Blessings in Christ - 3

Security in death

1 Corinthians 15:18  

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.

Joy

1 Corinthians 15:31  

I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Establishment in God

1 Corinthians 1:21  

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

Triumph

2 Corinthians 2:17  

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.

Law abolished

2 Corinthians 11:3  

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

New creation

2 Corinthians 5:17-18  

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Simplicity

2 Corinthians 11:3  

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Liberty

Galatians 2:4  

This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.

JOY

Proverbs 17:22  

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

By Lamb:

You may extract honey from everything, do not go a gathering after gall. 

By Dora Greenwell:

How can that ever be comfort which has not first been a joy?

By Barbour:

Wherever love has been, there joy will surely be. Do the act the felling will come. Love anything, anyone, and joy will follow. You never loved, but it brought you happiness. The happiest hour in your life is the hour when you loved most.

By Wordsworth:

And it’s my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes.

By Paget:

We should be as happy as possible, and our happiness should last as long as possible; for those who can finally issue from self by the portal of happiness know infinitely wider freedom than those who pass through the gate of sadness. The joy of the Lord, the joy that is strength, the joy that no man taketh from us, the joy wherewith we joy before God, the abundant joy of faith and hope, and love and praise, this it is that gathers like a radiant, fostering, cheering air around the soul that yields itself to the grace of God, to do His holy, loving Will.

Isaiah 12:3  

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

From Henry Montague, Earl of Manchester:

This I am sure of, all man’s happiness here is his holiness, and his holiness shall hereafter be his happiness.

From Maeterelinck:

Happiness is a plant that thrives far more readily in moral than in intellectual life.

From Barbour:

What is joy? Love awake and alive, fully conscious of herself. If love be the heart’s first beat, joy is its counter beat. If love be the outflow of the heart, joy is the inflow, the flowing back of the loving heart. The rise of temperature which love brings, the heightened being--the effervescence--that is joy. 

From R. Browning:

God’s eternity of joy.

From Matthew Arnold:

Truth illuminates and gives joy; and it is by the bond of joy, not of pleasure, that men’s spirits are indissolubly held. 

From Francis Paget:

“Caritas,” which is in fact nothing else but “the energy and representative of the Spirit in our hearts,” expands and asserts itself, and makes its power to be known by its fruits of love, joy, peace and pity in the character of man. Mark, then how joy springs out at once as the unfailing token of the Holy Spirit’s presence, the first sign that He is having His own way with a man’s heart.  

Edwin James

He has got desire, dreams and he is desperate to win the souls to Lord. He believes in the founder of Methodist Church - John Wesley’s statement: “World is my parish”. He feels that:

- Multitudes who are in the depths of darkness have to be reached. Whole nations are in Spiritual graves. Somebody has to go down and do the job.

- If not you and me, who else? If not here and now, where and how?

Being a son of Pastor (Late Rev. Elisha James) he committed his life very early in his life.

Lord has used him to share the Word of God to God’s people in Mumbai, India, S. Korea and America. Besides regular preacher in all the denominations, he has been invited to preach many times in Revival Meetings.

Now as he is 70 years old he feels the urgency to reach the unreached with God’s Words to complete the “Great Commission” work (Mat. 28).

As the Lord leads you, you can reach him for the Lord’s work at:

e-mail: edwinjames44@gmail.com

Responsible Commitment in God’s Prosperity Plan

“Whatever he does shall prosper.” This includes everything: your family, your children, your marriage, your business, your ministry, your job, and your health. It means God intends what He says: everything shall prosper.

However, no promise of God is without responsible action to be taken on our part. No one will prosper until he starts doing what God says. Many people want the promised results without responsible commitment, but none of us will ever gain anything truly worthwhile in just an instant.

The truly worthwhile takes time to develop. Do not except God’s answers to leap to your schedule. Remember, His answer occur when you put His word into action. Just as a period of intensive study precedes a college degree, so through patient pursuit of His promise may we wait for the word of God to mature in our lives.

 John 10:10  

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Luke 12:15  

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Steps in Developing Humility

Jesus has a great deal to say about humility. And no wonder, since it was pride that first caused man’s downfall. As the New Adam, Jesus exemplified this aspect of righteous living. Man fell because he presumed the his own way above God’s, but restored godliness requires that man do the opposite and humble himself before God’s will and way. Then true God-given exaltation and recognition will come to those who least expect it and who least seek it.

Verse for the Day:

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people. - Isaiah 10:1-2 (NIV)

Spirit Fire:

And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too." - Acts 5:9 

Things Men Can Do - 9

Lightly esteem God, after Salvation

Deuteronomy 32:15-20  

15 Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior.

16 They made him jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols.

17 They sacrificed to demons, which are not God— gods they had not known gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear.

18 You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.

19 The LORD saw this and rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters.

20 “I will hide my face from them,” he said, “And see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.

Be restored if sin is committed

Galatians 6:1  

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

Be corrupted again after escaping corruption

Exodus 4:29  

Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,

Deuteronomy 4:16  

So that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman,

Be corrupted from the simplicity in Christ, like Eve

2 Corinthians 11:3  

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Be drawn away of their own lusts, die again spiritually and be lost

James 1:13-15  

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 

14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Small Prayers - 20

Repeat these Prayers.

Almighty God, your will is my heart's desire. But I realize that I need to be fed more consistently by your Word revealed in Scripture. Give me strength and consistency in my walk with you through your Word. Through your Spirit, inspire me to change what needs to be changed and to be blessed and encouraged in the areas that I need it most. I turn to you and trust in your Word to point me in the way of life. I pray in the name of your ultimate Word, Jesus of Nazareth. Amen.

Holy God, it still amazes me that you chose to speak to us, your finite creatures, in our own words. May I never take for granted the great gift of being able to read your Word and learn your Truth. But Father, please give me the character and the courage to put it into practical use and let it train me to do your will. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

O Lord my God, you are awesome and wondrous. Your works are magnificent and your deeds are beyond comprehension. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart ever declare your praises. May my heart be filled with thanksgiving for all that you have done to save us from sin, shame, law, and death. You alone are worthy of my praise, my songs, and my life. In the holy name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Abba Father, I do want to do your will. I want to please you, glorify you, and lead others to you. Give me spiritual discernment to know your will and spiritual courage to do it today. I want your character and righteousness to inform my heart when I am tempted by Satan not to live for you. Humble me gently when I am wrong or have lost my way. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Father God…You are Mighty!

Zephaniah 3:15-17

15 The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.

17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Ephesians 1:19-20

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,

20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Psalms 71:8  

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Our mouths can be filled with food, profanities, or gossip. Or... we can choose for our mouths to be filled with praise for God and his loving grace. We can talk about many things and speak to many different people about many different subjects. Or... we can choose to declare the greatness, majesty, and splendor of our heavenly Father all during our day. Why don't we choose to praise God with our mouths and tell him of his greatness and let others know of his grace as we go about today's activities?

1 Timothy 3:16

Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Why would Jesus do it? How did he do it? How was he "God with us" and still in "human flesh"? We cannot fully comprehend it, but he was! The Son of God was also Jesus of Nazareth, born and placed in a manger and crucified on a cross. But he was raised from the dead and shown to be God's Son with power. He was seen by angels, both on earth after his resurrection and in heaven at the throne of God. He has been preached and believed on by people all over the world. The glory that he has he will one day show and share with us. If you want to understand godliness, then you begin with Jesus!

Ravi Zacharias

Life, Mind, Struggle

. Wonder knows that while you cannot look at the light, you cannot look at anything else without it. It is not exhausted by childhood, but finds its key there. It is a journey like a walk through the woods over the usual obstacles and around the common distractions while the voice of direction leads, saying, 'This is the way, walk ye in it.'

. “What we need is not a religion that is right where we are right, but one that is right where we are wrong.”

. “The use or abuse of Christianity in contradiction to the very message of the gospel reveals not the gospel for what it is, but the heart of man. That is why atheism is so bankrupt as a view of life, for it miserably fails to deal with the human condition as it really is.”


Daily Thoughts

A definite choice demands definite actions.

It’s hard to see both God’s plan and our part. But their intersection is the best place to be.
God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. —Oswald Chambers

To God be the glory—great things He has done!

Only as we follow Christ can we lead others in the right direction.

To be doing good is man’s most glorious task. —Sophocles

Afflicted To Death

Afflicted To Death

Job 17:11

"My days are past, my plans are torn apart, Even the wishes of my heart.

2 Samuel 22:6

The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

Psalms 18:5

The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

Possibility Of Death

Romans 8:16-17 

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8 

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Foretelling Christ's Death

Daniel 9:26

"Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

John 10:18

"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again This commandment I received from My Father."

Spirit of Fear - 1

Fears and Phobias

Isaiah 13:7-8 

7 Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt.

8 Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame.

2 Timothy 1:7 

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Heart Attacks

Psalms 55:4 

My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.

Luke 21:26 

Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

John 14:27 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Torment - Horror

Psalms 55:5 

Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.

1 John 4:8 

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Nightmares - Terrors

Psalms 91:5-6 

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

Isaiah 54:14 

In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

Sins mentioned in the Bible - 27

Winging with eyes

Proverbs 6:13 

Who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,

Looking proud

Proverbs 6:16-17 

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

Gadding about

Proverbs 7:11-12  

11(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

Being boisterous and loud

Proverbs 7:11  

(She is loud and defiant, her feet never stay at home;

Despising neighbors

Proverbs 14:21 

He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

Despising parents

Proverbs 15:32 

He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

Proverbs 23:22 

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 30:17 

“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

Giving heed to false lips

Proverbs 17:4 

A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

The Book of Genesis

Personal Application - 

Genesis immediately brings into question many secular world views, so serious Genesis students must become accustomed to thinking differently. We must perceive the world and its history as the ancient biblical authors reveal it. For example, the narratives of chapters 1-3 are not to be understood allegorically but as actual history. The Word of God must always stand above the word of man; we are not to judge His Word, but rather, it judges us. 

Therefore, ancient Hebrews should not be thought as a primitive Greek thinking about world realities may be our heritage, but it is not always true.

Genesis teaches many other lessons as well. Abraham is our example of faith (15:6 Gal 3:7); Joseph’s life is an exquisite sermon for all who suffer unfairly and is a challenge to faithfulness in this age of undisciplined permissiveness. 

Finally, we understand human nature properly only as we grasp the truth of “original sin”. When Adam sinned all of us not only sinned but inherited a resident sin nature (8:21, Rom 5:19, 7:18). Only a Savior can deal effectively with this inherited natural corruption. 

Action Ezekiel Invites - in Ezekiel. 14:15-20

Be assured that you will not be saved by another’s righteousness or be judged for another’s sin.

Lesson for Leaders:

Ezekiel focuses on the common failure of God’s servants. This results from their gauging their success by man’s approval rather than by God’s standards. Ezekiel is rich with insight into the hearts of God’s people. Though ostensibly desiring God’s will and way, some seek their own benefit and personal gain. God warns the prophets not to presume the outward devotion of people is genuine unless sacrificial and transformed living is manifest. 

Evangelism

- If you are strangers to prayer you are strangers to power. - Billy Sunday

"Continuing instant in prayer (Rom. 12:12). The Greek is a metaphor taken from hunting dogs that never give over the game till they have their prey." - Thomas Brooks

"I was enabled to lie at Jesus' feet and to wash them with the tears of contrition. No pleasure I have ever found in the Christian life is superior to this." - Edward Payson 

Dismayed

 “Are you dismayed, lonely, afraid; Thinking yourself forsaken? God is your stay, trust Him and pray; New hope He will awaken!” 

Don’t Look Back

 “Look not back on yesterday. So full of failure and regret; look ahead and seek God’s way…All sin confessed you must forget.” 

Scripture details for CHRIST.

Christ

According to ‘Nelson’s Complete Concordance’,

 484 Scripture details are given for the Readers/Bible Students.

God’s  grace be upon  you.  

Matthew	1:1	1:6	1:17
1:18	2:20	11:2	16:16
16:20	22:42	23:10	24:5
24:23	26:63	26:68	27:17
27:22			(16)
Mark	1:1	8:29	9:41
12:35	13:21	14:61	15:32
			(7)
Luke	2:11	2:26	3:15
4:41	9:20	20:41	22:67
23:2	23:35	23:39	24:26
24:46			(12)
John	1:17	1:20	1:25
1:41	3:28	4:25	4:29
7:26	7:27	7:31	7:41
7:42	9:22	10:24	11:27
12:34	17:3	20:31	(18)
Acts	2:31	2:36	2:38
3:6	3:18	3:20	4:10
5:42	8:5	8:12	8:37
9:22	09:34	10:36	10:48
11:17	15:26	16:18	17:3
18:5	18:28	20:21	24:24
26:23	28:31		(25)
Romans	1:1	1:4	1:6
1:7	1:8	2:16	3:22
3:24	5:1	5:6	5:8
5:11	5:15	5:17	5:21
6:3	6:4	6:8	6:9
6:11	6:23	7;4	7:25
8:1	8:2	8:9	8:10
8:11	8:17	8:34	8:35
8:39	9:1	9:3	9:5
10:4	10:6	10:7	10:17
12:5	13:14	14:9	14:15
14:18	15:3	15:5	15:6
15:7	15:8	15:16	15:17
15:18	15:19	15:20	15:29
15:30	16:3	16:5	16:7
16:9	16:10	16:16	16:18
16:20	16:24	16:25	16:27
			(67)
1 Corinthians	1:1	1:2	1:3
1:4	1:6	1:7	1:8
1:9	1:10	1:12	1:13
1:17	1:23	1:24	1:30
2:2	2:16	3:1	3:11
3:23	4:1	4:10	4:15
4:17	5:7	6:11	6:15
7:22	8:6	8:11	8:12
9:12	9:21	10:4	10:16
11:1	11:3	12:12	12:27
15:3	15:12	15:13	15:14
15:15	15:16	15:17	15:18
15:19	15:20	15:22	15:23
15:31	15:57	16:24	(55)
2 Corinthians	1:1	1:2	1:3
1:5	1:19	1:21	2:10
2:12	2:14	2:15	2:17
3:3	3:4	3:14	4:4
4:5	4:6	5:10	5:14
5:16	5:17	5:18	5:19
5:20	6:15	8:9	8:23
9:13	10;1	10:5	10:14
11:2	11:3	11:10	11:13
11:23	12:2	12:9	12:10
12:19	13:3	13:5	13:14
			(43)
Galatians	1:1	1:3	1:6
1:7	1:10	1:12	1:22
2:4	2:16	2:17	2:20
2:21	3:1	3:13	3:14
3:16	3:22	3:24	3:26
3:27	3:28	4:14	4:19
5:1	5:2	5:4	5:6
5:26	6:2	6:12	6:14
6:18			(32)
Ephesians	1:1	1:2	1:3
1:5	1:9	1:12	1:17
1:20	2:5	2:6	2:7
2:10	2:12	2:13	2:20
3:1	3:4	3:6	3:8
3:11	3:17	3:19	3:21
4:12	4:13	4:15	4:20
4:32	5:2	5:5	5:14
5:20	5:21	5:23	5:24
5:25	5:29	5:32	6:5
6:6	6:23	6:24	(42)
Philippians	1:1	1:2	1:6
1:8	1:10	1:11	1:13
1:15	1:17	1:18	1:19
1:20	1:21	1:23	1:26
1:27	1:29	2:1	2:5
2:11	2:16	2:21	2:30
3:3	3:7	3:8	3:9
3:12	3:14	3:18	3:20
4:7	4:19	4:21	4:23
			(35)
Colossians	1:1	1:2	1:3
1:4	1:7	1:27	1:28
2:2	2:5	2:6	2:8
2:11	2:17	2:20	3:1
3:3	3:4	3:11	3:15
3:16	3:24	4:3	4:12
			(23)
1 Thessalonians	1:1	1:3	2:6
2:14	3:2	4:16	5:9
5:18	5:23	5:28	(10)
2 Thessalonians	1:1	1:2	1:12
2:1	2:14	2:16	3:5
3:6	3:12	3:18	(10)
1 Timothy	1:1	1:2	1:12
1:14	1:15	1:16	2:5
3:13	4:6	5:11	5:21
6:3	6:13	6:14	(14)
2 Timothy	1:1	1:2	1:9
1:10	1:13	2:1	2:3
2:8	2:10	3:12	3:15
4:1			(12)
Titus	1:1	1:4	2:13
3:6			(4)
Philemon	1:1	1:3	1:6
1:8	1:9	1:20	1:23
1:25			(8)
Hebrews	3:6	3:14	5:5
6:1	8:6	9:11	9:14
9:24	9:28	10:5	10:10
10:12	11:26	13:08	13:21
			(15)
James	1:1	2:1	(2)
1 Peter	1:1	1:2	1:3
1:7	1;11	1:13	1:19
2:5	2:21	3:15	3:16
3:18	3:21	4:1	4:11
4:14	5:1	5:10	5:14
			(19)
2 Peter	1:1	1:8	1:11
1:14	1:16	2:20	3:18
			(7)
1 John	1:3	2:1	2:22
3:23	4:2	5:1	5:6
5:20			(8)
2 John	1:3	1:7	1:9
			(3)
Jude	1:1	1:4	1:17
1:21	1:25		(5)
Revelation	1:1	1:2	1:5
11:15	12:10	20:4	20:6
			(7)