This
is the day which the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm
118:24
Praise the Lord!
Praise
the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great
toward us, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!
Psalm
117
You probably know the abbreviation 'PTL!'. It stands for, 'Praise the Lord!' But how many times do we actually use that without actually praising Him? He deserves our praise and our admiration - our all, in fact. The Bible says a lot about praising the Lord. Chapters and chapters are devoted to praising Him, especially in the Psalms, as today's passage shows. Psalms 146 and 150 begin with 'Praise the Lord' and end with 'Praise the Lord'. Really, everything should begin with praising the Lord, and everything should end with praising the Lord. He is the Beginning and the End of everything.
In the book of Psalms alone the word 'praise' is used 147+ times. That's approximately once every chapter - sometimes more.
Praise
the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise
Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise
Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise
Him according to His excellent greatness.
Praise
him with trumpet sound;
Praise
Him with harp and lyre.
Praise
him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise
Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise
Him with loud cymbals;
Praise
Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything
that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise
the Lord!
Psalm 150
We should do everything, praising the Lord!
~ Light4theLord
An Attitude like Christ
Therefore
if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make
my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in
spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but
with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do
not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests
of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians
2:1-5
In this passage, it ends with the most important phrase - 'Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus.' This attitude is in the above. Ready to read about it?
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
We are to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love; we are to be united in spirit and intent on one purpose. There IS encouragement in Christ, there IS consolation of love, there IS fellowship of the Spirit, and there IS affection and compassion. Paul wanted to see the Philippians being united in Christ, united through their fellowship of their Spirit and serving God wholeheartedly, and serving one another.
Paul's words apply to us today as well! First of all, we should encourage one another in Christ, and build up one another. As the passage from Romans 12 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." Consoling one another in love is such an encouraging part of being in God's family! That leads to the next phrase, to which we ought to have fellowship of the Spirit. Fellowship with God and man. How are we to be consoled and encouraged if we don't have fellowship? The last of the 'ifs' connects all of them - affection and compassion. When you're in fellowship with anyone, affection and compassion are a major part!
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
Nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Wow. Selfishness and conceit are mentioned so many times in the Bible! I've gone over this topic before, sometime last week, and there are a LOT of verses about it. Our worldly and fleshly nature is to only be concerned about ourselves. The world tries to tell us that we're the only ones that matter, so whatever makes us happy is good. Conceit is petty too. We look down on other people because we think we're better than them. But we're instructed to have humility of mind (and spirit!) and to regard/think of one another as more important than ourselves. That often includes giving up our wants to the preference of others. That is HARD!
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Some people have the wonderful gift of looking out for the interests of others... yeah... I don't think I do. But today I think I'll work on that! It's automatic to only be concerned about our personal interests and not to think of the other person. But that doesn't mean it's right (or, as Cinderella says, "Just because it's done doesn't mean it should be done."). God wants us to be servants of one another and humble ourselves in His presence.
~ Light4theLord
To God Be the Glory
Forever and ever..
QOTD: Quote of the Day
“A
fresh sheet of paper is to a writer as a new canvas is to an artist. It’s another
place for imagination to run wild.”
J. R.
Cagasan
On These Things...
Rejoice
in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known
to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy
of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and
heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with
you.
Philippians
4:4-9
How wonderful is this passage! It has several different topics, hence the title. Let's begin!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Amen to that! :D A key word in this phrase is 'always' - always means... well, always. It's hard to rejoice always - through hard times, during sad times, when people are being mean to you, etc. But when we have the joy of the Lord as our strength, we can rejoice in the Lord. We can be thankful and rejoice about all the blessings He has given and provided us. When the Bible says something more than once, it really and truly means it. The emphatic word 'rejoice' is used (according to Bible Gateway in the NASB version) 191 times in the Bible. I used NASB, but several other versions come up with multiple hits:
NKJV: 238
NIV: 154
ESV: 202
KJV: 240
That is a LOT! That's an average 205 times the word 'rejoice' is used in the Bible. I mean, I didn't take it in Greek/Hebrew, which would be more accurate, but still..
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.
Gentle spirit, slow to anger, ready to help....
The Lord is near.
The Lord IS near! He is always with us, and as yesterday's passage noted, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR FORSAKE YOU.' says the Lord.'
Be anxious about nothing,
N.O.T.H.I.N.G. Comprendes? The next section explains why...
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
By prayer, by supplication, and with thanksgiving - God hears our cries for help, and He is in control. By all means, this does NOT mean we should just sit around and chill and expect money to come in the mail to pay the bills. No, of course not! We should work for what we need, but we can also ask God to supply for our needs because we know He will (needs vs. wants....)!
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is comforting for me! In this day and age, as a young lady, I truly want the peace of God to guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. His peace is amazing - it surpasses all comprehension (then again, how sleeping works still stumps scientists, but...). I have given my heart to God, and I never want to take it away. He is my true love!
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Whoa, whoa, slow down Paul! We often skip over this because we know what it means. We've read it before, and it's just a whole bunch of whatevers. Right? Wrong.
I'm not a preacher, a Bible teacher, a seminar professor, a Bible major, or anything like that, but as a teen, I see this as the following:
- whatever is true
- whatever is honorable
- whatever is right
- whatever is pure
- whatever is lovely
- whatever is of good repute
- if there is any excellence
- if anything worth of praise
We are to dwell on the above. But go back and read each one - each time you read it, think of the things that you see as 'true' or 'pure' or 'of good repute'. For me, each time Paul adds something, it narrows the selection of things to dwell on. Once you get down to the last one, I'm pretty sure you've eliminated some of your choices.
Because... we should dwell on God's Word. It's true, it's honorable, it's right, it's pure, it's lovely, it's of good repute, it's excellent, it's praiseworthy.
And how exactly should we dwell on God's Word? First of all, by reading it. Then, memorizing passages such as this one, or the others that I've posted here, or even just verses of the day on Biblical sites. If you need ideas for what to memorize, just ask! I enjoy trying to memorize several consecutive chapters. It's really actually very fun!
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Practice these things - the things we have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in Paul. Just read his epistles, and it'll take you a long time to be able to practice all these things! :D
The God of peace be with you..
~ Light4theLord
To God be the Glory
Forever
Make
sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with
what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL
NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?” Remember those who led you, who spoke
the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their
faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews
13:5-8
Who in your life is a mentor, a leader, a role model? For me, it's my parents, my grandparents, my Sunday School teachers, and my older sister. I love this passage, and like most of the other passages I've written about, it's underline (sometimes double-underlined) in my Bible. :)
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have;
This verse was (and is!) a tricky one for me. It's hard to be content, and to have your character free from the love of money. It's a natural and human response to want more... and more... and more.
But God wants us to be content, and thankful for what we have.
One of my biggest struggles used to be being content. I love dolls (if you don't know that already!), and anytime I saw another doll blogger (like me!) reviewing a doll, I'd want the new doll. Every. single. one.
I asked God to help me be more content, and I found that the more I praise and thank Him for what I already have, the more content I am and I don't want more things as much. Yeah, I think it'd be nice to have Nanea, but I'm not DYING for more. I'm glad that I have seven perfectly wonderful dolls!
God really does answer prayer. :D
for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,"
I think this is an amazing verse - God promises to never desert or forsake us! That means that in the hard times, good times, fun times, sad times - He is with us. When everyone else is busy, He's waiting for us. He'll listen - whenever. When no one else will listen, He will!
so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
He really is our Helper. We have no need to be afraid! With God on our side, who can be against us? He is in control, so whatever happens, He IS.
The first time I wrote 'God is in control' I did it because I knew it in my head. A couple days later, I was really tested. At one point, I just stood there and said over and over, "God is in control." Whenever I started to worry or fret, I'd repeat it: "God is in control." It's comforting to know that even though we have no idea what is going to happen, God does! And He'll never leave us, because He is our helper!
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
I am so, so, so thankful and fortunate to have been raised in a Christian home. I have the freedom and privilege to go to church every week to learn from my Sunday school teachers. When I'm at home, my parents and grandparents pour into me the Word of God and teach me. Whenever I read this verse, the ones that come to mind are the following:
- my mother
- my father
- my grandfather
- my grandmother
- my Sunday school teacher
- my previous Sunday school teacher (she moved, sadly. :( )
They have led me in the way I should go, they have spoken the word of God to me, and when I think of them, I think of them as role models and I really want to have the same faith they do! It's so encouraging to have role models that follow God!
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
This has to be one of my favorite verses EVER. Isn't it amazing that He'll never change? HE is the same - always.
~ Light4theLord
No Fear of Authority
Every
person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they
who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not
a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of
authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a
minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it
does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger
who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be
in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
~
Romans 13:1-5 ~
Whenever you see a police car behind you, in front of you, at an intersection, or at a check-mark-ditch-dirt-road-place, it's an automatic reaction to check the speedometer, right? No one WANTS to get a ticket. But of course, when you're abiding by the law, there is no fear of the authorities because why would they be after you? More often, if we're doing the right thing, we're thankful for their watchful posts instead of fearful (maybe not fearful, per say, but nervous).
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities.
Pretty simple, right? There is an exception - when the government contradicts God's supreme authority
But Peter
and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”
Acts
5:29
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
1 Peter 2:16
For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
God is in control, as we see yet again! Note that there ARE bad authorities. It's because even though God established them with a plan for them, man still has a free will and can choose to disobey God (not recommended.).
Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
If you're like me, you see a recurring theme: God is just, God is in control. Why? Because He is.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.
My wonderful Sunday School teacher did a lesson on this passage a couple weeks ago. She did an amazing job, and even though I can't live up to that, I'm doing my best. :)
If a parent asks if your room is clean, do you have to lie and cover it up and become fearful of the punishment? Not if you've obeyed. If you see the police car in the rearview mirror, do you get nervous? Not if you've obeyed. If you have good behavior, why should there be fear of rulers? If you have done evil, however, you should be fearful.
Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
Are you tired of having to hide from authority, and hide from God? If you do what is good, instead of evil, you can expect praise instead of punishment.
for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
That's scary, if you're doing what is evil. As I was taught in fifth grade, choices have consequences (good choices have good consequences, bad choices have bad consequences).
Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
We shouldn't do good just because we're afraid of the punishment, we should do good because we know it is right and it is what God wants and expects of us. Being in subjection keeps us accountable.
~ Light4theLord
Our Revenge, No Longer Ours
Never
pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all
men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never
take your own revenge beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is
written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY
IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING
YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.
~
Romans 12: 17-21 ~
Has anyone ever done something to you that you wanted to 'get back' at them for? Of course someone has! Everyone encounters this sometime during their life. For me, it's many sometimes. A few days ago, someone locked me out of one of my school accounts that I needed, and they wouldn't tell me the password. Finally, when that person did, I was behind schedule. It was very frustrating. The thing was, I could've doubly gotten back because I could delete their account. I didn't. I kept repeating to myself, "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God." Over and over, I said that (whispered it to myself) to calm me down.
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
The key words here are 'to anyone' and 'all men'.
God sees the big picture, for He created it. We can't always see the whole picture. He is a just God, and He will punish evil in due time. It is not our job to judge others and repay them for their evil deeds.
If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
What I really want to say right now is, "Do I have to?" :D Having siblings is both aggravating and a blessing. I mean, I feel sorry for people who don't have immediate playmates (or debate enemies...)! :) But really, it does depend a lot on us. It takes two to argue (try arguing with a wall!), two to fight over something (otherwise, if it's just one, they get it. Duh!) and if we would follow Christ's example and stay quiet and humble, it would probably solve a lot of problems.
For me, it's especially tricky when people are mad, because I have the urge to use my, ahem, special talent (of annoying them in a way where I won't get in trouble. It's a useful tactic, but a harmful and horrid one.) on them. I can come up with smart alecky comebacks, and I have to refrain myself a lot of times. I'm working on that.
Never take your own revenge beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God,
Again, "Do I have to?" It's hard not to take revenge on someone who has done something to you! (Anyone who thinks of the Kendrick brothers while reading this verse - I feel you! #wrathofGod) God is the Judge of the Supreme Court (and I don't mean U.S. government. I mean the heavenly Supreme Court).
for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Thankfully, He's also a forgiving God! :D
BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.”
I've just gotta say that it IS pretty hard to have an enemy when your so-called enemy is giving you food when you're hungry (not poisoned food, that is), water when you're dreadfully thirsty (un-poisoned water, of course), and helping you. How is that an enemy? To me, that's a description of a friend. More than likely, if someone you've been treating like an enemy treats you like a friend, it makes you feel badly.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Precisely. Today this is what I'll work on - whenever someone is mean to me, I'll go out of my way to make their day better. I'll try to, that is!
Which verse will you work on today?
~ Light4theLord
To God be the Glory!
Follow Christ's Example
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
~ Romans 12:9-16 ~
This wonderful passage is really straightforward, but the commands and advice given are HARD to do! Easier said than done, as it is often said. Instead of going verse by verse, I've made a list of all 23 commands given.
Truly love, don't love fakely
|
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Hate evil
|
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Love and adhere to good
|
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Be devoted to one another like brothers
|
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Give preference to each other honorably
|
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Don't lag behind in diligence
|
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Stay on fire in your spirit
|
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Serve the Lord
|
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Rejoice with hope
|
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Persevere through hard times
|
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Be devoted to prayer
|
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Contribute to others' needs
|
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Practice hospitality
|
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Bless those who persecute you
|
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Bless and do not curse
|
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Rejoice with those who rejoice
|
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Weep with those who weep
|
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Don't show partiality
|
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Do not be haughty in mind
|
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Associate with the lowly
|
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Do not be wise in your own estimation
|
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Today, I'm going to pick two to work on.. really hard. :) What about you?
~ Light4theLord
Our Uniqueness - Created in God's Image
For
through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more
highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound
judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have
many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so
we who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of
another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,
each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the
proportion of his faith; if serving, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his
teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
~
Romans 12:3-8 ~
Then
God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;”
Genesis
1:26a
Now, today's passage (Romans 12:3-8) is the second of four devos in Romans 12. I love this chapter, and today's passage has a really neat story for me, which I'll share soon enough.
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think;
When we think more highly of ourselves than we ought to, the real name for that is pride. When we think of others as lower than ourselves and regard them lower, we have pride and haughtiness in our hearts. James 2:1-9 is a wonderful cross-reference to this passage, as well as several others listed below.
My
brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an
attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a
gold ring and dressed in fine clothes and there also comes in a poor man in
dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine
clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You
stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions
among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?... But if you show partiality,
you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
James 2:1-4,
9
But if
you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant
and so lie against the truth.
James
3:14
but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
God has given us each a measure of faith. We are advised to have sound judgment and not to look down on others, for we are all made in God's image.
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Okay, this one is really a huge verse for me. I have an older sister who is an amazing musician, and several younger sisters. I always felt as though my older sister left a legacy, huge footsteps that I could never fill, and that she would always be better. She was always being praised for playing so well, or being such a fantastic and skilled and talented musician/composer. I felt shadowed by her, and her talent, even though God had given me other talents that I refused to use. At last, I realized that I didn't have to fill those footsteps, or compete with her talents. God gave me other talents: writing, skating, photography. Now, we both use our talents for God. Sometimes we have friendly competition (don't all siblings?!) but we know that we are made in God's image and that He has created each of us for His glory.
In the verse above, it clearly explains that just as the eyes and ears, and mouth and feet do not have the same function (try talking with your eyes, or seeing with your ears!), each of us have been created uniquely. God has given us each talents and gifts that are special just to us. Yes, others may be able to (for example) play the piano, kick a soccer ball, sing, dance, write, paint, but each person has their own way of doing everything because God has made us special. We all have talents that we CAN use for God. There is ALWAYS a way. If you don't see a way for God to use you and your talents, ask Him. I did.
Last year, I really started getting into blogging, photography, writing, art, and dolls. I also enjoyed dancing, and rollerblading... but I had no idea how on earth to use any of that for God. I asked Him to use me, somehow, sometime, and to show me how I could serve Him. He answered my prayers.
This summer, I'm going to use my rollerblading to start a club for kids in the neighborhood. I'll teach them how to skate, and spin, and glide. But, in between skating sessions during the break, I'll give a Bible lesson. Most of the kids who live around us don't know Christ and probably wouldn't come to a Bible club. But this way, I can use my rollerblading to gain their respect so that they'll listen to God's Word. I'm praying over this a LOT. I can't wait for summer to come.
I found another way to use my love for blogging, photography, and dolls through Operation Christmas Child. 100Dolls4100Girls launched last year, and continues through this November. I'm collecting dolls and hygiene items, school supplies, and clothing to send in shoeboxes through Samaritans Purse.
My art and writing I am now using to glorify Him, with verses on some of my artwork (thanks to inspiration from my wonderful art teacher) and well, writing is pretty easy. Just take this for example... :)
We can all use our talents for God. Together, we are the body of Christ, and we should act like it!
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:
We DO have different gifts! I kinda got ahead of myself and typed all of the above before this. Ooops. :) I still have more to say, though!
While we should use our talents for God's glory, we shouldn't gloat or show off, because we're not the ones who have the talent. Yes, we often practice and work hard on them, but God is the one who gives us the gifts and opportunities. Like the moon reflects the sun, we should reflect the Son.
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if serving, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Sometime in the past couple months, I was able to learn from an amazing Sunday school lesson about this. She explained it so much better than I do, but I'll try. :D
Really, this verse should be read with the one above it, but I wanted to split them up for some reason. Don't ask me why. :)
For example, when we give, we should give freely, with liberality (the quality of giving or spending freely), not withholding any of the blessings which God has blessed us with. We are TRULY blessed. And somehow, whenever we give freely, God keeps supplying more for us to give! Also, we shouldn't proudly boat about how much we give, like the rich people in Mark 12 who showed off how much they were giving (which was small in comparison to their wealth) so that people would praise them.
When we lead something, we shouldn't slack off or delegate important duties and responsibilities that are ours to others. We should lead with diligence, not forsaking our responsibilities.
When we show mercy to someone, we shouldn't do it in a condescending manner such as, "Well, I suppose I'll forgive you. You don't deserve it at all, but because I'm being merciful, I guess I have to forgive you. Fine, I'll forgive you." We should do it cheerfully, like so: "Of course I forgive you! Just as God has forgiven me, I forgive you!"
I hope you gleaned a lot from this very long segment. I love writing these. It's part of the best of my day It really is the best part of my day. I would spend all day doing this if I could!
~ Light4theLord
We are His
Therefore
I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of
worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that
which is good and acceptable and perfect.
~
Romans 12: 1-2 ~
Romans 12:1-2 is the passage I've chosen to be today's passage. I love the whole chapter of Romans 12, so I broke it up into four sections. This is the first. :)
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies
of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
When we give our lives to Him, we give Him our all. Paul urges us to present our bodies as an acceptable sacrifice to God. Our bodies, our minds, and our hearts should be His. It is hard to keep our minds and bodies pure and not to think about things we shouldn't. Paul, in the following verse, instructs us to think on only these things.
Finally,
brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever
is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any
excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians
4:8
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
And do not be conformed to this world - do not dwell on the things of this earth, for they are not eternal. Do not be conformed (comply with rules, standards) to the ways and the low standards and expectations of this world. God has a waaay better plan for you if you give Him your all! His will is perfect for you - don't believe the lies of this world and all that the world has to offer, for it won't last. It is unfathomable to compare the world's plans for you to God's because as Romans 12:2 states, His will is good and acceptable - and perfect. Perfection is pretty hard. No one is perfect, and no one is good but God (Mark 10:18). Isn't it amazing and peaceful to know that God is in control, and His plans for us are always perfect? We may not understand what all He has in store, or why we go through certain trials, but He is still in control.. even if it seems as if life is spinning out of your control - it probably is. God is supreme.
~ Light4theLord
When We All Stand Accountable
For if
we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore
whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and
lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you,
why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother
with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is
written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY
TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account
of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
determine this – not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s
way.
~
Romans 14:8-13 ~
This is such an amazing passage of Scripture, and it applies to each of us.
For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:8)
God created each of us in His image. He also gave us a free will to decide for ourselves whether or not we want to serve Him.
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:3-5)
God wants each of us to come to Him. When we give our lives to Him, Romans 14:8 is applicable: if we live, we live for Him. If we die, we die for Him. When we give our all to the Lord, it doesn't matter what happens, our lives are for His glory. Think of all the martyrs that died while serving Him. While they lived, they lived for Him. When they died, they died for Him - proclaiming the Word of God and standing strong in their beliefs. God is in control, no matter what. I would much rather be for Him than against Him!
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt?
This verse hits hard for me. Having several siblings, I have a tendency to judge them all the time. I have three younger siblings, and I often compare them to what I was like when I was their age. I have a brother who is only a few years younger than I am, and we often get into arguments and regard one another with contempt.
When you really think about 'regard your brother (or sister) with contempt' it might confuse you a bit. Let me clear things up. When you ask Google or Bing to define 'regard' and 'contempt', here are the answers:
regard: verb - consider or think of (someone or something) in a specified way. Synonyms include the following: consider, look on, view
contempt: noun - (1) the feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. Synonyms include the following: scorn, disdain, disrespect (2) disregard for something that should be taken into account. Synonyms include the following: disrespect, disregard
So, if you rephrase that, it can say something like this:
Or you again, why do you consider your brother (or sister) with disregard, disrespect, scorn, and disdain?
Ouch. That's tricky. If you're an older sibling and have younger siblings (typically, if you're an older sibling, you have younger siblings.), it's hard not to look down on them sometimes. I do it often. It's one of my many faults that I'm asking God to help me correct. This next one is pretty tough too.
For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
Wow. We ALL will stand before God and before the judgment seat. If you haven't asked Jesus to take away your sins and come into your heart, that's pretty scary. Actually, that's really scary. Think of it this way:
The Ruler and Creator of the entire universe (every planet, every star, every galaxy, every human being, every animal) will look straight at you and say something like this, "Are you guilty?"
No one is perfect. (Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.) That means everyone is imperfect... which in turn means that everyone is guilty. Heaven cannot have any sin in it. How then can we get to heaven?
Not by good works, even if you do 100 good works for every bad thing you do. For..
For the wages of sin is death... ~ Romans 6:23a
So, since God is a just God, we all should die. But the second part of that verse says...
... but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 6:23b
God sent His perfect and holy son, Jesus, to die on a cross and take the penalty for our sins. But it is a gift, as noted in the verse above. To consider the gift yours (any kind of gift), you must first receive it.
And that's how we can get to heaven. God sent His son Jesus so that if we accept Him into our hearts, He will forgive us and before that judgment seat, we will no longer be condemned because of Christ's sacrifice. \
Now, back to today's passage.
For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
Amen! Need I say more?
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Whoa. An account of ourselves. I've done so many bad things in my life, I don't think I could count them on even the stars. I don't remember half of them... because I've asked God to forgive me of my sins, and I have the assurance that He HAS forgiven me. But, still. When we are before God, we cannot say, "Well, Greg made me do it... so it wasn't my fault." or, "Rachel told me to and I didn't want to disobey!" or, "I didn't know it was bad."
To put it simply, we won't be able to play the blame game. Correction - we can TRY to play the blame game, but it won't get us anywhere.
My parents have told me this simple truth (simple to hear and say, not so simple to obey - hey, that rhymes!) ever since I was little.
"You're not responsible for what he/she does to you, but you ARE responsible for how you react."
Most of the time that saying was said to me when I was trying to play the blame game, "Well, he made me do it!" or "He started it!"
Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this – not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.
How much easier would it be if we didn't try to judge or tear one another down, but instead determined to help each other and not to put an obstacle in anyone's way. It's hard enough without someone constantly putting stumbling blocks before you! It's like trying to run a race barefoot when the track is made out of Legos (ouch. ouch. ouch.) Okay, maybe not exactly like that, but I hope you get the idea.
I hope this has challenged you today. It challenges me every day of my life. To God be the Glory!
~ Light4theLord
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