#Ephesians 4:25-32

[disneynerdpumpkin]

~ Scriptures about forgiveness ~

Matthew 6:15 "But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Colossians 3:13 "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

Daniel 9:9 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."

Micah 7:18 "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love."

Mark 11:25 "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Luke 17:3-4 "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"

Matthew 6:14 "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:"

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Isaiah 1:8 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[adventists-in-michigan]

Relationships are hard. Thankfully the bible gives us several principles on how to maintain a healthy relationship. Here are some.

Forgiveness: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32

Honesty: "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." - Ephesians 4:25

Humility: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

Respect: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12

Communication: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." - James 1:19

Unity: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:3

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, But the mouth of fools gush out folly. 3 The LORD's eyes are everywhere, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, But deceit in it crushes the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father's correction, But he who heeds reproof shows prudence. 6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure, But the income of the wicked brings trouble. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; Not so with the heart of fools. 8 The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But he loves him who follows after righteousness. 10 There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way: Whoever hates reproof shall die. 11 She'ol and Avaddon are before the LORD -- How much more then the hearts of the children of men!

12 A scoffer doesn't love to be reproved; He will not go to the wise. 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face; But an aching heart breaks the spirit. 14 The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are wretched, But one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast. 16 Better is little, with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a fattened calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, But one who is slow to anger appeases strife. 19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, But the path of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom, But a man of understanding keeps his way straight. 22 Where there is no counsel, plans fail; But in a multitude of counselors they are established. 23 Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time! 24 The path of life leads upward for the wise, To keep him from going downward to She'ol.

25 The LORD will uproot the house of the proud, But he will keep the widow's borders intact. 26 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, But the thoughts of the pure are pleasing. 27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous weighs answers, But the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones. 31 The ear that listens to the reproof lives, And will be at home among the wise. 32 He who refuses correction despises his own soul, But he who listens to reproof gets understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility. — Proverbs 15 | Hebrew Names Version (HNV) The Hebrew Names Version Bible is in the public domain Cross References: Genesis 13:8; Leviticus 7:18; Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 32:22; Judges 8:1; 1 Kings 1:12; Nehemiah 2:2; Psalm 59:7; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 1:25; Proverbs 8:21; Proverbs 9:7; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 17:1; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 22:5; Proverbs 25:25; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ecclesiastes 7:5; John 9:31; Acts 1:24; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 2:7

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Self-Control Through Prayer

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Proverbs 14:16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Proverbs 25:28  A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM PRAYING MORE

I AM IN CONTROL

I AM WALKING IN GOD

I AM STRONG

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 37 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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    Every day, we need to pray for self-control, and I know it gets a bit repetitive, but when we see the spirit of God moving in our life and we see that he is giving us more and more self-control, so we can handle our situations without losing control and the verse today is telling us when we have no self-control we’re like a city with no walls, and a city with no walls or without protection can truly become vulnerable if you noticed in some verse, most of the city had walls look at this one

 Joshua 6:5 It shall come to pass when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

 See, this city had walls, and these men had to walk in faith, then physically walk around it seven times, blow horns, and shout for the walls to come down. The Lord had instructed them to do so much, to get it torn down. However, you see, when a city has walls, no one can enter into the city; now look at this camp that had no protection “2 Kings 7:5, And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.”

    Do you see how easy it was for that man to enter this city without protection? See, we are the camp without no walls when we don’t allow self-control to come in, when we allow how we feel dictate our lives, we become so quickly offended and so easily vulnerable because we allow everything to get to us, and we start to carry the spirit of offense.

   When we allow the power of God in, and we allow him to build us up and show us how to deal with our emotions, we become like the walls of Jericho, solid and hard to penetrate; some of us won't even try to pray for self-control because we feel we are in control and we aren’t we have to allow God to be the protector and the manager of our lives, at all times not just part time.

   Proverbs 16:32 Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

    When we are slow to anger, we are way better than the strongest person in the room because when we allow what others do and what others say or anything to affect us, we are the weakest ones. Sometimes, we must allow things to roll off us. Still, if we aren’t ready to do that, we will always have a problem because we have allowed emotions to run us, and that’s the last thing we should do.

    We must ignore what other people do and say because sometimes the enemy will use minor situations to anger us, but it's up to us to ignore him. It's up to us not to allow this one situation to determine our day; when we have days and moments like this, we must pray and say, " God, please help me through this. Please help me be wiser. Please help me to be stronger because we are often weak in our spirit because we are entertaining the wrong things. What are you entertaining, what are you allowing to lose control?

 Self-control can help us not submit to the flesh; when we are living a life of self-control, we are telling the enemy that the things of this world are not what we need, but when we submit to the flesh, we are giving the enemy a foothold into our lives “Ephesians 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold.”  It tells us here not to give him any opportunity to come in when we lose control, and we allow our flesh to take over we lose control, therefore allowing Satan to come in; Satan wants us to allow him to come in and destroy our peace and destroy our joy the word also tells us he’s a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When we submit to the flesh, friends, he will devour us.

   Submitting to the Holy Spirit , picking up our cross, listening to his voice, and feeling his unctions are the only ways to gain self-control; submitting to him every day, when we make excuses for the sin, we are in saying it’s okay to live in sin!

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. When we are trying to gain control, we can take these steps to do it

  1. Pray, pray at all time

2. Let God renew your mind daily

3. Fast for self-control

4. Mediate on his word day and night

5. Let go of the flesh (lust, inappropriate language, etc.)

These are the steps we must use to gain control; we often don’t have them because we are too busy holding on to the flesh and our former ways, and we must be willing to let go so God can come in.

 ***Today, the Holy Spirit wanted us to study self-control, and no, this isn’t going to be something we gain overnight, but it is a daily journey of letting go and listening to God. We all know we didn’t get out of control in one day, so there’s no way we will gain it in one day; we must submit to God every day.

  1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers

  The Bible says to be self-controlled and sober-minded; to do this, we must pray; prayer is the biggest weapon in our arsenal, and many of us don’t use it. We feel like it takes up time. We feel like it doesn’t matter; we just give a little bit ourselves, that’s it, but when we give all of ourselves into prayer, we’ll see we gain more self-control over a lot we won’t give the enemy a foot into our lives. The Bible says when we walk in the spirit, we won’t gratify the things of the flesh, we must submit , and pray every day because when we do, we are allowing the power of God to walk in our lives and hearts. To gain power, we must pray for it and pray for our lives to be in the will of God; today, if you are losing control, pray and see God move in your life.

 ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, we thank you for everything. We ask you to help us have self-control. We ask you to give us more of you, lord; help us not to allow the enemy in but to allow your light to shine in us. Lord, we are sorry if we offended you; we give you everything, and we thank you for the ups and downs; please continue to give us wisdom and knowledge to walk in you; we praise you in Jesus' Name, Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;

 

+ James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

+ Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 27

Leviticus 27

Psalm 17

Nehemiah 1

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[thaiteaprincess]

I’m replacing the “Hot girl” verbiage with “Christian girl” also I’ll be using the hashtag #cgf2023

A Christian girl is humble, self-disciplined, grateful, kind, trusting (in the Lord), prayerful, positive, and hardworking.

Humble 🍁

For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 14:11

Give thanks to God everyday

Do not take credit for Gods work. Is your diet working well? Thank God. Are you excelling in work? Thank God. Yes we have free will and can make choices, but everything else is God!

Self disciplined 🍁

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. Proverbs 25:28

Examples are…

Health

Exercising once a day

Eating protein, a complex carb, fat, and veggies at every meal.

Eating within your calories

No alcohol, cigarettes, vape, weed, or other drugs.

Skin care regiment

Stretching nightly

Flossing after brushing

Limit screen time (recreational) to after 7 PM

Wealth

No buy weeks

Stick to a budget

Wait 2 weeks before buying

Cook at home

Work/school

Do the hardest thing first in the morning.

Study each day for an hour

No procrastination! It’ll just make you feel worse.

Keep your environment clean

Gratitude 🍁

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected when received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the invocation of God in prayer.

List 3 things you are grateful for each day

Romanticize your life

Less multitasking

Kindness 🍁

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.” ephesians 4:32

Volunteer once this month

Help your family out

Keep your eyes out for opportunities 👀

Carry water in your car for those who might need it.

Trust 🍁

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight. Proverbs 3: 4-5

Remember everything is for your good

Look for the silver lining

Do not worry

Prayer 🍁

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

12 minutes of focus prayer a day (it can change your brain!)

Bible study either nightly or in the morning to start your day.

Pray! Pray! Pray!

[influencingforjohn]

According to the Bible, a relationship that glorifies God should exhibit the following characteristics:

1. Love and Respect (Ephesians 5:25-33): Treat each other with love, respect, and kindness, just as Christ loves and respects the church.

2. Selflessness and Sacrifice (Philippians 2:3-5): Put each other's needs before your own, just as Christ put our needs before His own.

3. Forgiveness and Understanding (Ephesians 4:32): Forgive each other and show understanding, just as God forgives and understands us.

4. Communication and Honesty (Ephesians 4:25): Communicate openly and honestly with each other, without hiding behind masks or pretending to be someone you're not.

5. Trust and Loyalty (Proverbs 3:3-4): Build trust and loyalty in your relationship, just as God is faithful and loyal to us.

6. Purity and Holiness (1 Corinthians 6:18-20): Keep your relationship pure and holy, avoiding sexual immorality and honoring God with your bodies.

7. Prayer and Spiritual Growth (1 Peter 3:7): Pray together and support each other's spiritual growth, seeking to deepen your relationship with God.

8. Servant Leadership (Mark 10:42-45): Lead each other with a servant's heart, putting each other's needs before your own desires.

9. Gratitude and Appreciation (1 Thessalonians 5:18): Show gratitude and appreciation for each other, acknowledging the blessings in your relationship.

10. Covenant Commitment (Malachi 2:14-15): View your relationship as a covenant commitment, promising to love and cherish each other for a lifetime.

By embracing these biblical principles, you can build a relationship that glorifies God and reflects His love and character.

[awideplace]

How do I go about confessing my sins? It just always confuses me that Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins so that we are forgiven or can be forgiven? If we are already forgiven then why do we need to keep repenting when we unwillingly commit sins such as cursing when emotionally frustrating or doing things out of temper ... or if jesus is the reason why we can be forgiven then we wouldn't be forgiven no matter what if it werent for jesus? What about the people that existed prior to Jesus being born?

Your questions are many and I will try to break them each down simply and supportive with Scripture. Bear with me.

i. You pray to God and confess your sins, tell Him what you have done and ask for His forgiveness. When we sin, we sin against a Holy God and we don't feel right, there is a lack of peace and fellowship with God it can feel like (Ephesians 4:30, grieving the Spirit it's referred to for believers); it is a good thing if we cannot rest in our sin and have peace living in sin, because the Holy Spirit indwells the believer (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 6:19). If we feel no guilt when sinning, we keep on and see no wrong and justify it, it would seem we are not saved because how can we love/rejoice in what God hates (John 14, 1 John 2, 1 Corinthians 11:32, Hebrews 12:8). There should be a "war", if you will, within a believer of sin and not having peace living in sin. We live in victory and not defeat, because Christ paid the cost, but we don't go on willfully sinning (Romans 6). We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), but we don't stay there. We still sin (1 John 1), but a believer will not want to be enslaved to sin. It will bother a believer; that is the Holy Spirit conviction. This is a good thing! Sanctification is a process and it is a good thing to be convicted of sin and freeing to confess it to our Holy God who loves us.

ii. Yes, Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He paid the cost that we may no longer be guilty.

"When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive salvation and forgiveness. But that’s not all. The Bible says we also receive justification, redemption, reconciliation, atonement, propitiation, and regeneration. Each of these theological terms expresses wonderful truths about the blessing we receive when Jesus becomes our Savior. Salvation and forgiveness, while related, are not exactly the same. The term salvation comes from the Greek word sozo, which means 'to be delivered, rescued.' Salvation is deliverance from the penalty of sin, that is, eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:46). Salvation is God’s rescuing us from our deserved fate. Salvation also includes a more immediate deliverance from the power of sin in this life. Sin has lost its dominion over the saved ones (Romans 6:14). Faith in Jesus Christ rescues us from the empty and meaningless life described in Ecclesiastes and provides us with a life that is abundant and fruitful (John 10:10; Galatians 5:22–23). The term forgiveness comes from the Greek word aphiemi, which means 'to let go, to give up, to keep no longer.' When Jesus forgives us, our sins, trespasses, iniquities, and transgressions are erased, wiped off the record. Forgiveness of sin is analogous to financial debt being erased. When God forgives us of our sins, we are free. Our sins are wiped out. God will never hold them against us (Psalm 103:12). Salvation and forgiveness are closely related. There is no salvation without forgiveness. Salvation is God’s delivering us from the consequences of sin. Forgiveness is God’s erasing our sin debt. To use a financial illustration, forgiveness is God’s shredding the documents that list our debt, and salvation is God’s letting us out of debtors’ prison. Praise God for the wonderful salvation and forgiveness He has provided. May our lives reflect gratitude for all He has done for us (Romans 12:1)." Source

iii. I'm unsure I understand your full question, but apart from receiving Jesus as our Savior (the propitiation of our sins) there is no forgiveness. There is no other Way (John 14:6). We can never be good enough, keep the law perfectly, achieve nirvana, pay the debt, whatever you want to call it. Salvation, forgiveness, peace only comes through Jesus Christ. And this new life (being born again in Scripture; see John 3:6-7) will bring forth a new life in you; you will be set apart (sanctification; see 2 Timothy 2). "Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone–"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast" Ephesians 2:8-9. Our faith, however, will show forth a new life/being born again/sanctification- there will be fruit, where there is no fruit there is no new life. "Faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead." James 2:18; "He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more." John 15:2.

iv. See https://www.gotquestions.org/Old-Testament-salvation.html

[hieromonkcharbel]

Have you kept some of your old habits while living the life of repentance? I ask this because sometimes we find servants in the Church who are perhaps devoted to the service; these people naturally see themselves as not only living the life of repentance, but perhaps even more the life of righteousness. In spite of this, they have habits that resemble the people of the world exactly. Their behaviors are earthly and not spiritual. How did this happen? How did they combine both the service and these old habits? We will give examples.

Before he knew the Lord, a person had been angry. He then repented, but he kept the anger within him. Before repenting and entering the life of serving God, he would get angry, become provoked, raise his voice, curse and quarrel. After he repented, he kept the "Canaanites on the land." He kept those habits with him. You can see him during the service getting enraged and shouting, despite his great responsibility in it. If provoked, he gives orders with a loud voice and kindles the atmosphere with fire. When you rebuke him for his anger, he says to you: "That is holy anger. I am angry for the sake of God and His honor. I am enraged for the sake of correcting the wrong situation, for the sake of the commandments, and so that I can teach others how it should be."

Actually, he is enraged because he is incapable of resisting anger from within himself. This is not a holy anger, because it is against the commandment that says: "Love suffers long and is kind, is not provoked" (I Corinthians 13.4-5). It is against the commandment that says: "The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1.20). It is also against the commandment that says: "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you ... and be kind to one another" (Ephesians 4-31-32).

Holy anger should be holy in its means, and not in its goals and objectives alone. Whoever is enraged like this shows that his nerves are not in good order. He offers a bad example, giving a dishonorable appearance to the church service, and shows lack of purity in conduct and in his method of dealing with people. The fact is that this person has kept with him some bad habits and, wishing to bestow upon them a holy veneer, has put those same errors to use within the Church. His repentance and service become a stumbling block, like the person who puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment (Matthew 9.16). It would have been better for him to leave behind all the old anger with its many manifestations. When he asks, "Should I not defend the truth?" we answer him as follows.

If God wishes to give you a holy anger to defend the truth, then it will be another kind of anger, which is different in substance, image, execution, and expression. It will be a spiritual anger, different from your worldly anger. You will be angry in it and not sin (Psalm 4.5). Abigail defended the truth when she talked to David, but in a kind, wise, and well-mannered way (I Kingdoms 25). The Lord Jesus revealed to the Samaritan woman her sins, but in a spiritual and gentle way (John 4). God's children always express their objection toward sin in a spiritual way, without loudness, noise, or nervousness. All of these matters originate from the remnant of "the Canaanites on the land."

The problem here is that the spiritual measures used are unsound. Those measures which permit this sinful anger and consider it holy for the sake of God, are unsound measures without a doubt. They merely justify the presence of an old sin from which the heart has not been purified yet. It does not agree with the life of repentance, nor with what is suitable for repentance, such as humility and contrition. It can develop and destroy all of a person's spirituality. It would then be as if he had not repented.

Pope Shenouda III

“The Life of Repentance and Purity”

[theprayerfulword]

August 03

John 15:4 Jesus said, “Abide in Me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

John 7:37-38 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Jeremiah 25:6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Luke 12:32 It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom

Ephesians 1:5-6 Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

May you remove the foreign influences and get rid of images in your heart that exalt themselves against the Lord, and cast out anything that distracts from true worship of the one and only God. 2 Chronicles 33

May you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and walk in the ways of God, not turning aside to the right or to the left. 2 Chronicles 34

May you seek God when the day is young, and walk with Him in all you do. 2 Chronicles 34

May your heart be responsive and humble before God when you hear what He speaks in your life, for He will hear you when you come in repentance, sorrowing because of sin, seeking to walk in His righteousness. 2 Chronicles 34

May you watch out for those who would cause divisions and put obstacles in your way which are contrary to the teaching you have learned; keep away from them for such people are not serving our Lord Christ but their own appetites, deceiving the minds of naive people with smooth talk and flattery. Romans 16

May you be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil, for the God of peace will soon crush Satan under you feet. Romans 16

My child, you have been entrusted with much. That is why much is being asked of you. My mercy is upon you and yours because you fear Me, giving reverential awe and respectful honor to My Name. As you walk in that mercy, should you not also show mercy to others, so that they, too, may learn to reverence Me? My goodness is great towards you, My dear one. As you take refuge in Me, I bring you to the secret place I have prepared for you, and give you access to the Father, sheltering you from the strife of men's tongues. Rest here and gain strength from Me before I send you forth again to rescue the perishing and care for the dying. As I have comforted you, even so comfort others with My compassion and My goodness. My relationship gives you access as a child, a close family member, to the One who impartially judges all people of the earth. I, Whom the Father loves and accepts fully, plead your case before Him and advocate for you that you may be forgiven and receive another chance. So, also, shall you consider My blood sufficient to repay the injury caused and the debt incurred by those who reject, revile, and abuse your name and character in the world. Do not usurp the role of the One who is the true and righteous Judge, and bring the same decision on yourself. My Presence abides with you, My close one, and My Spirit dwells within you. As you reverentially honor Me and offer respectful awe toward Me, I fulfill your desires, saving you as you cry out to Me. When I do, you are to testify of My goodness to those who have not learned of My majesty and saving grace. By bearing witness of My hand in your life, My strength in your weakness, My mercy in your failures, you will bring hope to others; when in the faith which comes by hearing they turn to Me, they will be healed from the inside out. My compassion and tender care is near when you are broken-hearted; I save you from total desolation when you feel crushed in your spirit. I look upon your distress with love and pour out My balm to salve your bruises and bind up your wounds. As you have been ministered to, My lovely one, so minister to the broken-hearted, the hopeless, the outcast, the rejected, bearing My comforting Spirit as you speak My words of love. Just as you have spoken words of anguish, loss, hurt, and anger to Me in your pain and despondency, do not be surprised if those to whom I send you lash out in their loss. Let them feel your uncritical, non-judging acceptance in the fellowship of your suffering that they may realize they are not alone. These, and so many more blessings have you been the recipient of from My heavenly throne, My child. They have healed you, strengthened you, and stabilized you in My kingdom, and now they are yours to give, gifts for those I am drawing, the fingerprints of My hand in your clay to show as evidence of My existence to those whose eyes have been blinded to other evidences. Be generous, My sweet one, giving even as you have been given to.

May you give glory forever through Jesus Christ to the only wise God, the One Who is able to establish you by the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God so that all nations might believe and obey Him. Romans 16

May you trust in the Lord without wavering, for then the Lord will vindicate you. Psalm 26

May you walk continually in the truth of the Lord and keep His love ever before you, for then the Lord can test and try you, examining your heart and mind, and settle you in the truth of His Word. Psalm 26

May you not sit in agreement with deceitful men or consort in approval with hypocrites but abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit in acceptance with the wicked, but rather wash your hands in innocence and go about the altar of the Lord proclaiming aloud God's praise and telling of all His wonderful deeds. Psalm 26

May you love the house where the Lord lives and the place where His glory dwells. Psalm 26

May your feet stand on level ground and in the great assembly may you give praise to the Lord, for as you walk in the righteousness of Christ, clinging to Him and showing His compassion to others, He will redeem you and be merciful to you. Psalm 26

[walkswithmyfather]

GOD IS GOOD!

God is good all the time (Psalm 25:8; 106:1; 119:68; 145:9; Matthew 19:17).

God is wise (Romans 16:27; Daniel 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 25).

God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; Job 6:10).

God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 92:15; 119:37; Zephaniah 3:5).

God is merciful (Ephesians 2:4; Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 100:5).

God redeems (Psalm 78:35; Proverbs 23:11; Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 59:20; Jeremiah 50:34).

God saves (Isaiah 43:3-11; 45:21; 49:26).

God sanctifies (Exodus 31:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Jude 1).

God is Judge over all (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 50:6; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 12:23).

Nothing or no one is like God (Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:28).

Amen! 🙌

[freebiblestudies]

The Three Angels Messages Lesson 02: No Sympathy for the Devil

Revelation 14:8 - And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

The second angel’s message seems very complicated at first.  It definitely deals with a lot of symbols.  In order to understand this Bible verse, let’s take a closer look at the following keywords:

Babylon

Fallen

Wine

Wrath

Fornication

Let’s read together Genesis 9:7-17; Genesis 10:10; Genesis 11:1-4; Isaiah 14:13-14; and Daniel 1:2.

If we are to talk about Babylon, we need to also discuss Babel. Both kingdoms were founded in the land of Shinar.  Babel can be considered the archetype for all the worldly kingdoms that followed it.

The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most famous stories in the Bible.  Have you ever considered the builders’ motivations for building the tower in the first place?

 The builders did not trust God’s promise to never destroy the world again with a flood.  They wanted to survive another flood on their own power. 

The builders also did not want to follow God’s command to be fruitful and multiply across the earth.  Rather, they wanted to build a tower whose “top is in the heavens”  and make a name for themselves.  The builders seem to be motivated by pride and perhaps to even take the worship of God for themselves.

Let’s read together Exodus 20:2-6; 1 Chronicles 9:1; Jeremiah 16:18; Jeremiah 50:38; and Daniel 3:1-7.

The story of Daniel’s three friends and the fiery furnace is another well-known Bible story.  Have you considered what was Nebuchadnezzar’s motivation for setting up the golden image in the first place?  He wanted everyone in his empire to acknowledge Babylon as supreme, even over any god his subjects might be worshiping.  If anyone refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol, they were to be killed by being tossed into a fiery furnace. 

Nebuchadnezzar had essentially set up a false religious system of worship enforced by civil authority.   This system forced people to choose between dying for their religious faith or to compromise that faith in order to live.

Let’s read together 2 Samuel 1:27; Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:8-9, 47; Daniel 5:25-30; and Revelation 18:2.

“Babylon is fallen, is fallen.”  God ultimately judged Babylon for its idolatry and persecution of God’s people.  Babylon was conquered by the Medo-Persians in 539 BC.

Let’s read together Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 31:3-5; and Jeremiah 51:7.

Alcoholic wine in the Bible is always viewed in a negative light.  Alcoholic wine clouds and even perverts judgment.   Note that the Bible does talk about unfermented non-alcoholic wine more positively, but that is a Bible study for another time.

Let’s read Psalm 75:8; Jeremiah 23:15; and Hosea 4:11-12

Prophetically speaking, wine also represents God’s judgment against wickedness and  idolatry.  You definitely do not want to drink this wine!

Let’s read together Exodus 15:6-7; 32:9-12; Numbers 11:33; 16:46; Deuteronomy 9:7-8; 2 Kings 22:13-17; Ezra 5:12; Jeremiah 44:7-9; and Romans 1:18.

What is wrath?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers two definitions that are relevant to our Bible study today.  Wrath can be defined as a “strong vengeful anger or indignation (anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean).”  Wrath can also be defined as “retributory punishment for an offense or a crime; divine punishment.”

God’s wrath is His response to sin.  In the Old Testament, God’s wrath consumed the Egyptian army chasing the children of Israel.  God’s wrath was also aroused when the children of Israel committed sins or fell into idolatry.  God’s wrath led to the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity.

Let’s read together Psalm 21:8-9; Zephaniah 1:1-18; Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7; Romans 2:5; Ephesians 5:6; and Colossians 3:6.

God’s wrath is also associated with judgment.  God’s wrath will be poured in full on the unrighteous at Judgment Day.

Let’s read together Numbers 16:46; 2 Chronicles 12:6-9; 32:25-26; Psalms 78:32-39: 85:2-4; and 106:23.

Despite what many people believe, God does not want to pour His wrath on people.  In the Old Testament, Aaron and Moses both interceded on behalf of the children of Israel to avert God’s wrath.  God is willing to spare sinners from His wrath when they humble themselves before Him.  Whether it was the people of Israel or a king like Hezekiah, God was willing to grant mercy to all who came to Him earnestly and asked forgiveness of their sins.

Let’s read together Isaiah 53:4-6, 10; John 3:16, 36; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; and 1 John 4:10.

God has done everything He could to shield us from His wrath.  God loves us so much that He gave His only son Jesus to die for our sins.  Jesus is our ultimate intercessor.  We only have to confess and repent of our sins and call upon Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Let’s read together Ezekiel 23:16-18; Hosea 4:11-12; Isaiah 23:17; and  John 8:41.

What is fornication?  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the definition as “sexual intercourse between two persons who are not married to each other.” 

The Bible likened God’s people (the church) to a woman (Jeremiah 6:2).  Paul the Apostle described the church as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33).  Therefore, spiritual fornication would be the church embracing someone or something other than Christ.  In the Old Testament times, the people of Israel strayed from God and worshiped various idols and other false gods.

Let’s read together Matthew 24:24; John 4:24; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-23; Revelation 17:1-6; and Revelation 18:3, 9.

The book of the Bible describes a harlot woman who represents a false worship of Christ. This church outwardly seems Christian, but in actuality, it does not follow Jesus in spirit and truth.  Many people will be deceived and fall into Babylon.

Let’s read together Deuteronomy 31:19 and Revelation 18:1-8.

What does the second angel’s message mean?

All false systems of worship will be judged.  Salvation by works, the idea you can make it to heaven on your own merits, cannot save you.  Salvation in sin, the idea that once you are saved, you are always saved, will lead you to be lost.  All these forms of worship will lead you to Babylon.

Even if you are worshiping at the “right” church the “right” way, you can have Babylon in your heart.  If you harbor pride in your heart or you esteem anything in the world more than God, then you are in spiritual Babylon.

If you find yourself in Babylon, what are you to do?  God wants you to leave Babylon right now!  Jesus is calling you to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  He does not want you to face God’s wrath.  Repent and turn to Christ your Savior!

Friend, will you share the second angel’s message with others?

[bittyfromquotev]

Using the Bible against Christians in a good way

Hey everyone! If you’re religious or have religious family members, here’s a wide selection of passages from the Bible (mostly Gospels) that might help with some things!

Verses AGAINST ABLEISM

Ephesians 2:10

Genesis 1:31

Genesis 40 (yes the entire chapter)

Luke 4:18-19

Luke 5:27-28

Luke 13:1-5

Verses AGAINST RACISM

Genesis 1:31

Luke 4:18-19

Luke 5:27-28

Luke 13:1-5

Luke 10:25-28

Luke 6:32-33

Verses AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

Luke 4:18-19

Luke 5:27-28

Luke 13:1-5

Luke 10:25-28

Luke 6:32-33

Luke 6:37

Verses AGAINST (CORRUPT) GOVERNMENT

Luke 12:1-3

Verses AGAINST LUST/RAPE

Matthew 5:27-30

Hope this ends up helping y’all :)

[hiswordsarekisses]

Our sure and God-given weapons is The Word of God. As we consistently and prayerfully spend time with God in His Word, we will grow in faith and discernment ~ and it will also wash us and make us new. God’s Word provides protection for our minds like a helmet., and it arms us with truth like a belt wrapped around us ~ causing us to confidently stand firm. This belt holds a quiver full of promises that are like arrows that powerfully extinguish every fiery dart that the enemy will throw at us, as we take our thoughts captive as we replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of The Word. The Word also provides a shield of faith - because faith comes from hearing The Word - which places a divine breastplate across our chest ~ protecting our heart from sin and keeping us in righteousness as we hide The Word in our hearts. The Word enables us to stand in the shoes of the gospel of peace - because perfect peace comes to those who keep their eyes fixed on Him (Who is The Word.)

Every single piece of our armor mentioned in Ephesians chapter 6 is fully and completely provided by our sword, “which is The Word of God.” This is simply because He IS The Word! His blood, and His Spirit, and His Word ~ together ~ have given us everything we need for life and godliness ~ and everything we need to fight our battles. “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these for war. The term "trains" here refers to He's walking us through a training exercise to fight the enemy much like a military training exercise. However, this is a spiritual war which cannot be fought with worldly ammunition ~ but know the enemy will try to distract you in a war of flesh - but only the weapon of His Word will ever be able to setus free, pull down spiritual strongholds m, and fight the principalities and powers of darkness in high places.

Our Father's goal is to bring us to the point where we have learned how ultimately trustworthy He is; so that we finally begin to automatically depend and lean 100% on Him as our natural reflex, and instinctive, reactive response... to literally e v e r y t h I n g..

The following are the verses that came to me as I was writing what was on my heart (if you are interested in further study) as well as the passages that inspired actually this post.

Ephesians 6:10-17 ~ John1:1 ~ John17.17 ~ John 14:6 ~ John 8:32 ~ 2 Timothy 3:16 ~ 1 Peter 2:2 ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 ~ Hebrews 4:12 ~ Romans 10:17 ~ psalm 119:11 ~Isaiah 26:3 ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 ~ Isaiah 50:7 ~ 2 Timothy 2:4-7 ~ 2 Timothy 2:15 ~ Isaiah 55:11 ~ Acts 17:11 ~ Deuteronomy 8:3 ~ James 1:21 ~ John 15:7 ~ John 16:13 ~ John 6:63 ~ John 7:38 ~ Matthew 4:4 ~ proverbs 30:5 ~ Romans 15:4 ~ 1 Corinthians 6:11 ~ Ephesians 5:25-27 ~ 1 John 5:6-13 ~ Psalm 144:1-6~ 2 Samuel 22:31-37 ~ Psalm 18:26-36

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Proverbs of Solomon

1 The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel. 2 To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason: 3 To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour: 4 To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose: 5 (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:) 6 To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the Lord is the start of knowledge: but the foolish have no use for wisdom and teaching.

Advice to a Son

8 My son, give ear to the training of your father, and do not give up the teaching of your mother: 9 For they will be a crown of grace for your head, and chain-ornaments about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners would take you out of the right way, do not go with them. 11 If they say, Come with us; let us make designs against the good, waiting secretly for the upright, without cause; 12 Let us overcome them living, like the underworld, and in their strength, as those who go down to death; 13 Goods of great price will be ours, our houses will be full of wealth; 14 Take your chance with us, and we will all have one money-bag: 15 My son, do not go with them; keep your feet from their ways: 16 For their feet are running after evil, and they are quick to take a man's life. 17 Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird: 18 And they are secretly waiting for their blood and making ready destruction for themselves. 19 Such is the fate of everyone who goes in search of profit; it takes away the life of its owners.

The Good Woman—Wisdom

20 Wisdom is crying out in the street; her voice is loud in the open places; 21 Her words are sounding in the meeting-places, and in the doorways of the town: 22 How long, you simple ones, will foolish things be dear to you? and pride a delight to the haters of authority? how long will the foolish go on hating knowledge? 23 Be turned again by my sharp words: see, I will send the flow of my spirit on you, and make my words clear to you. 24 Because your ears were shut to my voice; no one gave attention to my out-stretched hand; 25 You were not controlled by my guiding, and would have nothing to do with my sharp words: 26 So in the day of your trouble I will be laughing; I will make sport of your fear; 27 When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you. 28 Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me: 29 For they were haters of knowledge, and did not give their hearts to the fear of the Lord: 30 They had no desire for my teaching, and my words of protest were as nothing to them. 31 So the fruit of their way will be their food, and with the designs of their hearts they will be made full. 32 For the turning back of the simple from teaching will be the cause of their death, and the peace of the foolish will be their destruction. 33 But whoever gives ear to me will take his rest safely, living in peace without fear of evil. — Proverbs 1 | Bible in Basic English (BBE) The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 41:42; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 4:6; Deuteronomy 21:18; Deuteronomy 28:63; 1 Samuel 19:10; 1 Kings 4:32; Job 4:8; Job 21:14; Job 27:9; Psalm 1:1; Psalm 10:8; Psalm 25:12-13; Psalm 28:1; Psalm 81:11; Psalm 116:6; Proverbs 2:1; Proverbs 4:1; Proverbs 5:12; Proverbs 5:22; Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 9:9; Proverbs 15:27; Proverbs 16:19; Luke 7:30; John 7:39; Romans 2:5; Romans 10:21; Ephesians 5:11; James 4:3

[discocactusblogs]

For my Christian nerds, here's a breakdown of Biblical parallels in the Lantern Corps.

Key verses: Galations 5:13-26; Psalms 46:1-3; Romans 12:9-15 Life: John 14:6; Romans 6:23; John 3:16; John 10:10; Romans 5:15-21; Romans 6:11-14; John 11:25-26

Hope: John 15:13; Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 39:7; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Daniel 3:17-18; Romans 5:1-5; Romans 8:24-25; Romans 15:13;

Willpower (perseverance): 1 Peter 5:8-9; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9; Galations 6:9-10; Romans 8:18;

Mercy: Luke 6:35-36; Ephesians 2:1-7; Luke 10:25-37; Romans 11:30-32;

Love: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; 1 John 4:16-21; Romans 5:4-5; Romans 5:8; Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 6:27-35;

Death: Romans 6:23; Romans 5:12; Romans 8:6-8; Genesis 2:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:56;

Rage: Proverbs 29:22; Ephesians 4:26-31; Colossians 3:8;

Fear: 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18; Proverbs 28:1;

Greed: 1 Timothy 6:9-10; James 5:1-6; Luke 12:15;

Edit: Oddly enough, all of these are the foundations for a good superhero.