weekly words of encouragement

You Are A Sibling Of Jesus – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:35, ESV). Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, and someone told Jesus about it. Despite the powerful bonds that families had in ancient times Jesus reduces the significance of family bonds in comparison to one’s bond with God through Jesus. Anyone can be a sibling of Jesus! One reason this is encouraging to many is that even if your family was dysfunctional or destructive, the family of God is far more important and valuable. This leads us to the biggest reason that this verse is encouraging: we have the privilege of being “relatives” of Jesus! If we do God’s will we are his brother and sister and mother. Consider Romans 8:29: For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he Continue Reading →

inordinate affections, harmful desires attchments

The Trap Of Harmful Desires

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Imitation of Christ – Chapter Six. Harmful Desires. When someone has exorbitant love for something other than God or people it makes them restless. Harmful desires and attachments make someone weak when temptation comes. This carnal person has not died to self and their harmful desires and attachments. Their spirit is weak and they keep looking for worldly pleasure. When they deprive themself of the objects of their harmful desires they become sad and irritable. And when they give in to these unhealthy affections they feel guilty. They also realize they aren’t truly satisfied and didn’t find peace. These harmful desires and attachments keep one from becoming like Christ. Many believers don’t grow because they have so much love for things or themselves. Some of these are fine in moderation, but their hearts are so attached that they prevent them from fully loving God. They wonder why they don’t feel Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

We Live In God’s Kingdom Forever – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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Over and over again in the Old Testament the prophets predicted that God would bring his kingdom of peace, love and holiness to earth. God would eliminate everything that was ungodly or destructive. This kingdom would be led by a Messiah and God’s people could live in God’s kingdom forever. The Jews waited hundreds of years after the prophets for God’s kingdom to come; the coming of God’s kingdom would be the arrival of utopia, so naturally, devout Jews constantly yearned for the kingdom. Finally, Jesus announced that the time of waiting was over. He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15, NIV). The kingdom of God had now arrived. But it didn’t come in its fullness because God wanted to allow for an overlapping time when the kingdom was hidden, but those who would believe would live in God’s kingdom forever. Continue Reading →

activational reading book knowledge

The Problem With Knowledge

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Imitation of Christ – Chapter Two – The Problem With Knowledge It is natural to want knowledge, but what good is knowledge if we aren’t surrendered to God? Someone who humbly serves God but lacks any education is higher in God’s eyes than a world-renowned scientist who doesn’t know that their own heart needs God. This is the problem with knowledge. When we know our own heart we know how lowly we are. We don’t let compliments puff us up. If we have all the knowledge in the world but don’t truly love others then is God impressed by our knowledge? He will judge our lives by our deeds not by our knowledge. Restrain your hunger for excessive knowledge because that only distracts and misleads us. Learned people are tempted to keep up an appearance of wisdom and hope they are recognized for it. Yet great knowledge is actually not Continue Reading →

weekly words of encouragement

Jesus Is With You – Weekly Words Of Encouragement

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“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matt. 28:20 (NIV). Before Jesus ascended to heaven he promised to be with his disciples always. The gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, fulfilled this promise; now, Jesus is with you always. This is a priceless gift that the Old Testament believers could not imagine. In the Old Testament, God (Yahweh) only dwelt in the innermost room of the temple, the holy of holies. The temple, and especially the holy of holies, was the center of the ancient Jewish nation. Nothing was more precious to devout Jews than the presence of Yahweh in their temple. It was better to be at the temple than anywhere else on earth because the presence of God was there. Now his Spirit makes his home inside you, and you can “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ESV). Continue Reading →