We Should Pray For One Another

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of The Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to The Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:9-12 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians in the Church at Colosse based solely upon what he had heard about them. The fact that he had never visited them, and that he did not know them personally, did not stop him from praying for them.

Christians are always under attack by the demons of Satan, powers, principalities, wicked people in high places, and people under the influence of the devil. (Ephesians 6:12) We are all always in need of prayer. We should pray for others as we would pray for ourselves. Someone prayed for us, even before we prayed for ourselves.

We Are All Called To Serve God

"I keep asking that The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you ..." Ephesians 1:17-18 (NIV)

This was the prayer of the apostle Paul for the Christians in Ephesus.

We are not all called to preach the gospel, but we are all called by God to serve Him in some capacity. We are not all given the same gifts or abilities but we all have at least one gift that we can use in His service. We should all pray for each other that we would recognize our gifts and how we can use them for the glory of God.

We Must Forgive To Be Forgiven

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors ... For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:12-15 (NIV)

While teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus explains that they must forgive those who have sinned against them in order to be forgiven of their own sins.

We all have sinned and need to ask God for His forgiveness. In the model prayer, we ask our heavenly Father to "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." When we ask for forgiveness, we will only be forgiven as we are willing to forgive others. Jesus makes it clear that if we do not forgive others of their sins, then our heavenly Father will not forgive us of our sins. (Mark 11:25 & Luke 11:4) So, forgive, and be forgiven.

Repent Turn From Your Wicked Ways And Turn To God

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from The Lord ..." Acts 3:19 (NIV)

After the Apostle Peter had healed the crippled man at the temple gate called Beautiful, he addressed the onlooking crowd and told them to repent.

The message in the early sermons that Jesus preached was: "Repent." (Matthew 4:17) Unfortunately, that sermon still needs to be preached today. We take our lives and our blessings for granted. We should conduct our lives as living sacrifices unto The Lord. We need to behave in such a way so that people can see Christ in us. Those who knew us before and after we accepted Christ, should be able to see a difference in our behavior. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Blessed Is The Man Who Does What Is Right

"This is what The Lord says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

After inviting the people to become suffering servants and heirs to abundant life, the Prophet Isaiah tells them to do what is right. He tells them that The Lord says blessed is the man maintains justice, does what is right, keeps the Sabbath, and keeps from doing evil.

We are to do what is right and honor The Lord on His day each week. Blessed are the Jews and Gentiles (Isaiah 55:6 & 56:3) who are willing to love, serve, and obey The Lord, keep the Sabbath, and turn away from evil. According to the English Study Bible (ESV), keeping the Sabbath is a covenant sign that represents a lifestyle of devotion to The Lord. True observance of the Sabbath entails not only refraining from work but also refraining from doing any evil. Every Sunday we should rededicate ourselves to The Lord and renew our commitment to love Him more and serve Him better. Blessed is the man who does this.

He Will Answer You

"Yet The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! O people ... you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you. Although The Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' " Isaiah 30:18-21 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah to the rebellious people that because they would not listen to or obey The Word of God, the they would endure the wrath of God. But those people who remained faithful and waited upon The Lord would be blessed. Their prayers would be answered and God would be with them and guide them through adversity and during times of affliction.

Jesus The Christ, quoted and read to the people from the Book of Isaiah (Matthew 13:14 and Luke 4:16-21). So it is my belief that for those of us who believe, keep the faith, and wait on The Lord, will be blessed. Our prayers will be answered, He will be with us during times of trouble, and He will protect us and direct us as long as we listen to His voice.

While We Wait For The Blessed Hope

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope; the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is writing to Titus to give personal encouragement to the young pastor that he was to pass on to the leaders of the church, and to the people, regarding Christian living.

While we wait for the blessed hope, the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are to live a Christ-like, godly lives in this present sinful age. We are to exercise self-control, walk upright, and deny ungodly worldly passions and pleasures. We should be eager to do that which is good and we should avoid that which is not good. Remember that we are in this world, but not of this world. Jesus is coming back for His Church, and we should live like we want to go with Him when He leaves the next time.

Those Who Have Faith Are Blessed

"Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." Galatians 3:6-9 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the Galatians that they were not blessed because they obeyed the law. They were blessed because of their faith in God, just as Abraham, the father of the faithful, was blessed.

Those of us who believe in God and have faith in God are blessed by God, just as Abraham, who is considered the father of the faithful, was blessed. We are justified by our faith just as Abraham was justified by his faith. All of the blessings that we receive are because of Jesus Christ. Salvation is not possible through faith in any other but Jesus, The Christ. Jesus said, "no man comes to The Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Don't Cause The Weak In Christ To Stumble

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves." Romans 14:19-22 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is admonishing the Christians in Rome to be careful to and around the new, weak Christians who have only limited knowledge of The Word of God and religious practices.

The issue here is not the food or drink being clean or unclean. The issue in about not doing anything that will cause someone else to fall and sin. Those who are strong in the faith and knowledgeable should not carelessly flaunt it or belittle those who are new or weak in the faith. We should always have regard for how our words and actions will affect others. Our practices may not be wrong or sinful, but if they cause a less knowledgeable person to stumble into sin by their misunderstanding or weakness, then we are condemned and miss out on a blessing. Let us educate, edify, and enlighten our brothers and sisters regarding The Word of God without puffing ourselves up or putting them down. Let us not act so "holier than thou" that we discourage them. Let us not cause another to stumble by our vocalizing what we like or approve. Just because we can, does not mean that we should.

We Are Blessed For Believing Without Seeing

"Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' " John 20:24-29 (NIV)

The disciple Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. He said that unless he saw nail marks and put his finger in them, he would not believe that Jesus had appeared to them. A week later Jesus reappeared to His disciples and this time Thomas was with them. Thomas saw for himself and he believed.

There is a blessing for those of us who were not there to see it for ourselves, but still believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ. Those of us who believe are walking by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6) We are blessed in many ways and for many things, one of those is being blessed for believing that He is who He says He is without having to see the proof for ourselves.

Blessings Come By Knowing And Doing

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you ... Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13"15-17 (NIV)

Jesus spoke these words to His disciples at the Passover Feast after He had washed the feet of His disciples. He had provided them with an example of how to live and behave, and He had taught them. Then Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

When we know better, we ought to do better. Knowing what is right and not doing it is not good enough. We are not blessed because of what we know. We are blessed by what we say and do. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) Knowledge alone, if it is not accompanied by action, is useless. We must apply what we know in order to be a blessing to others and to be blessed ourselves.

Want An Extra Special Blessing?

"He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear The Word of God and obey it.' " Luke 11:28 (NIV)

Jesus was talking with His disciples and the crowd after teaching them the model prayer and casting the demon out of a mute man when a woman in the crowd yelled out 'bless His mother', this was the reply that Jesus gave her.

Jesus conferred many blessings on individuals, on His disciples, and on the people who believed. While not conferring any additional special blessing on this woman in the crowd or on His earthly mother, Jesus made it clear that those who hear and obey The Word of God would be blessed. This clearly applied to more that just the woman in the crowd. The words "those who" also applies to all of us today. So if you want an additional special blessing, read the Bible out loud, or listen to the preacher, and obey The Word of God and you will be blessed.

Blessed And Forgiven

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV)

King David knew that a man was blessed if God has forgiven him or his sins. He also knew that when God forgives a man of his sins, the sins that he has committed will never count against him.

Believers know that the Bible states that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Jesus died for our sins and it is by His blood that our sins are covered. When God looks at believers, He sees the blood of Jesus and not our sin sick souls. We are blessed because our sins are forgiven and not held against us thanks to Jesus, The Christ.

Some Of The Problems With The People Are Due To Problems With Some Of The Pastors In The Pulpit

" 'And now this admonition is for you, O priests. If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor My name,' says The Lord Almighty, 'I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor Me. Because of you I will rebuke your descendants ... so that my covenant with Levi may continue,' says The Lord Almighty. 'My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction; because he is the messenger of The Lord Almighty. But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant with Levi,' says The Lord Almighty. 'So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed My ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law." Malachi 2:1-9 (NIV)

After admonishing the people, the prophet Malachi admonished the priests. The priests were not providing a good example of Godliness for the people. Because they had caused many to stumble, God cursed them and caused the to be despised and humiliated before the people.

God does not expect any of us to be perfect. We are all sinful by nature and while we are wrapped in our earthly bodies, we will continue to sin. We were given the free will to choose to believe and to choose right rather than wrong. However, whoa be unto us if we cause others to stumble and sin. It would be better to have a milestone about our necks and be cast into the sea. (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42, & Luke 17:2) And those who teach will be judged much more strictly. (James 3:1) Pastors and preachers need to be especially careful that they do not misinform or mislead God's people. The people need to be very careful who they follow and they need to study the Bible to make sure that what they hear is correct. Do not imitate behavior that is not Godly. Judgment is coming and it will begin with the Church. "For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)

Cursed Is He Who Vows One Thing But Does Another

"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to The Lord. For I am a great king," says The Lord Almighty, "and My name is to be feared among the nations." Malachi 1:14 (NIV)

The prophet Malachi to the people that God will curse those who claim to give Him their best but knowingly offer Him less than their best.

We also should take heed of this and give God our best and our best effort. When we vow to do something for The Lord and then don't do it when we easily could have, we may also incur the wrath of God and be cursed instead of blessed.

Blessed From This Day On

"Now give careful thought to this from this day on ... From this day on I will bless you." Haggai 2:15 & 19 (NIV)

The prophet Haggai told the people to "consider your ways" (1:5 & 7), their selfish indulgence, and the people heard him and responded with repentance and obedience. Because of their obedience that The Lord said for them to carefully consider their situation, and from that day forward He would bless them.

As we age from one day, or year, to the next, it is a good idea for us to consider carefully where we are and where we stand. God has forgiven us of our past sins and has said if we will be obedient, He will bless us from this day on. As we look back over our lives, each day, month, year, and decade, we need to give consideration to the choices that we have made and what He has brought us through. We should thank Him for His goodness, His mercy, and His grace, and for His willingness to bless us from this day forward.

Sometimes We Talk Too Much

"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much." Proverbs 20:19 (NIV)

King Solomon, the wisest man ever, said that one who spreads gossip reveals secrets and should not be trusted but should be avoided because they talk too much.

People who gossip to you will also gossip about you. If they will tell you someone's secrets, they will tell your secrets to someone else. Avoid people who talk too much and do not be one of them. We cannot hear well or reflect when we are talking. Quiet time is not just for kids, some adults should spend more time in quiet time and talk less. We should spend more time quietly reflecting on what God has done for us and less time talking about the personal affairs of others.

Share Wisdom And Understanding When You Speak

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions ... The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook." Proverbs 18:2-4 (NIV)

This proverb of King Solomon teaches that a fool is not interested in gaining understanding, all he wants to do is express his own opinion. Whereas the words of a wise man express his deep and seemingly inexhaustible wisdom and understanding.

It seems that some people like to hear themselves talk, even when they have nothing substantial to say. Before we speak, we should make sure that we know what we are talking about. Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are essential for effective communication and sharing The Word of God. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:7 (KJV) If you are not sure that you know something, be quiet and listen, then verify what you have heard. The Bible records in 2 Timothy 4:15 (KJV): "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Know what you are talking about before you speak, do not simply repeat hearsay or offer an unsubstantiated opinion.

Don't Express Every Thought

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." Proverbs 29:11 (NIV)

King Solomon, a very wise man, once said, "A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." (NKJ) Translated differently, "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back." (ESV)

Put more bluntly in today's terms, every thought that we have does not need to be expressed. Not everything that "comes up" (as a thought) "needs to come out" (as a spoken word). We might be better served if we kept most of our thoughts to ourselves. We should ask ourselves this question before we speak: "Is what I am about to say going to be helpful to a person or in kingdom building?" If the answer is 'yes', then go on and say it. However, if the answer is 'no' or 'not really', then we should keep it to ourselves. The Bible says, "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36 Sometimes we should just keep quiet and ask for forgiveness for what we just thought.

We Will Be Tested

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith; of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire; may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV)

After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter told the scattered Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans and the Jewish religious leaders, that for a little while they would have to suffer. However, the suffering, trials, and tribulations were part of a process that would test their faith and make them stronger, better Christians, just as gold is refined and purified by fire.

Today we can be assured that we will have troubles and that they will come in many forms, family, relationships, employment, finances, sickness, and the death of loved ones. We need to know that our troubles are temporary, they will only last for a season. We need to understand that our troubles, trials, and tribulations are only tests of our faith to see if we will persevere or give up. Finally, we need to remember that we will triumph over our troubles if we keep the faith. Jesus has already overcome the world and if we believe we will also overcome. (1 John 5:4) If we keep the faith, we are on our way to hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant ..." (Matthew 25:23) "We've come this far by faith..." don't give up now.

Blessed With More Than We Asked For

"God said to Solomon, 'Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (NIV)

When David's son Solomon became king, he prayed to God for wisdom and knowledge in order to properly govern God's people. Because his request pleased God, He gave him what he asked for and blessed him with much more than he asked for, including wealth, riches, and honor.

Sometimes when our prayers are for the best interest of others, God blesses us with more than we ask for. God knows the desires of our hearts, and when our desires are in line with His will, He blesses us in more ways than we requested. Frequently, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others.

Those Who Honor God Will Receive Honor Those Who Don't Won't

"... But now The Lord declares: 'Far be it from Me! Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained.' " 1 Samuel 2:30 (NIV)

The Prophet Samuel told Eli, the priest, that his evil sons would soon die on the same day because they dishonored God.

God has promised to bless us, but some of those blessings are conditional. If we do not honor God, then we will miss out on some of our blessings. If we choose to willfully dishonor God, then we will not only lose our blessings but we will also be punished and receive the wrath of
God. Be sure to give God all of the honor that He is due.

Let Our Words Match Our Hearts

"These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Matthew 15:8-9 (NIV)

Speaking to the people about the religious leaders, the Apostle Matthew quoted the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 13:29) saying that they were honoring God with their words, but their words did not reflect what was in their hearts.

We need to be very careful when we speak. God knows exactly what is in our heart, how we really feel, and what we truly believe. It is not good for us to say one thing when we believe and act differently. Maybe we should just say "yes" when we mean yes and say "no" when we mean no, and not say very much else. (Matthew 5:37 & James 5:12) We talk a lot to impress people. The more we talk, the more likely we are to say something that is offensive to God. If we believe, then our thoughts, words, and actions should reflect our beliefs. It is truly sinful when we say something, knowing that we really believe something totally different. Let's be true to our belief in God, let's make sure that our words match our hearts.

The Pursuit Of Righteousness Has Its Rewards

"He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. " Proverbs 21:21 (NIV)

One of the proverbs of Solomon, the wisest man ever, teaches that the pursuit of righteousness and love will lead not only to righteousness and love, but will also result in prosperity and honor.

The pursuit of righteousness will result in much more than what we are seeking. The reward for seeking righteousness will be much greater than we expect. By seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all of the other things that we want will be given to us. (Matthew 6:33)

Familiarity Breeds Contempt Not Respect

"When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from there. Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. 'Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked. 'Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, 'Only in His hometown and in His own house is a prophet without honor.' And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." Matthew 13:53-58 (NIV)

After Jesus spoke the seven parables, the people in His home town, who thought that they knew Him well as a boy and as a young man, questioned where He learned all that He spoke. They took offense at Him because they felt that He was nothing special.

It is hard to get respect and honor from people who knew you "way back when," especially if they did not have a very high regard for you then. People will frequently remind you of your past when your present situation, and your future, is brighter than theirs. This is especially true if they feel that they were better off than you were in the past. The best thing to say to them is, "Thanks be to God, I have moved on from there." Remember, we are not here to get the praise of men, we are here to please God and to give Him glory.