2014 Christian Random Thoughts -- Don't Lose Hope

My random thought or random vent:

Oprah and her spirituality, watched some of her show yesterday in which the guest were expressing who God is and what the soul is etc, all of them expressed God as Love, that's true and how he is kind etc however none of them spoke about God being the God of judgement.

so out of balance.
 
Isaiah 40:29

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.


I Corinthians 12

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

1 Peter 5:8

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
 
Was talking with moms today ...she watches Zac Poonen live at times and I missed it yesterday. This man is so humble, he gets up from the congregation to the pulpit to preach, then goes back down to his seat when he's done preaching. I've had my fill of preachers with gimmicks and antics.. the unadulterated Word of God is all that's needed.
 
A Day of Reflection: Four years ago today marks the earthquake in Haiti. We'll continue to keep the people of Haiti; all those who are aiding in the restoration of this nation; and everyone who is donating their money to help, in prayer. Lots have been done and more needs to be done. God bless you all...

#GodBlessHaiti
250px-Flag_of_Haiti.svg.png

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haitians are pausing to remember the tens of thousands of people who died in the catastrophic earthquake that struck four years ago.

The government of President Michel Martelly issued a decree declaring Sunday a day of remembrance and reflection. The Haitian flag is being flown at half-staff, and clubs are to remain closed.

Haiti's radio and television stations have been encouraged to schedule programs and music for the occasion in honor of the victims.

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck outside Haiti's capital on Jan. 12, 2010, and thousands of buildings toppled in Port-au-Prince and surrounding cities.

Officials say more than 300,000 died, but no one knows for certain how many people lost their lives.

The quake left 1.5 million people living in tent camps. That number has fallen to 146,000.

Laela thank you for sharing. Jentezen Franklin's ministry is helping the Haitians build their own Marketplace. More households will soon be able to generate their own income.
 
Sometimes when we are faced with certain situations that we are not sure of, it would be best if we ask known trusted persons who are of like mind and couple that with prayer, or simply seek God directly (he does speak to us, but rarely do we listen). Otherwise you are going to have countless folk weighing in on something that should have never been presented to the 'world'.



This is not directed at anyone in particular it's just an observation on my part.
 
I noticed in that OT thread lots of people were saying since they have left religion how free they are...I find that we want to do what WE want to do, what is right in our own eyes, we don't want to be held accountable for anything and we certainly don't want to be told what to do.


True freedom can not be found without God and we certainly can not alienate ourselves from the church, if we do we are in error.

A sure way to find out if you are in the right church, is check it against what the word says and then check yourself to make sure that you are also lining up.
 
I noticed in that OT thread lots of people were saying since they have left religion how free they are...I find that we want to do what WE want to do, what is right in our own eyes, we don't want to be held accountable for anything and we certainly don't want to be told what to do.

True freedom can not be found without God and we certainly can not alienate ourselves from the church, if we do we are in error.

A sure way to find out if you are in the right church, is check it against what the word says and then check yourself to make sure that you are also lining up.
Sis...I love God's Word and I trust it completely. Its so sad to know that there may be people who we interact with that may never know God's love and the freedom (true freedom) in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The following scriptures help us to remember what is about to take place...even what WE are witnessing now, right before our very eyes. It's almost frightening to see this coming to pass.....:nono:

I John 2 NLT

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

A New Commandment
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister,[a] that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12 I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.[c]
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith[d]
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Do Not Love This World
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Warning about Antichrists
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit,[h] and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Living as Children of God
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
 
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Random thought:
I spend so much time encouraging others that I'm finding it hard to keep myself encouraged. Idk what happened between January 1st and now, but this year has started off extremely rocky. It's so hard to remain positive when other people around you are getting the blessings you asked for months ago.

I asked God to use me and that I wanted more of him...had no idea I would be stepping into a wilderness period. At this rate, I know my testimony is going to be nothing short of miracles. I just hope I make it to my Promised Land in one piece!

The Holy Spirit is telling me to hold on for a bit longer though.
 
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Experiencing God: Day By Day (Daily Devotional) God's Eternal Perspective

Daily Devotional for Thursday, January 16th, 2014


I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. Genesis 12:2

Big assignments require big characters. God will give you a responsibility in proportion to the size of your character. In Bible times, a person’s name represented his character; to know someone’s name was to know what the person was like. That’s why God changed the name of some when He transformed their character. For example, the Lord wanted to bless all the nations of the earth through Abram, yet Abram’s character was too weak for such a great task. God said He would make Abram’s name great so that He could make him a blessing to future generations. Then over the next twenty-five years, God developed Abraham’s character to match the name He had given him.

God sees your life from His eternal perspective. He will take whatever time is necessary to grow your character to match His assignment for you. If you have not received a divine commission lately, it may be that your character needs maturing. Are you impatient to begin your work before God has refined your character? A small character will fail in a large responsibility every time. Don’t be too hasty to get to the work.

Character-building can be long and painful. It took twenty-five years before God entrusted Abraham with his first son and set in motion the establishment of the nation of Israel. Yet God was true to His word, and thousands of years later people continue to be blessed by the account of Abraham’s life and by his descendant, Jesus.

How is God building your character? Do you sense He has a task for you that will require a far greater man or woman than you presently are? Will you yield to God as He works in your life to prepare you for your next assignment?
 
Yep, in fact, I'm frightened by the task. There's simply nothing I can do about what is ahead except to trust in the L-rd, even when things don't look like they should. I'm very afraid and unsure except that, I know it's there so what can I do about it? Nothing but remain still. Sux. Eh, I guess it's life. May the L-rd grant me the courage and grace to go through that door.
 
Experiencing God - When God Speaks, It Is So

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

When God speaks, nothing remains the same. At the beginning of time, God spoke, and a universe was created out of nothing. God followed a pattern when He created the earth: He spoke; it was so; it was good (Gen. 1:3-4). This pattern continued throughout the Bible. Whenever God revealed His plans, things happened just as He said, and God considered the result “good” (Phil. 2:13). God doesn’t make suggestions. He speaks with the full determination to see that what He has said will come to fruition.

Whenever Jesus spoke, what He said came to pass. Lepers found that a word from Jesus meant healing (Luke 5:13; 17:14). The blind man discovered that a word from Jesus meant sight (Luke 18:42). Through a barren fig tree the disciples saw that a curse from Jesus meant destruction (Mark 11:20). The sinner experienced forgiveness through a word from Jesus (John 8:11). How many attempts did it take Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead? Only one (John 11:43). There was never a time that Jesus spoke that what He said did not happen.

What happens when Jesus speaks to you? Have you been reading the words of Jesus in your Bible without experiencing His word that transforms everything around you? Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they assumed that knowledge of the written Scriptures would give them life. They were satisfied with having the words instead of experiencing the person who spoke the words (John 5:39).

How powerful a word from God is to your life! As you read your Bible and pray, listen to what God has to say to you about His will for your life.
 
Ephesians 5:8- 14

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:


“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
 
Bye ladies!!!

:bighug:

Experiencing God: Day By Day (Daily Devotional)
Royal Priests


"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

If you are a Christian, you are a priest, chosen by God. As a member of the royal priesthood you have constant access to the King. If there is ever a need in your life, you don’t have to find an intermediary or enlist another priest in order to gain a hearing from the King. Your position as a royal priest allows you direct access. This privilege describes your position as a priest. However, priests also have a function. It is the responsibility of a priest to work within a priesthood.

Scripture does not promote the practice of individual priests, each with a separate ministry. Rather, priests function together (Lev. 9:1). An unbiblical sense of individualism can isolate you from functioning within God’s royal priesthood as He intended. The priest represents God to the people, but he also takes the people’s concerns to God.

Is there someone around you who desperately needs the intercession of one of God’s priests? Perhaps someone will only come to know God by seeing Him in your life. Our world hungers for an expression of Christ as He really is, living out His life through His people. It is dangerous to put our job above our calling by God. We are called to be priests first, and to hold a job second. When we get these out of order, everyone around us is denied access to the Father through us. God may have called you into a secular job as a vocation, but more importantly He has appointed you to be one of His royal priests
 
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Bye ladies!!!

:bighug:

Experiencing God: Day By Day (Daily Devotional)
Royal Priests

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

If you are a Christian, you are a priest, chosen by God. As a member of the royal priesthood you have constant access to the King. If there is ever a need in your life, you don’t have to find an intermediary or enlist another priest in order to gain a hearing from the King. Your position as a royal priest allows you direct access. This privilege describes your position as a priest. However, priests also have a function. It is the responsibility of a priest to work within a priesthood.

Scripture does not promote the practice of individual priests, each with a separate ministry. Rather, priests function together (Lev. 9:1). An unbiblical sense of individualism can isolate you from functioning within God’s royal priesthood as He intended. The priest represents God to the people, but he also takes the people’s concerns to God.

Is there someone around you who desperately needs the intercession of one of God’s priests? Perhaps someone will only come to know God by seeing Him in your life. Our world hungers for an expression of Christ as He really is, living out His life through His people. It is dangerous to put our job above our calling by God. We are called to be priests first, and to hold a job second. When we get these out of order, everyone around us is denied access to the Father through us. God may have called you into a secular job as a vocation, but more importantly He has appointed you to be one of His royal priests

:bighug:

Never 'goodbye' to a Dearly Loved Sister and Friend...

"See you later...." :love3:
 
I love random talk threads because I get to be random lol.

So when I was reading my bible this morning I came across this really nice verse and well story in Chronicles. I wanted to share it with a Facebook page that I coordinate for the youth at my church and no matter how much I try to remember it or find it I just cannot. This isn't the first time, I think my age is starting to kick in lol. When I find it I will come and share it here as well.
 
FILLING UP EMPTY

Do not trust in oppression, nor vain hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them -
Psalm 62:10.

This house ain't worth robbing," said a thief who seemed to feel he was wasting his time. According to a news report, the burglar broke into a home and held the owner at knifepoint while looking for money. He ransacked the place but turned up only $3 in change, $5 in a wallet, and a few pieces of cheap jewelry.

The thief apparently concluded that the homeowner was worse off than he was, so he gave back to him the $8 he was going to steal. "I think he was disgusted" said the 32-year-old victim. "He couldn't believe that all the money I had,"

We might smile at the bad fortune of this thief. But we can often have a similar kind of experiecnce. It happens whenever we try to take something that God has not given us. Following the paths of envy, jealousy, adultery, theft, or just plain stubborn willfulness, always results in more trouble than profit.

David, the psalmist, learned this the hard way. When he stole Uriah's wife, he ended up with far more trouble and far less hapiness than he had bargained for (2Sam. 11-12).

Father, help us to believe that it never pays to take what You have not given. Help us not to waste our lives chasing things that leaves You out and leave us empty.

The little choices we must make
Will chart the course of life we take
We either choose the path of light
Or wander off in darkest night.

Sin is never worth the trouble.
 
Are some fasts more spiritually empowering than others? E.g.. a 21 day Daniel fast vs. 3 day full fast.

I've done both, and I feel a 3 day full fast is a bigger boost. Not sure if it is because I commit more to prayer in a full fast, as I would just shut in mostly for that time and pray and read my bible all day. Whereas on the Daniel fast, my daily activities are altered less drastically.
 
"...moral relativism...logically impossible....[at 20 weeks, it becomes a child, but previously?]..." A life begins at conception. That's not only logical, that is biologically factual for the organism. Comparing a human to a frog or some other organism is ridiculous. This is how it happens and women are the hosts during the human's development to becoming viable. I'm not viable in -20 degree weather without protection. Am I less a human or am I not alive now?
 
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Not directed any anyone at all, but as I read through our posts and other threads on this board we (myself included) like to be 'entertained' too much, if we are not careful we are going to suffer (and have already suffered but we haven't noticed)spiritually for it.
 
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Thank you Pastor Henderson...

January 24

Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. (New King James Version)

God uses this chapter to teach all of us a valuable lesson about His sovereign will. While Jews and Gentiles squabble about who has the "right" to be the heirs of God, He settles the matter. None of us have the "right" to be anything with God unless He gives it to us. It isn't about your blood line. There are many that can trace their heritage back to Abraham and still miss the blessing. There will also be many Gentiles that say adoption is theirs because the Jews rejected their Messiah, and yet miss the blessing too. God is not bound by Laws! I repeat: God is not bound by Laws! The mercy of God is just as astounding as the love of God and the grace of God. No person knows so much about God that they can obligate Him to function in a certain way. Who would have the audacity to try and instruct God? We have a tendency to pay too much attention to those God favors than the God that bestowed the favor! The privilege of adoption is extended to anyone that wants to be a member of His household. The way has been paid and paved: stop trying to qualify.

Elder S R Henderson, Pastor
 
Word of the Day

Prov 25:18
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Like a club, a sword or a sharp arrow is a person who gives false testimony against a neighbor.
 
Hey ladies who are living in areas affected by this winter storm, I pray you all and your family and friends make it home safely. Stay warm and God bless you guys! My prayers are with you.
 
About the Grammy's ..Clearly the bible tells us that we are in the world and not of the world we are called to be separate.


2 Cor 6:17
7"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you.


If gospel or Christian artists are disturbed in their spirit about the performances they should be and if they're not then something is very wrong...it goes much deeper than the 'arts', 'talent' and 'body of work'.

All of it is carnality and works of the flesh, according to the bible no flesh can glory in His presence. So if you feel sick in your spirit, thank God that you can still 'feel' and do not have a seared conscience.
 
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