A Christiansite. Encouraging others. Devotionals. Poetry.Other events of life. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Wed, 2 Jan 2008 01:28:00 -0600 Wed, 2 Jan 2008 01:28:00 -0600 New Beginnings Isaiah 43:19 -- Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 35:1 -- The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. God has a plan and a purpose for our life, just as He had a purpose in Genesis. He creates each individual for specific reason and equips us to complete the task. When we experience times of “dormancy,” He is able to bring forth new shoots of life and accomplishment after our personal winter. The Lord’s ability to re-create renews the purpose at all stages of the Christian’s journey. To the young believer, this means a regeneration of spirit that touches the outward conditions of life. (2 Corinthians 5:17 --”Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. For the seasoned Christ-follower, it might mean a reawakening of old desires and goals. Just as a flowering plant dies off and hides beneath the ground during winter, the next spring it often grows stronger and blossoms more abundantly. And for those who are experiencing a vast barrenness or hopelessness, God provides the seeds of a new harvest and causes their purpose to come forth. Dry, lifeless marriages experience fresh vibrancy as God breathes new vitality into them. A failed business endeavor or lost promise from the past surfaces once again. What appears to be dead and lost awakens to God’s touch. He is able to take stark desert lands and turn them into fertile fields, as in Isaiah 35. Happy New Year! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/453873/ Wed, 2 Jan 2008 01:28:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/453873/ ~~Psalm 42:1-5~~ How does God make His presence known in our lives?  This question has no simple, "one-size-fits-all"  answer.  However, there are several general ways in which God reveals Himself today. For example, God may wake you from a deep sleep in the middle of the night.  Many times, I have sat straight up in bed, knowing for certain that Jesus was right there with me, giving me answers to some serious questions of the day.  Did I see Him or hear a voice? No.  But did I know He was there? Absolutely. Also, God makes His presence known by giving instantaneous guidance.  Step by step, decision after decision, God leads us where He wants us to go. Quite often, He shows Himself by giving such a clear word that you know for certain it was from God.  How many times have you been reading a Scripture passage when SNAP!--it seems as if a light comes on in your mind?  Then immediately you understand some new truth or the solution to a hard decision becomes clear. Furthermore, God reveasls Himself in the tragedies of life.  Can you think of some time when you were so sorrowful that you couldn't even move?  What happened?  Somehow, you found the strength  and courage to go on, no matter how much it hurt.  Where does that strength come from?  It comes from the One who is always within, always empowering.  All we have to do is say, "Lord, I need you at this moment." And, He is there. He's always there. L. J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/388931/ Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/388931/ ~~Psalm 25~~ When you are continually on your face before God, seeking Him in His Word, His presence will saturate your heart and make it sensitive and teachable.  Just as a marriage relationship can begin to grow cold unless proactive steps are taken daily to keep it warm, your heart can gradually harden when you aren't seeking intimacy with God.  You must also obediently-- and promptly--respond to whatever He tells you to do so that your heart will stay soft and receptive.  Then it wont' take much for the Lord to get your attention, and when He convicts you of sin, you will want to deal with the problem right away.  This is why we must walk in the Spirit moment by moment. If you believe that God might be leading you in a certain direction, take the time to earnestly seek His mind on the matter, and open your heart to listen to Him.  Be careful about getting busy with a substitute for what He originally called you to do.  It would be tragic to work extra hard doing what you and others consider good, only to discover that your effort was expended in accomplishing something that was not God's intenton.  Resisting the Lord's will often amounts to putting your life on the shelf, which leaves you feeling that something is missing.  There is no substitute for God's will even when His plan might seem difficult or impossible.  But when you trust Him with a willing heart, there is no limit to what God can do through your life. Step out in obedience and say. " Lord, I want Your will--no matter what." L. J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/388285/ Sun, 9 Sep 2007 22:29:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/388285/       ~~Keys To Spiritual Maturity ~~ Spiritual growth is not a sprint but a lifelong journey.  By examining the condition of your soul, you can accurately determine where you are on the path and make changes to enchance your development.  There are two key areas in which you can measure your progress. FIRST, evaluate your time spent in Bible study.  Growing believers have a true desire to study the Scriptures.  Christians committed to developing a stronger walk place a high priority on digging into God's Word.  Turn off the TV, and tune in to how you can apply the Bible's wonderful truths. SECONDLY, how sensitive are you to your own sinfulness?  In the past, you may have been unwilling to forgive or slow to deal with anger.  The mature believer is quick to respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting about confronting sin. For true and significant growth to occur, you must be honest about the area that need improvement.  In this way, you'll become more Christlike in character and develop into the person God created you to be. L.J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/387601/ Sat, 8 Sep 2007 14:18:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/387601/ HEBREWS 1:10-12 The foundation of our faith is the truth that God is unchanging.  He has the same character and principles He had when the prophet Malachi wrote the words, "For I, the Lord, do not change" (Malachi 3:6).  In fact, since before He spoke the world into being, God has been exactly as He is today.  This understanding is essential for believers who desire to live the successful Christian life. If we believe that God, like man, was in a state of change, much of our faith would be pointless.  Why pray to someone who may or may not still be answering?   If that were the case, then we would wonder:  Serving the Lord might yield fruit, but it might not.  We can get into heaven as long we never make God angry, but does He still get upset over the things that bothered Him in the Old Testament, or does He now have new sources of irritation? What an exhausting life believers would lead trying to keep a fickle God happy!  Sadly, many people do become tired tryng to be perfect Christians.  Rather than geting theologically grounded in God's Word, they are living as they think the Lord desires or following the lead of other people of faith.  One difficult experience can knock the unprepared believer off his feet. In order for the Lord to lay a solid faith foundation in our lives, we must study the one whom we serve.  Through the Scriptures and our experiences, we learn how God responds to different circumstances, we recognize His methods and purposes for discipline, and we witness His rewarding of righteousness.  More than that we inevitably realize that He is always the same loving Father. L. J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/386400/ Thu, 6 Sep 2007 13:31:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/386400/ 1 PETER 5:1-7 To humble ourselves, we must first be willing to detect pride in our hearts.  But recognizing it isn't the same as geting rid of it.  Here are several common ares of pride and solutions for dealing with them. POSSESSIONS--Start giving things away.  We can begin by honoring God with our tithe.  He promises that our nine-tenth will go farther then ten-tenth.  The next step is to give to someone in need who can give nothing in return.  But don't parade your generosity around; keep it as secret as you can. (Matthew 6:1-4) POSITION--Acknowlede that whatever you have accomplished, God has done it for you ( Isaiah 26:12). Then ask Him to show you an area of service that has no rank or credit.  Knowing that the Lord values every kind of service we shouldn't hesitate to request a pace that is lower than were accustomed to.  Our position in this world matters only to the extent that we use it to glorify God.  (James 1:9-11). PRIVILEGE--Realize that many things you may take pride in come through privilege.  None of us is truly "self-made"; no matter how hard you've worked, others have made sacrifices to allow you the opportunities and freedoms you enjoy.  Remember, it is actually God's grace that has blessed you with whatever knowledge you may credit yourself for having. No matter what kind of pride we deal with, we must take the focus off ourselves, turning it first to God and then to others.  When we are  willing to confront our pride actively, God will replace it with a spirit of humility that fits who we are in Christ. L.J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/384186/ Sun, 2 Sep 2007 23:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/384186/ LUKE 6:27-28 As stories make their way out of the persecuted church, we hear about Christians who respond to jail time, beatings, and harassment with unimaginable grace and dignity.  These saints have learned to apply Christ's "love your enemies" command, even in the harshest of circumstance. We many never face a beating for our faith, but we will run across people who hate and mistreat us. The easy and natural response is to dislike them in return, but harboring ill will choke our witness with biterness.  Instead, Jesus instructs us to love our adversary and to treat him well.  The Greek work is agape--unconditional love--which is not soft feeling based on the attractive nature or apperance of the other person.  Agape forms through an act of our will.  When we choose to love, our emotions  follow the decision of our mind. A right response to an enemy will prove beneficial to him.  God has redemptive plan in mind for his life, and we have an opportunity to help show him the way to the Lord.  A bitter or angry response will serve only to feed our advedrsary's desire to cause harm. The natural urge to return one wrong for another can be subdued only thrugh prayer, the most powerful weapon in our arsenal.  Instead of begging the Father to defeat our enemy, we can ask Him for the opportunity to express genuine Christlike love in the face of opposition  That's the kind of prayer God is delightened to answer.  And when we are privileged to meet the need of one who despises us, we might just see an amazing chanage in his/her life. L.J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/383597/ Sat, 1 Sep 2007 14:40:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/383597/ COLOSSIANS 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time...v6 -- Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. V5. Means, walk in wisdom or live wisely, in their relations toward them that are without, that is, unbelievers.  Redeeming the time is to make the most of every opportunity.  They are to seize each opportunity to display wise behavior toward the unsaved and to use it as a chance for witnessing. V6. Means, Wise conduct is daily speech that is gracious (with grace) in nature.  Such speech is to be seasoned with salt, that is, characterized by the wisdom of verse 5. Gracious, wise conversation will enable the Colossians to know how to answer every man when speaking to him about the gospel. L.J. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/383042/ Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:43:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/383042/ ROMANS 8:26-30 At salvation, the Holy Spirit gives us new life and sets us apart as children of the heavenly Father.  While we are from then on God's family members, who bear His name, our character still reflects old habits, thought patterns, and priorities.  We are infants who need instruction and guidance in order to become spiritually mature. Our sanctification, which is the process of becoming like God's Son, is another aspect of the Holy Spirit's mission.  He has been entrusted with the responsibility of teaching us the truths of Scripture as well as the ways we can apply biblical principles to our lives.  He seeks to weed out ungodliness, to prune us for greater fruitfulness, and to encourage wise decision making.  Through His efforts and our cooperation, we will please our Father and bear an ever-increasing resemblace to our Lord Jesus Christ.  And not only are we called to exemplify Christlike character; we are also summoned to a life of active service in accordance with God's plan for our life. It is for this purpose that we were made new creations in Christ. (Ephesians 2:10) The Spirit's mission, in fact has another component: to reveal the work the Father has planned for us and to provide what we need in order to accomplish it. How can you know that God's Spirit is working in your life?  Look for evidences of spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23), deeper understanding of Sriptue, and effective service for the Kingdom.  Salvation, sanctification, and service are all under the authority of the Holy Spirit. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/382489/ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:11:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/382489/ MATTHEW 15:21-28 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me O Lord, thou son of David:  my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.  But he answered her not a work.  And his disciple came and besought him, saying, Send her away: for she crieth after us.  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me.  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the childrens's bread, and to cast it to the dogs.  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the masters' table.  Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.  kjv (By children the Lord means Jews, and by dogs, Gentiles.  His attitude was intented to test the womans's faith, which was rewarded by a miraculus healing.) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/381826/ Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/faith7/381826/