Tag: #Bible

Ensuring our hearts are pure

We may desire to see visions of God to satisfy our own sensual curiousity, pride, insecurity, and other impure motives – without an understanding of what visions are all about.

1. Are we willing to make a sacrifice?

God’s appearances are not for the fainthearted or unfaithful. God’s admonishments, reassurances, and instructions through visions can come at a high personal cost. Many of the prophets who have seen God, for example, were called to speak up for God and were persecuted or endured great suffering as a result. Some met with terrible deaths. (Please scroll down to the table “Examples of people who have seen God from the Bible” below for 15 examples of people who have seen God.)

Colossians 3:5 NIV  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

2. Are we willing to obey?

Moreover, seeing God in visions will be meaningless if we do not revere and obey Him. King Solomon saw God in visions twice and flippantly disobeyed Him towards the end of his life, bringing disaster on the nation and his own family. If God appears to us and reveals His will for us, we cannot ignore it without paying a price for our complete disregard of God’s call on our lives.

1 Kings 11:9-10 ESV  And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded.

3. Are we simply chasing signs and wonders?

There are those who will be fascinated with signs and wonders, such as the miracle of seeing God. This is dangerous and can easily lead us to spiritual error. Jesus has warned us that there will be many false signs and wonders in our time and that even some of God’s elect people will be led astray. When we desire to see God more than fear and love Him, we will be readily deceived.

Matthew 24:24 ESV  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

Read More

CONFESSING HATE

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “hate” is defined as intense hostility and aversion, usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury. If  Jesus boiled down the 10 commandments to two laws, which were “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself,” how can we find it OK to disobey?

If we ever find an excuse to justify hating on another, especially someone who is innocent of the attack, we directly refuse the teaching of Jesus Christ.

Welcome to part 4 of the Going By Faith series “Uncovering Sin and Finding Forgiveness.” For last week’s confession on cowardice, click here.

How it works: First pray with the Bible verse and then read the questions one by one — answer them truthfully. This is between you and God.

Every “yes” answer means sin in your life, so spend time confessing it. Name it to God. Let there be no excuse for it — just admit it and ask forgiveness.

PRAY

Verse: John 13:35 (NLV)

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

CONFESS

  • Are you secretly pleased over the misfortunes of others?
  • Are you secretly annoyed over the accomplishments or advancements of another?
  • Are you guilty of any contention or strife?
  • Do you quarrel, argue, or engage in heated discussions?
  • Are you a partaker in any division or parting spirit?
  • Are there people whom you deliberately slight?

—————————————————————————
We already know that whatever is in our hearts determines what we say (Matt 12:34), so take it a step further and question the secret thoughts that no one hears. They are still things we say, just not aloud.

Luke 5:45 tells us:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

It doesn’t matter what others do or how others act, let’s leave nothing undone on our part. We’re not perfect, and we need God’s Holy Spirit to help us turn the tide of negative thoughts, feelings and words, but hating on other people is sin at work displayed for all to see. We know it’s not the right way.

Read More

CONFESSIONS OF A PART-TIME CHRISTIAN

Welcome to part 6 of the Going By Faith series “Uncovering Going By Faith and Finding Faith.” For the previous confession, click “confessions of greed.”

If you feel like you’ve been living like a part-time Christian, living for God sometimes and turning away other times, take a moment to repent. You can do this by praying with the Bible verse below. Next, read the questions one by one — answer them truthfully. Confess it if you’ve been irresponsible toward God. Be honest — this is between you and Him.

Every “yes” answer means sin in your life. Name it, and let there be no excuse — admit it and ask forgiveness.

PRAY

Below are three translations of 1 Corinthians 4:2. Reading all three can give us a special glimpse into the true meaning of being responsible with our saved life in God’s eyes.

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (NIV)

“Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” (NLV)

“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” (ESV)

CONFESS

  • Are you undependable so that you cannot be trusted with responsibilities in the Lord’s work?
  • Are you allowing your emotions to be stirred for things of the Lord but doing nothing about it?

—————————————————————————
Keeping faith in everyday Christian life helps us get through trials, but it also helps us to live, think and trust like Christ — keeping our hearts open to God to do His work in us, through us and around us. In other words, we become responsible and trustworthy stewards of our faith.

Heavenly Father, shine the light of your love into our hearts so that it can pour out to others. Help us walk with you full-time, in every area of this life you have given us to live. May our life show your glory.

Thank you Christ Life Ministries for granting permission to use your content (concept and confession questions).

Read More

Amplified Bible: Revelation 20:4 – The Millennial Reign : And then I saw thrones..

And sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Footnotes:

👉 Revelation 20:4 A description of the common state of the Church of Christ in earth in that space of a thousand years, for which the devil was in bonds: in which first the authority, life, and common honor of the godly, is declared, verse 4. Secondly, newness of life is preached unto others by the Gospel, after that space, verse 5. Finally, he concludeth with promises, verse 6.
👉 Revelation 20:4 For judgment was committed to them, as to members joined to the head, not [that] Christ’s office was given over [to] them.
👉 Revelation 20:4 This was a type of the authority of the good and faithful servants of God in the Church, taken from the manner of men.
👉 Revelation 20:4 Of the Martyrs, which suffered in those first times.
👉 Revelation 20:4 Of the Martyrs which suffered after that both the beasts were now risen up, Chapter 13, for these three things are expounded.

Bible Study Tools: But against principalities, against powers. Ephesians 6:12: Demonic Strongholds

by whom are meant not civil magistrates, or the Roman governors, though these are sometimes so called, ( Titus 3:1 ) , and may be said to be the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; yet these cannot be opposed to flesh and blood, or to men, since they were such themselves; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places; and the connection with the preceding verse shows the contrary, the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed, who are described from their power, rule, and government, (See Gill on Ephesians 1:21), both in this clause, and in the next:
–

Bible Study Tools: Mark 16:17 (Part 2) – In my name shall they cast out devils. (Self Deliverance)

so the Apostle Paul dispossessed the damsel, that had a spirit of divination; commanding the spirit, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her, and it did;

and evil spirits also went out of others, through his means, by the power of Christ, ( Acts 16:18 ) ( 19:12 ) ;

and this power continued for a considerable time among the saints: the phrase “in my name”, is in the Arabic version, joined to the word “believe”, in the preceding clause; and is omitted in the Persic version, but is rightly retained by all others in this place;

for by the power and authority of Christ, and not their own, and by calling upon, and making use of his name, such miraculous operations were wrought by the apostles:

Bible Study Tools: Mark 16:17 (Part 3) – they shall speak with new tongues. (Self Deliverance)

–

or languages, not such as were new made, and had never been heard and known before;

but foreign languages, such as they had never learned, or were able to speak, or understood before;

and this not only did the apostles on the day of pentecost, but even common believers at other times, ( Acts 2:4 Acts 2:6 Acts 2:11 ) ( Acts 10:45 Acts 10:46 ) ( 1 Corinthians 12:10 1 Corinthians 12:28 1 Corinthians 12:30 ) ( 1 Corinthians 14:13 1 Corinthians 14:18 1 Corinthians 14:26 1 Corinthians 14:27 ) .

Bible Study Tools: Mark 16:17 (Part 1) – And these signs shall follow them that believe. (Self Deliverance)

Not all of them, but some; and not always, only for a time;

and which were necessary for the confirmation of the Gospel, and the establishment of Christianity in the world;

and not only believing hearers, but believing ministers of the word, are chiefly designed;

and this is said, for the encouragement both of those that preach the Gospel, and of them that hear, believe and obey.

The Persic version, contrary to all others, reads, “ye shall show signs and wonders to them that believe not”; see ( 1 Corinthians 14:22 ) .
–

A Famine Of God’s Word

 

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

A Famine Of God’s Word

One of the greatest killers of mankind is the severe shortage of food resulting in widespread hunger or famine. Thirty million people died in China when famine struck in the late 50’s and early ’60s. Millions die from malnutrition and starvation each year, especially in the sub-Saharan African countries. From the beginning of time there have been various causes of famine brought on by natural disasters, infestations of insects, wars and failed policies of governments. Untold millions have died a slow and horrible death of famishment. The Bible reveals famines during the days of Abraham, and Isaac, and the great famine in the world during the days of Joseph when he rescued Egypt from destruction. During the period of the Judges and reign of David, there were famines. There was a severe famine in Samaria during the days of Ahab and Jezebel when Elijah and Elisha prophesied. The people of God were punished with the sword, judgment, pestilence, and famine seeking to bring them back to the Lord. God used the scarcity of food to impress upon His own people a day would come when there would not be a famine of food but an absence of the divine word. Knowing a famine was coming would strike terror and cause the heart to faint at the inability to find food. People would become frantic seeking ways to endure the blight of famine. During the days of Uzziah king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, the prophet Amos brought the reality of God’s judgment upon the people who had become secure in their prosperity of the golden age of the northern kingdom. There was a great social and economic revival in the land with the people enjoying a prosperous time of ease and wealth. Amos would talk about those who lay on beds of ivory stretching themselves on couches and eating lambs from the flocks and calves from the stalls. There was music that filled the land and wine flowing freely in the bowls not knowing a famine was coming. This famine was not in the absence of food but the famine of the word of God. No greater famine has plagued man than when the word of God is scarce. Like the famine of food, spiritual famine will bring certain death.

Read More

Bible Study Tools: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12: Demonic Strongholds

The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, and some copies, read “you”, instead of “we”. This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such as here described: not “flesh and blood”; frail mortal men, such as were wrestled against in the Olympic games, to which the apostle alludes. For this wrestling, as Philo the Jew says F5, concerning Jacob’s wrestling, is not of the body, but of the soul; see ( Matthew 16:17 ) ( Galatians 1:16 ) ; and the meaning is, not with men only, for otherwise the saints have a conflict with men; with profane men, and wrestle against them, by bearing a testimony against their enormities, and by patiently enduring their reproaches, and conquer them by a constant adherence to Christ, and an exercise of faith upon him, which gets the victory over the world; and with heretical men, and maintain a conflict with them, by watching and observing the first appearance of their errors and heresies, and declaring against them, and by using Scripture arguments to confute them, and by rejecting the stubborn and incorrigible from church communion: yet they wrestle not against these only,
–