Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink

 

Tissot Jael Shows to Barak, Sisera Lying Dead

Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

2 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.

11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.

12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor.

13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.

17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

21 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Christmas Gifts – Tip

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Here are some thoughts about gifts.

  • Get a book or video that will help someone learn about Jesus or grow in his/her Christian faith.
  • If you have the opportunity to buy the same item from two different vendors, support the Christian or conservative business rather that the global oligarchical system.  Use your purchasing power in line with your values.

Some ideas for either those who have everything or ideas that will benefit whole families year round, are subscriptions, or individual shows.  You can contact the companies themselves with any questions on that.

Sight & Sound Theatres®

These are extremely high quality Biblical or Christian-themed productions.   You can get a year-long virtual subscription to view them.

PureFlix

Currently, at the time of this writing, The Chosen is showing on PureFlix.  It took me over a year to follow someone’s suggestion to watch the series, but I have to agree with the person who recommended it, it is very good.  It would be a good show to have playing in the background during the Christmas season, when maybe you have some visitors who don’t know the Lord.

On Pureflix, there are videos and resources for all ages, including some documentaries that are good for homeschoolers.  It definitely would be worth the money to give a subscription as a gift.  The bonus is, you would cover all age groups in a family at the same time.

Superbook

These are high quality Christian-themed, Biblically-themed cartoons created by CBN.  Many are in foreign languages as well.  Again, this is a good thing to play when neighborhood children are over who may not know Jesus.  These short 1/2 hour shows draw the relationship between a past Biblical historical event and a modern challenge a child might face.  There are some available on YouTube that you can watch.  I believe there is a membership where you get the newest creations by subscription.

VeggieTales and Yippee

These are available through TBN.  I believe there are some videos for purchase, at least for VeggieTales.  TBN has a traditional children’s cartoon/children’s showtime on Saturday mornings.  You can learn more at the TBN site.  TBN is a worldwide Christian television station that has programming for all ages, as well as TBN related television stations in other parts of the world and in other languages.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Body of Christ

human body study

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I Corinthians 12:12 (KJV) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?

20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:

23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

 

In the human body, each part of the body operates to bring health to the rest of the body.

The heart pushes blood to circulate to bring nourishment and oxygen to the rest of the body.

The lungs operate to draw in oxygen that will be transported to the rest of the body because of the action of heart to circulate blood.

The little toe would be interested in the health of the heart, because it is only through the health of the heart that it can get the oxygen and nutrients it needs.

Paul likens the body of Christ to the human body.  The body parts recognize, if that sentient verb can be used to make a point, that it can only operate as it is supposed to operate.  A heart will always operate as the heart.  The liver will always operate as the liver.  And so forth….

The body works harmoniously.  When it does not, it is called  dis-ease, with the dis- prefix meaning “not”, it means not-ease.  The body is not at rest when it is ill.

Among mankind, with free will, there can be an attempt to try to be some other part of the body.  There can be an attempt to take the place of another part of the body.

In a healthy body, when a cell gets out of line and begins to grow abnormally, that is called cancer.  It is not a good thing for the cell, or the body.

 

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD

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Sul Art, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

God is one.

Truth also is one.

In other words, God’s truth, God’s reality meshes at all points…or should in our lives.

Jesus put it this way.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Luke 6:43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

 

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams    Link

 

In today’s world, there is such a tendency to piecemeal things.  That default tendency, combined with a lack of knowledge of history and culture, leads us to forget that the Constitution, and the founding of this nation,  grew out of a culture of deep study of classical history, of Christian ethics, of roots of the background of a “moral and religious People”.

Without going back in time and understanding original intent, the original intent can be perverted by a modernistic lens.

One way to keep things on track is to realize that The Lord Our God is One Lord.

Even if you haven’t done a lot of study of history and morals, use a think test of if this would correspond to the Lord our God is One Lord.

If it sounds good, if it is a good sound byte, but if there is stealing, destroying, evil involved, then it does not mesh with the Lord Our God is One Lord.

I John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

Now that verse can be read at a surface level, and it can be assumed, correctly, don’t go to a brothel, take drugs, or get drunk.  It can lead to little ditties like this.

“I don’t drink, smoke or chew, and I don’t go with girls that do.”

That’s commendable to the unknown author who created that ditty.

But to leave it at that can be sort of an easy way out, a lazy way of not looking at it deeper.

The world is so psychologically manipulated at this point, that to be unwilling to understand what is going on and resist it, to not be willing to take the offense strategy against it, is really to be subject to the world.

We can’t be ignorant.

The scripture The Lord Our God is One Lord was quoted above.  The world, the flesh and the devil are in a trifecta against that 24/7.  You have to be aware of that and counter that.

Yes, you can pray.

But you have to realize the psychological warfare.  It operates at the adult level and is also directed against children.

It is ongoing, a 24/7 battle.

For example, the food you see advertised on TV or that you see on the shelves or by the cash register may not be healthy.  It might lead to various problems.  But you are bombarded with messages to buy it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/junk-food-ads-disproportionately-target-black-hispanic-kids-study-finds-n959111

Through the radio, the beat of the music, the lyrics can be wrong and give the wrong message as well as literally the wrong “vibe”.

Ditto for TV and movies.

The 24/7 messages you are bombarded with, unless your saturate yourself with Christian, conservative messages and history and music and entertainment, are designed to tear away from The Lord Our God is One Lord.

The training in the school, for example, the teaching of evolution which leads the way to belief in atheism, which leads the way to no morals, which leads the way to socialism and communism to deal with a malfunctioning society because the family unit has been destroyed…it is imperative that the majority of people see these connections, adjust their lives to resist evil accordingly, and make these kinds of studies the most important thing and pass the knowledge on to their children.

This is a classic Christian education.

You will notice that the world’s voice in school has changed.  First it was “no child left behind”, which, I can tell you by experience, mean others slowed down to the slowest student.  Then it was “new math” where 2 + 2 = 5 and  children figured out math problems by counting dots.  Now it is STEM, science, technology, engineering, math.

You might say, what’s wrong with that?

There is nothing wrong with true factual science, technology, engineering, and math, per se.

I Timothy 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

 

However, the globalists of the Great Reset wants education to focus on this to the exclusion of other subjects because they want an AI world and the merging of man with machine.  You will notice that Christianity and classical Christian history are no longer mentioned as being worthy of study.  Creationist science is not being taught either in the public schools.  There are a lot of other important topics, but society is “guided” in a certain direction mentally.

It is not enough to pray but permit transgenderism and modernism in the schools.

It is not enough to pray and then vote for a communist.

It is not enough to pray and then give your money to corporations or investment firms that invest in abortion.

A life of a Christian has to evolve at all points…food, drink, entertainment, education, livelihood, church, politics, everything, to reflect that The Lord Our God is One Lord.

I don’t believe saying something like this would have been necessary in the 1600s or 1700s.  They understood that all aspects of life were to glorify God.

But today we live in a world submerged in modernism, globalism, atheism, secularism.

In today’s modern world, where so much of the world system is based on mammon, on usury, in some ways on Baal worship, where the ancient gods of old, which used to be gold and silver shrines, are now part of a technological system that we interact with on a regular basis.  It is a part of the invisible, intangible world around us, and it takes ever greater discernment to see it and to know what to do about it.

The reason the left is winning the cultural war and can even outright steal elections, is because they are united.  They know how to divide the conservatives and Christians.   Unity is required to bring results.

I’ve mentioned this before.  Prior to 2020, I did a lot of Republican calling and people would ask, who was a favorite.  I would say Trump, but I would add, but the other side is very, very rabid for what they want.  They may be fewer in number, but they are way more aggressive.

I haven’t changed that opinion.

We have to get beyond the microcosm of focusing on “only” certain topics, and ignoring the bigger cultural picture.  If you go to church, several times a week, wonderful, but is the rest of life focused on The Lord Our God is One Lord?  We cannot afford to be complacent.

The danger to Israel was when they got full, that they would forget the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:1  (KJV) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers.

2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

7 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;

8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey;

9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;

13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

20 As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.

 

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

 

We need to be continually adding to our faith in every way we can.

II Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 

As we finish one project, one goal, for ourselves, our families, our businesses, our schools, our communities, we need to keep pressing in against the modernism of the age.  Have the next immersion experience ready to go…from going to church, volunteering at church, a missionary trip, a retreat, the next Christian or conservative book, the next Christian movie for kids, the next scientific study on creationism…keep pushing on at every level.

This nation was founded out of a Christian culture.  We need to move back to a Christian culture that influences the world, not the other way around.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Christmas Gift Tips

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If you are looking for ideas for Christmas, here are some.

Go to Samaritan’s Purse and purchase a gift in someone else’s name.  If you go to their website, then to the Video Tab dropdown, there are various programs…Agriculture, Construction, Water & Hygiene and other programs…where you can donate to help someone else’s life.

Go to Samaritan’s Purse and donate to their Operation Christmas Child.   The reason I pick Samaritan’s Purse over other similar programs is because they also share the gospel.

Mike Lindell has done a tremendous amount of work exposing election fraud.  He also runs the https://lindellrecoverynetwork.org/  

You can purchase his high quality products from him at https://mypillow.com

Alternatively, offer to serve in some way instead of buying a gift.  Give a gift of time and labor in some way.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Jeremiah 4

Michelangelo, profeti, Jeremiah 01

4:1   If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

2 And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

3 For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.

6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us.

9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.

10 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.

11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,

12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.

13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.

16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord.

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.

19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.

27 For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

30 And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Parable of the Talents

Parable of the Talents. Mironov

Luke 19:10 (KJV) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.

22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)

26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Repost: George Beverly Shea – The Love of God [Live]

George Beverly Shea sang for the Billy Graham Crusades.

George Beverly Shea – Then Jesus Came (1992)

George Beverly Shea – I’d Rather Have Jesus

Billy Graham Site    https://peacewithgod.net/


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Need for Discipline is Not Emphasized in Today’s World

snowflake

Image credit

In today’s world, an emphasis is put on participation awards and on “warm and fuzzy” feelings for everyone.

People who can’t handle the least bit of toughness are called “snowflakes” because they melt down easily.

Recently, a college professor was fired because the students said that he was too hard on them.

I’ve viewed a fair share of awards ceremonies, of all kinds, and I have yet to see anyone say, “I want to thank fill in the name; or….I stand here today  successful because he/she taught me to be “again, fill in the blank with some undisciplined form of behavior”.   

Undisciplined behavior?  No, that never happens.  It is always discipline that wins the day.

Always, if any credit is given, it is to the person who aided another in becoming more disciplined, more virtuous, taught them to work harder, strive better, develop their talents more.  Credit goes to hard work, not to wasting.

Jesus calls people to be disciples.  Disciples comes from the same root word as discipline.  It can also mean a learner, but if it means learning only, without doing, it falls short.

I can learn how to work gym equipment, but if I don’t actually develop a habit of going to the gym and using the equipment, knowledge alone won’t do me any good.

I can learn how to plant a garden, but if I don’t actually do the work to prepare the soil and plant and weed and take care of the garden, the knowledge won’t produce fruit.

Jesus put an emphasis on doing.

Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

 

One of the disciplines is lifestyle.  One reason people struggle in life is that they don’t order their lifestyle according to the Word of God.

God’s Word explains how the universe is ordered.  When we walk in those ways, life is easier.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 

In today’s world, there is so much that is out of harmony with the Word of God that it takes ongoing personal Bible study, prayer, group Bible study, going to church, and ongoing growth to continue to change to conform our ways and words to the ways of God.

One of the things that is a problem today, that was probably not a problem at the time of the Patriarchs, is that the food is so degraded that it affects energy levels.  Abraham probably didn’t have to study about “healthy lifestyles” as living a pastoral life close to nature, the food and water was wholesome.  The term probably didn’t exist at that time.  Eating God’s food from nature was a “healthy lifestyle”.

Moses started his ministry at 80 and ended at 120.  He was walking in the wilderness for 40 years.  And have you ever thought about him carrying those stones with the inscribed commandments?  He couldn’t have been out of shape.  Actually, he did it twice as he smashed the first ones in anger, so the labor was twice as long.  More could be said as well.

In addition to everything else, it is no longer an option to ignore lifestyles.  And, not only do we have to learn to eat correctly, food is often grown on denatured soil, so it doesn’t contain the full nutrition that is  needed.

Men have to be aware of the problems of low-T which will keep them from being the guardians and protectors of the home, the family, and nation.

Women have to know how to have a healthy lifestyle to have healthy babies.

People need energy to work, to do, to accomplish the purposes God has for them.

These kinds of studies are no longer optional.

When you find good information, you need to save it, as the censorship is becoming greater and the article you can easily find today, you may not be able to find tomorrow in the search engine.

Because of censorship, because of the cancel culture, I am not going to expand on this topic, except to say that it is very important.

It is connected with the question of discipleship.  If you want the energy to get up and do what the Lord directs you to do, you need be be healthy and energetic.  For  your children to learn effectively, they need the right fuel in their bodies.

Ignorance is not bliss.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Sowing and Reaping

The Sower, Kew Gardens, London (4273200655)

mira66 from Norwich, Norfolk, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The term “sowing and reaping” is a familiar one.  It is often used in preaching, almost to the point of seeming gimmicky.

But actually, it is a fundamental principle.  It is dangerous to ignore the principle simply because it is a familiar topic.

It is one thing to know something, it is another to put it into practice.

Noah on the ark is a type of salvation.

Once Noah came off the ark, the first principle God established, after Noah gave an offering, was that of sowing and reaping.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

 

Genesis 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying,

16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

 

When it is said that “Jesus did it all”,  it is necessary to understand that there is a difference between being born again and afterward growing into the life in Christ.   In the sense of being born again, it is true that Jesus did it all.  No baby births itself.  The ability to be born of the spirit of God is because of the redemptive work of Christ.   It is impossible to work one’s way to heaven.  You must be born again.

But once a baby is born, it grows, or should grow.

Likewise, a newborn “babe in Christ” should grow.

I Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 

Part of growing in Christ is learning to walk in God’s ways.  Sowing and reaping is a mainstay of the kingdom of heaven.  There are many forms of sowing:  time, treasure, talent, words, prayer.

Even the world recognizes that if you want your ship to come in, you first have to send it out.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
Continue Reading