Christian Fellowship

Christians should strive towards continual Godly fellowship. We should have fellowship with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as well as our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
God created us in His image, as social beings meant to love one another, build relationships, care for each other, be ambassadors for Him and reconcile the world to Him.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

1 John 1:3

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

This is how we grow and strengthen ourselves as Christians, we sharpen ourselves through fellowship with God and each other.

John 14:26

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Luke 12:12

For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. 

1 John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Spending time in the Word of God, in constant prayer, supplication, and praise provides intimate fellowship with God, allowing his Spirit to speak to us, move us, and teach us God's Will.
I have recently found that carrying a praise tune in my heart and mind helps me to be more intimately attuned to Godly things. I love the hymns - How Great thou Art, He Lives, Blessed Assurance, and just having the chorus playing in my heart helps to remind me Who's I am, and How Great my God is.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 

Ephesians 6:18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

1 Chronicles 16:11

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 

Acts 2:42

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

Romans 12:12

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

Ephesians 5:19-20

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Hebrews 13:15-16

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

God is well pleased.

I want God to be well pleased with me. I want to live a life that is pleasing to God, for that I must have fellowship with God and my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

John 15:12-15

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Jesus is calling me his friend!!!
That is a close bond, a bond of love to the point of laying down your life.
I want this fellowship, this friendship with God and my Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Faith

My dad and I were chatting over the last few days about the difference between faith and belief. It can be easy to gloss over the difference. Perhaps to confuse the terms to convey the same meaning. I admit, for me to put it into words was difficult at first. I had to really think about it. For a Christian faith is a very important concept and action.
Hebrews 11 is a great chapter about faith.

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 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.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Faith is substance of things hoped for, and evidence of things unseen, showing that faith offers both substance and evidence, it is more than just belief. Hebrews 11 shows us that faith is action taken on behalf of belief and trust. Faith is both substance and evidence of our belief and trust in God. Verse by verse, in this chapter we see actions taken because of belief and trust. We see obedience to God, because of the action taken on belief, trust, and obedience, we see faith, faith that was then counted for righteousness, from Able, Noah, Abraham and Sara, Jacob, Moses, David, Samuel, and the prophets. All of these performed great actions and realized God's great promises, because they believed, trusted, and obeyed God. That in turn provided substance and evidence of God's will and righteousness - faith.

2 Samuel 22:31

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

2 Kings 18:5

He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

Matthew 14:28-31

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Peter believed, trusted, obeyed, and took action, exercised faith and walked on the water towards Jesus, it was only when Peter's belief waned was his faith diminished, and he began to sink.

Romans 1:17

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Here we have an example of faith from a Christian to an unbeliever witnessing about God and Jesus showing from God's word how to believe, call upon the name of the Lord, confess their sins, and be saved. It takes more than belief for the Christian and the unbeliever! We have the action of the Christian witnessing, having trust and confidence in the Lord, living by faith, we have the Word of God imparting both belief and faith in the unbeliever to take action to call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. Then by the grace of God through faith is the unbeliever saved.

How wonderful is that?

Psalm 9:10

And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 

Christians live by faith, we should do everything by faith in our Lord, Savior, and God. The action of belief and trust in God, the action of obedience.

2 Corinthians 3:4-5

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Ephesians 1:13-15

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

1 Corinthians 2:5

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

2 Corinthians 5:7

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

James 2:14

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:17-18

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Romans 1:5

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

Romans 16:26

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Faith is the action of belief, trust, and obedience to God, that provides the substance and evidence of things not seen, our Lord God, Mighty Creator and Redeemer, through Him all things are possible.

Divorce - but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew 19:3-8

The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

God says that from the beginning it was not so, that a man and a woman should join as one flesh and that what God as joined let no man separate, and because of man's sinful nature Moses provided a writing of divorcement.

That is a pretty strong indictment of divorce, God never meant for man and woman to divorce after their union, their commitment to each other, their joining as one. Period!!!

I believe that the reason for this and why it is so important for the Christian is it models our relationship with God. Our Salvation depends on it.

Ezekiel 16:22-42

And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.
And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord God;)
That thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee an high place in every street.
Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.
Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
Behold, therefore I have stretched out my hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way.
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied therewith.
How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;
In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire;
But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!
They give gifts to all whores: but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.
And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms: and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.
Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord:
Thus saith the Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;
Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.
And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.
And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.
They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.
And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.
So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry.

Ezekiel 16:59:63

For thus saith the Lord God; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.
Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.
And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord:
That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

God is talking about his chosen people Israel, sinning against him as fornicators, whores, adulterers, and idolaters. Showing his judgement, correction, and that God is keeping Israel as his people, establishing an everlasting covenant.

For Christians, children of God, we are baptized into one body, we are one with Christ, one body, one spirit. We can not be separated!

1 Corinthians 12:13-14

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.

Ephesians 5:30-32

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Romans 8:35

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Think of it this way. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are joining Christ as one flesh and one spirit, we have become part of the Body of Christ, we are the bride of Christ, we have married Jesus. This is a commitment from us to God. You have seen God's commitment to his people, and now we are his people as well.
So...
If because of all our sin, our faults, our adulterous, whorish, and idolatrous behavior God decided to "divorce" us. We would lose our salvation. We would be doomed to spend eternity without God, an eternity in hell!
But, because from the beginning it was not so. We have the promise of eternal life!

Ephesians 5:25-33

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

We are to love our wives like Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it.
That means that we should NEVER divorce our wives, our partners, our own committed flesh for any reason. If Christ can go to the cross and die for us, what right do we have to divorce our spouse for anything?
We must treat and love our wives as we love ourselves. This is Christ's model and as Christians it is our model!

God provided from the beginning for us, his unyielding love and commitment to us through His Son, our Savior. As Christians God will never forsake us, he will never divorce us, we are eternally his.

1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

How wonderful is that?

I thank my Savior and Lord everyday for these truths and blessings.

Sinner to Christian, God's Power and Sanctification

As a Christian I am a new creature, at the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior my sins were forgiven, past, future, and present, at the time you accept Christ as your Savior, your sin is washed away and completely forgiven.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Romans 6:4

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Acts 10:43

To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 13:37-39

But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Ephesians 2:4-9

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Now that we have been made new, adopted into the Body of Christ, a child of God. We must start reading the Word of God, We should read the Bible daily. Without it, we do not know or understand how to live for God, the Bible is the living Word of God and provides instruction, reproof, and righteousness.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

We need the Word of God so that we may be equipped to stand righteous in the world, it provides our weapon against evil, and allows us to know and discern spiritual matters. The Bible is our manual for success and prosperity from the world in the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians 6:17

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Joshua 1:8

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 

We have the Holy Spirit to comfort and teach us through the Word of God how to walk in newness of life.

John 14:16-17 and 26 

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

1 John 2:27

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 

Christians, this means that we have all the tools needed to live and sanctify ourselves to a sinless and perfect life in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! All we have to do is submit to God's will and put our trust and faith in God. We must do as God commands and live in obedience, as children of God we have his mercy and grace, Christ the Redeemer, his Holy Word, and the Holy Ghost as our teacher and comforter.

Living for God, immersing ourselves in his Word provides freedom, and release from being the servant of sin.

James 1:22-25

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

John 8:31-36

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

God wants us to be free from sin and provides all the tools needed, and commands us to be sinless.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 peter 1:14-16

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

James 1:12-17

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

How marvelous and wonderful God is. His mercy and grace, providing for us in every way. Protecting us, nurturing us, and preparing our way. I urge you to read God's Word. Sanctify yourself to God's will. Your joy will be overflowing.

TwitterBot for Bible Verses

If you are on Twitter and would like a Bible verse, I have written a TwitterBot that will reply with a Bible verse, all you have to do is ask.

Send a Tweet to @mcgoobot Please send me a #bverse
The hashtag #bverse is important...

You will receive a reply with a Bible verse in about 2 or so minutes.

If you would like to run your own TwitterBot to send Bible verses or see how to write your own, feel free to visit https://github.com/jmcgough/BibleBot and check out the code.

I hope you will give it a try.

Protection for the Christian

We live in a evil, violent, and dangerous world. It seems daily we see the evil the world has to offer. Terrorism, murder, rape, robbery, and in some instances outright targeting and killing of Christians. It seems to be a scary world, and perhaps even more so for the Christian.

We are promised to be persecuted.

2 Timothy 3:12

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Look at our reward for persecution.

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Based on what we know so far, should Christians be fearful? How should we to react to persecution in the world? We know we should love our neighbor as ourselves, but what else does God's Word show us?

Exodus 14:14

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:13

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 91:2

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Matthew 10:28

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 It is pretty clear, God is our strength, refuge, and fortress we have nothing to fear. In fact Proverbs 29:25 says that "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.", is this because our fear will cause us to act on our own and not by trusting God?
I believe so, this is where man always goes wrong, we put ourselves in place of God. We try to play God, and that will never end well.

Think about that, as Christians, God's children, we are completely protected, there is great and wondrous power there, we have nothing to fear. Ever! Not once, not ever should we live our lives in fear of anything (We should always fear God! See Luke 1:50, Matthew 10:28). How liberating that should be for us, this is the power we need to go forth, witness, and spread the Word of God. We are not to live in fear but in gentle, loving power, putting our trust and faith in God to work His Will.

Now that we know we have that power, how should it be used?

Matthew 5:38-48

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12:14

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

Romans 12:17-21

Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

God's Word paints a perfect picture of how Christians should behave and share God's gifts, for mercy, grace, and long suffering, meeting evil with good, repayment with love. This is just the opposite of what the world expects. If we give the world what it wants and expects, here is what we get in return.

Matthew 26:52

Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

Genesis 9:6

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

 That just does not sound like a good place to be, by taking matters into our own hands, by playing God, we have certainly hurt ourselves. What's more God provided the following insight.

As a Christian, I know when I die, I go to be with the Lord.
Now, I don't know my attackers heart, is he saved, is he a Christian, does he know the Lord? When defending myself, I kill my attacker, will he go to be with the Lord, or did I just send him to eternal damnation?
You see the importance of this question?

Matthew 7:1-2

Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Is not that the ultimate judgment? Did I just deny this persons ability to be saved? Did I just condemn this person to Hell?
I know that I am going to Heaven, I get to be with the Lord when I die.

Romans 14:8

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Philippians 1:21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 In death, a Christian has nothing to lose and everything to gain, a unsaved person has everything to lose. So why would I play God and kill another, for any reason, God wants us all to be saved.

1 Timothy 2:3-6

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

It is not my job to make that decision, my job is to trust and have faith in God!

Just look at what God has promised us. We have believed on Jesus for Salvation, we have trusted in God for the forgiveness of our sins. Shouldn't we have trust and faith that God will give us the protection we need?

What is religion?

As a Christian what role does religion have? Why are there so many denominations and religions?

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines religion as

1a : the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion
b (1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
3archaic : scrupulous conformity : conscientiousness
4: a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

and denomination (for our purpose)

4: a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices

The definitions above are of the world. Man putting his mark and control on how to approach God, how to worship God, how to believe and partake in something greater than ourselves. Minimizing what God laid out from the very foundations of the beginning.

Look at what God's Word says in James 1:27

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. 

This is the Bible's only definition of religion, it seems pretty simple and unlike any definition of the world. Pure religion defines love for the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and purity from the world. This seems to echo the greatest commandment and second from Matthew 22:36-40.

When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we immediately become members of the Church of the Body of Christ. This is the only Church that God's Word mentions.

Romans 12:5

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 and 27-28

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Colossians 1:18

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

This is the Church, the Church of the Body of Christ. We are the Church, each Christian, one who as accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal Savior and believes that Jesus is the risen Son of God.
There are no denominations, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, etc. Religions all fall away. They are man putting himself before God, exerting control and himself on others, foolishly trying to increase what is already perfect and undefiled.

There is only our God and our belief in him.

This is satan's great lie, man against man, brother against brother, believer against believer, to corrupt and defile God's grace and mercy through the hand of man.

When what we should be doing is in Romans 12:10

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

As members of the Church of the Body of Christ, as Christians, we should love one another as brothers in Christ, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, so that they might join the Church of the Body of Christ. 

What it means to me, to be a Christian

My dad led me to the Lord when I was almost 8 years old, March of 1973. I can remember it vividly, sitting in the living room on our gold couch, praying for forgiveness of my sins and asking Jesus into my heart, accepting him as my Lord and Savior, but it was not until this last year the importance of that day hit me.

In Matthew 22:36-40 a lawyer asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment, and Jesus replies.

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

That really struck me, that is quite a commitment, do we really love anyone except perhaps ourselves that much?

It hit me, being a Christian, turning my life over to the Lord, is the greatest commitment I could ever make. I should love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul, and all my mind! That is as complete as it gets, there is no halfway there.
Then the second commandment hit me, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Um, hmmm, no one had ever taught me to love my neighbor, in fact, just the opposite. The world teaches us to be wary and on guard against our neighbors. 

Wow, that is powerful, if I love my neighbor as myself, then I would never do anything to harm him, and if my neighbor loved me as himself then he would never do anything to harm me...

I would not lie, cheat, or steal, commit any harm to my neighbors, and whats more,  - Now this is the really important part - I would want my neighbor to have the same gift, the same promise of eternal life, that I have. 

So, I tell you, I love the Lord my God with all my heart and all my soul, and with all my mind. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and I have accepted him as my personal Lord and Savior, I have committed myself to him, and through his Word, God will teach me how to love my neighbor as myself, I will learn what it means to be a Christian.