Category Archives: Trusting God

Love Is Your Witness

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Romans 12:9-18

12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant
in prayer;

12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things,
but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of all men.

12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with
all men.

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Love without pretense or deceit. Run away from evil and toward good.

James

4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you. 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

Try to recognize early on when you’re faced with a temptation. Pray to God to give you strength to stand or wisdom to find the way of escape.

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We are to love our neighbors, but our brothers and sisters in Christ first, just as you would in any family.

Galatians

6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of
the Spirit reap life everlasting. 6:9 And let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.6:10 As we
have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially
unto them who are of the household of faith.

If you help someone that’s lost, that’s a good thing. Remember to help your brethren too though. Then God will multiply it in Christ when they also help others.

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When you are dealing with the world remember, you are where you are for a reason. Whatever your work is, do it as unto God, because He gave you that work.

Ephesians

6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to
the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as
unto Christ; 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants
of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 6:7 With good will doing
service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Our example of honesty, dilegence and obedience to God will be our first testimony to the world. They will watch you and judge you. More than that, they will watch you and judge God. We’ve probably all heard it said “If that person is a Christian, I don’t need it.” Don’t be that person they’re talking about.

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Whatever you’re going through, God planned it. Perhaps you’re having a period of chastening. Maybe it’s a time of great blessing and opportunity. Whatever it is, thank God for it and pray that He will help you understand how you’re supposed to use it for His glory.

Ephesians

5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of
the Lord is.5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit; 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord; 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

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Help your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all of one body, and we’ll rise and fall together.

Romans

15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the
weak, and not to please ourselves. 15:2 Let every one of us please
his neighbour for his good to edification. 15:3 For even Christ pleased
not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that
reproached thee fell on me.

Jesus is our ultimate example. He gave up everything and came to seek and save what was lost.

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Remember, even your enemy could be a child of God. It is not our place to judge who deserves God’s love.

Matthew

5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 5:44 But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you; 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father
which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

If you can’t do anything else, pray that your enemy will be saved and become your brother. If it happens, that’ll help out everything else. Try to keep anger from blinding you. Many times, the most unpleasant of us are crying out because they hurt so much inside.

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Share in the joys and pains of those around you. Your brethren will be strengthened, and it may give you an opportunity for you to witness to the lost.

Luke

6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be
ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 6:21 Blessed are ye that
hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now:
for ye shall laugh. 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach
you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your
reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers
unto the prophets.

We often don’t know what God is up to. His perspective is greater than ours. He can use all things to the greatest good.

When Nero was emperor of Rome, he decided to use the early Christians as scapegoats for his own political problems. He put multitudes to death in the Roman arenas. They were burned alive and killed by men and wild beasts as the crowds watched. When the Romans saw how these people were willing to die for their faith, many were converted. So much so that Christianity eventually became the state religion of Rome.

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Remember, all are level at the foot of the cross. None of us are any better than anyone else. When a brother or sister is having a bad day, try not to retaliate, but rather remember, we all have bad days and have the needs for patience and grace.

1 Peter

3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 3:9 Not rendering evil for
evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 3:10 For
he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 3:11 Let him eschew
evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

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God puts great stock in honest dealings, and often tells us how He looks down on dishonesty and fraud.

Proverbs

11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is
his delight.11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the
lowly is wisdom. 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them:
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them 11:4 Riches
profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

There is no gain or profit that is worth cheating anyone. Not only does it hurt you, but if the world sees a believer acting like that, it just gives them another excuse to turn their backs on God.

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If the world sees you walking in peace, temperance, and love, that is your first witness to them. If they see you walk a different path, they’ll not listen to anything else you have to say.

James

3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him
shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory
not, and lie not against the truth.3:15 This wisdom descendeth not
from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 3:16 For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 3:17 But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and
easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,
and without hypocrisy. 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace of them that make peace.

When you witness in the world, don’t act like a judge and tell them what a rotten person they are. Remember, (and maybe even tell them) that you are a sinner saved by grace. Tell them how Jesus came to save sinful man and make peace with God through His love and sacrifice. Show them how God is reaching out to save us from ourselves. As the old saying goes, “You’ll draw more flies with sugar than with salt.”

There is a time to be the salt of the Earth, but try to show them Christ’s love first.

Who Should You Listen To?

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Ephesians 5:6-16

5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

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Whether on TV, the radio, or in person, there are false teachers in the world. They make up doctrine and use it for their own ends. They may take verses out of context, or just use mans wisdom to make it sound good.

2 Timothy

3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3:3
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, 3:4 Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 3:5 Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead
captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 3:7
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist
the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be
manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.

Check what these false teachers say against the whole Word and they will show themselves of what sort they really are. When you’ve found one of these false teachers, don’t stay and listen to them. Anything they say can sow a seed of doubt and weaken your faith.

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Throughout the Bible, leaven is used as a symbol for sin and corruption. When celebrating the Passover (which illustrates Christ’s crucifixion), the Jews were to eat unleavened bread. This symbolizes how we’re to eat the whole Word of God, the Bread of Life, without the leaven of the world.

1 Corinthians

5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump?

If you’ve ever made sourdough bread, it’s the perfect picture. You take a “starter” from the last batch, add ingredients to make your bread, and save back part for the next time. The leaven that came from the starter is enough to leaven the whole loaf you made, and the starter for next time.

5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump,
as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with
the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth. 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company
with fornicators: 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world
or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye
needs go out of the world.

That is, if you’re fully separated from sinners, how can you witness?

5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man
that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not
to eat. 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?
do not ye judge them that are within? 5:13 But them that are without God
judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

The way to judge a false teacher is to look at their fruit. No one is perfect, but if someone professes to be saved and is wilfully living in sin, you have to question it. There are steps to help a backslid brother and restore them to the fold, but that’s a message for another day. You can start in Galatians Chapter 6 if you’d like to explore this topic.

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When you’re saved, God begins to use the Holy Spirit to work in your life. He will show you where you are weak, and build you up to be stronger. You have to yield to The Spirit and let Him perform this work in you.

Matthew

6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be
single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 6:23 But if thine eye
be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 6:24 No man
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.

Your eye looks for the things you desire. It will show you the things you want to see. You cannot grow in Christ and hold on to your old sins. You have to be willing to set them aside and let the Holy Spirit show you the path the Father has for you.

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Paul gives us a brief outline of some of the fruits of The Spirit…

Galatians

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit.

Along with the Holy Spirit, God gives us gifts. The Spirit will help us lay hold on these gifts so the fruit can show forth in our lives.

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The Spirit will help us figure out what we’re supposed to do, and what we’re not supposed to do.

Romans

12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. 12:2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Let The Spirit guide you in all things. Don’t just look to God when you’re in trouble or need something. Try to lean on The Spirit to find the will of God for your life in all things, and to recognize and thank God for all the many blessings of each day.

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I’m sure we’ve all had fair weather friends that only hang around as long as they can use you. When you’re saved, your old “friends” will try to tempt you to return to your prior ways. If you use the strength of The Spirit to resist, they won’t understand and will likely leave you, showing they never were true friends.

1 Peter

4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the
will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess
of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4:4
Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same
excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 4:5 Who shall give account to
him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 4:6 For for this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they
might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit.

The Law was given to convict men of sin. Jesus came to show there is a better way. All are dead in trespasses and sin. Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and He will give you the gift of The Life.

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Sinful man in his own wisdom thinks he has it all figured out. Because they love their sin, they’ve chosen to believe the lies of the Devil.

Romans

1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools, 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed
beasts, and creeping things. 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own bodies between themselves:1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a
lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed for ever. Amen.

An idol doesn’t have to be a gold statue. It can be anything you believe or trust more than God. The evolutionists have their faith in vast stretches of time. However, when some of their own start pointing out that their estimate of the age of the Earth (5.6 billion years) isn’t enough to account for the development of life, many of them started talking about life coming from somewhere else. Rather than believe the truth of God, they would rather create and believe a new lie.

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The world doesn’t want to believe, because then they’d have to admit they are sinners in need of a Savior.

Luke

8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel,
or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they
which enter in may see the light. 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall
not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known
and come abroad. 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever
hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken even that which he seemeth to have.

God’s light penetrates all things. You can’t hide from Him. One day, the evil man will lose his riches and the humble will receive the riches of God, the treasures they’ve been storing up in Heaven.

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This quote can be found in few places in the Old Testament. One is in Isaiah.

Isaiah

60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is
risen upon thee. 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee. 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy
light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

One day the entire world will see the brightness of God in Christ. We can start living in that light now. As Jesus says in John (8:32) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

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You have to walk in this world, but you don’t have to take part in it. Keep your eyes open. There are many traps and snares set out to trip you up.

Matthew

10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

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Someday soon, the clock will run out on this world. We have to work while there is still time, to witness to the lost and sow the seeds of life. When the world has ended, we’ll be able to enter into His promised rest.

Hebrews

4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 4:10 For he
that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works,
as God did from his. 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief 4:12 For the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:
but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we
have to do. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as
we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God knows all things. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows all our faults, our weaknesses and our shortcomings. He also knows our strengths and talents. Most importantly, He knows His plan for us. Our part is to let Him work that out in us.