tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81601236759591132492024-03-17T21:53:28.486-07:00Living for GodCoram DeoLivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.comBlogger1344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-6112322069351426532022-07-23T21:47:00.176-07:002023-11-06T20:13:54.227-08:00The Urgency of the Gospel of Christ<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"> The Urgency of the Gospel of Christ </span></h2></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Written by Eric Liljequist</h3></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h3><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p>I want to thank and praise the Triune God of the universe, who loves me with unending grace, mercy and
compassion. I also want to thank my wife, who is my love, strength and delight. This message is dedicated to my
lovely wife, whom I would be lost without, and to my children whom I truly love,
and pray that they become completely immersed in God’s love, presence, and mission. Thanks for enduring such
an imperfect husband and dad, who ultimately desires to live life empowered by the Holy Spirit in accordance
with Romans 8, but so often struggles with sin and selfishness per Romans 7. I also dedicate this message to
my sister. </p><p>Before I leave planet earth, I really wanted to jot down my most urgent concerns regarding the plight of
humanity, a message that would endure beyond my physical lifespan, guidance to my children for reference, and
a hope that it will spur Christians everywhere to fulfill the Great Commission via worldwide evangelism until
proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has reached all unreached people groups.</p><p>Proclamation of the Gospel must be a top priority in Christian’s lives. Christians must be people of action,
intentionally and daily pursuing God’s will, of which I believe a significant part is preaching or helping spread the
Good News of Jesus Christ. This action should not be reckless or self-determined; it should be thoughtful and
unwavering action based on our Lord’s commands and the fact that mankind’s souls hang in the balance of
eternity. These actions should be based on God’s leading, with much time in thoughtful and Spirit-led prayer
throughout the entire process of evangelism and proclamation of the Gospel. Prayer should involve/engage/
immerse every aspect of our lives. “<b>Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is
God’s will for you in Christ Jesus</b>.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV). After all, only God can draw people unto
Himself and save them. We are the conduits, His hands and His feet. We need to understand God’s will, go
where He directs, give how He leads, asking Him to orchestrate our lives in perfect concert with the entire body of
Christ to fulfill His will and reach all people with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I can think of no other
effective or productive way to achieve the proclamation of the Gospel to the entire world.</p><p>We need to properly explain the tenets of the historic Christian faith, including the fallen state of humanity
based on Adam and Eve’s original sin, resulting in death. For “<b>All
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God</b>” Romans 3:23 (NIV) and "<b>The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord</b>" Romans 6:23 (NIV). But the greatest news of all is that Christ
came down from heaven in the likeness or form of man in order to live the perfect live we could never live and die
on the cross at Calvary to pay the price for our sins, a price that no one else could ever pay. “<b>Salvation is found
in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved</b>” Acts 4:12
(NIV). We need to clearly explain the dire and eternal consequences of sin, including not only physical death, but
eternal separation from God for those who do not receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord. “<b>For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one
can boast</b>” Ephesians 2:8,9 (NIV). Since no one knows the timing of their demise, this message of the Gospel is
the most urgent of all callings and must be proclaimed over the entire globe, until all people groups have had a
chance to understand the Good News of Jesus Christ.</p><p>Moreover, no one knows when Jesus will return to collect his faithful ones and to inflict divine retribution and
judgment on those that rejected Him. It is an all-or-nothing proposition. The day and the hour is unknown, thus
making the proclamation of the Gospel preeminent in our daily lives and actions. Any one of us at any moment
may die physically. Let us thoughtfully, accurately and urgently proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and fulfill
the Great Commission so others will have the opportunity to receive salvation through Jesus. This must be done with gentleness, respect and sincere love. “<b>But in your hearts set apart Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you
have. But do this with gentleness and respect...</b>” I Peter 3:15 (NIV)</p><p>The Great Commission does state, “<b>Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I commanded
you</b>.” Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV). In my viewpoint, discipleship should flow naturally in and from the believer’s life and is integral with evangelism. Some may have the gift of evangelism, and others may be more gifted at
providing detailed teaching and instruction for new believers, helping them mature in their faith in Christ. Both are
important components in reaching the entire world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and indispensable for
ensuring new believers are adequately equipped and discipled in the deep truths of the Word of God and can
replicate their lives in others, thus continuing multi-generational discipleship in the body of Christ, creating an
exponential growth of new Christians. </p><p>What prevents or hinders Christians from urgently pursuing God’s will in doing all they can to do their part in
fulfilling the Great Commission (which were Jesus’s last words on earth before His ascension to Heaven)? How
can we mitigate these issues?</p><p>[Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that there are many ways to live effective and productive lives
with respect to worldwide evangelism, as God ordains. To some, he gives the task of planting, to others
watering, to yet still others cultivation of the planted and watered seeds. But as Paul so aptly puts it, …”<b>So
neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow</b>.” I Corinthians
3:7(NIV) Some Christians, who are unable to travel overseas to proclaim the Good News to unreached
populations can be wonderfully and effectively used by God through prayer, encouragement, and giving, just to
name a few.]</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Potential Challenges and Hindrances:</span></p><p><b>1. Procrastination:</b></p><p>Just keep putting things off until a later date or time </p><p>We have time, don’t worry about today</p><p>Just relax, and don’t burn yourself out</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> Sometimes we really are burned out and do need a break, a time of peace and
resting, prayerful time with our Creator.</p><p><b>Resolution:</b> Take regularly scheduled time off from work/evangelism to rest and recharge in the presence of God.
This in turn will lead to more longevity and overall effectiveness in evangelistic activities. If we are not burned out,
and just lazy, complacent or unmotivated, we should fervently ask God to revitalize (invigorate) and revive our
hearts, minds and spirits in the pursuit of His perfect will. We should pray earnestly to our Heavenly Father to pull
us out of any stupor we may be in, as I have been asking Him, and still waiting and hoping for a complete renewal
of my heart, mind and spirit.
</p><p><b>2. Slothfulness:</b></p><p>
Just not doing what you know you should be doing</p><p>I’m too tired
Not Now. </p><p>I just want to watch a movie and relax.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation: </b>See Procrastination above.
Resolution: Intentionally, willfully and purposefully set out (by God’s grace and enabling) to make an eternal
difference in God’s Kingdom. Make conscious efforts to pray, serve, and reach out to the unreached and
surrounding areas within our sphere of influence. Do this with willful intention in accordance with God’s leading in
our lives. See also Procrastination above.</p><p><b>3. Mental/Physical Problems:</b></p><p>
Depression, anxiety, fears, stress, etc.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation: </b>Many individuals have varying degrees of mental and/or physical problems.
Depending on the situation, this can make it more difficult, not only to just make it through each day intact, but to
effectively and proactively witness to others or perform other evangelistic tasks, let alone the other daily duties of
life. </p><p><b>Resolution: </b>Obtain whatever medical help (used broadly here – Physical and/or mental) you may need in this
matter if possible. I don’t believe it is a sin to take proper medication as needed, and this may help individuals
lead a more effective and productive life for the Lord. Pray and trust God in these matters, ask Him for leading
and direction for the right course of action, doctors, etc. Consult with your local pastor(s) as well for additional
guidance. At the end of the day, some may not be able to go to the field as active oversea missionaries, but they
can be instrumental in God’s plan and in accordance with God’s will through prayer, generous giving, and
encouragement to local and overseas missionaries. </p><p><b>4. Demonic Oppression or influences:</b></p><p>
Actual demonic oppression</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> May be difficult to discern or is really attributed to something other than demonic
oppression (I do not believe a born-again believer can be demon-possessed)
Resolution: Prayer, Prayer and more Prayer. Resist the devil and rebuke him in Jesus’ Name. “<b>Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist
him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the
same kind of sufferings</b>.” I Peter 5:8,9 (NIV) Consult with your local pastor(s) for additional guidance and support. </p><p><b>5. Sin:</b></p><p>
Entanglements of sin
Active, ongoing sin in the believer’s life</p><p>Other footholds of the evil one</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> I am really trying to live a righteous life, but am continually struggling. “<b>Who will God
rescue me from this body of death?</b>” Romans 7:24 (NIV)
Resolution: Romans 8. The process of sanctification in the believer’s life. Believers need to live life through the
Holy Spirit and be filled, empowered and led by Him. Sin will hinder us from doing God’s will. Having a heart and
mindset of continuous and immediate repentance for sins will assist in the process of sanctification in our lives.
Furthermore, this will transform our lives for His purposes as He purifies and refines our hearts and minds, making
us more holy in anticipation of complete holiness in the eternal state with Him forevermore.</p><p><b>6. Security/Safety:</b> </p><p>I’m safer here, doing what I’m doing, living where I’m living, driving what I’m driving, working where I’m working</p><p>My loved ones and I may be seriously harmed in a foreign country</p><p>I might become homeless</p><p>How can I provide for my family?</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> Some pretty good points above, at least at first glance. We do need to provide for
our family (I Timothy 5:8), and it is a legitimate concern about protecting our loved ones who may be harmed in a
foreign country.</p><p><b>Resolution:</b> We must realize that the best place to be is in the center of God’s will for our lives (Romans 12.1,2).
Easier said than done. If we are in God’s perfect will for our lives, our lives will be the most fruitful, effective and
productive for the Kingdom of God. I don’t want to mislead anyone, there may be difficulties and even tragedies
along this path, but God is not to blame and will bring us through these times with His comfort, peace and love.
“<b>For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all</b>”
2 Corinthians 4:17 (NIV).</p><p><b>7. Comfort/lifestyle/status quo:</b> </p><p>Enjoying your nice neighborhood</p><p>Eating at nice restaurants </p><p>Buying nice clothes</p><p>Buying other miscellaneous items, i.e., electronic devices, phones, computers, toys, etc.</p><p>Purchasing boats, second homes, cars, RV’s, etc.</p><p>Expensive Vacations</p><p>Predictability</p><p>Stability </p><p>Familiarity </p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> None of us are immune to these desires to some degree. They are not necessarily
bad or evil things in and of themselves but can lead to an ineffectual Christian life if not put in the proper
perspective and truly placed in the hands of our Almighty God.</p><p><b>Resolution</b>: Surrender all to the One and Only, Almighty God. Pray and ask Him what we should do, where we
should live, where we should work, what we should own, etc. Consider downsizing and “frugalizing” in order to
facilitate global evangelism. This ultimately may be one of the biggest hindrance in believers’ lives today. It
would seem we have become a society of zombies racing to and fro with our newly acquired electronic gadgets,
being so wrapped up in our personal lives and matters, that we often fail to kneel before the Triune God of the
universe, and take time to be still before the Creator of all things, to worship Him and be amazed and in wonder
of His glory, beauty, and awesomeness. “We harness the mighty energy that rushes through our world; we
subject it to fingertip control in our cars and our kitchens; we make it work for us like Aladdin’s jinn, but still we do
not know what it is. Secularism, materialism, and the intrusive presence of things have put out the light in our
souls and turned us into a generation of zombies. We cover our deep ignorance with words, but we are ashamed
to wonder, we are afraid to whisper ‘mystery’” (A.W. Tozer “The Knowledge of the Holy”)</p><p><b>8. Stinginess Toward God:</b> </p><p>Not giving generously towards God, especially in regards to International Missions</p><p>Keeping the best for ourselves, time, money, talents.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> What if my gift isn’t giving or going into missions? I barely have enough money or
time for myself and family or would prefer to spend it somewhere else. </p><p><b>Resolution: </b>This is a matter of the heart, and generally in accordance with our spiritual maturity I believe.
Prayerfully consider what God wants you to do with your time, talents and treasures. After all, they are all His.
The giving of the aforementioned should be done with a grateful and generous heart, never …”<b>under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver</b>” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV). I know Paul was referring to financial generosity, but I
believe the same principle applies to the disposition of our time and talents as well.
</p><p><b>9. Family Concerns:</b> </p><p>What to do with your children, parents and other relatives who may need us, whether physically, mentally,
spiritually, financially or emotionally?</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> I Timothy 5:8 (NIV) states that…"<b>If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and
especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.</b>" This is a legitimate
concern. We must prayerfully trust God in this matter and ensure by His leading that we are providing for our
immediate family and relatives as God allows and instructs.
Resolution: However, “<b>It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on
tables.</b>” Acts 6:2 (NIV) Also, “<b>No one who has left home, or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or
fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age….and in the age to
come, eternal life</b>.” Mark 10:29,30 (NIV)
This requires wisdom from God, and much prayer and spiritual guidance, to determine whether we should move
forward unto full-time missionary work, or stay where we are at in order to meet the local needs, such as Stephen
did. A lot of help, right? Keep your eyes on the Author and Perfecter of your faith. </p><p><b>10. Fear of Premature Death:</b></p><p>
I might die if I go overseas</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> You might die, things are often more dangerous overseas if you are from America like
I am.
Resolution: You also might die where you are currently living and working, possibly even sooner than if you went
overseas, like from an out-of-control driver on the freeway. Only God knows when our last day on earth will be.
We should be open to God’s leading and calling and fully desiring His good, pleasing and perfect will for our lives,
including the potential of being an overseas missionary. This is not to take anything away from those whom God
has chosen to stay where they are and support global evangelism with prayer and finances. We are all members
of Christ’s body, hopefully working together more and more collaboratively to effectively reach the world with His
message of love, hope and redemption. </p><p><b>11. That’s not my ministry, Don’t send me; I don’t have the gift of evangelism: </b></p><p>
My ministry is giving
I don’t have the skills, knowledge, education or strength for overseas missions.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> It may be true, as stated earlier, that overseas missions may not be God’s calling in
your life. </p><p><b>Resolution: </b>No one can do anything on their own, or in their own power. We need the leading, infilling and
empowering of the Holy Spirit in order to be effectively used by God in evangelism and in every other aspect of
our lives. But He is calling all believers in all countries to reach out to others where they are and whenever they
can, and to pray for the unreached. “<b>I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction</b>.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV) </p><p><b>12. I can’t save anyone, and anyway, I’m not good enough for this line of work:
</b> </p><p>I’m not righteous enough to do missionary work of any kind </p><p>No one would listen to me or come to Christ because I preach to them.
</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> You are right, you can’t save anyone, and no one is good but God alone.</p><p><b>Resolution:</b> Our righteousness is from Christ Jesus, and through the empowerment of God’s Spirit we can
effectively witness. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” John 6:44 (NIV) Our task is
obedience to His commands and leave the results with God. </p><p><b>13. I’m too old:</b> </p><p>I’m really too old now and would be ineffective on the mission field.</p><p>I have health problems.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation: </b>Age can have its challenges, as us who are over 50, like my
wife and I, can attest.</p><p><b>Resolution:</b> God can use anyone of any age to further His Kingdom work. To some who cannot go out of their
homes, he can use tremendously through prayer and sacrificial giving to mission causes as God leads. One
option is to volunteer as an online missionary through Global Media Outreach, as my wife is currently doing (I’m
not saying she is old though, you understand).</p><p><b>14. I’m too Young:</b> </p><p>My whole life is ahead of me and there are other things I want to do first.</p><p>I’m too inexperienced in my faith and understanding of the Holy Scriptures.</p><p><b>Reflection/Contemplation:</b> It can be difficult to surrender all to God at any age, especially youth.
Resolution: Our lives are extremely short by eternal standards. Proper training in the understanding of God’s
Word is readily available through your local church, or even online (Please make sure you are visiting an approved
and vetted orthodox church or site that is in accordance with the essentials of the historic Christian faith.) You
can always go to gotquestions.org for any outstanding issues you have not yet resolved for assistance on the
interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. God can use young people in extraordinary ways for His purposes and will.
“<b>Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in
life, in love, in faith, and in purity” </b>1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV) </p><p><b>Some thoughts on Hell:</b>
I have spent considerable time lately pondering and researching the topic of and nature of Hell. I know that because of who God is (including His holy and perfect attributes), Hell will be a just punishment for the wicked and unregenerate. I trust the Creator in this regard (and in everything else) and am fully confident that His judgments are true and altogether righteous. Although Hell is a just punishment, God has provided a way for mankind to receive salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (the unblemished Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world) and spend eternity in Heaven with Him. God takes no
pleasure in the death of the wicked. “<b>Say to them ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no
pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live</b>’”. Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV). And
“<b>The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is Patient with you, not wanting
anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance</b>.” 2 Peter 3:9,10 (NIV)</p><p>Regardless of a person’s view on the actual nature of Hell, evangelical Christians believe Hell is real and represents eternal punishment. Most Christians believe in the traditional view (since around 200 AD) that the nature of Hell involves the eternal conscious torment of bodily resurrected unbelievers who will be made immortal and will suffer conscious torment for all eternity. Other Christians believe that the Bible teaches the complete destruction of the unsaved who are thrown into Hell after final judgment, which is the second death. In the latter view, the ultimate punishment is death, which indeed will last forever and therefore represents an eternal punishment. There are different views on the details of how God will destroy the unsaved, including the duration of the "dying" process and any associated proportionate pain or torment that is inflicted on them before they are completely destroyed or killed.</p><p>I personally don’t
want anyone to have to go to hell unless they are fiercely adamant in wanting to go there by display of a constant
rejection of God and of His only Begotten Son. After all, no one should be forced to reside in Heaven. The Triune
God greatly values humanity and human choice. He demonstrates this is by the granting of free will. That being said, the body of Christ must witness to those who would otherwise believe the
message of salvation and gladly receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord if they were only shown the Way.
That is why we must expeditiously and collaboratively fulfill the Great Commission and proclaim the Gospel of
Jesus Christ to every nation and people group, until everyone has had an adequate opportunity to receive Jesus
as their Lord and Savior. Based on today’s world population and a very rough estimation of mortality rates, it
appears that well over 100,000 people die every day throughout the world (please perform your own research if
you want a precise figure – this is an order-of-magnitude figure for illustration purposes). If that reality doesn’t
knock the wind out of your sails, I don’t know what will. It overwhelms me at times. No one knows when Jesus
will return to earth to gather those who are His and pronounce final judgment on humanity. Just think how many
souls will be lost for all eternity at that moment, since…unfortunately “<b>…wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to
eternal life, and only a few find it</b>”. Matthew 7:13,14 (NIV) This is the most saddening and disheartening Scripture
in all of the Bible to me. I hope in the end it will propel me and the rest of the saints to urgent action in reaching
the unreached, making the wide gate as narrow as possible, and the narrow gate as wide as possible through
global evangelism. In closing this section, I will include a quick and rather unrefined poem that I wrote for my
family to read in the event that I should die before the Lord returns (it was inspired by a very sad movie I recently
watched).</p><p><b>We must share the good news of Jesus. The Gospel must be proclaimed</b> </p><p>Surrender your life, and take up your cross </p><p>Follow Jesus, and preach to the lost </p><p>Love everyone, both day and night</p><p>Reach out to them with God’s perfect Light</p><p><br />Give, go, pray, love, and encourage</p><p>Rest in the Lord and don’t get discouraged</p><p>Time is so fleeting, I’m sounding the bell</p><p>Rescue many from the clutches of Hell </p><p><br />Fulfill the Great Commission without delay</p><p>Reach the unreached while it's still called today</p><p>Lose your life in fulfilling God’s Word </p><p>What will it benefit to gain the whole world?
</p><p><br />Be ambassadors of Christ Jesus the Lord</p><p>Love the lost, needy and poor
</p><p>Be faithful to Jesus & His Commands</p><p>Proclaim the Gospel, His perfect plan </p><p><br />That leads us to Jesus, leads us to Jesus</p><p>So much we need Him, So much He loves us</p><p>Rest and glory in His awesome presence</p><p>The joy, peace and love of all ages.
</p><p><br /></p><p> Also, I have included an article that I wrote many years ago on tithing, and how the body of Christ’s giving can
expedite the fulfillment of the Great Commission.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Thoughts on Tithing/First-fruits</b></p><p><b></b>"<b>The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it</b>." Psalm 24:1 (NIV)</p><p>Everything (more than just 10%) belongs to the Lord! On earth, we are simply His stewards. He entrusts us to
manage all He owns in the ways that will glorify and honor Him. We need to use our time, talents, and treasures
wisely and according to His will. </p><p>We need to give all of ourselves to the Lord. Many give 10% and consider that the rest of their resources can be
spent at their discretion. Let’s realize that God owns all of us, including our resources. Let’s spend them as He
leads us by His Word and His Spirit. The New Testament portrays the concept of freewill sharing and equity
among believers. "<b>Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there
might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty
will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have
too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little</b>." 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 (NIV)</p><p>We, as the body of Christ, are called to reach out to a lost and dying world. We need to deny ourselves, carry our
crosses, and follow Jesus. We need to live lives of "New Testament" simplicity, and not in luxury and self-indulgence. I believe there is a significant mismanagement of God’s money among His Church (the body of
Christ) in affluent countries. The Church should not be spending billions of dollars on church buildings, church
salaries, and unnecessary or extravagant personal items/hobbies/property. (Certainly, the worker deserves his
wages, but his work must be in accordance with our Father’s will. The Church is not a business, although sadly
that’s what appears to be occurring among some mainstream churches today). These resources should be spent
on reaching the millions of people who have never heard of the Gospel even once, and on providing them with
the Word of God in their own language. Sadly, we are spending the majority of our resources on the areas of the
world where Christ has already been preached. The Majority of affluent country church budgets are used for their
own “in-country” programs, whereas only a tiny fraction is utilized to reach the unreached people groups of the
world. It is unjust to share the Gospel of Jesus repeatedly to people who have already heard when there are
those who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus even once. These resources need to be quickly redistributed so
that the majority of the Church’s resources are sent to the unreached people groups of the world.</p><p>We need to give to native missionaries who are reaching the unreached, to organizations that are actively sharing
the Gospel in unreached areas (i.e., CRU's Jesus film ministries, including StoryRunners), and to organizations
that are actively translating the Bible into “unreached” languages (i.e., Wycliffe).</p><p>We should also generously give food, clothing, shelter, and medical supplies where possible to the neediest from
among mankind. We need to give to those who could not otherwise receive the basic needs of life from anyone
else. Many of us are so comfortable and wealthy compared to these needy ones. If we live simply and pool our
resources together, by God’s grace there will be enough for everyone throughout the world who is in need
(remember the five loaves and two fish). We need to join together in praying and giving to those in need across
the world as God directs.</p><p>"<b>Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for
God loves a cheerful giver</b>." 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)</p><p>"<b>Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a
treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also</b>." Luke 12:33, 34 (NIV)</p><p>Lastly…………</p><p>“<b>When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord
of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field</b>.” Matthew 9: 36,37 (NIV)</p><p>“<b>For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not
perish but have eternal life</b>.” John 3:16 (NIV).</p><p>"<b>However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.</b>” Acts 20:24 (NIV) "<b>And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the
end will come</b>." Matthew 24:14 (NIV)
</p><p>“<b>Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will
find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man
give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory with His angels,
and then He will reward each person according to what he has done</b>.’” Matthew 16:24-27 (NIV) </p><p>I recommend listening to Steve Camp’s song “Consider the Cost”
</p><p>“<b>He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen</b>.” Revelation 22:20,21 (NIV)</p><p><br /></p><p>"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."</p><p><br /></p><p>Eric Liljequist</p>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-78739503380129631442022-07-01T01:31:00.009-07:002022-11-20T19:00:14.513-08:00Links to My 1Peter and 2Peter Study Blog Posts<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQvZBtAJPv8oDHHZTaqEBdJokOEwj4dyN-ITGk5NraXVFE7EPrcW_QdRrnuBmJznnWbEFDoUwEuES7reKo-O5kUhFgboNuSSsiinw-cSg_LMecJToeoSB081cE75u4RWi8vBY9I2L1MopK7GFmoUv1M6IsHOCDBiQ18j5uMt0aMHFndDeBYvF7Bmkjw/s480/1%20and%202%20Peter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="480" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQvZBtAJPv8oDHHZTaqEBdJokOEwj4dyN-ITGk5NraXVFE7EPrcW_QdRrnuBmJznnWbEFDoUwEuES7reKo-O5kUhFgboNuSSsiinw-cSg_LMecJToeoSB081cE75u4RWi8vBY9I2L1MopK7GFmoUv1M6IsHOCDBiQ18j5uMt0aMHFndDeBYvF7Bmkjw/w640-h398/1%20and%202%20Peter.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1Peter 1:3-4</b></span> </span><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-living-hope-never-dies.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Living for God: A Living Hope Never Dies (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></p><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 1:6-7 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/purpose-of-trials.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Purpose of Trials (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 1:8-9 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/11/inexpressible-and-glorious-joy.html">Living for God: Inexpressible and Glorious Joy (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />1Peter 1:13. 15</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/set-your-hope-on-grace-and-be-holy.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Set Your Hope on Grace and Be Holy (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 1:15-16</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/be-holy-in-all-you-do.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Be Holy in All You Do (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 1:17, 21</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/live-by-faith-with-hope-in-reverence.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Live in Reverence by Faith with Hope (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 1:24-25</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-word-of-lord-endures-forever.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: The Word of the Lord Endures Forever (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 2:1, 4-5</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/living-stones.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Living Stones (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 2:9-10</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/called-out.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Called Out (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 2:15-17</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/free-to-be-gods-slaves.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: As Servants of God (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 2:20-22</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/be-like-christ.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Be Like Christ (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 2:23-24</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/confidently-entrust-yourselves-to-just.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Confidently Entrust Yourselves to the Just Judge (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>1Peter 3:1-2</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/effective-ways-to-win-your-husband-over.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Effective Ways to Win Your Husband Over to Christ (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 3:7</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/for-husbands.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: For Husbands (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 3:8-9</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/gods-principles-to-live-by.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: God's Principles to Live By (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 3:14-16</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/hope-jesus-is-my-unchanging-hope.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Hope, Jesus Is My Unchanging Hope! (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 3:17-18</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/if-its-gods-will.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: If It's God's Will (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>1Peter 4:1-2</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/keep-having-christlike-attitude-and.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Keep Having a Christlike Attitude and Living for God (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 4:7-8</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/love-pray-and-stay-alert.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Love, Pray, and Stay Alert (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 4:8 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/love-deeply.html">Living for God: Love Deeply (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />1Peter 4:10</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/make-use-of-your-gifts.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Make Use of Your Gifts (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 4:12-13</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/no-surprise.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: No Surprise (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 4:16, 19</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/onward-christian-soldiers.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Onward, Christian Soldiers! (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>1Peter 5:2, 4</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/quite-assignment-and-quite-promise.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Quite an Assignment and Quite a Promise (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 5:5</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/right-attitude-humility-right-action.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Right Attitude: Humility; Right Action: Submission (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 5:6-7</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/submit-to-god.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Submit to God (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1Peter 5:8 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/be-self-controlled-and-alert.html">Living for God: Be Self-controlled and Alert! (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />1Peter 5:8-9</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/timely-truth.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Timely Truth (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1Peter 5:10-11</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/understand-this.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Understand This (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /><b>Conclusion to 1Peter</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/victory-in-jesus.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Victory in Jesus (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /><br /><b>2Peter 1:3</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/whatever-we-need-for-godly-life.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Whatever We Need to Live a Godly Life (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 1:3</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/11/equipped-with-divine-power.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Equipped with Divine Power (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 1:5-7</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/x-is-for-xristos.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: X Is for Xristos (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 1:8-9</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/you-must-possess-these-qualities-in.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: You Must Possess These Qualities in Increasing Measure (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 1:16-17</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/04/zany-accusation.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Zany Accusation (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 1:20-21</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/word-of-god.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Word of God (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>2Peter 2:1</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/beware-of-false-teachers.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Beware of False Teachers (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 2:9-10</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-lord-knows.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: The Lord Knows... (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 2:13</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/they-will-be-paid-back.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">Living for God: They Will Be Paid Back (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 2:18-19</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/slaves-of-depravity.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Slaves of Depravity (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 2:20</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/worse-off.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Worse Off (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /><b>2Peter 3:3-4</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/scoffers.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Scoffers (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 3:8-9</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-lords-patience.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: The Lord's Patience (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 3:10-11</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-ought-you-to-live.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: How Ought We to Live? (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydpf1cbf8a1yiv3346810244ydp44a15028yahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>2Peter 3:14</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/spotless-blameless-but-not-restless.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Spotless, Blameless, but Not Restless (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>2Peter 3:17-18</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/05/grow-in-grace-and-knowledge-of-our-lord.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-84569620722851309282022-06-30T22:42:00.005-07:002022-06-30T22:44:20.195-07:00Links to My James Study Blog Posts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIDvXbcKwSYy9aWnT_JnkVumte2lWLoCwmFP0e5Z5C8ADYkCyKH-tDkagzIpWeW2n6vgCa9JKU33DbHyVia42K26NxU9rkxmvpxVmn1e6GbQzMWjromxaT4H6-2FXaiQIadq0XWzs4aVCcO5HnIcL9_aINXZit0PU9we_kSkigb2PTfn-AMCcxVr7Rw/s2048/James1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwIDvXbcKwSYy9aWnT_JnkVumte2lWLoCwmFP0e5Z5C8ADYkCyKH-tDkagzIpWeW2n6vgCa9JKU33DbHyVia42K26NxU9rkxmvpxVmn1e6GbQzMWjromxaT4H6-2FXaiQIadq0XWzs4aVCcO5HnIcL9_aINXZit0PU9we_kSkigb2PTfn-AMCcxVr7Rw/w400-h400/James1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFrjAa7kIf9hRTckUKTny8efaywCDaCXBUFXz3OfzLDeBjdUAwS_MlXCZFJbklrQiH5l9001LB7jHYcEv-6aUYKUxDTVYHsrQOqO4H8WBxiE-JOXmcN_GJ5J36gE-xXbmyb_UgYtMXsIm_ctyiDh2bae5vLGoua42lfQE20Jv1UJ2qOpntbvf8Fv_bw/s1018/James%20chart.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1018" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFrjAa7kIf9hRTckUKTny8efaywCDaCXBUFXz3OfzLDeBjdUAwS_MlXCZFJbklrQiH5l9001LB7jHYcEv-6aUYKUxDTVYHsrQOqO4H8WBxiE-JOXmcN_GJ5J36gE-xXbmyb_UgYtMXsIm_ctyiDh2bae5vLGoua42lfQE20Jv1UJ2qOpntbvf8Fv_bw/w640-h418/James%20chart.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif"><b>James 1:1-4</b> </span></span><a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/joy-through-trials.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059771" rel="nofollow" style="color: #338fe9; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/joy-through-trials.html</a><p></p><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_711452" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 1:1-4</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-must-be-tested-james-11-4.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-must-be-tested-james-11-4.html</a><br /><b>James 1:2-4</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-value-of-trials.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-value-of-trials.html</a><div><b>James 1:5</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/12/want-wisdom.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059576" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/12/want-wisdom.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:5-8</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/wisdom-james-15-8.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059578" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/wisdom-james-15-8.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:5-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/pray-for-wisdom.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_818123" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/pray-for-wisdom.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:9-11</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/we-all-have-to-face-trials.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_249831" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/we-all-have-to-face-trials.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:12</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-crown-of-life-james-112.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059580" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-crown-of-life-james-112.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:12-15</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/persevere-and-take-responsibility.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_249602" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/persevere-and-take-responsibility.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:13-15</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/tempted-james-113-15.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059582" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/tempted-james-113-15.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:16-17</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/perfect-gift-giver-james-116-17.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1061894" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/perfect-gift-giver-james-116-17.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:16-18</b> <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/perfect-gift-giver.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/perfect-gift-giver.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:18</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/birth-through-word-james-118.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059585" rel="nofollow" style="color: #660066; font-size: 1.17em; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span face="HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059586" style="font-size: small;"></span></a><span face="HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059586"><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/birth-through-word-james-118.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059587" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/birth-through-word-james-118.html</a></span><div><span face="HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><b>James 1:19</b> </span><a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/08/take-note-of-this.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: HelveticaNeue, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: medium;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/08/take-note-of-this.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:19-20</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/take-note-of-this-james-119-20.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_860185" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/take-note-of-this-james-119-20.html</a><br /></div><div><b>James 1:19-21</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp1b03d3cenhancr_card_2885393469" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/humbly-receive-gods-soul-saving-word.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Humbly Receive God's Soul-Saving Word</a><br /></div></div></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_859983" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;"><b>James 1:22-24</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp1b03d3cenhancr_card_2984016820" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/04/do-what-gods-word-says.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Do What God's Word Says</a><div><b>James 1:22-25</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/do-what-it-says-james-122-25.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/do-what-it-says-james-122-25.html</span></a><br /></div></div></span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;"><b>James 1:22-27</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/obedience-matters.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/obedience-matters.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></b><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></i><u style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></u><sub style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></sub><sup style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></sup><strike style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></strike><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 1:25 </b><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp1b03d3cenhancr_card_3058376018" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/do-what-it-says-james-122-25.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">The Obedient Will Be Blessed</a><div><br /></div></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_860331" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1052658" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 2:1-4</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/favoritism-not-allowed-james-21-4.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_326991" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/favoritism-not-allowed-james-21-4.html</a><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_101754" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 2:1-7</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/favoritism-forbidden.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1060036" rel="nofollow" style="color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/favoritism-forbidden.html</a></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 2:5-7</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/rich-in-faith-james-25-7.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_102460" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/rich-in-faith-james-25-7.html</a> <br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 2:8-9</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-royal-law-of-love.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_807149" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-royal-law-of-love.html</a></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 2:8-11</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/guilty-james-28-11.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451022" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/guilty-james-28-11.html</a><br /><b>James 2:12-13</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/mercy-triumphs-over-judgment-james-212.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451772" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/mercy-triumphs-over-judgment-james-212.html</a><br /><b>James 2:14-17</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/dead-faith-james-214-17.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451163" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/dead-faith-james-214-17.html</a><br /><b>James 2:14-17</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/faith-without-deeds-is-dead.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_711444" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/faith-without-deeds-is-dead.html</a><br /><b>James 2:18-19</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/show-your-faith-by-your-deeds-james-218.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451611" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/show-your-faith-by-your-deeds-james-218.html</a><br /><b>James 2:20-23</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-requires-actions-james-220-23.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_452131" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-requires-actions-james-220-23.html</a><br /><b>James 2:24-25</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/put-faith-in-action-james-224-25.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451292" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/put-faith-in-action-james-224-25.html</a><br /><b>James 2:26</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-without-deeds-is-dead-james-226.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451958" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/faith-without-deeds-is-dead-james-226.html</a><br /><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 3:1-4</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-power-of-tongue-james-31-4.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1053133" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-power-of-tongue-james-31-4.html</a></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1053239" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><b>James 3:3-5</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-power-of-tongue.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_249191" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-power-of-tongue.html</a></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 3:2-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015enhancr2_0ed0bf06-0521-c598-7715-366e386d49f3" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2009/09/taming-tongue.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_326862" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Taming the Tongue</a> <br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_101754" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 3:5-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp8c7ba2c6enhancr_card_3342186624 ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp2897c39cenhancr_card_3588606914" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/tongue-trouble-james-35-8.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Tongue Trouble (James 3:5-8)</a><br /><b>James 3:7-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp8c7ba2c6enhancr_card_3408685974 ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp2897c39cenhancr_card_2803979334" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/08/control-your-tongue.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Control Your Tongue</a><br /><b>James 3:8-10</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-comes-out-of-your-mouth.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: What Comes Out of Your Mouth? (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><div><b>James 3:9-10</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydp2897c39cenhancr_card_2806139285" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/08/blessing-vs-cursing.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Blessing vs. Cursing</a><br /></div><div><b>James 3:9-12</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/this-should-not-be-james-39-12.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055415" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/this-should-not-be-james-39-12.html</a><br /></div><b>James 3:13</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/show-your-wisdom-james-313.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1049556" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/show-your-wisdom-james-313.html</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 3:14-15</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/worldly-wisdom-james-314-15.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_520494" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/worldly-wisdom-james-314-15.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 3:16</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/envy-and-selfish-ambition-james-316.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055140" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/envy-and-selfish-ambition-james-316.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 3:17-18</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/heavenly-wisdom-james-317-18.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1049262" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/heavenly-wisdom-james-317-18.html</a><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1049300" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 3:17-18</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/wisdom-from-heaven.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_248813" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/01/wisdom-from-heaven.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1049376" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /><br /><b>James 4:1-3</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/war-within-james-41-3.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1058970" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/war-within-james-41-3.html</a></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1059104" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 4:4-6</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/more-grace-james-44-6.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_363857" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/more-grace-james-44-6.html</a><br /><b>James 4:4-6</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/choose-your-friendship-with-god-or-with.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/choose-your-friendship-with-god-or-with.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 4:7-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/antidotes-to-pride-and-worldliness.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_806834" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; color: #338fe9;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/antidotes-to-pride-and-worldliness.html</a><br /><b>James 4:8</b> <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/01/draw-near-to-god.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/01/draw-near-to-god.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yahoo-style-wrap" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 4:7-10</b> </span><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/cure-for-worldliness-and-pride-james-47.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451856" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/cure-for-worldliness-and-pride-james-47.html</a><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"> </span><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 4:11-12</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/pride-and-self-righteousness-james-411.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_687564" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/pride-and-self-righteousness-james-411.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 4:13-16</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/mere-mist-james-413-16.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_363702" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/mere-mist-james-413-16.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 4:13-17</b> </span><a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/life-is-short-do-good.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/life-is-short-do-good.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 4:17</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/sin-of-omission-james-417.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_452513" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/sin-of-omission-james-417.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" dir="ltr" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_451931" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:1-3</b> <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/warning-to-hoarders.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/warning-to-hoarders.html</a><br /><b>James 5:1-6</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-to-do-with-wealth-james-51-6.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-to-do-with-wealth-james-51-6.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:7-8</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/be-patient-and-stand-firm.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/be-patient-and-stand-firm.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:7-9</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/wait-patiently-james-57-9.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_789846" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/wait-patiently-james-57-9.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:10-11</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/example-of-patience-james-510-11.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_791062" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/example-of-patience-james-510-11.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:12</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/yes-or-no-james-512.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_790823" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/yes-or-no-james-512.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:13-14</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/better-uses-of-tongue.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_790585" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/better-uses-of-tongue.html</a><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_790690" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:13-16</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/pray-and-praise.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/pray-and-praise.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyahoo-style-wrap" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:16</b> <a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/pray-for-each-other.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_254011" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/pray-for-each-other.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:15-16</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/confess-and-pray-james-515-16.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_789620" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/confess-and-pray-james-515-16.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:17-18</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/pray-earnestly-james-517-18.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_790400" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/pray-earnestly-james-517-18.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif"><b>James 5:19-20</b> </span><a class="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/save-wanderers-james-519-20.html" id="ydpeb3cbc77yiv2574764596ydpff60bac2yiv9074815856ydp5e051079yiv8438936769ydp5dcd1a46yiv9817244442ydpcbf72218yiv6089793400ydpe9623ebbyiv5210161015yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_790156" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/07/save-wanderers-james-519-20.html</a><br /></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>James 5:19-20</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2018/02/save-straying.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Save the Straying (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-1471797005663780952022-06-30T20:00:00.001-07:002022-06-30T20:00:10.046-07:00Links to My 1John Study Blog Posts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA6-17gxHDp0idonZemzu7GvicV3IShORRBZWXlNnmFiYDIY2p_vrCReYzKZKPEWrwupTKYsXYkUQ0kKWq6tJ0Bemag0zrRi-PTo1DIoVmFCVYkOEUMLRrzxxI0A5hazy-MEMGLbdl2ws-2imG-iFBvJ5LsXyor1T9u0wZfBXdpGDuoV2zE2VJ1fLhA/s2048/1John.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA6-17gxHDp0idonZemzu7GvicV3IShORRBZWXlNnmFiYDIY2p_vrCReYzKZKPEWrwupTKYsXYkUQ0kKWq6tJ0Bemag0zrRi-PTo1DIoVmFCVYkOEUMLRrzxxI0A5hazy-MEMGLbdl2ws-2imG-iFBvJ5LsXyor1T9u0wZfBXdpGDuoV2zE2VJ1fLhA/w400-h400/1John.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1John 1:4-7 </b></span><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/12/advent-day-16-walk-in-light.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/12/advent-day-16-walk-in-light.html</a></p><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1John 1:9</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/confess-and-be-cleansed.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Confess and Be Cleansed (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>1John 2:3-6</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-test-of-knowing-christ.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: The Test of Knowing Christ (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr"><b>1John 2:15-16</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/do-not-love-world.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Do Not Love the World (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr"><b>1John 2:25</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/eternal-life.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Eternal Life (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr"><b>1John 2:28-29</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/confident-and-unashamed.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Confident and Unashamed (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><br /><br /><b>1John 3:16-17</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/how-we-know-what-love-is.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: How We Know What Love Is (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1John 3:18</b> <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/love-in-deed-and-in-truth.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/03/love-in-deed-and-in-truth.html</a><br /><b>1John 3:19-20</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/assurance.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Assurance (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>1John 3:23-24</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/faith-and-love.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/faith-and-love.html</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><b>1John 4:7-8</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/12/advent-day-9-god-is-love.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/12/advent-day-9-god-is-love.html</a><div><b>1John 4:10-12</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/this-is-love.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/this-is-love.html</a><br /></div><div><b>1John 4:19-21</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/god-loved-us-first-and-he-loves-us-best.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/god-loved-us-first-and-he-loves-us-best.html</a><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>1John 5:4</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2016/09/world-overcomers.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2016/09/world-overcomers.html</a><div><b>1John 5:14</b> <a class="" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/pray-according-to-gods-will.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/pray-according-to-gods-will.html</a><br /></div><div><b>1John 5:20</b> <a class="ydpb6ea1dyiv4626416970ydp814f830fyiv8084060857" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/true-god-and-eternal-life.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/true-god-and-eternal-life.html</a></div></div>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-62643965600899481702022-06-30T19:30:00.011-07:002022-11-21T17:47:14.560-08:00Links to My Philippians Study Blog Posts<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9sve0B3p3TCBDhcK-eQb7FPi4J8qYqBL3Mq9QSN0koZjOIOcC_0Nwj8c4UfGJcTAKgSF_09FwcD9daFJKuTrEbfpn6C3FPp7A3yfXfbJlVbkqbobdl9vHlgBZaSXajhiGPAROUDN8JFInofKNtSNiFUInwPXMjXmHKEmTKbnl2dInuN-6ZgQIjAlw/s2048/Philippians1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJi9sve0B3p3TCBDhcK-eQb7FPi4J8qYqBL3Mq9QSN0koZjOIOcC_0Nwj8c4UfGJcTAKgSF_09FwcD9daFJKuTrEbfpn6C3FPp7A3yfXfbJlVbkqbobdl9vHlgBZaSXajhiGPAROUDN8JFInofKNtSNiFUInwPXMjXmHKEmTKbnl2dInuN-6ZgQIjAlw/w400-h400/Philippians1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>Philippians 1:6</b></span><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/god-will-finish-what-he-started.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Living for God: God Will Finish What He Started (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_982133" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 1:9-11</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/more-and-more.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Pray for Abundant Agape (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 1:14</b> <a class="enhancr_card_7347543296" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/proclaim-gospel-without-fear.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Proclaim the Gospel Without Fear</a><br /><b>Philippians 1:18</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/summum-bonum-christ-is-proclaimed.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Summum Bonum: Christ Is Proclaimed (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><b>Philippians 1:21, 27</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/to-live-worthy-of-gospel-of-christ.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/to-live-worthy-of-gospel-of-christ.html</a><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Philippians 1 in poem</b></span> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/philippians-1-in-poem.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Philippians 1 in Poem (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Philippians 2:3-4</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/unity-through-humility.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_859660" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/unity-through-humility.html</a><br /></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 2:3-5</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/02/christlike-attitude.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Christlike Attitude (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 2:3-5 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/01/christlike-humility.html">Living for God: Christlike Humility (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />Philippians 2:9-11</b> <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/every-knee-will-bow.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/10/every-knee-will-bow.html</span></a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 2:12-13</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/god-works-in-us.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251618" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/god-works-in-us.html</a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_859782" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 2:14-16</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/shine-for-jesus.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1058306" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/shine-for-jesus.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 2:21</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/be-blessing-to-others.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251424" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/be-blessing-to-others.html</a><br /></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Philippians 2 in poem</b></span> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/philippians-2-in-poem.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Philippians 2 in Poem (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251571" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 3:3</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/true-christianity.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/true-christianity.html</a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 3:7-11 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2009/08/knowing-you-jesus.html">Living for God: Knowing You, Jesus (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />Philippians 3:8-9</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/knowing-christ.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055729" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/knowing-christ.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 3:12-14</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/press-on.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251287" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/press-on.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 3:16</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/live-what-you-believe.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251001" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/live-what-you-believe.html</a><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 3:19-21 </b><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/03/our-citizenship-is-in-heaven.html">Living for God: Our Citizenship Is In Heaven (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><b><br />Philippians 3:20-21</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-citizenship-is-in-heaven.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_251155" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-citizenship-is-in-heaven.html</a><br /></div><div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Philippians 3 in poem</b></span> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/philippians-3-in-poem.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Philippians 3 in Poem (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055805" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" dir="ltr" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055784" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 4:4-5</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/be-joyful-and-be-gentle.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_250644" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/be-joyful-and-be-gentle.html</a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_250650" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 4:6</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/10/worry-about-nothing-pray-about.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_996462" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/10/worry-about-nothing-pray-about.html</a><br /></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" dir="ltr" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1055663" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 4:6-7</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/peace-vs-anxiety.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_247908" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/peace-vs-anxiety.html</a><br /><b>Philippians 4:6-7</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/11/prayer-with-thanksgiving.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0066cc;">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/11/prayer-with-thanksgiving.html</span></a><br /><b>Philippians 4:8</b> <a class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584" href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/think-on-these-things.html" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1516578403094_1058149" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/think-on-these-things.html</a><br /><b>Philippians 4:8</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2019/08/think-right-speak-right.html" style="background-color: transparent;">Living for God: Think Right, Speak Right (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a></div><div class="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584signature" data-setdir="false" dir="ltr" id="ydp1a630b85yiv5010931616ydp97be8ef5yiv7304680538ydp98a9294eyiv0896850751ydp4122782cyiv3711010225ydpf878f1b4yiv9934281584yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1517470992851_247917" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Philippians 4:12-13</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-secret-of-being-content.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-secret-of-being-content.html</a><br /><b>Philippians 4:19</b> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/god-meets-all-our-needs.html">Living for God: God Meets All Our Needs (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Philippians 4 in poem</b></span> <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2017/11/philippians-4-in-poem.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #196ad4;" target="_blank">Living for God: Philippians 4 in Poem (bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com)</a> </div>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-78610958460999178772020-12-21T22:29:00.002-08:002021-08-23T16:02:37.399-07:00Christmas Unchanged<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGE9zUOM1frC_zH7gyA9C8MVab3kWoGa3rYxuxsv6NlulF9PiuldITIyOJjGjCp-kp-cLNqxwho8w3wZcq-3CK4m1gi7Xjgq71Urly6qxiKCSftv6yO8mpoCeNIrFQoI92lxZMH8FOZO9/s1755/Matthew2verses10and11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1755" data-original-width="1170" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGE9zUOM1frC_zH7gyA9C8MVab3kWoGa3rYxuxsv6NlulF9PiuldITIyOJjGjCp-kp-cLNqxwho8w3wZcq-3CK4m1gi7Xjgq71Urly6qxiKCSftv6yO8mpoCeNIrFQoI92lxZMH8FOZO9/w426-h640/Matthew2verses10and11.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-family: "PT Sans", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 32px auto; max-width: calc(750px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Reading: <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder; max-width: unset;">Matthew 2:1-12</span><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" />Focus Verses: <span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder; max-width: unset;">Matthew 2:9-11</span></p><h1><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-family: "PT Sans", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; margin: 32px auto; max-width: calc(750px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">Global pandemic. Social distancing. Isolation. Loneliness. Deaths of loved ones. Losses of businesses and jobs. Online schools and churches. Events and programs cancelled. Number of people limited for gatherings. Faces hidden behind masks. Divisive opinions among families and friends. Undeniably, this year has been difficult and challenging to say the least. Some people may feel upset, frustrated, disappointed, depressed, annoyed, and joyless during this Christmas season because they have certain expectations of how Christmas should be celebrated but this year of craziness makes it impossible and dampens their Christmas spirit. We (myself included) can easily lose sight of how God wants us to celebrate Christ’s birth/Christmas.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" />God purposely guided and directed the Magi (aka the wise men) by a special star for a reason. They came to Jerusalem and inquired about the location of the One who had been born King of the Jews. When King Herod heard this, he was panic and viewed this Child as a threat to his power and position. He called the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Messiah (promised Deliverer, the Anointed One) was to be born. Interestingly, Herod himself (a gentile) acknowledged Christ as the Messiah. They replied, “In Bethlehem in Judea” and quoted the prophecy from Micah 5:2. Most religious leaders believed in Old Testament prophecies so they knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Herod summoned the Magi secretly and pretended to be interested in knowing where to find Jesus and wanting to go worship Him. His real motive was to locate and kill the newborn King. Later, a special divine revelation directed the Magi to not go back to Herod on their return to their country.<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" /><br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" />The star went ahead of the Magi and stopped where Christ was. The Magi rejoiced with exceedingly great joy (NKJV). Not just joy. Not just great joy, but exceedingly great joy! This rejoicing with exceedingly great joy is a result of finding/encountering Jesus (being in His presence), surrendering, worshiping, and giving…as demonstrated by the Magi. They were overjoyed when they found Jesus, bowed down, worshiped the Christ Child, and gave Him gifts. No matter how the world has changed, Christmas remains the same. God’s intention has never changed. God wants Jesus to be honored, worshiped, and made known not just by Jews, but by all nations of the world (the wise men from the east were gentiles). We, the redeemed of the Lord, are to worship and honor Christ and make Him known. We can offer Him our gifts of submission (to His kingship), adoration/praise (for His deity and all His divine attributes), and gratitude (for His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins). Don’t let current crisis or circumstances make us lose sight of what Christmas is all about. Let us celebrate Christ, our Lord and Savior…our Messiah and King, all year long, not just at Christmastime, come what may. </p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-family: "PT Sans", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; margin: 32px auto; max-width: calc(750px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;">************<br style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;" /><em style="box-sizing: inherit; max-width: unset;">What attitude adjustments or what priorities do you need to make in order for you to rejoice with exceedingly great joy this Christmas?</em></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #303030; font-family: "PT Sans", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; margin: 32px auto; max-width: calc(750px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: bolder; max-width: unset;">Prayer</span>: Abba Father, thank You for Your indescribable gift of Jesus who was born to save us! This alone is an enough reason for us to rejoice always. Please direct our hearts and minds to focus on celebrating Christ’s birth the way You want, not the way we wish for. May we rejoice with exceedingly great joy as we humbly worship Christ and boldly make Him known by offering up our lives…our all. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1H_Ny_1EgvA" width="560"></iframe></p></h1>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-26114953240974363032020-08-28T23:41:00.007-07:002020-08-29T23:34:48.260-07:00This Is Love<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDlTZHl6DFd7Z2AmJo6OkHws3btgFCRqjZ12vY7VL_-ZOYTCq5H565MGZt4ObDH9BZe_ZU3LgZ9PRZFLzjj3jSiN33OOE5K1oj-Q-5whJASAYx5zCzZPQIUUN5ATWhnhIjc4VGh6wy2BB/s1376/1John4verse10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDlTZHl6DFd7Z2AmJo6OkHws3btgFCRqjZ12vY7VL_-ZOYTCq5H565MGZt4ObDH9BZe_ZU3LgZ9PRZFLzjj3jSiN33OOE5K1oj-Q-5whJASAYx5zCzZPQIUUN5ATWhnhIjc4VGh6wy2BB/s640/1John4verse10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><big id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255863" style="background-color: white;"><big id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255862"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255861"><span>It's not our love for God but it's God's love for us that sent Jesus to die the death we deserve to give us what we don't deserve (forgiveness, salvation, eternal life with Him in Heaven). Sin separated us from God. God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. Because God is holy, righteous, and just, sin has to be dealt with. Out of love, God gave His one and only Son to be the atoning sacrifice (propitiation/the mercy seat) for our sin (to pay the penalty for our sin once and for all/to satisfy God's justice and wrath towards our sin), in order to restore our relationship with Him. <br /><br />God is the Source of true love (agape). Agape love is unconditional, sacrificial, and selfless. It seeks the highest good for another no matter what the cost may be, as shown by Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf. God offered His Son to rescue us regardless of our decision to accept or reject Jesus, His gracious Gift. "<b>But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.</b>" (Romans 5:8) Christ died for our sins even when we're still enemies of God. God loves us first before we turn to Him...before we seek Him...before we love Him. He did not wait for us to love Him first before showing His love to us. God's love for us does not depend on who we are or what we do. God loves the guilty, the rebellious, the wicked, the unworthy, the ungrateful, and the unloving. God's amazing love for us never changes. God loved us to death (literally) before we did anything deserving of love. Christ's death on the cross was the ultimate expression of God's love for mankind. The most glorious display of His lovingkindness! We must follow God's example. Take the initiative in loving others, loving everyone, including the unlovable. Love like Jesus!</span></span></big></big></span></span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #330000;">"<i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does for you</span><span style="color: red;">.</span></i>" (Max Lucado)<br /><br />"</span><span style="color: red;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">We cannot choose whom we will love if we claim to be Christians.</span></i></span><span style="color: #330000;">" (Unknown)</span></span></h2><p><span style="color: #660000;"><big id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255863" style="background-color: white;"><big id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255862"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1403720974457_255861"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;"><b>Prayer</b>: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me before I even knew You! Thank You for Christ's sacrifice for my sins! My heart is overwhelmed with Your unfailing & unconditional love for me. Please love through me...help me love others with Your agape love. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</span><br /></span></big></big></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><big style="background-color: white;"><big></big></big></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><big style="background-color: white;"><big><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcFo1troJXkKgCrQ4lOuW0KZhUGSZu_w0L_aCDFYJ5UHLarT_Fk92MRFsO2cqzW2EXgJpu4sCY7Rl6TyGz8_uuj-ngVt2O8Lx0rklMMUWxvCIhNMIYowLXFzHlWA4RxOLDS5Cyc1vN20Z/s612/Lovethatwecannotlose.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfcFo1troJXkKgCrQ4lOuW0KZhUGSZu_w0L_aCDFYJ5UHLarT_Fk92MRFsO2cqzW2EXgJpu4sCY7Rl6TyGz8_uuj-ngVt2O8Lx0rklMMUWxvCIhNMIYowLXFzHlWA4RxOLDS5Cyc1vN20Z/s0/Lovethatwecannotlose.jpg" /></a></big></big></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><big style="background-color: white;"><big><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4faS6GR2dy8y5ITOYjHjYRqlAy2p8CzDtpFNBOCYPB4eWN8ZeT1JcHNdBjnlHYv61O282VMOwWTopDDVBEynSQY4aHw2d_wXonk8TPhuh-abYP7IN5U3mtT_oR1v9OY_c3cK3F2vST25-/s660/cross4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="660" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4faS6GR2dy8y5ITOYjHjYRqlAy2p8CzDtpFNBOCYPB4eWN8ZeT1JcHNdBjnlHYv61O282VMOwWTopDDVBEynSQY4aHw2d_wXonk8TPhuh-abYP7IN5U3mtT_oR1v9OY_c3cK3F2vST25-/s640/cross4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYyv8BVYbsPFPXOo2PBYOu3RzoLw2LjPTIINipQcLP9O_JsDSyiORAonRT2FoBNqh0wAU_tECoqVDAVDclRvmxsxzy0Ot2rE8npf4XbmffZN8_RehjreMhPljQ3LJ4T2RkJpiPdI0uQwa/s800/cross5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="620" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYyv8BVYbsPFPXOo2PBYOu3RzoLw2LjPTIINipQcLP9O_JsDSyiORAonRT2FoBNqh0wAU_tECoqVDAVDclRvmxsxzy0Ot2rE8npf4XbmffZN8_RehjreMhPljQ3LJ4T2RkJpiPdI0uQwa/s640/cross5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC1VUhEBqke7r6piHqZLNIfG81xzcM_R3lP9mrxjdCYc06sYbD9adDgVPU0yUa-SGXB30BSC8wcCZkm4hxgTvYdYl9v-9A6mLeDW7HUrcPndhImYpz9TtAqReHxP9JTV43MVWD1MgEMZu/s800/crossofChrist.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoC1VUhEBqke7r6piHqZLNIfG81xzcM_R3lP9mrxjdCYc06sYbD9adDgVPU0yUa-SGXB30BSC8wcCZkm4hxgTvYdYl9v-9A6mLeDW7HUrcPndhImYpz9TtAqReHxP9JTV43MVWD1MgEMZu/s640/crossofChrist.jpg" /></a></div></big></big></span><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tu2uA6U4Fxg" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-29381748136001017462020-08-26T12:20:00.001-07:002020-08-29T20:31:00.686-07:00Assurance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu5biZQ7sOQsxpzrxgvEQxxNZ5LaCWeof0blp0n9V6txJbRuJowcrBYAIEHNbwSraajwHyBkQRxRbdfOXsQZPWZVS6nY8ji_qK-tKUHU0cZuuHgzRBRSHxZ3jL4DK7CU56biq5XHKiem9/s640/1John3verses19and20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu5biZQ7sOQsxpzrxgvEQxxNZ5LaCWeof0blp0n9V6txJbRuJowcrBYAIEHNbwSraajwHyBkQRxRbdfOXsQZPWZVS6nY8ji_qK-tKUHU0cZuuHgzRBRSHxZ3jL4DK7CU56biq5XHKiem9/s0/1John3verses19and20.jpg" /></a></div><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span class="text 1John-3-19" id="en-NIV-30599" style="background-color: white;">"</span><b><span class="text 1John-3-19" style="background-color: white;">This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence:</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></b><span class="text 1John-3-20" id="en-NIV-30600" style="background-color: white;"><b>If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything</b>." (1 John 3:19-20)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Obedience to God's Word and agape love (the fruit of the Spirit) towards people not only prove (to others) that we belong to the truth but also give our own hearts confident assurance of being in the truth. O</span><span style="background-color: white;">ur hearts are at rest (at peace) in God's presence because we know we are in His will; we are doing what He wants us to do.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Well, nobody (not even pastors or theologians) can obey God's Word and practice agape love perfectly all the time. Yes, we all fail at times. Our failures may make us question whether we belong to the truth. Our hearts may condemn us and make us doubt our salvation. This could be the work of the enemy (</span><span style="background-color: white;">the accuser of our brothers and sisters, mentioned in Revelation 12:10</span><span style="background-color: white;">) or the work of our oversensitive conscience. When this happens, we must trust what God's Word says about our standing in Christ, not how we feel. We know that God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything. God is greater than our lack of assurance. He says in His Word: </span><span style="background-color: white;">"<b>F<span class="ydp4602bc2ctext ydp4602bc2cRom-3-23" id="ydp4602bc2cen-NIV-28015">or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,</span> <span class="ydp4602bc2ctext ydp4602bc2cRom-3-24" id="ydp4602bc2cen-NIV-28016">and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus</span></b></span><span class="ydp4602bc2ctext ydp4602bc2cRom-3-25" id="ydp4602bc2cen-NIV-28017" style="background-color: white;"><b>.</b>" (Romans 3:23-24) If you have </span><span style="background-color: white;">trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and relied on His finished work of redemption on the cross to pay for the penalty of your sins, you have been justified (declared not guilty) and all your sins have been forgiven as if you had never sinned. In addition, Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us. </span><span style="background-color: white;">God knows all the good, the bad, and the ugly in us and He still loves us, cares for us, and forgives us. We are still His children. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">"<i>The believer's ultimate foundation of assurance is the character of God</i>." (Criswell) Even when we fail Him, He will never fail us. We can always depend on Him. God's love will never let us go. We are His forever.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">John's intention for these verses is to encourage us with blessed assurance of salvation. </span><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span class="text 1John-5-13" style="background-color: white;"><b>I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life</b>." (1 John 5:13) Notice that John used the word "know" many times in this letter. He really wanted us to know all these truths so that all doubts can be removed.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Be confident in your salvation; know that you're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not by your performance. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> <br /><br />Don't let doubt discourage you, make you spiritually lethargic, and render you useless for the kingdom of God. Never give up pressing into God and pressing on trusting God and living for God. Authentic faith perseveres. Persistence and perseverance will eventually lead to confidence and assurance. <br /></span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><br />1. Keep going to God in prayer. "</span><span style="background-color: white;"><b>If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> and purify us from all unrighteousness.</b>" (<a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2020/08/confess-and-be-cleansed.html" target="_blank">1 John 1:9</a>) "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><i>Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory due to His name, and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort. The most praying souls are the most assured souls</i>." (Thomas Brooks)</span></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #212529; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> Keep praying and asking Holy Spirit to increase your faith, to give you confident assurance, and to empower you to walk in obedience and to love like Jesus.</span><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br />2. Keep going to God's Word. "<b>T</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b>herefore, there is now no condemnation</b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b> for those who are in Christ Jesus</b>." (Romans 8:1) The assurance of salvation is simply a matter of taking God at His Word.<br /><br /></span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">No condemnation now I dread, <br /></i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><i>I am my Lord’s and He is mine;<br /></i><i>Alive in Him, my living Head,<br /></i><i>And clothed in righteousness divine</i>.</span><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">(Wesley)<br /><br />3. Keep loving God and loving people. Focus on these two greatest commandments and rely on God's strength and power to do this. <br /><br />4. Keep throwing yourselves on God's mercy and grace. Again and again. Our sins are many but His mercy is more and His grace is inexhaustible!</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">5. Keep clinging to Christ no matter what and remembering what Christ accomplished on the cross ("It is finished!"). </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">"</span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>For every look at self--take ten looks at Christ!</i>" (</span><span style="background-color: white;">Robert Murray McCheyne) The antidote to self-condemnation is to gaze and camp on Christ's redemption and justification. "</span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><i>When I cannot enjoy the faith of assurance, I live by the faith of adherence</i>." (Matthew Henry)</span></span></p><p class="center" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px; text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">"<i>Assurance grows by repeated conflict, by our repeated experimental proof of the Lord's power and goodness to save; when we have been brought very low and helped, sorely wounded and healed, cast down and raised again, have given up all hope, and been suddenly snatched from danger, and placed in safety; and when these things have been repeated to us and in us a thousand times over, we begin to learn to trust simply to the word and power of God, beyond and against appearances: and this trust, when habitual and strong, bears the name of assurance; for even assurance has degrees</i>." (John Newton, a former slave trader, who wrote Amazing Grace)<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zeHuNFmg8v9W-q8_T_inL-nRNCm39Tzhtc0F-3q35faEvBC6oNgrpHF9k-B638zIxYobSg3VhBTElaHUPi2w5Wtc8XZBkdbJFy32hq6ggMCOtloNmFDxWRa77FgTKJP50YDipfa-dPSu/s830/eternal+security1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="830" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zeHuNFmg8v9W-q8_T_inL-nRNCm39Tzhtc0F-3q35faEvBC6oNgrpHF9k-B638zIxYobSg3VhBTElaHUPi2w5Wtc8XZBkdbJFy32hq6ggMCOtloNmFDxWRa77FgTKJP50YDipfa-dPSu/s640/eternal+security1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFCZMzL1mnz468uv-SWdjGr7zZL_pMQKOmucPHZGzXT2QaCcPmfDUB7G4lgxnS2zxLLddaTSU4A2Ce-kJhqiDliwVKoZSZmdunvpFlsWeMdbwTl_z8M9roGmK_MeOXnPk7WPwpOMVZ_tV/s640/never+perish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFCZMzL1mnz468uv-SWdjGr7zZL_pMQKOmucPHZGzXT2QaCcPmfDUB7G4lgxnS2zxLLddaTSU4A2Ce-kJhqiDliwVKoZSZmdunvpFlsWeMdbwTl_z8M9roGmK_MeOXnPk7WPwpOMVZ_tV/s0/never+perish.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08ZIsW-QKJqWEwCmhBkZCcZcSiEPb2AXmVfKJY_79s6tETjahRCuw8Lb9BFrLO5qO1oC8NEwCx20jwgOVC6xfvB3r6VV5mCOXGlhQfcmrwpFauw_As-lxYHtvYVprLmaNvxKIMyii8SP2/s600/doubting.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08ZIsW-QKJqWEwCmhBkZCcZcSiEPb2AXmVfKJY_79s6tETjahRCuw8Lb9BFrLO5qO1oC8NEwCx20jwgOVC6xfvB3r6VV5mCOXGlhQfcmrwpFauw_As-lxYHtvYVprLmaNvxKIMyii8SP2/s0/doubting.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><p></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/It_xQ4NYtDQ" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-21811599042748922732020-08-25T12:52:00.002-07:002020-08-25T12:52:25.601-07:00How We Know What Love Is<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0p5l7qe7ZW5h3e-cTD6BwtUcFIM5LfcTHo_HJ1vFQjOixS6o-j6LB9rzvpyyebbfeMLcjzM9LIJYbCS7L4VmUxaLDxN4mXapDUmlDguFMYB4pIbhH4498GZ7FE58bSBWUiAmj9uwxgo1/s1280/1John3verses16and17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0p5l7qe7ZW5h3e-cTD6BwtUcFIM5LfcTHo_HJ1vFQjOixS6o-j6LB9rzvpyyebbfeMLcjzM9LIJYbCS7L4VmUxaLDxN4mXapDUmlDguFMYB4pIbhH4498GZ7FE58bSBWUiAmj9uwxgo1/s640/1John3verses16and17.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span class="text 1John-3-16" face="" id="en-NIV-30596" style="background-color: white;">"<b>This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.</b></span><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b> </b></span><span class="text 1John-3-17" face="" id="en-NIV-30597" style="background-color: white;"><b>If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?</b>" (1 John 3:16-17)<br /></span><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><br />Every Christian knows John 3:16 by heart but how many of us have 1 John 3:16 at heart? Agape love is self-sacrificing love and it's required of us as children of God. Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. This is to be our standard and example of what love is. We are to love like Christ...to be willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Agape love is the supernatural love that God puts in our heart through His indwelling Spirit. It's a fruit of the Spirit. It's dying to self and valuing others above self. <br /><br />Genuine love must be expressed in action. </span><span class="text Jas-2-15" face="" id="en-NIV-30309" style="background-color: white;">"<b>Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.</b></span><b><span face="" style="background-color: white;"> </span><span class="text Jas-2-16" face="" id="en-NIV-30310" style="background-color: white;">If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?</span><span face="" style="background-color: white;"> </span></b><span class="text Jas-2-17" face="" id="en-NIV-30311" style="background-color: white;"><b>In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead</b>." (James 2:15-17) </span><span data-reactid=".7k.1:3:1:$comment372309329547762_374182746027087:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$6:0" face="" style="background-color: white;">O</span><span data-reactid=".7k.1:3:1:$comment372309329547762_374182746027087:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$8:0" face="" style="background-color: white;">ur faith and our words are worth nothing (meaningless) if we do nothing to help those in need. Agape love is </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.4286px;">shown in giving, helping, serving, forgiving, praying, protecting, listening, caring, bearing one another's burdens, sharing the gospel, etc. </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.4286px;">To lay down our lives for others (verse 16) and to share material possessions with those in need (verse 17) are examples of putting agape in action. <span style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px;">We're blessed to be a blessing to others/to share with others (especially those in need), not to hoard for ourselves. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">Are we always willing to meet others' needs even when it costs us (time, money, energy, effort, inconvenience, etc.)? </span><span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 19.2px; text-align: justify;">Don't just feel moved but then do nothing. </span><span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">"</span><em style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">Sympathy is no substitute for action</em><span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">."(David Livingstone) "</span><em style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only had good intentions.</em><span style="font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 22.672px;">" (Margaret Thatcher) Faith without action is dead. Love without action is hypocrisy. </span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b style="text-align: justify;">Prayer: </b><span face="" style="text-align: justify;">Thank You, Jesus, for showing me what agape love is! Thank You for dying on the cross on my behalf for my sins! Please empower me to love like You. Please open my eyes to see the needs around me and show me how to best meet those needs. Please guide me where and how I should use my resources that You've blessed me with for Your glory and Your kingdom. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuTVIe8xLg9RdnsPPL2iqiwuSeiZG2GmBcOkf2-r8pYHzNuTsnZd2GOACLX_wARRmZ6ayNAhYZ7aFAZ4V0X7lu5TyuW_3ctc4YqxVEIPhDOdRqa1LKJixBunZgItJTDk8JUPSH849NKT4/s306/love10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="306" height="599" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuTVIe8xLg9RdnsPPL2iqiwuSeiZG2GmBcOkf2-r8pYHzNuTsnZd2GOACLX_wARRmZ6ayNAhYZ7aFAZ4V0X7lu5TyuW_3ctc4YqxVEIPhDOdRqa1LKJixBunZgItJTDk8JUPSH849NKT4/w599-h599/love10.jpg" width="599" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTdefvH0KTMRXeW2LB0vUMK3Yy7tnbAsykK7lfb1fM05JTqE1TPfz1IMOPhJpaY0HjZ-48-RxT9tFp6Wt5u8TuNqCSjt09hd50juOYnB-ojI-rB4TqOv1oWoz7uXkfDakh4seMJdMJvfa/s640/love22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTdefvH0KTMRXeW2LB0vUMK3Yy7tnbAsykK7lfb1fM05JTqE1TPfz1IMOPhJpaY0HjZ-48-RxT9tFp6Wt5u8TuNqCSjt09hd50juOYnB-ojI-rB4TqOv1oWoz7uXkfDakh4seMJdMJvfa/s0/love22.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIDu4hTxI3gy145PmI7byWzcKAXu2sDzxiAEUoAE9id1BuO_4pWkpmDJ0QjyFmkCQKHSW-jH8ggxViL9Jmxa6_XofgmZezTvUXaya6-WETW9Rsew_AlYECsBIztri3x10_mxd_UqXSJBh/s750/love+people1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIDu4hTxI3gy145PmI7byWzcKAXu2sDzxiAEUoAE9id1BuO_4pWkpmDJ0QjyFmkCQKHSW-jH8ggxViL9Jmxa6_XofgmZezTvUXaya6-WETW9Rsew_AlYECsBIztri3x10_mxd_UqXSJBh/s640/love+people1.jpg" /></a></div></span>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E9w4Lx3Prt0" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-35390114184534944022020-08-24T14:32:00.010-07:002020-08-25T12:59:16.761-07:00Confident and Unashamed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPANq7PSpinhPdHD00scqBH0voUnhJWUzsDBWMSIQjRs1EKSgqgPxPzw2t-5ZPiz7D8My9BR5TaC5vqjL8vjK5bQpViXZUhyphenhyphenemVJ8rcSJsWRuago3bnPFTJ3__Ut_B6sDUmA1J63CB9duF/s640/1John2+verses28and29.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPANq7PSpinhPdHD00scqBH0voUnhJWUzsDBWMSIQjRs1EKSgqgPxPzw2t-5ZPiz7D8My9BR5TaC5vqjL8vjK5bQpViXZUhyphenhyphenemVJ8rcSJsWRuago3bnPFTJ3__Ut_B6sDUmA1J63CB9duF/s0/1John2+verses28and29.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span class="text 1John-2-28" face="">"<b>And now, dear children, continue (abide) in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. </b></span><b>If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.</b><span face="" style="background-color: white;">" (1 John 2:28-29)</span></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">The key for God's children to be confident and unashamed when Christ returns is to abide in Christ (live in fellowship with Him). “<b>I am the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing</b>." (John 15:5) We are to be living in the light of His imminent return. If He came back right at this moment, would we be confident (keeping a clear conscience) and unashamed (having nothing to hide) or would we feel unsure/afraid and ashamed/embarrassed? Let us examine how we live our lives. No one knows when Jesus will return. We must be ready at all times. Let us have a Maranatha mindset! </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">Knowing God Who is righteous and practicing righteousness should go hand in hand. True/Right doctrine leads to true/right living (according to God's Word). Our words, our action, our character, our lives reveal who we are and Whom we belong to. God's children who have been born of God should take after God. Can people see the family resemblance? Righteous living (holiness/godliness/Christlikeness) is the proof of the new birth/being born again (which is the working of the Holy Spirit). I remember a convicting quote by Gandhi: "<i>I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.</i>" To me, it's one of the saddest statements ever. We are Christ's ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Do we represent Him accurately? How we live our lives either draws people closer to Christ or away from Christ, whether we're aware of it or not. Do we love and serve like Christ? Do we conduct ourselves like the world or like Christ? In short, "to abide in Christ" is the call for us to live in constant fellowship with Christ and live in obedience to His Word, relying upon the indwelling Spirit for empowerment.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b>Prayer</b>: Abba Father, thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into Your kingdom and adopting me into Your family! Please forgive me for the ways in which I misrepresent You. Please enable to be constantly abiding in Christ, being ready for His return. Please mold me to be like Christ. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being so that I may live a life worthy of You, please You in every way, and bear fruit in every good work. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFioF4TwjCy6llmoYNB7N8nR8m2oiW75GP_sqDnWlm1hvI_wjgm8CZxvCkFjqn94PL2J2jDPHQzga3TS6YCU0yLFbScfbKJNQB3C0tOvZzIMaAXdUibEmAF1FUddgdmMxH0I5Z3PJ1BAD/s480/beenwithJesus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFioF4TwjCy6llmoYNB7N8nR8m2oiW75GP_sqDnWlm1hvI_wjgm8CZxvCkFjqn94PL2J2jDPHQzga3TS6YCU0yLFbScfbKJNQB3C0tOvZzIMaAXdUibEmAF1FUddgdmMxH0I5Z3PJ1BAD/s0/beenwithJesus.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xj_yxBYkFX6IWCNesgcr7mcdKgZeVWB4CPuxhgW5nvoR7ocm4DjHZaawzshTY8jN3EnpqbQLwDzFWZxoQl74b06hEVGlYhvUNRhURpXxpWm5wR1-zBelKYNxD7x3-AU6C7IyfuqFukrw/s740/born+again.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="650" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xj_yxBYkFX6IWCNesgcr7mcdKgZeVWB4CPuxhgW5nvoR7ocm4DjHZaawzshTY8jN3EnpqbQLwDzFWZxoQl74b06hEVGlYhvUNRhURpXxpWm5wR1-zBelKYNxD7x3-AU6C7IyfuqFukrw/s640/born+again.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypMD_NdFo63-KQaMi2R09H7cQs5JhbLfazyEuTSEw31_NVJdzbRfh7es3h1g0R8jV4Z5r2NbUcRyOltL8CqOWXzzpOeLZb9hHdFmd_u7R0MiZX4MGy495MZMNxjztob8_zZuRfHlmjf28/s400/bornofGod.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypMD_NdFo63-KQaMi2R09H7cQs5JhbLfazyEuTSEw31_NVJdzbRfh7es3h1g0R8jV4Z5r2NbUcRyOltL8CqOWXzzpOeLZb9hHdFmd_u7R0MiZX4MGy495MZMNxjztob8_zZuRfHlmjf28/s0/bornofGod.jpg" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: roboto, "helvetica neue", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 7px 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-40054923193150104122020-08-21T12:39:00.002-07:002020-08-21T12:59:23.984-07:00Eternal Life<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VOi3EYwjC6R3_3a328KfpncNcrPAzItPlh-AMSVqA87jTRMhc9YUCWf0v7ZLLb5oawJmyfxb8rQ-5ktzhDQe8tIYBZ39BKxYPZCEuVRmNKk-SVBQb6MTW8fd6J2nj78aP-AuXdPCBGL1/s320/1John2verse25.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="320" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VOi3EYwjC6R3_3a328KfpncNcrPAzItPlh-AMSVqA87jTRMhc9YUCWf0v7ZLLb5oawJmyfxb8rQ-5ktzhDQe8tIYBZ39BKxYPZCEuVRmNKk-SVBQb6MTW8fd6J2nj78aP-AuXdPCBGL1/w500-h291/1John2verse25.jpg" width="500" /></a></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">"<b>And this is what He promised us--eternal life</b>." (1 John 2:25)</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">Eternal life is God's gift promised to all who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If we remain in Christ, we can be confident that we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. When our physical life ends on earth, our spiritual life continues throughout eternity without end. "</span><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,</b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them</b>." (John 3:36) </span><span style="background-color: white;">“<b>Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me</b></span><b><span style="background-color: white;"> has eternal life</span><span style="background-color: white;"> and will not be judged</span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><b> but has crossed over from death to life</b>." (John 5:24) Notice that the verbs in both verses are in present tense. Our eternal life starts the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ. It is our current standing in Christ. We will never die spiritually, but instead, live forever with Him. </span><span class="text John-11-25" id="en-NIV-26549" style="background-color: white;">"<b>Jesus said to her, '<span class="woj">I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die;</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> </b></span><span class="text John-11-26" id="en-NIV-26550" style="background-color: white;"><span class="woj"><b>and whoever lives by believing in Me will never die. Do you believe this?</b>'” (John 11:25-26)</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.4;"> "</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700;">For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.4;">" (Romans 11:29) O blessed assurance! Praise God for giving us the certainty of our salvation and eternal life! We are eternally safe and secure. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.4;">We are His now and forever. He will keep and preserve us for eternity. We can never be taken from His grip. God is our fierce Defender and Protector. He is our all-loving and all-powerful Abba Father. God is in control; He is sovereign over all. </span></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #660000;">Please share the gospel with the lost so that they may also place their faith in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"><span class="text 1John-2-28"><span face="" style="color: #660000; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17.6px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 1.4;">"<i>Christians can be confident about their growth in sanctification and eternal security because they are confident in the God Who promises it</i>." (John Owen)<br /><br /><b>Prayer:</b> Abba Father, thank You for my eternal life with You and my eternal security in Christ! My life is safe and secure in Your hand. Your loving protection and Your sovereignty give me peace, joy, comfort, confidence, and courage, even in the midst of difficult, challenging times. I pray that You will use me to share the gospel boldly and help the unsaved know how they can receive the gift of eternal life in Christ. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 2.4rem; min-width: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQoNwUSJeagFXER0xs7dOV1hxVVhRpx08mt5yyFd2-YMLYCO_Y5tf8WKo0_uZqW5m-IdBv7z8GZnTYdZ44n5PrCbzMX-pZTxzFeAG6pCfMkXdn7cZuMjz2FdcZiq6n2HP6_P_DPLgfPqX/s830/eternal+security1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="830" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQoNwUSJeagFXER0xs7dOV1hxVVhRpx08mt5yyFd2-YMLYCO_Y5tf8WKo0_uZqW5m-IdBv7z8GZnTYdZ44n5PrCbzMX-pZTxzFeAG6pCfMkXdn7cZuMjz2FdcZiq6n2HP6_P_DPLgfPqX/s640/eternal+security1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaowMGZAzMnK8iF8S-wCceMzhcAHEL6YOn1NX8r0M9dpqYjG7NjXr_x35pv71Opnp0bhR1WoF2NkkNrLAVuGuBPJDPOvyrjnd91vlPP15P4VNHY-BsIuhV5UBGWPeW0BrtN4pHpCeEDrOb/s640/never+perish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaowMGZAzMnK8iF8S-wCceMzhcAHEL6YOn1NX8r0M9dpqYjG7NjXr_x35pv71Opnp0bhR1WoF2NkkNrLAVuGuBPJDPOvyrjnd91vlPP15P4VNHY-BsIuhV5UBGWPeW0BrtN4pHpCeEDrOb/s0/never+perish.jpg" /></a></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/It_xQ4NYtDQ" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-36354738389337548472020-08-20T16:46:00.003-07:002020-08-23T12:08:54.499-07:00Do Not Love the World<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHETZo_a1OLRebfu0WvQG_fGMfUGbzHm13v6S2EnyGD-cJj4_K9PsjqWU7Km2Qp96cOQqqbGWzOvCq4gkSaj9wpjjbudKyoxJt_S67-tgsmf45z__TVvIu9XPVbyQ6708G3xLYsWUQgZY/s736/1John2verses15and16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHETZo_a1OLRebfu0WvQG_fGMfUGbzHm13v6S2EnyGD-cJj4_K9PsjqWU7Km2Qp96cOQqqbGWzOvCq4gkSaj9wpjjbudKyoxJt_S67-tgsmf45z__TVvIu9XPVbyQ6708G3xLYsWUQgZY/s640/1John2verses15and16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="text 1John-2-15" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">"<b>Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father</b></span><b><span class="text 1John-2-15" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span> </span>is not in them.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> </span></b><span class="text 1John-2-16" id="en-NIV-30567" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b>For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world</b>."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> (1 John 2:15-16)</span><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Love for the world (worldliness, the world system that is corrupted/polluted and is in opposition to God) and love for our Heavenly Father are incompatible. We cannot have both. If we love God, we must not love the world and all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh (fleshly desires such as gluttony, sexual sins, materialism), the lust of the eyes (appearance, status), and the pride of life (superiority, comparison, entitlement). All these things may seem attractive but they are worthless and dangerous because they pull us away from God. </span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span class="text Jas-4-4" id="en-NIV-30342" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">"<b>You adulterous<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30342A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30342A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> people, don’t you know that friendship with the world <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30342B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30342B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>means enmity against God?<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30342C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30342C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30342D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30342D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></b></span><b> <span class="text Jas-4-5" id="en-NIV-30343" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the spirit He has caused to dwell in us?<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30343E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30343E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Jas-4-6" id="en-NIV-30344" style="box-sizing: border-box;">But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: '</span>God opposes the proud<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span></b><span class="text Jas-4-6" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><b>but shows favor to the humble</b>.'" (James 4:4-6)</span></span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0" face="">"You adulterous people" is an allusion to covenant unfaithfulness, referring to Israel as unfaithful bride of Jehovah (Hosea 3:1). </span><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$2:0" face="">Friendship with the world = enmity (hatred/hostility) against God. To maintain friendship with the world is to be on good terms with (to support, to favor, to approve) persons and things and ideas that are at least indifferent toward God if not openly hostile to Him. When we seek after our own desires/pleasures, we're doing what the world does (acting just like the world), not doing what God wants/tells us to do. Essentially, we would be committing spiritual adultery. </span><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$4:0" face="">Our God is a jealous God; He wants our undivided loyalty and will not tolerate divided allegiance. We cannot serve two masters. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">“</span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">.” (Luke 16:13) </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">God or materialism? God or egotism? God or sensuality? Wealth, fame, power, pleasure, possessions, positions, and other temptations in this world can never satisfy our soul. Only Christ, our Lord and Savior, can! </span></span></p><p><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$4:0" style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">Are you in or out? You cannot have one foot following the world and the other foot following Jesus. It won't work! </span><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$6:0" style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> Love and obey God alone! Live for God with no compromise! </span></p><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">“<i>Farewell, vain world; my soul bids you adieu.<br />My Savior taught me to abandon you.<br />Your charms may gratify a sensual mind,<br />but cannot please a soul for God designed.</i>”</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">(</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;">David Brainerd)</span></blockquote><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px;">"<i>Growth in faith will be manifested by increasing deadness to the world. The more faith discovers of the beauty and glory of the Savior, and the splendors of that heavenly country to which the Christian is bound--</i></span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1474449005396_252831" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; padding-inline-start: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1474449005396_252830" style="padding-inline-start: 0px;"><i>the more worthless will this world appear!</i>"<b> </b>(William Nicholson)</span></span> </p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">We are in the world but we are not of the world. </span><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><b style="background-color: white;">Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will.</b><span style="background-color: white;">" (Romans 12:2) We must embrace a different mindset (have the mind of Christ) and an eternal perspective. This world is not our home.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2009/10/dont-waste-your-life.html" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.67px; text-decoration-line: none;">Don't waste your life</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.67px;"> chasing after temporary things! Don't waste your life fretting about temporary things, either! Live for God and give Him your undivided loyalty! Don't let the world and its pursuits or its troubles come between your soul and Him. Focus on reaching out to the lost and making an eternal impact while you're here on earth. Live intentionally in such a way that most glorifies God. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Think God's thoughts. Love what God loves and hate what God hates. Look at everything (including current crisis) through God's eyes/perspectives.</span></span></p><div><span face="" style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span data-reactid=".7v.1:3:1:$comment380420355403326_381329675312394:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$10:0" face=""><b>Prayer</b>: Abba Father, thank You for Your relentless & protective love for me! Thank You for Your inexhaustible grace and patience! Please forgive me for my selfish desires and motives. Please keep me from being enticed by worldly treasures. You know how difficult it is for us to live in this wicked world where our affection and attention are being pulled constantly by worldly things. I cannot win this battle by myself. I need You and Your strength </span>to remain steadfast in faith and in pursuit of holiness. I desire to live wholeheartedly for You. Please fill every area of my heart and my mind with Your Holy Spirit so that there will be no room for the world, the flesh, or the devil. Please help me to continually focus my heart and mind on eternal things, not on earthly things. May I always live faithfully in the light of eternity for Your glory and Your kingdom. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.42px;"><div style="line-height: 22.67px;"><div style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px;"><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 22.67px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px;"><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 22.67px;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px;">"</span><i style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px; position: static; width: auto;">When they see a follower of Jesus who is sold out for Christ, living free of legalism and bondage to the world, they are drawn to Jesus. When they see a follower of Jesus living for 'self' and the world, they have no problem rejecting Jesus because it allows them to play the hypocrite card</i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px;">. </span><i style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px; position: static; width: auto;">The world needs us to be an example of living the Bible so that they too are drawn to Christ. They need answers, and for us to say we are "Christians" and live our life in pursuit of personal gain would only be a contradiction to who we say we follow</i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24.64px;">. " (David McGee)</span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1712210646018250535" itemprop="" style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 19.36px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 30.93px; margin: 0px 0px 14.5px; position: relative; width: 698px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM83t47zMXvFzE7ug8rDK4Y8jaf1Pc639baLNvaC9zAGF9Kwat2n-WfJUkzXvtZHZJ9iTHB1psEgdxmV8eCaKFxxC1c3EhiETdhcSbO7TwQET-hMENDjTP4FQImd22PHbdFRJ0hv0OjIbG/s1946/false+glare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1946" data-original-width="1080" height="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM83t47zMXvFzE7ug8rDK4Y8jaf1Pc639baLNvaC9zAGF9Kwat2n-WfJUkzXvtZHZJ9iTHB1psEgdxmV8eCaKFxxC1c3EhiETdhcSbO7TwQET-hMENDjTP4FQImd22PHbdFRJ0hv0OjIbG/w555-h1000/false+glare.jpg" width="555" /></a></div><span face="" style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1712210646018250535" itemprop="" style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 19.36px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 30.93px; margin: 0px 0px 14.5px; position: relative; width: 698px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrxYqkAqvEMr2JWlJ2KXjvdN9JKqYnQiJ-UeMFwTJ_y8WuIyvswgjGPS1MR4XF-69K7rFDt2Dtl-JvyUdeOPx5PZjPZzWGKEqdjXdZ9hyphenhyphenwHU1_sUa2G7BKst3vSyG_ZJF_kQfYnP_eeaY/s960/forsakingtheworld.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrxYqkAqvEMr2JWlJ2KXjvdN9JKqYnQiJ-UeMFwTJ_y8WuIyvswgjGPS1MR4XF-69K7rFDt2Dtl-JvyUdeOPx5PZjPZzWGKEqdjXdZ9hyphenhyphenwHU1_sUa2G7BKst3vSyG_ZJF_kQfYnP_eeaY/s640/forsakingtheworld.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1712210646018250535" itemprop="" style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 19.36px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 30.93px; margin: 0px 0px 14.5px; position: relative; width: 698px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-1712210646018250535" itemprop="" style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 19.36px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 30.93px; margin: 0px 0px 14.5px; position: relative; width: 698px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><span style="line-height: 22.67px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div></span></span></div>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-25937801426340862122020-08-19T03:40:00.005-07:002020-08-19T14:39:37.467-07:00The Test of Knowing Christ<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_sBxAKxMHSxjScRqTQCDrcXhvm6oLx6b48-Z4ombj8eKKgNzP62Hl5_F2n7Qxbs_C7l2UXIigsL8iJ-4HSx5ELmvyg4R6UELJgJ0SF5Bv00cKPuve-oen6Shk1SuXRCG3v4M8AIr645s/s640/1John2verses3to6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_sBxAKxMHSxjScRqTQCDrcXhvm6oLx6b48-Z4ombj8eKKgNzP62Hl5_F2n7Qxbs_C7l2UXIigsL8iJ-4HSx5ELmvyg4R6UELJgJ0SF5Bv00cKPuve-oen6Shk1SuXRCG3v4M8AIr645s/s0/1John2verses3to6.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="text 1John-2-3" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">"<b>We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands.</b></span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span><span class="text 1John-2-4" id="en-NIV-30555" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span><span class="text 1John-2-5" id="en-NIV-30556" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">But if anyone obeys His word, love for God</span><span class="text 1John-2-5" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"> </span></b><span class="text 1John-2-6" id="en-NIV-30557" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><b>Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.</b>" (1 John 2:3-6)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" id="en-NIV-30557" style="background-color: white;"><br />The test of true Christianity (proof that we really know Christ, abide in Christ, and love Christ) is obedience (to God's Word/commandments). Do you know Christ? The word "to know" in verse 3 is ginosko in Greek, </span><span style="background-color: white;">which refers to an experiential and intimately personal knowledge (as opposed to mere head knowledge). Is your behavior congruent with your beliefs? Obedience to Christ is an essential evidence that you know Christ. On the contrary, disobedience to Christ is a proof that you do not know Him. A professing Christian who disobeys God is a liar/a hypocrite. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">"</span><i style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth.</i><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">" (Matthew Henry) </span><span style="background-color: white;">If we truly know Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, abide in Him, and love Him, we will want to please Him, honor Him, obey Him and His Word. We are to walk in the same way/manner in which Christ walked....walking in obedience and desiring to do our Father's will.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: justify;">"</span><i style="text-align: justify;">If a profession of faith in Christ does not result in a changed life that hungers and thirsts for God’s Word and desires to obey that Word, the profession is only that - a mere profession. Satan, of course, loves such professions, because they give church members the damning notion that they are saved when they are not! They still belong to him, not God</i><span style="text-align: justify;">." (John MacArthur)</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><b><br />Prayer</b>: Abba Father, thank You for being patient with me and for forgiving me! I desire to know You more and to make You known. Please give me wisdom, courage, and strength to walk daily in faith and obedience. Please mold me to be like Christ and enable me to please & honor You in all I say and do. May how I live my life bring joy to Your Heart! In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExpBGZOCQIdFwRIWgxkBHBKgXkDBCONA7WQ9rVHV7Rk7aDt2KgRpZMA4srThzF8fRzsdl6xy8XvD7npre7G9TMu_Od1P8Y9_w-LcWNJyAcExBj_PdhB8HUQioLGT6WOsZioNNAjTv_ghM/s427/ToKnowHim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="427" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExpBGZOCQIdFwRIWgxkBHBKgXkDBCONA7WQ9rVHV7Rk7aDt2KgRpZMA4srThzF8fRzsdl6xy8XvD7npre7G9TMu_Od1P8Y9_w-LcWNJyAcExBj_PdhB8HUQioLGT6WOsZioNNAjTv_ghM/w668-h500/ToKnowHim.jpg" width="668" /></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="text 1John-2-6" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHpByUZiFlS8KOoXoKAzc9r9msuDG5Sc40dAAfQMyo2neIArfsp740rI6uavEVP2zfNnYL86bZg8t6RcW_rNxdIDggITCJwPv3WkYLeisgYFC-ZEBoD155PS9PCZZYK_a6IHnfnSCEoks/s960/obedience1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHpByUZiFlS8KOoXoKAzc9r9msuDG5Sc40dAAfQMyo2neIArfsp740rI6uavEVP2zfNnYL86bZg8t6RcW_rNxdIDggITCJwPv3WkYLeisgYFC-ZEBoD155PS9PCZZYK_a6IHnfnSCEoks/s640/obedience1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8I4wKku257bCK7nLyJs47MFKrynbIZu0K-4OvugFV5s1n_Shh8QfQm_dqs0bPbkO84G2i5Nme09yo6FWatSLUWbTpEdQRcUXGin7MZxL_Fc4uatOuI1u-X7p_M7YoSuGDNlVYW3fmTOk/s297/obedience3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="291" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_8I4wKku257bCK7nLyJs47MFKrynbIZu0K-4OvugFV5s1n_Shh8QfQm_dqs0bPbkO84G2i5Nme09yo6FWatSLUWbTpEdQRcUXGin7MZxL_Fc4uatOuI1u-X7p_M7YoSuGDNlVYW3fmTOk/w455-h464/obedience3.jpg" width="455" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw-5eCl6g4Lb-UVXLJ4a-pF2pF3D1obWqP3qFF0nyCtg_sBMcPsEhd_VatBovTsXjombeuKF7RsMFudOgteMbV9PhzR3VqtX9tQeLOIU05mgfERZ8zG8cq8m5yIOBUMrT0_Mzm-42HiU8/s736/obedience5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuw-5eCl6g4Lb-UVXLJ4a-pF2pF3D1obWqP3qFF0nyCtg_sBMcPsEhd_VatBovTsXjombeuKF7RsMFudOgteMbV9PhzR3VqtX9tQeLOIU05mgfERZ8zG8cq8m5yIOBUMrT0_Mzm-42HiU8/s640/obedience5.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-60777154277782457902020-08-18T14:42:00.005-07:002020-08-19T14:37:19.493-07:00Confess and Be Cleansed<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd8KvNhp013JUV_Frc2mvJ7U3Az9O9y1Y6jU595wQ93Hap-1zV4h-dYCGoVPPRsvqe2jSv4U44ijryMHwBD8aRVDgdL-6vjzMPUjqGGVDKBjcGZgD26iSB57u2wxtpNbgpg8RMxJsG_Om/s403/1John1verse9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="403" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd8KvNhp013JUV_Frc2mvJ7U3Az9O9y1Y6jU595wQ93Hap-1zV4h-dYCGoVPPRsvqe2jSv4U44ijryMHwBD8aRVDgdL-6vjzMPUjqGGVDKBjcGZgD26iSB57u2wxtpNbgpg8RMxJsG_Om/w504-h504/1John1verse9.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span face="" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><b>If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins</b></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><b> and purify us from all unrighteousness</b>." (1 John 1:9)<br /><br />Our sin separates us from God. Even for those in Christ, sin hinders our fellowship with Him. The word "confess" comes from the Greek word, "homologeo," meaning to say the same thing. When we confess, we say the same thing that God says (in His Word)...that what we did is sin. If we confess our sins (sins of commission and sins of omission), He will forgive us, cleanse us, and restore us to Him. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;">This is a beautiful promise of God. <br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVob_O1UXMhs_C9pGX1ZdVhpO835I2zXUSPMqVC8TxCjKYbZAKLvq6Yq7mLFm7TrGQZZViCfsl2CZoOG_Fda9q6J2iuPS1OYukG7QvIYcX7MR0am0W8Epdmc4WzSak5q0GGQN8y3VDhnK2/s236/sin+forsaken.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="236" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVob_O1UXMhs_C9pGX1ZdVhpO835I2zXUSPMqVC8TxCjKYbZAKLvq6Yq7mLFm7TrGQZZViCfsl2CZoOG_Fda9q6J2iuPS1OYukG7QvIYcX7MR0am0W8Epdmc4WzSak5q0GGQN8y3VDhnK2/w576-h576/sin+forsaken.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4NRbmY79IF7MY6CtlW4umTMv685YFqDttLKPtghyphenhyphenevLAe03sv-b9h0eaUea4Y7TCoUUMEx_MMuf0WwHN-49ggG3jiFmxt4Xc1_2Zs28OJuyy52AA6k-d-FWl9khQQlUYaXW1Ukv3Mrhj/s794/sin11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4NRbmY79IF7MY6CtlW4umTMv685YFqDttLKPtghyphenhyphenevLAe03sv-b9h0eaUea4Y7TCoUUMEx_MMuf0WwHN-49ggG3jiFmxt4Xc1_2Zs28OJuyy52AA6k-d-FWl9khQQlUYaXW1Ukv3Mrhj/s640/sin11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6JRe7uyqbH2Wa2sCuP7Cs56zFERHm4rqcH3r3uqfTwl-zOyZcGKV-YPlL74moA6d2wz646vj1Zx8Q3pvuYeDrEOzgdj4UBZQaMA9ECJN9bgXoV471EDxpIAexwpmh5mu1MeHNmxZtVK8/s898/sin7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="788" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6JRe7uyqbH2Wa2sCuP7Cs56zFERHm4rqcH3r3uqfTwl-zOyZcGKV-YPlL74moA6d2wz646vj1Zx8Q3pvuYeDrEOzgdj4UBZQaMA9ECJN9bgXoV471EDxpIAexwpmh5mu1MeHNmxZtVK8/s640/sin7.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9xOOGJwb1yk3ougW-exIzLF-xelyRO8CYwHChGrcw1Z5kZY0iqrpCjCWVtiUMVA31il8oxZ1pq9Ch8MJI0LNHGg0RDpI2snufmO4ZsM-btXfXfLXygVQInnTDvIdya4CfdyaAtzLumNa/s960/sin2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9xOOGJwb1yk3ougW-exIzLF-xelyRO8CYwHChGrcw1Z5kZY0iqrpCjCWVtiUMVA31il8oxZ1pq9Ch8MJI0LNHGg0RDpI2snufmO4ZsM-btXfXfLXygVQInnTDvIdya4CfdyaAtzLumNa/s640/sin2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2u_ILAWLZqQokGVkWQBO714JfiNXuOYu-SQUwEBvWRuR8hh2ifbQ3t99T4PxAtDpEJ3P-Tni2ZrK9RcU64yWpYMXVUgxK3ToeaDYE3RuX70KjsvLMvmyAhbXcGEAYpetjwLdx_bWVacl/s400/sin1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="781" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2u_ILAWLZqQokGVkWQBO714JfiNXuOYu-SQUwEBvWRuR8hh2ifbQ3t99T4PxAtDpEJ3P-Tni2ZrK9RcU64yWpYMXVUgxK3ToeaDYE3RuX70KjsvLMvmyAhbXcGEAYpetjwLdx_bWVacl/w523-h781/sin1.jpg" width="523" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzzx4AQqO6SRwH_KXtadAEjFQXzVSeHfG0yuCqSy-IKy59SfSzXCzQrq_vSavKQXPMUzkkGknlXfasolqpj9DSP3dQBDZPIB1zCZxqWyuhbqWPJSYrYN_pCeEaYY4BL93Q3jCWZvgDtsq/s810/confess+sins.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzzx4AQqO6SRwH_KXtadAEjFQXzVSeHfG0yuCqSy-IKy59SfSzXCzQrq_vSavKQXPMUzkkGknlXfasolqpj9DSP3dQBDZPIB1zCZxqWyuhbqWPJSYrYN_pCeEaYY4BL93Q3jCWZvgDtsq/s640/confess+sins.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-41922048981756483862020-08-17T23:20:00.005-07:002020-08-18T18:22:44.340-07:00The Joy of Fellowship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesGdqyMSjp-qXOtANH7pNpFVugdvmJnbrZMtbBsBPpARJMi8aFDctuIIbSVhYZurBizDaWUdZb5iyM2PczIepkhz2T8oV7mxWgsgMLy4b7jwdjk6O_HbYKFnGsRC54qyAyJaGqTKau9Uv/s1540/1John1verse4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1155" data-original-width="1540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesGdqyMSjp-qXOtANH7pNpFVugdvmJnbrZMtbBsBPpARJMi8aFDctuIIbSVhYZurBizDaWUdZb5iyM2PczIepkhz2T8oV7mxWgsgMLy4b7jwdjk6O_HbYKFnGsRC54qyAyJaGqTKau9Uv/s640/1John1verse4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span class="text 1John-1-4" face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">John wrote his first epistle to refute the heresy of Gnosticism, which </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">teaches that salvation is gained through the acquisition of mystical knowledge and that </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">Jesus Christ’s physical body was not real. John asserted that he himself and the apostles who were eyewitnesses of Jesus had heard, had seen, and had touched Jesus Christ, the Word of Life, even after Christ's resurrection. </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">John also wrote this epistle so that others may share his experience of fellowship and joy in Christ and with one another. </span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;">Our joy is made full/complete when we have fellowship with God through Christ and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.</span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: arial;"> To know Christ and to experience sweet fellowship with one another sharing the wonderful things of Christ bring great joy to our hearts. </span></p><p><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><br />I love the acronym J.O.Y. When we put/honor Jesus first and above all else in our lives (Matthew 22:37-38), and next put/honor others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4), we will experience joy.<br />J esus<br />O thers<br />Y ou<br /><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVW0rwkh5SUammMWLlNqsk3RFzwL3SBUUiPyEgo2EOtye33BpwCgetrn9b94lxRtfdNeLaKtfSwSiOA883_ku7CTe7u1U1TNoDBSrtTBcnXOujFk9dI_iR7XkRfjuMIByRI7N62tb3KAJ/s600/Joy6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVW0rwkh5SUammMWLlNqsk3RFzwL3SBUUiPyEgo2EOtye33BpwCgetrn9b94lxRtfdNeLaKtfSwSiOA883_ku7CTe7u1U1TNoDBSrtTBcnXOujFk9dI_iR7XkRfjuMIByRI7N62tb3KAJ/s0/Joy6.png" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRcEB8quccaxppoZ8LBm_1r7svJYZOBi1towgd7dPG-JgH8g6EETyKEHGjZUiFKW7ZTvGsw5Gn2p9ds2AdrWNs05ZIYBq4vapEcBCPaxyP3zE_wXcI8y2b1a1E45knTk09b8Rf1ThK6m6/s300/joy3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRcEB8quccaxppoZ8LBm_1r7svJYZOBi1towgd7dPG-JgH8g6EETyKEHGjZUiFKW7ZTvGsw5Gn2p9ds2AdrWNs05ZIYBq4vapEcBCPaxyP3zE_wXcI8y2b1a1E45knTk09b8Rf1ThK6m6/w586-h586/joy3.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB2HBYtXziXzphTqNKj1dmqqTj2vxqhEx5QnZxkmdmrUsy-DiOEds-OMcHXDoN4JeaRkQhhjkta_hRXnLOxH_KAmBHx8n7JjLveJl5rz3UPbRmD3TwLal4-sr1_wm6iHVbHLIRqqoo-Dz/s2048/joy4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB2HBYtXziXzphTqNKj1dmqqTj2vxqhEx5QnZxkmdmrUsy-DiOEds-OMcHXDoN4JeaRkQhhjkta_hRXnLOxH_KAmBHx8n7JjLveJl5rz3UPbRmD3TwLal4-sr1_wm6iHVbHLIRqqoo-Dz/s640/joy4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbj1TeDJ12EVDhOAl1fouPPcHtHYlh8b50LhIYJ2aNGlz2hJLaKwlF_sfNovjvpxNvqTpnnoJWfs0npliVXsamRKEwBDhC7qEUlsVLnOxnrGe3xcurUMGDfE_hNvvbl85d5oVJfxbljAS/s800/joy7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbj1TeDJ12EVDhOAl1fouPPcHtHYlh8b50LhIYJ2aNGlz2hJLaKwlF_sfNovjvpxNvqTpnnoJWfs0npliVXsamRKEwBDhC7qEUlsVLnOxnrGe3xcurUMGDfE_hNvvbl85d5oVJfxbljAS/s640/joy7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-soY27H8vRM1kYFfKgsAjdqGRgCF_N3Fl_6iJFJyL_0mbzJRfUwOkzchzq0bgtKTlC2DC3ebuCmutWBlHaKsMwu9IjGD3gcMLNMXwlawsXHPnaMo9x8DarzFe8SZgkON7VJp7KuvM8TT/s800/joy9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-soY27H8vRM1kYFfKgsAjdqGRgCF_N3Fl_6iJFJyL_0mbzJRfUwOkzchzq0bgtKTlC2DC3ebuCmutWBlHaKsMwu9IjGD3gcMLNMXwlawsXHPnaMo9x8DarzFe8SZgkON7VJp7KuvM8TT/s640/joy9.png" /></a></div><span class="text 1John-1-4" face="" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-33035162119517585342020-05-21T12:41:00.001-07:002020-05-21T12:41:29.667-07:00Fear Not: God Is Your Helper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLBYJX4r5OpGj2F7zkmPUigfHd-7n_TQY-9ui1V_dCcd2LM7vmVvYkGy1uRMBdfIH0KlQprj1e__DiS27OUSJKGGYRbon4AGR2r4W6FYDWWBbz9y-eCN-UvukNwk2Re70syxeeTlpvHFn/s1600/Psalm118verses5to7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="675" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLBYJX4r5OpGj2F7zkmPUigfHd-7n_TQY-9ui1V_dCcd2LM7vmVvYkGy1uRMBdfIH0KlQprj1e__DiS27OUSJKGGYRbon4AGR2r4W6FYDWWBbz9y-eCN-UvukNwk2Re70syxeeTlpvHFn/s640/Psalm118verses5to7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">The psalmist recounted his personal experience of God's goodness, faithfulness, and enduring love during the time when he was distressed. He was hard pressed and desperately needed help. He knew that God was his only Hope. He turned to the Lord to be the Source of his deliverance in those difficult times. By acknowledging (and reminding himself of) what God did for him in the past, he's ready to face anything with confidence and without fear. God is there with him to be his Helper. When you face troubles or difficulties, who or what do you turn to for help? Fear not; God is also with you and He is also your Helper. Cry out to the Lord. He listens, He cares, He answers, He liberates, and He helps. He is attentive to our needs. God can and will set us free from whatever constrains us or holds us down (ex: worries, fears, discouragement, weariness, etc.) God's presence with us makes all the difference in the world. Our Helper is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Thus there's nothing and no one we need to be afraid of whatsoever. All we need to do is to rely upon Him, Who is our Refuge from the storm and the enemies. The Lord God Almighty is our Defender; we shall triumph.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span class="text Ps-56-3" id="en-NIV-14759" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; position: relative; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;">"<b>When I am afraid,<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-14759F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14759F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.62em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></sup> I put my trust in You.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text Ps-56-4" id="en-NIV-14760" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><sup class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 12px; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">4 </span></b></sup><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span>In God, whose Word I praise--</span></span></b></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><span class="text Ps-56-4" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; position: relative; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">in God I trust and am not afraid.<sup class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-14760I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14760I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.62em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></sup></span></b><span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text Ps-56-4" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><b>What can mere mortals do to me?</b>" (Psalm 56:3-4)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">“<i>Prayers which come out of distress generally come out of the heart, and therefore they go to the heart of God. It is sweet to recollect our prayers, and often profitable to tell others of them after they are heard. Prayer may be bitter in the offering, but it will be sweet in the answering. The man of God had called upon the Lord when he was not in distress, and therefore he found it natural and easy to call upon him when he was in distress. He worshipped, he praised, he prayed: for all this is included in calling upon God, even when he was in a straitened condition.</i>” (Charles Spurgeon) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text Ps-56-4" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text Ps-56-4" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><b><br />Prayer</b>: Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Helper and Defender! My life is in Your hand. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. Thank You for listening to and answering my prayers! Your unfailing love, grace, power, and faithfulness have sustained me throughout my life and I know that they will continue for the rest of my life. "<b>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.</b>" (Psalm 23:6)</span></span></span></span>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yLSKSlJ0-2s" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-20545333222122055732020-05-14T02:15:00.003-07:002020-05-14T02:15:45.628-07:00Fear Not: Jesus Has All the Power and Authority<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI546OJ_5Ec9cuKTOT7_BqenYmuaPIa4AnhyphenhyphenNSdo-aqospn-B1d_B94gU_F7uFe-IxNHjQ8mB_LbpT5bBo308SG2OTdm5Cqf07sg49iupzDWYWx7g_oDxmDPo26pHk0sljLqGY5MYiC7o-/s1600/Matthew28verse18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="1280" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI546OJ_5Ec9cuKTOT7_BqenYmuaPIa4AnhyphenhyphenNSdo-aqospn-B1d_B94gU_F7uFe-IxNHjQ8mB_LbpT5bBo308SG2OTdm5Cqf07sg49iupzDWYWx7g_oDxmDPo26pHk0sljLqGY5MYiC7o-/s640/Matthew28verse18.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<b>Then Jesus came to them and said, <span style="background-color: transparent;">'</span></b></span><span class="woj" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me</b>.'" (Matthew 28:18)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">This verse is an introduction to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus wants to give His disciples encouragement and assurance for the task He assigns for them. Jesus has not only all power but also all authority in Heaven and on earth. God the Father gave Jesus complete sovereignty over everything and everyone. He has the right and freedom to do whatever He pleases in all creation. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. His authority is the basis of the evangelization to the world. We Christians can make a difference in the world when we abide in Christ and go out to reach the world with His gospel under His authority. "<b>I AM the Vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing</b>." (John 15:5) He promises to be with us always to the very end of the age. He has enough/unlimited power and authority to enable us to carry out the Great Commission, in spite of our weaknesses and/or any obstacles and persecution. "<b>I can do all things through Him (Christ) Who gives me strength.</b>" (Philippians 4:13) </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></span>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">"<i>What do you need that Christ doesn't have?</i>" (David Robertson) Great question, isn't it?! Ponder it and your fear will dissipate.</span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
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LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-69140193012103405012020-05-08T14:55:00.000-07:002020-05-11T14:56:09.118-07:00Fear the Lord and Shun Evil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sQK6mcEI83dQBjLUFxhmdKIRV7yv6TC7Um5jbUh4w9MuhPBBpSZOiG5IedIyuXVhyphenhyphenN5sMgjideD4EsQqMJJ_ZwHZW62kirh_6bviZrqcXSubXgZIFQ3X5WRrz3SONJh0Pj8cidFA2H0/s1600/Proverbs3verses7and8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6sQK6mcEI83dQBjLUFxhmdKIRV7yv6TC7Um5jbUh4w9MuhPBBpSZOiG5IedIyuXVhyphenhyphenN5sMgjideD4EsQqMJJ_ZwHZW62kirh_6bviZrqcXSubXgZIFQ3X5WRrz3SONJh0Pj8cidFA2H0/s640/Proverbs3verses7and8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span class="indent-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text Prov-3-8" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">Do not be prideful and arrogant. Do not think you know better than God how things should be. We are to trust God (including trusting His will, way, and timing) with all our heart, instead of trusting and relying on our own wisdom. God has infinite wisdom; we don't. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. It's far better to humbly fear (revere) the Lord, completely trust Him, and reject evil. Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. It's about submissive reverence with awe. A life of surrendering to God, trusting in God, and obeying God begets health and nourishment benefits. As with all Proverbs, the purpose is to impart wisdom as guidelines, not prophecy with guarantees. When we trust and obey God (follow God's wisdom), peace, joy, strength, success, well-being (physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual), blessings, good results generally ensue. It makes total sense that when we live wisely according to God's wisdom and avoid evil & foolishness, our physical, mental, and emotional health will be better off. Less mistakes. Less troubles. Less heartaches. Less regrets. Less worries. Less stress.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">"<i>Be not puffed up with vain conceit of thine own wisdom, as if that were sufficient for the conduct of all thine affairs without direction or assistance from God, or without the advice of others.</i>" (Poole)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>Prayer</b>: O Lord, Your wisdom is perfect and infinite! Thank You for being my Guide and Shepherd who leads me and watches over me! Please forgive me for the times I neglected to seek Your wisdom and guidance. I'm so grateful that Your answers are always wiser than my prayers. Please help me to always seek You first, submit to You, trust You, and obey You. Please grant me wisdom from above to pray for peace and cling to love. Please teach me to humbly receive the sun and rain of Your sovereignty.</span></span><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSnzYnOe6kI" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-77976917985349461792020-04-03T15:09:00.006-07:002023-08-20T12:56:39.413-07:00Trust in the Lord With All Your Heart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK55Fu54Z6JmPSSU7_G56KunMiZPtLJrkd4OsFIxc4s3hF4LOenwsZP-KkNQ_j_rkyrlePNyjV8Ce0naOcD_UV7vN5NdRdqTqe2hdqLUb4AvOA4MTVyFASL1AksXHKjefEMPaTIg9B5yZN/s1600/Proverbs3verses5to8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK55Fu54Z6JmPSSU7_G56KunMiZPtLJrkd4OsFIxc4s3hF4LOenwsZP-KkNQ_j_rkyrlePNyjV8Ce0naOcD_UV7vN5NdRdqTqe2hdqLUb4AvOA4MTVyFASL1AksXHKjefEMPaTIg9B5yZN/s640/Proverbs3verses5to8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000;">"<b>Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.</b>" (Proverbs 3:5-8)</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Trust in the Lord! He is
always trustworthy, faithful, and unchangeable. His Word is forever
true. His love is perfect. He is good all the time. Trust is a choice,
not a feeling. "Trust" encompasses allegiance & submission,
confidence & conviction,
expectation & hope, faith & reliance.<br /><br />God wants us to trust Him with all our heart
(wholehearted commitment)! </span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="color: #7f007f;">Total trust and complete confidence in God lead to perfect peace! "<span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_162063" style="font-weight: 700;">You
will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he
trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the
Rock eternal.</span>" (Isaiah 26:3-4) </span>Do you trust God to meet all of your needs?
Do you trust God when you're afraid, afflicted, confused, or overwhelmed? Do you trust God when your health is failing, your heart is
hurting, or your loved ones are dying? Trust God at all times...in good times and in bad times. </span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="color: #7f007f;">Even when you don't see God's hand, trust His heart. </span> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Do not lean (depend) on your own understanding (limited, unreliable
human understanding which usually operates in ignorance without God's counsel). Remember that God sees the whole picture while we
only see what's here and now. Lean on Him and His infinite wisdom. Moreover, He is the One who has all the power and strength to help us. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><br /><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Acknowledge Him in all your ways. Do we recognize His presence, guidance, and grace in our everyday lives? Do we gratefully acknowledge His grace, mercy, and blessings as we receive them? Give God all the glory. Acknowledge that all we have come from Him and surrender all to Him.</span></span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_579109" style="font-size: 10.06px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_579109">"Remember that, as sinful creatures, being criminals
and traitors--we have no 'rights'. Consequently, <i>everything short of hell--is a
mercy!</i> Everything but eternal punishment--is a favor!
How many <i>favors </i>and <i>mercies </i>you
receive--and how few <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_579120">praises </i>you render! How many
<i>mercies </i>are given you--and how few <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_579121">acknowledgments
</i>you make!" (James Smith) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="color: #330000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="color: #330000; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">He will make your paths straight. It doesn't say, "He will make your paths easy or smooth" :). God loves us and wants the best for our lives. He knows the best way to
accomplish His plan and purpose for our lives. He will direct our paths. </span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">God will guide us to make the right decisions as we trust Him, submit to Him, and acknowledge Him.</span></span></span></span><br />
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</span><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<i><b>Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.</b></i>" (Psalm 37:5)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1404196187385_161990" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<i><b>Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans</b></i>." (Proverbs 16:3)</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="color: #330000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 17.6px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We must not be arrogant or conceited about our own wisdom. It's foolish to think that we can rely on our wisdom alone without guidance from God or without advice from others. It's indeed folly to believe we're so wise that we don't need God's help and direction. "</span><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17.6px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><i>The great hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought that we have already attained it.</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24.64px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">" (Plumptre) Instead, we are to fear (reverence) the Lord and His wisdom (which includes shunning evil). A truly wiser person reveres the Lord and stays away from evil. Doing so will promote not only the health of the soul but also the health of the body because it would prevent many ills that are caused by sins and lusts.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><br />"<span id="yiv4053636616yui_3_16_0_9_1407280655912_31"><b>Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit</b>.</span>" (Jeremiah 17:7-8)</span> <span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">No fire/heat or drought (or any crisis) in life can destroy those who are rooted in the Living Water! Let your faith repel fear and worries. Trust God in the storm; trust God despite silence. He's always there and He always cares! Keep trusting God and relying on Him completely. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Prayer</b>: Lord, thank You for being my mighty Rock and Fortress Whom I can always rely upon and trust in! Thank You for being my Shelter and Refuge in Whom I can always find rest! Please help me lean not on my own understanding and strength but on Your perfect wisdom and strength. When I am afraid or worried, please help me lay all my burdens down at Your feet and trust You totally. Thank You for never forsaking me! Your presence gives me comfort and joy, peace and courage. Lead me, Lord, to do Your will each day. May my life honor & glorify You and magnify Your Name!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #330000; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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"If we can trust God for our eternal salvation, how can we not trust Him to provide for the 'little' things of life?"</span> (M.E.Howard)</h3>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="415" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A8JetEVRqFE" width="560"></iframe>LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-8497402899255328432020-04-02T12:37:00.002-07:002020-04-02T20:06:06.663-07:00Do What God's Word Says<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJxhLOykjweqYBYzg6bHYY52CLDyTDiTvisao3gk6DUtGYKsk1ym8164HC3lm3LU-5xb8XKnGh2vc9rczvNtKCNHRpgVKgDXS0oaBSv94U3AsibJDuIsy5CZZDvgsxwignSX2Z0jO_MpI/s1600/James1verses22to24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJxhLOykjweqYBYzg6bHYY52CLDyTDiTvisao3gk6DUtGYKsk1ym8164HC3lm3LU-5xb8XKnGh2vc9rczvNtKCNHRpgVKgDXS0oaBSv94U3AsibJDuIsy5CZZDvgsxwignSX2Z0jO_MpI/s640/James1verses22to24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span data-reactid=".8e.1:3:1:$comment369312189847476_370647203047308:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$0:0" style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Be doers of the Word, not just hearers. When we only listen to God's teaching but do not obey, we're fooling ourselves (deceiving ourselves by false reasoning; being blind to the reality of our spiritual state; thinking we're just fine/right with God when we really are not). This reminds me of Matthew 7:21-23 and 24-27 ("I never knew you" and the wise and foolish builders). </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Obedience/fruit is the proof of transformed lives...the tangible evidence of our faith. "</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">" (Matthew Henry) Obedience to God's Word does not save us but shows that we're genuinely saved and that we truly belong to Christ. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Hearing without doing is useless. Doing without hearing is dangerous. Both are vital just like breathing in (spending time with God in prayer and in His Word) and breathing out (doing what God's Word says/putting what we know into practice). </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Just knowing God's Word is not enough. Even Satan knows God's Word. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It's not how much Scripture we know; it's how much Scripture we live. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We must humbly accept His Word to transform our hearts, renew our minds, and guide our actions & reactions (including how we respond to crisis).</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />"<i>James says such a man is like one who looks in a mirror--ancient mirrors were made, not of glass, but of highly polished metal--sees the smuts which disfigure his face and the dishevelment of his hair, and goes away and forgets what he looks like, and so omits to do anything about it. In his listening to the true word a man has revealed to him that which he is and that which he ought to be. He sees what is wrong and what must be done to put it right; but, if he is only a hearer, he remains just as he is, and all his hearing has gone for nothing</i>." (Barclay)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;">"<i>A true believer will not be inwardly satisfied with merely knowing the Word. His conscience and the prompting of the indwelling Holy Spirit will keep convicting him of his failure until he becomes obedient</i>." (John MacArthur)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<i>Mere hearing is no better than unbelief or outright rejection. In fact, it’s worse! The hearer-only is enlightened but unregenerate.</i>" (John MacArthur)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<i>If a profession of faith in Christ does not result in a changed life that hungers and thirsts for God’s Word and desires to obey that Word, the profession is only that - a mere profession. Satan, of course, loves such professions, because they give church members the damning notion that they are saved when they are not! They still belong to him, not God</i>." (John MacArthur)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">"<i>It is sad to be deceived, most miserable to be self-deceived. Many still determine their godliness by the quality of hearing (for instance sermons) or reading (even God's word) instead of action and obedience.</i>" (Heibert)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".8e.1:3:1:$comment369312189847476_370647203047308:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:$comment-body.0.$end:0:$8:0" style="background-color: white; color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Prayer</b>: Father, thank You for Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and light to my path! Please empower me to apply Your Word in my daily life and in my response to crisis & changes. Guide me to trust and obey what Your Word says, regardless of how I feel. Please help me to use my time, talents, and treasure wisely for Your glory and for Your kingdom. In Jesus's Name, I pray. Amen.</span><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-73405734962012920232020-04-01T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-01T13:31:36.596-07:00Overcome Evil With Good<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">"<b>Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.</b>" (Romans 12:21 NLT)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">This is a command. Do not let yourselves be conquered or overwhelmed by any evil/wicked person or thing done to you. Do not allow yourselves be overcome by your own evil responses (fleshly reaction). It is a battle. To win over evil, we must use the weapon of goodness and kindness. We cannot do this with our own strength. We need the Holy Spirit to empower our heart, mind, soul, spirit to respond the right way that will bring glory and honor to God.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><br />"<i>To render evil for evil, is to let evil have the victory... The true victory over evil consists in transforming a hostile relation into one of love by the magnanimity of the benefits bestowed. Thereby it is that good has the last word, that evil itself serves it as an instrument: such is the masterpiece of love.</i>" (Godet) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px;"><br />Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.4286px;">"</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><i>To repress the desire for revenge is to gain a victory over self</i>." (Ellicott)</span></span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px;"><a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/07/forgive-as-lord-forgave-you.html" target="_blank">Forgive as the Lord forgave you</a>. "<i>By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am.</i>" (Yancey) If we respond to our offenders with hostility and/or revenge, we are no different than them; we'd be displaying exactly the same character which we dislike in them. Don't let hurts and pains caused by others rob you of peace, joy, love, and benevolence! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">"</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">If my bad temper puts you in a bad temper, you have been overcome of evil.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">" (Darby) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">“</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him.</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">” (George Washington Carver)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.672px;"><span style="line-height: 21.4286px;">Ways to Overcome Evil: "<b>Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse</b>." (Romans 12:14) </span><span style="line-height: 21.4286px;">"<b>Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven.</b>" (</span><span style="line-height: 21.4286px;">Matthew 5:44-45a) </span><span style="text-align: justify;">"<b>When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.</b>" (1 Corinthians 4:12b-13a) </span><span style="line-height: 21.4286px;">Shine your light when you meet darkness. Share God's love when you face hatred. Do good when evil is done to you. As a result, evil is disarmed; it has neither control nor influence over you whatsoever. It's been totally defeated! </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px;">You and I are called to live by Biblical principles, reflecting the character of Christ so that others may see what a Gospel-transformed living is like and be drawn to Christ. May we be living proofs of God's love!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;"><br />"<i>Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth, and hatred with love. The message isn't new, but we haven't learned to live it yet.</i>" (Peace Pilgrim)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">"</span><i style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">As children of God, we must live on the highest level—returning good for evil. Anyone can return good for good and evil for evil. The only way to overcome evil is with good. If we return evil for evil, we only add fuel to the fire. And even if our enemy is not converted, we have still experienced the love of God in our own hearts and have grown in grace</i><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.4286px; text-align: justify;">." (Wiersbe)</span></div>
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LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-29657163555945557632020-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:002020-03-26T02:52:00.403-07:00Do Not Be Anxious about Anything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfIX2OYgY2id3bDuxyW-cBYtiLqFrQLbQNumo5B-qX9K0rCzRc9-p63qNKfwzVp_TvYWpf-Pj2HM5c4mIOdkR_oLQaHg2c8Y4qjWn2DiFfB6OipWUxKEaA_m2xkZCfknQCmbRXC32d3rK/s1600/Philippians4verse6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfIX2OYgY2id3bDuxyW-cBYtiLqFrQLbQNumo5B-qX9K0rCzRc9-p63qNKfwzVp_TvYWpf-Pj2HM5c4mIOdkR_oLQaHg2c8Y4qjWn2DiFfB6OipWUxKEaA_m2xkZCfknQCmbRXC32d3rK/s640/Philippians4verse6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Paul was writing this letter to the church in Philippi from a prison. He certainly had a reason to be anxious but he discovered a secret that takes anxiety away and replaces with peace and joy. Essentially, Paul was saying...<a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/04/worry-not.html" target="_blank">worry about nothing</a>; pray about everything :).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Prayer with gratitude is the antidote to anxiety. Before we make any requests, we should thank God for Who He is and for what He has already done for us. Thank Him for His presence, protection, and provision. Thank Him for His faithfulness, wisdom, and grace. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">As we come to our Abba Father in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we grow in our faith and in our relationship with Him. Prayer may not change our situations but it changes us.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"<b><i>Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.</i></b>" (1 Peter 5:7) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We can always bring everything to the Lord in prayer. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Take your problems (every worry/every concern/every burden) to Jesus and leave them there. Let go. Don't pick them back up. Don't carry around weights of anxiety; they will keep you from being useful. Let go and walk in freedom, in faith, and in obedience. Instead of fretting or worrying, we are to pray. Trust in God's loving sovereignty. Trust God's answers (God's will and God's ways) and God's timing. My M.O. is this: I pray. I trust. I rest.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Anxiety is fear of the unknown. If we think long enough, we'll find something to be anxious about because so many things are unknown to us. We must remember that what is unknown to us is completely known to our Heavenly Father. God can be trusted in every anxious situation. He knows what we need even before we ask Him. Don't waste your energy on <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/04/worry-not.html" style="color: #ff9900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">worries</a> and stress. Don't let anxiety steal your joy.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> We don't know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. We know we can trust God's heart and God's Word. We become anxious when our focus is on the circumstances and/or the unknown, instead of the All-knowing, All-loving, All-powerful God. "<i>To care is a virtue, but to foster cares is sin</i>." (Muller)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.67px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><b>Prayer</b>: <i>Father, thank You for being in control and for caring about me! Thank You for always loving me and listening to me! Whenever I have any anxious thoughts, please replace them with complete trust and calm confidence in You and with peace that only You can give. I want to let go of all my burdens and rest in You. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9-aiFxVjtehQbFmx0iKvnVL_EHSNZmV0tbTgEsGrzpK4QpkYk-ll1JOTUeCQuYvN7j9g42Za0EK171ds0W58fJW5q6C_MFOIldYncdVJOunOMVJQ3UR460xog3H36xZJHZZJVyy74EqO/s1600/No+longer+anxious.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1440" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9-aiFxVjtehQbFmx0iKvnVL_EHSNZmV0tbTgEsGrzpK4QpkYk-ll1JOTUeCQuYvN7j9g42Za0EK171ds0W58fJW5q6C_MFOIldYncdVJOunOMVJQ3UR460xog3H36xZJHZZJVyy74EqO/s640/No+longer+anxious.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-40773753293535737412020-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:002020-03-25T17:40:51.228-07:00Whatever You Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkL4NMhhJqgjywMqIK-JDBEManMCY-E2LpShnVFRy2fl9oCDY5E48HP_SF_YQVybNoowq6SMXomXPrfDIj_iqPgRHJf-cK3WrYGA1SiPxAIExLqCPj6DyjAXctKF-0CYJk540ELjrYXTN/s1600/Colossians3verse17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="380" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkL4NMhhJqgjywMqIK-JDBEManMCY-E2LpShnVFRy2fl9oCDY5E48HP_SF_YQVybNoowq6SMXomXPrfDIj_iqPgRHJf-cK3WrYGA1SiPxAIExLqCPj6DyjAXctKF-0CYJk540ELjrYXTN/s640/Colossians3verse17.jpg" width="614" /></a></div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[6]"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">Doing "<b>all in the name of the Lord Jesus</b>" means bringing honor to our
Lord Jesus Christ in every aspect and activity of our daily living. As
Christ's followers, we represent Christ at all times--whatever we say
and whatever we do. Every word and action must be done according to God's principles as though Jesus Himself were doing it. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[8]"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;">In essence, to live in the name of the Lord Jesus is to surrender all
to Him/to His Lordship and to live as Jesus Christ's representatives
(His ambassadors: 2 Cor. 5:20). Christ's Lordship of our lives changes
not only our speech and conduct but also our attitudes and motives. Our attitudes
become conscious reflections upon the will of Christ and our words & actions
become words of praise and acts of thanksgiving to Christ. We desire to do it all for the
glory of Christ. External rules, even when good, are not adequate for
every situation; the "rule" (Lordship) of the indwelling Christ is the
only sufficient guide. "<b>So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not
gratify the desires of the flesh...if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under law</b>." (Galatians 5:16, 18)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[10]"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[kv1e].[1][3][1]{comment223526644486538_223687971137072}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[3].[0].[10]"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"Eucharisteo" (the Greek word for giving thanks)</span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">is a word that at its root (</span>eu<b> </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">= good + </span>charis<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> = grace) means to acknowledge how good grace is and describes a person who depends on God's grace every moment. Here in Colossians, Paul uses the present tense. </span>We are to have a continual attitude of gratitude, which is to be our lifestyle and our response to circumstances which God allows in our lives. The only way to accomplish this is by relying upon the filling/empowering of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are to be thankful to God always...to give thanks to God in all circumstances through Christ (whose sacrificial death tore the veil that separated us from God the Father, thus making it possible for us to render our prayers and praises). Remember that fear and anxiety cannot reign in a heart that is full of faith and gratitude. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="color: #330000; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>To
ponder</b>: <i>What impression do people have of Christ when they talk or
interact with us or when they read our posts/comments?</i> <i>Do we need to make any changes in our lives in
order to honor Christ and represent Him accurately?</i> <i>Do we remember to give thanks to God in
everything/in all circumstances, including in the midst of a crisis?</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Praye</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">r: Thank You, Abba Father, for Who You are and for all You have done! I am forever grateful for Your amazing saving grace and for Your inexhaustible sustaining grace! May everything I say and do be pleasing to You and be according to Your will. Please help me to be faithful in all things, little and great alike. May my words, attitudes, actions, and reaction/responses to any crisis reflect Christ in me, honor You, and point others to You. May my life be a continual praise song to You and for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</span></div>
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LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-81162268157875552742020-03-24T03:14:00.000-07:002020-03-24T15:17:14.793-07:00God Meets All Our Needs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQa57WoYtX7wkdXnT1Y6NxMYauawOy0e8woVfQCMjnhgK4DexvbsrvS74dsywsvM38_awbHkxPe1CtwaAySaLmWIqMJ2z_CR1TW6G-EXL95bp3wC1Xh3hs_wpJWmQGaga_9wgytOHrSDj/s1600/Philippians+4+verse+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQa57WoYtX7wkdXnT1Y6NxMYauawOy0e8woVfQCMjnhgK4DexvbsrvS74dsywsvM38_awbHkxPe1CtwaAySaLmWIqMJ2z_CR1TW6G-EXL95bp3wC1Xh3hs_wpJWmQGaga_9wgytOHrSDj/s640/Philippians+4+verse+19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">After Paul thanked the Philippian Christians for their gifts and generosity, he assured them that God will take care of all their needs (not wants, desires, or luxuries). This is a promise to those who are faithful and devoted in their giving to God and His kingdom. "<b>He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done</b>." (Proverbs 19:17) </span><span style="background-color: white;">Often God meets His children's needs by using us to meet one another's needs. We are to be cheerful, generous givers and not worry about our own needs because God's got our back. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />God is omnipotent. He has unlimited power and resources. Our needs can never exhaust His supply. We lack nothing when we have God. <span style="background-color: white; color: #660000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">There is no end to His goodness and no limit to His power. </span>"</span><b><span style="background-color: white;">Now to Him who is able</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29272K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29272K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> to do immeasurably <a href="https://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2015/11/above-and-beyond.html" target="_blank">more than</a> all we ask</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29272L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29272L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> or imagine, according to His power</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-29272M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-29272M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></b><span style="background-color: white;"><b> that is at work within us</b>." (Ephesians 3:20)</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">God is omniscient. He knows His children perfectly. He knows all our thoughts, needs, fears, troubles, and sufferings. <a href="http://bornagainandblessed.blogspot.com/2013/11/jehovah-jireh.html" target="_blank">Jehovah Jireh</a> ("The Lord Will Provide") </span><span style="background-color: white;">is faithful and pleased to provide for His children who honor Him and depend on Him. When children of God walk in the will of God, serving for the glory of God, they will have their needs met. Look to Him for whatever you need and leave Him to judge whether it will be best for you and whether this is the best time for you to have it. If it is, He will give it to you. God delights to bless us. He blesses us so that we may be a blessing to others. </span><span style="background-color: white;">"</span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383719142790_26787" style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold;">God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.</span><span style="background-color: white;">" (2 Corinthians 9:8).</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />God is omnipresent. He gives us the gift of His presence. The Great I Am is with us every moment. Whatever we need, He is! "<b>God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present Help in trouble</b>." (Psalm 46:1) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Paul was not preaching the prosperity gospel here. Paul was saying, in essence, that he could not repay the Philippians but God could and would meet their needs. We don't have to fear or worry. We can be content. Why? Because our God will supply all our needs according to His glorious riches (infinite) in Christ Jesus (through our spiritual union with Christ)! This truth should bring us confidence, comfort, and joy. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">In Christ Jesus, God gives us sufficient grace to meet whatever we face. If we live by faith in this precious promise of God's future grace, we will not be consumed with anxiety or greed. By the way, </span><span style="background-color: white;">He already provided for our greatest need, the need for a substitute to pay the penalty for our sin and die in our place. He provided His one and only Son, Jesus Christ! "</span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1383719142790_26785" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic;">If we can trust God for our eternal salvation, how can we not trust Him to provide for the "little" things of life?</span><span style="background-color: white;">" (M.E. Howard) God loves us and He will provide for what we need when we need it. <br /><br />"<i>God's riches fill up our supply, <br />Whatever we may need, <br />So we can then be generous <br />And not controlled by greed</i>." (Sper)</span></span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;">Prayer</b><span style="background-color: white;">: Father, thank You for always meeting all my needs! Thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life! Please enable me to trust You wholeheartedly. Please help me be a blessing to others, a cheerful, generous giver, and a humble, faithful servant. Please show me the needs of those around me and the needs around the world and direct me how to meet those needs. Please help me use resources You've given me wisely according to Your will for Your glory and Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.</span> </span><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />LivingforGodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14307464636991455275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8160123675959113249.post-28102959566954201732020-03-23T18:55:00.000-07:002020-03-23T18:55:02.186-07:00First Importance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBASUmpiSrbQrXTA0OG40JJkOGEaJTF5aRASXjXUegezO3baPIGqif5Wc7rLvdKqGk9AEQZPGgo6PjKKC41yeG7vwheZlUqsjsQ8bmhDPPs1u4HvmQK8e-HtV7mrR7NH0vt97PLR2sRjnQ/s1600/1Corinthians15verses3to5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBASUmpiSrbQrXTA0OG40JJkOGEaJTF5aRASXjXUegezO3baPIGqif5Wc7rLvdKqGk9AEQZPGgo6PjKKC41yeG7vwheZlUqsjsQ8bmhDPPs1u4HvmQK8e-HtV7mrR7NH0vt97PLR2sRjnQ/s640/1Corinthians15verses3to5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Paul states the utmost importance of Christ's death (for our sins), burial, resurrection, (and appearances...in verses 5-8). These things make up the Good News. If there was no resurrection, the Gospel would be void of real content/significance and our faith would be useless/meaningless.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Christ's resurrection is pivotal; it's the center/cornerstone of the Christian faith! It confirms His claims to deity (what He said/promised is true) and
guarantees the future bodily resurrection unto eternal</span><b> </b>life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> of all who
believe in Jesus Christ as their</span><b> </b>Lord<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> and Savior. It sets Christianity
apart from all other religions. Jesus is alive; He didn't stay dead. All the founders/</span>leaders<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> of
other religions are dead. Only Jesus has victory over death,
demonstrating that He has power over all things. His resurrection is a
provable historical fact. We, Christ's followers, serve a risen Savior, a </span>living Lord<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">! Some day, all will see the </span>living<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> proof when Christ returns.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Christ's resurrection is the one most crucial and best established fact in all history. Without resurrection, there is no Christianity, no salvation, no eternal life, and no hope. Without resurrection, </span>life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> is</span><b> </b>left<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> with mere emptiness and despair. Because He</span><b> </b>lives<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, we too shall </span>live<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. Because He </span>lives<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, we can face tomorrow.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">“</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #330000; font-family: PT Sans; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">No one can remain neutral regarding Jesus’ resurrection. The claim is too staggering, the event too earthshaking, the implications too significant and the matter too serious. We must either receive it or reject it as truth for us. </i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><i>To remain indifferent or undecided is to reject it.</i>”</span> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">(Mark Driscoll) Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God in human flesh, came to earth to </span>live<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> a
sinless</span><b> </b>life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, died in our place to save us sinners, and conquered death
by His resurrection to give us eternal </span>life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. He did it all because He
</span>loves<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> us so much. What will be your response to His</span><b> </b>love<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> today?</span><b> </b>Life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> is
short. Death is certain for everyone. I hope and pray that you will
choose Christ now before it's too</span><b> </b>late<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">. "I'm thinking about it" or "I will </span>later<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"> when I'm ready" won't do
you any good because it means that you decide against surrendering your</span><b> </b>life<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
to Christ at this moment. There may never be another moment... </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #330000; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 110%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 1.4; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
</span>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="color: #330000; font-family: "pt sans"; font-size: 17.6px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397445129319_19651" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397445129319_19650" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;"><i>"</i><b>I
am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even
though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do
you believe this?</b></span></span><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397445129319_19660" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1397445129319_19659" style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 24px;">" ~Jesus (John 11:25–26)</span></span></span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<b>Prayer</b>: Lord Jesus, I praise You and thank You for dying for my sins and giving me eternal life in Heaven! You were the sacrificial Lamb who died to save me and You are the great Shepherd who lives to lead me. I am forever grateful. Please empower me to boldly share the Good News with those who need to hear.<br />
<br />
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