Angel Encamped Where!?

"The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them."

~Ps34:7

Isn't this a beautiful promise for God's people!?

Next week - we will continue our Victory In Christ series. :O)

Open His Eyes and May Our Eyes Be Open As Well

This is what I pray for the police officers and all those dealing with the protesters/rioters- that God will send an army of angels with them and that they will feel the presence of and if necessary see the army of angels with them. I also pray the the protesters/rioters will realize that hate and destroying things is not the best way to bring about change. And maybe they can adopt the Motto “Let it begin with me.” Repaying evil for evil- especially when you are repaying innocent lives -is wrong.

Be sure to go to 2 Kings 6 and read the whole story. It will bless you.

When we are scared and feel alone may we have eyes to see that we too, have an army of angels around us!

Come back tomorrow when I will share another precious promise of what the Angel of the LORD will do! :O)

What You Sow...You Will Reap

This morning I found something amazing and I wanted to share it with you. I sure hope I am able to translate what is in going on in my mind into words and have it understandable.

I had been looking in my Bible Commentary to better understand a verse that I had read and came across this:

"True Religion is often represented in the Bible as an experience of peace."

 

Peace is highly sought after.

 

And when I saw this I could not help but divert my studies to looking up verses that went down the line of this thinking. It took me to Romans 8:

 

    For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;

for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.     

Romans 8:6-7

 

(It was very interesting to me when I got my "They Layman's Parallel New Testament" out and read these verses in all 4 of the translations. But since I have a lot more to share with you - I will not add all the versions of this text here- if any of you are interested in seeing the others just let me know and I will post them as well.)

 

The next verse I was led to was in Galatians:

 

"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,

 but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Galatians 6:8   

 

    I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

             17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 

            18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.   

Galatians 5:16-18

 

 To see what it looks like to sow to ones flesh all we have to do is continue reading in Galatians 5

starting at verse 19:

 

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   

Galatians 5:19-21

 

And when we continue to read in Galatians 5 we will see what it looks like to sow to the Spirit:

 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

             24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

            25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:22-25  

 

What a contrast this is!

 

Did you notice the contrast?

"carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."  

 

We have a choice.

 What do we want to reap?

 

if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption,

if we sow to the Spirit we will reap everlasting life

 

By allowing God through the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, by surrendering our sinful desires and allowing Christ to live His live through us are we are able to overcome our sinful desires.

 

This is exciting to me! I have a choice

day by day

decision by decision

and through the help of the Holy Spirit I can live my life for Jesus Christ

and by doing so I can reap peace and so much more..!

(Thank you Lauren for sharing this)
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?   
Micah 6:8

Truth Has a Counterfeit

The other morning I heard a guy on the radio telling of a study that he had read about. In this study, a man put people in a dark environment for 14 hours a day. I think is what he said. The study went on to explain that at the end of the study that a lot of the people had gotten into a rhythm of sleeping 4 hours and then getting up and doing things for a few hours and then sleeping another 4 house. Therefore, he concluded, that the best sleep cycle for people is this 4 hours of sleeping - then up for a few hours and then another 4 hours sleeping.

I find it funny how these experiments are done and then how they come up with their own ideas of how things should be. I mean seriously.

First of all - it is really an unrealistic way to live. How many people have 10 - 12 hours that can be devoted to sleep?

And when you really think about it- it really does not work for so many reasons. I am not going to go into all of those reasons- that's for sure. I'll leave that up to the experts. I am going to hit more of the common sense factors though.

Going back in time - 100 years or so - we find people getting up a little before dawn(or at dawn) to take care of their animals and such. They worked hard and when the sun went down -they spent some time doing things by candle light or what ever - but then they went to bed. And the cycle continues.

Going back in time even further - When God created the world - he created day and night. The sun and the moon were set up to set the rhythm of our days.

I think we need to use common sense when it comes to what we hear. Many of these studies are funded by companies and people who have an agenda - so the big bucks are spent to prove or disprove things that will help their cause the best. We also need to remember:

   Be sober, be vigilant;

because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,

 seeking whom he may devour.   

1 Peter 5:8

 

There is an adversary and he has his own agenda and believe me when I say that his agenda is always a counterfeit to the truth. And we need to hold onto the truth and not allow false ideas to sway us away from the truth.

 

    Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8

In Rememberance

I know this is a long passage from the Bible - but please humor me and read it. There is a point to why I am sharing it.

 

1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, 'Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.' " 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever." 8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life. 15 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 "Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan." 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come up from the Jordan." 18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.   

Joshua 4:1-18

 

Just like the Israelites, I too set up a remembrance of how God has delivered me.

 

I love windmill's and had always wanted one. When Mother's Day came my husband had seen this and had decided to order it for me. I was so excited because I knew what I wanted to do with it- I wanted it to be a reminder to me of what God had done for me. That he had been with me every step of the way. Many tears were shed, but with Him by my side I made it through. Now I would have a reminder of His care.

 

 

I thought it was very appropriate - how the day that I decided to take a photo for this post - the sun just happened to shine in the photo so much like the presence of God.

And I hope that as you take some time to look at this photo that you too- will be reminded of God's presence in your life and where He has led you. It is a good idea for us to remember these things.

I am still reading my Beth Moore book - Believing God - and I just finished the chapter that talks about asking the Holy Spirit to help you remember the specific ways in which God led in your life. And on a timeline - I began filling in difference things that quickly came to my mind. I am not done with this project yet - but I intend to continue to fill in the time line - and probably even write out a few of the stories in my AHA book. So I can be reminded of God's guidance in my life.

By remembering how God has led in the past - we are better able to trust Him with our future's. And this helps us develop our faith in Him.

Whether you have walked with God a long time or a short time - I am guessing that you too can think of ways that He has guided and directed your path. Beth Moore was quick to point out - that not everything on our timeline will be happy memories - even in the painful circumstances we can see how God was guiding us. I know this to be true for me. My testimony of just the last 7 months- has a number of times where God was leading and directing my path - when I had no idea how important some of those decisions were. Now I see that His hand was there- and that is why I am not only going to be writing this experience in my book - but why I have this remembrance windmill in my back yard to remind me.

Guidance and Direction

Wow - I think I have had a breakthrough. Last night I was studying the Bible and I came across a beautiful verse. I do not remember what led me to this verse, all I know is I was meant to find it.

    The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.   

Isaiah 58:11

 

Lately I have felt like I was in a drought. There are several different reason's for me to be feeling like that - but that would take too much time to even go there, so we will move right along and bypass that explanation.

 

Since this past week end when I began to really realize that I was in a drought, I have changed a few things up in my quiet time. First off, I have been taking more time to study the Bible. Another thing that I have done is began to do studies on words and actually look up all the verses that use that word to get a better understanding of that word in the Bible. And as I have said in the past  the more time you spend in the Bible the better. And sure enough my soul began to get watered but I did not quiet get it yet.

 

This morning, after my husband left for work, while I was resting, I began praying. And I remembered what my Dad used to always pray and that was for God to guide and direct him/us. And I realized that I knew that God has been guiding me and directing my path, but I had been taking advantage of that fact.

 

It is important to ask God to guide and direct you because it shows that you realize your need for his guidance and direction. It also shows that you are willing to submit your life and your will to Him. Once I did that, I realized that I had gotten away from allowing Him to guide me. I have been allowing him to sort of lead me, but I needed to totally surrender my life to Him and allow Him to guide me. There is a big change when you admit your helplessness and your need of all the gifts that He gives.

    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.   

James 1:17

 

So this morning, I asked Him to guide and direct my path. I also asked him for more faith and wisdom.

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,

who gives to all liberally and without reproach,

and it will be given to him.   

 James 1:5

 

God is faithful. When we realize that every good and perfect gift comes from Him, our soul is fed. No longer are we in a drought, because we know the source from which all things we need comes.

 

    "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.

             8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

 And will not fear when heat comes;

 But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

 Nor will cease from yielding fruit.   

Jeremiah 17:7-8

 

When we realize our need and we begin to pray for these needs and for guidance and direction we will be like "a tree planted by the waters."

 

And did you notice what happens then?

 

1. We will not fear when heat comes.

2. We will not be anxious in the year of drought.

3. Nor will we cease from yielding fruit.

 

Those sound like some awesome blessings indeed!

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

             6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

    Proverbs 3:5-6
 

In response to my prayer, not only was I given what I had asked for, but I was blessed with some extras! I feel more joy, hope and peace than I have this whole last week or so.

 

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.   

Ephesians 3:20-21

 

I am so thankful that I serve such a generous God. He gave me what I asked for plus so much more. And believe me - sincerely asking for God's guidance and direction will be a habit I intend to get into and continue with the rest of my life.

 

Junk in My Trunk part 2

Yesterday my husband loaded up a couch and recliner that we were donating to Goodwill. As he was loading up, I remembered that I had a lot of bags of donation stuff in the trunk of my car. So I went and got them and transferred them to the truck, so that they could be dropped off as well. It felt so good to have that stuff out of my trunk. Now I can fit the things in my trunk that I want to put in it.

While I was thinking about the post that I had written yesterday- I realized that my clean trunk was a great example of that post. For a couple of weeks - my trunk was pretty full of these bags of stuff to donate. And it was hard to fit groceries in it when I went grocery shopping. How wonderful it was to finally have that stuff gone. Now I have all the room I need for what is important.

Same as in my life- I have held onto unneeded habits and attitudes and they have kept me from experiencing what God had in mind for me all along. And as I turn my will over to God and allow Him to guide and direct my life I am allowing Him to take those bad habits and attitudes away from me- leaving room for the love, joy, peace, and so much more.
 

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

 

And the good news is that if we will allow Him to work in our lives by turning our wills over to Him- He is faithful to do it.

²⁴ He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

 

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Philippians 1:6 

(Going around Facebook)
 

It just takes us willing to allow Him to guide and direct us. We need to be spending quiet time with Him - studying His Word to us. And not just reading the Word of God- but putting to practice that which we read.

 

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

James 1:22

 

Part one

Large Balance...Just Waiting For You and Me part 1

"There is always a large balance in the bank of heaven

 waiting for our exercise of faith in drawing it.

 Draw heavily upon His resources."

 From my "Streams in the Desert" devotional for today.

 

It's really amazing, if you think about it, all that God will provide for us if we are willing to allow our selves to be emptied to make room for all that He will give us.

 

We hold so tightly to our own ideas and want to control every aspect of our lives. And in doing so we miss out on so many blessings. So many wonderful things that our Father in heaven is willing and wanting to give us but we are so full of ourselves to receive these blessings.

 

I used to hold on so tightly to things in my life, afraid that if I turned my life and my will over to God that He would take these things from me. What I have found to be true is that when I open my hands to God and turn my life and my will over to Him- the things that I lose end up being the things that would hinder a deeper relationship with Him.

 

There are some things over the past year that I have lost that may not have hindered my relationship with Him, but for those things God has given me grace. Just one more of His wonderful gifts that He abundantly gives to His children.

 

     That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think , according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,

world without end. Amen.

 Ephesians 3:16-21

Prayer and Studying the Word of God

Yesterday I shared a devotion from last week that spoke of spending quiet time in prayer. Well I just wanted to spend a little more time on this because I feel it is very important.

In our technological savvy world - there seems to always be something going on. Something to distract us from spending time with God. It seems like we always have the radio, TV or computer going-  all these things have some good qualities about them(as well as some bad but we won't go there today.) But when they are going all the time and there is no quiet time for us to spend in developing a relationship with our Saviour, there is something seriously wrong.

We need more than just some time in prayer- we need some serious time in the Bible, our love letter from God. It is only through this quiet time of prayer and study do we truly open ourselves up to hearing God speak to us. Yes, He can speak to us when we just spend quiet time I prayer, but we are missing out on a true blessing when we do not spend time in the scriptures.

If you don't already, I would like to challenge you to devote some time every day to spend in prayer and Bible study. First thing in the morning when it is quiet and not very many interruptions seems to be the best time for me. God is always there waiting to meet with us.

Where Do You Put Your Trust... part 2

Today is part two from our study yesterday on "Where Do You Put Your Trust?"

Yesterday we learned that those who choose to serve men are cursed and those who choose to serve the Lord are blessed. Today we will take a deeper look.

While I was studying in Jeremiah in my Andrews Study Bible, I noticed at the bottom of the page for Jeremiah 17:5-8 it said:

"Life outside God's covenant is as barren as a withering shrub, while the righteous person rooted in God's goodness, flourishes."

Then it referred me back to Psalms 1. And like I said yesterday day this chapter also talks about the comparison of the differences of a person's life based on who they choose to serve.

After studying in Psalms 1 - I found myself in Joshua 1 verse 7:

"Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go."

The word prosper here could also mean "have success or act wisely."

verse 8 of Joshua 1 states:

    "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Prosperous "The Hebrew implies success in the sense of penetrating and advancing through obstacles."

And isn't that Good News since believers in Jesus Christ end up having a lot of obstacles in our lives.

    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy."

1 Peter 4:12

 

   

Where Do You Put Your Trust?

While studying my Bible lately I came across a great lesson. And I wanted to share it with you.

5 Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.

Jeremiah 17:5-6

 

 

 

7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.   

Jeremiah 17:7-8 

 

Psalms 1 also has a great comparison between the two.

 

We all have a choice to make - Will we put our trust in man or will we choose to trust God?

That is the question.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful day! :O)

Drawing Nigh to God....series

Drawing Nigh to God

 

by

Minnie E. Dauphinee

 

Working With Christ.... Our Commission

"In every one of His children, Jesus sends a letter to the world. If you are Christ's follower, He sends in you a letter to the family, the village, the street, where you live. Jesus, dwelling in you, desires to speak to the hearts of those who are not acquainted with Him."

 

One day Michelangelo found a block of marble, covered with dirt and rubbish, lying in a yard. He arranged to have it taken to his studio; and from this block, which seemed to others but a worthless rock, with mallet and chisel he carved the well-known statue of David. In like manner we are to see in those who know not Christ, stones to be fashioned and polished into saints of God. Webster said: "If we work upon marble, it will perish. If we work upon brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work upon men's minds, if we imbue them with high principles, with the just fear of God and love for their fellow men, we engrave on those tables something which no time can efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity."

 

Our lives are to be daily living sermons. Not only by our studied efforts but by our unconscious influence, others are to learn of Christ. Even the countenance may tell for god. "the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart (of others)," said the wise man. This illustrated in the life of a Christian who was walking down a street in New York City. He was stopped by a stranger, who entered into conversation and said to him, "your face shows that you are a Christians." Then he asked with deep earnestness, "Can you help me to find God?"

 

On one of his professional calls a physician was asked by the wife of his patient, "Doctor, you are a Christian, aren't you?" When he asked in reply, "What makes you think I am a Christian?" she answered, "Because there is something about you that make us think of God."

 

 

Sometimes the Answer is "Wait"

Have you noticed how many times it says "to wait upon the Lord" in the Bible? Well there is a good reason for that.

Well as you all know that my son is looking for a job. This has been a long hard road for him and us. His divorce is final - except the problem is that the ex has not signed the papers yet so there is a chance that they might have to go back to court - to find out why she hasn't. That is all a mess- never heard of a judge finalizing a divorce and then someone not signing. But that is not where I was going with this post.

My son is still looking for a job. I had thought that after the divorce was finalized and he could focus more fully on looking for a job that he would find one, but still no job. I have been praying about this for a long time now- 5 months. Well truth be told I have been praying earlier than that - because when he worked for my MIL he needed a better job. Anyway so for a long time I have been praying. It gets discouraging to pray about something for a long time and not see an answer. I have other long term prayers - one I've been praying about for over a year now. But this job one is one that I can talk about. Anyway it just seems like I pray and I have faith that God can and will answer the prayer when the time is right, but nothing seems to happen. I get a bit discouraged but I am still choosing to trust. God's timing is perfect. Sometime we don't understand God's timing - but we can trust that if we surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to do His work in us that His will - will eventually happen. Sometimes His answer is "wait" and we have to learn to trust His "wait." He loves us and wants what is best for us and sometimes the waiting will result in what is best for us. So till the answer comes - continue to pray and continue to stand. Stand on God's Word!

    And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.   

1 John 4:16

The promise for those who wait upon the Lord:

 

     But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.   
Isaiah 40:31

When I wrote this post - I had quite a few other posts that I had written and wanted to get posted so this one stayed as a draft. And as I was just looking over what I have as drafts - I realized I needed to update this and get it posted -hoping it will encourage someone else.

My son finally found a job. Only draw back at this point is for the first few weeks he does not get full time hours. And truth is with all of his bills and with how much he is being paid - starting out- he needs full time hours in order to pay his bills. But we are Praising the Lord!!! That he got a job. It is enjoying what he is doing and is learning as he goes. We continue to pray that God will continue to provide what is needed so that all his bills can get paid each month.

So God's answer to our prayers may be wait - but He does hear us.
Continue to Stand on God's Word!

Bible Marking series... Church Standards

As you can tell, I have decided to go in a different order than how my teacher presented these topics.

Before we begin, I would like to be sure and say up front- on all of these markings- I am not claiming that these are all of the verses for the topics. This is just a basic beginning point at studying a topic. I hope you all will enjoy them all. 

Things you will need for Bible Marking:

*Bible
*colored pencils
*pencil- I recommend a good #2 pencil- these are getting harder and harder to find.
*pen- optional - I like to use a pen to write information on a paper in the back of my Bible.
*ruler or bookmark- you will use this to underline the verses.

Now you are ready to go!

Today's lesson is: Church Standards - CS- Phil. 4:8

 

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

  CS- 1 Pet. 3:1-4

 

1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey 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. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

 CS-1 Cor. 10:31-32

 

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,    CS- 1 Cor. 10:6-8

 

 

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;    CS- 1 Cor. 6: 1-7

 

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers! 7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? CS- 1 Cor. 7:10

 

 

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. CS- Rom. 12:1-2

 

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  CS- Eph. 5:3-4

 

 

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. CS- Eph. 4:22-32

 

22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.  

  CS- 2 Pet. 3:12-14

 

12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;    CS-END

 
Remember - this is not an exhaustive list by any means. This is just a basic guide. Sorry for posting so late - some unexpected plans got in the way.
 

Bible Marking series..."Healthful Living"

As you can tell, I have decided to go in a different order than how my teacher presented these topics.

Before we begin, I would like to be sure and say up front- on all of these markings- I am not claiming that these are all of the verses for the topics. This is just a basic beginning point at studying a topic. I hope you all will enjoy them all. 

Things you will need for Bible Marking:

*Bible
*colored pencils
*pencil- I recommend a good #2 pencil- these are getting harder and harder to find.
*pen- optional - I like to use a pen to write information on a paper in the back of my Bible.
*ruler or bookmark- you will use this to underline the verses.

Now you are ready to go!

Today's lesson is: Healthful Living - HL- 1 Cor. 10:31

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 

 HL- 1 Cor. 6:19-20

   19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.  HL- Gen. 1:29,30

29 And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so.  HL- Gen. 3:18

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  HL- Gen. 9:3,4

3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. HL- Deut. 14:1-19

1 "You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead. 2 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 3 "You shall not eat any detestable thing. 4 These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, 5 the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. 6 And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, and that chews the cud, among the animals. 7 Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, such as these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they are unclean for you. 8 Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses. 9 "These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales. 10 And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it is unclean for you. 11 "All clean birds you may eat. 12 But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 13 the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds; 14 every raven after its kind; 15 the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the seagull, and the hawk after their kinds; 16 the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl, 17 the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl, 18 the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat. 19 Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.  HL- Prov. 20:1

1 Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise. 

HL - 3 John 2

2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

HL-END

Allowing God to Work

Growing up, both of my parents were teachers. I learned from an early age that I needed to do the best I could do. This produced several characteristics in me - some good and some not so good. Perfectionism was one of the bad things. Somehow I thought I had to be perfect. This has caused me some problems in my life. It made it hard for me to try new things or be creative because I was afraid I would not do a good enough job. Another thing that it taught me was to have those same high expectations of others. And that is not good either. God has been teaching me, through other people, to be more accepting of others and to love them just the way they are. What is funny is that I tend to have higher expectations of those people in my life that expected so much from me. Learning to accept them for who they are and even when they let me down has been a hard lesson for me. Because I remember all the pressure that was put on me and sometimes I still feel that pressure. As a girl, I worked hard for their acceptance and approval and love. Which brings up another area in my life that I have had to work on - not work to please other people but to live my life in such a way that it pleases God. That is what is important. God accepts me and values me just the way I am. He has enough love to not only love me but to love others through me and I need to be willing to be used as an instrument in order to allow that love to flow through me.
When we work on taking bad habits away - we should always be willing to allow God to work to instill in us the good characteristic that will take the place of the bad habits. Then we can have the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Only by allowing God to live through us are we able to let those bad habits go and develop healthy habits. I am so thankful that I don't have to do it by myself because I am so weak. But God is strong and is more than able to do a good work in me.

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Philippians 1:6
 

A Deeper Look into The Armor of God

Today's post comes from the book that I am reading. This helped me understand a passage in the Bible that I have had a bit of a hard time putting into practical terms. And this page in my books does an excellent job doing just that. It is explaining what the Armor of God does for you.

 

 

    Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the

 Spirit, which is the word of God; 

   Ephesians 6:10-17

 

Below the photo of the book is what I am sharing from this book today. I hope are all blessed as

I have been.  

 

   

(this photo I got from the internet from an etsy site) 

I don't know whose site it is just want to make sure I give credit where credit is due.

 

 

********************************************************





"Notice this armor carefully, for you, too, must wear it if you would live victoriously.

First there is the ferment of truth; next the breastplate of righteousness; then the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and finally the sword of the Spirit, "which is the word of God."

Obviously this armor is not material but spiritual. It has to do with the mind and the heart rather than the body. But, once donned, it will preserve the whole being from "all the flaming darts of the evil one."

Truth will give us certainty and keep our thoughts balanced and reasonable.

Righteousness will give us confidence and free  us from fear of criticism.

Peace will give us gentleness and enable us to ignore all slights and slurs upon our character and way of life.

Faith will give us courage and buoyancy and place all disappointments and hardships in their true perspective.

The Word of God will supply every weapon we need in our warfare with the powers of darkness.

Like the flaming sword over the gate of Eden, it will turn "every way" in the battle with evil.
Notice particularly that last piece of equipment suggested by the apostle-"the word of God." That, of course, is the Bible. Your Bible!

This means that the very Book you have in your home can help you triumph over every difficulty, every sorrow, every setback, and to live victoriously here and hereafter."