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[Small Group] Lament

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.
Isaiah 48:17 NLT

NOTE: Part of our assignment this week as we finish lesson 1 in the Wiersbe Study on the book of Psalms was to write our own personal “Psalm of Lament”. Considering my general joy in the Lord, and that just this week someone asked me in choir practice if I used to be a cheerleader because I’m always so bubbly and social — this took me outside my comfort zone to dig deeper and come up with an item of lament. But it was great using Psalm 3 as the original example by which I thought about my own life and what could be brought to God deep, challenging, and intimate, crying out to God and trusting Him to answer yet again like He always does.

Oh, Lord,

I see the needs around me,

I see the people crying out for me for help.

I see my responsibilities to my own household and family.

I see the limits of my own abilities.

I do not want your people to suffer.

I do not want to forsake those to whom I might be merciful.

I do not want them to cry out against me,

or to think that we do not care,

or to think that you do not provide for both their and our needs.

I do not want to be a hypocrite who is not willing to sacrifice or to step out in faith and help a neighbor in need,

And I do not want to forsake my family and responsibilities.

I have helped many in the past,

Only to see so many ungrateful,

Only to see them enabled in their foolish squandering and their lazy and selfish ways.

So many have borrowed and never returned or repaid,

And you know that I don’t care about the things or money that is gone,

because you continue to supply,

But I find myself overextended by virtue of either my mercy or my foolishness,

And at times I truly do not know the difference,

Nor do I know whether I am doing more good or harm

– both to them

– and to myself

By my stepping out in faith and loving kindness to show the love of Christ,

Not because it is deserved,

Not because it will be returned,

But purely because the opportunity is there.

Lord, give me wisdom

To not give what is holy to the dogs,

To not think your children dogs,

To not deny crumbs from my table even to the dogs,

And to have all the needs and responsibilities met within my own household and family.

May my treasure and portion be you,

And my eyes be set upon those things heavenly and eternal.

Lord, bless us to be able to give generously,

Discipline us gently to reduce any wasteful spending,

Favor us in all things we do for your honor and glory,

And give us wisdom to know your will as it comes to the needs around us.

You will hear our prayer,

And you will answer,

Oh Lord,

Our shield,

Our comforter,

our teacher,

Our God,

Because you do not forsake your people

who are called by your name,

and who are sealed by your Holy Spirit,

and who are washed in the Blood of the Lamb,

And who trust in you,

And who delight in your law,

And who meditate upon your Word day and night.

You know the hearts of men,

And you examine their secret motives,

Lord, sift through my anxious mind,

Reveal anything in my flesh that is hindering your spirit,

Establish my footsteps that I might walk upright in your will, for your name’s sake,

And restore in me a fully surrendered trust in you alone as the savior and provider for your people,

That you do not require sacrifice and suffering produced through striving,

But that I should remember that:

“The work of God is this: to believe in the one He sent.”

Help me to rest soundly tonight,

knowing that you have even this firmly in hand,

And that I can awake in the morning to rejoice and sing your praises.

Want to see His response? Click here

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What a Friend!

After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.
1 Samuel 18:1‭-‬4 NLT

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
John 13:34‭-‬35 NLT

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
1 John 4:10‭-‬11 NLT

We can see how Jonathan in 1 Samuel chapter 18-20 loved David dearly and even intervened on David’s behalf with his father. What friendship and love we can see here!

And even moreso, what friendship and love we can see in Jesus doing the same, even greater, for us!

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 NLT

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
John 10:14‭-‬18 NLT

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NLT

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” ) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:33‭-‬39 NLT

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Faith not Forecast

Worried about the forecast, or trusting that He has supplied and sealed those who are sent?

David wasn’t listening to the Goliath forecast.

Caleb wasn’t concerned in his receiving the land with the greatest forecast for himself.

But they knew that the Lord was with them. They might say, “Let the others have their good forecasts and human efforts, I have the Lord who will faithfully see me through every trial and circumstance! I have found my greatest treasure and it isn’t in the land, or even in this life, but in the Lord!”

David’s perspective:

“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”
1 Samuel 17:32‭-‬37 NLT

Caleb’s perspective:

https://www.gotquestions.org/Joshua-and-Caleb.html

Do you trust in the Lord?

Do you believe that He has set you apart with a purpose, that He is the one that has supplied you, that He has sealed you with His Holy Spirit, and that He has sent you to do His will on earth as it is in heaven?

Don’t listen to the whispering lies of the enemy — who wants to cut you off from the great and eternal things the Lord has for you!

Don’t let fear and doubt and distractions of this world deter you from your purpose.

See the forecast of your trials ahead as opportunity for an even greater testimony of the peace, love, joy, and patience that flows from the Lord.

He has won the victory!

Don’t run your life, your ministry, like a well thought out business based only on verifiable forecasts! Yes, that can testify to your own human skills, knowledge, and puffery. But good business skills alone don’t demonstrate faith. Don’t go where you know you can be profitable and paid and configurable by your own skills, but step out in faith and let God show Himself faithful.

I’m not saying to test God for the sake of testing Him, No! But I am saying that it is only by faith that we can please God. Not faith in ourselves and pour own abilities, but faith in Him.

And Caleb wasn’t some great chess player, thinking to himself, “If I prove that I’m willing to trust the Lord, He will have to bless me.” No! He trusted the Lord, He valued the Lord, He sought first the Lord wholeheartedly in faithful abandon instead of through reasonable consideration of the “forecast” — and “all these things were added to him”.

See how the Lord responds to Moses (the one whom God some to “face to face”) when Moses was praying (interceding on behalf of the people) — the Lord honors Caleb (and we know that He resists the proud and honors the contrite of heart):

“Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord ’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.
Numbers 14:17‭-‬24 NLT

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Who’s your daddy?

A King’s children are ordained to be Princesses and Princes even before they are conceived.

Not by virtue of their earning a title on their own, but by virtue of who their father is.

After they are born, and as they live out their lives, and as the world can see them standing beside the example of the King — it becomes clearly evident whether they are truly His or are illegitimate.

ELECTION

https://www.openbible.info/topics/election

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
Ephesians 1:4‭-‬9 NLT

BOASTING

https://www.openbible.info/topics/boasting

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:4‭-‬10 NLT

CHILD

https://www.openbible.info/topics/child_of_god

https://www.openbible.info/topics/illegitimate_children

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord ’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.
Hebrews 12:5‭-‬8 NLT

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Important Question, Eternally Important.

Someone will read some of my posts encouraging righteous living and say “but it isn’t my own perfection that I’m relying upon, but upon Christ’s righteousness” — to which I say “Amen!”

But don’t we need to know if we in fact have Christ’s righteousness upon which we claim that we can strand upon so firmly?

NOTE: This page exists PRIMARILY because of that reoccurring question that comes from folks who are opposed to such discussions pressing each other on in godly living, and who claim “that is works based speech”.

Paul speaks of this deception many times and specifically mentions it to Timothy in a way that is hard to dismiss or twist and pervert:

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12 NLT

Those who want to use their own comfortable ideas, opinions, and feelings about Jesus to justify their continuing in a sinful, worldly life that bears little difference to anyone else who is lost and living for themselves — That type of people don’t face risk of persecution — they fit right in with everyone else headed down the broad way to destruction.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:12 NLT

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
John 8:34‭-‬36 NLT

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:15‭-‬23 NLT

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11 NLT

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26‭-‬31 NLT

Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
1 Thessalonians 5:14‭-‬24 NLT

So someone will then ask, “What must I do?”

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Acts of the Apostles 2:37‭-‬47 NLT

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Reverberating Loop

The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers.
Psalms 37:21 NLT

What an amplifying companionship these two would have in direct contact with each other, right?

A generous giver and one who takes and never repays…

When looking at this single verse by itself, standing on its own, can we see the opportunity for enabling, for manipulation, for codependent behavior with each fulfilling the desire of the other — in a frenzied, reverberating, growing crescendo until this symbiotic relationship reaches critical mass and blows up?

So we can probably agree that emotional manipulation is abuse, and is wrong, and that God knows and sees exactly what is going on in the hearts of an abusers.

But even as the wicked becomes more wicked, what is happening to the generous godly giver?

Only meeting needs or expectations is NOT generosity. No, let’s look at the definition — “showing a readiness to give more of something… than is strictly necessary or expected“.

Hmm… I wonder if there is a wise teacher who could give us some clarity on this issue:

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:43‭-‬48 NLT

Someone will inevitably say, “Now that just sounds unjust and foolish!”

And we can cover that as well.

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:18‭-‬21 NLT

But answer me this — if we stand at the great judgement and men want to call me a hypocrite or unloving or anything other than Child of God, and we see that these accusers stand against me saying “To the pit! Burn him!” and such, based on many complaints found in the law and the evidence of my life’s actions, words and thoughts testifying either for or against me. And it comes my turn, and I could remind these evil, wicked men of the debts they never repaid me and I could call for the same death and punishment for them — or I could say, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Knowing that God can see my heart behind saying such a bold thing, could I say it truthfully — as opposed to from a stance of “look at me, I’m going to say what Jesus said to prove I’m better than you!” Because saying such words that came from His mouth from a hard heart and an unclean mouth, who can survive such things done in the presence of God?

What is the position you will take?

Proud judge and reasoner of the law?

Or humble, rightly accused, sinner saved by the grace of God — who is hungry for righteousness, willing to die to self, willing to forgive even his debtors, willing to love even his enemies — not because you are good enough to pull all of that off by yourself — but because you are born again in Christ and it is He that lives in you?

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Teaching the Truth

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Acts of the Apostles 17:11 NLT

Do you believe something “because ____________ told me so”? Or because you read the Word of God, because you know the Word of God, because you search it out in the Word of God to either confirm it as truth or deny as a lie?

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
1 John 4:1 NLT

Why is it important to test things by the Word of God and not just by pour own feelings, conscience or opinions?

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
2 Timothy 3:1‭-‬5 NLT

Is the Word of God trustworthy and sufficient?

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16‭-‬17 NLT

What about those speaking their own opinions as opposed to speaking the Word of God?

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.
Proverbs 18:21 NLT

And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”
Matthew 12:36‭-‬37 NLT

And do not just hear and speak the Word of God, but live accordingly by the spirit bit the flesh, if you indeed have Christ in you!

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:13‭-‬17 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
1 Peter 2:1‭-‬8 ESV

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Trust Him

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
I John 3:21‭-‬22 NKJV

If our heart does not condemn us…

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I John 1:5‭-‬10 NKJV

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Romans 3:10‭-‬28 NKJV

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 NKJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 NKJV

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Psalms 32:1‭-‬2 NKJV

We have confidence towards God…

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord , And whose hope is the Lord .
Jeremiah 17:7 NKJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:12‭-‬13 NKJV

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NKJV

Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
I John 4:17‭-‬19 NKJV

And whatever we ask we receive from Him,

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
I John 5:14‭-‬15 NKJV

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:19 NKJV

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Matthew 21:21‭-‬22 NKJV

“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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:5‭-‬8 NKJV

because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
John 14:15‭-‬26 NKJV

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:5‭-‬8 NKJV

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:17‭-‬21 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:16‭-‬26 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NKJV

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Give Love

I like this video because it stirs feelings in a positive way and prompts us to positive action:

But I believe that it could still be even better with one little reminder:

Give a little love to a stranger today.

Not because you expect you’ll get it back from the world, but because Christ loves you and already gave you so much — and He compels you to go out and overflow from the flood He has placed in you.

Feel like you only have a trickle from which to share? Come to The Well and drink from the fountain of life, Jesus Christ. He isn’t far away, but is close and abiding in His saints — those who believe and love Him and are called according to His purposes.

Do you not know that you are a vessel for His Holy Spirit?

Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Call out to Him, seek Him, knock persistently and you will find the gate is open, and He will reveal to you that He has never left you.

He will heal your lame legs so you can walk upright. He will give you sight to see what is the right way to go. He will make straight what was once crooked. He will heal your ears so that you can hear His Word as loving correction and discipline for your good, not as judgement and condemnation for your harm.

Come, surrender your WHOLE life to Him, and see the glories that He has in store for you and for others through you.

Now that you see, go, and share. Love one another. Remind each other of His return. Stir each other to good works. And resist evil and it will flee. For you are a living testimony, you are a bright shining reflection, a testimony to be lived out of Christ victorious over sin and death.

Love much and forgive much, because you have been loved and forgiven much.

hballingerLeave a comment

[Spruce Pine] Proverbs 1 Questions

Chapter 1 – Purpose

1) Whose proverbs are these? (Verse 1)

2) What is their purpose? (Verse 2)

3) What do the wise do with instruction, wisdom, discipline and correction? (Verses 3, 5, 7a, 33)

4 ) How does a fool react to instruction, wisdom, discipline, and correction? (Verses 7b, 16, 22, 25, 29-32)

Cross References

What does Deuteronomy 6:5 as quoted by Jesus in Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 tell us about our purpose?

How do Jesus Christ’s statements in John 14:15 And John 14:21 reinforce and agree with in the new testament — what Proverbs chapter 1 had already established about our purpose and the purpose of God’s instruction, wisdom, ducklings and correction?