Month: December 2020

Weekly words of encouragement

God Hears – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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Evening, morning and noonI cry out in distress,and he hears my voice. Psalms 55:17 (NIV) It is easy to forget that God actually hears the words we speak to him. When I pray I sometimes realize that I am unconsciously thinking that I am sending words upwards and I hope that they penetrate into heaven and that God hears them. But God promises that he hears us. And by “hear” we mean that he gives weight to our words and that they have an effect on him. He is the good Father who listens. Does not God dwell in our hearts through his Spirit? Are we not united to his Son? How could he not hear us? Let us be aware of how we view God when we pray and encourage ourselves that he is listening. Without faith it is impossible to please God! (Heb. 11:6) Rejoice In Persecution – Continue Reading →

eating

Honoring God In Our Eating

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I confess anxiety about discussing the topic of eating. People easily feel condemned or embrace self-rejection, but we should be motivated to healthy eating by love for God and others. During the holiday season we are especially tempted to unhealthy eating. God cares about our bodies and wants us to take good care of them. He loves the physical world he created and the human body is the marvelous pinnacle of his material creation. When we eat too much and become overweight then we are harming our God-given bodies. The same goes for the habit of eating unhealthy food. You can find endless studies about the negative health effects of being overweight or eating unhealthy including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and an increased probability of neurological disease. Being overweight is also hard on the bodies’ joints and hinders needed exercise. Proverbs warns against gluttony (overeating): “A companion of gluttons shames Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

We Will Flourish – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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But I am like an olive treeflourishing in the house of God;I trust in God’s unfailing lovefor ever and ever. Psalms 52:8 (NIV) When we trust in God’s love then we will flourish. We may not flourish with worldly prosperity but our hearts will enjoy God’s peace and joy, and in the next age we will flourish in every way as in the Garden of Eden. In this life we will produce fruit that lasts forever and pleases God. Therefore, we can always exclaim that we are like an olive tree constantly expanding and producing abundant fruit in the house of God, which is the community of his people in the city of God, the New Jerusalem, to which we have already come (Heb. 12:22). Not only does this Psalm remind us of Psalm 1 (God’s faithful are like a tree by a stream bearing fruit) but also of John Continue Reading →

viewing television

What Environments Are You Choosing?

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An important element of holiness is being careful about what we expose ourselves to. This includes what we view, hear, and read. This post takes a closer look at the environments to which we subject ourselves. Viewing and Listening. In the modern world we are constantly bombarded by ungodly images and words. Sex, violence, and materialism seem to be the most popular topics. Images are especially intrusive as they often linger in our memory. It is easy to become complacent or negligent about what we allow our eyes to see, but when we voluntarily and unnecessarily expose ourselves to ungodly images we are affecting our Spiritual life. They make an impression on our soul that conflicts with the indwelling Holy Spirit. The voluntary presence of the image produces a place in our soul that is temporarily out of harmony with God; we have allowed something unclean into the temple of Continue Reading →

Weekly words of encouragement

Seeing God’s Salvation In Our Lives – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.If you keep to my path,I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalms 50:23 (NLT) When we thank God we acknowledge the good he has done and we recognize him as good. Thus, thanksgiving is an expression of our faith in who he is and what he does. This is why we honor him when we thank him. We are declaring and displaying him to all beings in the heavenlies. If we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and stay faithful to his teachings then we receive a blessing that is far more valuable than anything we sacrifice. We get to see the salvation of God. This is more than the privilege of living in the next age. It also means we get to see and experience his process of redeeming us now. We get to see his work in Continue Reading →