A wonderful daily devotional to set up Christians for the day, god bless you..

First topic message reminder :

10
May
Luke 13:11
And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
Imagine being bowed over for 18 years. All you would see is the dust on the ground. That was the predicament of the woman in Luke 13. Dust was all her eyes fell on, all the time, everywhere she went, until she became dust-conscious. Thank God she finally saw the beautiful feet of Jesus, who brought her good news and raised her up.

Now, dust is the devil’s food. The Bible tells us that God cursed the devil to eat dust all the days of his life. (Genesis 3:14) Dust represents death. (Genesis 3:19) The devil wants you to be like him—to fall flat on your belly, crawl and eat dust. To eat dust is to feed on your shortcomings and lack, until you constantly feel that there is so much in your life that you need to clean up. You may not be physically bowed over, but like the woman, you become dust-conscious and life every day is a struggle.

Having a dust-consciousness also affects the way you see others. You look at people’s faults all the time. You point out their shortcomings and rake up their past failures. When you are dust-conscious, you find your relationships robbed of peace and joy.

And if you, like the woman, keep looking at the dust, before long, that inward position of dust-consciousness becomes so entrenched that you become the devil’s food because dust is what he eats. God’s Word describes him as being like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:

If you don’t want to be devoured by him, then lift your eyes above the dust! Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat. See yourself the way God sees you—righteous and holy in Christ. (Colossians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21) You are not dust because you are not in and of the flesh—you are in and of the Spirit. (Romans 8:9)

My friend, the more you realize who you are in Christ, the more you will straighten up and walk the way God sees you—a new creation with His authority, power and overcoming Spirit!

Thought For The Day
Instead of looking at your failures, look to Christ who has delivered you from every defeat.

Nems wrote:

Lucifer Angel of Light wrote:

I constantly do, or do you miss all the threads I post on this?

Granted I do skip some of yours because they are C&P I haven't seen the anti Muslim avatar though?

Well most threads are in majoirty C&P started, how else do you think a topic starts.
I understand theology is beyond your conprehension here because my avatar is anything but anti-Christian, showing again you know very little about mythology and the origins of Lucifer.
Seriously you have little if anything intelligent to say, so no doubt many things confuse you easily.

the Hebrew word helel is translated "Lucifer." He was cast out of heaven for his sin of pride and his desire to be God. Jesus referred to seeing Satan being cast out of heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.


This is a thread about Christian devotionals not satan so i would like it bringing back on track please i haven't gone onto the atheist , pagan threads and posted about Jesus so it is only fair .

Vicar of Dibley wrote:the Hebrew word helel is translated "Lucifer." He was cast out of heaven for his sin of pride and his desire to be God. Jesus referred to seeing Satan being cast out of heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.


This is a thread about Christian devotionals not satan so i would like it bringing back on track please i haven't gone onto the atheist , pagan threads and posted about Jesus so it is only fair .

You brought it up Dibs, so only fair I reply.

Though as a show of respect, I will not further post on your thread that is dedicated to your faith. I will post though on othere threads about religions and show criticism to bad ideas.

Vicar of Dibley wrote:the Hebrew word helel is translated "Lucifer." He was cast out of heaven for his sin of pride and his desire to be God. Jesus referred to seeing Satan being cast out of heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.


This is a thread about Christian devotionals not satan so i would like it bringing back on track please i haven't gone onto the atheist , pagan threads and posted about Jesus so it is only fair .

I'm not being confrontation here now. But. The logic you apply there is off.

Lucifer was cast out of hell.
Satan was cast out of hell.
Therefore Lucifer must be Satan.

That's a pretty rash assumption.

Let's try it elsewhere.

You were in the shop at 5pm.
The killer was in the shop at 5pm.
Therefore you must be the killer.

Doesn't work does it

http://www.bible.org.uk/lbl_daily_audio.php?gclid=Cj0KEQjwstaqBRCT38DWpZjJotIBEiQAERS6_MNztuD7V5-C-mJYSBnJWsxXFckgq_y_AcqkxsF_v04aAp-w8P8HAQ

Eilzel wrote:

Vicar of Dibley wrote:the Hebrew word helel is translated "Lucifer." He was cast out of heaven for his sin of pride and his desire to be God. Jesus referred to seeing Satan being cast out of heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.


This is a thread about Christian devotionals not satan so i would like it bringing back on track please i haven't gone onto the atheist , pagan threads and posted about Jesus so it is only fair .

I'm not being confrontation here now. But. The logic you apply there is off.

Lucifer was cast out of hell.
Satan was cast out of hell.
Therefore Lucifer must be Satan.

That's a pretty rash assumption.

Let's try it elsewhere.

You were in the shop at 5pm.
The killer was in the shop at 5pm.
Therefore you must be the killer.

Doesn't work does it

its not for debate though this is just for inspiration to build Christians up and help them through the day .

Eilzel wrote:

Vicar of Dibley wrote:the Hebrew word helel is translated "Lucifer." He was cast out of heaven for his sin of pride and his desire to be God. Jesus referred to seeing Satan being cast out of heaven. Therefore, we can conclude that Lucifer and Satan are one and the same.


This is a thread about Christian devotionals not satan so i would like it bringing back on track please i haven't gone onto the atheist , pagan threads and posted about Jesus so it is only fair .

I'm not being confrontation here now. But. The logic you apply there is off.

Lucifer was cast out of hell.
Satan was cast out of hell.
Therefore Lucifer must be Satan.

That's a pretty rash assumption.

Let's try it elsewhere.

You were in the shop at 5pm.
The killer was in the shop at 5pm.
Therefore you must be the killer.

Doesn't work does it

satan is not actually a name it is a decription it refers to advisary...

16 May

Isaiah 53:5 …and by His stripes we are healed.

Under Roman law in Bible times, a criminal was either scourged for a lesser crime and then set free, or crucified straightaway if guilty of a greater crime. But Jesus was both scourged and crucified. Pontius Pilate had hoped that after scourging Jesus and presenting His bloodied body to the people, they would be satisfied and willing to let Him go. But the people were not and demanded His crucifixion instead.
Don’t think for a moment that the people had power to inflict such suffering on Jesus. It was all part of God’s plan and the scourging was necessary for only by His stripes are we healed.
The Roman whip used for scourging was made of leather straps embedded with glass, bone and metal hooks. With just one strike, the instrument would have been wrapped around Jesus’ body, causing the glass, bones and hooks to cut deep into His flesh. And as the whip was pulled back, the hooks would have stripped His flesh off, exposing muscle and bone. Indeed, the psalmist says, “They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me,” (Psalm 22:16–17) and “The plowers plowed on My back; they made their furrows long”. (Psalm 129:3)
Although 39 was the maximum number of times one could be whipped according to Jewish law, I believe that Jesus was whipped more times than that because the Romans, who were not likely to regard Jewish law, carried out the scourging.
Whichever the case, His back would have been reduced to a mass of bloody, mutilated flesh. That day, Jesus’ blood flowed freely from His body for your deliverance from every kind of disease and physical affliction. God allowed every one of those stripes to fall on His Son’s body so that your body need not be scourged with diseases.
My friend, if you are sick or suffering from some physical condition, know that Jesus took the scourging as full payment for you to be free of that condition. He bore those stripes so that, today, there is no sickness, no disease left for you to bear. By His stripes you have been healed!

Thought For The Day

Jesus bore the terrible scourging to purchase for you deliverance from every kind of disease.

17 May

Matthew 6:33 …seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

God doesn’t want you grabbing the newspaper first thing in the morning and reading all the bad news in the world. He knows that if you do that, your heart will be full of cares, anxieties and even fears.
This happened to a mother who read in the newspaper that children from China studying in our local schools were becoming top students. She wrote to the press, voicing her concerns about the stiff competition her child would face from these students, even for the top jobs in Singapore in the future.
When you are reading the newspapers, magazines, medical journals, economic reports, watching movies or surfing the Internet all the time, then you are getting your “nourishment” from these sources instead of God’s Word. Now, I am not against these things. But if you constantly feed only on earthly things which cannot satisfy, you will fill your heart and mind with cares and worries.
Jesus doesn’t want you to end up worrying about your life—what you will eat, drink or wear—as these are the things that the Gentiles (people of the world) seek. He says that your heavenly Father knows very well that you need these things. (Matthew 6:31–32)
That is why He promises you that if you would seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things that the world seeks after will be added to you. It will not just be given but added, which means greater in quantity and quality!
If you are faced with lack, don’t pursue material goods. Pursue God your provider. If you are sick, don’t pursue the “cure”. Pursue God your healer.
My friend, don’t grab the newspaper or call your friend first thing in the morning to talk about the latest bad news. Instead, grab your Bible and read all the good news God has for you for the day. And as you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all the things that the world is running after will be added to you!

Thought For The Day

Pursue God and His righteousness, and all the things that the world seeks after will be added to you.

He rather than just quoting scriptures that get me going zzzzzzzzzzz.....can't you post a little quote in your own words?

Come on, you can do it!

Jesus is Lord and anyone who follows him will find peace in their hearts .

Jesus is the healer , anyone who trusts him will be healed.

Jesus is with us wherever we go by his Holy spirit .

being a Christian does not make you by default a better person, you are still flesh and blood, you bleed when you are cut, you cry when you are hurt, it is no recomendation of a trouble free life that is for sure in fact it will often lead to losing friends ridicule all kinds of extra trouble, what it does mean is you set yur faith in Jesus as your Lord and saviour, what it does mean is you accept the Grace of God, Grace is the undeserved favour we are given, this undeserved favour means all our sins past present and future have been bought and paid for by Jesus, we are also given the righteousness of Jesus, that is the right standing that Jesus has with the father is now ours, so we can come boldy be fore the thrown and know we are his.
So we still make mistakes, we still get angry, we still strike out but we still know that salvation is ours not because of what we have done but because of what Jesus has done for us.
When we are accussed of being a bad Christian or a bad example or any other accussation we can put our hands up and say I am a bad Christian but I have a perfect saviour.
Praise the Lord...

18 May

Luke 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

People who have a grateful heart are always praising God. You often hear them say, “God is good!” They know that God is the reason for every blessing they get.
But there are those who look to God for blessings and when they get blessed, they just go on their merry way. Their hearts are captivated by the blessings instead of the One who has blessed them.
Jesus had an encounter with both these types of people when He walked into a village one day. Ten lepers cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13) Now, when you call out to Jesus for mercy, He always hears you. On another occasion, when two blind men cried out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” He took the time to give them their miracles. (Matthew 9:27–30)
So these 10 lepers cried out to Him for mercy. He stopped, looked at them and said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And “as they went, they were cleansed”. (Luke 17:14) But only one came back and fell at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Notice the very sad words of Jesus that followed: “Were there not 10 cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17)
The other nine obviously knew that it was Jesus who had cleansed them. Yet, they did not bother to go back and thank Him. My friend, let it be said of you that when the blessings come, you remember to give God the praise, glory and honor, and acknowledge that He is the source of every blessing in your life.
Do you know that when the man came back to thank Jesus, he received the additional blessing of becoming whole? Jesus said to him, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:19, KJV) He was not just cleansed of leprosy, he got his missing fingers and toes back!
My friend, when your heart is thankful toward God, you position yourself for even greater blessings!

Thought For The Day

When you praise God and give Him thanks for His blessings, you position yourself for even greater blessings!

19 May

Leviticus 2:11 No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire.

Imagine yourself walking past the prodigal son sitting in the pigpen. (Luke 15:11–24) You look at him and see him salivating for the pigs’ food. Believing that it is good to show kindness, you give him money to buy food for himself.
That is human kindness which says, “I am a Christian. I should be kind, good and forgiving.” Such human sweetness or kindness may be likened to honey. Interestingly, while we elevate it, God tells His people not to bring Him a grain offering with honey in it.
The grain offering speaks of Jesus’ life on earth. Not mixing honey in the grain offering speaks of how the compassion and goodness we see in Jesus during His earthly ministry were all divine. There was no “honey” of human goodness that is tainted with human weakness.
In retrospect, the worst thing one could do for the prodigal son was to give him money when he was in the pigpen. Not only would he not have gone home, but what the Lord was doing in his heart would also have been spoiled. This is what happens when we go by the goodness of our human hearts instead of the goodness of God in our hearts, which is directed by His love, wisdom and perfect timing.
My friend, God does not want you to be moved by what you see but by His Spirit. There were many needy folks surrounding Jesus during His time on earth. But He did not heal every sick person around Him, feed every hungry stomach he passed or raise all who were dead. Isaiah 11:2–3 tells us that the Lord was not moved by what He saw or heard. He was moved only by the Spirit.
You too have the Spirit in you. (1 Corinthians 3:16) Be moved by Him. Follow the peace that He puts within your spirit to do or refrain from doing something. That peace is the peace of God. Acting on that peace will cause God to be exalted, and His divine goodness and kindness to really be a blessing to you and others!

Thought For The Day

Don’t be moved by the honey of human kindness but by God’s Spirit.

amen

Vicar of Dibley wrote:Jesus is Lord and anyone who follows him will find peace in their hearts .

Jesus is the healer , anyone who trusts him will be healed.

Jesus is with us wherever we go by his Holy spirit .

You could substitute the word "Jesus" for the word "Truth"

eddie wrote:

Vicar of Dibley wrote:Jesus is Lord and anyone who follows him will find peace in their hearts .

Jesus is the healer , anyone who trusts him will be healed.

Jesus is with us wherever we go by his Holy spirit .

You could substitute the word "Jesus" for the word "Truth"

he is the way the truth and the life ..

eddie wrote:

Vicar of Dibley wrote:Jesus is Lord and anyone who follows him will find peace in their hearts .

Jesus is the healer , anyone who trusts him will be healed.

Jesus is with us wherever we go by his Holy spirit .

You could substitute the word "Jesus" for the word "Truth"

I could do and i have many times , when i wrote this i was feeling close to Jesus and it is the way i expressed it .

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/boy-5-makes-diners-cry-as-he-says-grace-with-homeless-man/story-fnq2o7hp-1227360850445

A BOY of five brought the customers at a fast food restaurant to tears when he said grace with a homeless man he had just got dinner for.

Josiah Duncan’s act of kindness came after his mum, Ava Faulk, had taken him to eat at the Waffle House in Prattville, Alabama.

He saw the homeless man standing outside with his bike and was so troubled by his appearance he began asking his mum about him. When his mum explained the man had no home or food Josiah urged her to buy him dinner. She did just that.

“He came in and sat down, and nobody really waited on him,” Ms Faulk told local network WSFA 12. “So Josiah jumped up and asked him if he needed a menu because you can’t order without one.”

Before the man began eating Josiah insisted on saying grace with him, bringing the other 11 diners in the restaurant to tears.

“The man cried. I cried. Everybody cried,” Ms Faulk said.

“You never know who the angel on Earth is, and when the opportunity comes you should never walk away from it,” she added. “Watching my son touch the 11 people in that Waffle House tonight will be forever one of the greatest accomplishments as a parent I’ll ever get to witness.”

20 May

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

In this verse, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” He did not say, “I am the vine, try to be the branches.” In other words, He wants us to realize that we are already the branches. We do not have to struggle to become the branches.
As His branches, we only have to abide or remain in Christ our vine. How do we do that? We do that by simply being conscious every day of our position in Christ. Because we have received Christ, we are in Christ and are accepted in the Beloved. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:6) God accepts us because we are in the Beloved and He is in us. And that is how God sees us today when we come into His presence.
What the devil wants to do then is to get you to focus on your condition instead of your position in Christ. The condition you are facing could be financial lack or deteriorating health. The devil wants you to focus on your condition and forget your position—that you are the righteousness of God in Christ and that you are seated with Him in heavenly places at the Father’s right hand. (2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 2:6) He wants you to forget that you are an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
The devil knows that once you focus on your position in Christ, it will give you the power to change your condition and circumstances. John 15:5 says that you will bear “much fruit”. This means that when you pray against any lack, abundant supply will flow. When you pray for healing, sickness will leave.
My friend, none of these things can happen by your own doing, but by His life which flows through you. Just as sap flowing through the branches of a vine will cause them to bring forth fruit, His life flowing through you will bring forth a bountiful harvest of provision, healing and miracles. You only need to remain conscious of who you are in Christ!

Thought For The Day

Remain conscious of who you are in Christ and you will bear much fruit.

21 May

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

Let me ask you a question which Jesus asked the Pharisees: “Which is easier, to say [to the paralytic], ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’?” (Luke 5:23)
In the context of ministering to a paralytic, saying “Your sins are forgiven” is probably easier. Why? Because you don’t need an outward manifestation to prove that his sins are forgiven. But when you tell him, “Rise up and walk,” he must rise up and walk, or you will look very foolish! So that makes saying “Your sins are forgiven” easier than saying “Rise up and walk”.
The truth is, what is seemingly more difficult for man in the natural is not so for God. With God, physical healing is clearly “easier” for Him than forgiveness of sins. The latter is the “harder” and greater miracle because it required God to deliver up His beloved Son to take on all our sins and shed His blood on the cross.
Yet, when faced with a loved one stricken with cancer, or when gripped by mounting debts after being jobless for a long time, we seem to find it harder to believe and say that God has already given us the breakthroughs we need, than to believe and say that our sins are forgiven. Saying that our sins are forgiven seems easier than saying that God has already given us the miraculous physical healing, supernatural financial breakthrough or divine favor at the next job interview.
But since God has done the “harder” and greater miracle of “having forgiven you all trespasses”, there is nothing He will not do for you! (Romans 8:32) In fact, if you think that there is something that God is withholding from you, you are implying that that something is greater than the forgiveness of sins which Jesus died to give you! But nothing can be greater than the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.
So hear the Lord telling you today, “Your sins have been forgiven you. You have perfect acceptance before God. Rise up and be healed! Rise up and walk in health, wisdom, favor, protection and wholeness!”
Thought For The Day
Since God has done the greatest miracle of having forgiven you all trespasses, there is nothing He will not do for you!

22 May

2 Samuel 9:7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

When the people in the palace heard that King Saul and his son Jonathan had died in battle, they panicked. Fearful that David was coming to seize the throne, and kill all the sons and grandsons of Saul, they ran for their lives. A nurse took Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and ran. But as she fled, the five-year-old boy fell and became lame in both feet. (2 Samuel 4:4)
The poor boy would not have been crippled if they had known that David actually loved Jonathan and Saul, and would have looked after Jonathan’s son because he had made a covenant with Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18:3)
In this story, King Saul represents the human race. He is like Adam who sinned against God and forfeited all that God gave to man. He had the position, but not the power anymore because of sin. Jonathan, who came after Saul, represents Jesus, who came as a human. Jonathan was not like Saul—he was good, just as Jesus is not like Adam—Jesus is the perfect Man. David represents God. So Jonathan’s covenant with David speaks of Jesus’ covenant with God. Mephibosheth represents believers today who are “lame” in some way—sick, depressed, fearful, poor and so on.
Now, Mephibosheth became lame because of bad news that was based on a lie. Many believers today are suffering needlessly because they believe the wrong things about God. They think, “My sin has found me out! God is coming after me!”
Well, I have good news for all Mephibosheths: David is not after your life! When David looked for Mephibosheth, it was to show him kindness, to take care of him and restore to him the land that had belonged to Saul his grandfather.
Likewise, God is not out to get you. He knows all about your sins and still loves you. That is why He sent Jesus as the payment for your sins. And because of Jesus’ covenant with Him, He says to you, “Don’t be afraid, I will surely show you kindness. I will restore all to you and you shall always eat at My table!”

Thought For The Day

God is not out to get you, but to show you kindness, and to give you provision and restoration.

23 May

John 19:2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head…

If hard work is the formula for prosperity, then everyone who works hard should be prosperous. But this is certainly not the case. Many people who work very hard are still in lack!
I am not advocating laziness. What I am saying is that working hard by the sweat of your brow is not how God’s provision comes. In fact, if you have to work overtime all the time and are stressed out, you are probably operating under the curse.
What curse is that? It is this curse: “In the sweat of your face, you shall eat bread…” (Genesis 3:19) And it refers to the stress, struggle and anxieties that come with working hard and yet producing little. Now, work itself is not a curse since God gave Adam work before the fall—Adam was to tend the garden of Eden. It was only after he sinned that the land was cursed and it brought forth thorns, and man had to toil to eat of it. (Genesis 3:17–18)
But praise God, Jesus wore the thorns on His head to show you that He has borne this curse for you and redeemed you from it. He wore the crown of thorns so that you can work stress-free and yet have the results. You don’t have to be worried and stressed out day and night like the people of the world just to get ahead in life. Your heavenly Father can get you there without the worries and stress. (Matthew 6:31–33)
Beloved, every curse that was supposed to fall on your head fell on Jesus’ head, typified by the crown of thorns. He wore the crown of thorns for you so that you can have peace of mind. He wore the crown of thorns for you and took your curse so that you can wear the crown of glory and take His righteousness, and all the benefits of that righteousness!
Today, don’t labor and toil like the people of the world. Instead, expect to see the blessings of God come into your life without blood, sweat and tears because Jesus wore the crown of thorns for you!

Thought For The Day

Your heavenly Father can get you ahead in life without the toil and stress of the world.

What's with all this prosperity-ministry B.S.?

it's the word of God, I thought you might recognise it but i doubt you have ever read it ...

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:it's the word of God, I thought you might recognise it but i doubt you have ever read it ...

The verses quoted in your devotional deal with how Christians should believe that no matter what happens, they are in the hands of God and shouldn't be afraid. They don't mean God is going to make you rich in this life, for Pete's sake.

I would wager I've read the "word of God" more times than you have, HF. You should know there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly rewards to those who have faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite:

2 Timothy 3:12:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

John 15:18:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

The Bible instructs Christians to take heart when they're persecuted, because they're doing something right:

1 Peter 4:12-14

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

I'm sorry, I'm trying to act as though you actually care about this stuff. I'm starting to think that despite the fact I don't even believe in it anymore, I'm still more of a Christian than you are, in the respect that I at least understand what the religion is about. I also think that before you claim to be a Christian and try to convince others to be, you should actually know what it's about -- and if you do, you shouldn't misrepresent it to others. Those are supposed to be your values, and it is weird for me to find myself as an atheist trying to show you where your thinking about Christianity is so erroneous as to be vulgar.

If you can live with the idea that you're deceiving people, well ... there are verses of the Bible that deal with that, too, so get thee behind me ...

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:it's the word of God, I thought you might recognise it but i doubt you have ever read it ...

The verses quoted in your devotional deal with how Christians should believe that no matter what happens, they are in the hands of God and shouldn't be afraid. They don't mean God is going to make you rich in this life, for Pete's sake.

I would wager I've read the "word of God" more times than you have, HF. You should know there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly rewards to those who have faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite:

2 Timothy 3:12:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

John 15:18:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

The Bible instructs Christians to take heart when they're persecuted, because they're doing something right:

1 Peter 4:12-14

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

I'm sorry, I'm trying to act as though you actually care about this stuff. I'm starting to think that despite the fact I don't even believe in it anymore, I'm still more of a Christian than you are, in the respect that I at least understand what the religion is about. I also think that before you claim to be a Christian and try to convince others to be, you should actually know what it's about -- and if you do, you shouldn't misrepresent it to others. Those are supposed to be your values, and it is weird for me to find myself as an atheist trying to show you where your thinking about Christianity is so erroneous as to be vulgar.

If you can live with the idea that you're deceiving people, well ... there are verses of the Bible that deal with that, too, so get thee behind me ...

You can't be a Christian if you don't believe in Christianity - that's just silly.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:it's the word of God, I thought you might recognise it but i doubt you have ever read it ...

The verses quoted in your devotional deal with how Christians should believe that no matter what happens, they are in the hands of God and shouldn't be afraid. They don't mean God is going to make you rich in this life, for Pete's sake.

I would wager I've read the "word of God" more times than you have, HF. You should know there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly rewards to those who have faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite:

2 Timothy 3:12:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

John 15:18:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

The Bible instructs Christians to take heart when they're persecuted, because they're doing something right:

1 Peter 4:12-14

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

I'm sorry, I'm trying to act as though you actually care about this stuff. I'm starting to think that despite the fact I don't even believe in it anymore, I'm still more of a Christian than you are, in the respect that I at least understand what the religion is about. I also think that before you claim to be a Christian and try to convince others to be, you should actually know what it's about -- and if you do, you shouldn't misrepresent it to others. Those are supposed to be your values, and it is weird for me to find myself as an atheist trying to show you where your thinking about Christianity is so erroneous as to be vulgar.

If you can live with the idea that you're deceiving people, well ... there are verses of the Bible that deal with that, too, so get thee behind me ...

You can't be a Christian if you don't believe in Christianity - that's just silly.

I used to believe, and I remember what that meant. I don't think HF has a clue if he's posting this crap where Christians get to be rich in this life before they go off to heaven ... which is a preaching trend that I was against when I was still a Christian, because it shits all over what the religion is really about.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

You can't be a Christian if you don't believe in Christianity - that's just silly.

I used to believe, and I remember what that meant. I don't think HF has a clue if he's posting this crap where Christians get to be rich in this life before they go off to heaven ... which is a preaching trend that I was against when I was still a Christian, because it shits all over what the religion is really about.

Why do you care? You don't even like Christianity.

Raggamuffin wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

I used to believe, and I remember what that meant. I don't think HF has a clue if he's posting this crap where Christians get to be rich in this life before they go off to heaven ... which is a preaching trend that I was against when I was still a Christian, because it shits all over what the religion is really about.

Why do you care? You don't even like Christianity.

It shows how two dimensional your thinking is  of Christianity. There are many sects of Christianity, some are very good like Gnostic Christianity, the Pauline version is sexist beyond belief for a start and would rightly say I am highly critical of such Christianity which fails to understand how Jesus himself rightly treated women with equality. The teachings of Paul are at odds with the teachings of Jesus. You mistakenly believe you hold the monopoly on Christianity, where if you follow Paul's teaching you will seriously back sexist discrimination.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:it's the word of God, I thought you might recognise it but i doubt you have ever read it ...

The verses quoted in your devotional deal with how Christians should believe that no matter what happens, they are in the hands of God and shouldn't be afraid. They don't mean God is going to make you rich in this life, for Pete's sake.

I would wager I've read the "word of God" more times than you have, HF. You should know there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly rewards to those who have faith in Jesus. Quite the opposite:

2 Timothy 3:12:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

John 15:18:

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you."

The Bible instructs Christians to take heart when they're persecuted, because they're doing something right:

1 Peter 4:12-14

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

I'm sorry, I'm trying to act as though you actually care about this stuff. I'm starting to think that despite the fact I don't even believe in it anymore, I'm still more of a Christian than you are, in the respect that I at least understand what the religion is about. I also think that before you claim to be a Christian and try to convince others to be, you should actually know what it's about -- and if you do, you shouldn't misrepresent it to others. Those are supposed to be your values, and it is weird for me to find myself as an atheist trying to show you where your thinking about Christianity is so erroneous as to be vulgar.

If you can live with the idea that you're deceiving people, well ... there are verses of the Bible that deal with that, too, so get thee behind me ...

i doubt that would be true and I certainly no you did not understand a word of it...
James says count all trials as joy and that is the best way to be as a Christian, for some you decided to run and batf or the other side but if you did believe in truth in the first place you are still saved...that's God's grace for you...

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

You can't be a Christian if you don't believe in Christianity - that's just silly.

I used to believe, and I remember what that meant. I don't think HF has a clue if he's posting this crap where Christians get to be rich in this life before they go off to heaven ... which is a preaching trend that I was against when I was still a Christian, because it shits all over what the religion is really about.

where does the bible say you must be poor to believe??

24 May

2 Corinthians 3:6 …for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

To the Jews, the feast of Pentecost is a celebration of the giving of God’s law. It takes place 50 days after the Passover feast. When God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, it was 50 days after they had celebrated their first Passover and come out of slavery in Egypt.
But what happened after God gave them the law on the first Pentecost? Three thousand people died! (Exodus 32:28) Contrast this with another Pentecost in the New Testament. In the book of Acts, it says that when Pentecost had fully come, God gave not the law but the Holy Spirit, and what happened? Three thousand people got saved (Acts 2:41), which goes to show that “the letter [the law] kills, but the Spirit gives life!”
The law, which was “written and engraved on stones”, ministered death. It killed 3,000 people. That is why the apostle Paul calls it “the ministry of death” and “the ministry of condemnation”. (2 Corinthians 3:7–9) On the other hand, the Spirit ministered life—3,000 people got saved.
My friend, when you come under the law by trying to keep God’s commandments in order to be blessed, it will lead to death. There will be deadness in your marriage, ministry, health, career…in your life. But when you depend on the Spirit of grace, it will lead to life. You will see breakthroughs and miracles (Galatians 3:5), and manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
So if you want to be blessed, make sure that you are on the right mountain. You see, the law was given on Mount Sinai, but the Spirit on Mount Zion. That is why the Bible says that “you have not come to the mountain [Sinai] that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest…But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels”. (Hebrews 12:18, 22) The Lord blesses you out of Zion (Psalm 128:5), and not Sinai!
Beloved, by grace you have been saved through faith. (Ephesians 2: Now, continue in the Spirit of grace. Remain on the right mountain and He will continue to supply miracles in your life!

Thought For The Day

When you depend on the Spirit of grace, you will see breakthroughs, miracles and life.

25 May

Exodus 15:26 …I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

After crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel came to a place called Marah. The waters there were bitter. That is why the place was called Marah, which means “bitter”. The Israelites could not drink any of the water, so the Lord made the bitter waters sweet. (Exodus 15:23–25) Then, He brought up the subject of the diseases of Egypt and, for the first time, revealed Himself to His people as “the Lord who heals you”.
Why did the Lord suddenly mention the diseases of the world (Egypt represents the world in the Bible) at a place called “bitter”? What do diseases have to do with bitter waters? I believe that it is because He wants His people to know that a major cause of diseases in their bodies is harboring bitterness and resentment!
Some years ago, a lady shared with me about her sister who had died of cancer at a young age. She said, “Pastor Prince, a number of years before she passed on, she went through a very bitter divorce. She was very bitter toward her ex-husband.” Then, she asked me, “Is there a relationship between her bitterness and the cancer?”
I have studied the subject of healing for many years. I have read many books. I have listened to many sermons and I have sat under many healing ministries. And they all say the same thing: If you have unforgiveness in your heart long enough, that unforgiveness can sometimes translate into a disease in your body.
So if you have been bitter about something or someone, it is time to let it go! Your health, joy and life are more important. If you are already sick and you know that bitterness has something to do with it, let it go! See Jesus as your healer. He is standing at your place of bitterness today and He is saying to you, “My child, I can make your bitter waters sweet. I am the Lord who heals you.”
My friend, let it all go and let Jesus heal not just your diseases, but your broken heart too!

Thought For The Day

Harboring bitterness and resentment is just not worth your health, joy and life.

26 May

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We would all like to experience more health, abundance and success in our lives. God, being God, has all of these things, won’t you agree? So to be full of God is to be full of health, abundance and success. But how does one become full of God?
In the past, I was told that to be “filled with all the fullness of God”, I had to fast a certain number of days, pray a certain number of hours and speak in tongues incessantly! I am not belittling fasting, praying or speaking in tongues, but to be filled with all the fullness of God is not about what you do. It is not even about your love for Christ. It is actually about knowing the love of Christ! No one ever told me that if I knew how much God loves me and focused on His love for me, I would be full of Him.
When God made you, He designed you to run at optimal level when you are filled with His love, like a car that runs at its best when it is filled with the right kind of petrol or gasoline. When you realize how much God loves you and you feed on His love for you, you will be supernaturally filled with the fullness of God.
And to be full of God is to be full of everything God is to you and has for you. To be full of God is to come to a place of life, health, peace, abundance—total wellness.
Also, when you are conscious of how much God loves you and you become filled with the fullness of God, what follows is the next verse—God doing exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think, according to the power that works in you. (Ephesians 3:20) You will experience the tremendous blessings of God exploding in your life! You will become a blessing magnet!
So as God’s beloved, continue to be nourished by His love for you, and experience more health, abundance and success in your life!

Thought For The Day

Being filled with the fullness of God is not about what you do, but about knowing how much God loves you.

Love reading these devotionals , very encouraging

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

You can't be a Christian if you don't believe in Christianity - that's just silly.

I used to believe, and I remember what that meant. I don't think HF has a clue if he's posting this crap where Christians get to be rich in this life before they go off to heaven ... which is a preaching trend that I was against when I was still a Christian, because it shits all over what the religion is really about.

where does the bible say you must be poor to believe??

You're completely twisting what I said and you know you are, and this is much of a response to such foolishness as you deserve.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
where does the bible say you must be poor to believe??

You're completely twisting what I said and you know you are, and this is much of a response to such foolishness as you deserve.

so when Jesus says if you ask anything in my name, is that prosperity teaching...

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
where does the bible say you must be poor to believe??

You're completely twisting what I said and you know you are, and this is much of a response to such foolishness as you deserve.

so when Jesus says if you ask anything in my name, is that prosperity teaching...

No, that's what Jesus says to Philip when Philip says that he only asks that Jesus show him the Father.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
so when Jesus says if you ask anything in my name, is that prosperity teaching...

No, that's what Jesus says to Philip when Philip says that he only asks that Jesus show him the Father.

but Jesus clearly says if you ask anything in my name it shall be done... what if they ask for wealth, fame..

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
so when Jesus says if you ask anything in my name, is that prosperity teaching...

No, that's what Jesus says to Philip when Philip says that he only asks that Jesus show him the Father.

but Jesus clearly says if you ask anything in my name it shall be done... what if they ask for wealth, fame..

What if an amputee asks for his arm to grow back?

Also, Jesus clearly tells his followers not to worry about material wealth (he tells them to sell it and give the money to the poor) or even where their next meal is coming from.

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
but Jesus clearly says if you ask anything in my name it shall be done... what if they ask for wealth, fame..

What if an amputee asks for his arm to grow back?

Betcha it's something to do with free will if it doesn't lol

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
but Jesus clearly says if you ask anything in my name it shall be done... what if they ask for wealth, fame..

What if an amputee asks for his arm to grow back?

he says anything, so their cannot be anything you cannot ask for but asking cannot be wrong, Christians do not have to be impoverished ...

Ben_Reilly wrote:Also, Jesus clearly tells his followers not to worry about material wealth (he tells them to sell it and give the money to the poor) or even where their next meal is coming from.

He says not to worry about it because he will always provide...

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
but Jesus clearly says if you ask anything in my name it shall be done... what if they ask for wealth, fame..

What if an amputee asks for his arm to grow back?

he says anything, so their cannot be anything you cannot ask for but asking cannot be wrong, Christians do not have to be impoverished ...

But there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly wealth to Christians.

Matthew 6:

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 19:

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Ben_Reilly wrote:

heavenlyfatheragain wrote:
he says anything, so their cannot be anything you cannot ask for but asking cannot be wrong, Christians do not have to be impoverished ...

But there's nothing in the Bible that promises worldly wealth to Christians.

Matthew 6:

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 19:

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

it does not say you have to be poor..

scriptures do speak of being a good caretaker of what God has given you control of..

there is also the parable of the talents...

I never said it said you have to be poor, I said that it doesn't promise you wealth in this life, the way the prosperity preachers do.

A lot of Christian sources and writers have been warning that the prosperity gospel runs counter to Christ's teachings:

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/don-t-let-the-prosperity-gospel-message-fool-you.html

https://bible.org/article/bankruptcy-prosperity-gospel-exercise-biblical-and-theological-ethics

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/29004

Ben_Reilly wrote:I never said it said you have to be poor, I said that it doesn't promise you wealth in this life, the way the prosperity preachers do.

A lot of Christian sources and writers have been warning that the prosperity gospel runs counter to Christ's teachings:

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/finances/don-t-let-the-prosperity-gospel-message-fool-you.html

https://bible.org/article/bankruptcy-prosperity-gospel-exercise-biblical-and-theological-ethics

http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/29004

i do agree some prosperity teaching has been dangerous and very irresponsible and has done Christianity a lot of harm but some who believ all Christians should be poor are equally misguided..