Lady of Light
In Ephesians, Chapter 4, v. 11-15, Paul tells us that:
"And he (Christ) gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive: but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ..."
God has a purpose for the gifts he gives us. It is good to discover what your gifts are and to use them accordingly. Paul states that we are to have "unity of the faith" which comes from the spirit and not to be carried about by every wave of doctrine. We need to study the word of God so as not to be deceived by things that men say.
When we speak, we are to "speak the truth in love" with the goal of growing up in Christ who is the head.
These are some "tall" orders, but with prayer, study and meditation and God's help, we can all improve in our Christian walk. Think on these things and see what plans God has for you to grow and change. Life is exciting when we walk with Christ and allow him to mold and shape us.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Fellowship with God and one another
Lady of Light
The book of 1 John is interesting because in the first chapter and the first 4 verses illustrate that John was speaking about things that he actually saw and heard and handled of the Word of life:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal like, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ."
John continues to say in V. 6-7:
If we say that we have fellowship with hi, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Chris his Son cleanse us from all sin."
This is a wonderful promise, to be cleansed of all sin, but we must confess our sins and "walk in the light".
Fellowship with God is a gift from God to us and the same is true of fellowship with one another.
Follow this teaching, and you will find your relationship with God and others to be so much more meaningful.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
The book of 1 John is interesting because in the first chapter and the first 4 verses illustrate that John was speaking about things that he actually saw and heard and handled of the Word of life:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
(For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal like, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ."
John continues to say in V. 6-7:
If we say that we have fellowship with hi, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Chris his Son cleanse us from all sin."
This is a wonderful promise, to be cleansed of all sin, but we must confess our sins and "walk in the light".
Fellowship with God is a gift from God to us and the same is true of fellowship with one another.
Follow this teaching, and you will find your relationship with God and others to be so much more meaningful.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Elders
Lady of Light
In 1 Peter, Paul speaks to the Elders and exorts them to behave in a certain way with the right heart motives:
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferigs of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."
This is one sure way to know whether the elders or leaders of your church are on the right track. If they are interested in money and power, you must question their motives.
If their life is an example, they have a good willingg attitude and a ready mind - that is, they are prepared to feed the flock from God's word, you can believe that they are fulfilling their calling in the manner that God called them.
This is also true of individuals who are not elders. It is important for our life to be a good example, for us to be ready in our minds to share the word and to witness to others, and to have a heartfelt willingness to do so.
Pray for opportunities in your own life to "spiritually feed" others and to receive the blessing from church leaders and elders that you come in contact with in church or in fellowship, on the radio or TV.
Make the most of your spiritual life by heeding Paul's words, and by using his words to discern whether those who influence you are truly worthy in their service.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
In 1 Peter, Paul speaks to the Elders and exorts them to behave in a certain way with the right heart motives:
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferigs of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."
This is one sure way to know whether the elders or leaders of your church are on the right track. If they are interested in money and power, you must question their motives.
If their life is an example, they have a good willingg attitude and a ready mind - that is, they are prepared to feed the flock from God's word, you can believe that they are fulfilling their calling in the manner that God called them.
This is also true of individuals who are not elders. It is important for our life to be a good example, for us to be ready in our minds to share the word and to witness to others, and to have a heartfelt willingness to do so.
Pray for opportunities in your own life to "spiritually feed" others and to receive the blessing from church leaders and elders that you come in contact with in church or in fellowship, on the radio or TV.
Make the most of your spiritual life by heeding Paul's words, and by using his words to discern whether those who influence you are truly worthy in their service.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Excellence from God
Lady of Light
In Daniel, Chapter 6:1-3, it describes the government under the rule of King Darius of Babylon:
"It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because of an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."
We know from reading the book of Daniel that Daniel had a special relationship with God. As you can see from these verses, Daniel was favored because of the excellent spirit which was in him which was a gift of God. All of us who are Christians have the Holy spirit of God and can do excellent things in whatever realm he places us.
Like Daniel, you can be preferred because people are aware of the spirit in you and how you perform your duties and come across to people. God places us in many different positions and circumstances and like Daniel, we should strive for excellence in whatever we do and we will be blessed.
We have all met people who have a bad attitude or a spiritual difficulty. It is easy to sense a difference when you are around these kinds of people. These people need to be prayed for and we need to be thankful for the spirit in us which causes us to "pursue peace" and excellence.
Do your best in whatever position or circumstance you are in and you will be blessed like Daniel.
Have a great day!
Lady of Light
In Daniel, Chapter 6:1-3, it describes the government under the rule of King Darius of Babylon:
"It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because of an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole realm."
We know from reading the book of Daniel that Daniel had a special relationship with God. As you can see from these verses, Daniel was favored because of the excellent spirit which was in him which was a gift of God. All of us who are Christians have the Holy spirit of God and can do excellent things in whatever realm he places us.
Like Daniel, you can be preferred because people are aware of the spirit in you and how you perform your duties and come across to people. God places us in many different positions and circumstances and like Daniel, we should strive for excellence in whatever we do and we will be blessed.
We have all met people who have a bad attitude or a spiritual difficulty. It is easy to sense a difference when you are around these kinds of people. These people need to be prayed for and we need to be thankful for the spirit in us which causes us to "pursue peace" and excellence.
Do your best in whatever position or circumstance you are in and you will be blessed like Daniel.
Have a great day!
Lady of Light
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Be Established
Lady of Light
How do we truly "establish" ourselves and the things we are doing to fulfill our purpose in life? In Proverbs 12:1-4 we get a clue about this:
"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved."
So the answer is that we need to do good - to find favor with God - and live with the root of righteousness in our life. We can do this by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, reading God's word and praying. The bible also speaks of overcoming evil with good.
In the Psalms, David often complains that it seems as if the wicked are successful or gaining victory at times. It may appear that way, but God condemns the wicked according to these verses in Proverbs.
Pray and ask God to establish you in all the good you do for his honor and glory and you will find that your life will take on new direction and meaning.
God Bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
How do we truly "establish" ourselves and the things we are doing to fulfill our purpose in life? In Proverbs 12:1-4 we get a clue about this:
"Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved."
So the answer is that we need to do good - to find favor with God - and live with the root of righteousness in our life. We can do this by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, reading God's word and praying. The bible also speaks of overcoming evil with good.
In the Psalms, David often complains that it seems as if the wicked are successful or gaining victory at times. It may appear that way, but God condemns the wicked according to these verses in Proverbs.
Pray and ask God to establish you in all the good you do for his honor and glory and you will find that your life will take on new direction and meaning.
God Bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
God's Peace
Lady of Light
Think of what it is like when you make a promise to yourself or to another. You make every effort to keep it. Sometimes you are successful and sometimes you fail. The good news is that when God makes a promise, He NEVER fails. Many of us are not aware of the many good promises that God has made that are contained in the bible, His word.
For example, in Phillipians, 6-7, it states:
"Be careful (anxious) for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
As you can see, God does not want us to be anxious about things and about life.
There is a condition, however, as we pray we need to have a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving for all God has given us - especially the gift of salvation.
God promises that if we come to him with the right heart attitude, he will guard or hearts and minds in Christ and he will hear and answer our prayers.
If you are having a struggle with having the right heart attitude, claim another promise that is in the word, (1 John 1:9) says:
"If you confess your sins, He is just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness."
Go to God "just as you are" or like the famous hymn "Just As I Am Without One Plea.."
God is always there, with his love, his goodness and his mercy and a listening ear.
God Bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Think of what it is like when you make a promise to yourself or to another. You make every effort to keep it. Sometimes you are successful and sometimes you fail. The good news is that when God makes a promise, He NEVER fails. Many of us are not aware of the many good promises that God has made that are contained in the bible, His word.
For example, in Phillipians, 6-7, it states:
"Be careful (anxious) for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
As you can see, God does not want us to be anxious about things and about life.
There is a condition, however, as we pray we need to have a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving for all God has given us - especially the gift of salvation.
God promises that if we come to him with the right heart attitude, he will guard or hearts and minds in Christ and he will hear and answer our prayers.
If you are having a struggle with having the right heart attitude, claim another promise that is in the word, (1 John 1:9) says:
"If you confess your sins, He is just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness."
Go to God "just as you are" or like the famous hymn "Just As I Am Without One Plea.."
God is always there, with his love, his goodness and his mercy and a listening ear.
God Bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Prayer for Deliverance
Lady of Light
We often think of praying for salvation, deliverance from sin, but in Psalm 59:1 - 3, David had something different in mind:
"Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord."
Here, David alludes to having enemies, not do to his own wrongdoing. How many of us have come in contact with people "who just didn't like us" or "who were against us when we did nothing wrong." First, we need to "check out" our own attitudes and be sure that we aren't thinking the wrong thoughts, saying or doing the wrong things against anyone. Then, we have to pray and commit to the Lord, for deliverance from
anyone who is against us for unjust reasons, and to keep us from violent people, or people who unjustly harm others, verbally or physically.
God is able to protect us and deliver us from all evil. Remember, that in the Lord's prayer, we asked to be delivered from evil. It wouldn't be in there, if it wasn't something that we need.
As you go about your day, remember that God will deliver you from your enemies and from evil if you pray like David did.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
We often think of praying for salvation, deliverance from sin, but in Psalm 59:1 - 3, David had something different in mind:
"Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. For lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord."
Here, David alludes to having enemies, not do to his own wrongdoing. How many of us have come in contact with people "who just didn't like us" or "who were against us when we did nothing wrong." First, we need to "check out" our own attitudes and be sure that we aren't thinking the wrong thoughts, saying or doing the wrong things against anyone. Then, we have to pray and commit to the Lord, for deliverance from
anyone who is against us for unjust reasons, and to keep us from violent people, or people who unjustly harm others, verbally or physically.
God is able to protect us and deliver us from all evil. Remember, that in the Lord's prayer, we asked to be delivered from evil. It wouldn't be in there, if it wasn't something that we need.
As you go about your day, remember that God will deliver you from your enemies and from evil if you pray like David did.
God bless you and have a great day!
Lady of Light
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