you. Do it always in prayer. He is not irked by it. He delights in it.
Tips
1) Know of whom the promise is made. Is it for a particular person? Is it made to a specific group of people [Israel]? Is it made to Church Age people [Christians]?
2) Know the time frame [if there is] of when the promise will have fulfillment.
3) Know if the promise has conditions in order to have fulfillment.
P.S. Rightly divide the Word of truth. Do not claim promises not made to you [member of the Church]. There are promises made to the Church and there are promises made to Israel. Mostly, promises made to the Church are spiritual while promises made to Israel are both spiritual and temporal and material. There are preachers who cite Deuteronomy verses as their basis that God wants them to be rich and wealthy when they will obey Him. But Deuteronomy verses are GodÂ’s promises to Israel, the people of whom He made the Old Covenant. These verses [Deuteronomy verses] would ultimately have fulfillment during the Millennium not during the Church Age. -
i deleted the posts.....i believe it has little edificatory value
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Sanctification: Your Part
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Sanctification essentially means being separated. The word actually is neutral. It could be either bad or good depending upon which you are separated unto. You could be sanctified or separated UNTO a particular work like the Levites. Or you could sanctify yourself to TO evil purposes. However, when speaking of the sanctification brought by the Lord Jesus, sanctification is a separation unto God from the world. Separation from a life of sin to godliness.
Sanctification has two aspects : positional and progressive.
Positional > the moment one trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation, right there and then he is positionally set apart unto God with regards to his standing before GodÂ’s eyes. In the eyes of God a Christian is holy no matter how imperfect he is in this world because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Progressive> this is the process by which God separates the Christian [with regards to his character] from the world. This is where God makes holy the sanctified sinner. You, see the moment we trusts in Christ we don’t immediately become holy and godly perfectly. There are still traces of sin in us. God through His Holy Spirit does this character ‘cleansing’ in us. The Holy Spirit makes us like Him, holy. He is right there in us, working in us that we be holy. He is the One that gives us godly and holy desires, enabling and empowering us to live godly and holy lives only if we would just cooperate with Him. That’s His part.
But before we think that holiness and godliness is something that we could just sit around and wait for it to drop on our lap, Peter gives us our side of sanctification.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness.
Peter says words that imply discipline: ‘giving all diligence add to your….’ Yup, we must work to be holy. We must train ourselves to be holy. We must be diligent to be holy. We must be willing to be led by the Holy Spirit in His training for holiness. In justification, it is a work of one. God solely justifies us on the basis of our being in Christ. In sanctification [progressive], the work is of cooperation. We must submit our wills to the Holy Spirit. In any kind of sport, you won’t be in tip-top shape if you don’t cooperate with the trainer.
God doesnÂ’t just want you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, He wants you to be like Him. He doesnÂ’t just want you to have faith in Christ, He wants you to add to that faith the godly virtues of Christ.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love
Holiness does not only require time, it requires your DILIGENT EFFORTS. If you complain that you have been praying to God to change you and you still haven’t got it yet. Ask yourself: “am I giving all my diligent efforts in it? Or am I just sitting around waiting for it to drop from heaven?” The trainer is always in the gym. Have you been diligent in going there?