Daily Prayer 2/6/08

I was reading studying something else tonight when this verse stood out to me....(regarding error)

1 Tim 6:3-5 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited {and} understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

Wow! This is Christianity in the world today! So much time is spent arguing over silly things and the persons motive is often not a pure motive. Often it is pride, conceit, or envy.

Now when you see sin in scripture, always examine your self first. I have examined myself and know that I do say strong things....do I stir up unnecessary strife? The key is the first verse....

"If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

We MUST defend a pure doctrine from scripture.....it's error that is against scripture we must defend against.....we must stand up against "a different doctrine".

So please don't think I stir up trouble for the sake of causing trouble. I only ask that you let your doctrine be formed by SCRIPTURE, not me or any other person or any other church.....

Father-

Thank You for teaching us from Your Word! I feel like a young student learning so much and knowing there is SO much to learn. But I am having a blast learning about You and this life You have given us to live.

Father, if our life was stripped of everything but food and clothes and shelter, could we still be happy and still view life as "a blast"? I think if our answer is no, then we have a wrong focus. We are seeking joy in people, places, things, entertainment......there is nothing wrong with them, but we seek the things of this world thinking they will bring us joy and they will make life fun.

It's all fleeting and will only disappoint when it fails to bring the joy we thought it would bring....plus how much sin will occur as we try to attain these things?

Let Christ be our joy. Let our love for YOU be the deep seated root of all our life's joy. Then all the things this life offers can be the icing on our cake.....sweet and enjoyable, but only because we first have YOU.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying for our sins. We trust in Your resurrection and look forward to our resurrection through You.

Amen.

Daily Prayer 2/4/08

(before we saw this verse Prov 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth {come} knowledge and understanding.)

Prov 2:9-12 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity {and} every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Please read the above passage again. Really look at the underlined selection.

We must have discretion! We must have the knowledge of the LORD. It's SOOOO important!

Listen to one of the Bible's great preachers....

“Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.” - Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

OHHHHH please listen to him! Between right and ALMOST right.

So true! Satan's lies are so crafty and subtle! Man is so easily fooled into a false faith that leads to hell.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way {which seems} right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

This is the truth of the Bible, we must take this warning with a sober consideration.

Today I attended a funeral in a church that I loved. The man who married us lead the ceremony.

I can see why it seems SO right to people. I can see why it sounded SO good to them. But his message was filled with not only blasphemies but incredible lies!

Oh how my heart broke! I know that he believes all he is saying. I know so many there were so sincere in their hearts.

But what is a sincere and well intended faith, if it is not in Christ?

Even in today's Christianity two people with opposite views can sit and talk and convince each other they agree they are both right. Because they use the same words, they think they are saying the same thing. They could both be wrong.....

I only ask....no I beg you this one thing.....PLEASE read your Bible! Please seek TRUE wisdom of God. Do not decide yourself what is right and do not let another person tell you what is right. Search the scriptures! I can't say it with enough of my heart. Please I beg you! Study the scriptures! It's soooo important.

Pray as you read, ask the Father in heaven to give you wisdom. I am stubborn and stupid, so I have to ask God to make it obvious and He must hit me over the head with it. Tell Him your weaknesses, doubts and concerns.

Please do not fall into hell thinking, "Well I was almost right." Eternity is at stake and the words of eternal life are right at hand. Pick it up and read it!

Father, I thank You so much today for reminding me of Your love for us! I know that I am a dreadful sinner who should in no way receive Your mercy or love. Some would disagree with me, but they do not know my murderous, alduterous, blaspheming heart. You know who I am and You know who I was. Why would You save me and not others that are so much better and more faithful than me? I am not worthy, but I am eternally grateful You have chosen to show Your love to me!

Lord, I am sorry on one hand to sound the alarm, but then again, Father who will love them enough to say it. The world wants to please people and gain their favor and honor. I only care where I stand in Your eyes Father. In this life may I constantly be lowered and humbled. Let me be no one of no reputation except one who loves You who saved me.

Who loves You Lord Jesus and wants to stay in this life? We eagerly wait to see You face to face. Help me to forsake this world and use my time well for the next.

Even now in my pride Lord I sit here and talk about myself. Forgive me!

Guide us to Truth, Guide us to Faith...help us to discern right from almost right.

Now Lord I pray for their forgiveness in advance but I have to say it.

Baptism will not save you from hell. Eucharist will not give you grace. The Mass will not bring you forgiveness.

How is a man justified in Your eyes Lord?

Rom 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Gal 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Gal 3:11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Titus 3:5-7 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to {the} hope of eternal life.

James 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone

So does James contradict scripture, No! We must read it and understand it. May we seek wisdom in Your Word.

Lord Jesus Christ, Thank You for bearing the full punishment for our sins! I pray we would not try to add to the work of the cross, that is to say it wasn't sufficient. Your work complete, help us now to go and grow in faith of what You have done for us.

Please again I beg one more time, Read and Trust the Scriptures!

Pursue Purity

We are not to act like non-Christians. We must pursue purity! The battle is in your mind, heart and conscience....what is the difference between those three? I don't know, it's all one in the same I guess.

You must battle sin alone in your mind. No one can do it for you. No one can help you with it other than Christ.

A pilot was flying a commercial jet in the fog (South America I think it was). Suddenly the computer begins warning "Pull up, pull up!" The last words on the flight recorder were "Shut up gringo!" The pilot disregarded the warning assuming it was wrong, because in him mind he was sure of himself.

Our conscience yells to us, "Pull up, pull up!" Do you immediately change course at first warning, or do you push the reset button saying "Shut up gringo."

When your life crashes, would you wonder why? Would you get angry at God or angry at others, blaming your wreck of a life on others?

Let's keep it real, you ignored your conscience and built yourself up to be wise. In your "wisdom" you became a fool!

Now not only in sin, but also in faith.....do not let your false wisdom prove your foolishness on the day you stand before God!

Let your mind be filled with the Word of God, read your Bible....please read your Bible! Who knows what mountain is in the fog just ahead. Make sure you are equipped for life and saved from death!

I used to think I should be your warning system. Maybe I have heard "Shut up gringo!" too many times, because I don't warn you as I once did. There are some in great danger and do not know it. I don't say anything but that doesn't mean the danger has gone away.

Please read your Bible....Please read your Bible! Pull Up! Pull Up!

Then after you have been saved from the danger that awaits unforgiven sinners, pursue purity.

Listen to your conscience. The believer has a conscience that is even more sensitive than it was before faith. Listen to it! It will keep you from sin.

Pray for your weaknesses, the Lord wants to strengthen you.

Thank God for the things He has saved us from, we probably don't even know how much He has protected us.

Let's work and pursue purity and let our lives be a sun beam to the world. May we be examples of the goodness and holiness of Christ. Not to earn heaven, not to be self-righteous, not to get any kind of favor or applause from the world, but only because we love the Lord and want to be like Him and hope He will use our lives to draw others to Himself.

Roll Over Spurgeon...we've gone too far!

From the book Spurgeon Gold:

Now poor sinner, with all your sin about you, take this promise in your hands, go home tonight, or if you can, do it before you get home — go home, I say, up-stairs, alone, down by the bed-side, and pour out thine heart, “O Lord, it is all true that that man said; I am condemned, and Lord I deserve it. O Lord, I have tried to be better, and I have done nothing with it all, but have only grown worse. O Lord, I have slighted your grace, I have despised your gospel: I wonder you have not damned me years ago; Lord, I marvel at myself, that you suffer such a base wretch as I am to live at all. I have despised a mother’s teaching, I have forgotten a father’s prayers. Lord, I have forgotten you; I have broken your Sabbath, taken your name in vain. I have done everything that is wrong, and if you do condemn me, what can I say? Lord, I am dumb before your presence.

I heard a preacher the other day being "very frank" about the true state of mankind. He was preaching judgment for sin and talking about hell, which is rarely heard today. Then he said "You 60 and 70 year old's haven't heard this type of preaching for a long time, but as a kid you heard it all the time." They burst out with big amen's! Wow...it hit me, they really have seen a huge change in what is called Christianity in their lifetime. How sad it must be for our senior citizens to see what our country has become and what "Christianity" has become!

Listen.....can you hear Charles Hadden Spurgeon rolling over in his grave?

Roe v Wade

With everything going on I did not mention Roe v Wade this week. I feel like the old Catholic deep within me feels obligated to say something pro-life...haha....It's actually very serious. Over 1 million babies are aborted every year. Here's the issue. Remember these three words.....What is it.

We must define what that is in the womb.

Pro-choice people will often say it's a fetus.....not a baby?

A beating heart with brain waves at only 6 weeks!

Since today's world seems to protect animals more than life.....

What if there was the "Butterfly Savers of America" organization? They save butterflies, but I happen to be a cocoon smasher. It's my hobby....I love to smash them and feel them squish beneath my feet. Would they come after me? Why....it's not a butterfly. A fetus is not a pre-human, it IS a human! I know I'm preachin' to the choir...but remember what the argument is.

They only want to get out of the "trouble" they have put themselves in with sin. They want to be able to continue in their sin. I know. I do not judge. So what they need is not a "choice" but they need to know the love of God and forgiveness in Christ.

OK I've made my obligatory Pro-life remark....

I think we have a new option....

The conference call tonight was smaller than I expected but went pretty well. I think I like the idea of a conference call so we could have short discussions or a mini-class if we wanted. Only problem is this....20 people trying to talk at once would be a mess, so I have posted here a dedicated CHAT room where we can type questions and stuff without us all talking over each other. The link is below the archive list on the right of the screen (look for the yellow link). Some will be able to have the chat going while on the conference call, some will not. Either way some good tools here. I think the Lord is slowly building a ministry with our family that has grown into two countries now and roots are spreading out from our lines. I am SO thankful when people come in and we search the scriptures together. I just want us to know the Word and to know God and this could be a great tool for our learning and praying. It's just a little seed....we'll see if God will use it to increase our work.

5 Steps to Change

Often my faith influences how I manage things at work. Here's something from my management file that is very applicable to faith. Hope it's helpful.

Here are 5 steps to change.

1. Facts Lead to Knowledge
2. Knowledge Influences Belief
3. Beliefs Lead to Attitudes
4. Attitudes Drive Behavior
5. Behavior Influences Behavior of Those Around Us

We must know the Facts of the Bible first before we can have the Knowledge we need to believe. That belief (faith) affects our attitudes towards God, Life and sin. Those attitudes drive our behavior. Because our life has been affected by the facts of the Bible, others around us may desire to know God. So our behavior is a testimony to the facts. Then they may also seek the facts of the Bible because of what they saw in you.

Look at the list above, where are you right now? If you are at ground zero, start reading to know what the Bible says. If you know what the Bible says grow in your knowledge of the Lord. If you are growing then your faith is growing. If your faith is growing your life is changing. If your life is changing, your life will be a witness of Christ. You might not even know you have been evangelizing....actions speak louder than words! Just be ready to answer and send them to the Words that lead you to action!