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Post by Redeemed on Mar 18, 2023 14:32:10 GMT -8
From The Top
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (GENESIS 1:26-27).
The word for image comes from a root that refers to a carving. We were carved into the shape of God to reflect him. That is not true of anything else in the universe.
No other created being has a mind to know God, a heart to love God, or a will to obey God. We are different mentally, morally, and spiritually. Only humans can have a relationship with God, and God only has a personal relationship with humans.
The heavens may declare the glory of God; the moon, the stars, and the planets may reveal the greatness of God; the mountains and the oceans may show us the beauty of God, but only humans reflect the image of God. Plants have a body, animals have a body and soul, but only humans have a body, a soul, and a spirit. That spirit is part of the difference. The spirit is our reflection of the image of God.
When we learn that mankind was created in God’s image, we often think of it in the abstract: The great mass of humanity was created in the image of God. But what God wants us to grasp is the “personalness” of each of us being created in his image. I was created in his image. You were created in his image. The greatness of this realization, when personalized, is life-changing. It’s also the place every Christian needs to start when they think of their assignment here on earth. Each of us was carved by God for two reasons: the first and foremost is that we might know, love, and obey God. He desires fellowship with each of us. The second reason is that we each have a calling while we’re here on earth.
Finding our calling begins with seeing how God has carved us. In what ways are we created to serve him best?
The greatness of these two reasons for our being created in God’s image can motivate us for our entire life. We can never grow tired of knowing, loving, and obeying God. And when we enter into our calling, we can find lasting happiness working in God’s vineyard using our unique talents.
James Merritt, 52 Weeks through the Bible Devotional: Fall in Love with the Book That Changed Everything
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Post by civic on Mar 21, 2023 4:37:40 GMT -8
"The greatness of these two reasons for our being created in God’s image can motivate us for our entire life. We can never grow tired of knowing, loving, and obeying God. And when we enter into our calling, we can find lasting happiness working in God’s vineyard using our unique talents."
I'm finding the older I get the more I have Christ on my mind. The pursuit of God never ends and we are in a marathon not a sprint. I must finish the race with my eyes on the prize( Christ ).
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Post by Parker on Mar 21, 2023 5:05:41 GMT -8
"The greatness of these two reasons for our being created in God’s image can motivate us for our entire life. We can never grow tired of knowing, loving, and obeying God. And when we enter into our calling, we can find lasting happiness working in God’s vineyard using our unique talents." I'm finding the older I get the more I have Christ on my mind. The pursuit of God never ends and we are in a marathon not a sprint. I must finish the race with my eyes on the prize( Christ ). Right on! And that's right where you're at on your way to becoming a Chaplain and Christian author. See The Heart of a ChaplainChaplains today are on the cutting-edge of delivering effective ministry with expanding opportunities in both the secular and religious worlds. Chaplains fulfill a sacred calling to accompany and provide professional support and spiritual nurture for everyone no matter their background. This ministry requires specialized knowledge, competencies, and initiative to meet a broad range of human needs. |
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Post by civic on Mar 21, 2023 5:18:29 GMT -8
"The greatness of these two reasons for our being created in God’s image can motivate us for our entire life. We can never grow tired of knowing, loving, and obeying God. And when we enter into our calling, we can find lasting happiness working in God’s vineyard using our unique talents." I'm finding the older I get the more I have Christ on my mind. The pursuit of God never ends and we are in a marathon not a sprint. I must finish the race with my eyes on the prize( Christ ). Right on! And that's right where you're at on your way to becoming a Chaplain and Christian author. See The Heart of a Chaplain Chaplains today are on the cutting-edge of delivering effective ministry with expanding opportunities in both the secular and religious worlds. Chaplains fulfill a sacred calling to accompany and provide professional support and spiritual nurture for everyone no matter their background. This ministry requires specialized knowledge, competencies, and initiative to meet a broad range of human needs.The link is not working I wanted to read where the quote came from brother. Thanks ! |
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Post by Unmerited on Mar 21, 2023 7:17:34 GMT -8
Right on! And that's right where you're at on your way to becoming a Chaplain and Christian author. See The Heart of a Chaplain Chaplains today are on the cutting-edge of delivering effective ministry with expanding opportunities in both the secular and religious worlds. Chaplains fulfill a sacred calling to accompany and provide professional support and spiritual nurture for everyone no matter their background. This ministry requires specialized knowledge, competencies, and initiative to meet a broad range of human needs.The link is not working I wanted to read where the quote came from brother. Thanks ! We're all cracked pots! It's a good thing. A Water Bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and one half pots of water in his master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the Water Bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said. The Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologize to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that "In Him every one of God's promises is a Yes." |
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Post by Redeemed on Mar 23, 2023 8:14:26 GMT -8
Paradise Lost
The serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (GENESIS 3:1-5).
Adam and Eve knew nothing of crime, murder, road rage, war, credit-card debt, or sickness. Everything was coming up roses when the first question ever asked in the Bible takes place in Genesis 3:1: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
The serpent, otherwise known as “the devil” or “Satan,” crafted his question to make Eve question God: “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” The answer was no. God said eat from every tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The devil is never looking out for your best interests. Anytime he tells you to do something, he is not trying to help you; he is trying to hurt you. He will try to get you to doubt the word of God, and he will lie in the process.
52 Weeks Through the Bible
Satan was crafty in the garden. He knew that casting doubt on what God had said would enable him to present a temptation to Eve she couldn’t resist. The story of human history is replete with Satan’s crafty designs to cause men and women to doubt God and his word. The sad results have been predictable.
The apostle Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth that “we are not ignorant of [Satan’s] designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Would that Eve could have said the same thing.
Satan is still crafty today. He knows my weaknesses and he knows yours. His first step in exploiting those weaknesses is to cast doubt on God, his word, and his care for us. When you read God’s word, read it through believing eyes. Trust God and his word. Deny your enemy the foothold that will bring only destruction to your life.
James Merritt, 52 Weeks through the Bible Devotional: Fall in Love with the Book That Changed Everything
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Ozias
Full Member
Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you
Posts: 100
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Post by Ozias on Apr 3, 2023 12:03:00 GMT -8
This is my first Post here but it won't be my last as I definitely have a lot to say about the Bible. It's Pages have changed my life.
To me the Bible has always been a perfect book. The Bible has always been a difference maker. Over the years, I have watched this Book and the Savior it represents permanently change people’s lives. But do not take my word for it—Scripture has plenty to say for itself.
Consider Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
This psalm, by David, puts together some of the most splendid Hebrew poetry with some of the most excellent theology you will find in one place. It is a picture of parallel structure, symbolism, and poetry. At the same time, it gives us great insight into the power and influence of God’s Word.
Let’s take a look at the grammar. It lists six different names or synonyms for the Bible:
“the law…the testimony…the statutes…the commandment…the fear…the judgments.”
Any one of these could replace “Bible” in a sentence, but they provide additional information about its Author and its purpose. All six of them make it clear that the Bible is “of the Lord.” Scripture comes directly from Him. They also tell us that this is not a book to read and put back on the shelf. The Bible is a book for us to live out and obey.
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Post by civic on Apr 4, 2023 3:41:30 GMT -8
This is my first Post here but it won't be my last as I definitely have a lot to say about the Bible. It's Pages have changed my life. To me the Bible has always been a perfect book. The Bible has always been a difference maker. Over the years, I have watched this Book and the Savior it represents permanently change people’s lives. But do not take my word for it—Scripture has plenty to say for itself. Consider Psalm 19:7-11The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. This psalm, by David, puts together some of the most splendid Hebrew poetry with some of the most excellent theology you will find in one place. It is a picture of parallel structure, symbolism, and poetry. At the same time, it gives us great insight into the power and influence of God’s Word. Let’s take a look at the grammar. It lists six different names or synonyms for the Bible: “the law…the testimony…the statutes…the commandment…the fear…the judgments.” Any one of these could replace “Bible” in a sentence, but they provide additional information about its Author and its purpose. All six of them make it clear that the Bible is “of the Lord.” Scripture comes directly from Him. They also tell us that this is not a book to read and put back on the shelf. The Bible is a book for us to live out and obey. Great 1st post and welcome to the forum. How did you hear about our forum ? Thank you ! |
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Ozias
Full Member
Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you
Posts: 100
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Post by Ozias on Apr 4, 2023 6:30:03 GMT -8
This is my first Post here but it won't be my last as I definitely have a lot to say about the Bible. It's Pages have changed my life. To me the Bible has always been a perfect book. The Bible has always been a difference maker. Over the years, I have watched this Book and the Savior it represents permanently change people’s lives. But do not take my word for it—Scripture has plenty to say for itself. Consider Psalm 19:7-11The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. This psalm, by David, puts together some of the most splendid Hebrew poetry with some of the most excellent theology you will find in one place. It is a picture of parallel structure, symbolism, and poetry. At the same time, it gives us great insight into the power and influence of God’s Word. Let’s take a look at the grammar. It lists six different names or synonyms for the Bible: “the law…the testimony…the statutes…the commandment…the fear…the judgments.” Any one of these could replace “Bible” in a sentence, but they provide additional information about its Author and its purpose. All six of them make it clear that the Bible is “of the Lord.” Scripture comes directly from Him. They also tell us that this is not a book to read and put back on the shelf. The Bible is a book for us to live out and obey. Great 1st post and welcome to the forum. How did you hear about our forum ? Thank you ! Thanks for the welcome and the comment on the post. I heard about this forum from my life group leader, Unmerited. And I can keep an eye on him. |
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Post by civic on Apr 4, 2023 9:03:51 GMT -8
Great 1st post and welcome to the forum. How did you hear about our forum ? Thank you ! Thanks for the welcome and the comment on the post. I heard about this forum from my life group leader, Unmerited. And I can keep an eye on him. Haha the Good Lord knows he needs it 😂 |
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Post by Unmerited on Apr 4, 2023 10:48:05 GMT -8
Great 1st post and welcome to the forum. How did you hear about our forum ? Thank you ! Thanks for the welcome and the comment on the post. I heard about this forum from my life group leader, Unmerited. And I can keep an eye on him. Oh cool good to see you here and thanks for joining.  |
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Ozias
Full Member
Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you
Posts: 100
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Post by Ozias on Apr 5, 2023 11:21:52 GMT -8
Well watch this... I got a little something for Easter.
Our King has risen!
MATTHEW 28:5–6
But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.”
If we make our final stop at the cross, we miss the core of Christianity. Without the resurrection, our faith is dead. Because Christ rose from the dead, our past is forgiven and our future is secure. The empty tomb represents victory for every Christian.
Especially at Easter, we need to take time to reflect on the meaning of the resurrection. For the Christian, the resurrection is a cause for great celebration!
He Has Risen...CELEBRATE JESUS CELEBRATE
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Post by Redeemed on May 5, 2023 7:57:57 GMT -8
In the Crosshairs
His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them (GENESIS 50:18-21 NIV).
God isn’t caught off guard when things go wrong in your life. He isn’t surprised the way that you are. Not only is everything that happens in your life going according to God’s plan, but it is going to accomplish his purpose.
You may need to be patient. It took Joseph a couple of decades to understand God’s purpose, but here’s what he discerned: “God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:7 NIV).
God’s purpose was to save their lives, the lives of the ones who had harmed him. But that’s not all. Joseph said, “God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20 NIV). God’s purpose was to save many lives.
When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, he didn’t know that one day a famine would come that could destroy the entire nation. He didn’t know that he’d be placed in a powerful position to help save that nation. Joseph didn’t know that in a hard confrontation, he’d preserve his family so that the nation of Israel could be born and the world could have a Savior. God doesn’t love your hardship, but God does love life with his people and works his purpose so that we all can have it.
If you understand that God takes both the good and the bad, both friends and enemies, both fairness and unfairness to accomplish his purpose in your life, then you cannot be bitter. Joseph doesn’t respond out of bitterness. Joseph doesn’t impart more fear. He laid aside thoughts of revenge and put his brothers’ fear to an end. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not God.”
Every one of us have had events in our past when we wondered, Where is God? Sometimes—maybe weeks, months, or even years later—we find out why it happened. Sometimes we never find out why. In all cases, like Joseph, even when in our darkest dungeon, when every fiber of our being cries out, “Why, God?” we must trust that the end result will work to God’s glory. Someone has wisely said, “Everything will turn out all right in the end. If it’s not all right now, then it’s not the end.”
People often refer to the “patience of Job,” but perhaps a better biblical model would be to have the patience of Joseph. If you’re in the dark dungeon now and God has not revealed the why of the situation, you will simply have to trust. Trusting God patiently is never the wrong choice.
James Merritt, 52 Weeks through the Bible Devotional: Fall in Love with the Book That Changed Everything
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Post by Redeemed on May 17, 2023 11:08:11 GMT -8
The Way to Freedom
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household…The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs…Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance” (Exodus 12:1-14
When God frees you from whatever is binding you, a new day dawns and a new life emerges. Passover marked a new beginning for these Jewish people and bound them together as one nation under God. From then until now, every time Jewish believers would hear the words redeem or redemption, they would think of the Passover. God had delivered them through the blood of the lamb, and he delivers us the same way today.
Do you remember how the lamb had to be perfect? How every part of that lamb had to be examined over a period of time to make sure there was no blot or blemish? Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was examined for thirty years. The Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians, and synagogue leaders all posed hard questions to Jesus. Even Pontius Pilate examined him and concluded, “I find no fault in him.” Jesus was the perfect Lamb.
When you study the Passover you are not just looking into a window of what God did then. You are looking into a mirror of what God is doing today. They were saved by the blood of a lamb—not a single Hebrew home lost a child—and we are saved in the same way.
Every one of us was born with sin over the doorpost of our heart. Once we place our faith in Jesus, our sins disappear. When God looks at your heart, he either sees your sins or Jesus’s blood. The only way to freedom and to eternal life is by the blood of God’s Lamb.
When you became a Christian, you became a partaker of the security available through the blood of Christ. It’s as if the blood of the spotless Lamb was applied to the doorposts of your life, just as it was to the doorposts of the Hebrew homes on that unforgettable first Passover night.
The blood will remain as the security against your sin for all eternity. Through that blood, you are reckoned by God as innocent as the slain Lamb. Whenever Satan tries to remind you of your past sins, simply point him to the blood of the Lamb applied for you. Against the blood of Christ, Satan has no argument.
James Merritt, 52 Weeks through the Bible Devotional: Fall in Love with the Book That Changed Everything
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Post by Redeemed on Jun 11, 2023 7:55:27 GMT -8
Catch-22
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:13–14
The children of Israel have just escaped from 430 years of slavery. They have followed God out of Egypt and are painfully aware that this decision has led them into a corner. This wasn’t a navigational error. They hadn’t miscalculated or taken a wrong turn. God had led them to this dead end. God will do that so we will learn to trust him and follow his ways. We never quit learning to trust him.
The bad news is that God will lead us to Red Seas, but the good news is that God goes with us and before us. Begin every day signing a Declaration of Dependence upon God because if he leads you that day to a place of desperation and despair, you will stay there until it becomes a place of complete dependence on him. Depend upon God not only to lead you wherever he wants you to go, but also to make a way out once you get there.
When backed into a corner, our first reaction is to fight. We look for our earthly weapons and prepare to make our way out of the dead-end situation we’re in. But what did God tell the children of Israel? Did he say to be fearful? Did he give a call to action on their part? Did he tell them to take up their swords for battle? There were times later on when God would indeed equip them for battle, but not here. Instead, now was a time when they were to reject fear, stand firm, and then see with their own eyes the deliverance of the Lord.
God often allows us to fall into perilous situations to invite us to see, with our own eyes, his power to deliver us. What a difference it would make if we could face every impending dark situation by standing still, totally unafraid, and watching the Lord bring deliverance on our behalf.
James Merritt, 52 Weeks through the Bible Devotional: Fall in Love with the Book That Changed Everything
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