Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Saturday February 27, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers chapters 32-33. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-27
Title: Bible Study: Think About That Answered Prayer
As Christian's we rejoice at receiving answered prayer, it gives you such a lift and increases your faith in God. Someone who gets a job praises God for that job, someone who is sick or has a health issue praises God for being healed. Someone looking for a mate praises God for sending one. Yet, while they are praising God, He thinking, that is not what I was going to do for you. Sometimes God will test us, He places things before us to see just how faithful we are to Him. He wants to see if we are truly thinking about what we are accepting or just grabbing it with no thought at all. I build websites when I am not doing this and if I took every job that was placed before me I would be in big trouble. We can not assume that everything God places before us is something that He wants in our lives, if it takes us away from serving Him or doing His will than it is not going to be an enjoyable experience. Everything we do in life from the mate we choose, to the job we get, to the right religion follow, needs to keep us in the will of God or we will suffer. For forty years the Israelites had been wandering around in the wilderness, finally they could see the promised land before them and were so excited about crossing over that river to enter the land they heard so much about. However, two and a half of the tribes saw the beautiful land they were in at the present time and longed to stay where they were. They went to Moses and asked him to let them have that land instead of going into the promised land. “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.........And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD...........And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about. ” - Numbers 32:1-5,20-22,33. First of all, there was no mention of them going to Moses and asking him to speak to God about this and second, they were too quick to see the land before them instead of waiting to see what was waiting for them on the other side. Sadly, instead of going to God, Moses compromised with them and allowed them to stay as long as they helped the rest of the tribes get into the promised land.
The God-appointed territory for all the tribes was inside Canaan, not near by. Yet, the two and a half tribes were willing to give up their birthright in the Promised Land for what they saw as opportunity for material gain. The unity of the nation, their nearness to the Tabernacle, and the presence of God should have been their first choices, but they were free to make the choices they made and the result of it made them suffer in the end. Neither the Reubenites nor the Gadites show any indication of rejecting God, they still expected the blessings and security of God, but did not want to give up the lush grasslands to fulfill His will. Their association with their heathen neighbors on the east side of Jordan soon led them into idolatry, years later they were the first of the tribes to be taken captive. The only time God spoke to them during this time was just before they got to Jericho, “And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them” - Numbers 33:50-56. God gave them all a stern warning, once they crossed over the Jordan, they were about to enter a land full of temptation and in order to resist that temptation they needed to get rid of the people that were possessing their land. If they did not they would constantly face trouble and affliction from them as well as from God.
Today, God is giving us the same warning, He gave us a piece of land to possess and we can not allow the world to stay in it. If we do we can expect trouble and affliction. We can not love God and the things of the world. Jesus Said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” - Matthew 6:24-26. Are we not God's people? Sure we are and He loves us very much and wants us to pray to Him and ask Him for things we need. He will always provide us, but He will not allow us to do something that is going to put us in a position where we have to compromise with the world. That is something we choose to do all on our own and we will suffer for it, maybe not right away, but later on in life we will learn that it was not something God intended for us to have. God tests me all the time to see if I will take a certain job for the money. Once I had a person call and want a me to create a website for a bar. Can you imagine a person of God creating a website that encourages people to drink and watch half clothed women prancing around? I do not think so. No matter how good the opportunity looks, we can not allow ourselves to bring the world into our dwelling place. However, the great thing is that even if we have gotten ourselves into a compromising situation God will forgive us and help us get out of it when we come to Him. Praise God! Never think that there is no way out of what you are facing and that God is punishing you. We may suffer for a time, but once we repent and ask for forgiveness, He forgives and forgets all about it. Praise God! So, let us also forgive and forget things ourselves so we no longer have to suffer for things that God already has wiped from His memory.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Bible Study: Take A Vow
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Friday February 26, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 30-31. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-26
Title: Bible Study: Take A Vow
A vow is defined as a solemn promise, pledge, or commitment made by a person, vows are very sacred and something that should not be taken lightly. When a man and woman marries they say vows as a promise to stay committed to one another. When a person makes a promise to give his/her life for God they vow to stay faithful to Him, just like a marriage. God, takes vows very seriously, “And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.” - Numbers 30:1-8. Every person who vowed a vow whether it was to God, a husband, or father was bound to that vow. However, no man can be bound by his own promise to do what he is already, by the Divine precept, forbidden to do. God will not allow someone to stay committed to a vow when it goes against Him. Men are the head of the house, just as God is the head of all, so, in the case of a daughter or wife that makes a vow, she is only bound to it if the father or wife approves. This all comes down to whether or not we allow ourselves to be in subjection to those who have authority over us. When a woman lives in her fathers house, whether she is not married, widowed, or divorced, she is in subjection to his rules. When a woman is married, she is in subjection to her husbands rules. If he allows the vow to be fulfilled than she is bound by it, if he disapproved than she is not bound to the vow. When we ask Jesus to save us and come into our lives, God considers it a vow and we are to be in subjection to Him. That does not mean that we are to be slaves or put ourselves in danger, but we are to obey His authority. God will never place us in a position where we endanger ourselves, we do that all on our own when we do not live in subjection to Him. However, He does forgive us should we fall and will always protect and avenge those who have been hurt by someone who they thought they could trust.
The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his second wife Keturah, whom he married after Sarah died. The Midianites had devastated Israel, not as enemies who had won a war, but as friendly idol worshipers who invited the Israelites to become involved in the worship of their pagan deity Baal-peor and then to commit adultery with their women, the result led to 24,000 Israelite's being killed. Now, it was time for God to avenge them and He called a war against the Midianites. “And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods...........And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.” - Numbers 31:6-9, 12-16. At first the Israelite's just killed the men, but took the women and children captive, but God wanted all of them to suffer because the women mixed with the Israelite men and the children were the result of that. Anyone that is in a marriage where there is two different lifestyles or beliefs always suffer and or usually the men follow what the women want to make them happy. That is why it is very important that men be the head of the house and women choose a husband that is godly. Otherwise, everyone will suffer, especially the children.
God loves all of His children and never goes back on His promises, if we live in subjection to Him He will bless us for it and no matter how many times we mess things up, He will avenge us for those who do wrong to us, even if it takes years. We have nothing to worry about, when we make that vow to accept Jesus as our Savior and live our lives for Him God makes a vow to protect us and keep us close to Him. “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” - I John 2:23-25. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
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Today is Friday February 26, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 30-31. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-26
Title: Bible Study: Take A Vow
A vow is defined as a solemn promise, pledge, or commitment made by a person, vows are very sacred and something that should not be taken lightly. When a man and woman marries they say vows as a promise to stay committed to one another. When a person makes a promise to give his/her life for God they vow to stay faithful to Him, just like a marriage. God, takes vows very seriously, “And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth; And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand. But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her. And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul; And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.” - Numbers 30:1-8. Every person who vowed a vow whether it was to God, a husband, or father was bound to that vow. However, no man can be bound by his own promise to do what he is already, by the Divine precept, forbidden to do. God will not allow someone to stay committed to a vow when it goes against Him. Men are the head of the house, just as God is the head of all, so, in the case of a daughter or wife that makes a vow, she is only bound to it if the father or wife approves. This all comes down to whether or not we allow ourselves to be in subjection to those who have authority over us. When a woman lives in her fathers house, whether she is not married, widowed, or divorced, she is in subjection to his rules. When a woman is married, she is in subjection to her husbands rules. If he allows the vow to be fulfilled than she is bound by it, if he disapproved than she is not bound to the vow. When we ask Jesus to save us and come into our lives, God considers it a vow and we are to be in subjection to Him. That does not mean that we are to be slaves or put ourselves in danger, but we are to obey His authority. God will never place us in a position where we endanger ourselves, we do that all on our own when we do not live in subjection to Him. However, He does forgive us should we fall and will always protect and avenge those who have been hurt by someone who they thought they could trust.
The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his second wife Keturah, whom he married after Sarah died. The Midianites had devastated Israel, not as enemies who had won a war, but as friendly idol worshipers who invited the Israelites to become involved in the worship of their pagan deity Baal-peor and then to commit adultery with their women, the result led to 24,000 Israelite's being killed. Now, it was time for God to avenge them and He called a war against the Midianites. “And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods...........And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho. And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp. And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.” - Numbers 31:6-9, 12-16. At first the Israelite's just killed the men, but took the women and children captive, but God wanted all of them to suffer because the women mixed with the Israelite men and the children were the result of that. Anyone that is in a marriage where there is two different lifestyles or beliefs always suffer and or usually the men follow what the women want to make them happy. That is why it is very important that men be the head of the house and women choose a husband that is godly. Otherwise, everyone will suffer, especially the children.
God loves all of His children and never goes back on His promises, if we live in subjection to Him He will bless us for it and no matter how many times we mess things up, He will avenge us for those who do wrong to us, even if it takes years. We have nothing to worry about, when we make that vow to accept Jesus as our Savior and live our lives for Him God makes a vow to protect us and keep us close to Him. “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” - I John 2:23-25. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Thursday, February 25, 2010
Bible Study: Show God Love
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Thursday February 25, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters28-29. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-25
Title: Bible Study: Show God Love
God's love is truly amazing, no matter how bad a situation is, there is always peace and comfort when we keep Him in our lives. No one in the world will ever understand God's love, they do not realize that He loves them just as much as He loves you and I. God in love, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth to live and to die and to rise so we can all be a part of His family. Do you know how easy it is to show God that you love Him? Simply by believing in Jesus, admitting that you are a sinner, want forgiveness of your sins, and asking Him to come into your life. It's that simple. Jesus is not nothing new to how God handled sin, before He came several animal sacrifices had to be given in order to show God that they loved Him and wanted Him in their lives. Chapters 28-29 reminds us of just how many sacrifices and offerings the Israelite's as well as those who lived among them, had to give in order to be forgiven and show their love for Him. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.” - Numbers 28:1-3. Before the Israelite's entered the promise land they were reminded of the Passover and festivals to be observed in remembrance of what God had done for them over the year, the atonement for sins, their freedom from slavery, the provisions God gave them, etc, as well as what they had to do daily to keep God around and happy. Every one of these sacrifices made were to be offered in due season, meaning until they were no longer needed. When Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice all these animal sacrifices were no longer needed. Jesus represented every one of these sacrifices and it is because of Him that all we have to do to keep God around and happy is to call on Jesus for forgiveness. Praise God!
Sadly, many will never see just how much God loves them until the day they face Him on judgment day, and by then it will be too late to do anything about it. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” - I John 4:16-19. We love Him because He first loved us, He loves every one of the people on this earth, but it is up to us to allow Jesus to come into our lives. Unless we verbally say we want Him to be in our lives He does not and will not come into it. Right now, many people are following the season of Lent, so, it is a time of reflection and forgiveness, they are beginning to remember things that may have been forgotten throughout the year of trials and maybe even sins they committed and trying to atone for them. They are fasting from things they enjoy in hopes to be reconciled with God, but unless they know Jesus personally, it is as if they are doing nothing at all. God does not recognize anyone unless they know His Son, first. “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 26:27,28.
It is very easy to forget that God is with us through the trials and especially the sins. If you think He does not know what you are doing, think again. God knows all and even though He may ask what you have done, He is waiting for you to come clean and admit that you had done wrong. Remember when you were little and got caught doing something wrong and a parent would say, admit it and the punishment will be less severe? Well, this is what God does, He says, keep hiding the truth from Me and you will suffer more than just the punishment for admitting what you did. Think about it. The guilt of living in sin is far worse than the sin itself. But guess what? No matter what we have done, when we confess to Him, we are forgiven and those sins are forgotten. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” - Acts 13:38,39. All who believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him for forgiveness are forgiven and justified from their sins. Praise God! Show God you love Him by declaring that you believe in Jesus.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
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Today is Thursday February 25, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters28-29. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-25
Title: Bible Study: Show God Love
God's love is truly amazing, no matter how bad a situation is, there is always peace and comfort when we keep Him in our lives. No one in the world will ever understand God's love, they do not realize that He loves them just as much as He loves you and I. God in love, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to earth to live and to die and to rise so we can all be a part of His family. Do you know how easy it is to show God that you love Him? Simply by believing in Jesus, admitting that you are a sinner, want forgiveness of your sins, and asking Him to come into your life. It's that simple. Jesus is not nothing new to how God handled sin, before He came several animal sacrifices had to be given in order to show God that they loved Him and wanted Him in their lives. Chapters 28-29 reminds us of just how many sacrifices and offerings the Israelite's as well as those who lived among them, had to give in order to be forgiven and show their love for Him. “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season. And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.” - Numbers 28:1-3. Before the Israelite's entered the promise land they were reminded of the Passover and festivals to be observed in remembrance of what God had done for them over the year, the atonement for sins, their freedom from slavery, the provisions God gave them, etc, as well as what they had to do daily to keep God around and happy. Every one of these sacrifices made were to be offered in due season, meaning until they were no longer needed. When Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice all these animal sacrifices were no longer needed. Jesus represented every one of these sacrifices and it is because of Him that all we have to do to keep God around and happy is to call on Jesus for forgiveness. Praise God!
Sadly, many will never see just how much God loves them until the day they face Him on judgment day, and by then it will be too late to do anything about it. “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.” - I John 4:16-19. We love Him because He first loved us, He loves every one of the people on this earth, but it is up to us to allow Jesus to come into our lives. Unless we verbally say we want Him to be in our lives He does not and will not come into it. Right now, many people are following the season of Lent, so, it is a time of reflection and forgiveness, they are beginning to remember things that may have been forgotten throughout the year of trials and maybe even sins they committed and trying to atone for them. They are fasting from things they enjoy in hopes to be reconciled with God, but unless they know Jesus personally, it is as if they are doing nothing at all. God does not recognize anyone unless they know His Son, first. “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 26:27,28.
It is very easy to forget that God is with us through the trials and especially the sins. If you think He does not know what you are doing, think again. God knows all and even though He may ask what you have done, He is waiting for you to come clean and admit that you had done wrong. Remember when you were little and got caught doing something wrong and a parent would say, admit it and the punishment will be less severe? Well, this is what God does, He says, keep hiding the truth from Me and you will suffer more than just the punishment for admitting what you did. Think about it. The guilt of living in sin is far worse than the sin itself. But guess what? No matter what we have done, when we confess to Him, we are forgiven and those sins are forgotten. “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” - Acts 13:38,39. All who believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him for forgiveness are forgiven and justified from their sins. Praise God! Show God you love Him by declaring that you believe in Jesus.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Bible Study: Receive Your Inheritance
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Wednesday February 24, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 26-27. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-24
Title: Bible Study: Receive Your Inheritance
As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we are part of an inheritance of the kingdom of God. Whether we have just accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, come to church only on Sunday's and holiday's, or serve Him in His ministry, we are a part of the kingdom of God and get to enter the promised land. Praise God! While it is not our works that get us to receive such a high honor, only by His grace and the Lord Jesus Christ can we enter the promised land, it is our works that get us a bigger part of the inheritance when we get there. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” - Galatians 2:16. Jesus Said, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” - Matthew 16:27. Jesus will reward us in heaven for what we do for Him here on earth. Yet, He leaves no one out, is faithful and keeps His promise to anyone who calls on Him to save them. Praise God!
Almost forty years had come to pass and now God was preparing the Israelite's to enter the promised land. He commanded Moses to number the people one more time, any male over the age of twenty was counted, a total of 601730 men were numbered from every tribe, except for the Levites. The numbering was taken in order to see how many people were among each tribe, the more the number of people the bigger the inheritance they got. “These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.” - Numbers 26:51-24. The Levites were numbered separately because they were not given an inheritance, but to live among the rest of the tribes as they were in charge of keeping service in the Tabernacle. Out of all the men from the first numbering, except the Levites, only two are still alive to enter the promised land, Joshua and Caleb. “And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” - Numbers 26:62-65. Caleb and Joshua were able to enter the promised land because of the faithfulness to God. They were to only two of the twelve spies that stood by God when the others did not trust Him to enter the promised land almost forty years ago. God never makes those who are faithful to Him suffer from sins caused by someone else. We are all accountable for the sins we commit all on our own.
Speaking of being accountable for our own sins, because of one sin, Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.” - Numbers 27:12-14. Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land because he disobeyed a command from God. The Israelite's were complaining of thirst and God had commanded Moses to take the rod and speak to the rock, instead he spoke to the people in anger, hit the rock, and water came gushing out, he failed to recognize God for the miracle. The rod symbolized the authority of God and Moses represented that authority before the nation but, on this one occasion, he represented the authority of himself and this is what angered God. Only one sin kept Moses from the promised land, but Moses represented the Law that cannot allow even one exception. The Law of God could never bring one man, not even Moses into the promised land for disobeying His commands. This is why it is very important that we very carefully chose how we handle things, while, Praise God, we are no longer bound to these laws, we can really destroy our lives by making one wrong move. Think about it. You are driving in a car, the light turns red and you accidentally go through the light, a car is already flying through the intersection. Bam! You are hit! If you are not saved and die in that crash you will not be a part of the inheritance of the kingdom of God. However, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be walking through those pearly gates into the promised land and receive your inheritance. Thank You, Jesus! Everyone reading this message can receive their inheritance into the kingdom of God. Praise God that all we have to do to get it is to call on Jesus.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
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Missed A Lesson?
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Today is Wednesday February 24, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 26-27. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-24
Title: Bible Study: Receive Your Inheritance
As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we are part of an inheritance of the kingdom of God. Whether we have just accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, come to church only on Sunday's and holiday's, or serve Him in His ministry, we are a part of the kingdom of God and get to enter the promised land. Praise God! While it is not our works that get us to receive such a high honor, only by His grace and the Lord Jesus Christ can we enter the promised land, it is our works that get us a bigger part of the inheritance when we get there. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” - Galatians 2:16. Jesus Said, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” - Matthew 16:27. Jesus will reward us in heaven for what we do for Him here on earth. Yet, He leaves no one out, is faithful and keeps His promise to anyone who calls on Him to save them. Praise God!
Almost forty years had come to pass and now God was preparing the Israelite's to enter the promised land. He commanded Moses to number the people one more time, any male over the age of twenty was counted, a total of 601730 men were numbered from every tribe, except for the Levites. The numbering was taken in order to see how many people were among each tribe, the more the number of people the bigger the inheritance they got. “These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.” - Numbers 26:51-24. The Levites were numbered separately because they were not given an inheritance, but to live among the rest of the tribes as they were in charge of keeping service in the Tabernacle. Out of all the men from the first numbering, except the Levites, only two are still alive to enter the promised land, Joshua and Caleb. “And those that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” - Numbers 26:62-65. Caleb and Joshua were able to enter the promised land because of the faithfulness to God. They were to only two of the twelve spies that stood by God when the others did not trust Him to enter the promised land almost forty years ago. God never makes those who are faithful to Him suffer from sins caused by someone else. We are all accountable for the sins we commit all on our own.
Speaking of being accountable for our own sins, because of one sin, Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.” - Numbers 27:12-14. Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land because he disobeyed a command from God. The Israelite's were complaining of thirst and God had commanded Moses to take the rod and speak to the rock, instead he spoke to the people in anger, hit the rock, and water came gushing out, he failed to recognize God for the miracle. The rod symbolized the authority of God and Moses represented that authority before the nation but, on this one occasion, he represented the authority of himself and this is what angered God. Only one sin kept Moses from the promised land, but Moses represented the Law that cannot allow even one exception. The Law of God could never bring one man, not even Moses into the promised land for disobeying His commands. This is why it is very important that we very carefully chose how we handle things, while, Praise God, we are no longer bound to these laws, we can really destroy our lives by making one wrong move. Think about it. You are driving in a car, the light turns red and you accidentally go through the light, a car is already flying through the intersection. Bam! You are hit! If you are not saved and die in that crash you will not be a part of the inheritance of the kingdom of God. However, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will be walking through those pearly gates into the promised land and receive your inheritance. Thank You, Jesus! Everyone reading this message can receive their inheritance into the kingdom of God. Praise God that all we have to do to get it is to call on Jesus.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Bible Study: Know The Truth
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Tuesday February 23, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 23-25. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-23
Title: Bible Study: Know The Truth
As Christian's, we will be faced with many claiming to be children of God or prophets, they look like you and I, are charmers and real good at proving their point. They know just enough Scripture to get you to think they are telling the truth, but in reality they are deceitful liars trying to curse us, pull us away from the truth and get us away from God all together. The sad thing is that some of these people have no idea that they are serving Satan and not God. The king of Moab, Balak, formed a plan to get the people of Israel cursed, that is, to set God against them. He was afraid of them and did not want to be defeated, so he had a false notion, that if he could get some prophet to pray for evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, then he should be able to deal with them, that prophet was Balaam. Several times King Balak offered the prophet Balaam huge rewards if he would curse the Israelite's, but every time he tried the Israelite's were blessed even more. Finally Balaam realized that God was not about to put a curse upon His people. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” - Numbers 23:19-24. Of course there was sin in Jacob, and God knew it, but He also knew that there was not enough sin among them to put a curse on them all. God may curse someone who has sinned against Him or caused others to sin, but He will never curse anyone for living righteously. If God sees that we trust in His mercy, and accept that we can only be saved by His grace through the blood of Christ, than all of our sins will be pardoned and we will not be cursed.
We have to be very careful who we get around, what church we attend, and especially what religion we choose to follow. Contrary to what people think that no matter what religion you follow it is of God, they are not all of God, in fact, the majority of them are false gods. Since God created the earth Satan has been manipulating God's people into sin and destroying their relationship with Him. Do you think the devil does not know Scripture? Of course he does and he will use just enough to get even the strongest man of God to sin against Him. Why? Because he knows his fate and if he can get one man of God to fall he can keep thousands of lost souls from ever knowing the truth, thus taking them to hell with him in the process. He even tried to tempt Jesus with Scripture. “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” - Matthew 4:3-10. Can you imagine life if the devil was able to get Jesus to sin? The only way that Jesus was able to keep from falling into sin was by the power of God. That is the only way that any of us can walk away from temptation. Satan is not as smart as he thinks he is because he fails to realize that no one can curse God's people. Praise God! Once we are saved we are protected by the blood of Christ and are God's people and no one, can take that away from us. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - I John 5:10-12. God has given all who call on Jesus eternal life and no one can take that away, no matter how many times we mess up before we leave this earth. Praise God!
So, how can we know that we are hearing the truth? Through God's Word, the only way to know God's truths is to read His Word for ourselves. Of course, it is good to hear someone explain God's Word, but unless we read it for ourselves we will always be questioning whether or not we are getting the truth. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” - Ephesians 6:13-17. We need to stay in God's Word and get around those who also do the same, and I mean God's true Word, not some book claiming to know what He is trying to say to us. God reveals all things to us a little at a time in a way that we can understand as we grow in our Christianity. All this is only possible with the Holy Spirit Guiding us, which is the only Spirit that is to guide us.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
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Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
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Today is Tuesday February 23, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 23-25. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-23
Title: Bible Study: Know The Truth
As Christian's, we will be faced with many claiming to be children of God or prophets, they look like you and I, are charmers and real good at proving their point. They know just enough Scripture to get you to think they are telling the truth, but in reality they are deceitful liars trying to curse us, pull us away from the truth and get us away from God all together. The sad thing is that some of these people have no idea that they are serving Satan and not God. The king of Moab, Balak, formed a plan to get the people of Israel cursed, that is, to set God against them. He was afraid of them and did not want to be defeated, so he had a false notion, that if he could get some prophet to pray for evil upon them, and to pronounce a blessing upon himself and his forces, then he should be able to deal with them, that prophet was Balaam. Several times King Balak offered the prophet Balaam huge rewards if he would curse the Israelite's, but every time he tried the Israelite's were blessed even more. Finally Balaam realized that God was not about to put a curse upon His people. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.” - Numbers 23:19-24. Of course there was sin in Jacob, and God knew it, but He also knew that there was not enough sin among them to put a curse on them all. God may curse someone who has sinned against Him or caused others to sin, but He will never curse anyone for living righteously. If God sees that we trust in His mercy, and accept that we can only be saved by His grace through the blood of Christ, than all of our sins will be pardoned and we will not be cursed.
We have to be very careful who we get around, what church we attend, and especially what religion we choose to follow. Contrary to what people think that no matter what religion you follow it is of God, they are not all of God, in fact, the majority of them are false gods. Since God created the earth Satan has been manipulating God's people into sin and destroying their relationship with Him. Do you think the devil does not know Scripture? Of course he does and he will use just enough to get even the strongest man of God to sin against Him. Why? Because he knows his fate and if he can get one man of God to fall he can keep thousands of lost souls from ever knowing the truth, thus taking them to hell with him in the process. He even tried to tempt Jesus with Scripture. “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” - Matthew 4:3-10. Can you imagine life if the devil was able to get Jesus to sin? The only way that Jesus was able to keep from falling into sin was by the power of God. That is the only way that any of us can walk away from temptation. Satan is not as smart as he thinks he is because he fails to realize that no one can curse God's people. Praise God! Once we are saved we are protected by the blood of Christ and are God's people and no one, can take that away from us. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” - I John 5:10-12. God has given all who call on Jesus eternal life and no one can take that away, no matter how many times we mess up before we leave this earth. Praise God!
So, how can we know that we are hearing the truth? Through God's Word, the only way to know God's truths is to read His Word for ourselves. Of course, it is good to hear someone explain God's Word, but unless we read it for ourselves we will always be questioning whether or not we are getting the truth. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” - Ephesians 6:13-17. We need to stay in God's Word and get around those who also do the same, and I mean God's true Word, not some book claiming to know what He is trying to say to us. God reveals all things to us a little at a time in a way that we can understand as we grow in our Christianity. All this is only possible with the Holy Spirit Guiding us, which is the only Spirit that is to guide us.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Monday, February 22, 2010
Bible Study: Trusting God Through Challenges
ello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Monday February 22, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 21-22. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-22
Title: Bible Study: Trusting God Through Challenges
While people who live in the world face many challenges, as Christian's, we have a few more to face. In fact, it takes a strong person to be able to withstand the persecution and judgment placed upon him just because he believes in Jesus Christ. That strength, in fact, only comes from the power of God Himself and that is placed upon every person who calls on Jesus Christ as their Savior. Now, the persecution we face is nothing new to God's people, since the world began there has always been some person trying to prove himself stronger than God, Satan the main contender, and he will use anyone to cause some kind of trouble, whether it is someone of the world or even other Christian's. To tell you the truth, Satan will use some of the godliest people to turn other Christian's away from God. You know, the Israelite's that traveled in the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan never knew just how blessed they were, of all the generations of God's people they saw first hand the miracles from God more than anyone else. From the parting of the Red Sea, to the manna coming down from heaven, to the cloud in which He dwelled over them day and night, God had shown them all too often just how much He wanted to not only be a part of their lives, but show His love for them as well. His only request, that they give love back by showing some gratitude and trust in Him to provide for them. Yet, no sooner than God gave them what they asked for they were complaining and disrespecting the blessings that were given to them. Once again, God placed some difficulties before them and instead of trusting in Him, they began complaining. “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. ” - Numbers 21:4-9. Disrespect God enough and see what happens to your life, God understood that these people were tired and weary, but did they ever stop to think that if God had gotten them this far that He would be able to take them all the way to the promised land. Because of their disrespect, God sent fiery serpents their way, which killed thousands of them. However, when the rest of the people came to their senses and repented He saved them by sending a brass serpent. The brass serpent was a symbol of both God's judgment against their sin and of His loving mercy for all those who repented. Like the cross, the brass serpent was for all, but only effective for those who truly believed in Him.
You know what the biggest mistake the Israelite's made was? They could not forget Egypt. Every time they were faced with a challenge they reminded God and Moses of what they left in Egypt. Do you think God did not know what they left? Do you think that maybe He wanted them to just put some faith and trust in Him? Think about it. What if God gave them food other than manna to eat, do you think they would have appreciated it? He could have sent birds, He could have sent fish, He could have sent rain every day, but no matter what He would give them they would still have something to complain about. A person can have a fridge full of food, but say there is nothing in this house to eat. This is why God caused pain in their lives, He wanted to give them something to be grateful for. Those who were not, suffered. Okay, it is one thing to be discouraged at times when we do not get the things we want, but it is another to become so disgruntled that one becomes bitter and enraged at God, things, and other people because things are not going your way. No one said life is easy, but if we have everything easy then we never amount to very much. I have seen so many people who were handed things to them without any effort fall because they simply do not appreciate the things they are given. Sure we get tired and weary at times, but you rest and you get up and keep moving forward. Nothing stays the same and if we keep dwelling on the things that we once had we will never move forward in life for God, anyone else, or ourselves. The greater things in life have nothing to do with personal possessions, they come from God and anything else we receive outside of that will really never amount to very much. We are not to be tempted by the things that the world has to offer, it is all a ploy to get us to side with Satan and forget the blessings that God has given us. “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” - I John 4:2-4. We can overcome the challenges we face because God is with all His children, He is more powerful than any temptation that Satan can throw our way. It is time to deal with things head on, stop thinking about what we had in the past, and look to the great future ahead as we put our faith and trust in the Lord.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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Today is Monday February 22, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 21-22. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-22
Title: Bible Study: Trusting God Through Challenges
While people who live in the world face many challenges, as Christian's, we have a few more to face. In fact, it takes a strong person to be able to withstand the persecution and judgment placed upon him just because he believes in Jesus Christ. That strength, in fact, only comes from the power of God Himself and that is placed upon every person who calls on Jesus Christ as their Savior. Now, the persecution we face is nothing new to God's people, since the world began there has always been some person trying to prove himself stronger than God, Satan the main contender, and he will use anyone to cause some kind of trouble, whether it is someone of the world or even other Christian's. To tell you the truth, Satan will use some of the godliest people to turn other Christian's away from God. You know, the Israelite's that traveled in the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan never knew just how blessed they were, of all the generations of God's people they saw first hand the miracles from God more than anyone else. From the parting of the Red Sea, to the manna coming down from heaven, to the cloud in which He dwelled over them day and night, God had shown them all too often just how much He wanted to not only be a part of their lives, but show His love for them as well. His only request, that they give love back by showing some gratitude and trust in Him to provide for them. Yet, no sooner than God gave them what they asked for they were complaining and disrespecting the blessings that were given to them. Once again, God placed some difficulties before them and instead of trusting in Him, they began complaining. “And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. ” - Numbers 21:4-9. Disrespect God enough and see what happens to your life, God understood that these people were tired and weary, but did they ever stop to think that if God had gotten them this far that He would be able to take them all the way to the promised land. Because of their disrespect, God sent fiery serpents their way, which killed thousands of them. However, when the rest of the people came to their senses and repented He saved them by sending a brass serpent. The brass serpent was a symbol of both God's judgment against their sin and of His loving mercy for all those who repented. Like the cross, the brass serpent was for all, but only effective for those who truly believed in Him.
You know what the biggest mistake the Israelite's made was? They could not forget Egypt. Every time they were faced with a challenge they reminded God and Moses of what they left in Egypt. Do you think God did not know what they left? Do you think that maybe He wanted them to just put some faith and trust in Him? Think about it. What if God gave them food other than manna to eat, do you think they would have appreciated it? He could have sent birds, He could have sent fish, He could have sent rain every day, but no matter what He would give them they would still have something to complain about. A person can have a fridge full of food, but say there is nothing in this house to eat. This is why God caused pain in their lives, He wanted to give them something to be grateful for. Those who were not, suffered. Okay, it is one thing to be discouraged at times when we do not get the things we want, but it is another to become so disgruntled that one becomes bitter and enraged at God, things, and other people because things are not going your way. No one said life is easy, but if we have everything easy then we never amount to very much. I have seen so many people who were handed things to them without any effort fall because they simply do not appreciate the things they are given. Sure we get tired and weary at times, but you rest and you get up and keep moving forward. Nothing stays the same and if we keep dwelling on the things that we once had we will never move forward in life for God, anyone else, or ourselves. The greater things in life have nothing to do with personal possessions, they come from God and anything else we receive outside of that will really never amount to very much. We are not to be tempted by the things that the world has to offer, it is all a ploy to get us to side with Satan and forget the blessings that God has given us. “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” - I John 4:2-4. We can overcome the challenges we face because God is with all His children, He is more powerful than any temptation that Satan can throw our way. It is time to deal with things head on, stop thinking about what we had in the past, and look to the great future ahead as we put our faith and trust in the Lord.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
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Bible Study: A Walking Corpse
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Sunday February 21, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 19-20. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-21
Title: Bible Study: A Walking Corpse
There is nothing more powerful and life saving than blood. Think about it. You have blood running through your veins. What would you be without it? Of course, you would be lifeless and like a corpse. Now, if you ever experienced anemia you know that your blood is not functioning the way it should be and you just feel lifeless, but once you get some blood rich meat in your body you start to feel more energetic and alive. Well, the same thing applies to our soul, our soul is the center of our being, what gives us life outside of the blood that flows through us. If you have ever lost a loved one or broken up with someone, than you know what that pain that goes deep down inside of you feels like. That is what a dead soul feels like and what we are to God if we do not have Jesus in our lives. I am sorry to be so forward, but without Jesus, we are walking corpses. Christian's, Think about all the things you did in life before you knew Jesus, oh you may have had some fun and gotten all you ever wanted, but deep down something was missing and you were always looking for something bigger and better to feel good about yourself. However, with Jesus, you found what was missing and no longer are impressed with the bigger and better things because you can feel good about yourself knowing that Jesus is in your life. Why? Because it is His blood that gives life to our souls. The second we call on Jesus to forgive us and save us we get His rich blood pumped into our souls and He literally gives us life and we are no longer corpses to God, but His living children. Jesus Said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”- John 5:24,25. Praise God!
I will say it again, there is nothing more powerful than blood. Before Jesus came, the only way that the people would be alive to God was through the blood of sacrificed of animals. And it was not just one animal, but several and they had to do this constantly in order for God to listen to them, amazingly every one of the animal sacrifices represented Christ in some way. Today we read about the red heifer sacrifice. The red heifer sacrifice was instituted and only practiced for a limited time in the wilderness of Paran at a time when all Israel was under a death sentence. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke: And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face: And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times: And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.” - Numbers 19:1-6. The red heifer sacrifice was instituted for the faithful who, as they go through life, sometimes fell into sin and needed to be forgiven and cleansed,in other words repent of their sins. The entire animal was burned and then its ashes were mixed with running water and sprinkled upon the defiled ones in order to restore them to the Holy God. It was not only to get a cleansing from their sin, but to get a renewal of life. Of course, this is symbolic of Jesus Christ as He cleanses us from sin and renews our life and every time we sin we can repent and be forgiven by Him. Whether it be through our thoughts, our conversations, the books we read, our associations with unbelievers, or whatever it may be that we may do that defiles our minds or bodies it is of uttermost importance that we cleanse ourselves from them. Jesus Said: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” - Matthew 15:8-11. As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we know we are saved by the blood of Christ. If you do not know by now what that means, it means that when you admit that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you and save you than you are no longer defiled by sin and are cleansed, just as the red heifer sacrifice did. You are forgiven and every sin committed over the years is erased and forgotten of by God. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
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Today is Sunday February 21, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Numbers, chapters 19-20. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this URL onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-february-21
Title: Bible Study: A Walking Corpse
There is nothing more powerful and life saving than blood. Think about it. You have blood running through your veins. What would you be without it? Of course, you would be lifeless and like a corpse. Now, if you ever experienced anemia you know that your blood is not functioning the way it should be and you just feel lifeless, but once you get some blood rich meat in your body you start to feel more energetic and alive. Well, the same thing applies to our soul, our soul is the center of our being, what gives us life outside of the blood that flows through us. If you have ever lost a loved one or broken up with someone, than you know what that pain that goes deep down inside of you feels like. That is what a dead soul feels like and what we are to God if we do not have Jesus in our lives. I am sorry to be so forward, but without Jesus, we are walking corpses. Christian's, Think about all the things you did in life before you knew Jesus, oh you may have had some fun and gotten all you ever wanted, but deep down something was missing and you were always looking for something bigger and better to feel good about yourself. However, with Jesus, you found what was missing and no longer are impressed with the bigger and better things because you can feel good about yourself knowing that Jesus is in your life. Why? Because it is His blood that gives life to our souls. The second we call on Jesus to forgive us and save us we get His rich blood pumped into our souls and He literally gives us life and we are no longer corpses to God, but His living children. Jesus Said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”- John 5:24,25. Praise God!
I will say it again, there is nothing more powerful than blood. Before Jesus came, the only way that the people would be alive to God was through the blood of sacrificed of animals. And it was not just one animal, but several and they had to do this constantly in order for God to listen to them, amazingly every one of the animal sacrifices represented Christ in some way. Today we read about the red heifer sacrifice. The red heifer sacrifice was instituted and only practiced for a limited time in the wilderness of Paran at a time when all Israel was under a death sentence. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke: And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face: And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times: And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn: And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.” - Numbers 19:1-6. The red heifer sacrifice was instituted for the faithful who, as they go through life, sometimes fell into sin and needed to be forgiven and cleansed,in other words repent of their sins. The entire animal was burned and then its ashes were mixed with running water and sprinkled upon the defiled ones in order to restore them to the Holy God. It was not only to get a cleansing from their sin, but to get a renewal of life. Of course, this is symbolic of Jesus Christ as He cleanses us from sin and renews our life and every time we sin we can repent and be forgiven by Him. Whether it be through our thoughts, our conversations, the books we read, our associations with unbelievers, or whatever it may be that we may do that defiles our minds or bodies it is of uttermost importance that we cleanse ourselves from them. Jesus Said: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” - Matthew 15:8-11. As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we know we are saved by the blood of Christ. If you do not know by now what that means, it means that when you admit that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you and save you than you are no longer defiled by sin and are cleansed, just as the red heifer sacrifice did. You are forgiven and every sin committed over the years is erased and forgotten of by God. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Missed A Lesson?
Go to: Daily Bible Study
http://www.readytofollow.com/daily-bible-study
Learn About Salvation Only Made Through Jesus Christ
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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