Just Sharing…

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. — Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

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How Can I Become a More Obedient Child of God?

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By Dr. Charles Stanley

Genesis 12:1-4

Obedience is a major characteristic of a person who is mighty in spirit and honors the Lord. Generally speaking, obedience characterized the faith of Abraham from his first encounter with God until his death.

We grow in obedience by having faith in the sovereignty of God. If we fail to believe in the Father’s sovereignty, we will find it difficult to obey Him. Abraham based his relationship with God on his confidence that the Lord would always do as He had promised (Rom. 4:20, 21). Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and responding in confident trust (Rom. 10:17). We will learn to trust Him as we study and meditate on His Word.

We grow in obedience by waiting for God’s timing. The Father is very time conscious—not in terms of minutes and seconds, but in regard to our acting in obedience according to His schedule. Throughout Scripture we find Him moving in “the fullness of the time” (Gal. 4:4). He is neither early nor late. He is always right on time.

We continue to grow in obedience by refusing to subject God’s plan to “common sense” or the reasoning of the world. Some things the Lord requires may look ridiculous from a human perspective. He told Abraham that he would have a son through whom He would bless the entire world. Yet the Lord allowed Abraham’s obedience to be severely tested—first by requiring him to wait nearly a quarter of a century before providing the promised provision, and later by requiring him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. God knew the motive of Abraham’s heart. It was one of obedience. When it came time to complete the sacrifice, the Lord was the one who provided a ram to be used in Isaac’s place.

We grow in obedience by promptly responding in obedience. If you long to obey God, you will not hesitate when He tells you to do something. Many times we fail to obey the Father because we fear the consequences. Yet He never requires us to do anything outside His will for our lives. Our only responsibility is to obey; His responsibility is to take care of the consequences of our obedience.

Our sensitivity to God’s will increases as we obey Him. Along the way, He provides glimpses of the blessings waiting for us. God always blesses obedience. You can trust Him, obey Him, and be blessed. Or you can disobey Him and spend the rest of your life wondering what He would have done had you obeyed Him. Once you glimpse the blessings of obedience, however, the consequences no longer matter.

Adapted from “The Charles F. Stanley’s Life Principles Bible,” 2008.

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Source: Email Daily Devotion from InTouch Ministies
http://www.intouch.org/you/article-archive/content?topic=how_can_i_become_a_more_obedient_child_of_god_article

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How to Become a Successful Father

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No human father is perfect. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and godly mentors, a man can become a successful dad by intentionally leading his children in these areas:

  • Spirituality. Help your children to trust in Jesus Christ as early as possible, and they’ll grow with the understanding that He is to be at the center of everything they do.
  • Morality. In homes where honesty, purity, and loyalty are lived out, boys and girls learn to value integrity and listen to their conscience.
  • Relationships. Teaching about love, respect, and mutual encouragement is good preparation for friendships and marriage.
  • Vocation. Model cooperation and doing work “heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23 nkjv), and your children will form a healthy work ethic.
  • Finances. Teach your kids the right way to handle money: to earn honestly, give generously, invest intelligently, save prudently, and enjoy heartily (1 Tim. 6:17).
  • Authority. Unless children learn how to function properly under authority–of parents, school, church, and government–rebelliousness can easily develop. Our sons and daughters notice when there’s a disconnect between our conduct and words, so setting a good example is essential.

The way to build guiding principles into a child’s life is by precept (teaching) and practice (modeling). Dads, if you plant these healthy concepts in your children’s hearts, what a joy it will be to see them equipped and motivated to fulfill God’s purpose for their life.

From InTouch Daily Devotion

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How to Handle Praise

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Our character is tested by the praise that comes to us. Every compliment that bounces into our ears should quickly rebound up to the Father. If we hold onto it, the poison of pride will begin to infect our hearts. But if we pass the praise to God, humility takes up residence in our souls.

Source: InTouch Ministries Daily Devotional (Email)

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When a Fellow Christian Stumbles

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I do not usually post the entire transcript of any articles that I’m receiving from various websites but today this post is an exemption.  I think this article from InTouch Ministries Daily Devotion is a must FOR US (Christians) to understand and at least try to practice.

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The Lord doesn’t want the members of His body to live in isolation; believers are intended to function as a loving family who actively care for each other. One of our responsibilities as part of God’s household is to come alongside a brother or sister who has stumbled. Paul specifies that those “who are spiritual” are to restore the fallen ones to fellowship with the Father and the family. “Spiritual” doesn’t mean some elite group of pious leaders; it refers to any Christians who are living under the Spirit’s control. A key element in this process is the attitude of the one who seeks to restore a fellow Christian.

A Spirit of Gentleness: This isn’t a time for harshness, anger, judgment, or condemnation. Our goal is not to heap pain and guilt upon a hurting brother or sister but to show mercy and forgiveness (2 Cor. 2:5-8).

A Spirit of Humility: Those who have a superior attitude look down on a fallen brother and think, I would never make those mistakes. But the humble know their own vulnerability. Instead of judging others, they examine their own lives in order to recognize and deal with areas of weakness.

A Spirit of Love: When we love others, we’ll willingly sharing their burden. This requires an unselfish investment of our time, energy, and prayer on their behalf.

How do you react when a fellow Christian has stumbled? One of the ugliest human traits is our tendency to feel better about ourselves when another person misses the mark. Instead of sharing the latest gossip about a fallen brother or sister, let your heart break, and come alongside to love and help.

Source: InTouch Ministries Daily Devotional (Email)

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I can’t find a good material

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Today is the day that I thought every passages that I read is somehow no meaning or I do not feel sharing.  I just marked read all these devotional messages in my inbox after browsing them quickly, I tried searching this website for some inspiration but I don’t see interesting topic.

I want to put quotation made by man but honestly I’m avoiding this, as sometimes they are twisted or if not can be twisted.  If God’s thoughts / words can be ridiculed by many, what more are the human perspective.

I also have this tendency of not just quoting good verses because it calms my emotion.  If you will notice most of my post are the entire chapter unless I want the verses quoted in purpose for inspirational messages (e.g. Proverbs).

But God is always good.  I thought that I really have nothing to share with you today but Paul’s Message of Wisdom is what I truly feel today which I think worth sharing.

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

– 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NLT) – Continue reading…