discipline
Lifestyle and Discipline
In a world the touts instant quick answers, the reality is, many solutions come through a combination of hard work, lifestyle changes, and discipline.
It is easier to reach for a “quick fix”, for example, hoping for energy from a high sugar candy bar or a high caffeine drink, than to take the long haul discipline of proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Whether it involves making a totally different lifestyle change, or simply tweaking and improving what you are already doing, there is a usually a determined period of simply following the discipline or establishing the new habit until you begin to experience the good fruit of getting where you intended to go.
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
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Why Is There Suffering? The Principle of “If he commit iniquity”….
II Samuel 7:14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;
Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.
Hebrews 12:7 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, for what son is there whom his father doesn’t discipline?
Deuteronomy 8:5 You shall consider in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
I corinthians 11:31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ 23 Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’
Sometimes it might seem that there is no obvious connection to current problems. As the Baboon prophet says in Lion King, “Look deeper.”
For example, we might say, “Hey, I didn’t roll the printing presses, printing trillions of fiat paper money, thereby devaluing the dollar, and thus creating inflation. What did I have to do with that?”
True, perhaps one person only did not cause this, but each individual still can have an influence.
Prior to the current mess, was the United States a nation an overwhelming majority of tithers, worthy of inheriting the promises in Malachi? In a nation that gives participation rewards, we an lose sight of the fact that God actually has some requirements we need to fulfill for blessings.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.
Is this the focus of an overwhelming majority?
I Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
It is always good to consider this verse.
Job 19:28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
Jesus said something similar here.
John 14:30 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Every circumstance does not affect all people equally. It depends on what is “in them”. Being drawn, being tempted by something “in us”, if it is not resisted, can lead into sin, or iniquity, which then brings the repercussion, “the wages of sin is death”, and with it, suffering.
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 Christian bookstores and other Christian sites.
The link above will take you to links to sites that teach on faith, prayer, confession, healing and more. They have church services, podcasts, bookstores, and further resources and teaching.
Discipline, Sowing and Reaping
Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
Then there is this written by Paul.
Galatians 6: 7 Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.
Then again, Jesus speaking….
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.
The Pharisees tried to snare Jesus on a legal quibble.
Mark 12:12 They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away. 13 They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words. 14 When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we give, or shall we not give?”
But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”
16 They brought it.
He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
They marveled greatly at him.
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 Christian bookstores and other Christian sites.
The link above will take you to links to sites that teach on faith, prayer, confession, healing and more. They have church services, podcasts, bookstores, and further resources and teaching.
Why does satan have so much power?
Jesus called satan the god of this world.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord God, they fell from the position of authority God had given Adam.
When Jesus was crucified, died, buried and resurrected, Jesus purchased back what Adam lost at the Fall. He gave that authority and power to the church.
Matthew 28:16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. 18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
We have seen instances where police have been told to stand down. Police have the authority. But if they do not use it, or are told not to use it, the badge of authority alone is not enough.
Simply having authority does not get the job done.
Basically, the church, or some of it anyway, is ignorant of its position. The church is not strictly a building, though it can refer to that. The church is made up of believers.
There are some believers who do not understand their authority in Christ. They are waiting for God to do something. But the key is in their own hands, they just don’t know it.
People are waiting for God, but God is waiting for them.
Generally, there are acts of obedience to the Word of God and Holy Spirit required at some level to get things accomplished.
God works with mankind, “the Lord working with them”. He does not do the job he has given man to do.
Mark 16:20 (KJV) And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Man’s job is to ask, seek, knock, present the promises of the Bible to God the Father in the name of Jesus, plead the blood of Jesus, pray to the Father in the name of Jesus and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in accomplishing God’s purposes here on the earth.
It also involves the power of the Sacraments, and of a structured, ordered, disciplined life. “Disciple” comes from the same root as “discipline”.
If things aren’t getting done, if satan’s power seems great, it is because overall, collectively, the church overall, at large, is not using the keys left it by Jesus.
The church must use the authority of the name of Jesus. That authority was left by Jesus.
It is like a policeman standing by while a bank robbery goes on. The policeman has the authority to stop the robbery. But if the authority is not presented and if the authority is not used, then it seems like there is no power to stop the robbery.
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 Christian bookstores and other Christian sites.
The link above will take you to links to sites that teach on faith, prayer, confession, healing and more. They have church services, podcasts, bookstores, and further resources and teaching.