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Saturday, December 10, 2005
Thoughts for the Day This verse from Proverbs tells us not to falsely accuse or scold another man's servant, as the servant's owner will curse you for adding to the burdens of the lowly. A curse in the Bible is referring to speaking negatively or evil about, or against, someone. A good master will protect his servants against those who would try to accuse or abuse them without cause. This would apply to an employer and employee relationship as well. A good boss will always protect his faithful employees. This verse is not referring to a wicked servant or employee, as one like that should be reprimanded. However, anyone who would reproach another man's employee because of their own faulty character, the employer should stick up for that employee. This happens many times when a customer is impatient with regard to their service or disgruntled about some merchandise. Instead of being respectful about discussing the situation or the faulty product, customers sometimes get angry and yell at and berate the one who is trying to help them. A boss, in this case, many find the customer guilty of an attitude problem, instead of his employee or servant being at fault. The principles in the Bible teach us that we are to respect all people -- no matter what class they are, what race they are, what position they hold, what age they are, or what sex they are. The Bible teaches we are to esteem all persons, as God is the creator of all mankind, and each life is important to Him, and He is no respecter of men. God looks on the hearts of men and women, not on the outward appearance. When we are "born again" into the family of God, by accepting Christ as our Savior, then, we all become brothers and sisters in the Lord and we are to honor and respect one another. Romans 12:10: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. We are also told to especially honor our elders, widows, our masters (bosses), our parents, and people in authority who rule over us. 1 Timothy 5:17: Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1 Timothy 5:1-3: 1 Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. 3 Honour widows that are widows indeed. 1 Timothy 6:1-2: 1 Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. 2 And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. Matthew 19:19: Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Romans 13:1-7: 1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. And most of all, we should have supreme honor for God! One way we honor Him is by obeying His Word that instructs us to love and honor each other. 1 Timothy 1:17: Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Prayer for the Day Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for all the things You have done for me, but I honor You, for Who You are, my Lord and King. May I always show respect for the whole family of God, as I know that is one way I can honor You. Help me to be sensitive and respectful to all people, no matter what position they hold. Lord, deliver Your people from all prejudice and disrespect for one another. May we obey Your Word that tells us to prefer and honor one another, as brothers and sisters in the Lord. May we also be especially kind toward those who are in occupations in the service sector and may we all serve one another. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. joelle Strengthed his/her Faith at 9:38 AM
Friday, December 09, 2005
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me. 9 Lest I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal, and so profane the name of my God. These verses from Proverbs are the cry of Agur's heart, asking God to cleanse him from all vanity and lies and also, for God to just supply him with his basic needs, as he does not want to be poor, nor does he want to be rich. Verse 7 records the prayer of a man who is just asking for two things before he dies. The kind of prayer that he is praying is certainly one that is pleasing to God, as Agur wants to have a pure heart, free of pride and deceit. This man knew how to pray, as the Bible says those who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. Jonah 2:8: They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. In verse 8 of Proverbs 30, after this man makes his first request of being free from lies and vanity, he then states his second request. He asks not to be poor, nor rich. There are certain temptations that come with both wealth and poverty. The greatest danger of wealth is pride, while poverty brings desperation. The other dangers of wealth and abundance, besides pride, are the temptations of becoming full and forgetting God; playing God by abusing the power that comes with money; and being so distracted with things, one has no time for God. Lust and materialism can also become temptations because of having a lot of money. The temptations that come with poverty are stealing, self-pity, fear, discouragement and hopelessness, to name a few. People who are poor and do not know God, resort to many things to try and meet their needs. They are tempted to steal or gamble or lie to get extra funds. Poverty is like a black cloud hanging over them which causes depression and fear. Women will sometimes even sell their own bodies to make ends meet. Poverty is definitely a curse and God instructed His people not to oppress the poor, as they already had enough trouble. The Bible even tells us that if we hire someone to work for us who is poor, we should give them their wages that same day. Since they are poor, they have their heart set on receiving their pay right away, as it usually goes for their daily provision. Deuteronomy 24:15 says it is sinful for us if we withhold their wages until a later time. If we do that, they may pray unto God about our treatment of them. Deuteronomy 24:14-15: 14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: 15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. Saint Paul, in the New Testament, said he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. It mattered not if he was abounding, and had plenty, or if he was abased and suffered lack. He learned to trust God and rely on Him to meet every need in his life. This is similar to the prayer of Agur, as he prayed not to have too little or too much. God wants us to trust Him and not be fearful, as God promises us that He will always take care of our basic needs. Philippians 4:11-13: 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Matthew 6:31-33: 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Prayer for the Day Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your promise of provision for our needs. Lord, deliver me from any concern or worry about what I shall eat or wear, for I know You will take care of me. Lord, give me the grace and faith I need to trust You to meet all of my needs. Forgive me when I have been wasteful or careless and help me to be a good steward over all that You have entrusted to me. Lord, may I be as the Apostle Paul -- content with a little or a lot. I lean on Your strength to overcome all situations I face, and I am confident that I shall have the victory in Christ's name. Amen. joelle Strengthed his/her Faith at 9:45 AM
Monday, March 29, 2004
this was taken from a recent entry from my blog and i just felt compelled to share it here. (: i have a God of superlatives, of infinities and eternities - omnipotent, boundless, unimaginable to most minds. i try to imagine because surely a God like that will bother about me - a speck from the earth trapped helplessly, fettered and frustrated in human confines. i don't know how a mere creature as me is noticed from above; i'm just incredibly grateful for this inviolable purpose on earth. hong Strengthed his/her Faith at 6:38 AM
Friday, March 12, 2004
Wakings are the worst times - almost before my eyes are open a great weight seems to roll on to my heart. I can usually roll it off a bit during the day - for one thing, food helps quite a lot, unromantic as that sounds. I have grown more and more ravenous as I have grown more and more miserable. Sleep is wonderful, too - I have never thought of it as a pleasure before, but now I long for it. The best time of all is before I fall asleep at night, when I can hold the thought of him close to me and feel the misery slip away. I often sleep in the daytime, too. Surely it isn't normal for anyone so miserably in love to eat and sleep so well? Am I a freak? I only know that I am miserable, I am in love, but I raven food and sleep. Another great luxury is letting myself cry - I always feel marvellously peachful after that. But it is difficult to arrange times for it, as my face takes so long to recover; it would be all right in bed at night but such a waste, as that is my happiest time. It hurt me so much that I moaned out loud. I wanted to fling myself in the mud and beat my way into the ground. I had just enough sense to konw what I should look like after trying, so I stayed upright; but I couldn't go on walking. I went and sat on a stile and tried t oturn the thought out of my head - and then worse thoughts rushed in on me. Nothing in the world is single, All things by a law divine In one another's being mingle - Why not I with thine? (Percy Bysshe Shelly) Most of all I knew it because of a change in myself. Perhaps watching someone you love suffer can teach you even more than suffering yourself can. joelle Strengthed his/her Faith at 5:55 AM
Sunday, February 29, 2004
GOD ALLOWS US TO BE IN DARKNESS, SO HE CAN SHOW US THAT HE IS THE LIGHT. joelle Strengthed his/her Faith at 8:33 PM
Sunday, February 15, 2004
1Corinthians 13 1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10. but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Hwee Ping Strengthed his/her Faith at 6:48 AM
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
"You're a Christian, aren't you, son? "Yes sir," the student says "So you believe in God?" "Absolutely." "Is God good?" "Sure! God's good." "Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?" "Yes." "Are you good or evil?" "The Bible says I'm evil." The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?" "Yes sir, I would." "So you're good...!" "I wouldn't say that." "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't." The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?" The student remains silent. "No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?" "Er...yes," the student says. "Is Satan good?" The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No." "Then where does Satan come from?" The student falters. "From...God..." "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?" "Yes, sir." "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?" "Yes." "So who created evil?" Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?" The student squirms on his feet. "Yes." "So who created them?" The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?" The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do." The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?" "No sir. I've never seen Him." "Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?" "No, sir. I have not." "Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter." "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't." "Yet you still believe in him?" "Yes." "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?" "Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith." "Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith." The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?" "Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat." "And is there such a thing as cold?" "Yes, son, there's cold too." "No sir, there isn't." The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than -458 degrees. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it." Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer. "What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?" "Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?" "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light.. but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?" The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?" "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to startwith and so your conclusion must also be flawed." The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?" "You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it." "Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?" "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do." "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?" The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester indeed. "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?" The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean." The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir. So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?" Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith." joelle Strengthed his/her Faith at 7:27 PM |
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These Children of God in Particular
The Wishlist
Websites to Paint Your Life Check out the one titled "Duty".
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