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I noticed while going through all the discussion groups listed, that BC does not have a library of recommended reading material which, along with God's word "the Bible" might be of benefit to other believers. If I have missed something, please let me know.
If you have suggestions of Christian materials which might benefit another person on this site, please let us know the name of the book/publication, the author/publisher, and where this might be obtained.
Bibles come in numerous translations but are all the Word of God. What Bible do you use, and why is it meaningful to you?
In setting up this site, I would like to let everyone know that they would please stay to the topic intended for the use of others who may be in need of information.
God Bless all who respond, and thank you.
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The Greater Damnation
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Mar 11, 2009 5:05 pm
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Matthew 23:14
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation." KJB
Our text for today is one of the eight "woes" of Matthew 23 and this awful condemnation of the religious leaders of our Lord's time, He is condemning them about abusing their position as Israel's religious. What these leaders did is bad enough but in our text Jesus is giving them a greater damnation but I can not think of anything worse than what the Bible talks about when it comes to being condemned to hell. It is because of their "greater" impact on the people in which they were suppose to lead in Godly things. James speaks of this in his epistle, he said: "My brethren, be not many masters [teachers], knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (James 3:1) KJB. I do believe that James had our texts incident in mind. People, when we lead those underneath us in the wrong path, we to will receive the "...greater damnation".
How many of you listened and watched ouR religious leaders of today and thought about this, our text? Paul gives us a list of what religious leaders will be like during the time just before the Lord comes back. He is giving to us what to look out for in religious leaders so that we can avoid these type of people. These type of people will have a "...form of godliness..." but deny "...the power thereof." Now, Paul tells us, those who love the Lord, to "...turn away..." from them. He continues to tell us this: "...for of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:5-7) KJB.
Now, when we think about it, the principle which sticks out far above any other principle is this: " For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 12:4 KJB. As religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees of our Lord's time, were very versed on Scriptures, yet they refused to follow them and yet when the general public did not follow them they were all over them. That is why our Lord called them hypocrites. Their very behavior was not only hypocritical but dangerous and destructive and the judgment which our Lord heaped on them was well deserved. Is it an less valid today, in this "modern" church, that our leaders would be just as guilty as the Pharisees and Sadducees were when they do the very same things? OK, you think I am being too critical? Wait until the Lord gets a hold of them when they have to make an account of the things they did while in the position they were in! "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31) KJB.
Just as these religious leaders were guilty of being hypocritical and destructive to the lay people of our Lord's day, if we are not careful we can also become guilty of the same things. That is why we are told by Paul to, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates." (2 Corinthians 13:5-6) KJB. If we examine ourselves, then we will not examine others but rather love them in despite of what they do. We need to love the praise of God rather than the praise of man, and that is what generally causes us to be as the Pharisees and Sadducees of our Lord's time. We can be the greatest "academia" of our time but let us not allow it to go to our heads. Let us humble ourselves before all mighty God so that we do not receive "...the righteous judgment of God." (Romans 2:5) KJB.
Paul speaks about these type of people in His epistle to the church at Rome, for He said: "...I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17-1 KJB. REMEMBER THESE WORDS OF PAUL AND DAILY EXAMINE YOURSELF TO SEE IF YOU ARE IN THE FAITH AS IS WRITTEN.
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Valley of Decision
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Mar 10, 2009 6:13 pm
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Joel 3:14
"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." KJB
There are many decisions to be made throughout ones life and some of those decisions are good, some not so good, and then there are some that should never have been made. Most often the reason those decisions are made can stem from one reason and one reason only, GREED.. We want what we want and we will do most anything to get them. Hey, do not say that I am wrong because you know yourself, if you are honest with yourself, you would agree with me. But we do not like being told that we are wrong about something, especially decisions that we make. I do not know how I ever made to the age I am now. I have made some decisions which could have turned out very badly, but I cannot help but think the Lord had His hand on me, even before I became His through Salvation.
Even when we think we are not making decisions, we are. Take for instance, we set a clock at the side of our beds to get up in time and when the clocks alarm goes off in the morning, we make the decision to shut it off and get out of bed, or we decide to take that clock and throw it across the room. We decide which path we are to take during the day. So, you see, we cannot go through one day without making some sort of decision about something or another.
There are two decisions that can take us down a path which will last for all eternity. Jesus speaks of these two decisions when He says: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) KJB.
Now, the first path He speaks of is the "...strait gate...", so what is this strait gate? Jesus tells us that "...strait if the gate, and narrow is the way...". Now, the world will tell you that there are many ways to get to heaven and all of them lead there, but Jesus tells it is a "...strait..." and "...narrow is the way...", which tells us that the way to heaven is small and not as large as the world would have you believe. Because if all the worlds paths lead to heaven, then why did Jesus say, "I am the way, the truth and the life; and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:15) KJB. That one verse tells me that this path is singular and not a multiple of paths. Buddha will not get you there, Mohamed will not get you there, Joseph Smith will not get you there, the only way is Jesus. He is the "strait and narrow gate" which opens only to those who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. Now, this narrow and strait gate "...leadeth unto life..." but then scriptures literally tells us, "...few there be that find it." That means there will be many more taking the wide path than there will be who take the Narrow Path.
Now, the second way is "...wide is the gate, and broad is the way..." and most will say, let us take this path because it is easier and bigger than that little small path that those Christians are taking. But what they do not understand is "...that leadeth to destruction..." means literally that the word which is translated as destruction can also be translated as [damnable, perdition, perish, pernicious ways, waste, and it is to say that this path leads to hell or perdition]. Unfortunately, as Scriptures say: "...and many there be which go in thereat", cannot be read any other way than as it reads, many would rather take the wide path, the seemingly easy path, than the narrow and strait gate, which leads to eternal life.
Mankind has many decisions to make throughout their lives, but the best decision one can make is to take the strait and narrow gate which is Jesus Christ and Him alone. We are, as a nation, in a great "...valley of decision..." than at any other time in the history of this nation. We have had many advancements through science but I truly believe that God allowed us to learn them so that we could set the stage for what would happen in the last days. The ability to fulfill Scriptures about the Lord being seen the world over and that can happen right now with all our satellites in orbit which can broadcast His image the world over. We can literally destroy whole cities, if not nations by the weapons we have now, which will literally set the world on fire, which is another Bible prophecy, but I truly believe the Lord can do these things without our technology's. But there has not been any other generation that can say these things.
Now, I want each of you, who are reading these words, remember, He is coming back and it is to be very soon. The area around Israel has been set up and each and everyday we are seeing a movement of Bible prophecy which no other time can attest to. Our Lord and Savior is coming back, remain in the valley of decision and watch as Christians are raptured out, but come out of that valley and be raptured along with the rest of born-again believers in Jesus Christ.
What decision will you make, will it be the easy and wide path or will it be the narrow and strait gate? YOUR DECISION, NO ONE CAN MAKE IT FOR YOU!
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Preparing to Meet Thy God
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Mar 9, 2009 6:11 pm
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Amos 4:12
"Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." KJB
There is a saying that says, all we have to do is to die and pay taxes, but that is not exactly true. There will be many who will never die and there are some who never pay taxes. What I mean that there are some who will never die is that Jesus came so that we would never have to die and those who have accepted Him will never die, that is a promise from the Word of God, the Bible. There is also something that is true, Paul said this: "...every one of us shall give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12) KJB. Those who are His shall give an account of what we did for Him and we shall not lie about it, and the rest shall give an account of themselves and then be thrown into the lake of fire which was prepared for Satan and His cohorts. These who shall give account shall be all those who do not believe in God, those who would ridicule Him and His word, those who disobey His laws, those who worship false gods-everyone some day will meet All Mighty God, and that is a promise from His word and it never is wrong. There can never any better advice than this, "...prepare to meet thy God..." And what great advice that is.
There are some who ask, what God, but the answer to that is the One True God of the Bible, the Creator of it all, Jesus Christ. Never the false god's of pantheism, not the god of the Mormon's, not the gods of evolution and they do have gods which is called naturalism or the processes of evolutionism. There is only one God, (Deuteronomy 6:4 and many other verses in the Word of God). This One True God knows all the thoughts of men and most are called vanity to Him because those thoughts are centered wrong. He is the One who "...maketh the morning darkness...", the word used for "darkness" here is only used one other time in Scriptures and it literally means "hell". (Amos 4:13) KJB. Here it is used in context: "A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without order, and where the light is as darkness." (Job 10:12) KJB. All those who have been told about Him and have rejected Him will find out that He is True and very much alive, while they stand in front of Him and get judged.
In the soon coming judgment "...the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17) KJB. The word of Amos or God through Amos needs to be spoken to all generations but the question is, even though it has been spoken, has it been heard? It seems that less and less people want to listen to the truth contained in the Bible. "For the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment" (Psalm 1:5) KJB. and this judgment is very sure. And then we read: "As it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 9:27, 10:31) KJB.
Now, there is a way to miss this type of judgment, the judgment which leads to hell, and Jesus spoke of the way for He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:15) KJB. Jesus is not telling us untruth here because He is God that "...cannot lie..." (Titus 1:2) KJB. He is the Lord of all the Hosts of Heaven and it is only through Him in which we can make sure that we will not go through the final judgment, reserved only for those who are the children of Satan. And that is anyone who rejects Jesus, and doing nothing is still rejecting Him because everyone has that God consciousness contained within them. Each have the choice, either reject Him and be judged because of it, or accept Him and be judged for the crowns in which you shall receive. It is either the Great White Throne of Judgment for unbelievers, or what is called the Bema Seat Judgment or the Judgment of Believers. Which one will you be in? Remember, "....prepare to meet thy God..." for you shall meet Him one way or another.
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Being Moved by Fear
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Mar 9, 2009 6:07 pm
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Hebrews 11
"By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." KJB
I think it is a shame that we oft times have to afraid about something before we are moved or motivated to do something that we need to do. Noah was such a case because God had told him that He would destroy the people because of their mighty sins. Noah believed God's word, which literally made him a great man of faith, when He told him that he would use a method to accomplish this task which were "...things not seen as yet...". Even though it took Noah one hundred and twenty years (Genesis 6:3) to accomplish the method in which he would save his family, and that was the Ark in which God told him to build. Now, Noah had never seen something in which we take for granted and that was rain. God prepared him for the world wide Flood in a day in which God had never yet even "...caused it to rain upon the earth..." (Genesis 2:5) KJB. Noah was a man after God's own heart in that he was a "...preacher of righteousness..." to a world which ridiculed him, made fun of him "...while the ark was a preparing..." (1 Peter 3:20) KJB. Even though Noah preached for one hundred and twenty years, not one convert except his own family. I can imagine, after that length of time, that his family members, at times, doubted him but they did what he told them needed to be doing. I know that in my own life I oft times wonder what God is doing because of some particular thing he has done in my life.
But, the question remains, why was Noah "...moved by fear..."? I do not believe that he was afraid to die because of his faith, then why was he afraid because he obviously "...walked with God...." (Genesis 6:9) KJB. For six hundred years, before the flood, he was not afraid, then why now? We all are in this category at some time during our life. I know that I was and still am, it was for the "...saving of his house...". How many of you have witnessed to your own family members have been afraid for their own families. He was afraid that his family would be caught up in this unbelief in which the world's population was engulfed in. So Noah followed the Lord's directions for building this ark and during the one hundred and twenty years in which it took to build it was mocked, ridiculed and I imagine was called a crazy old man..
Then God told Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation" (Genesis 7:1) KJB. I find it interesting that we find Noah being told by God to go into the ark in the seventh chapter, why not the sixth, or the eight? Because seven, in Hebrew numerology, is the number for completeness, Noah had completed the ark as according to the plans God laid forth for him. His family could have refused to follow Noah into the family but they did according to what God told Noah to do. I want you to notice something in which a lot of people skip over. Who was it that closed the door of the ark when Noah and his family were safe inside it? "And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in." (Genesis 7:15-16) KJB. "...and the LORD shut him in", God closed the door for Noah. What God closes, no man can open, until the time comes in which it needs to be opened. God shut them in the ark to save Noah and his family, his three sons and their wives, a total of eight souls, God closed in the ark.
The going into the ark was actually a mikrah, (recital of things to come) of what our Lord will do for us who accept Him into our hearts. We are safe in the hands of God as Noah was safe in the ark. For today, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31) KJB. We are in God by faith as Noah was in the ark by faith. We are saved exactly the same way as Noah was saved, by faith and faith alone, without the deeds of work. Noah worked for one hundred and twenty years but it was not until he went into the ark in which he was safe from the wrath of God. If we are in Christ, we are safe from the wrath of God which is to come and that is very soon, very, very soon. Our Lord Jesus is to come back soon, even though we have waited for over two thousand years for that to occur, we are waiting with expectation as the apostles were during their time.
Every parent, child or even grandparent should think this: "...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15) KJB. Is that what you are thinking, that your family needs to be in Christ as Noah and his family was in the ark? It should be!
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Wells of Salvation
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Mar 7, 2009 9:11 pm
167 Views
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Isaiah 12:3
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." KJB
When we think about it we cannot help but sing His praises for His great "...wells of salvation." The Prophet Isaiah, in this psalm of praise, speaks of this with nothing less than awesome wonder at the deliverance of his people. Isaiah speaks about "....in that day..." (vs. 4), which is when our Lord will return to his earth and reign "...in the midst of thee..." (vs. 6). But until "....that day...", His Spiritual blessings are available right now, and what a blessing that is.
The Hebrew word "ma-yan", translated as "wells" here, literally means "fountains" and is used again in Psalms. We read this: "Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters." (Psalm 114- KJB. Notice, these two verses speak of the power of God and how the very earth trembles at His presence; "...which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters." We know that flint, with the chemical makeup of SiO2 is a very hard substance which the Native Americans and even people all over the world have used it as a tool or weapon, but God changed "...the flint into a fountain of waters." In Genesis we read this "...day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up..." (Genesis 7:11) KJB. On "that day" we will see the power of God in providing for the perpetual supply of "living waters" to the inhabitants and declared it to be "very good", this world He had created. When Moses struck the rock according to God's commandment, what sprang forth was a spring of living waters and the people of God's thirst was abated. The "...living waters..." which were cleaved apart for the children of God became the "lethal waters" to the army of Pharaoh.
However, one day there will be another "...fountain of living waters..." because we read: "And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." (Zechariah 14:8-9) KJB. When Jesus went to the cross and died, we read "...a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water..." (John 19:34) KJB. The day He stood at the Feast of Tabernacles, He cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water..." (John 7:37-3 KJB. The blood and water which flowed from our Saviors side "in that day" in which He was pierced has become a "living fountain" and if any man, woman or child drinks shall be shall saved and they will never thirst again. The cleansing power became a fountain of life or salvation only to those who drink of it. This fountain will never run dry, "...a pure river of water of life.....proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1) KJB.
What a marvelous wonder we see because of what our Lord did on "that day" because there is not just one well but there are many because all who will believe have became "...rivers of living water..." because the cup in which we partake is over flowing with His many blessings and we have an eternal joy which the world will not be able to stop it's flow. We will drink of these "wells of salvation" for all eternity, AMEN.
If you have not partaken of this "living water" isn't it about time that you do? He is coming back soon but you can take of this living water now and receive the everlasting water which will quench your thirst for all eternity.
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Wonderful Things to Come
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Mar 6, 2009 6:53 pm
168 Views
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1 Corinthians 2:9
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." KJB
When we stop and smell the roses, as the old cloche says, we cannot help but think about all the marvelous and wonderful things which are to come to all those who are truly born-again. This fantastic promise which is given to us by God through Paul is a verse which literally tells us that what is to come is beyond man's ability to think about or even visualize. We also read almost the same promise to the people of the Old Testament when we read: "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him." (Isaiah 64:4) KJB. Even though this verse speaks to the nation of Israel one cannot help but see the similarity's to the New Testament verse which is speaking to the Christian. I find that very interesting to say the least. The Old Testament speaks to the Israelites but the New Testament speaks to the whole world.
Even though our Lord and Savior was "crucified" by "the prince of this world" He still wants us to know that there is a great thing waiting for all of those who are His children. He said that He went to prepare "mansions" for us and when it is time, he will call us unto Him to be with Him for all of eternity. Jesus said this about that: "In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." (John 14:2-4) KJB.
When we take each prophecy and His promise to us and compare them we see at least three very vital truths. The first vital truth is that this promise was seen and in view from "...since the beginning of the world..." and they have been revealed through His prophets via His word, which has been speaking to us "...since the world began" (Luke 10) KJB.
The second thing we see is that is for those who "...wait for him..." (Old Testament) which can be mirrored by those "...who love him..." (New Testament).. In other words, the Word of God does not change. He said one thing in the Old Testament which is reflected again in the New Testament, which, once again, lets me know that my God does not change His mind in anything: what is true for the Old Testament Saints is just as valid for the New Testament Saints. Now, the Apostle Paul welds these both together when he says: "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4: KJB.
The last vital thing is that we, as finite humans, cannot visualize the things which God has prepared for us. Sure the translators speak of "mansions" but when we research the Greek word used it literally means a place to abide at but the word "mone" (mon-ay” is taken from another Greek word "meno" (men'-o) which means so much more than simple abiding (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), thine own. Can you see what I am saying? Jesus went to prepare a place for us and that place is a place that we, as mere humans, cannot visualize in our deepest imaginations. And I can tell you, I have a pretty good imagination.
Now, through the Apostle John's eyes, we can read a little about this place by reading the book of Revelation.. What a great picture that paints. John saw this Holy City, New Jerusalem, descend out of heaven and when we read about it's dimensions, I for one cannot visualize it even though we are given it's size. In Revelation 21:16 we read that the length, the width and the height is the same and are all equal. That measurement is twelve thousand furlongs.. Now a furlong is 220 yards. The total yardage is two million six hundred and forty thousand yards. Now, when we put that into something we can hang our hat on, we find that each length is equal and when we divide the number of yards in one mile into the total number of yards we find that we have one thousand five hundred miles to each measurement, therefore, we have 1,500 miles in length, 1,500 miles in height, and 1,500 miles in depth. It is a perfect cube. Now, can you visualize what this will look like as it comes down from heaven and finally sets down where Old Jerusalem is now? I do not know about you but this is hard to visualize, but, that is what the Word of God says.
So, when we read that "...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them...", (our text).
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Serving from the Heart
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Mar 6, 2009 6:46 pm
159 Views
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2009/03/06
Serving from the Heart
by Rick Warren
From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time .... Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)
Repeatedly, the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart." God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.
How do you know when you're serving God from your heart?
The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you're doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.
The opposite is also true: When you don't have a heart for what you're doing, you're easily discouraged.
One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you'll excel at it.
On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.
We've all heard people say, "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That's a big mistake. Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.
Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16 MSG).
Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" - serving God in a way that expresses your heart.
Figure out what you love to do - that which God gave you a heart for - and then do it for his glory!
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When Serving God, Listen to Your Heart
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Mar 6, 2009 6:43 pm
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When Serving God, Listen to Your Heart
by Rick Warren
A man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)
The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations – what you love to do and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."
The Bible says what is in your heart is what you really are, not what others think you are, or what circumstances force you to be (Proverbs 27:19). Your heart is the real you. It determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do.
Physically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Just as we each have unique thumbprints, eye prints, and voiceprints, our hearts beat in slightly different patterns. It's amazing that out of all the billions of people who've ever lived, no one has ever had a heartbeat exactly like yours.
In the same way, God has given each of us a unique emotional heartbeat that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving.
Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel deeply passionate about and others that you couldn't care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention, while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart; listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.
When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about.
Where did those interests come from? They came from God!
God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.
Listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.
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Secret Places
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Mar 4, 2009 7:23 pm
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Psalm 91:1-2
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.." KJB
What David is telling us here in our text for today is of importance to the Child of God. It confirms what he tells us about His covering us with His blood in order to keep us safe from evil one, Satan. That is what the Hebrew word which is translated "...in the secret place..." for it's meaning literally means to cover as in hiding. We are hidden in His blood, never to be removed from that exalted position. Remember what finally caused the Pharaoh to release the children of God, the Israelites. It was the killing of all the first born of Egypt. (Exodus 11:5-12:13) KJB. But what saved the Israelites was not Moses but rather the blood which had been applied to the door posts of the houses in which they dwelt in. It was the blood which God saw and not the sinners inside their homes which had been covered by that blood. Therefore, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
Now, the word "abide" here is an interesting Hebrew word in that it gives us the sense of permanence. Now, what does it actually mean to the believer to "abide"? It means to stay put, to set forth roots and to remain solid. This remaining is to be placed in what or in whom? We are to "abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Now, literally the Hebrew word which is translated as the shadow, means in the shade of or it can also mean to be under the defense of the Almighty. It reminds me of what Lot said to those out side his door the night before they were destroyed by God's hand. Lot said: "Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof." (Genesis 19: KJB.
Lot uses the same word here when he tells those outside to take his two daughters but to leave his guests alone. He said "...only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof." He tells those outside the door that it was his job to protect the two angels who were sent by God to take Lot and his family out of Sodom. The angels did not need his protection but that was the custom of the times. For those who dwelt under your roof, you protected. We are under God's almighty wings as He stretches them out to protect us. David said this: "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about." (Psalm 17:8-9) KJB. David sought comfort under God's shadow of protection. That means we have the same access to God our Father; for what Father would not do what they could to protect His children? I now that there are Father's out there that want nothing to do with their children but that is not our heavenly Father, for His only desire is to make sure we are under the shadow of His protection, to defend us.
The last thing I want you to be aware of in our text for today is this: David said, "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." Who else can we trust but God our Father. We might trust our family members especially our own parents but what would happen if that trust is place in them and they fail us? What would happen to that trust? David made a mighty statement when he said: "...in him will I trust." God our Father is the only one in whom we can truly trust, because man will at some time fail to keep up their promises to us, God never fails in one promise, not in the past, not in the present and definitely not in the future because we serve a God who does not change and never will change. Some seem to think that God of the Old Testament is not the God of the New Testament. But think about it. Do we get to Him in the same manner as did the Old Testament saints? Yes, it is by faith and faith alone. Did He keep His promises in the Old Testament? Yes! So the question is, if God does not change, will He keep His promises in the New Testament? YES!
David said this: "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust : he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." (2 Samuel 22:2-4) KJB.
Who is your Rock, who is your Fortress and in whom shall you trust? I say, trust in the Lord and that trust will not be misplaced.
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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Godless Religion
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Mar 3, 2009 7:38 pm
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2 Timothy 3:5
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." KJB
In keeping in context we see here that there will be those in a religious system that seem to be what they say they are but are actually religious leaders of the last days. These leaders will be surrounded by church buildings, they will have sacraments and even religious services, but are so far away from actually being saved it is pathetic. Within our many churches today we see many so-called pastor's, or those who are called reverends or even fathers: but even though they might appear to be, they are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing. Their outward appearance is like true believers but they would be lovers of the world rather than lovers of God. (vs. 4). They will do anything which will bring more money into the church so that they can live lifestyles which are for the rich.
Such is the world of scientism or even liberal theologians who are even in the most Godly of our churches. The only thing that I can say to help to point these people out is that their views are most often focused on things which are not characteristic of the born-again believer. These people will reject true supernatural Christianity, that God is the one who created all things. They might even follow the Bible but believe that God uses the evolution of man from apes as how we came about, which flies in the face of true Biblical teaching of Creationism. They might deny the flood and try to tell us that it is nothing more than a myth concocted by frustrated men in the Old Testament, to give validity to Darwin's theory of evolution.
These liberal "theologians" might be the worst scourge that God's people come up against because the world might see that we seem to be fighting among ourselves as Christians, when in reality we are fighting not against God's anointed but rather to godless men who have the outward trappings of being religious. Timothy's warning is not given as some sort of information only but rather to make sure we are able to point them out so that good, God seeking people will not fall for their false teachings.
Paul continues to tell us about these false teachers when he tells us this: "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (vss. 6-7). He is not saying that these are actually women but their actions are like people who are "...laden with sins...." and are "...never able to come to the knowledge of truth." They are easily "...led away with divers (many different types) lusts." If we allow the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes and the pride of life to pull us away from the truth of God's Word, then we are not solid enough in our faith. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) KJB.
We might be pressured to compromise our stand against these false teachers but we cannot do that. We need to stand firm on what the Bible says and stand always for truth. We cannot fall for those humanistic liberal teachings and the only way to do that is to know the word of God and speak up about those who try to teach you something other than what it says. Many have accepted the teachings of these liberal humanistic teachers but let us stand for truth and all the Bible is true, all sixty six books contained within it. If it is not in the Bible, then it is not true: it is as simple as that. Instead of us falling for what these evolutionary naturalists or liberal theologians teach, let us stand on sound Bible teaching.. There are fewer and fewer true Bible teaching churches in this world so when we find a true church who stands on the Bible no matter what, then we need to grasp onto this church and not let go. Paul warns us about these and the last thing we need to take heed of is this, "From such turn away...".
By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word
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