Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Saturday April 17, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 17-18. 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-april-17
Title: Bible Study: True Happiness
We have all been deceived by a friend, family member, and even our own flesh and blood from time to time, but for some, much too often that deceitfulness comes on a regular basis. Sadly, there are just some people in the world that have only three goals to achieve in life, that is to please me, myself, and I. They do not care who they have to deceive, destroy, or even kill, they will do everything in their power to get what they want, even if it takes years to get them there. You would think that with so much energy being put into deceiving people that they could have put it to better use and really done something good with their lives? Yet “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” - Proverbs 18:2. A fool is in constant search of the next bigger and better thing, never really happy with what he has and never will find true happiness. After all is said and done, he is the one that will lose everything.
Absalom was David's oldest living son and if he had done everything right he probably would have rightfully been the next king by heir, but he was not willing to receive the crown by learning and growing as David did, he wanted it now and he was even willing to kill his father to obtain it. Sadly, David was not only being deceived by his son, but a trusted adviser as well. “Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night: And I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only: And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: so all the people shall be in peace. And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.” - II Samuel 17:1-4. David thought Ahithophel to be a trusted friend and a godly man, but learned all too quickly that his only reason for being such a friend was to gain control himself. However, Ahithophel not only deceives David, he deceives Absalom as well by convincing him to go after David himself. Notice the words, “me” and “I”? When Ahithophel decided to desert David and join with Absalom, he revealed his true character, he only had three goals, to please "me", "myself", and "I".
At first, Absalom was pleased, but he probably realized that, Ahithophel would have been given all the recognition for it so he decided to get a second opinion. Absalom went to another one of David's trusted advisers, Hushai, for counsel. “And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time....Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person. So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one. Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there. And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.” - II Samuel 17:7,11-14. While Absalom was feeding his ego over the fact that he had gotten his father's two top advisers, little did he know that David sent Hushai to join him. As Absalom considered the possibility of losing his first battle, he realized that this might produce panic and the loss of his followers loyalty. So, Hushai advised that all the forces of Israel be gathered and that Absalom, the commander-in-chief himself, be at the head of his great army. Doing it this way, gave him a sense that he would gain the prestige of being a conqueror and the rightful king of all Israel while it gave David and his army time to prepare for battle and thus being able to defeat Israel.
Like Absalom and Ahithophel, the wicked are often successful for a time and it may even appear that all their plans have been fulfilled and they are prospering. However, there comes a time when God says, the fun is over, you have deceived my people enough, I served my purpose with you and now justice will be served. During the battle, Absalom got his hair tangled in a tree branch, his mule ran on leaving him to dangle helplessly from the tree, shortly after he was killed. Ahithophel, upon finding out that Absalom did not follow through with his plan, killed himself. Wickedness does not go unpunished, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” - II Peter 2:9.
True happiness comes from a relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ, He is the best thing going for us, without Him we can not lose, we may have been deceived, cheated on, lied to, or stepped on, but He will never leave nor forsake us and we will always see victory in Jesus. 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!
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Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Bible Study: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing 04.16.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Friday April 16, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 15-16. 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-april-16
Title: Bible Study: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
As Christians we have to be on constant guard, even with others who claim to be Christians themselves. Jesus Said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” - Matthew 7:15. There are going to be many people crossing our paths that look like they are Christians, even ones we see in church or fellowship with on a pretty regular basis, but in reality they are wolves in sheep's clothing. So, how can you tell if a person is real or fake? The only way to know is by having a relationship with Jesus and staying in the Word of God, God's Word helps us discern between the sheep and the wolves.
After David and Absalom reconciles, David thought his problems were over, little did he know that his own son was conspiring to take the throne from him. “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.” - II Samuel 15:1-5. Absalom wickedly got the people to trust him over David, he got the disgruntled people to side with him so he could take control of the kingdom, only to deceive them once they got him in there. He is an example of a conspirator who creates opposition within a church, business, or political campaign in order to obtain control, then once he gains their trust he deceives them.
Soon the shocking news that Absalom had the trust of the people reached David, “And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword....And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:” - II Samuel 15:13,14,30-32. It is sad to read that David, the brokenhearted old king, left Jerusalem, running barefoot down the rocky, rugged hills and up the Mount of Olives, weeping, fleeing Jerusalem in fear of his own beloved son, even his most trusted adviser turned against him for the bigger and better deal. David knew where he was going though, he was going to the one place where he could reach safety and avoid bloodshed in Jerusalem, the City of God. There is a time to fight and there is a time to lay low, we can not try to defend ourselves out of anger or hurt, doing so will only make things worse. We must wait until we are calm and have thought about things before taking any action. David could have questioned God, but he knew that all this was the result of what had happened when he sinned with Bathsheba and was now suffering the consequences as Nathan had prophesied. It was during this time when he went to God and worshiped Him, this was when we wrote Psalm 51.
Where did David go wrong? His sons. Of course, he loved his sons, but he never let them face the consequences for their actions. First, he allowed no justice to be done when Amnon raped his own half sister, then he allowed no justice to be done for Absalom when he had Amnon killed. By allowing them to get away with these things all it did was add more fuel to get Absalom to steal control of the crown. While no one wants to see their children suffer, it is important to instill some form of discipline and allow them to suffer the consequences for their actions. We are not helping our children by bailing them our every time they get into trouble, we are just helping them get into more trouble and allowing us to be deceived by them one more time. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” - Hebrews 12:6-11. God will chasten His children, but God's correction is not condemnation, it grows us and teaches us discipline as well as holiness. Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by our own parents, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our own spiritual good.
Everyone has been or will be deceived by someone in their lives, Jesus was deceived by one of His own disciples. Judas sold Him out for thirty pieces of silver, but in the end Judas was the one to suffer, right after he accepted the money and saw them take Jesus he knew he made the biggest mistake of his life, he ended up hanging himself for his guilt. Those who deceive, in the end are the ones who will suffer, no true follower of Christ will suffer for long and will always be victorious over the Judas's of our lives. While it is sad to think that we have to constantly be on guard of the wolves hiding in sheep's clothing, we can be sure of one thing.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and your weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Today is Friday April 16, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 15-16. 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-april-16
Title: Bible Study: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
As Christians we have to be on constant guard, even with others who claim to be Christians themselves. Jesus Said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” - Matthew 7:15. There are going to be many people crossing our paths that look like they are Christians, even ones we see in church or fellowship with on a pretty regular basis, but in reality they are wolves in sheep's clothing. So, how can you tell if a person is real or fake? The only way to know is by having a relationship with Jesus and staying in the Word of God, God's Word helps us discern between the sheep and the wolves.
After David and Absalom reconciles, David thought his problems were over, little did he know that his own son was conspiring to take the throne from him. “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.” - II Samuel 15:1-5. Absalom wickedly got the people to trust him over David, he got the disgruntled people to side with him so he could take control of the kingdom, only to deceive them once they got him in there. He is an example of a conspirator who creates opposition within a church, business, or political campaign in order to obtain control, then once he gains their trust he deceives them.
Soon the shocking news that Absalom had the trust of the people reached David, “And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword....And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:” - II Samuel 15:13,14,30-32. It is sad to read that David, the brokenhearted old king, left Jerusalem, running barefoot down the rocky, rugged hills and up the Mount of Olives, weeping, fleeing Jerusalem in fear of his own beloved son, even his most trusted adviser turned against him for the bigger and better deal. David knew where he was going though, he was going to the one place where he could reach safety and avoid bloodshed in Jerusalem, the City of God. There is a time to fight and there is a time to lay low, we can not try to defend ourselves out of anger or hurt, doing so will only make things worse. We must wait until we are calm and have thought about things before taking any action. David could have questioned God, but he knew that all this was the result of what had happened when he sinned with Bathsheba and was now suffering the consequences as Nathan had prophesied. It was during this time when he went to God and worshiped Him, this was when we wrote Psalm 51.
Where did David go wrong? His sons. Of course, he loved his sons, but he never let them face the consequences for their actions. First, he allowed no justice to be done when Amnon raped his own half sister, then he allowed no justice to be done for Absalom when he had Amnon killed. By allowing them to get away with these things all it did was add more fuel to get Absalom to steal control of the crown. While no one wants to see their children suffer, it is important to instill some form of discipline and allow them to suffer the consequences for their actions. We are not helping our children by bailing them our every time they get into trouble, we are just helping them get into more trouble and allowing us to be deceived by them one more time. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” - Hebrews 12:6-11. God will chasten His children, but God's correction is not condemnation, it grows us and teaches us discipline as well as holiness. Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by our own parents, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our own spiritual good.
Everyone has been or will be deceived by someone in their lives, Jesus was deceived by one of His own disciples. Judas sold Him out for thirty pieces of silver, but in the end Judas was the one to suffer, right after he accepted the money and saw them take Jesus he knew he made the biggest mistake of his life, he ended up hanging himself for his guilt. Those who deceive, in the end are the ones who will suffer, no true follower of Christ will suffer for long and will always be victorious over the Judas's of our lives. While it is sad to think that we have to constantly be on guard of the wolves hiding in sheep's clothing, we can be sure of one thing.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and your weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Thursday, April 15, 2010
Bible Study: Power to Change 04.15.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Thursday April 15, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel chapters 13-14. 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-april-15
Title: Bible Study: Power to Change
The Bible says we are to, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”- Proverbs 22:6. Most parents or guardians do the best they can to raise a child in a way that he is respectful and honorable and most will hold on to what they have been taught and follow through. However, a few do depart from it and while we all want the best for our children they are accountable for their own actions. While we can not avoid the consequences of our sins, we do have the power to change any situation we get ourselves into.
For most of his life, except for his sin with Bathsheba, David had been consistent in his walk with the Lord, but two of his oldest sons, Amnon and Absalom did not follow David's godly example. I am sure David did all he could as a father to teach his children to love God and obey His commands and laws. However, David is first deceived by his oldest son Amnon over his lust for his half sister, Tamar, Absalom's sister. “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. ...And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand....And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.” - II Samuel 13:1,2,5,10-15. After his brief moment of lustful gratification, he forced her out of his home and locked the door. All of a sudden his love for her turned to hate, this is an example of how deceitful the act of lust is. If Amnon truly loved his sister he would not have even attempted such a thing with her, then his guilt caused his hatred toward her.
By law, if a man raped a woman, especially if that woman was a sister, that man had an instant death sentence. However, when David learned what happened he disregarded the law and two years later, out to seek justice and the crown, Absalom killed Amnon. Out of fear he fled to his grandfather's house and was there for three years. “Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant......So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. ” - II Samuel 13:28,38,39. David knew that he could do nothing for the one son that was dead, yet there was another son that was still alive and out of the country. David wanted to be with Absalom his son, and forgive him for the deed that he had done, but he did not want to go where Absalom was to confront him, rather he stayed in Jerusalem and waited for Absalom's return. After David had committed his sin, his guilt was to heavy a burden for him, and he just could not face even his own family, for he knew that he was the cause of what was happening.
A parent can experience no greater suffering than to see his similar sins repeated by their own children. We cannot undo past sins, failures, and wasted time, but Christians are assured that we can be forgiven of our sins. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” - I John 2:1,2. We all should be deeply grateful for the mercy of God. From beginning to end, the Bible is the history of God's redeeming love. God is still pleading with every sinner to repent, turn from sin, and wholeheartedly yield himself to Christ as Lord. As we yield our wills to the Lord and allow Him to mold our thoughts and activities to conform with His will we then can fulfill the purpose for which He created us. We do not have the power to change what we did in the past, but we do have the power to change what we do today, that power is Jesus Christ. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and rest of the week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Today is Thursday April 15, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel chapters 13-14. 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-april-15
Title: Bible Study: Power to Change
The Bible says we are to, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”- Proverbs 22:6. Most parents or guardians do the best they can to raise a child in a way that he is respectful and honorable and most will hold on to what they have been taught and follow through. However, a few do depart from it and while we all want the best for our children they are accountable for their own actions. While we can not avoid the consequences of our sins, we do have the power to change any situation we get ourselves into.
For most of his life, except for his sin with Bathsheba, David had been consistent in his walk with the Lord, but two of his oldest sons, Amnon and Absalom did not follow David's godly example. I am sure David did all he could as a father to teach his children to love God and obey His commands and laws. However, David is first deceived by his oldest son Amnon over his lust for his half sister, Tamar, Absalom's sister. “And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her. ...And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand....And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.” - II Samuel 13:1,2,5,10-15. After his brief moment of lustful gratification, he forced her out of his home and locked the door. All of a sudden his love for her turned to hate, this is an example of how deceitful the act of lust is. If Amnon truly loved his sister he would not have even attempted such a thing with her, then his guilt caused his hatred toward her.
By law, if a man raped a woman, especially if that woman was a sister, that man had an instant death sentence. However, when David learned what happened he disregarded the law and two years later, out to seek justice and the crown, Absalom killed Amnon. Out of fear he fled to his grandfather's house and was there for three years. “Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant......So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. ” - II Samuel 13:28,38,39. David knew that he could do nothing for the one son that was dead, yet there was another son that was still alive and out of the country. David wanted to be with Absalom his son, and forgive him for the deed that he had done, but he did not want to go where Absalom was to confront him, rather he stayed in Jerusalem and waited for Absalom's return. After David had committed his sin, his guilt was to heavy a burden for him, and he just could not face even his own family, for he knew that he was the cause of what was happening.
A parent can experience no greater suffering than to see his similar sins repeated by their own children. We cannot undo past sins, failures, and wasted time, but Christians are assured that we can be forgiven of our sins. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” - I John 2:1,2. We all should be deeply grateful for the mercy of God. From beginning to end, the Bible is the history of God's redeeming love. God is still pleading with every sinner to repent, turn from sin, and wholeheartedly yield himself to Christ as Lord. As we yield our wills to the Lord and allow Him to mold our thoughts and activities to conform with His will we then can fulfill the purpose for which He created us. We do not have the power to change what we did in the past, but we do have the power to change what we do today, that power is Jesus Christ. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and rest of the week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Bible Study: Keep Your Eyes On Jesus 04.14.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Wednesday April 14, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 10-12. 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-april-14
Title: Bible Study: Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
As Christians, it is important that we remain separated from the world and keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. The second we take our eyes off Him we get ourselves into trouble. The strongest Christian can fall immediately into the lusts of the world all because he took his eyes off Jesus.
David had everything going for him, he was one of the most godliest men of the pre-Christian era, he had God on his side and because of that he prospered, he was the king of all of Israel and won battle after battle because he kept his eye on God and sought Him in all things. However, everything was about to change due to one thing, he took his eyes off God and on his flesh. Instead of going to battle like we was suppose to he stayed behind and fell right into the lust of his flesh. “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” - II Samuel 11:1-5. Here is this man, probably bored with nothing to do, walking on his rooftop when he sees a woman bathing. His first mistake, he kept watching her. We are always going to face temptation, but what makes us fall right into the sin is keeping our eyes on it. Had David kept his eyes on God he would not have even taken a second glance at the woman. No Christian is exempt from Satan, he even tried to tempt Jesus, he knows that if he can get any representative of God to commit sin, especially of the flesh, that it would question the morals of Christianity. Not only would that get fellow Christian's doubting God it will certainly give more fuel to the world's already disbelief.
Now, because of that one day of giving into his flesh, Bathsheba is pregnant. What was David to do, first he tried to get her husband Uriah to lay with her, then when that did not work he sent him out in the midst of the toughest battle so he would get killed. “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.” - II Samuel 11:14-17. David stopped at nothing to hide his sin, whatever he had to do to cover it up he did, with no concern for others lives. Sin is like a disease, it may start out small and harmless, but one sin usually leads to another and another and to unforeseen consequences and complications in the future.
David thought he was off the hook, he married Bathsheba and from the moment David first lusted after Bathsheba until their marriage, no one interfered with their pleasure. However, when the time came for her to deliver the baby David received a visit from Nathan, the prophet, with a message from God. “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.” - II Samuel 12:9-15. Although God did forgive David when he repented and asked for forgiveness, Psalm 51 is his prayer to God for his sin, that did not stop God from taking away the child that came from their sin.
Sin does not go unnoticed, one may think that they have gotten away with something or that God does not know, but God knows everything. All this could have been avoided had David kept his eyes on God. We too can avoid the consequences of sin by keeping our eyes on Jesus. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Thessalonians 5:15-23. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we can abstain from all appearance of evil as well as the evil itself. We can overcome all sin by yielding daily to the Holy Spirit and surrendering our lives over to Jesus. He truly is the only one who can keep us from falling into the desires of our flesh. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
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Today is Wednesday April 14, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 10-12. 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-april-14
Title: Bible Study: Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
As Christians, it is important that we remain separated from the world and keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. The second we take our eyes off Him we get ourselves into trouble. The strongest Christian can fall immediately into the lusts of the world all because he took his eyes off Jesus.
David had everything going for him, he was one of the most godliest men of the pre-Christian era, he had God on his side and because of that he prospered, he was the king of all of Israel and won battle after battle because he kept his eye on God and sought Him in all things. However, everything was about to change due to one thing, he took his eyes off God and on his flesh. Instead of going to battle like we was suppose to he stayed behind and fell right into the lust of his flesh. “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” - II Samuel 11:1-5. Here is this man, probably bored with nothing to do, walking on his rooftop when he sees a woman bathing. His first mistake, he kept watching her. We are always going to face temptation, but what makes us fall right into the sin is keeping our eyes on it. Had David kept his eyes on God he would not have even taken a second glance at the woman. No Christian is exempt from Satan, he even tried to tempt Jesus, he knows that if he can get any representative of God to commit sin, especially of the flesh, that it would question the morals of Christianity. Not only would that get fellow Christian's doubting God it will certainly give more fuel to the world's already disbelief.
Now, because of that one day of giving into his flesh, Bathsheba is pregnant. What was David to do, first he tried to get her husband Uriah to lay with her, then when that did not work he sent him out in the midst of the toughest battle so he would get killed. “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.” - II Samuel 11:14-17. David stopped at nothing to hide his sin, whatever he had to do to cover it up he did, with no concern for others lives. Sin is like a disease, it may start out small and harmless, but one sin usually leads to another and another and to unforeseen consequences and complications in the future.
David thought he was off the hook, he married Bathsheba and from the moment David first lusted after Bathsheba until their marriage, no one interfered with their pleasure. However, when the time came for her to deliver the baby David received a visit from Nathan, the prophet, with a message from God. “Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.” - II Samuel 12:9-15. Although God did forgive David when he repented and asked for forgiveness, Psalm 51 is his prayer to God for his sin, that did not stop God from taking away the child that came from their sin.
Sin does not go unnoticed, one may think that they have gotten away with something or that God does not know, but God knows everything. All this could have been avoided had David kept his eyes on God. We too can avoid the consequences of sin by keeping our eyes on Jesus. “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - I Thessalonians 5:15-23. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we can abstain from all appearance of evil as well as the evil itself. We can overcome all sin by yielding daily to the Holy Spirit and surrendering our lives over to Jesus. He truly is the only one who can keep us from falling into the desires of our flesh. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bible Study: Presence of God 04.13.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Tuesday April 13, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 6-9. 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-april-13
Title: Bible Study: Presence of God
As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we are a part of the kingdom of God and whether we are healthy, wealthy, poor, lame, or blind, we are like one of His sons. Praise God! Each day that goes by, as long as we are in the will of God, He guides us and strengthens our faith in Him. However, no matter how strong in our faith we are, we can become afraid of some of the things God does to get our attention. While we may never understand some of the things written in the Bible, much of our faith and guidance comes from the Word of God. It is important that we read all of it, Old and New Testament, because it all contains important information that keeps guiding us, correcting us, and bringing us in the presence of God.
David, was now ruler of all the United Kingdom, he owed all his success to God and did not hesitate to acknowledge that and tell others as well. He lacked one thing though, he did not have the Word of God with him so he was unaware of some of the laws and commands of God. So, to his surprise he saw first hand just how angry God can get when one does not follow His commands. David, along with thirty thousand men, went up to get the Ark of God, “And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart....And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” - II Samuel 6:2,3,5-7. Here they are, just dancing and singing in the streets and all of a sudden, attempting to keep the Ark from toppling off the cart Uzzah touched it and died instantly. David was sincerely seeking to honor God, but he overlooked two very important instructions involving the transport of the Ark. The Ark had to be carried by poles on the shoulders of the priests, and the penalty for touching the Ark was death. “And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” - Numbers 1:51. Had David learned of God's instructions he would have known that the Ark could not have been touched by anyone. It's important to know all of God's Word so we know the dangers that are before us, it's like a person who accidentally touches a high voltage wire and gets shocked to death because he did not read the danger sign.
David was humiliated, displeased, and afraid of God that day. He then humbly prayed to God and asked Him what they needed to do to get the Ark to Jerusalem. “And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.” - II Samuel 6:8-11. All are blessed when they are in the presence of the Lord.
Many people want to enjoy the presence of God, but they are unwilling to do what is needed to receive His presence. Today, the only way to enjoy the presence of God is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. All true greatness is dependent upon being humble and seeking to know what God truly wants. We all make mistakes, but we can correct them by humbly going before the Lord and seeking His forgiveness and instructions. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
If we want all of God's blessings we need to know all of God's Word, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” - II Timothy 3:16,17. As we read God's Word we learn a little more each time, the more we learn, the more we grow, the more we feel the presence of God.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
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devotion@readytofollow.com
Today is Tuesday April 13, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 6-9. 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-april-13
Title: Bible Study: Presence of God
As Christian's we can rejoice in the fact that we are a part of the kingdom of God and whether we are healthy, wealthy, poor, lame, or blind, we are like one of His sons. Praise God! Each day that goes by, as long as we are in the will of God, He guides us and strengthens our faith in Him. However, no matter how strong in our faith we are, we can become afraid of some of the things God does to get our attention. While we may never understand some of the things written in the Bible, much of our faith and guidance comes from the Word of God. It is important that we read all of it, Old and New Testament, because it all contains important information that keeps guiding us, correcting us, and bringing us in the presence of God.
David, was now ruler of all the United Kingdom, he owed all his success to God and did not hesitate to acknowledge that and tell others as well. He lacked one thing though, he did not have the Word of God with him so he was unaware of some of the laws and commands of God. So, to his surprise he saw first hand just how angry God can get when one does not follow His commands. David, along with thirty thousand men, went up to get the Ark of God, “And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart....And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.” - II Samuel 6:2,3,5-7. Here they are, just dancing and singing in the streets and all of a sudden, attempting to keep the Ark from toppling off the cart Uzzah touched it and died instantly. David was sincerely seeking to honor God, but he overlooked two very important instructions involving the transport of the Ark. The Ark had to be carried by poles on the shoulders of the priests, and the penalty for touching the Ark was death. “And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” - Numbers 1:51. Had David learned of God's instructions he would have known that the Ark could not have been touched by anyone. It's important to know all of God's Word so we know the dangers that are before us, it's like a person who accidentally touches a high voltage wire and gets shocked to death because he did not read the danger sign.
David was humiliated, displeased, and afraid of God that day. He then humbly prayed to God and asked Him what they needed to do to get the Ark to Jerusalem. “And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.” - II Samuel 6:8-11. All are blessed when they are in the presence of the Lord.
Many people want to enjoy the presence of God, but they are unwilling to do what is needed to receive His presence. Today, the only way to enjoy the presence of God is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. All true greatness is dependent upon being humble and seeking to know what God truly wants. We all make mistakes, but we can correct them by humbly going before the Lord and seeking His forgiveness and instructions. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9.
If we want all of God's blessings we need to know all of God's Word, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” - II Timothy 3:16,17. As we read God's Word we learn a little more each time, the more we learn, the more we grow, the more we feel the presence of God.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
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Monday, April 12, 2010
Bible Study: Let Go of Personal Strongholds 04.12.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Monday April 12, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 3-5. 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-april-12
Title: Bible Study: Let Go of Personal Strongholds
God wants the best for His children, even here on earth, yet oddly enough many Christians have strongholds in their lives that keep them from receiving the best. A stronghold is a group, person, or thing that is the center of all that we do, when Christ is our stronghold we prosper and are blessed, even through circumstances. Personal strongholds suggests secret thoughts and desires that keep Christ from becoming Lord of their lives and receiving the blessings God has in store for them. If we truly want Christ to be Lord of our lives and see His true blessings we need to let go of personal strongholds.
After the death of Saul, David was rightfully to be the king of all of Israel, but under circumstances, Abner, the powerful commander of Saul's armies, proclaimed Saul's son Ishbosheth king of Israel. His motive, he desired to be in control of Israel and since his was not son of Saul, the next best thing would be next in command. “Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.” - II Samuel 3:7-10. The crown was rightfully meant for David, but David knew that he would be king of Israel when it was his appointed time to do so. Often, people that go over God's commands think they have won and are in control of their own destinies, but they fail to realize that God is always in control and sooner or later He will bring all things to pass as He never goes back on His Word.
About seven years later, there was a fierce quarrel between Abner and Ishbosheth. When confronted by Ishbosheth over Abner's deceitfulness, Abner tried to take control of the situation by threatening Ishbosheth. “And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine? Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” - II Samuel 3:7-10. Abner conceitedly reminds Ishbosheth that he was the one that made him king, admitting also that he knew that David rightfully was chosen by God Himself to be king. What he was really saying was that he went over God's head and succeeded so he had the right to do whatever he wanted. This resulted in Abner going to David to form a league with him instead. "And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee." -II Samuel 3:12. David agreed and Abner then contacted the elders of Israel, reminding them that David was anointed to be king over Israel to begin with. However, a short time after Abner met with David, he was murdered by Joab, the commander of David's army, and then Ishbosheth was assassinated by two of his own guards. No one can escape going against God, He will even use their wickedness to see that things happen the way He commands. Abner thought he was in control, but he found out the hard way that God is always in control.
Abner's personal stronghold was his ego, he wanted to be powerful and in control, using whatever charm and deceitfulness he could to receive what he desired. Many people have personal strongholds that are harming not only themselves, but their relationship with God as well. There may be a place hidden from human view that is the center of the heart, this can be physical improvement, a career, a forbidden love, or a habit that one has never surrendered over to God. It is important to realize that any person who call on Jesus to save them from their sins are now His Temples and no matter how good we are at hiding things from the human eye we can not hide them from God. Of course He wants us to be healthy and take care of ourselves, but we can not let the personal strongholds of the world to become the center of our lives. Such strongholds are overcome as we daily read and obey God's Word and are filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We are to "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." -I John 2:15-17. We can all be in the will of God and see great blessings, but we must first examine ourselves and ask ourselves if we need to let go of any personal strongholds keeping us from seeing them. Then and only then can we be forgiven, reconcile with God, and receive His blessings. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:9-11. Prasie God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Visit: I'm Following Jesus!
http://www.readytofollow.com
Do You Know That You Are Going to Heaven? You Can Know.
Go to: I'm Ready to Get Saved
http://www.readytofollow.com/salvation
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
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Today is Monday April 12, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Samuel, chapters 3-5. 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-april-12
Title: Bible Study: Let Go of Personal Strongholds
God wants the best for His children, even here on earth, yet oddly enough many Christians have strongholds in their lives that keep them from receiving the best. A stronghold is a group, person, or thing that is the center of all that we do, when Christ is our stronghold we prosper and are blessed, even through circumstances. Personal strongholds suggests secret thoughts and desires that keep Christ from becoming Lord of their lives and receiving the blessings God has in store for them. If we truly want Christ to be Lord of our lives and see His true blessings we need to let go of personal strongholds.
After the death of Saul, David was rightfully to be the king of all of Israel, but under circumstances, Abner, the powerful commander of Saul's armies, proclaimed Saul's son Ishbosheth king of Israel. His motive, he desired to be in control of Israel and since his was not son of Saul, the next best thing would be next in command. “Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them. But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim; And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel. Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.” - II Samuel 3:7-10. The crown was rightfully meant for David, but David knew that he would be king of Israel when it was his appointed time to do so. Often, people that go over God's commands think they have won and are in control of their own destinies, but they fail to realize that God is always in control and sooner or later He will bring all things to pass as He never goes back on His Word.
About seven years later, there was a fierce quarrel between Abner and Ishbosheth. When confronted by Ishbosheth over Abner's deceitfulness, Abner tried to take control of the situation by threatening Ishbosheth. “And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine? Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.” - II Samuel 3:7-10. Abner conceitedly reminds Ishbosheth that he was the one that made him king, admitting also that he knew that David rightfully was chosen by God Himself to be king. What he was really saying was that he went over God's head and succeeded so he had the right to do whatever he wanted. This resulted in Abner going to David to form a league with him instead. "And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make thy league with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Israel unto thee." -II Samuel 3:12. David agreed and Abner then contacted the elders of Israel, reminding them that David was anointed to be king over Israel to begin with. However, a short time after Abner met with David, he was murdered by Joab, the commander of David's army, and then Ishbosheth was assassinated by two of his own guards. No one can escape going against God, He will even use their wickedness to see that things happen the way He commands. Abner thought he was in control, but he found out the hard way that God is always in control.
Abner's personal stronghold was his ego, he wanted to be powerful and in control, using whatever charm and deceitfulness he could to receive what he desired. Many people have personal strongholds that are harming not only themselves, but their relationship with God as well. There may be a place hidden from human view that is the center of the heart, this can be physical improvement, a career, a forbidden love, or a habit that one has never surrendered over to God. It is important to realize that any person who call on Jesus to save them from their sins are now His Temples and no matter how good we are at hiding things from the human eye we can not hide them from God. Of course He wants us to be healthy and take care of ourselves, but we can not let the personal strongholds of the world to become the center of our lives. Such strongholds are overcome as we daily read and obey God's Word and are filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We are to "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." -I John 2:15-17. We can all be in the will of God and see great blessings, but we must first examine ourselves and ask ourselves if we need to let go of any personal strongholds keeping us from seeing them. Then and only then can we be forgiven, reconcile with God, and receive His blessings. “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” - Romans 5:9-11. Prasie God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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