“The Parent/Grandparent God Wants You To Be” 07/25/2025 Written by Dr. Lawson Murry for “SEIZE The DAY”

Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

John 8:31-32 - Bible verse (ESV) - DailyVerses.net

Written by Dr. Lawson Murry for “SEIZE The DAY”  @  https://seizetheday-blog.com         

Original post @  https://seizetheday-blog.com/2024/07/24/the-parent-grandparent-god-wants-you-to-be-2/

 

The Parent/Grandparent God Wants You To Be

 

JULY 24, 2024

Family-Law-Image-800x600

The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9  (NLT).

 

What kind of parent and/or grandparent does God want you to be? The first thing we need to know is that God wants us to be parents/grandparents who are committed wholeheartedly to His Word. Now why is that important? Why is God’s Word the starting point for what God wants to accomplish in parents/grandparents? Because the Word is life (John 1:1-4), it’s where we meet God and He meets us, and because it informs our daily thinking and actions.

If our children/grandchildren are going to know the fullness of life, they must know Christ and know His Word. In order for children/grandchildren to know the Word they need to see parents/grandparents as living epistles. That is, they need to see parents/grandparents embodying the Word in the things they say and do. This should include children seeing us studying the Word, talking about the Word, meditating on the Word, and living out the Word.

That said, the parents/grandparents we want to be aren’t always the parents/grandparents we turn out to be. While we may want the Word to be paramount in our homes, there are times when our attitudes and actions fall short of our intent. That’s why it’s crucial for us to also depend on the power of the Holy Spirit. “He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scripture in his hands has all he needs,” says Alexander Maclaren.

We can never become the parents/grandparents God wants us to be if we try to do it in our own strength. Ephesians 5:18 says, “… let the Holy Spirit fill and control you” (NLT). If we’re to rise to our fullest stature as parents/grandparents and if we’re to be powerful influences in our children’s/grandchildren’s lives, we can’t rely on our personalities, skill, pedigree, intellect, financial means or experience. These things will never be enough. Priority must be given to regularly reading and reflecting on God’s Word as well as praying and asking God to fill us with His Spirit, for when we do these things God gives us the wisdom, patience, self-control, grace, spirit of generosity, and everything else we need to be the parents/grandparents God wants us to be.

 

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

   

 

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

 

 

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“The most dangerous Christian” 724/2024 Posted by Pastor Randy Burbank for “Kingdom Pastor”

“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

24 Best Bible Verses About Humility and Encouraging Scriptures

Posted by Pastor Randy Burbank for “Kingdom Pastor”  @  https://kingdompastor.wordpress.com

Original post @ https://melwild.wordpress.com/2021/07/29/the-most-dangerous-christian/

The most dangerous Christian

The most dangerous Christian in the world is not the one who knows the Bible frontwards and backward, the firebrand preacher, or even the most uncompromising believer. The most dangerous Christian is the one who has entered into the cooperative process with Jesus and has allowed Him to touch every part of their soul.

The most dangerous Christian is not the strong-willed, nor the smartest, nor the most gifted. He or she is the one who has learned to be loved by God and remain in His love, and to love others as he or she has been loved. The one who loves their enemies is more potent than those who are able to easily destroy them.

The most dangerous Christian is a little child, for they have no guile, no pretenses, and they haven’t yet learned to be cynical or passive-aggressive. They’re not unforgiving or judgmental, their love is unconditional, and they’re vulnerable, totally trusting those who have care over their souls.

Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this little child is the greatest one in heaven’s kingdom realm. (Matt.18:4 TPT)

Jesus was a threat to the devil on the earth, but not because of His divine power. Yes, Jesus is God the Son. But the fact of the matter is, Jesus did NOTHING in His own power. Jesus was a threat because He laid down His life; because He did nothing except what He saw the Father do.

19 So Jesus said, “I speak to you eternal truth. The Son is unable to do anything from himself or through his own initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as his Father. (John 5:19 TPT*)

Jesus was a threat because Satan had no hooks in Him. He couldn’t trigger Him. No areas of unhealed wounds with which to project onto others. No hypocrisy or virtue-signaling. Nothing with which the enemy could use from a wounded soul.

30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me (John 14:30 NIV*)

Jesus’ arrival was the ultimate handwriting on the wall for the god of this world. He was the prophet telling Belshazzar, “God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” (Dan.5:26-27)

Satan’s Babylonian construct called “this world” will one day fall forever (Rev.18), but it already has fallen in the hearts of those who have learned to live above this “Matrix,” for they live from heaven to earth (Phil.3:20), empowered through Christ’s life in them (Gal.2:20).

They don’t fight for victory, they fight from victory. They don’t just believe in Jesus, they believe like Jesus.

This is why Christians who have a transcactional relationship with Jesus are no theat to this world system. In fact, they’re still eating from the wrong Adamic tree. They’re still thinking spiritual maturity has something to do what they know instead of Who they know.

They have yet to learn that all transformation is experiential and relational; the rest is just empty religion.

When Jesus declared that Satan’s rule had come to an end, He was talking about a completely new way of living. He was inaugarating what Dallas Willard used to call His “subversive kingdom.” It’s a people who’ve learned to stop eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and now eat from the Tree of Life.

This kingdom invasion means the end of Satan’s kingdom on the earth wherever it is made manifest.

14 God always makes his grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of his endless triumph. Through our yielded lives he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go. 15 We have become the unmistakable aroma of the victory of the Anointed One to God—a perfume of life to those being saved and the odor of death to those who are perishing. (2 Cor.2:14 TPT)

These Christians are dangerous to the evil and the brokenness in this world because Jesus is dangerous to the evil and the brokenness of this world. Amen.

…because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17b)

* All emphasis added.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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7/23/2024 Posted by Alister Begg for www.truthforlife.org from Spurgeon’s writing

Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

What does Ephesians 5:18 mean in the New Testament? - Quora

Posted by Alister Begg for www.truthforlife.org  from Spurgeon’s writing

Original post @ https://info.truthforlife.org/following-god-1?ecid=ACsprvtBNMCGA_cdWZR3z5cfX1z7250JHHP3I28W9chEDk4B9-R8HznwYGA786K97LnkxJO-fEhV&utm_campaign=Spurgeon%20Daily%20Devotion&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Fb1E7BiC736E2wBFX2QN_5ev21qPe1jX3ZBDzxF3azAT_Ox3377uNjYoQRQ9J8xXU5xajEOTR_NddifKGj4BD60pgFTpy1AWOjvuFML-AQGo5VZ4&_hsmi=316474208&utm_content=316474208&utm_source=hs_email

JULY 21

Rejoice

Why do I go mourning?

Psalm 42:9

Can you answer this, believer? Can you find any reason why you are so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told you that the night would never end in day?

Who told you that the sea of circumstances would ebb out till there should be nothing left but long stretches of the mud of horrible poverty? Who told you that the winter of your discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow and ice and hail to deeper snow and yet more heavy tempest of despair? Don’t you know that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter?

Be full of hope! Hope forever! For God does not fail you. Do you not know that God loves you in the midst of all this? Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day, and God’s love is as true to you now as it was in your brightest moments.

No father chastens always. The Lord hates the rod as much as you do; He only cares to use it for that reason that would make you willing to receive it—namely, it brings about your lasting good. You will yet climb Jacob’s ladder with the angels and behold Him who sits at the top of it—your covenant God. You will yet, amidst the splendors of eternity, forget the trials of time or only remember them to bless the God who led you through them and works your lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation.

Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Make the wilderness blossom like the rose! Cause the desert to ring with your exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then, forever with the Lord, your bliss shall never wane.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe and you shalt see,
That
Christ is all in all to thee.

Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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“The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control?” 7/22/2024 Posted by www.gotquestions.org

“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power,  love, and self-control.

Here is a link for 58 Bible verses on self-control !!  –  https://debpreston.com/self-control-in-the-bible/

Posted by www.gotquestions.org

Click on the original link below and then on the speaker at the top, to listen to this post-

Original post @ https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-self-control.html

QUESTION

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is self-control?

ANSWER

The last characteristic listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as a fruit of the Spirit is self-control. The fruit of the Spirit is the change in our character that comes about because of the Holy Spirit’s work in us. We do not become Christians on our own, and we cannot grow on our own. Philippians 2:13 says that “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Every good thing we do is the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives.

Self-control (“temperance” in the KJV) is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts.

One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and actions. It’s not that we are naturally weak-willed. But our fallen nature is under the influence of sin. The Bible calls it being a “slave to sin” (Romans 6:6). One definition of sin is “filling a legitimate need through illegitimate means.” Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of knowing and choosing how best to meet our needs. Even if we knew what would be best, such as not smoking, another need, like comfort, would take precedence and enslave us again.

When we are saved by Christ’s sacrifice, we are free (Galatians 5:1). That liberty includes, among other things, freedom from sin. “Our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). Now, as the Spirit gives us self-control, we can refuse sin.

Believers need self-control because the outside world and internal forces still attack (Romans 7:21-25). Like a vulnerable city, we must have defenses. A wall around an ancient city was designed to keep out the enemy. Judges at the gates determined who should be allowed in and who should remain outside. Soldiers and gates enforced those decisions. In our lives, these defenses might include avoiding close relationships with sinnersmeeting with other believers, and meditating on the life-giving Word of God. We don’t exhibit self-control if we continually dally with that which would enslave us.

Self-control naturally leads to perseverance (2 Peter 1:6) as we value the long-term good instead of the instant gratification of the world. Self-control is a gift that frees us. It frees us to enjoy the benefits of a healthy body. It frees us to rest in the security of good stewardship. It frees us from a guilty conscience. Self-control restricts the indulgence of our foolish desires, and we find the liberty to love and live as we were meant to.

FOR FURTHER STUDY

The Spirit-Filled Life: Discovering the Joy of Surrendering to the Holy Spirit by Charles Stanley

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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“Choosing to Follow God” 7/21/2024 Written by Bill Crowder for “Our Daily Bread”

“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional 

Joshua 24:15 Photos and Images

Written by Bill Crowder for “Our Daily Bread” @  http://odb.org

[Click on the “Listen Online” link and listen to the audio version at the top, including the prayer at the end in the original post link below] 

Original post @ https://odb.org/2024/01/17/choices-2

January 17

Choosing to Follow God

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

 

Today’s Scripture & Insight :

Joshua 24:14–18

“The average person will make 773,618 decisions over a lifetime,” claims the Daily Mirror. The British newspaper goes on to assert that we “will come to regret 143,262 of them.” I have no idea how the paper arrived at these numbers, but it’s clear that we face countless decisions throughout our lifetime. The sheer quantity of them might become paralyzing, especially when we consider that all our choices have consequences, some far more momentous than others.

After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the children of Israel stood at the threshold of their new homeland. Later, after entering the land, Joshua, their leader, issued to them a challenging choice: “Fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness,” he said. “Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped” (Joshua 24:14). Joshua told them, “If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve . . . . But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (v. 15).

As we begin each new day, possibilities stretch before us, leading to scores of decisions. Taking the time to ask God to guide us will influence the choices we make. By the power of the Spirit, we can choose to follow Him every day.

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

What choices have you regretted making? How might you have handled those situations more wisely?

Father, sometimes life can feel overwhelming—and so can the many choices that confront me. Please guide my steps and my decision-making so that I honor You in the choices I make.

For further study, read Dangerous Decisions: Learning from the Mistakes of Lot and Achan.

 

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

   

 

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

 

 

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“Surrender and Obedience” 7/20/2024 Written by Dawn Ivey for “Drawing closer to Christ”

“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Written by Dawn Ivey for “Drawing closer to Christ” @  https://drawingclosertochrist.com

Original post @  https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2023/03/20/surrender-and-obedience/

Surrender and Obedience

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Recently, I was reflecting on this verse and felt the need to repent of the many times I flippantly quoted this verse and took it for granted. I didn’t take time to prayerfully consider the fact, that in order to walk in God’s good plans for my life, I would need to live a life of surrender and obedience. Not just when it was easy or convenient, and not just when I felt like it. Surrender and obedience to the will of God are a daily requirement.

God does have a good plan for us, but it is up to us to choose to do His will daily, in order for those plans to come to pass. We will have to sacrifice our will and choose His. We will have to be uncomfortable at times, in order to realize the joy of walking out His plans and reaping the rewards of a life fully dedicated to Him.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the good plans that you have for our lives. Forgive us of the times we have taken your goodness for granted, not being fully obedient to your leading in our lives. Help us to desire your will above our own. Show us areas of our hearts and lives that we are not committing to you and help us to make the needed changes. Thank you for your patience and mercy. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

Picture credit:  https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=717d2b41bab710c2&rlz=1C1UEAD_enUS1112US1112&sxsrf=ADLYWIJvp6ZHp1waNpuwxOS_QAEFr0W7dw:1721479395255&q=Image+2cor5:7&udm=2&source=univ&fir=_VNAa_HmpEXpmM%252CAFl76WFRnf2GHM%252C_%253B1xQkNfLFbGVsgM%252ChbWKafwvURGj4M%252C_%253BzOIirczLhcmmTM%252CmJi8uxWES517OM%252C_%253Bxdmi8KSHMA3yoM%252C1OiW_m0hSudk0M%252C_%253BrWeoKwSD1u3WIM%252CB7kAHZK1KXy9bM%252C_%253BJ3RBWaCs0HQX9M%252C14hP2Zzpsje3jM%252C_%253BEjAvGmDTTmESmM%252CtfptLQcuwWMfmM%252C_%253ByROF6fxy9NhFUM%252CjefvKJrZpKFdtM%252C_%253BYWrmAeO7iXfspM%252CCprUgWTFuO4DMM%252C_%253BR7X7skGzfouCPM%252C7M18GCBfrLsdMM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kR_J4k0g2P7r_1eQ6vP61IdkpSTlg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4pd6-0rWHAxWLmokEHdBmCG0Q7Al6BAgVEAo&biw=1302&bih=910&dpr=1#vhid=ZzYjfwlgWdUV_M&vssid=mosaic
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“The Plan” 7/19/2024 Written by Beth Andrews for “Deeper Roots”

“Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

The plans I have for you (Jeremiah 29) – Seeking the kingdom

Written by Beth Andrews for “Deeper Roots”  @  https://dbethandrews.wordpress.com

Original post @ https://dbethandrews.wordpress.com/2024/06/20/the-plan/

The Plan

 

POSTED ON JUNE 20, 2024 BY BETH ANDREWS

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare” (Psalm 40:5).

The speaker declared, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” I, along with thousands of other women in the packed arena, nodded my head in agreement. God’s love was not in question and His wonderful plan for my life was also a certainty in my mind.  What was in doubt was why I kept pushing His plans away to go after my own. Did I really think I know better than God? The sad truth is, often I do – and I’ll bet – if you’re honest – you do too. We think that God doesn’t quite understand our situation, that He doesn’t know what we know.  Or, like Eve in the garden, that God is holding out on us.

I have followed my own plans several times. Sometimes I found a small measure of success or pleasure but inevitably it always ended disastrously. I took the wrong path or said the wrong thing, or followed the wrong person, or – well, I think you understand. You’ve done the same thing. It always ends with me, full of regret and a few bruises, coming before God and saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I made a mess. Will you help me please?” And He always does. Even in my stubborn determination to do my thing my way, God is gracious and kind.

Maybe I am just getting old and too tired for the drama and chaos of pushing my own stubborn will up a mountain I was never meant to climb. Or maybe I’m learning – every so slowly – the blessing and peace of submitting to God’s will over my own. Maybe I’m beginning to understand that God’s plans have a wider, longer, higher, deeper purpose than anything I can plan for myself. Maybe I’m realizing that He who planned the universe can certainly make and implement a good plan for my one little life.

The same is true for you, Beloved. God does love you and He has a wonderful plan for your life – “immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). The question is, whose plan will you follow today?

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

   

 

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

 

 

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“Searching” 7/18/2024 Written by Bill Rudge for “Bill Rudge Ministries”

Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org/

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The  old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT. - ppt  download

Written by Bill Rudge for “Bill Rudge Ministries” @  https://billrudgeministries.wordpress.com/

Original post @ https://billrudgeministries.wordpress.com/2023/01/03/searching/

Searching

JANUARY 3, 2023BRM7

Photo by Karen Rudge

by Bill Rudge

I know a young man who engaged in a tremendous search for meaning and purpose in life and attempted almost every conceivable way to find it. He tried alcohol, sex, gambling, being in a rock band, weightlifting, martial arts, Eastern religions, the occult, New Ageism, and belief in the theory of evolution, pretending there was no God. He pursued practically every pleasure and thrill imaginable. He even tried going to church. But all of the good feelings generated by these experiences were short-lived because the fulfillment he so desperately searched for never lasted. Nothing would silence the gnawing questions about life he longed to have answered — Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is my purpose in life?

Millions of people search here and there, hoping to find true and long-lasting happiness, peace, and joy! Some may find it temporarily, but it soon eludes them, like the evasive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Their search continues – always thinking if only they had this, or did that, then they would be happy and satisfied. But the more they get, and the more they do, the more they seem to want!

Perhaps you have been searching, too. Some people may not verbally admit that they are inwardly searching, but their actions show that they are. Maybe you have turned to drugs and alcohol, or given your life over to seeking nothing but pleasure, or joined some mystical group, or involved yourself in a host of other things in an attempt to attain fulfillment. Or perhaps you have even become so disillusioned with life altogether that you have either contemplated or actually tried to commit suicide. Maybe you are like some who think that if they only had a better job, or that new home, or a different marriage partner, or more money or friends, they would then be happy, but soon realize they are still unhappy, still unfulfilled … still searching!

Have you asked yourself, “Just what is the purpose of life and where is mine headed?” Have you invested the time and energy necessary to discover the answer to these vital questions, or have you concluded as so many others, “Why waste time trying to figure it out – I’ll just enjoy it as much as I can, and as long as I can!”

Many movies and television commercials express this philosophy of getting all the pleasure and excitement from life, regardless of the consequences. In Living Color mass media proclaims the hedonistic philosophy that says: “If it feels good, do it! If I like it, it’s right! Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” These clichés are characteristic of today’s society. Everywhere we see a religion of self: self-centeredness, self-fulfillment, and self-indulgence.

But searching for selfish pleasure and self-gratification soon catches up to you. Today you may have your youth and good looks, but consider all those who have gone before you. Many who thought their youth and pleasure would never end are coming face-to-face with cold reality. A glance in the mirror and the aches and pains in their bodies reveal how quickly the aging process occurs and how temporary the pleasures of this world really are.

The Bible accurately reveals that the pleasures of sin are just for a season! They are short-lived and eventually lead to a dead end of emptiness, frustration, and despair. Then you have to “live with” or “die from” the consequences of your actions and lifestyle.

I Timothy 5:6 says that she “who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.” Physically you may be alive, but something deep inside is dead — and you know it. It is your spirit that is dead toward God!

I remember the temporary fun and excitement of “partying” and “having a good time.” I only cared about the “now” and did not consider tomorrow. But after the party and “fun times” were over, I knew there had to be something more to life.

It has been stated that “once our stomachs become filled with pleasure, we notice the emptiness of our souls.” How true! Often people try religion when they finally realize the futility and hopelessness of a hedonistic and pleasure-oriented lifestyle, and that fulfillment in life cannot be found in material things.

But instead of looking beyond one’s self to the God who created us, many people have been persuaded to foolishly refuse God’s grace, and instead search inwardly for the answers. Hoping to discover the “divine within” and achieve “God consciousness,” they are sold the same lie Satan used on Eve when he promised her, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). They end up being deceived into worshipping and serving the creation rather than the Creator. Perhaps you have tried this road, too, but still find an emptiness in your soul.

The real reason for your emptiness is because you are separated from the God who created you. You have a broken relationship, not on His part, but on yours. From the beginning, humans have chosen to rebel and disobey and do things their own way even to this day. As a result, you search, hoping to discover the missing ingredient in your life — which is in reality — God!

Jesus said to the woman at the well, “…everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again” (John 4:13). He was revealing to her the futility of seeking fulfillment in anything or anyone other than Himself. Although you may be temporarily satisfied by drinking the water of this world, you will thirst again and never be completely fulfilled. But Jesus went on to say, “… whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst …” (John 4:14). Jesus knew that deep down within, everyone has a need and a thirst that only He can truly satisfy.

The Psalmist knew of this inner thirst for God, for he stated, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God” (Psalms 42:1). The Psalmist also said, “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalms 16:11). Not the pleasure of the moment, or of an evening that is soon over, but forever!

King Solomon, who was known as the richest and wisest man in the world, told how he had searched – in opulence, pleasure, wine, women, and by trying everything which his mind could conceive – but it was all emptiness and futility. His wise advice, after all of his vain searching, is recorded at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes. He states, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments…” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

I have traveled throughout the U.S. and the world many times, and one thing I know for certain is that people everywhere are searching for something real to believe in that will give them lasting fulfillment.

The young man I mentioned earlier, who went through the tremendous search endeavor, was me. In 1971, at the age of eighteen, after trying just about everything imaginable, I discovered the ultimate answer to my searching adventure as I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. It has not always been easy, but God has given me a meaning and a purpose, an inner joy and peace, and an exciting and challenging life that I would not exchange for anything. He has truly given me abundant life here and now and a blessed hope for the future!

Have you tasted of the water that only Jesus can give…the water of eternal life? If you do not yet know the Lord, you can end your search and begin a new and exciting life today by giving your life to the resurrected Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) Christ is the answer to all of your questions. Find real purpose and meaning to life in Him today.

POSTED IN BLOGSEARCHING FOR GOD,DRUGS,EMPTINESS,FULFILLMENT,HAPPINESS,OCCULT,PLEASURE,PURPOSE

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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“Serve the Lord with Gladness” 7/17/2024 Posted by Alister Begg for www.truthforlife.org from Spurgeon’s writing

Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org

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I F E A N Y I C H U K W U on X: "Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before  His presence with singing. Psalms 100:2 NKJV https://t.co/Y8Y4B4b8Pt  https://t.co/PfmzKykcIf" / X

Posted by Alister Begg for www.truthforlife.org  from Spurgeon’s writing

Original post @ https://www.truthforlife.org/devotionals/spurgeon/1/9/2024/?ecid=ACsprvsVoNiGSmvCsbHwSxl8KhzC5MTSe7Xix0OTkMFDo5fHkLOfw87Y9cMCkOkcV3U_63LiUy4n&utm_campaign=Spurgeon+Daily+Devotion&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9UwUYStUkX9_jID-nc9H1dIrvnbByUPBp-LzocuhDPoKK9j-trFtK1cmPDMVgWKw9axGFvhNfdOMdbNuXZfIaNB_rzAsGvCjvrspvWrE-GjRVapwQ&_hsmi=310606290&utm_content=310606290&utm_source=hs_email

Serve the Lord with Gladness

 

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Psalm 100:2

Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving Him at all; they bring the form of loyalty, but life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace His throne; He is the Lord of the empire of love and would have His servants dressed in the uniform of joy.

The angels of God serve Him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience that is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looks at the heart, and if He sees that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering.

Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart service and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eyes and beaming faces, singing, “It is sweet for one’s country to die,” proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism.

Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil, the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness.

The man who is cheerful in his service of God proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,

Make me to walk in your commands,
It’s a delightful road.

 

Reader, let us put this question—do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.

Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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“Atheism Is Not a Modern Phenomenon” 7/16/2024 Posted by David Kitz for “I Love the Psalms”

Our Daily Bread”     http://odb.org

The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie    http://www.harvest.org/devotional

Psalm 14:1 | The Consecrated Woman

Posted by David Kitz for “I Love the Psalms” @  https://davidkitz.wordpress.com/

Original post found @ https://davidkitz.blog/2024/06/21/atheism-is-not-a-modern-phenomenon/

Atheism Is Not a Modern Phenomenon

21FridayJun 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 14Psalms

Tags AtheismatheistDavidfear of GodfoolGodGod’s judgmentPsalmssalvationsinthe LORD

 

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365

Reading: Psalm 14
For the director of music.
 Of David.


The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the LORD.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
 (NIV) *

img_20230821_1535256

Clear sailing — photo by David Kitz

 

Reflection
Apparently, atheism is not a modern phenomenon. Three thousand years ago in David’s time, there were people who said in their hearts, “There is no God.” Atheism has a long and ignoble pedigree. I say ignoble because as David observes, it is the fool who says, “There is no God.”

There is a footnote in my Bible indicating the word translated in this psalm as fool denotes someone who is morally deficient. David goes on to describe this moral deficiency. He uses the words corrupt and vile. In fact, there is a complete absence of anything good. But this isn’t just David’s indictment against a few errant atheists; this is the LORD’s view of all mankind. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. In the New Testament, Paul the Apostle quotes from this psalm in his epistle to the Romans as he outlines the depravity of humanity.

Is there a link between unbelief and the sinful state of the human soul? Does sin breed unbelief? There is ample biblical and anecdotal evidence that it does. When Adam and Eve sinned, in an instant, they turned from God seekers to God avoiders. Add a little more sin, and it’s only a short step for a God-avoider to become a God-denier.

We deny the existence of God to avoid accountability for our sins. We foolishly assume that since we can’t see God, He can’t see us and our misdeeds. Better yet why not pretend God doesn’t exist? Then we are at liberty to sin as much as we please without fear of God’s judgment. That sounds like morally deficient reasoning to me. But the fool fools only himself.

Response: Father, I want to seek You always, especially when I sin. That’s when I need you most. You have the remedy for my sin—the blood of Jesus. You forgive me and clean me up. Amen.

Your Turn: Does sinful conduct affect or infect your belief system? How does sin cloud our reasoning?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…

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