Bitterness leads to Unforgiveness – Unforgiveness leads to Spiritual Death
What was your response the last time someone hurt you?
Perhaps you felt the urge to retaliate. Maybe you took no action, but instead harbored bitterness in your heart. If so, you failed to realize that you do great damage to yourself when you have an unforgiving spirit. Failure to forgive is a devastating form of self-punishment—a destructive landmine in the path of the believer.
In Ephesians 4:32, the apostle Paul writes, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” It sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it?
Yet, you and I know the truth that, though it’s simple, it’s not necessarily easy. When someone commits a terrible offense against you—no matter whether the hurt came by way of words or deeds—forgiveness can be terribly difficult. The enemy will entice you to be so angry that you take revenge. As a mature believer, however, you must avoid the enemy’s landmine and choose the peace of forgiveness as Christ has shown you.
Ephesians 4:26–32 Supporting Scripture: Matthew 6:9–15; 18:21–24;1 John 1:9
Scriptural Principles:
1. The definition of unforgiveness.
If you want to understand unforgiveness, you must first know what forgiveness is. Forgiveness is the willingness to give up your resentment toward someone who has wronged you, regardless of how serious or painful that wrong might have been. In other words, you renounce any desire to get even. We can identify three elements to forgiveness: to give up resentment about the wrong; to give up resentment toward the
wrongdoer; and to give up plans for retaliation. Forgiveness is more than just saying some words; it must come from the heart.
Unforgiveness, on the other hand, is a deliberate mindset to do the opposite—to resent the wrong and the wrongdoer, and to seek revenge. In Ephesians 4:31, Paul associates unforgiveness with bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice. It is hard to understand why anyone would choose those painful attitudes over tenderness, gentleness, and a forgiving spirit. However, many people today are physically ill because they do just that. They live day by day, year by year, with the cancer of an unforgiving heart.
2. The description of unforgiveness.
The unforgiving heart clings to the past, refusing to extend to others what our heavenly Father has extended to us. In Ephesians 4:32, the apostle insists upon our “forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” As a result of a resentful attitude, there will be certain negative consequences in the life of an unforgiving person. One of the most significant repercussions is that bitterness takes root in the heart, and then it spreads its poison to choke out every godly trait there.
The truth is that people choose to be unforgiving—it is a deliberate decision and a self-inflicted pain. We carry the illusion that other people have caused our misery, but in reality, we have elected to take on a form of self-imposed bondage. It is a spiritual “acid” that eats through the spirit within us. Few people realize the terrible effects of unforgiveness.
3. The disobedience of unforgiveness.
This root of bitterness will keep you from being the person God wants you to be, and prevent you from carrying out ... His will for your life. The refusal to forgive is an act of pride and rebellion—deliberate disobedience to the Word of God. When He taught His disciples to pray, Jesus added, “If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:15). This does not mean the believer loses his salvation, but it does indicate God will hold him accountable—there will be discipline. We are never given the right to harbor an unforgiving spirit. In Matthew 18:22, Jesus
teaches us that we must forgive “seventy times seven,” which means we must always forgive. Paul, too, writes that we should bear with one another and forgive one another because, in the same way, God has forgiven us. All of these passages from God’s Word make it very clear that unforgiveness is never an option for the committed believer.
4. The destruction of unforgiveness.
What are the consequences of an unforgiving spirit? Jesus teaches us that God wants to answer our prayers, but that we must first forgive others. If we don’t, it will make us bitter and will affect our prayer life. Likewise, our worship will be affected. Jesus teaches us that when we are in conflict, we are to stop—even in the middle of our worship—and go to set matters right. Our witnessing, our giving, and our overall spiritual growth are terribly weakened by a heart that carries bitterness. Every other aspect of life is affected as well. When we are loaded down with stress, anxiety, and resentment, physical illness may result. Finally, because others don’t enjoy being around bitter people, our relationships are poisoned.
5. Dealing with unforgiveness.
To confront an unforgiving spirit, the first requirement is to take it seriously and assume full responsibility for our own decisions and actions. We acknowledge unforgiveness as a sin and confess it honestly to God. The next step is to lay our anger down—strip it away—because then we can ask God’s forgiveness. After that, we should begin praying for the other person. If that person has been aware of our bitterness, we should go to them and ask their forgiveness. We can live out God’s grace by asking Him to show us something we can do on that person’s behalf—serving them instead of resenting them. Finally, we prevent the devil from trapping us again by refusing to rehash the same old issue or allowing the bitterness to seep back in. This debt must be forgiven and canceled in the same way our sins are.
6. Demonstrating forgiveness.
Some Christians believe they have forgiven the person that’s wronged them, but the roots of bitterness are still deep in their hearts. So how can you know you have truly forgiven someone? There are two indications that you have been obedient to Christ in this area. First, you know you have forgiven when your feelings toward the other person have changed. When you see him or her, you will be aware that the resentment is gone. Second, you know your forgiveness is genuine when you feel concern for the other person—you care about his or her spiritual welfare and you want what is best for him or her.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Child Abuse - Are you the Victim - Fear not
DO NOT SIN AGAINST THE CHILD! Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Dictionary meaning of ABUSE is ; mistreatment, cruelty, ill treatment, violence, maltreatment, neglect, exploitation
.
The text calls us to consider one particular form of sin, namely, sinning against a child. Every man, by his own conduct is educating the rising generation of the nation. If a man behaves improperly, if his speech is foul, if his conversation is polluted, he helps to educate children in the school of ungodliness. If, on the other hand, his ways are right, and by the grace of God he is brought to act morally and to speak truthfully, he is doing something to train up one for virtue and holiness. Our moral conduct sweetens or defiles the general atmosphere of society, and in children. I would declare that every man giving fuel to the fires of his lustful pleasures, if the presence of the angels and the Holy Ghost is not enough to silence your ungodly voice, at least consider the fair haired girls and the blue eyed boys against whom you sin dreadfully. Do not let the leprosy of your sin pollute your offspring. Were you about to utter a lascivious sentence? Withhold it, for it is not proper that little ears should so soon be desecrated by that which has become common enough to you, but will yet be shocking to them. Were you about to blaspheme? Is it not enough to curse your Maker? Why should you bring a second curse upon that harmless little one? Why teach those lips that will be all too ready to learn to speak hideous words? If you have any feeling left in you, respect the purity of childhood, and let the presence of youth be a reason for restraint in open sin. Charles Spurgeon said, “There are crowds of parents upon whose head the blood of their children will certainly descend, because they have launched them on the sea of life with the rudder set towards the rocks, with a false chart, a deceitful compass, and every other appliance for securing eternal shipwreck.” God, help us not to sin against the children!
*WHO CAN SIN? All of us. Every action impacts. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and certainly we are to love and consider those who can not help themselves- whether it be the children whose heads
Abuse: I certainly believe in spanking a child in disobedience, but many have sinned against their children by making them the object of their anger and frustrations. While in their drunkenness they have sodomized, beaten, and scarred their children. I went to school with a girl that had been adopted after being taken from her birth parents. When she was only a couple of weeks old they put out their cigarettes on her body! She was burned and scarred all over. They sodomized her, broke multiple bones, and allowed her to go without sufficient food for extended periods of time. It was a miracle from God that she ever lived to be rescued from their evil clutches! Just last week a couple were convicted of starving their six month old baby to death! Many people today have no scruples whatsoever, and in vicious anger they exert their frustration against God’s precious little children!
IV. Abandonment: Ezekiel 16 tells of an abandoned baby who was lying in a field. This has become far too common today. Every year the Hospitals send nurses into the rooms of mothers to give them their babies to carry home only to find the mothers gone having left her baby at the Hospital. We’ve found them in trash .
God help us today. We have sinned against the children with Careless Parenting, Compromising Preaching, and Crowds of Pressure. We have sown to the winds of unrighteousness and we are reaping a whirlwind of judgment. Leviticus 26:21 22 “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate”. To “rob” our children means to devour them. Our children are being devoured, and we are reaping the judgment of God for sinning against the children. It is seen in the condition of our young people:
May I ask you... Have you abandoned your children in your prayer life? Have you abandoned your children in Bible study and teaching? Have you lived before them an example of a Christian life? If your children do exactly as you have done before them, how will it be when they come to judgment? I implore you today to get it right. DO NOT SIN AGAINST THE CHILD!
Dictionary meaning of ABUSE is ; mistreatment, cruelty, ill treatment, violence, maltreatment, neglect, exploitation
.
The text calls us to consider one particular form of sin, namely, sinning against a child. Every man, by his own conduct is educating the rising generation of the nation. If a man behaves improperly, if his speech is foul, if his conversation is polluted, he helps to educate children in the school of ungodliness. If, on the other hand, his ways are right, and by the grace of God he is brought to act morally and to speak truthfully, he is doing something to train up one for virtue and holiness. Our moral conduct sweetens or defiles the general atmosphere of society, and in children. I would declare that every man giving fuel to the fires of his lustful pleasures, if the presence of the angels and the Holy Ghost is not enough to silence your ungodly voice, at least consider the fair haired girls and the blue eyed boys against whom you sin dreadfully. Do not let the leprosy of your sin pollute your offspring. Were you about to utter a lascivious sentence? Withhold it, for it is not proper that little ears should so soon be desecrated by that which has become common enough to you, but will yet be shocking to them. Were you about to blaspheme? Is it not enough to curse your Maker? Why should you bring a second curse upon that harmless little one? Why teach those lips that will be all too ready to learn to speak hideous words? If you have any feeling left in you, respect the purity of childhood, and let the presence of youth be a reason for restraint in open sin. Charles Spurgeon said, “There are crowds of parents upon whose head the blood of their children will certainly descend, because they have launched them on the sea of life with the rudder set towards the rocks, with a false chart, a deceitful compass, and every other appliance for securing eternal shipwreck.” God, help us not to sin against the children!
*WHO CAN SIN? All of us. Every action impacts. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and certainly we are to love and consider those who can not help themselves- whether it be the children whose heads
Abuse: I certainly believe in spanking a child in disobedience, but many have sinned against their children by making them the object of their anger and frustrations. While in their drunkenness they have sodomized, beaten, and scarred their children. I went to school with a girl that had been adopted after being taken from her birth parents. When she was only a couple of weeks old they put out their cigarettes on her body! She was burned and scarred all over. They sodomized her, broke multiple bones, and allowed her to go without sufficient food for extended periods of time. It was a miracle from God that she ever lived to be rescued from their evil clutches! Just last week a couple were convicted of starving their six month old baby to death! Many people today have no scruples whatsoever, and in vicious anger they exert their frustration against God’s precious little children!
IV. Abandonment: Ezekiel 16 tells of an abandoned baby who was lying in a field. This has become far too common today. Every year the Hospitals send nurses into the rooms of mothers to give them their babies to carry home only to find the mothers gone having left her baby at the Hospital. We’ve found them in trash .
God help us today. We have sinned against the children with Careless Parenting, Compromising Preaching, and Crowds of Pressure. We have sown to the winds of unrighteousness and we are reaping a whirlwind of judgment. Leviticus 26:21 22 “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate”. To “rob” our children means to devour them. Our children are being devoured, and we are reaping the judgment of God for sinning against the children. It is seen in the condition of our young people:
May I ask you... Have you abandoned your children in your prayer life? Have you abandoned your children in Bible study and teaching? Have you lived before them an example of a Christian life? If your children do exactly as you have done before them, how will it be when they come to judgment? I implore you today to get it right. DO NOT SIN AGAINST THE CHILD!
Entering into Godly Rest
Are You Resting in Christ?
Hebrews 3:8-19
I am sure that each one in this room looks forward to those times we think if everything goes as plan we might get some rest.
There is so much we have to do that it seems that rest is hard to come by. It is not that easy to find rest now a days. We work long hours; have so much to do after we get home from work especially if we have kids or grandkids to raise that we find ourselves many nights keeping the midnight oil burning.
We try to make time by microwaving our dinner rather than cooking those good old “home cooked meals”. We talk on cell phones as we drive around town to save time. We run through the “drive ins” to pick up our prescriptions, doing our banking or pick up our dry cleaning in the hope that it will save us a couple of minutes.
But despite all that we do, rest is hard to find.
I think that the same thing is true in our Christian lives. God promises us rest. “Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” But despite God’s promise, many don’t find rest there either. There are many weary Christians walking around.
The Israelites didn’t find God’s rest and I want to know why? Twice the writer of Hebrews tells us in the passage of Scripture we are studying tonight that they could not enter into God’s rest. What may have prevented them from finding rest may be the same exact thing that is keeping us from finding rest! So that is where we are going to learn tonight what is it that is keeping me from finding God’s rest?
Read Scriptures: Hebrews 3:8-19
I. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you can not hand over your problems to God.
Hebrews 3:8 “do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,”
The time of testing for the Israelites occurred when the twelve (12) spies returned from searching out the Promised Land and ten (10) gave the negative report that persuaded the whole assembly not to enter the Promised Land because there were giants in the land and fortified cities.
The Israelites could not hand over their enemies to God; and the Israelites could not hand over the fortification that the enemies possessed to God. And as result they could not enter into God’s rest.
I wonder tonight- what it is that you are hanging on to that you have not given to God and as result you have not found God’s rest?
Let me boil it down to basics for you. It is an issue of trust in God because trust is an act of my will whereby I give my burdens to God. The Israelites could not trust God to deal with their enemies or their fortified cities and therefore they could not give those things over to God and find rest.
I have learned that there are a lot of things that I can not control. I can not control my health. I can not control my financial future. I can not even control the church I attend. So can I trust God to handle those things? If I can, I will find God’s rest. If I cannot, then God’s rest will pass me by and I will have missed it.
II. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you can not see that God is working in your life every day you live.
Hebrews 3:9 “ where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.”
How often did the Israelites see the working of God in their life?...
You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you don’t follow God’s blueprint for your life.
Hebrews 3:10 “That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ’Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.”
Where are you going to find God’s blue print for your life? The answer is His Word. The writer of Hebrews tells us the Israelites did not know His ways. They didn’t know His Word despite Moses telling them all that God wanted to share with His people.
So how do I know if I am following God’s blue print for my life? If you are lost, wandering, or feeling like you are always in a fog or your life seems to be always unsettled you really don’t know God’s ways. If your heart has found what it is looking for and you are at rest then you know God’s ways.
The true is that you can’t be at rest without knowing God’s ways because it is His ways that bring you rest.
IV. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you will allow the voice of sin to drown out the voice of God.
Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
And I am here to tell you today that the deceitfulness of sin is sometimes louder than the voice of God and if you tune in to it you can not hear what God is telling you. You have to make the effort to hear what God is telling you. You have to tune out sin and tune in God.
Listen, sin will offer you everything but it will deliver on nothing. It will tell us that it will provide you with peace but it will never deliver.
If you want to find peace you better be listening to God and not to sin.
Hebrews 3:8-19
I am sure that each one in this room looks forward to those times we think if everything goes as plan we might get some rest.
There is so much we have to do that it seems that rest is hard to come by. It is not that easy to find rest now a days. We work long hours; have so much to do after we get home from work especially if we have kids or grandkids to raise that we find ourselves many nights keeping the midnight oil burning.
We try to make time by microwaving our dinner rather than cooking those good old “home cooked meals”. We talk on cell phones as we drive around town to save time. We run through the “drive ins” to pick up our prescriptions, doing our banking or pick up our dry cleaning in the hope that it will save us a couple of minutes.
But despite all that we do, rest is hard to find.
I think that the same thing is true in our Christian lives. God promises us rest. “Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” But despite God’s promise, many don’t find rest there either. There are many weary Christians walking around.
The Israelites didn’t find God’s rest and I want to know why? Twice the writer of Hebrews tells us in the passage of Scripture we are studying tonight that they could not enter into God’s rest. What may have prevented them from finding rest may be the same exact thing that is keeping us from finding rest! So that is where we are going to learn tonight what is it that is keeping me from finding God’s rest?
Read Scriptures: Hebrews 3:8-19
I. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you can not hand over your problems to God.
Hebrews 3:8 “do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,”
The time of testing for the Israelites occurred when the twelve (12) spies returned from searching out the Promised Land and ten (10) gave the negative report that persuaded the whole assembly not to enter the Promised Land because there were giants in the land and fortified cities.
The Israelites could not hand over their enemies to God; and the Israelites could not hand over the fortification that the enemies possessed to God. And as result they could not enter into God’s rest.
I wonder tonight- what it is that you are hanging on to that you have not given to God and as result you have not found God’s rest?
Let me boil it down to basics for you. It is an issue of trust in God because trust is an act of my will whereby I give my burdens to God. The Israelites could not trust God to deal with their enemies or their fortified cities and therefore they could not give those things over to God and find rest.
I have learned that there are a lot of things that I can not control. I can not control my health. I can not control my financial future. I can not even control the church I attend. So can I trust God to handle those things? If I can, I will find God’s rest. If I cannot, then God’s rest will pass me by and I will have missed it.
II. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you can not see that God is working in your life every day you live.
Hebrews 3:9 “ where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.”
How often did the Israelites see the working of God in their life?...
You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you don’t follow God’s blueprint for your life.
Hebrews 3:10 “That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ’Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.”
Where are you going to find God’s blue print for your life? The answer is His Word. The writer of Hebrews tells us the Israelites did not know His ways. They didn’t know His Word despite Moses telling them all that God wanted to share with His people.
So how do I know if I am following God’s blue print for my life? If you are lost, wandering, or feeling like you are always in a fog or your life seems to be always unsettled you really don’t know God’s ways. If your heart has found what it is looking for and you are at rest then you know God’s ways.
The true is that you can’t be at rest without knowing God’s ways because it is His ways that bring you rest.
IV. You will fail to find the rest you are looking for in Christ if you will allow the voice of sin to drown out the voice of God.
Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
And I am here to tell you today that the deceitfulness of sin is sometimes louder than the voice of God and if you tune in to it you can not hear what God is telling you. You have to make the effort to hear what God is telling you. You have to tune out sin and tune in God.
Listen, sin will offer you everything but it will deliver on nothing. It will tell us that it will provide you with peace but it will never deliver.
If you want to find peace you better be listening to God and not to sin.
Stress at Work
How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress
In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.
You can learn how to manage job stress
There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:
• Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.
• Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
• Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress
• Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
• Apathy, loss of interest in work.
• Problems sleeping
• Fatigue,
• Trouble concentrating • Muscle tension or headaches
• Stomach problems
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sex drive
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope
job stress Reducing by taking care of yourself
When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it’s time to take action. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional health. When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the better equipped you’ll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.
--Taking care of yourself doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul. Even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy, and make you feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat. Take things one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you’ll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress level, both at home at work.
---Make food choices that keep you going and make you feel good
Eating small but frequent meals throughout the day maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. On the other hand, eating too much can make you lethargic.
Get enough sleep
--Stress and worry can cause insomnia. But lack of sleep also leaves you vulnerable to stress. When you're sleep deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you're well-rested, it's much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress.
Reducing job stress by prioritizing and organizing
When job and workplace stress surrounds you, you can’t ignore it, but there are simple steps you can take to regain control over yourself and the situation. Your growing sense of self-control will also be perceived by others as the strength it is, leading to better relationships at work. Here are some suggestions for reducing job stress by prioritizing and organizing your responsibilities.
How to Reduce and Manage Job and Workplace Stress
In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.
You can learn how to manage job stress
There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:
• Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.
• Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.
• Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress
• Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
• Apathy, loss of interest in work.
• Problems sleeping
• Fatigue,
• Trouble concentrating • Muscle tension or headaches
• Stomach problems
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sex drive
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope
job stress Reducing by taking care of yourself
When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it’s time to take action. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional health. When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the better equipped you’ll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.
--Taking care of yourself doesn’t require a total lifestyle overhaul. Even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy, and make you feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat. Take things one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you’ll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress level, both at home at work.
---Make food choices that keep you going and make you feel good
Eating small but frequent meals throughout the day maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. On the other hand, eating too much can make you lethargic.
Get enough sleep
--Stress and worry can cause insomnia. But lack of sleep also leaves you vulnerable to stress. When you're sleep deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you're well-rested, it's much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress.
Reducing job stress by prioritizing and organizing
When job and workplace stress surrounds you, you can’t ignore it, but there are simple steps you can take to regain control over yourself and the situation. Your growing sense of self-control will also be perceived by others as the strength it is, leading to better relationships at work. Here are some suggestions for reducing job stress by prioritizing and organizing your responsibilities.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
My god is my Jehova Jirea - My Provider
Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
I. "My God"
A. Paul had a personal relationship with God.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
B. We need to see God as our source.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
II. "Will Meet"
A. God is always on time. He doesn’t say, might meet. He says will meet. God’s ways are not our ways, but if we will trust Him he will meet our needs on time the best way for all that are involved. Today we need to say out loud, "My God will meet me on time and supply this need".
1. We must know that our timetable is not always God’s timetable.
2. He knows what is best is and is always on time.
3. God’s delay is not His denial.
III. "All Your Needs"
Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
God is interested in every area of our lives. He knows that we need shelter, He knows that we need clothing, He knows that we need food, He knows that we need a vision and goal to strive for, He knows that we need a dream to look to, He knows that we need love from Him and others. There is nothing too small or great for God. He will meet "all your needs".
IV. "According to His riches in glory"
Psalms 50: 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
V. "In Christ Jesus"
(Rom 8:39 KJV) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Eph 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
A. This is why God created us so we can be in Christ and He would be our loving Father
Who cares and understands every aspect of our lives. Meeting every need
B. All of these promises are ours when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
C. The key is to "willingly receive Him". When we receive Him willingly, He promises to take care of us. He won’t force Himself, His promises, or His care on us. But when we "willingly" receive Him, He shows up to make the difference. All of God’s promises are "yea and amen" in Him. We have to willingly receive Him and then wait on His supply. He never fails us. He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
I. "My God"
A. Paul had a personal relationship with God.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
B. We need to see God as our source.
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
II. "Will Meet"
A. God is always on time. He doesn’t say, might meet. He says will meet. God’s ways are not our ways, but if we will trust Him he will meet our needs on time the best way for all that are involved. Today we need to say out loud, "My God will meet me on time and supply this need".
1. We must know that our timetable is not always God’s timetable.
2. He knows what is best is and is always on time.
3. God’s delay is not His denial.
III. "All Your Needs"
Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
God is interested in every area of our lives. He knows that we need shelter, He knows that we need clothing, He knows that we need food, He knows that we need a vision and goal to strive for, He knows that we need a dream to look to, He knows that we need love from Him and others. There is nothing too small or great for God. He will meet "all your needs".
IV. "According to His riches in glory"
Psalms 50: 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
V. "In Christ Jesus"
(Rom 8:39 KJV) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Eph 2:10 KJV) For we are his workmanship, in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
A. This is why God created us so we can be in Christ and He would be our loving Father
Who cares and understands every aspect of our lives. Meeting every need
B. All of these promises are ours when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
C. The key is to "willingly receive Him". When we receive Him willingly, He promises to take care of us. He won’t force Himself, His promises, or His care on us. But when we "willingly" receive Him, He shows up to make the difference. All of God’s promises are "yea and amen" in Him. We have to willingly receive Him and then wait on His supply. He never fails us. He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
you are not alone - You are God's Child
Loneliness leads to Depression, Depression leads to death,
God wants you to know that you are not alone. But satan always tempts you to believe a lie telling you "you are forsakes, you are forgotten, you are orphan and you are alone, Satan wisphers in your ears "no body understands you, no body is bothered about you, you are useless, fit for nothing, no point in living in this world , you better die now itself"
But my loving God who is Elohim creator of Heaven and Earth tell you in his word
Psa 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
01. You are not alone - God is your deliverer
- Acts 16:23-26 : God delivered Paul and Silas from Prison
- David himself confessed in 1Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3:10-30
- Dabuek was aksi afflicted - Daniel 6:3-23
KEEP YOUR TRUST IN GOD AND YOU WILL COME OUNT UNHARMED.
02. Waiting upon the lord - Even others have experience the same way in 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
03. God is @ Work - BE OF GOOD CHEER I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
HE IS WORKING FOR YOUR GOOD
04. lONELINESS CAN BE CURED
Jer 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
No matter what is the cause. You can confront it and deal with it with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
God wants you to know that you are not alone. But satan always tempts you to believe a lie telling you "you are forsakes, you are forgotten, you are orphan and you are alone, Satan wisphers in your ears "no body understands you, no body is bothered about you, you are useless, fit for nothing, no point in living in this world , you better die now itself"
But my loving God who is Elohim creator of Heaven and Earth tell you in his word
Psa 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Psa 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
01. You are not alone - God is your deliverer
- Acts 16:23-26 : God delivered Paul and Silas from Prison
- David himself confessed in 1Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3:10-30
- Dabuek was aksi afflicted - Daniel 6:3-23
KEEP YOUR TRUST IN GOD AND YOU WILL COME OUNT UNHARMED.
02. Waiting upon the lord - Even others have experience the same way in 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
03. God is @ Work - BE OF GOOD CHEER I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
HE IS WORKING FOR YOUR GOOD
04. lONELINESS CAN BE CURED
Jer 31:13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
No matter what is the cause. You can confront it and deal with it with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Do you need Blessings? Have the Fear of the Lord
01. Fear of the Lord; It is the fear of the Lord which draws blessings from God for a believer.
In Psalms 111:10 The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that do his commandments, his praise endureth forever.
The Believer should have thewisdom of God to understand God's ways through the Fear of the Lord. Only one thing he should do is " seek him diligently with reverence and patience."
02. When theHead of the family (Man) should have the fear of the lord first, then only his entire family would be blessed. Blessings flows through him to his wife and children. As a result of one man's sincerity,holiness and fear of the lord, the whole family would be sanctified.
His children would be mighty upon the Earth. They would be always the Head not the tail, always above not beneath.
03. He would lend to the Nations, his barns would be full because of his righteousness. He would be great Blessings to the neighbourhood and the entire community. Blessings and Prosperity shall follow him where ever he goes.
04. He would shine like the star and be light to the people who are in darkness. He isgracious and full of Compassion.
05. At the time of trouble he shall not be moved or distracted. He would take correct decision at all circumstances. He waits upon the Lord's instructions and guidance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings and his heart is fixed trusting on the Lord. He will confess " Lord will not leave me nor forsake me, what man can do unto to me.
06. His horn shall be exalted with honour. He would use the authority which God has given to him and say boldly "I am conqueror, I have overcome satan by the Blood of the lamb and word of my testimony.& have authority over all the works of God's hands and all things are under my feet".
These are the ways the believer shall be Blessed if he has the FEAR OF THELORD.
Be Blessed,
Dr Augustine Joseph
In Psalms 111:10 The fear of the lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that do his commandments, his praise endureth forever.
The Believer should have thewisdom of God to understand God's ways through the Fear of the Lord. Only one thing he should do is " seek him diligently with reverence and patience."
02. When theHead of the family (Man) should have the fear of the lord first, then only his entire family would be blessed. Blessings flows through him to his wife and children. As a result of one man's sincerity,holiness and fear of the lord, the whole family would be sanctified.
His children would be mighty upon the Earth. They would be always the Head not the tail, always above not beneath.
03. He would lend to the Nations, his barns would be full because of his righteousness. He would be great Blessings to the neighbourhood and the entire community. Blessings and Prosperity shall follow him where ever he goes.
04. He would shine like the star and be light to the people who are in darkness. He isgracious and full of Compassion.
05. At the time of trouble he shall not be moved or distracted. He would take correct decision at all circumstances. He waits upon the Lord's instructions and guidance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings and his heart is fixed trusting on the Lord. He will confess " Lord will not leave me nor forsake me, what man can do unto to me.
06. His horn shall be exalted with honour. He would use the authority which God has given to him and say boldly "I am conqueror, I have overcome satan by the Blood of the lamb and word of my testimony.& have authority over all the works of God's hands and all things are under my feet".
These are the ways the believer shall be Blessed if he has the FEAR OF THELORD.
Be Blessed,
Dr Augustine Joseph
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