tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72858683775924403972024-02-20T05:26:37.895-08:00Active Mentoring in ChristVicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-46013120241531561152022-05-28T14:56:00.002-07:002022-05-28T14:56:56.497-07:00Memorial Day and the Reason We Observe it.<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Reason
we Observe Memorial Day<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many people
no longer have an inkling of why we observe Memorial Day. To them it is just
another holiday for which they may or may not get off from work. To many it is
a day to get together with family or friends to go boating, fishing, or to bar-be-que
in the back yard with friends and family. And if asked why they get to have
this extra time off for leisure, the younger generations really can’t answer
you. Oh, don’t get me wrong, the older Americans definitely know why we
celebrate Memorial Day. In fact, many older adults still call Memorial Day,
Decoration Day, as that was its original name. These same older adults may
spend the day going to cemeteries to lay wreaths upon the graves of loved ones
or fallen soldiers. But somewhere along the line, some of these same older
adults have failed to explain the importance of Memorial Day just as they and
society in general has failed to explain to X, Y, Millennials, Gen. Z, and the
Alpha generations what it means to be patriotic. (Please don’t lambast me if I
got some of the generations’ names wrong, or I left out a generation). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is sad
that we have failed the following generations by not teaching and showing them
the importance of patriotism and holidays that recognize the sacrifices of
people who have gone before us to give us the special country that we live in
today. We take things for granted and in doing so are on the cusp of losing the
greatest Republic that was ever established. God was there for our forefathers
and helped them to form this country with its unique constitution and freedoms.
Yet, today there are many people who want to destroy that constitution and take
away many if not all of the freedoms that we have been given. That is why true
born-again Christians need to pray and ask God to protect this country and the
freedom that so many have given their life to protect. Moreover, Christians
need to start mentoring their children about some of the historical holidays
and about the importance of patriotism. They need to teach our children that
history is a way of learning from our past so that we do not repeat the same
mistakes again. Just as importantly, older Americans need to teach or mentor
our current generations on the fact that history is not something that we have
to get rid of if we don’t agree with what our ancestors have done. Instead,
history is to be treasured as learning experiences that we don’t have to
duplicate in order to become a better society. But denial of our wrong doings
will never make us a better society and such denial may lead to repeating the
same mistakes made in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Memorial Day
is a history lesson as well. For, Memorial Day is a historical record of all
the wars that we have fought and why we fought them which are told from family
members who have lost relatives in the wars to protect our country. Although, Memorial
Day may be a time to play with family and friends at the lake and in the
backyard, or a time to go shopping for big sales, it is first and foremost a
time to recognize all the men and women who have given their lives to keep this
country free. It is a time to reflect on what we would be if not for the ultimate
sacrifice these men and women have made for us. It is also a time to thank God
for our freedom. Indeed, Memorial Day is a time to pray on bended knee for the
continued freedom of our country and for the safety of our troops wherever they
are serving. In the same prayer of thankfulness for our freedom, we need to also
thank God for the blessings that He has bestowed on this country and ask Him to
continue blessing us. In addition, we need to pray for the healing of our
country and our land. In fact, God has told us in Scripture, “<b><i>If My
people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My
face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from Heaven and will forgive
their sins and heal their land</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- (II Chronicles 7: 14. NLT). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have you
reached out to God today and thanked Him for your freedom? Have you thanked God
for this country? If not, perhaps before the day is over or over the next few
weeks, we should all thank God for our freedom and our country. Perhaps we
should also commit to mentoring the next generations on the meaning of Memorial
Day and patriotism. If we don’t do it, we could lose this beautiful country to
those who actually are being taught to hate what America stands for and to hate
the history of America. It is time to get on bended knee and pray for our
country and our children. You can do it! You can share our history and the love
of our country with others who know nothing about our country. So, take a few moments this week-end and share the history of your family and talk with your children about those members who have died for our country. If you get the time, take your children and your young people to a cemetery where your family is interned. Talk to them about the sacrifice that your loved one(s) have made for the freedom of our country. And, then pray with your family giving God the glory for all your blessings and the blessings of this country. You can do it! <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-15729939983968168732022-02-11T14:03:00.000-08:002022-02-11T14:03:33.028-08:00Praising the Lord in Every Situation<p>Dear Readers, I am sorry that I haven't posted something for quite a while, but the circumstances in my life kept me from doing so. I am glad to be back and will attempt to post something every week or so. Please bear with me. I hope you enjoy the topics and the posts that I have written recently. May God Bless each of you.</p><p>Vicky</p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Praising the Lord in Every Situation<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is nothing like truly praising the Lord! For, there is
a special connection that occurs when we step outside of our staid, prim, and
proper demeanors to let the Lord know that we truly love Him for who He is; our good and loving all-caring and all-knowing providential God. There are many times, though, when we can’t
seem to find the time in our everyday lives to give God all the praise He
deserves. Someday, though, when we go to heaven, we will spend a great deal of
time praising God as recorded in the book of Revelation which says: “<b><i>And
from the throne came a voice that said, ‘Praise our God, all His servants, from
the least to the greatest, all who fear</i></b> (i.e., honor and respect) <b><i>Him</i></b>.’”
– (Revelation 19: 5. NLT). Obviously, in heaven we will enjoy and look forward to praising Him. Right now, however, this doesn't seem possible because to our
earthly lives there are many times when we are just so busy doing the things in
this life that we seldom think about praising God just for the sake of praising
Him for Who He is.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If we do find the time to connect with God, it is often
through our prayers of request and it is seldom through a specific praise of our
Lord. Don’t get me wrong, God loves to hear from us, and He loves to have us
pray to Him requesting His help and support. But God also loves to hear us just
praise Him. He even loves to hear us praise Him from within the depths of our despair
and while we are going through the storm of some trial. For, it is when we
praise God, no matter what is happening in our lives, that He knows we truly
honor and respect His glory. Moreover, it is through our praises that we can essentially
tell God that He is first and foremost in our lives and He is worthy of praise.
So, it is important that we praise the Lord every day. In fact, the author of
the book of Hebrews wrote: “<b><i>With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer
our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of His Name</i></b>.” –
(Hebrews 13: 15. NLT). This means that even though it is hard to get out of our
own selves long enough to put the God of the Universe above all that is going
on in our lives, that we still should make it a priority to focus on praising
God. The Holy Spirit will help us do so if we just ask. And, to help remind us to praise
God, we have been given many examples in the Bible of how to praise Him no matter
what is happening in our lives. One of the best places to get examples of
praise is from the <u>Book of Psalms</u> in the Bible. For, it is there that we can
see how David and other psalmists praised the Lord even when they were at their
very lowest or when they were on the heights of joy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Hebrew Version of the Older Testament actually calls the
Book of Psalms “<b><i>Hymns of Praise</i></b>” and with good reason. Many of
the Psalms are a beautiful celebration of the attributes of God: His Love, His
power, His Creativeness, His Protection, and His provision of all His people. A
psalmist who wrote Psalm 150, which is the last psalm recorded in the book of Psalms,
wrote: “<b><i>Praise the Lord.</i></b> <b><i>Praise God in His heavenly
dwelling; praise Him in His mighty heaven! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His
unequaled greatness! … Let everything that lives sing praises to the Lord!”</i></b>
– (Psalm 150: 1, 2, 6. NLT). But are we doing that? Although this particular psalm is specifically
a psalm or song of praise, there are other psalms which contain laments,
stories, and praises all rolled into one. However, this particular psalm also gives us an
example of how Christians should continually praise God for all that He does
for us and for all that He will do in the future. It is also within this psalm that writer gives us specific words that we, too, can use to praise God; words like praising Him for "His heavenly dwelling," His "mighty works" and His "unequaled greatness." Moreover, it is
within this particular psalm that we can see how <b>exuberant</b> we are supposed
to be in praising God. Our praises should have a depth of joy to them.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We can also see that the psalmist spoke in this particular psalm about praising God with music such as praising Him with a “<b><i>blast of the
trumpet; praise Him with the lyre and harp! Praise Him with the tambourine and
dancing; Praise Him with a clash of cymbals; Praise Him with loud clanging
cymbals</i></b>.” – (vs. 3-5). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Notice here
that music can be very important in the praising of God, because music takes us
out of ourselves, and it elevates us to higher spiritual realm while it helps
us to focus specifically on the joy of praising God. Then in yet another psalm we
are given a specific example of the importance of using our voices as well as our musical
instruments to praise the Lord. For we are told within <u>Psalm 98</u> to “<b><i>Make
a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes,
sing praises</i></b>.” – (Psalm 98: 4. Amplified). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, it is hard to think about praising the Lord when
we are in the midst of a problem or health situation. A few weeks ago, I had yet
another surgery. Even though it was outpatient surgery and the recuperation wasn’t
supposed to take all that long, it was still surgery. So, I started out by
praising the Lord for the physician, the nurses, and the anesthesiologist that
would be taking care of me. Then, I again praised the Lord once the surgery was
over and again when I was on the way home. And, for the next few days, I praised the Lord for the healing that was occurring and for a husband who
gladly and patiently took care of me. Moreover, thanked God and praised
Him for all the friends who prayed for me. These are just a few of the
things for which I praised the Lord. Certainly, there is so much
more that I should be praising the Lord for, but this was just an example of my
praising of the Lord during what could have been a troubling time for me. I am
sure that you all have also had situations where the last thing on your mind
was to praise the Lord, because all you could think about was just getting through the trial or how you could overcome
the problem you were facing. But instead of just thinking about our situation, we need to focus on praising God no
matter the circumstances. So, instead of only praising God for what He has recently done
for us, or just praising God on Sunday mornings during church worship, we need to focus on
praising God throughout each day and in all circumstances. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Everyone has unique or unusual circumstances that they
didn’t know if they would be able to overcome at the time they occurred. But with God's help, we can overcome many of the circumstances that we encounter. In fact, the Bible gives us many examples of how people have overcome terrible situations and how they praised
God in spite of the trouble they were in. One such example is the story of Paul
and Silas who were beaten and thrown into prison because Paul had removed a
demon from a girl who could tell the future of others. She was being used by a merchant for her demonic fortune telling
abilities to make money? So, an angry crowd formed after Paul removed the fortune telling demon, because the girl could no longer make money for her master. The people were angry with Paul
and Silas, so they severely beat them and then threw them into jail. But instead
of feeling sorry for themselves, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God
while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly, there was an earthquake and the
chains fell off of Paul and Silas and the other prisoners. The doors to the
prison were opened. </p><p class="MsoNormal">When the jailer discovered that the doors of the prison
were open, he became very afraid that all the prisoners for whom he was
responsible had escaped, so he decided to kill himself before his superiors
killed him. But Paul stopped the jailer from killing himself and told him that
all his prisoners were still there. No one had escaped. It was then that “<b><i>the
jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and
Silas. He brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?</i></b>’”
– (Acts 16: 29-30. NLT). The jailer knew who Paul and Silas were and that they had been preaching about Christ. He also knew that only God could have saved these men. So, when the jailer finally understood what Paul and Silas had been preaching, he knew that he, too, was a sinner. He then risked everything to find Salvation. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Despite the terrible situation that Paul and Silas
found themselves in and despite the pain that they had suffered during
and after their beatings, they praised God. Furthermore, they not only prayed to God for
help, but they also sang praises to God, thus setting a wonderful example for
the other prisoners. Paul and Silas’ reputation of believing in and sharing the Gospel message of the risen Lord
Jesus Christ and His offered salvation had preceded them, so when they showed the jailer their complete faith and trust
in God, the jailer then risked everything to believe on Christ. For, the jailer
asked Paul what he must do to be saved. This is a truly an amazing example of
what God does with prayer and praise. God heard Paul and Silas’ praises as
well as their prayers, and He not only got them out of prison, but God also brought
the jailer to salvation. What a mighty and wonderful God we serve! He deserves
our praises all the time!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are many other examples from the Bible about the
importance of praising God. Indeed, just from the <u>Book of Psalms</u> there are
many examples showing the importance of praising the Lord. One such example is
found in Psalm 117 where we read that our praise of God is extremely important.
In fact, we discover in this psalm that we should praise the Lord for His
unlimited love. For, the psalmists wrote: “<b><i>Praise the Lord, all you
nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is His love toward us, and the
faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord</i></b>.” -- (Psalm 117. NLT). We don't know who wrote this Psalm, but there others writers and especially David who wrote a great number of the Psalms where we discover that God always hears
us and acts on the behalf of those who truly love Him. And we learn that no
matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, we can rest assured that God
loves us. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 34 is a psalm that David wrote when he had to pretend
to be insane in front of Abimelech in order to save his own life and to be
allowed to leave the city. Afterward, David wrote: “<b><i>I will praise the
LORD at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. I will boast only in
the LORD; let all who are discouraged take heart. Come, let us tell of the
LORD’s greatness; let us exalt His name together! I prayed to the LORD, and He
answered me, freeing me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will
be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. I cried out to
the LORD in my suffering, and He heard me. He set me free from all my fears.
For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear Him, and He rescues them</i></b>.
<b><i>Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in
Him! Let the LORD’s people show Him reverence, for those who honor Him will
have all they need</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Psalm
34: 1-9. NLT). From just this portion of Psalm 34 we discover that even though
God promises blessings to those who trust in Him, God also requires our active
participation in prayer and praises to receive all the blessings He has in store for us. Indeed, God provides blessings
beyond our wildest imagination, if we will just trust Him (34: 8), fear Him
(34: 7), seek Him (34: 4), cry out to Him (34:6) and reverence Him (34:9). We
are also told in other parts of this psalm that blessings will come if we turn
from lying, turn from evil, do good and seek peace, and if in our broken
heartedness we turn to God, rely on Him, and serve Him. So, no matter what our circumstances are, we are to praise God for who He is and for all His
goodness! Most importantly, we are to praise God for sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins and then raising Him from the dead, so that those who believe on Jesus Christ will never have to face eternal death. We need to praise God for our Salvation and the home in heaven that we will one day see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s not forget to praise God. In fact, when we praise the
Lord, other people will see our love of the God, and the example we set for
loving God will help others to come closer to God as well. You can do it! You
can spend more time each day praising the Lord. You can praise God through good
and bad circumstances, and you can show your trust and faith in God through
your acts of praise. You can also be that mentor who exhibits joy and love
toward God through your praises. Let’s all make time throughout the day to
praise God! Now, go and praise the Lord no matter what your circumstance.<o:p></o:p></p>Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-40837957136725224702019-05-21T14:08:00.001-07:002019-05-21T14:08:13.876-07:00Listening for the Lord's Return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjjwEaosn_2ja-d6Ec5ygk-1rOjiRi4qKR67dJWVZ76Sw5YiDlBiBliGXFWIm-fCwfYbSxT_TdGPLCPilkJBCJAOj-vNYmYCWPkIpqi7IxJMPkBYZ8ZGuFr3ToAb7f2N-RA0N1g_ojxU/s1600/cross-2713356_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjjwEaosn_2ja-d6Ec5ygk-1rOjiRi4qKR67dJWVZ76Sw5YiDlBiBliGXFWIm-fCwfYbSxT_TdGPLCPilkJBCJAOj-vNYmYCWPkIpqi7IxJMPkBYZ8ZGuFr3ToAb7f2N-RA0N1g_ojxU/s320/cross-2713356_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We all have things that we listen for in our lives. For
example, mother’s listen for their baby’s cry or for their toddler’s quietness.
For, a toddler who isn’t making any noise will undoubtedly be getting into
something that she shouldn’t, and a baby’s cry can mean many different things
that the mother needs to address including hunger or wet diapers. Perhaps the
baby just needs reassurance by being held in the mother’s arms, but whatever
her cry, a mother knows each and every different type of cry and listens closely for the baby’s
cry. However, there are many other things that we listen for besides our
children. Those of us who have a garage door often listen for the garage door
to go up in anticipation of our loved one coming home from work or from running
errands. We even listen for our puppies when we let them outside to play for a
little while. And, we listen for our teenagers to come home when they are out
on a date. But all of the things that we listen for are important to us or
designate certain events around us. Moreover, listening for all these sounds in life also
keeps us focused on the important things in our lives. But there is another
sound that we should all be listening for and that is the sound of the Lord’s
return.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus told His disciples that He would return to take home
those who have believed in Him. Jesus said, “<span style="color: blue;">… And they will see the Son of Man
arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send
forth His angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather
together His chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Matthew 24: 30-31. NLT). So, we who are
anticipating Christ’s return are to be listening for the trumpet blast which
will tell us that Christ is coming. I don’t know about you, but I often pray
for Christ to come quickly, especially when I see our culture disintegrating
around us. My heart longs to be with the Lord and I listen for His trumpet
call. Yet, there are so many things in this world that distract us from
listening for the Lord’s return. Daily life interrupts our listening. Problems
that we think are so important disrupt our listening. Can you imagine, though,
not listening for your baby to cry or not listening for your teenager to come
through the door at curfew time? I can't. So, why do we often fail to listen for Christ’s
return? And, what does it mean when we say that we are listening for Christ’s
return?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Listening for Christ’s return means that we are living in
preparation for His return. Obviously, we are waiting to meet Him face-to-face,
but in the meantime, we need to prepare for His return. This means that we
should be focused on doing for others, on praying, and on reading His Word, which
teaches us how to be true followers of Christ and teaches us how to engage in a Christian
lifestyle for others to see and want. Part of our preparation for Christ's return and going to Heaven means that we are
sharing the Gospel message and lending a hand to those who need our help. And
of course, listening for Christ’s return encourages us to tell others of Christ’s
impending return that is getting closer all the time, so they too will be
prepared when He returns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is good, though, that we don’t know the exact moment when
Christ will return, because we could become lackadaisical, i.e., lazy, in our
work for the Lord. Some people might even take advantage of the time factor if they knew the exact
moment Christ was to return. For, they might continue to sin until the last
moment and then only repent at the trumpet sound, so they could get into Heaven,
while having done nothing for the Kingdom of God and having not grown in spiritual
maturity. But Heaven is only one benefit of the born-again Christian’s Salvation
and belief in Christ. For the born-again Christian will receive blessings here
on earth as well as crowns in Heaven for her work here on earth that she does
to help others come to know Christ, or to help those who are less fortunate than she is. As a follower of Christ’s, we have much work to do here while we are waiting
and listening for the final trumpet call. In fact, the best way to prepare for
Christ’s return is to spend time taking care of Christ’s people, as we do the
work of Christ here on earth. That means we are to take care of people who are
both within our church family and those that are still on the outside. We are
to be God’s voice and hands to share the love of God and His message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Everyone on earth will hear the trumpet call of Christ’s
when He returns. But that doesn’t mean that everyone will get to go home with Christ.
For only those who have believed in Christ and those who have repented of their
sins will go home with Christ. The Apostle Paul explained this wonderful event
this way: “<span style="color: blue;">But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not
all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment,
in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet
sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies.
And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. For
our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that
will never die.</span>” -- (I Corinthians 15:
51-53. NLT). What a glorious day that will be. This is why we all need to be
living our lives in such a way that we can say that we have truly worked for the Lord
and have focused on being a true follower of Christ’s. Then, even as we live out our daily lives in this fallen world, we can rest assured that we are preparing
for the glorious event of being called home to Heaven. And, if we focus on
living for Christ, our heart and our ears will constantly be listening for the
Lord’s trumpet call home. Yes, you can do it!
You can mentor other women for the Lord. You can be there to share the Gospel
message and to tell others of the coming trumpet call, so they can also listen
for the Lord. Are you listening for the Lord’s return and are you doing
everything you can to make sure that others are able to go home with Christ
too? You can do it! You can engage in Active Relational Christian Mentoring to help others come to know the love of God and His free gift of grace and mercy through His Son, Jesus Christ. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-89052570172266862562019-03-09T15:26:00.002-08:002019-03-09T15:26:47.595-08:00Becoming a World-Class Christian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvd-oOa4c8I8QUz0bzYBO-8zV_wNRP5EHwM2b96z0dCBttyHcwzO3JexePDqLcGaxHjS6kyjc9PhfV5JWj0p5RV9vaIgmeahZZvmc0KtGyqmeH_1Dlbc_0DjAuWzP6Nf0jKn8HCtNY9M/s1600/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPvd-oOa4c8I8QUz0bzYBO-8zV_wNRP5EHwM2b96z0dCBttyHcwzO3JexePDqLcGaxHjS6kyjc9PhfV5JWj0p5RV9vaIgmeahZZvmc0KtGyqmeH_1Dlbc_0DjAuWzP6Nf0jKn8HCtNY9M/s320/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As Christians, God has asked us to participate in the most
wonderful and beneficial cause or gift in this world – The Kingdom of God.
God’s Kingdom and plan for mankind’s Salvation is the most significant and the
greatest cause of all time. Moreover, no race, ethnicity, or gender is left out
of God’s cause or plan for mankind. In fact, God wants all people to know about
His love and to know that He sent His Son to die for their sins and then to
arise from the grave conquering eternal death so that they, too, can be part of
God’s Kingdom. Indeed, through Christ everyone is offered the greatest gift of
all, eternal life, but first they need to not only hear about God’s gift and
His kingdom, but they need someone to explain it to them. That is where members of
God’s Kingdom, i.e., those who are born-again Christians, can participate in God’s
great cause by sharing the Good News with others and by living up to the
standards of God’s Kingdom, such as caring about others and helping those less fortunate. Are you a part of God’s cause and Kingdom? If not
keep reading and you too can become part of God’s glorious Kingdom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is nothing that matters more in the life of a Saved
person than to be an example of Christ’s characteristics and traits for others
to see. For it is through our own example of Christlike living and our
willingness to share the joy of knowing Christ as our Savior that we will have
opportunities to share the Gospel. But to do so, we have to live honorably and
humbly for God and His Son so that others can see Christ in us and will then want
to know how to invite Him into their lives too. They will need to see our joy
and our peace. But sometimes we are so into ourselves, into our own peace and
joy, and into what we want to do that we fail to think like world-class
Christians. However, there are some steps that we can take to not only live as a
child of God, but to also work on becoming a world-class Christian. Just what
are those steps? Let's take a look.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">First</span>, every born-again Christian needs to stop their
self-centered thinking and start thinking about others instead of thinking only
of themselves. We all should be “other-centered”. In fact, the Apostle Paul addressed
“other-centered” thinking when he wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;"><i>My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like
mature people</i></span></b>” -- (I Corinthians 14: 20 CEV). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Paul also wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Don’t
think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too.” </span></i></b>–
(Philippians 2: 4. NLT). And, finally Paul explained the Christian’s role in
the Kingdom of God, when he wrote:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;"> “</span><span style="color: #00b0f0;">I don’t think about what would be good for me but about
what would be good for many people so that they might be saved</span></i></b>.”
– (I Corinthians 10: 33. GWT). If you are a Christian, do you think about
whether the other person has come to know Christ or not? Thinking about the
Salvation of others should be a priority in the lives of born-again Christians. This is part of becoming a world-class Christian.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Second</span>, born-again Christians need to expand their thinking from
just those local people that they run into in their daily lives for whom they
can witness, to thinking about people around the world who need to hear the
Good News. For, <u>God has always cared about all of the world</u>. In fact, the
Apostle Paul wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">This same Good
News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives
everywhere, just as it changed yours.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Colossians 1: 6. NLT). And Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">You will tell everyone about Me in Jerusalem, in all
Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Acts 1: 8. CEV). And when we get to
heaven a huge crowd of people from “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">every race,
tribe, nation, and language</span></i></b>” will one day stand before Jesus to
worship Him. – (Revelation 7: 9. CEV.). Do you know how many of those people standing
before Christ that you will have personally witnessed to? Sadly, most
Christians can count on one hand the number of people to whom they have
witnessed. Certainly, we can do much better in witnessing for Christ both at
home and abroad. We just have to make witnessing to others for Christ a
priority in our lives. Perhaps you can go on a mission trip to another
country, or if you can’t, perhaps you can house visitors from another country
in your home for a few days, and therefore get an opportunity to tell them
about Christ. But if you cannot do either, you can certainly pray specifically
for one person or for a group of people in another country. All you have to do is
ask the foreign missions board or your church pastor to give you the name of a
person or a group of people for whom you can specifically pray.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We should all pray for opportunities to witness to others
instead of just living our lives in a vacuum. We can even pray for both local
and overseas missionaries, as well as for those individuals who are putting
their lives on the line in order to share Christ with others. Paul said: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Pray for us … so that God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ</span></i></b>.” – (Colossians 4:
3. NIV). So, we also must pray for the courage to speak up and not remain
silent when we are given an opportunity to share Christ with another. The
Apostle Paul also told the Ephesians: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Don’t forget to
pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at
the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I …. am
responsible for getting out</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- (Ephesians 6: 19-20. The Message). Then let’s also pray for each other to
know what to say and to have the courage to say it when God puts an un-Saved
person in our path.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t forget to pray for those who will believe. For
Jesus prayed, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">My prayer is not for [my disciples] alone.
I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of
them may be one, Father, just as you are in Me and I am in You.</span></i></b>”
– (John 17: 20-21. NIV). (This was part of Christ’s High Priestly Prayer when
He prayed for His disciples.). However, not everyone that you witness to will
come to know Christ as their Savior. But don’t be discouraged. Instead, just as
Christ prayed, pray for those who will believe in Him when they hear the Gospel
message. Pray, too, that their ears will be opened and that their hearts will
cling to the words that God is giving you to share. Pray for their
understanding and for their willingness to recognize that they, like us, were
born sinners and need the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ to take away their
sins. It is that understanding and their willingness to ask Christ into their
hearts that will make all the difference in their lives. They will be blessed
and you, too, will be blessed for sharing the most important message that
anyone can ever hear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The third</span> way that we can focus on becoming a World Class
Christian is to start thinking about eternity rather and just thinking about
here and now in this world. I don’t know about you, but as a born-again
Christian I think a great deal about eternity with God. I am so happy that I
will get to spend eternity with God and my Savior, and I look forward to eternity. In fact, thinking
about eternity is a good thing to do. For, the Apostle Paul explained to us
within his letter to the Corinthians that Christians are to think about
eternity. He said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (II Corinthians 4: 18. NIV). Paul also
told us to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Deal
as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as
you see it is on its way out.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- (I Corinthians 7: 31. This means that we should not focus on the
greed, the money, the technological social aspects that entice us, or on any of
the momentary things that can ultimately cause us harm or pull us into loving the things of this world. Instead, we need to
focus on the eternal things like the love, kindness, and peace that awaits us
as we live for God in the here and now as well as on what awaits us in eternity
too. For, the things of this world are on the way out. Are you ready for the Rapture?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Every day as I hear the news and see the terrible things
that people are doing to each other, I believe that the world is getting closer
to the end. On the other hand, I have something wonderful to look forward to. For,
God has given us a glorious eternity that starts in our hearts when we are Saved,
but that will culminate in the eternity that Christ has prepared for us; an
eternity of love and peace with an abiding fellowship with God. And, our
guarantee that God will give us an everlasting body at the resurrection of all
believers is the Holy Spirit within us. Moreover, as we think more about
eternity and less about the here and now, Christians are also able to think about our
investments in eternity. In fact, it is our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love, kindness, generosity</i></b>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">self-sacrifice</b></i> in doing good for others that becomes our
investment in eternity, which all Christians can make, if they are willing to
do so. Again, the Apostle Paul succinctly explained these investments and our need to invest in
eternity when he told Timothy: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">By [being generous and doing good to others] [the wealthy
in this world] will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven – it
is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful
Christian life down here as well.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- (I Timothy 6: 9: LB). Are you focused on investing in eternity by
helping others and by being kind, generous, and loving? Do you think about what
you can do to represent Christ to the rest of the world? If you need to start
thinking about ways that you can reach out to help others and show the love of
Christ, as well as witness to those who need to know Him, you might consider
Active Relational Christian mentoring. Christian mentoring as an easy way to
invest not only in others, but to invest in your eternity as you become a World
class Christian.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Fourth</span>, World class Christians have goals, because they have
stopped thinking of excuses and have instead started thinking of creative ways
to fulfill the commission that Christ has given to each of them. The Great
Commission is every Christian’s commission. (See Matthew 28: 18-20). No Christian
is too young or too old to start thinking about ways to fulfill their personal
commission given to them by Christ. In fact, whether the Holy Spirit is
encouraging you to become an Active Relational Christian Mentor or encouraging
you to become a spokesperson for a particular ministry, the Lord has endowed
each Christian, i.e., you, with the ability to share Christ with others. We
know this because Jesus, before He was taken up into Heaven, told the apostles:
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">But when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people
about Me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Acts
1: 8. NLT). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as the disciples were given power, i.e., the Holy
Spirit, to witness for Christ, born-again Christians today have also been given
the Holy Spirit who empowers them to witness for Christ everywhere they go. It
is just a matter of choosing to do your part for the Kingdom of God. Indeed, by
doing your part, i.e., by turning from self-centered thinking to other thinking;
by spending more time in prayer; by thinking more about the entire world’s need
to meet Christ instead of just thinking about those closest to you; by thinking
more about eternity instead of just living in the here and now; and by thinking
about creative ways to fulfill the commission given to you by Christ, you will
not only be living<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a life of
significance, but you will be on the path to becoming a World-class Christian.
World-class Christians maximize their potential as a member of the Kingdom of God.
For, Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Only those who throw away their lives for My sake and for
the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live!</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Mark 8: 35. LB). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope each of you
can focus on growing spiritually and can focus on maturing as a Christian. In
fact, the question for all of us is: “Are we going to personally live up to the
standards and the cause of God’s Kingdom?” Moreover, are we going to change our
selfish way of thinking and instead start thinking about how we can help others
understand the Kingdom of God better? Then, are we going to start thinking
about people within our communities, within our state, within our nation and
even thinking of those in other parts of the world by praying for opportunities
to witness and speak up. We need to not only pray for others around the world,
but we need to also pray for the missionaries who can witness to the lost? Ultimately,
we need to pray for all the people who will believe in Christ as their Savior.
I know you can do it! You can not only mentor others for the Lord, but you can
become a World-Class Christian, too, in your attitude and in your actions.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">Are You Saved?</span></div>
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If in reading this post you realized that you are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>not</u></i> a born-again Christian, it is
very easy to turn your life around and ask Christ into your heart. It is never
too late, (that is until you take your last breath and then it is too late), to ask Christ for
forgiveness of your sins and then ask Him into your heart. All you have to do, with true belief in Christ as the risen Son of God, is to pray something like
this:<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Dear Lord, I know that God sent you into this world to die
for my sins and I believe that you were born of a virgin, died on the cross,
and arose again the third day conquering eternal death for all who will believe
in and trust in You. Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that wages of sin is
eternal death. I want eternal life. I am asking you to forgive me of my sins, for I believe that you
are the Son of God and that you died on the cross for our sins and then arose from the grave to give those who believe
on You eternal life. Jesus, I believe in You! Please come into my heart and
save me!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> those exact
words that will save you. But it is your telling Christ that you believe in Him
and His resurrection, and that you want Him to forgive you of your sins and come into
your life that is important and that will save you. Once you give your heart and
life to Christ, then go out and tell someone. For Romans 10: 9-10 tells us “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">That if you
confess with your mouth ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jesus as Lord’</i>,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the
mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation</span></b>.” Then you can work on becoming that World Class Christian for Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*************<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are interested in reaching out to people for Christ,
if you are interested in helping, encouraging, and empowering other women to be
all they can be for God, themselves, and their families, perhaps you would be
interested in reading my book on Active Relational Christian Mentoring. My book
is entitled: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i></b>.
Through personal mentoring stories, it discusses the many types of mentoring
and how Christian women can become a blessing to other women, and in the process,
they too can be blessed. My book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes and
Nobel, Christian Faith Publishing Co., iTunes, and Google Play. Below is a link
to Amazon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-67691874080600701132019-01-17T15:19:00.001-08:002019-01-17T15:19:04.799-08:00Singing to the Lord<br />
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Singing to the Lord<o:p></o:p></div>
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I grew up hearing my mother sing. She sang continuously when
she was working around the house and her voice was extremely beautiful. She
even had an opportunity to sing professionally, but she turned it down because
she had a husband and two little children that she did not want to leave to go
on the road with a national band. I, on the other hand, was not born with a
beautiful voice. Oh, I can carry a tune, and I love to sing for the Lord, but I
am not a good enough singer to even be in a church choir. However, I have used
my voice to sing praises to the Lord and to lift up my prayers of thanksgiving
to Him. I even sang after my replacement knee surgeries when I walked every day
in the underground garage at our condo to strengthen my knees. In fact, singing
to the Lord is something that we can all do to gain courage, to praise Him, to
celebrate His love, to ask for help, and to recite some of the Scriptures that are used within
songs. Some say that our Christian songs are actually our prayers that we sing to
the Lord. What kind of songs do you sing to the Lord?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Apostle Paul and Silas evidently believed in singing
their prayers to the Lord too. One example of this is found in the book of
Acts. You may remember that while on their second missionary journey Apostle Paul
and Silas were unjustly arrested, beaten and thrown into prison to await a trial
or something worse. They had been proclaiming Christ to the people in
Macedonia, and while there they removed a demon spirit from a girl who was a
pestering fortune teller.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This demon
possessed girl earned money for her masters by telling fortunes to anyone who
would pay. But, she kept pestering Paul and Silas’ calling out constantly “These men
are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be
saved”. Although what the demon was saying was true, Paul could not let the
Good News be linked with demon-related activities, because this would change
the message of Christ. So, when Paul had finally had enough, he removed the
demon that was shouting out and harassing them, which was the same demon that
helped the girl her tell fortunes. Her masters were furious when the girl no
longer had the ability to tell fortunes, so they grabbed Paul and Silas threatening
their lives for ruining their business, and then the other merchants turned
against them too. A mob quickly formed and then the city officials ordered Paul
and Silas to be stripped, beaten, and thrown into prison. But even though they were
thrown into prison and put into stocks, Paul and Silas were not defeated. Instead they prayed and sang songs to the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a
great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors
flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see
the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew
his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, Don’s do it! We are all
here. Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon
and fell down before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and asked. ‘Sirs, what
must I do to be saved?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Acts 16:
25-29. NLT).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite the terrible situation that Paul and Silas were in,
they had prayed and sang to the Lord and to the other prisoners. Their singing
was a form of prayerful praise and was also a way to ask for intercession from God. God
saw their trust and their love of Him, and He heard their beautiful praise and
prayerful worship to the One who could change their situation. Later, in
Ephesians 5: 19-20, Paul also encourages the members of the Ephesian church to “to
sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the
Lord in your hearts. [Telling them to] … always give thanks for everything to
God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How often to do you sing
to the Lord when you have a problem or need? Maybe you could make a list of all
the godly songs that you know that you could sing asking for help or proclaiming God’s
powerful protection, guidance, or His past intercession and provision for the
needs of people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Older Testament, David, even before he became king,
sang songs to the Lord. He put his requests of God into music and sang them to
the Lord. Many of the Psalms were praises, but others were songs sung to God
for help and protection. For example: Psalm 4 is about rejoicing in God’s
protection and peace, knowing that God will listen when we call; Psalm 6 is
about David calling for deliverance from trouble and his knowing full well that
God is able to rescue him (us); In Psalm 13 David prays for relief from his
despair, trusting that God will answer him (us) even if He doesn’t’ do so
immediately; In Psalm 18 David sings about his gratitude for God’s deliverance and
victory, as he tells those who hear his song that God’s help is the only way
that we can be delivered from evil, therefore, we must call upon God for His
glorious help; and David even sings in Psalm 26 of his loyalty to God, as he
stands up to those who oppose him and God. Finally, we see songs of praise and
worship sung by David and the Jewish people, such as Psalm (song) 136 which
tells us that God’s endless love is why He deserves our constant praise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are 150 psalms recorded in the Bible
and all of these are songs of praise, worship, and love, along with other prayerful
songs of need, protection, provision, and needed intercession. David knew that
God loved music and that God listened to the prayers that were sent up to God. So, David prayerfully sang his heart out to the Lord!<o:p></o:p></div>
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God invites us to praise Him and to call out to Him in our
hour of need, despair, and hurt. (See Matthew 7: 7 and Luke 11: 1-4). Unfortunately,
we are not always sure how to go about telling the Lord what we want to tell
Him. But, David set examples for us. Like David, we can talk to the Lord through singing,
dancing, and the playing of musical instruments as we pray to and praise the
Lord with all our heart. In fact, singing to the Lord is often easier than trying
to think of exact words to say. We just need to choose the psalm or the song
that best expresses our need or that expresses the praise that we want to use
to honor God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will end with Psalm 146 which tells us not only how great
God is, but that God’s help is enduring and complete.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Praise the Lord!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Praise the Lord, I tell myself. I will praise the Lord as long as I
live. I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath. Don’t put your
confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When their
breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment all their plans come
to an end. But happy are those who have the God of Israel (i.e., of Jacob) as
their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the One who made
heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the One who keeps
every promise forever, who gives justice to the oppressed and food to the
hungry. The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The
Lord lifts the burdens of those bent beneath their loads. The Lord loves the
righteous. The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and
the widows, but He frustrates the plans of the wicked. The Lord will reign
forever. O Jerusalem (i.e., Zion) your God is King in every generation. Praise
the Lord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Psalm 146. NLT).<o:p></o:p></div>
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Start singing to the Lord. Let Him know how wonderful He is
and also tell Him of your needs. God wants to hear your prayerful songs. And,
if you haven’t yet turned your life over to Christ, sing out in repentance of
your sins and then ask for forgiveness of your sins. He will hear you and give
you Salvation. Then you can truly sing songs of praise to the Lord!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-76589008831005892642018-11-02T11:21:00.001-07:002018-11-02T11:21:22.558-07:00The Importance of Voting in the Mid-terms [Our Christian and Democratic Worldview is at Stake]<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8hyGGJ1THyLx0UnFTkO1-RKiEEU6yFWnoOFGyEg988dIFnXO918qSs6BynebutXewRS8t50CvzxDCgOWT24JBUvZ8NbP3FjNMRdhaw5oO_are2DSleqgl5l9wALT79d5LPKlROoSBVo/s1600/Stormy+weather+seaside-1149687_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8hyGGJ1THyLx0UnFTkO1-RKiEEU6yFWnoOFGyEg988dIFnXO918qSs6BynebutXewRS8t50CvzxDCgOWT24JBUvZ8NbP3FjNMRdhaw5oO_are2DSleqgl5l9wALT79d5LPKlROoSBVo/s320/Stormy+weather+seaside-1149687_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"<i><b>One day Jesus said to His disciples, '<span style="color: #990000;">Let's cross over to the other side of the lake</span>.' So they got into a boat and started out. On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap, and while He was sleeping the wind began to rise. A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><b>The disciples woke Him up shouting, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!' So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm! Then He asked them, '<span style="color: #990000;">Where is your faith</span>?'</b></i>" -- (Luke 8: 22-25. NLT).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We, too, have to have faith and believe that God is in charge of everything, including the storms of life. Recently, though, we have not lived as God wants us to live, i.e., as a nation that should be focused on him. That is why our nation is in a terrible storm. But if we are willing to do our part, I believe that God will give us another chance to be a nation blessed by Him and that He will calm the storm. But at the same time, we must do our part to keep our country focused on truth, honesty, and love. That is why we must know what our country needs and we must be willing to get out and vote for those people whom we believe will live up to truth, honesty, and love for our country and its people. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
it is always important to vote, this year it is extremely important for those
who believe in our country and in our established way of life to get out and vote.
Why? Well, we are at a crossroads in our country. One path will take us down
the tried and true path of destruction and false equality that leads to poverty
for the majority and wealth for only a few i.e., into socialism, which will
eventually morph into communism as fewer and fewer people are allowed to be
wealthy. The other path, the one that we have been on, leads to continued
freedom, capitalistic opportunities, and the continued individual pursuit of
life, liberty, and happiness. But, if fail to know what we are voting for, if we fail to vote, or if we vote to allow the
progressive liberals and declared socialists into the Senate and the House of
Representatives as well as into our local and state governments, we will be
walking down the path that leads to total socialism and eventually to communism.
Certainly, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">if we fail</b> to get out to
vote for the conservatives who believe in democracy, capitalism, and the truth,
we will then allow those liberals and socialists who get into office to lead
our country into Venezuelan type socialism and capitalism. So, this election and the next one in
2020 are the most important elections we have yet to face. Please do not allow
socialists and communists or the America hater, George Soros, with his billions
which are funding Antifa and other hate groups, to take down this country that
our founding Fathers worked so hard to establish. Vote!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you know anything about why or how America was founded?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, why should we be voting? Well, if
you or your children have gone to school in the last twenty to thirty years, you or them may not have been
taught the truth about the founding of our country. What is that truth? Well, you should know that it was
God who guided our founding fathers into writing the greatest Constitution that
has ever been written. In fact, it is on the basis of this Constitution and the
idea that all men are created equal by our Father in Heaven that we are to have
not only equality, but the freedom that comes with it: i.e., the right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And, for over 240 years, Americans have
basically lived a life as close to true freedom as one can get. But in order to maintain that freedom, we have to get out and vote!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes,
we have struggled over the years with a few areas of inequality, but we have
continued to pursue equality for all, and we have continued to search for the truth.
Up until ten years ago, our country was gradually making more and more progress with ensuring
equality for all. Unfortunately, one president, who hid his hatred of our country
to get elected, stirred up hatred and dissent by pointing out our past inequalities, which led
people to believe that they were not making progress today, but that they were
instead going backwards into more inequality. All the progress that had been made over the years was suddenly in jeopardy of disappearing as Obama stoked the fires of
dissension and hatred toward whites. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adding
to this unrest and hatefulness, were the philosophical and even physical repercussions that we began to see as a result
of the liberal teachers and professors in our educational system who over the
last fifty years or so had begun to teach our students that our founding
fathers were evil, manipulative, businessmen who had no altruistic bones in
their bodies. These so-called liberal and socialistic educators had instead, been
using our country’s past sins to teach that all white people still believed in
racism and still believed in inequality for some people. These educators were either
failing to teach the truth about our past and what America had fought against
in WWI and WWII, or they were skewing the truth to fit their own agenda. Part
of their agenda also included the introduction of socialism to students as the
only way to make everything right and equal for everyone, with lots of
hand-outs and money for all. The physical repercussions came about through riots and the physical refusal to allow those with different view points to speak on campuses. Only the voices of the liberals and socialists would be allowed to be heard. There was no longer freedom to have a different viewpoint or to speak about that viewpoint or worldview. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adding to the harassment of those with conservative worldviews, was the fact that many
minorities and immigrants did not know the truth about our country’s past or
even the truth about our present beliefs. They had been manipulated and lied to by President Obama and the liberal media over the last ten years. To make matters worse, they and
the current college generation still do not know today that the main reason
that our country has pursued equality and freedom for all is that we were originally
created to be a free nation that lived for the One and only God, i.e., the Creator and
God of the Universe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Knowing that God created us to be free, our founding
fathers in the establishment of our country not only fought for our right to
live the way that we wanted to live, but they fought for our religious freedom
from Great Britain as well. In fact, our country was founded on the right of
every human to pursue their own way of worshipping even if it included
worshipping a god other than the true God that early on most people came to
America to worship. That is because true freedom means that we have the freedom
to choose whom we will worship even if it breaks God’s heart when people
worship false gods and idols. So, our founding fathers put into the
Constitution that our government could not force us into worshipping who we
don’t want to worship. And, no one was to be harassed for their beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Capitalism and Democracy go together</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our
country was also founded on what has become known as a democracy which is based
upon capitalism. Capitalism simply means that everyone has the right to sell
their products for a price that another person is willing to pay. If the other
person refuses to pay the price, then that person selling a product at too high
a price will eventually go out of business. But, at the same time every person
has the right to pursue a job or the right to create a business that will bring
them a living, or a business that may eventually bring them an extreme abundance.
And, as long as the person is <u>not</u> cheating, <u>not</u> being dishonest,
or <u>not</u> hurting someone else, they can live freely, working at their
favorite job or working at their established business; hopefully a business
that will benefit not only the owner, but their customers as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Capitalism
works well, because everyone has the chance to work as hard or as little as
they want, and everyone has the chance to pursuit their dreams of becoming
wealthy through hard work and through legal means. But, in setting up a government to
protect the people who were living and working in the United States, it was
determined that part of the Federal government’s responsibility in protecting
the people of this country also included making sure that all the different
businesses and different products did not hurt the people of the country. But,
in order to not only provide safety, there was also was the need for taxes to be
established, so that the people overseeing our safety and the infrastructure of the
country could be paid. We needed taxes, too, in order to have an infrastructure,
a military to protect the citizenry, and we needed taxes to build schools and
libraries for the education of our citizens. Eventually, as our nation grew, and
as it grew, we needed more and more government agencies to look after the
nation’s interests, which also required more and more taxes to run the
government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Difference between Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
one thing that makes our nation different from many other nations is that we
get to vote not only on how we want our country to be run, but we get to also
vote on the people we put in congress who will determine the taxes needed to
keep the government running. But, as power began to be the all-consuming reason
for senators and representatives to want to be re-elected, the government grew
ever bigger which meant that the government needed more and more taxes from the
people. So, taxes were raised. But to stay in power or get power, lies and more
lies were told by politicians so that they could get re-elected or so that some
could get elected to have the chance at getting power in the first place. Therefore, it
has become extremely hard to determine the motives of those running for office
or re-election. That is why this has become the year of political scandals and the
year of undercover videos outing the lies of the politicians. That is also why it so
important for each of us to really read up about each candidate and then look deeply at what they
say they support and will do, before we go to the polls to vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until
recently, most people thought that capitalism was great! Indeed, most people who
have been taught about the true difference between socialism, communism and
capitalism still think that capitalism is great. Unfortunately, over the last
fifty years or so, our free educational system has failed to teach the truth to
our students. And, a majority of professors are actually teaching and promoting socialism as
the best way to live. In fact, our educational system has failed to teach our
students the true history of failed socialism and communism around the world. And,
our liberal and socialistic teachers have also failed to teach the students how
to think for themselves or how to discern the truth from fallacy. Instead, the liberal
and socialistic teachers have brainwashed our children into believing that
capitalism is evil, so the students repeat what the professors have told them. Sadly, when our students get into college, the liberal
professors, instead of teaching facts, require their students to believe what
they believe or they will fail the students. In fact, most of these professors
are liberals and/or socialist who want their students to believe what they
believe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It
is so easy from early childhood through about age twenty-five to brainwash
individuals into your way of thinking, if indeed that is really what you want to do. And,
this is precisely what the liberal college professors do as they continue the
brainwashing and skewing of the truth about our country. This is also why we
have so much hatred spewed out upon our country and its citizens today. For, the liberal
professors have basically armed an army of liberal students as weapons against
capitalism and the truth. And, they are teaching their students to be
proponents of socialism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Socialism</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
principles of Socialism were first advocated by Karl Marx (1818-1883), who was
a German social philosopher and economist and Fredrick Engels (1820-1895), a
fellow German socialist leader and writer, who was a close associate of Karl
Marx. In the Marxist doctrine, Socialism is actually a stage in society that comes
between Democracy/ Capitalism (Democracy and Capitalism is what the United
States has believed in) and Communism. So, according to Marx and Engels, the
social and economic stages of society would be Democracy/Capitalism, then Socialism,
and finally Communism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism each have a strong economic premise, it is
important to understand the role of Democracy within Capitalism, because
without Democracy, the economic principle of Capitalism could not be
maintained. That is because Democracy provides a certain amount of freedom for
capitalism, as Democracy allows the people of a nation to rule through fair
voting and the exchange of ideas along with entrepreneurship which can benefit society
overall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Socialism,
though, is an overall economic structure set up to rule and control people
through the idea that there should neither be rich or poor people. There should
only be people living together equally without waste and for the good of all.
In Socialism, private ownership, once based upon capitalistic ownership and
production, as well as on entrepreneurial enterprises, have all but been
eliminated for the equalization of society. In other words, in the extreme,
individuals can no longer develop and produce items to sell on their own,
because all production and distribution is done by the government, so that
supposedly everyone will have the same identical piece of the pie. For, in
socialism, all members of society are to share in the work as well as in the
products and the profits. Sounds altruistic doesn’t it? It also sounds boring unless you want exactly what everyone else has, which is basically very little. But it turns out that
there is one group of people who will benefit greatly in socialism. The very
rich will continue to be very rich, and they will not have to share. Also, if
the production is not what it is supposed to be, then everyone suffers except
the rich.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Democracy</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On
the other hand, as opposed to a Monarchy or a Dictatorship that has only one
person in control of the rule of the people, Democracy is supposed to be the
rule of the people through chosen representatives of the people; not chosen
because they are rich, but chosen through fair elections in order to make
decisions for the good of the country and the good of all people. Moreover, the
decisions and the rules that affect everyone in a democracy, including the
rich, are supposed to be made through majority rulings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">But
in recent years our true democracy has been dwindling away, because the minority has often demanded to have their way, and they no longer accept what the majority of
the people want. And, in many cases, the </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">minority</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> has gotten their way. And, the minority is now trying hard to get their way over even bigger issues that affect all of us. For example, even
though the majority of the people want </span></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">the
right to bear arms,</i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> given to us in the constitution, to be maintained,
there are minority groups including liberals and socialist who are doing
everything in their power to take away from all the people </span></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">the right to bear arms</i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. Now the liberal media is also doing the work of
the minority for them by constantly beating the drums of “no guns” for anyone
except policemen. Both the liberals and socialists as well as the liberal media
are now foisting their worldview of a gunless society upon congress, as they
constantly fight against our right to carry arms. They are against having guns
to defend ourselves, and they want laws against having guns even if the
majority of people do not want these anti-gun laws.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Socialistic and Communistic Worldviews versus Capitalism, True Freedom,
and the Christian World View</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some
of what I have been posting at this time has been taken from a previous blog of
mine written back in November of 2015. But I feel that it needs to be read
again or read for the first time by those who didn’t get a chance to read it
then, so that you can understand how important it is to know the candidates and
what they stand for. Only then, can you make a good informed decision when you
get out and vote.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everyone
needs to know that there are worldviews today that we thought would never again
be part of the American culture. These worldviews came about with the advent of
World War II in the late nineteen thirties and the growth of socialism and
communism in the late nineteen forties and the early nineteen fifties. Because
of the devastation of WWII and the oppression of those who lived under
socialism and communism during the next few decades after the war, people could
see what socialism and communism did to other countries and their peoples. They
could see the bread lines and the poverty for everyone but the very rich. In
fact, at one point our country was so afraid of the rampant communism, which was
being promoted by secret communists and some educators living within the United
States, that some in the government actually harassed the communists and anyone
that did not agree with democracy and capitalism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">These
were truly dark and shameful days for the United States and freedom, as
McCarthyism reared its ugly head within our government. Everyone was afraid of
communism because of what they were seeing happening in other countries as a
result of the oppression by communism. Consequently, many people were harassed because
someone thought they were a communist. Then Senator Joseph McCarthy decided to attempt
to eradicate socialism and communism in the wrong way by ruining the lives of many people who may or may not have been communists. Consequently, America for a
short period of time over reacted and oppressed those who were thought to be
communists. Then, in realizing our mistake, we went overboard in the opposite
direction, in showing that we were ashamed for what we had done, by allowing socialists
and even communists to teach our young people in college.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most
true born-again Christians try to understand and accept the right of others to
express themselves, but we also have to always seek the truth, while we work
hard to expose the untruths, deceptions, and lies before they become the
accepted norm. We also need to look closely at those who are teaching our
children and make sure that they are not foisting their personal beliefs upon
our children and students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
the past, Christians have put their heads in the sand hoping that the things
that are wrong in America will simply go away. But evil and those who are
proponents of socialism, communism, and of negative ways of living will not go
away. So, we have to understand what they want and why they want what they
want. We also have to get out and vote so that our freedom and our capitalistic
and democratic, and Christian way of life does not disappear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So,
why is it so important to understand the worldview of Capitalism? Well, in the
Capitalistic world view, anyone who is willing to work hard, anyone who can
think outside the box and come up with new ideas, and anyone who wants to
succeed can start their own business if they are willing to work hard and do it
honestly. A capitalist can make economic deals with other capitalists to create
more jobs and to provide greater production for items to be sold. However,
there will also be those people who have no desire to become business owners or
entrepreneurs. In fact, many people who want to work to make a living, actually
want to work for someone else. They do not want the headaches or the
responsibility of owning a business, but they are willing to work to earn money
and help that business grow. That is fine, because everyone in a capitalistic
society has the freedom to work as much or as little as they want. Usually, it
is the amount of money that a person wants to make that determines the job that
they take. The job they can take is also dependent upon their desire and
determination to get an education as well as their abilities and their desire
to succeed. And because capitalism allows for free enterprise, there will
always be those who succeed and there will always be those who fail. However,
in a capitalistic society, a person can start over as many times as they want
or as often as they need in order to succeed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
the capitalistic and democratic worldview, some people will be blessed with
initiative and or an entrepreneurial spirit, while others will be blessed with
the ability to get and education and become lawyers, doctors, etc. Others will
be blessed as housewives, technological innovators, or workers in stores or
corporations. For, there is the freedom to become whatever kind of worker you
wish to become, even if you just want to be a street sweeper (and there is nothing wrong with being a street sweeper). And, in a
capitalistic society and democratic worldview, everyone has a chance to succeed if they
work hard and desire it. But Capitalism is not a share and share alike
worldview. Instead, it is a worldview that gives everyone a chance to succeed.
We also need to remember that capitalism goes along with the Christian worldview
too, for in the Bible we read that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Diligent hands bring wealth</span></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Proverbs 10: 4. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Christian worldview fits in nicely together with the worldviews of democracy
and capitalism because Christianity has within it an inherent caring about the
other person. Christianity always cares about the freedoms of others.
Christianity also supports the dreams and the fulfillment of the dreams of
those who are willing to work hard and adhere to the laws of our nation. In
fact, the Apostle Paul told his mentee, Titus, that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Our people must learn to devote themselves
to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and
not live unproductive lives.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Titus 3: 14. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
the Christian worldview, followers of Christ are concerned for the unfortunate
and help them in many different ways. Christians often feed those who lack
food. In fact, Christians often start caring programs like “Hope House” that
provides clothing and household items for just pennies and that gives food to
those who cannot afford to feed their families. The Christian worldview is
compassionate, caring, and encouraging; caring about the needs of those less
fortunate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But most of all, the
Christian worldview cares about the souls of all those who do not yet know
Christ as their Savior. For, Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those
like Him who are lost</span></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Luke 19: 10. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
the Christian worldview, we care where others will end up spending eternity.
And, we want everyone to develop a relationship with Christ through the
repentance of their sins and their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the risen
Son of God. For, it is the soul that sees a relationship with God and His Son.
We can reach more people for Christ through a loving and caring attitude than
through isolationism and selfishness. But we cannot reach people for Christ if
we react in hatred when we are rebuffed or are mistreated. And we cannot reach others when the freedom to voice our opinions and our knowledge is not allowed. That is why, if we want to
reach others for Christ, we cannot let the lies of the liberals and socialists
change the type of country that we have been given by God. That is why we must
get out and vote on November 6<sup>th</sup>. We must elect men and women who
want to tell the truth, who want to maintain our democracy, capitalism, and our country’s Christian worldview. For, if we elect men and women who are socialist
into government positions, they can press their false beliefs upon an
unsuspecting nation. That is why we must not only get out and vote, but we must
mentor the younger generation in the truth of Democracy and Capitalism as well
as the truth of Christianity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If
you would like to read more about the worldviews of Democracy/capitalism,
socialism, and communism and how you can mentor our young people and others in
the truth and knowing Christ, please go to my earlier blogs in October and
November of 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;"><b>Salvation</b></span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And,
if you do not know Christ as your Savior, I encourage you to pray and ask
Christ to come into your heart. All you need to do is to understand that we are
all sinners and that the payment for our sins is eternal death and separation
from love and God. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God</span></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 3: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
But, with repentance of your sins, and the recognition that Christ is the
living Son of God who died on the cross while taking yours and my sins on his
shoulders, and by believing that He arose on the third day, having paid for our
sins and having conquered eternal death, you, too, can be Saved for all eternity. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">For, the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.</span></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 6: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
By repenting of your sins and by believing in Christ you can be filled with
peace and the certainty that you will spend eternity with God and His Son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For, God did not send the Son into
the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him</span></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 3: 16-17)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And
Romans 9: 9-10 says, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus as Lord’, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be Saved; for
with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the
mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation</span></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ
said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;">Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and will dine with him, and He with Me</span></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Revelation 3: 20)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For,
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Whoever will
call upon the Name of the Lord will be Saved</span></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 10: 13)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don’t
let this time pass you by, call out to Christ and repent! Then, go and tell
someone that you have been Saved. Your life will never be the same, for the
glorious love of Christ will permeate your heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For
those of you who are interested in learning more about Active Relational Christian
Mentoring, please check out my book: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #00b050;">The
Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</span></u></i></b>.
You can get the book through Barnes and Nobel, Amazon, Google Play, and iTunes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-83632160099063692622018-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:002018-09-29T12:36:00.327-07:00Becoming More Like Christ Each Day<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Eor0Z8erpgVbLkV76m6AS2mdGKnMAF_XBIFYiy5aa238CVpKX-oPmbemTD9N86xKDtwVWdsWTfqJd4JxM3rTCdch8GBKB7dtuW7OSdfNMYTuuPFdEDu892nAnzEKlog5y9QMSGB_LlQ/s1600/cross-2713356_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Eor0Z8erpgVbLkV76m6AS2mdGKnMAF_XBIFYiy5aa238CVpKX-oPmbemTD9N86xKDtwVWdsWTfqJd4JxM3rTCdch8GBKB7dtuW7OSdfNMYTuuPFdEDu892nAnzEKlog5y9QMSGB_LlQ/s320/cross-2713356_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<span style="color: #0070c0;">Let your roots grow down into Christ, and draw up
nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong
and vigorous in the truth</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Colossians 2: 7. LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did
you know that you were created to become like Christ? Well, you were. However,
each person has to first develop a relationship with Christ, and in order to do
that they must first hear about Christ, then in belief ask Him into their
heart, while choosing to live for Him. Only then can a person become more and
more like Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
know that everyone is born with the ability to recognize God. At the time of
conception, i.e. at their creation, God is with them throughout each person’s
development. Then once a person is born, God is still there for them throughout
all their days here on earth. As the Psalmist tells us: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">You
(God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my
mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship
is marvelous – and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in
utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me
before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment
was laid out before a single day had passed.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Psalm 139: 13-16. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Throughout each person’s life God is
there for them just waiting for them to acknowledge Him and His Son, because God
wants to bestow upon them His endless love and constant protection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even
though every baby is born a sinner, before they become toddlers they can
understand who God is. There is just something in their soul that recognizes
and longs for a relationship with God. But as a child grows up in this world
and faces the evilness within, the longing for a relationship with God can be
pushed so far to the back of their minds that they no longer recognize God.
However, they will continue to long for a relationship with God even though
they don’t realize it consciously and don’t know Him. That is why so many young
people, by the time they are in their early teens, are totally lost but yet they
are still looking for something to fill that hole or void within their souls
where God belongs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many People Refuse to Believe in God</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
people <u>did not</u> have parents who introduced them to the Bible and God and they refuse to believe in God or Jesus Christ. Sadly,
even some people who were raised with godly parents refuse to acknowledge God and
His Son, Jesus Christ. These are people who are constantly searching for something, but at the same time refuse to see what is right in front of them. Little do they know, but there
may come a time when God no longer pursues them to become one of His children,
because eventually the Holy Spirit will quit calling out to them. The Apostle Paul
explains these stubborn and sinful people’s situations this way: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">God shows His anger from Heaven against all sinful,
wicked <u>people who push the truth away from themselves</u>. For <u>the truth
about God is known to them instinctively</u>. <u>God has put the knowledge in
their hearts</u>. From the time the world was created, people have seen the
earth and the sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible
qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So, <u>they have no excuse
whatever for not knowing God</u>.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 1: 18-20. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Along
with all people’s ability to recognize God as their Creator and Father, people have
also been given the free will to choose to serve God or not. For, God will not
force anyone to love, obey, or serve Him. Yet, with the ability to recognize
the truth of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, many people will still not
acknowledge or believe in Jesus Christ. However, those who <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>do</u></i> choose to recognize and believe in God and His Son, Jesus
Christ, will be blessed in so many ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
creating us individually, God has given each person a unique personality and special
talents, gifts, and insights that can be used in serving Him and in serving and
caring for others. Unfortunately, because we live in a fallen world that constantly
presents problems, trials, and difficult matters or situations to us in many different
ways, all these things when taken individually or together can then affect our
lives in a either a positive or negative way, depending on each person’s specific
personality and intellect and the way they handle the matters in life. In addition, some people’s personalities are more
prone to participating in the evil things of this world. Moreover, some people just
cannot contemplate the goodness of God, because their minds only think about
simple things or only things that are right in front of them, as they are presented
with the negativity of this world that they encounter. Others are simply
unwilling to look at God’s creation or are unwilling to contemplate His power,
love, and divineness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>We can choose the path
that we take</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many other matters or situations that can impact a person’s life in such a
way that it will override a person’s innate knowledge of who God is. Sadly, these
matters, events, or situations can range anywhere from physical and emotional
abuse by family, strangers, or even so-called friends to events or matters that
are subtle, unexpected, or hurtful. So, whether or not a particular person can
handle a negative situation or event in their life depends upon the character
of that person and the depth of their faith and trust in God. In fact, how a
person perceives, thinks upon, and views everything in life ultimately depends
on their personality, their ability to think things through, as well as how
they look at the world around them, and how they choose to handle each and
every situation; all of which will then determine their willingness or not to
pursue having a greater relationship with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are also people who, because of their circumstances or because of their pridefulness,
or their desire to accumulate power along with their willingness to accept
unfounded philosophical ideas of their own or of others’ making, will actually defy
goodness, truth, honesty, love, consideration, or kindness toward others. In addition,
they may even lack principles, values, and ethics as well as integrity and
honesty. Usually, these are very unhappy people. But, in such cases, God knew even
before they were born that it would take some type of momentous event to get
their attention, but even at that God knew that many of these people would still
refuse to believe in Him and His Son. These individuals would simply refuse to
see things differently or change the way that they perceived the world. They do
not think upon their own, use common sense, or search for answers that God has
ready if they would just ask. Instead, they succumb to group think,
selfishness, and the desire to be their own god.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However,
God also knew that some people that He created would willingly choose to look
at life through the eyes of goodness, kindness, caring, and love. These
individuals, like Abraham, would search for the truth and find God. God knew
that still other people would be able to see Him within all He had created and
seek Him out. Indeed, it would be these people who could be saved from their
sins and saved from the sins of this fallen world. But in order to Save them,
God would have to sacrifice His Only Son. Because, it would take the blood of
Christ to wash away their sins and make them righteous before God. However,
each person would still have to make a personal decision for Christ in order to
have their sins forgiven and in order to be made righteous before God. This
means that everyone who hears the Gospel message or who sees God and His Son in
all Creation will have the opportunity to believe in Christ as the risen Son of
God and will have the opportunity to repent of their sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>God has given us the
ability to become more like Christ</i></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>.
</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Individuals
who have heard the Gospel message of Salvation given to us through Jesus
Christ, and who will then turn their lives around and believe upon Jesus Christ
as their living Savior will indeed be Saved. It is these people who will then have
the opportunity to become more and more like Christ as they live for Him daily.
In fact, the Bible specifically tells us that we were created to become more
and more like Christ every day, for<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He
decided from the outset <u>to shape the lives of those who love Him</u> along
the lines as the life of His Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity
He restored. We see the original and intended shape our lives there in Him</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 8: 29. The Message.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
fact, “<i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Christ is the visible image of the invisible
God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all
creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in Heaven and
earth.</span> </i><span style="color: #00b0f0;"><i>He made the things we can see and the
things we can’t see – kings, kingdom, rulers, and authorities. Everything has
been created through Him and for Him. He existed before everything else began,
and He holds all creation together</i>.” </span>-- </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Colossians
1: 15-17. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Actually,
from the beginning even before the world was created, God’s plan for humankind
was to make them like His Son, Jesus Christ. We know this, because at the time
of creation, the Trinity of God, i.e., the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">… Let us make people in <u>our own image</u>,
<u>to be like ourselves</u>. … So <u>God created people in His own image</u>; <u>God
patterned them after Himself</u>; male and female He created them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b>-- (Genesis 1: 26, 27. NLT). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously,
we were not created to look like God or to be God. Rather, we were created to
reflect the glory of God through the lives that we live for Him. It is God’s
character and the character of Jesus Christ, His Son, that we are to reflect
back to God and to reflect upon others who do not yet know or have a
relationship with Him. So, what characteristics are we to reflect back to God
and upon others? Well, part of God’s character and the character of His Son is
reflected in our love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, truthfulness,
forgiveness, and integrity as we interact with other people. For, God, the
Trinity, has all these characteristics and so much more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However,
it is not easy to develop even some of the characteristics of God. That is
because humans are born sinners who often do not even realize that they are
sinners. But recognizing that we are sinners and then asking for the cleansing
of our sins through Jesus Christ is how we are Saved for all eternity. It is through
our belief on Jesus Christ and His gift of Salvation that we can then develop some
of the characteristics of God and His Son and then live by those good
characteristics and attitudes. In developing these characteristics and
attitudes, we can live by truth and love which can then be reflected in our giving
glory and honor back to God? But to do so, we first have to be made righteous
in the sight of God. We have to be imputed with righteousness through the
cleaning blood of Jesus Christ. But, in order to be imputed with righteousness,
we first have to come to know Jesus Christ, God’s Son, personally while
repenting of our sins and desiring to live for Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only then with our Salvation re-birth can we
become a new creature that can gradually become more and more like Christ. But
in order to become more and more like Christ, we must choose to grow in our
knowledge of Christ and choose to grow more like Christ in our behaviors and in
our use of words. So,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How Can We Become More
Like Christ?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Well
we must start with understanding what our new birth in Christ should look like.
This means then that we have to understand what the full “image and likeness”
of God is and what it means. The full “image and likeness” of God looks like
Jesus Christ! For the Bible tells us that “[<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Jesus
Christ is] the exact likeness of God</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (II Corinthians 4: 4. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
Scripture also tells us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">Christ is the
visible image of the invisible God</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;">. He
existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.
Christ is the one through whom God created everything in Heaven and earth</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Colossians 1: 15. NLT.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
are also told in the book of Hebrews that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">The Son reflects
God’s own glory, and everything about Him represents God exactly.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Hebrews 1:3. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With
our own Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son, we are given the opportunity
to reflect the nature and goodness of Christ to the rest of the world. If we
become more and more like Christ, we, too, can then give God glory and honor as
we represent the glory of the Son in the things that we do. But in order to do
this, Scripture tells the Saved person that with your Salvation you must “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">… throw off your old evil nature and your former way of
life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead,
there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must
display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness –
righteous, holy, and true</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Ephesians 4: 22-23. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So,
in order to become more like Christ, we must turn in a new direction with our
life. We must allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us in all that we do.
This means that we must make a conscious determination to commit our daily
living to representing Christ in all that we do. We have to care about right
and wrong and want to do what is always right in the eyes of God. We have to
clear our minds of the darkness of this world and focus on the truth and
righteousness of Heaven. In other words, we have to work at becoming a more
godly person every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With
our re-birth and with our pursuit into the likeness of Christ, we must “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">put away all falsehood and ‘tell y[our] neighbor the
truth,’ because we belong to each other</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Ephesians 4: 25. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
The Apostle Paul gave this verse to the Ephesians, because God does not want Christians
to lie. God does not lie. Moreover, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Lying lips are
an abomination to the Lord</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Proverbs 12: 22. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. We are also not to let anger, which is a worldly emotion,
get the best of us. For, anger is <u>not</u> representative of Christ. In fact,
Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">But I say, if you are angry with someone,
you are subject to judgment! If you call someone and idiot, you are in danger
of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in
danger of the fires of hell</span><span style="color: #00b0f0;">.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Matthew 5: 22. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christlikeness
means, too, that those who are Saved are to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">begin
using y[our] hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful,
so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not
bring sorrow upon the Holy Spirit by the way you live. … <u>Get rid of all
bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of
malicious behavior</u>. Instead, <u>be kind, to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving, one another, just as Christ has forgiven you</u></span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Ephesians 4:26-32. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
are not to try to become a god. But God does want us to become godly, and in so
doing, become more like Christ so that we can represent Christ to the rest of
the world. Becoming godly means that we take on the values, attitudes, and
character of Jesus Christ. We are to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Take on an
entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside
and working itself into your <u>conduct as God accurately reproduces His
character in you</u></span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Ephesians 4: 22. The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However,
in order to live a godly life and be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">renewed</i>
from the inside out, we must listen to the Holy Spirit who indwells all truly
born-again Christians. For, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">as the Spirit of
the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His
glory even more</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (II
Corinthians 3: 18. NLT). And, if we listen to the Holy Spirit and do the will
of the Lord within our lives, we will become more and more like Christ. In
fact, all born-again Christians have been given the desire to obey God through
our Salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But, to become more and
more like Christ, we have to do more than just desire to become more like Him.
We have to train ourselves to constantly think about developing and acquiring
the characteristics and attitude of Christ. And we need to read and try to obey
the Word of God. Only then can we become more like Christ which will then be
seen by others within our behaviors, words, actions, and within our service to Christ
and the Heavenly Father. This service will be displayed through our kindness
and loving actions toward others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every
day people will be able to see that there is something different about those
individuals who are becoming more and more like Jesus Christ; as they display
kindness, caring, and love toward others. People will see their good behaviors,
actions and words. People will also see the joy and smiles upon the faces of
truly born-again Christians who are reflecting the love and goodness of God and
Christ out upon their little part of the world. These Christians will also show
the characteristics and attitudes of Christ when they reach out in service to
others. Indeed, our service to God and others can in many different ways be
seen as not only a reflection of our love for God, but also as a reflection of the
acquisition of the characteristics of Christ. In other words, people can see
that we are living for Christ in all that we do. Our Christian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">life</i> then becomes a way of sharing the
Gospel message which will then open the door for the Good News to be shared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is just one of the many ways that we can
show the world that we are emulating the actions, attitudes, and
characteristics of Christ within our own life. Have you reached out to mentor and
help another woman? Have you shared your love of Christ with another person?
Can others see Christ in you? If you want to learn more about the service of Christian
mentoring and the importance of becoming more and more like Christ, please
check out my book: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Stand
Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i>. You can purchase the
book from Amazon, Christian Faith Publishing, or Barnes and Nobel. The
following is a link to Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Accepting
Christ as Your Savior</span></b>.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Accepting Christ as your Savior, or giving
your life to Christ is so simple. All you have to do is believe on Jesus Christ
as the risen one and only Son of God. But, you need to understand that you are
a sinner, for we are all born sinners. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For all have
sinned, all fall short of God’s glorious standard</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i>” –</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Romans 3: 23)</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. You also need to
understand that we must pay for our sins. In fact, the Bible tells us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">the wages (payment) of sin is death (eternal death)</span></i></b>.”
–</span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Romans 6: 23)</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Yet, with our belief in Jesus Christ and with the repentance
of and the turning away from sins, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">God in His gracious
kindness declares us not guilty</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">– (Romans 3: 24)</span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> God did this through the sacrifice of His Son,
Jesus Christ whose blood takes away our sins. “</span><b style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For
God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against
us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood,
sacrificing His life for us</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- (Romans: 3: 25.)</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God loves you so much that He sent His
Son to earth to die for your sins. But the grave could not contain Him, for
three days later Jesus Christ arose from the grave conquering eternal death. Christ's sacrifice on the cross is that payment for our sins that will give all who believe on Christ as the risen
Lord the right to eternal life with God and Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you believe that Jesus Christ died and
arose from the grave and that He is now back in Heaven preparing a place for
you, then you have been Saved. All you have to do now, is to tell someone that
you have repented of your sins and have accepted Christ as your Savior, and that
Christ is now truly living within your heart. Congratulations! You are a child
of God’s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-56226247353372793572018-08-23T10:58:00.001-07:002018-08-23T10:58:15.310-07:00The Importance of Communication within Relationships<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have been remiss in communicating
with you the last three weeks. That is because I have been very busy
communicating with my Bible Study group and with others. That is not an excuse,
but just the reason that I haven’t gotten this blog out sooner. I should know
better, because communication is extremely important in life. Without
communication we cannot develop relationships, and without the development of
some type of relationship we cannot actively mentor another person. As we have
discussed in the past, relationships are not only very important in our own
lives, but are also important to the lives of other people as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it is extremely important to develop
relationships with other women not only in order to be there for them when they
need help, but in order to be able to communicate with them so we can know when
they need our help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Communication is how we develop a relationship
with another person, i.e., if we know how to communicate with respect and
kindness. Communication covers so many different avenues or methods, and we are
not limited to only one type of communication. For example, we can talk
directly to another person, we can tell someone else to let another person know
that we are thinking about them or praying for them, we can pick up the
telephone and call a person, or we can text the person, especially if we don’t
have time to talk on the phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In our technological world today, there
are even more ways to communicate than the previous tried and true ways of
communication in the past. We can now communicate using such things as twitter,
emails, messenger, Facebook, Snap-Chat, Skype and a few others besides just the
tried and true methods of face-to-face communication, telephoning, actual
letter writing or the writing of notes of support that we can send out to
someone when they are needed. With all the latest technology and the ease of
staying in contact with another person, one would think that actual communication
would be even greater than it has been in the past. However, that isn’t necessarily
the case. Today, we often fail to communicate adequately, let alone communicate
to understand what someone is going through or thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes, we have all these new
technological communicating methods or tools, but in our fast-paced and often
ungrateful and rude society, these various technological means of communication
have just allowed us to by-pass decency, concern, caring, etiquette, and
kindness. Instead, of taking the time to talk to people and to discuss our
differences or ideas on certain subjects, many people now use these new communication
tools as a quick means of saying hateful things, of posting some political
rhetoric, of showing others how stupid they think that someone is, or as a quick
method of supporting some agenda. Those so-called newer methods of communication
often just end up encouraging hateful words and personal diatribes of communication,
which are often used as a means of telling someone how superior the so-called
communicator thinks he/she is over another person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the end the one who is posting all
the hateful words via twitter, emails, texting, etc. is not really communicating
(i.e. they are not allowing for an actual back and forth discussion that allows
both parties to glean some type of understanding from each other or that will
allow one or both parties to learn something new about the other person.).
Instead, some people who are using the new fast and simple means of communication
are actually telling the world about their insecurities, hurts, and anger, as
well as sometimes presenting their lack of etiquette and couthfulness to the
world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Communication
as a Two-way Endeavor<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What happened to just common courtesy
or simple caring about another person? Part of the problem is that we have
forgotten that true communication is supposed to be a two-way endeavor. Rather
than just saying or shouting out what we want to say, we need to think about
the other person and we should want to hear their response to our statements or
questions. And instead of thinking that everyone else should want to hear what
we have to say, we should want to hear what the other person with whom we are
communicating has to say and what their opinions are on different subjects that
are supposed to be discussed. That doesn’t mean that we have to immediately accept
what they have said as the answer to all our questions or as a means of
perceiving the world around us the way that they do, but it should mean that we
are willing to mull over what they have said and then politely explain why we
agree or disagree with their thought process on the subject matter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Running down another person has never
gotten anyone anywhere and it certainly will not make friends. Many times it just shows their ignorance. Moreover, <u>not</u>
being willing to even engage in a give or take conversation will actually stop
the conversation in its tracks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, if
the conversation ends in belittling or yelling, either on one side or both
sides, one or both of the two people trying to communicate have just made
themselves an enemy or at the very least have given the other person a reason
to never want to talk to them again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When God gave us voices and brains
with which to form logical sentences and to be able to communicate with each
other, He did not plan on us belittling, conniving, and ultimately hurting each
other with our words just because we have the vocal ability to do so within our
ability to communicate. But, God did know that all (i.e., each) of us would
have to overcome living in this fallen world after Adam and Eve sinned. Part of
the overcoming of the evil within this fallen world is the ability to overcome
the evil that is within ourselves; such as selfishness, sinfulness, jealousy,
immorality, idol worship, pride, greed, and the desire for power over others
among the many other fleshly evils and sinfulness that can arise in the hearts
of men and women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Salvation
and Heavenly Bodies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is only one way to overcome our
fleshly desires and our innate evil and that is through the Cross. We are all
born sinners and can only be forgiven of our sins through belief on the One and
only Son of God, Jesus Christ, who died on a cross for our sins. Christ arose
from the grave and overcame eternal death. In belief on Christ, we can have
eternal life. In fact, through Jesus Christ each of us can live better and more
caring lives here on earth knowing that we will one day reside in Heaven with
God and His Son, Jesus Christ, when we discard our physical bodies in this earthly
death, or if Jesus returns before we die here on earth we know we will receive new
heavenly bodies in the air. For, if we have believed in Jesus Christ as the
risen Son of God who is now in Heaven preparing a place for us, we will never
die again, because we will live forever, i.e., eternally with Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Our earthly
bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for
they will never die. Our bodies now disappoint us, but when they are raised,
they will be full of glory. They are weak now, but when they are raised, they
will be full of power. They are natural human bodies now, but when they are
raised, they will be spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, so
also there are spiritual bodies. … It will happen in a moment, in the blinking
of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians
who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are
living will be transformed so that we will never die. For our perishable
earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Corinthians 15: 42-44, 52-54.
NLT)</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you know Christ as your Savior? If
not, you can communicate with God and Jesus Christ through prayer asking for Christ to forgive you of your sins and then being willing to accept Christ's Salvation. If you still
need some help understanding the path to Salvation, please reach out to a
born-again Christian. That Christian can share the Gospel message with you and
pray with you. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">For if you confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved. For, it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with
God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 10: 9-10</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Communication
is Important for any Type of Active Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whether you are sharing the Gospel
message, helping another person through some trial or just helping empower them
to be able to do something they could not do before, you need to be able to
communicate with them. Good communication requires a heart that cares and is
willing to listen to what the other person has to say. Only through two-way
discussions are people able to listen and learn from each other. The same is
true when it comes to listening to God and the Holy Spirit and then talking to
Him about your needs. And, just like we are to praise God for the great and
wonderful God that He is and for all the things that He does for us, we are to
also be willing to praise our mentees for their accomplishments and their
willingness to learn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When mentoring another person,
whether it is a friend, a spouse, a child, or co-worker, we have to be able to
communicate with them in a way that does not alienate them or hurt them. We also
have to be willing to listen to what the other person has to say and then be
willing to hear their needs within their communication with us. We certainly cannot
allow pride in ourselves or pride in what we think that we know to keep us from
being caring, kind, and understanding listeners. And, sometimes we have to throw
out preconceived ideas about a person or the subject matter in order to get to
the truth and to understand the other person better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The failure to communicate with the
other person, i.e., the mentee, can destroy a relationship or it can keep a mentoring
relationship from forming. Yes, communication takes time. It takes time out of
our own lives, but the reward of gracious, kind, and caring communication with a
mentee is greater than we can even imagine when we see the mentee being
empowered to be more than they ever thought they could be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, whether you are communicating
with your friend, your spouse, your child, a family member, a co-worker, or
even an acquaintance, please remember that true communication is not only you doing
the talking, but is also allowing the person with whom you wish to communicate with
to talk too. For good communication is a two-way street, and it is also having the
determination to try to understand that other person and their needs and
desires. Good communication has nothing to do with anger, hatefulness, meanness,
or selfishness. Now, go out and communicate for God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-87172546330579631832018-07-17T15:44:00.000-07:002018-07-17T15:44:13.457-07:00Our Present Future and the Word of God<br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We
spend our lives dreaming of the future,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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realizing that a little of it slips away every day.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
Barbara Johnson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Heaven and earth will
pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- Mark 13: 31. NKJV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We live every day of our lives thinking about what we are going
to do tomorrow. We also plan for future vacations, growth, accomplishments, and
career goals. Even when we are planning for our day each morning, we are
thinking about future moments in our day and how we are going to handle each
one. Seldom do we think about the moment that we are living in the here and
now. That is because we are living a fast-pasted life, and some of us can’t or
won’t slow down to “smell the roses” even if we had the chance, because we feel
the need to always be on the go, or we are thinking of future moments and
achievements we can make here on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, many people
miss out on the little things that can make their lives so special. One of
those little things is recognizing what God is doing in their lives. In other
words, most people forget to focus on the blessings that God is bestowing on them
and more importantly, they forget to praise and thank God for all that He does
for them moment by moment. Some Christians are also so focused on the
themselves and their distant but daily future on this earth that they can’t
find the time to even share the Gospel message with another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the most important things that all Christians need to
focus on, though, is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> so much on what
they are doing or planning for their future lives here on earth, but on what they
are doing for their <u>present future</u> on a daily basis. I know that sounds
funny. How can we have a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">future</i>? That sounds like an oxymoron. But,
from the moment that a person asks Christ into her heart she is “<u>born-again</u>”.
That person is then living in their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">future </i>moment by moment. The Apostle
Peter explains a born-again person’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present
future</i> and <u>eternal future</u> by connecting their future to the Word of
God. Peter says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but of imperishable,
that is, through the living and enduring Word of God. For</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All
flesh is like grass, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and all its glory like the flower of the grass. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The grass withers, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and the flower falls off, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">but the Word of the Lord endures forever</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And this was the Word which was preached to you</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The New Living Translation</span></u><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> of the Bible (NLT) translates this same verse:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
you have been born again. Your new life did not come from your earthly parents
because the life they gave you will end in death. But this new life will last
forever because <u>it comes from the eternal Word of God</u>. As the prophet says</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘</span><span style="color: #92d050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People are like grass
that dies away: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #92d050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #92d050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The grass withers, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #92d050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and the flowers fall away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #92d050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the Word of the Lord will last forever</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– I Peter 1: 23-25. NLT</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In other words, at the moment of our re-birth we have put on <u>immortality</u>.
The Apostle Paul also wrote: “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on
immortality.</span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But when this perishable will
have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality,
then will come about the saying that is written:</i></b> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘Oh death where is your victory? O death where
is your sting?</span></i></b><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sting of death is sin, and the power of
sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.’</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (I Corinthians 1: 53-57. NASB)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In other words, at the moment of our Salvation we have taken off
the perishable and the mortal and we have put on the imperishable and
immortality, so that we can begin living in our “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i>” future; a future that started at the moment when we gave
our heart to Christ and it will culminate in a <u>future eternity</u> with God
and Christ in immortality. Our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present
future</i> then is what we are building upon day by day as we live for and work
toward our <u>future eternity</u> with God and Christ while sharing in our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">future</i> the glorious Words of God with other believers within the present
and future Kingdom of God. In order to truly live for our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present </i>future, though, each believer must begin to focus on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enduring Word of God</i> through which they
have become the imperishable seed, and then actively share God’s Word with
everyone they encounter who has not heard the Good News. Believers must also
focus on living out the Word of God in such a way that others can see Christ in
their life. In other words, believers should be working on their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i> daily which will culminate in
their <u>eternal future</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is therefore important for Christian believers to quit
focusing entirely on what is temporary on this earth, i.e., on obtaining only
the temporary things of this earth like power, status, collections of items,
etc. Instead believers need to focus on what is permanent, imperishable, and incorruptible,
which is the sharing of the Good News, while living out their eternal life each
day with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. For, everything that a believer does after they
have given their life to Christ will have either a negative or positive
influence on each of their day’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i>
as well as on the <u>eternal future</u> that they will one day experience in
Heaven with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sacrificial Giving</span></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To focus on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present
future</i>, believers must read the Word of God daily to learn the Truths of
the Bible and to know what God wants for their lives. Reading the Word of God
will help them take their eyes off of themselves and will help them to be able
to reach out to meet the needs of others. Reading the Word of God will also
show them how to give sacrificially by following Christ’s example of sacrificial
giving. For it is:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Through the written Word we discover the
Living Word – Jesus Christ</span></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”
</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Billy Graham in
Quotes. p. 141., c. 2011)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of the ways that believers can give sacrificially is to
become <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">active relational Christian
mentors</b> for the Lord. For, it is through the sacrificial giving of our time
and energy as well as through our expression of sacrificial love that we can
reach out to another woman and help meet her spiritual needs as well as to help
her learn something that she may not have been able to learn without our help. In
fact, no matter what kind of help you might give her during your mentoring,
whether it be counseling, coaching, teaching, sponsoring, spiritual guidance,
accountability mentoring, or the sharing of your gifts, talents, or knowledge,
you are doing work for the Lord. You are actively and relationally sharing and
expressing your love of Christ and His love for her through your actions,
expressions, kindness, and caring. Also, by engaging in Christian mentoring you
are not only helping another woman, but you are working on your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i> which will lead directly
into your <u>eternal future</u>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, within your own <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active
relational mentoring</i> you are empowering another woman to be all that she
can be for the God, herself, her family, and her friends. And, just as
importantly, you, as the mentor, are growing spiritually each and every day as
you focus on the Word of God in order to be prepared for your life and your mentoring
within your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i>. Furthermore,
the Word of God is also preparing you to teach, and the Word is preparing you to
handle answers to questions that the mentee may ask you. Moreover, reading the
Word is also preparing you to give a word of encouragement from the Word of God
when needed. The bottom line, though, is that as a mentor, you are preparing
another woman to use the Word of God for her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i> future which will then lead into her <u>eternal future</u>.
You are doing this through your Christian example and your understanding of the
Word of God. At the same time, by studying the Word of God, the mentor is being
prepared for her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present</i> future and her
<u>eternal</u> future. For, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While we read the Word, its message saturates
our hearts, whether we are conscious of what is happening or not.</span></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Billy Graham in Quotes, p. 143., c. 2011)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What then is So
Important About the Word of God?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Bible, i.e. the Word of God, is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> some piece of hearsay or someone’s opinion as are other
so-called religious books written by false religions. It is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> some piece of questionable knowledge
that can be found on the internet, or information that is still subject to an
author’s biases, degree of knowledge, or political agendas. Rather the Holy Bible
is completely true and it is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Word</i>
of God that was given to God’s Holy Spirit inspired writers. For, “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All Scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good
work.</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (2 Timothy 3: 26-17. NASB)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These verses tell us that the Word of God is not only the source
of all we need to know and learn about conducting our life here on earth, but the
Word of God is good for correcting and helping people. Therefore, it is also good
for Christian mentors to use as their resource in mentoring. This means, too,
that the Word of God is the <u>foundation</u> for who we are, and that it is
the <u>foundation</u> for who we can become as a child of God’s. Most
importantly the Bible, God’s love story, presents the path to eternal life
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Indeed, it is with the following words that we
learn just how much God loves us. “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For,</span></i></b><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.</i></b></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (John 3: 16. KJV)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God’s offered gift of Salvation is explained within the pages of
the Bible. God’s mercy and grace is also explained within the Bible. And, God’s
knowledge, wisdom, and direction for our lives can be obtained from reading and
meditating on the Word of God. Moreover, God’s Word is the greatest mentoring
resource of all time. Furthermore, we cannot know how to mentor others in the
Word of God and in God’s Truth and Salvation without knowing the Gospel message
and without knowing that Truth can only be obtained from reading the Word of
God. This is why every born-again Christian woman should be reading her Bible
daily, meditating on the Word of God, and praying faithfully through Jesus
Christ, our Savior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Bible is not just a collection of poetry, songs, prose,
fables, dramas, or myths, although there is poetry, songs, prose, and dramas
within the Bible. Nor, is the Bible, as some people believe, just a list of all
the horrible things people do to each other or just the recorded promiscuous
and evil acts of human beings. Rather the Bible is a true record of the
relationships between people who were living in this fallen evil world during
biblical times. These stories are there for us to learn from and for us to gain wisdom
and to hopefully not repeat some of the same mistakes that others have made. Furthermore, God does not
try to sugarcoat the truth of the human race, but instead shows us that some of
those recorded relationships were built upon God’s love, while others were
built upon the evil emotions of some people and the basic evil desires of this world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most importantly, the Bible is also a record of how God’s love
can help people navigate and walk honorably with truth, faith, beauty, and love
during their journey within this fallen world. The Bible also tells us how to
develop a beautiful relationship with God for all of eternity; a relationship
that is built upon our trust, faith, and love for God and His Son. Moreover, loving and living for God and His Son, Jesus Christ, means that we can then have better earthly relationships as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In fact, the Bible is not a human book at all. For the Bible is
the inspired Words of God given by the Holy Spirit to His chosen men to record.
These chosen men used their own vernacular as well as their own historical,
cultural, and personal backgrounds to establish the biblical context.
Therefore, it is through these God inspired authors that we are able to get to
know God and Jesus Christ personally. It is also through these authors that we
get to understand what God expects of each of us and how we are expected to
conduct our lives. Thus, reading the Bible and then being able to share our
godly insight with other women is an honorable and loving service that we all
can perform for the Lord. Ultimately then, it is through the Word of God that
we can share the Good News of Salvation with those women who have as yet to come
to know Christ as their Savior. It is also through the Word of God that we can
live out our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i> in
anticipation of our <u>eternal future</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Word of God Offers Us Salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Word of God is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i> a bunch of stories or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i> the history of the Jewish people,
as some would like you to believe. Yes, the Bible is about the Jewish people
whom God chose to be His representatives to the world. But the Bible is actually
a microcosm of human life illustrating our human foibles, needs, desires, and
blessings as well as our disobedience to God and our failure to honor and
glorify God, as told by God’s inspired writers. Moreover, the Bible is also
God’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love story</i> toward all people
and within that love story, the story of God’s ultimate sacrifice to save
people everywhere from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">eternal hell</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is because of God’s all-encompassing love for us that He paid
the ultimate price for our sins; for each and every one of us are sinners. Indeed,
we are born sinners as we are the children or the offspring of Adam and Eve who
originally sinned against God and were then thrown out Eden. Their sin not only
meant that they were sinners, but that their descendants would each be born
sinners too, and their descendants would not only live in a sinful fallen world,
but they would each sin every day of their lives whether in seemingly small acts
of sin or large ones. Then because of people’s innate sinfulness, the result of
this sinfulness would not only bring physical death, but without cleansing from
our sins, each person would also receive spiritual death within an eternal
hell. However, for those people who turned from their sinful nature and lived
for God, there would be something greater, i.e., eternal life or an <u>eternal
future</u>. New believers should then live and focus on being of service to God
and others within their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i>
which ultimately then leads into their <u>eternal future</u> with God and His
Son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, before
Christ died and arose from the grave conquering eternal death, people could not
turn from their sinful nature on their own. Remember, God cannot look upon sin,
so God knew that people would have to be cleansed from their sins if they were
to receive eternal life with Him. That righteous cleansing could only come in
the form of the ultimate blood sacrifice to be given through the life of God’s
Son, Jesus Christ. So, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cruel
cross for our sins. Was that the end? No, for there was the glorious outcome from
God’s sacrificial love in the giving of His Son to die for us. That outcome was
that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">death</i> could <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> conquer Christ. Hallelujah, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christ arose from the grave on
the third day thus conquering eternal death</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">!</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now, with Christ’s cleansing blood, those who believe on the
risen Savior, Jesus Christ, can have eternal life and can be saved for all
eternity, i.e., if they believe on the living Son of God. And, that glorious eternity
starts the moment that a person is born-again. Now, each born-again Christian can
live for their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i> which
is to live and produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. Then every piece of godly
fruit that they produce for the Kingdom of God will be stored up in Heaven as
rewards and crowns for their <u>eternal future</u> with God and Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Everything that we do in our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present
future</i> for the Kingdom of God will be recorded in Heaven for our <u>eternal
future</u> with God and His Son. Within their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i>, believers are to engage in servanthood for the
Lord, like the servanthood of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. But to become the best active relational
Christian mentor that we can be, believers must focus on the Word of God, the
Bible. Billy Graham said, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A computer … has no worth unless it is
programmed … The believer has tremendous potential, but that potential cannot
be used until he is programmed with the Word of God</span></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Billy Graham in Quotes. p. 144., c. 2011)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To reach our potential within our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">present future</i>, each believer must commit to working for the Lord
in some ministry or another, whether it is just writing cards to the sick or
needy or it is within some service such as missions. But whatever, service you
are called to do for the Lord, please consider actively mentoring another woman
for the Lord. Moreover, no matter what service you are called to do for Christ,
remember to study the Word of God daily. The Reverend Billy Graham put the
importance of being in the Word of God like this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh that we would hunger to be filled with the
Word of God; for there is no greater armor, no greater strength, no greater
assurance that He is with us, and in us, when we go forth in battle equipped
and nourished by His instruction and determined to stand firm on His promises</span></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.” </span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Billy Graham in Quotes. p. 144., c. 2011)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One Last Thing!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you do not know Christ as your personal Savior, but want to,
you can easily become a born-again Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is nothing hard about giving your life to Christ. All you
have to do is believe not only in your mind, but in your heart that Christ is
the living Son of God. For, if you believe in your heart that Christ, the Son
of God, gave His life for your sins, died on a cross, was buried and then three
days later arose from the grave, you will be saved. For the Word of God tells
us in Romans 10: 9-11:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For, it is with your heart
that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess
and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in the Him will never
be put to shame</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And the Word of God says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whoever
will call upon the Name of the Lord will be Saved</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Romans 10: 13.)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Judgement day will come at some point, as all of us will die a
physical death someday, i.e., unless Christ returns first. Those that die
having given their heart and soul to Christ will have a future eternity with
God in Heaven. However, those who die having rejected the Good News and Christ
will have a judgment day that will bring them eternal hell. I hope anyone who
reads this blog and who has <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b>
already given their life to Christ will come to the realization that God loves
them so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take upon His shoulders
their sins and to die on a cruel cross, but that He then arose from the grave
conquering their eternal death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Please don’t go another day without making a decision to believe
in Christ. For, we are not guaranteed tomorrow or for that matter we are not guaranteed
the next moment. And if you die before believing in and making a commitment to
Christ you will go to hell for all eternity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Christ said,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For
God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world
might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; <u>he who does
not believe has been judged already</u>, because he has not believed in the only
begotten Son of God</span></i></b><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (John 3: 17-18. NASB)</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Believe, confess your sins to Christ, and then ask for His
forgiveness. If you truly believe and are repentant, you will be forgiven your sins and
Christ will come into your heart. Then tell someone what Christ has done for
you. Tell them that you were Saved by His grace and mercy. Then start reading
the Word of God, i.e., the Bible, daily to learn how to live for Him and to learn how to live in your <i>present future</i> with love, caring, kindness, self-control, peace, patience, honesty, truthfulness, and joy. Finally, find a church family that believes
in the Bible and Jesus Christ. For, Christ wants His people to communicate and
help each other. You will finally understand that the peace that comes from knowing Christ as your Savior is
unexplainable in earthly terms. But it is wonderful! It is eternal!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">**************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you would like to learn more about Active Relational
Christian Mentoring and the importance of sharing God's Word you can get my book entitled: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></b>
from Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Christian Faith Publishing Co., iTunes, or Google
Play. The following is a link to Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-80623371849081497192018-06-14T12:35:00.000-07:002018-06-14T12:35:37.066-07:00The Seeds of Love<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1vRZD_-gNhz4-6PGmKKk_lQzuTKzDe44KjCcaveSxrg5D-YmnVXnIunHVxdilBCwkU9cj_dCfjF7Ocg11s9yo6PCQxbXkcHjLLAhVba9k2lagP7d-0oYQ0zbeKvSNW2UOe-FzfKdFRI/s1600/cross-2713356_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1vRZD_-gNhz4-6PGmKKk_lQzuTKzDe44KjCcaveSxrg5D-YmnVXnIunHVxdilBCwkU9cj_dCfjF7Ocg11s9yo6PCQxbXkcHjLLAhVba9k2lagP7d-0oYQ0zbeKvSNW2UOe-FzfKdFRI/s320/cross-2713356_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge">The love of God is greater far</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Than tongue or pen can ever tell</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">It goes beyond the highest star</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And reaches to the lowest hell</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The guilty pair, bowed down with care</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">God gave His Son to win</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">His erring child He reconciled</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And pardoned from his sin</span></div>
<div jsname="U8S5sf" style="line-height: 1.24; margin-bottom: 12px;">
<span jsname="YS01Ge">Could we with ink the ocean fill</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And were the skies of parchment made</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Were every stalk on earth a quill</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">And every man a scribe by trade</span></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge">To write the love of God above</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Would drain the ocean dry </span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Nor could the scroll contain the whole</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Though stretched from sky to sky</span></div>
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<span jsname="YS01Ge">O love of God, how rich and pure!</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">How measureless and strong!</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">It shall forevermore endure</span><br /><span jsname="YS01Ge">The saints' and angels' song</span></div>
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Songwriters: Rev. Benton Vespew Ellis</div>
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The Love of God lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, BMG Rights Management US, LLC</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God
loves us! In fact, God created us in love. He created us to love and to love
Him back. So, what is love? Unfortunately, we bandy around the word “love”
making it so common place that many people don’t have any idea of what love
really is. For, we say things like, “I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i>
chocolate”, “I just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">love</i> that new
iced coffee drink,” or “I love the color on that car”. That type of expression
about love, though, is not really “love”. Love is more than an expression, and
it is more than a feeling. For, true love requires action and is shown by the
actions of love that we express toward others whom we profess to love.
Moreover, true love can grow stronger over the years as we continue to express loving
actions toward the other person whom we have professed to love. That is why,
long-time married couples often tell their spouse that they love them more
today than they did when they first got married. Indeed, love grows deeper and
greater the more that we express our love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
greatest love of all, though, is the love that is expressed by God to His
children. Just look around at the beautiful world that God created in His love for
us. But there are even more ways that God’s love has been expressed for us. However,
it is hard for humans to comprehend, let alone understand, the depth of God’s
love for us. Even with our glorious gift of Salvation, most of us cannot understand
the depth of love that God expressed to us in sacrificing His only Son so that
we would <u>not</u> have to spend eternity in hell upon our physical death here
on earth. Moreover, we often take for granted the love that God has for us even
when God expresses His love in His answers to our prayers, in blessing us and in
providing for us. But, for those that have not yet accepted God’s loving gift
of Salvation, there is no understanding at all of God’s love for them. However,
for those of us who have received the gift of Salvation, there is just the
beginnings of our understanding about God’s love. Unfortunately, we still just
can’t completely comprehend it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Apostle John wanted us to understand God’s
love, so he wrote about God’s love for us. John wrote specifically about God’s
love in the book of <u>I John</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I John 4: 7-19</b>, where we discover
that <u>God’s love is the source of all human love</u>. We also learn that we
can focus on God’s love for us <u>by showing God’s love to others through our
own actions</u>. For, in verses 11-12, John wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Dear
friends, since God loved us that much </span></i></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(sending his Son to die for our sins)</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, we surely ought to love each. No one has ever seen God. <u>But
if we love each other,</u> <u>God lives in us, and His love has been brought to
full expression through us</u>. And God has given us His Spirit as proof that
we live in Him and He in us.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">verses 16-17</b> where John tells us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… <u>God
is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them</u>. And <u>as
we live in God, our love grows more perfect</u>. So, we will not be afraid on
the day of judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we are like
Christ here in this world</span></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Still,
even with John’s explanation of God’s love it is hard for us to understand the
depth of God’s love for us; both the love He gave in creating us and the love
it took to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save us. Notice
that both those things required God’s overt action in order to express His
love. However, we truly can’t comprehend the depth of God’s love for us until
we recognize what it took (the sacrificial love it took) for God to send His
only Son, Jesus Christ, to His horrible death on the cross even knowing that it
would be through Christ’s subsequent resurrection from the grave that we would no
longer have to face eternal death and destruction. Until we understand that it
is only through God’s love and through His loving sacrificial action of sending
His Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross and that it is only through Christ’s
resurrection that each of us can be saved, we will not completely comprehend
God’s love. Only when those of us who believe on Christ and those of us who are
truly born-again finally reach Heaven to spend eternity with God will we
finally comprehend the depth of God’s love for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul also tried to explain the greatness of God’s love for us in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ephesians 3: 17-19</b>. Here Paul said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in
your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of
God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s
people should, how long, know high, and how deep His love really is. <u>May you
experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully
understand it</u>.</span></i></b>” Paul is telling us that it is through our Salvation
that we can experience the love of Christ, yet that Christ’s love is so great
that we will never fully comprehend it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then
for those of us who have truly accepted Christ as our Savior, the Apostle Paul
gave us this assurance in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Romans 8:
38-39</b>: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">And I am convinced that <u>nothing can ever
separate us from His love</u>. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t,
and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even
the power of hell can’t keep God’s love away. Whether we are high above the sky
or in the deepest ocean, <u>nothing in all creation will ever be able to
separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord</u></span></i></b>.”
Wow! What an assurance even if we can’t comprehend God’s love for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">From
the above verses we have learned at least four things. One that <u>God is the
source of all love</u>. Secondly, we have learned that <u>God’s love was shown
through the sacrificial action of the giving of His Son to save us from eternal
damnation</u>. Third, we have learned from within the Gospels that <u>Jesus is
the perfect example of what it means to love others</u>, for everything that
Christ did in His life and death was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supreme
love in action</i>. And, last but not least, <u>we have learned that for those
who are Saved, nothing can separate us from the Love of God</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 26.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Relationships and God’s Love<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did
you know that just as God lovingly created humans that God also created the
concept of relationships? Well, He did. In fact, the Bible tells us in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genesis 1: 27</b> that we are all created
in the image of God. This doesn’t mean that we look exactly like God. For, an
image can be a reflection without being an exact picture of someone. Obviously,
humankind is not an exact picture of God, because we are all so very different
in so many ways. However, in creating us, God wanted us to have some of His
attributes, especially the attributes that He thought would not only help us in
life but that would also allow us to enjoy each other as well as certain
attributes that would allow us to communicate and respond to Him in love. So,
God gave humans the ability to love other people, just as God loves us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also gave us the ability to develop
relationships with other people and to be able to use those relationships to
express our love, help, compassion, concern, and kindness toward others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God,
understood our need for loving and kind relationships, because God, Himself, is
in a relationship with the other essences of the Trinity of God, i.e., the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are all in a loving relationship with
each other. So, in creating humankind God knew that relationships would be an
important part of our being created in His image. Moreover, without the ability
to form relationships, humans could not have a relationship with the Trinity in
which we could express our love, our honor, and our praise for the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. Moreover, without the ability to form a relationship with
Christ our Savior, we could not be Saved and share the Gospel message with
others. Furthermore, without the ability to form relationships we would not be
able to express love to others or be able to receive love from another person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So,
first and foremost, we were all created to be in a relationship with God and created
to able to be in relationships with other people. The relationship that we have
with God enables us to live in this fallen world, because we know that God and
His love will help and bless us even within all the trials and sorrows we may
have to face. Moreover, with our Salvation relationship with Christ, we have the
certain knowledge that we will someday spend a glorious eternity with the
Trinity of God. However, it is within all the other relationships, which we
form here on earth, that we are able to discover that God has given us people
to love and to love us back. These relationships give us people talk to, people
to lean upon, and people with whom we can intellectually bounce ideas around,
as well as giving us people who will come along side of us in times of despair. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">Indeed, we often need another person to come along side of us to comfort and
encourage us at specific times in our lives, and to provide compassionate,
loving, and caring relationships for our needs. In fact, </span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">no person is an
island in and unto himself in this life here on earth</u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">. That is why relationships
are the key to maintaining a healthy, happy, and interesting life here on
earth. But how do we develop our relationships?</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God Plants Relational Seeds of Love Between Humans<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God
plants relational seeds between people to help people navigate this world, as
well as to give us opportunities to express love, kindness, compassion,
concern, and caring toward another person. But, God also plants these relational
seeds between people in order to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. So, what
are these relational seeds that God plants? Well, God plants <u>seeds of godly
love</u>. Eventually, the planted seeds of love develop and grow into a
Christian’s understanding of what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
At other times, God’s a single planted seed of love often matures into a loving
relationship between two people that has the love of God and His Son, Jesus
Christ, as the foundation of their life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
the seed of love is then planted in the soil of service to Christ, Christian
mentoring relationships or other evangelical relational services can start to
grow with brotherly love and with the love of Christ as the focus. But it takes
the right kind of watering, fertilizing, and nurturing for God’s seeds of love
to germinate and develop into a Christ-centered fruit bearing relationships
that are based upon the love of Christ. That is why the type of watering,
fertilizing, and nurturing that is needed includes, but is not limited to:
care, concern, patience, empathy, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Seeds of Love<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Throughout
<u>God’s Love Story</u>, i.e., the Bible, we read over and over again how much
God loves us and how much God wants us to love Him and others. Here are just a
few examples of some verses in the Bible that speak about the importance of
having the seeds of love in our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
Corinthians 13: 3</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> from <u>The Message</u> says: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, <u>I’m
bankrupt without love</u></span></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2
John 1: 6</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> from the <u>New Century Version</u> of the Bible
says: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Love means living the way God commanded us
to live. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is this: <u>Live a
life of love</u>.</span></i></b>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Galatians 5: 14</b> of <u>The Living
Bible Translation</u>, the scripture reads: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">The
whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘<u>Love others as you love
yourself</u></span></i><span style="color: #0070c0;">.</span></b>’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
Peter 2: 17</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> says: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Show
respect for everyone. <u>Love your Christian brothers and sisters</u></span></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 13: 35</b> in <u>The Living Bible</u>
we read that Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">Your strong
love for each other</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;"> will prove to the
world that you are my disciples</span></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Then,
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I Corinthians 14: 1</b> the Apostle
Paul tells us to: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Let love be your greatest aim</span></u></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why
do you think that the Word of God speaks so much to us about the love that we
are to espouse for each other and for Christ? Well, it is because God wants us
to not only love Him, but to let our entire lives be focused on Christian godly
love toward others. To answer this question even better, turn to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1John 3: 16</b>. Here the Apostle John
says, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Dear children, <u>let us stop just saying
we love each other; let us really show it by our actions</u></span></i></b>.”
In other words, real love can be seen in our selfless and sacrificial giving
actions. Even the sacrificial giving of our time to help mentor another through
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>
can be an expression of real love. Remember, though, <u>real love does not
expect anything in return</u>. However, Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… if
you give a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will
surely be rewarded</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Matthew 10: 42. NLT</b>). In other words,
God’s relational seeds of love when watered, fertilized, and nurtured, will
bring <u>the action of love</u> into focus and its growth will be rewarded. For
Jesus is telling us that <u>God notices every kind and caring deed that we do</u>.
Even the loving act of giving a cup of cold water to one of Christ’s followers
will be rewarded. If in godly love, we help another, it is as if we are showing
our love to God. Put another way, our treatment of others actually shows God
how much we love Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally,
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 13: 34</b> (NLT), we learn that
Jesus expects us to love as He loves us. For, Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">So
now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. <u>Just as I have loved
you, you should love each other</u>. <u>Your love for one another will prove to
the world that you are my disciples</u></span></i></b>.” In other words, we are
to love others with the same type of sacrificial love that Jesus showed to us
by going to the cross. That doesn’t mean that we are expected to die for
another even though some people will do so. But, it means that Jesus was a
living example of God’s love for us, so we are now to be a living example of
Christ’s love to those we encounter. This means that instead of focusing on self,
we are to focus on what we can do to show our Christian love to others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ-Centered Relationships and Seeds of Love<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our
Christ-centered relationships, which are based upon God’s seeds of love, should
eventually produce good fruit for the Kingdom of God, whether it is from a
Christian mentoring relationship (ARCM), a friendship, a spousal relationship,
a work-related relationship, or within the relationships that are made in the
missionary field for Christ. Just think! From God’s relational seeds of love
that we in turn plant in the soil of Christian service, to the sharing of our
knowledge of God and His Son and their love for us, great and wonderful things
can happen for the glory of Lord and for the other woman within a mentoring
relationship that we have established. For, when the mentor shares her talents
and resources (as needed), the mentor can develop a wonderful fruit-producing
Christ-centered relationship with the mentee that will empower the mentee to be
so much more for God, herself, her family, and her friends. Ultimately, the
mentoring process becomes a “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… planting of
the Lord for the display of His splendor</span></i></b>.” – (Isaiah 61:3. NIV).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That
particular verse is taken from the book of <u>Isaiah</u>. I will end this
posting with the first three verses of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Isaiah
61</b> so that you can see how we are to use God’s seeds of love to help others.
First, this is a prophetic message given to Isaiah about the coming Messiah.
So, Jesus read these verses while He was in Nazareth in the synagogue there, to
indicate that this prophetic message regarding Christ the Messiah as the
Servant of God was that day fulfilled in Him. In fact, these three particular
verses give us a picture of the Spirit of God resting upon and anointing the
Servant of God, Jesus Christ, to accomplish specific tasks, which He did
accomplish. But, secondly, before Jesus went back to Heaven, He commissioned His
disciples to bring the Good News of Salvation to all nations. In other words,
the apostles and now those of us who are followers of Christ have been given
the responsibility of sharing the Good News, i.e., the Gospel message, to other
people. We can do this by showing God’s love to others through our loving
servant-oriented actions and words. The Apostles became God’s servants and ambassadors
for Christ and now we, too, are to become God’s servants and ambassadors who are
willing to share the love of God and the Good News of Christ’s loving gift of
Salvation with everyone who will listen. Following are the verses from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Isaiah 61: 1-3</b> of the NIV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“1.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because the
Lord has anointed me<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To preach
good news to the poor.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He has sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">2.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">To proclaim freedom for the captives,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And release
from darkness for the prisoners,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favor,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And the day
of vengeance of our God,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To comfort
all who mourn,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">And provide for those who grieve in Zion –<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To bestow
on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The oil of
gladness instead of mourning,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And a
garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They will
be called oaks of righteousness,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A planting
of the Lord for the display of His splendor</span></u></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
Christ, is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Servant</i></b> that is being referred to in this prophecy, as
“born-again” Christian servants of Christ’s, I believe that we, too, have been
anointed, i.e., we have also been given the specific purpose of bringing the
Good News to the poor. We can do this by developing relationships and by watering and nurturing the seeds of love that God has planted for those relationships. In addition,
we have been given the specific purpose of reaching out to the captives with
the Good News, which could mean that we are to reach out to either actual captives
in prisons or to those who are captives within their own emotional prisons. In
either case, we can share the loving Gospel message with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
these three verses, the prophet Isaiah spoke of God’s Servant, i.e., Jesus
Christ, as setting the prisoners free. The freedom that Christ proclaimed to
the prisoners could mean that they were literally released from bondage like
when Peter was released from prison supernaturally as recorded in Acts 12: 1-19,
but it could also mean that the Christ brought the prisoners from the darkness
of sin and oppression to the light of Salvation and happiness. Obviously, we
cannot literally set prisoners free. However, we can visit the prisons and
share the Good News by mentoring those that need to hear the Good News of
Christ. As “born-again” servants of Christ, we can share the light of Christ
with those who are in bondage, thus expressing God’s love to them and letting
them know that God wants them to be free from sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
verse 2, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Year of the Lord’s favor</i>”
refers to the Day of Jubilee, which was to come every 50 years and was to be
the clearing away of all debts and the healing for the land. Although the Day
of Jubilee is no longer celebrated as such, God expects His commandments to be
followed, including the celebration of the Day of Jubilee. That is why there
was reference to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Year of the Lord’s
favor</i>” in this prophecy. But, never forget that God keeps track of the
years even if we do not. Moreover, there will be a Day of Jubilee in the
future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Within
the second verse, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Day of vengeance
of our God</i>” refers to God’s future judgment, which we can read about within
the book of <u>Revelation</u>. Certainly, we can be assured that Christ explained
both the Day of Jubilee and the Day of vengeance to His disciples while He was
here on earth, although many, except the eleven closest to Him at that time,
did not listen to Him. But, the apostles who believed on Christ understood that
they were to continue sharing the Truth of God’s coming vengeance or judgment
with everyone who would listen. And now as Christ’s followers we are to also
continue to share the Word of God and God’s Truth, including the day of
judgment, with those within our sphere of influence or with those with whom we
have the ability to develop a godly relationship. In fact, everyone needs to
know that Christ will come back to judge the people of this earth who have not
accepted Christ as their Savior. For, there will indeed be a judgment day! That
is why we must share the Good News with everyone we can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
verse three, we discover that Christ while here on earth came to comfort those who grieved. So, just
like Christ comforted those who grieved and mourned, we, too, are to comfort
those who mourn. We are to show compassion, godly love, and understanding to
those who have lost a loved one. Obviously, Christ did and will also again
transform their mourning into joy, by giving them “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a crown of beauty instead of ashes</i>” just as He did for those who
were mourning for Lazarus. In such a situation, those who mourned would have
been given a festive oil and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of
despair. Obviously, we cannot do that, but we can be there for those who are
suffering and mourning. We can hold their hands and comfort them. And, for
those whose loved ones have indeed gone on to be with God because of their wonderful
Salvation, we can rejoice with their loved ones!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All
the services that we perform for God through the seeds of godly love and our
willingness to share with others the Good News, our talents, our gifts, and our
abilities to help others will lead to God’s seeds of love growing into
wonderful glorious plants, i.e., relationships that give God all the glory and honor which He so
richly deserves. The relational seeds of love that God has planted between His
children will then become a “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">planting of the Lord, for the display of His
splendor</i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> as explained in my book,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i>, is a great way to grow and nurture the
relational seeds of love that God wants us to fertilize and nurture for Him.
You can do it! You can reach out to another woman and be there for her. You can
share your knowledge, talents, and gifts easily by giving just a few minutes of
your time a week. Just think! You could empower another woman to be all that
she can be for God, herself, her family and her friends. You can do it. And if
you want to know how easy it is to become a Christian mentor who can empower
another woman, read my book which can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Nobel,
iTunes, Google Play, and at Christian Book Publishing Company. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-50218337636867452862018-05-20T15:11:00.000-07:002018-05-20T15:11:16.230-07:00Discipleship and Spiritual Guidance in Christian Mentoring<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-yUJ160AwLHtvVRcK6Hm26rzMKD_3u9I4dH93B8XZJC5zMqaKibaZH2nJF_Mr29Ap4gcegSR2Gp2T-pkXPXoZjGU-gKfaSk5GwXeBnNnO6rqCnctaRLkVRdlrqPv-tSDsJbWlyJsAOU/s1600/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-yUJ160AwLHtvVRcK6Hm26rzMKD_3u9I4dH93B8XZJC5zMqaKibaZH2nJF_Mr29Ap4gcegSR2Gp2T-pkXPXoZjGU-gKfaSk5GwXeBnNnO6rqCnctaRLkVRdlrqPv-tSDsJbWlyJsAOU/s320/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Scriptures say, “<span style="color: #00b0f0;">People do not live by bread alone,
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But by every word that comes from the mouth of God</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
Matthew 4:4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTtZzWdxk3MM24S9jx6J-bNdJSLHFou_r5MVza1zU-8vRxrNEllCcYDGnJ3S2n4mufP6wzt_laO16UsSzDvCRV4MbYHKePrcvp6UPhJQHMyQdntmdEqLPk2FWzsMJZvSvRZno4Y_LliQ/s1600/Bible+on+a+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTtZzWdxk3MM24S9jx6J-bNdJSLHFou_r5MVza1zU-8vRxrNEllCcYDGnJ3S2n4mufP6wzt_laO16UsSzDvCRV4MbYHKePrcvp6UPhJQHMyQdntmdEqLPk2FWzsMJZvSvRZno4Y_LliQ/s320/Bible+on+a+stand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is just amazing to me that Christians can be so excited when another person finally
accepts Christ as their personal Savior, but then we leave that person alone to
flounder around trying to learn what God wants them to know. Generally
speaking, no one comes along side of them to help them in their spiritual
growth and maturity. They receive little or no discipleship or spiritual
guidance through Christian mentoring. Why is that? Well, as long-time Christians we just
assume that everyone who comes to Christ on a Sunday morning in our church has probably
had a strong church-oriented background of youth and adult Sunday school,
sermons, and growth groups on which to base their understanding of what it
means to live their life for Christ. And, even if a person is saved either
inside or outside of our church, many Christians often feel that they did their
part in sharing the Gospel message and now it is up to the newly Saved to find
out on their own how to live for Christ daily, i.e., if they think about it all. Sadly, many new Christians have
no one to come along side of them and teach them about the Word of God, which
is the bread of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How
selfish, unloving, and uncaring can we be? Is this how Christ wants us to act?
I don’t think so!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christ,
not only expects us to share the Gospel, but He expects us to teach His Word,
i.e. the bread of life to new Christians. We know this because before being
crucified Jesus Christ prayed to His Father that His disciples would be kept
from the evil one as they lived in this world and as they shared with others the Gospel
message. Then, Christ prayed saying to His Father: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">They
are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy by
teaching them <u>your words of truth</u>. As you sent me into the world, I am
sending them into the world</span>.</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (John 17: 17, 18. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. In other words, Christ wanted His disciples to learn God’s
words of truth so that they could share those words of truth with new believers
too. Later, it is the author of the book of <u>Hebrews</u>, who succinctly explained
the importance of studying, learning, and knowing the Word of God. He said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For the word of God is full of living power. It is
sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and
desires. It exposes us for what we really are</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Hebrews 4: 12. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is at the moment of Salvation, that a new Christian becomes pure and holy
through believing in Christ as the living Son of God and by obeying the Word of
God. Although a new Christian has already accepted Christ’s forgiveness through
Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and His subsequent conquering of
eternal death, the new Christian needs to apply God’s Word to his/her life
daily for continued spiritual growth and maturity. For, it is the Word of God
that has a purifying effect on our minds and hearts. But, how will a new
Christian learn the basic principles of the Christian life found within the Word of God without having
another Christian step forward to explain these principles to them? Of course, someone who really wants to study the Word of God can dig out those principles over time. However, most new Christians don't feel that they have the time to study the Word of God, so they need Christians who have over the years studied the Word of God and are willing to share what they have learned with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christ
expects us to be there for the new Christian’s questions, to be there to teach
the basic principles of Christian life as established in the Word of God, and to
be there to provide encouragement in their new lifestyle of living for Him. Obviously,
new Christians will need all the encouragement and knowledge they can get in
order to live for Christ. But, in order to encourage or disciple them we have
to make a commitment to discipleship and/or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian Mentoring (ARCM)</b>, which will provide
Christian mentoring and discipleship for the new Christian. However, in order
to truly be involved in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ARCM</b> Christians
will have to give up a little of our personal time to speak into the life of a
new believer. All it takes is thirty to forty minutes a week for the first few
weeks, and then after that it may only take a telephone call once every two or
three weeks to see how the new Christian is doing or to see if they have any
questions. However, to help them grow in their faith and understanding of what
it means to be a follower of Christ’s, it does take a loving commitment to help
in the spiritual growth of the life of a new believer. As committed Christians,
we can help them grow by sharing the Word of God with them and by spending a
little time with them talking about Christ while we are discipling them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sharing the Gospel is
Just the First Step in The Great Commission<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
of us can recite the Great Commission, but have we ever really thought about
the words that Christ used in that Great Commission? First, we should know that
there are actually <u>two parts</u> to the Great Commission <u>and each part
has two sections</u>. In the first part Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit</span></i></b>,” – (Matthew 28:
19). Within this statement or the first part of the Great Commission, we can all
understand that Christ is telling us to share the Gospel message with everyone.
We are then told within the second section of this first part that when a
person decides to accept Christ as their Savior, they are then to be baptized;
signifying to the world that they have been buried in sin but have now arisen
to a new life in Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
of us can also recite the <u>second part</u> of the Great Commission where
Jesus continued saying: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">teaching them
to observe all that I have commanded you</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;">;
and lo I am with you always even to the end of the age</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Matthew 28: 20). But this second part of
the Great Commission is where we generally fall down as fellow Christians. Evidently,
we simply forget that we are to do more than just tell a person about the
Gospel message. For within this second part, Jesus was also stipulating to the
disciples and us that we are <u>not to stop</u> with just sharing the Gospel message,
nor are we to think that we have done all that Christ has asked us to do when the
person finally decides to receive Salvation and then follows through with
baptism. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Yes,
Salvation is a wonderful moment and a time for rejoicing, for someone has given
their heart to Christ. But now there is even more for fellow Christians to do. For
in reading the second part the of the Great Commission a little closer, we find
that Jesus was telling the disciples and us that we are to teach. We are to
teach the newly saved to observe all that Christ has commanded, i.e. the
principles of a Christian life. In other words, Christ was telling His followers
that we are to invest in the lives of the newly Saved, by “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">teaching</i>” them to live by all the commandments and words that
Christ had given to His followers. But in order to teach new believers what
Christ taught His disciples and us while He was here on earth, we have to know the
Word of God and we have to be able to teach others what it means to actually
live for Jesus Christ. Sadly, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>teaching</u></i>
part of the Great Commission is what most Christians regularly <u>fail to do</u>
after someone accepts Christ as their Savior. Yet, Jesus set the example of
teaching others while He was here on earth. He discipled and mentored many
people during His ministry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus Christ was the Ultimate
Mentor<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
not only gave us the Great Commission, but throughout His ministry, Jesus gave
both His disciples and us examples for teaching, mentoring, and discipling
people. For example, in Matthew 5: 1-3, the Scriptures tell us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain;
and after He sat down, … He opened His mouth and began to <u>teach</u> them …</span></i></b>”
Throughout the Gospels we are also told that Jesus taught the crowds both with direct
words and with parables – (See Mark 4: 2). Indeed, Christ was constantly
discipling or mentoring those who believed in Him. Both many in the crowds and Christ’s
disciples wanted to be taught. In fact, in one example, the disciples came to
Jesus and said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Lord, <u>teach us</u> to pray …</span></i></b>”
– (Luke 11: 1). Obviously, both the disciples and Christ recognized the
importance of His teaching the disciples. And, even though Christ is back in
Heaven with the Father, as Christians we too know the importance of knowing God’s
Holy Word so that we will know how to act and behave in living for Christ.
Teaching, through discipling and mentoring, is exactly what Christians must
step up to do if we want our newly Saved brethren to know how to live for the
Lord. We must inspire others to read the Word of God, we must show them the
importance of communicating with the Lord through prayer, and we must teach
them how to quietly listen for the words of our Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Being Taught by the
Lord<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
the Psalms, King David wrote several songs that spoke to his and our need to be
taught by the Lord. In one Psalm David wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Make
me know your ways, O Lord; <u>Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and
teach me</u>, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all day</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Psalm 25: 4, 5.). But, for the Lord to
teach us, we have to be able to communicate with the Lord and be willing to listen
for His instructions. However, without guidance and direction from long-time fellow
Christians who have studied the Word, new Christians may fail to understand the
importance of not only praying but also fail to understand the importance of
reading the Word of God wherein God’s Word becomes their bread of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
lessons found within the Word of God and learned through our communicative
prayer with God, teaches the newly Saved and reminds the long-time Christian
how to walk daily for the Lord. It is also in the Psalms that we learn that King
David continued to ask for God’s guidance throughout the years. In his Psalms
David also shows us that we, too, need to ask for God’s guidance on a daily
basis. In fact, in one Psalm David wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Teach me the way
in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. … Teach me to do Your
will, For You are my God; <u>Let Your good Spirit lead me</u> on level ground</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Psalm 143: 8, 10.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Notice that besides wanting to learn how to live for God, that
David spoke of God’s Spirit whom we know as the Holy Spirit. As we know, all
Christians receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon our Salvation, but
new Christians often need to be taught what it means to listen to the Holy
Spirit as well as how important it is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them.
This is something new for them and they need the assurance that what they are
hearing is indeed from God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are so many things that new Christians need to be taught about God and His
Word. That is why new Christians need discipleship and/or the guidance of a
mentoring Christian to help them grow spiritually in their new relationship
with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Moreover, it is by listening to the Holy
Spirit, who guides all believers into paths of righteousness, that new
Christians can learn how to live righteously for the Lord. Yes, all Christians
have been cleansed of their sins and made righteous before God with their
Salvation. But because we live in a fallen world that embraces sin as nothing
more than happiness of self and the determination to seek self-happiness at all
costs, Christians need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to guide them into continued
paths of righteousness here on earth. So, as cleansed and saved Christians,
Christ has given all of us the Holy Spirit to remind us and guide us in doing
what is right and to guide us into making right decisions in our lives. In
doing so, the Holy Spirit provides us with godly wisdom and advice, along with
the desire to love our fellow man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Discipleship and Spiritual
Guidance Mentors</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although
Salvation has cleansed us and given us the desire to be righteous, we often do
not yet have a firm foundation for living a righteous life. To get that firm foundation,
we need to study the Word of God, then pray, and meditate upon the Scriptures
of the Word of God; hiding the Scriptures in our heart. These Scriptures are
the bread of life on which we are to live for Christ. We also need to follow
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But in sometimes Christians also need
Spiritual guidance mentors to help them grow in knowledge and godly wisdom. In
other words, we may need another Christian to come along side of us and help us
to understand certain things within the Bible that may be confusing or to help
in discerning the meaning of a certain Scripture for our life. Christians may also
need help at certain times in staying on the right track. A <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Spiritual guidance mentor</b> can help both
long-time Christians and the newly saved Christian to better understand the
Word of God and to stay on the right track.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spiritual guidance mentors</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
are Christians who study the Word of God, pray, and closely listen to the Holy
Spirit. They are able to help people discern or understand certain Scriptures
within the Word of God, as they spiritually discern the direction and guidance
they receive from the Holy Spirit. But those that have the ability to be
spiritual guidance mentors must also have a desire to reach out and help
another Christian. They should also be willing to be a sounding board and be
willing to help the mentee, i.e., the new Christian, to make good decisions
based upon the Word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout
the Newer Testament, we often see believers stepping forward to help new
Christians and to be that <u>spiritual guidance mentor</u> that the new
Christian needs. For example, in the book of Acts, we are told about Barnabas,
whose name means “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Son of Encouragement</i>”.
Barnabas came along side of Saul/Paul after his conversion to help him and to later
vouch for Paul to the apostles. Later after vouching for Paul, Barnabas went together
with Paul on their first missionary journey. (See Acts 4:36; 9: 27- 29;
13:1-2.). Barnabas also taught Paul what He knew about Christ from his close
association with the apostles. However, later Paul was able to return the
favor, so to speak, by teaching Barnabas things that the Lord and the Holy
Spirit were teaching Paul. Notice how that works. We need each other. Moreover,
we are all a work in progress for the Lord. That is why we need to not only
stay in the Word, listen to the Holy Spirit, pray, and meditate on the Word,
but we also need to have spiritual Christian mentors and friends who will help
keep us focused on Christ and living for Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Discipleship
and Christian mentoring (ARCM) is very important for all Christians, but
especially the newly Saved. That is because it takes time to spiritually grow
and mature in our life with the Lord, and we often need help in growing
spiritually. The Apostle Paul admonished the Colossians saying: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in
your hearts and make you wise. <u>Use His words to teach and counsel each other</u></span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Colossians 3: 16. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Apostle Paul, a spiritual mentor, knew the importance of teaching and
counseling new Christians about the Lord. He knew that every new believer
needed to have another Christian come along side of them to help in their
spiritual growth and maturity. They needed to be discipled and mentored. That
is why the Apostle Paul wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">So everywhere we
go, we tell everyone about Christ. <u>We warn them and teach them with all the
wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their
relationship to Christ</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(Colossians 1: 28. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Notice that first Paul warned
people that without Christ they were doomed to eternal death and separation
from God. But once a person was Saved, Paul continued to “teach” them or mentor
them “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">with all the wisdom God has given us</span></i></b>.”
We too, can teach the newly Saved, using all the wisdom that God has given us,
through our studies, our prayer time, our meditation, and from our time listening
to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The New Living Translation Study Bible</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> gives a footnote on the word “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">perfect</b>” used within the above verse. The NLT Bible’s explanation
is that the word “<u>perfect</u>” means “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mature
or complete</i>,” <u>not</u> “flawless. So, that means that Paul was stating within
this verse that he wanted to see each believer mature spiritually so that they
could be presented to God mature or complete in their relationship with Christ.
Teaching new believers and helping them to mature spiritually is part of the
responsibility of long-time Christians (that is those Christians that have
worked at spiritually growing and maturing, whether it has been five or fifty
years of living for Christ). It is also the responsibility of the spiritual
guidance mentor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
we pursue intimacy and spiritual maturity with Christ, Christians need to also
come along side of new Christians to speak God’s truth in love and to encourage
them to grow in the knowledge of God and His Son. Sharing our knowledge and
speaking words of truth in love encourages each of us to become “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head
of His body, the church. Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together
perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts
grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Ephesians 4: 15, 16. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Discipleship
and the spiritual guidance of a new Christian through <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></b> (i.e. the coming along
side of a person to teach and share from the Word of God and to share what
Christ has asked us to share) is necessary for the growth and maturity of new
Christians. Certainly, speaking words of truth from God’s Holy Word can guide
all of us toward maturity in Christ. Isn’t that what we are supposed to want
for all Christians – maturity in Christ? Let’s all reach out to new Christians
in Christian love to teach them what it means to be a disciple or follower of
Christ. Reaching out in discipleship and Christian mentoring can make all the
difference in the world to a new Christian. It will not only teach and show
them the importance of learning about God and His Word, but it will encourage
them at a future date to reach out and disciple or mentor another newly saved
person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
can do it! You can reach out to disciple or to spiritually guide another
Christian through <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ARCM</b>. You just
need to listen to the Holy Spirit, keep your eyes open for a new Christian that
you can help either within your church or workplace. Offer to befriend them and
then offer to share what you know about the Bible. Most new Christians are
hungering for the Word of God. They want to know how to live this new life that
they have been given. In fact, this is a golden opportunity for Christians to
reach out and disciple or mentor a new Christian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you want to learn more about Christian mentoring, read my book: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i>. You can get the book through Amazon,
Barnes and Nobel, Christian Faith Publishing Company, iTunes and Google play.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-88384037240003156352018-04-28T16:33:00.004-07:002018-04-28T16:33:56.088-07:00Compassion and Lovingkindness<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
is it that makes you feel better when you suffering, lonely, down, or hurting
in some way or another? It probably isn’t a pill, although there is no doubt
that sometimes a doctor’s intervention and his medicine may be needed at
certain times in a person’s life. But what really does an even better job of
brightening our day is to have someone come along side of us with <i>compassion
and kindness</i>. Someone who cares enough to check upon us, talk with us, or go
out for a cup of coffee; someone just to talk to or someone who wants to be
there for us. Where are those Christians when we need them?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unfortunately,
we live in a world that no longer has time for true compassion or kindness. Oh
yes, we throw money at situations like giving to missions or the needy in order
to show that <u>we are</u> compassionate and kind, but most people, including
Christians, often don’t reach out to give of their time and energy to show that
they care. However, as a Christian, who is to represent Christ and His love to
the rest of the world and as a Christian who is to love others as we love
ourselves, we fail in so many ways to show true compassion and kindness to
others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Proverbs
10: 11,13 tells us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">The words of the
godly lead to life; …” </span></i></b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="color: #00b0f0;">“wise words
come from the lips of people with understanding, …</span></i></b>” For
Christian women, this means that we are to <u>speak into the lives of other
women</u> who may need the godly or wise words we have been given through God’s
Holy Word and the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is the Holy Spirit who will remind
us of what we learned and of the specific words that we can use to help another
woman, if we are just willing to reach out in compassion and lovingkindness to
come along side of her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perhaps
the greatest aspect of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational
Christian Mentoring (ARCM)</b> is the very necessary aspect of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compassion</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lovingkindness</i>, for without those two caring words becoming a part
of our reason for mentoring, true Christian mentoring cannot take place. Authentic
Christians are, moreover, supposed to live out our Christian life in a way that
glorifies the Lord through our words and actions and in a way that shows others
that we are truly living for the Lord. But often Christians become so wrapped
up in themselves and the fast paceness of our society that many people rarely
find the time to show true <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compassion</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lovingkindness</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God’s Compassion and
Lovingkindness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Believers
should know the importance of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compassion</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lovingkindness</i>, because God has
given us examples of the importance of compassion and lovingkindness throughout
His Word. In fact, from the Older Testament and throughout the Newer Testament
God has given us story after story about compassion and lovingkindness to show
us how we are to live and just how important those two words are to God. For,
our God is a loving and compassionate God showing compassion and lovingkindness
to those who are obedient and love Him. In fact, it is the Psalmists who
constantly speak of God’s compassion and lovingkindness throughout the book of
Psalms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">David
often wrote of God’s compassion and lovingkindness, and in one of his Psalms he
wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to
forgive, and <u>abundant in lovingkindness</u> to all who call upon You</span></i></b>.”
… <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to
anger <u>and abundant in lovingkindness and truth</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Psalm 86: 5, 15. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Again,
David wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">He has made His wonders to be remembered. <u>The
Lord is gracious and compassionate</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Psalm 111:4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition David said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">…<u>He is gracious and compassionate and
righteous</u></span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Psalm 112: 4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
also have other examples of God’s standard of compassion and lovingkindness
written about throughout the Older Testament. These examples tell us that God sat
out to teach us how we are to act and care about others. For, it is through the
stories that God had recorded in His Word that we learn how we are to treat
others with compassion and kindness. One such example was the story of baby
Moses who was found floating in the bulrushes of the Nile by one of the
Pharaoh’s daughters. We are told that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… When the
princess saw the little basket among the reeds she told one of her servant
girls to get it for her. As the princess opened it, she found the baby boy. His
helpless cries touched her heart</span></i></b>. …). </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Exodus 2: 5, 6. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
However, she also knew that he was probably one of the Israelite’s babies who
was being hidden from soldiers who were enforcing the decree given to them by her
father, the Pharaoh, to kill all the Israelites’ baby boys. Yet she had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compassion</i> upon the baby and took him
into the palace and raised him as her own. Through her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">compassion and lovingkindness</i>, Moses was saved and grew in
knowledge and wisdom. Some of that wisdom would be acquired the hard way, but
God knew that Moses would be the leader that He needed for the Israelites. So later, Moses, with God’s help, would save all the Israelites, as he led them to
safety from the Pharaoh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">False Compassion and Kindness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God
also gives us examples of false compassion and lovingkindness as He contrasts
it in His Word with true lovingkindness and compassion. I am sure you all
remember King Saul and his obsession with getting rid of David, because he knew
that David had been anointed to become the next King of Israel. Not only was
King Saul jealous, but in his paranoia, he believed that David was out to get
him, which was something that he had allowed his sick mind to imagine and
believe. Some of his men also lied to him and encouraged him in his belief that
David was out to get him. Consequently, Saul spent years searching for David
and trying to kill him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
one point in time, David and his men hid in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
Then the Ziphites went to Saul and told him that David was hiding in the
strongholds of Horesh. They urged Saul to come to Horesh and they would
surrender David to him. That is when King Saul said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">May
you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (I Samuel 23: 21. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obviously,
anyone can use religious verbiage in order to appear deeply spiritual or close
to God, But God is not impressed with our duplicitous words or actions.
Furthermore, Saul did not care whether the Ziphites were blessed or not. All he
wanted was to get and kill David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the
other hand, the Ziphites were not showing Saul compassion, but instead wanted to get David and
his men out of their territory. So, they were offering to surrender David to Saul. Their
offer was not out of compassion or kindness for King Saul. Eventually they
would have expected something in return from King Saul, if not at that time or at a later
time, whether it was money or a favor in the future. Fortunately, they were not able to give David to King Saul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">God
gave us this specific example of </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">duplicitous actions</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> to show us that </span></span><u style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">our compassion and
lovingkindness for others has to be genuine</u><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. Moreover, we should not expect
anything in return for our words or actions. Instead, we should be focused on
doing for others in kindness and compassion what God has given us the opportunity to do. We are to love
others as we love ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">True Compassion and
Kindness</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many other examples of God's <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">true</b>
compassion and lovingkindness throughout the Older Testament, as God shows
compassion on people through the mentors and through His prophets who were sent to tell
people what God expected them to do. God also used several appearances of the "Angel of the Lord", who many believe was a special appearance of pre-incarnate
Jesus Christ who spoke to and showed compassion on several people in the Older
Testament. (See Genesis 16: 7; 22:11; 31:11; Exodus 3:2; 14:19; Judges 2: 1; 13:2;
and Zechariah 3: 1-6.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
were also other ordinary humans within the Older Testament who spoke into the
lives of other people while showing compassion and lovingkindness for them. One such example
was Ruth, who showed compassion and lovingkindness for Naomi by <u>not</u> leaving
her alone and by going with her back to Israel after Naomi’s husband and sons
died. Through Ruth’s compassion and lovingkindness, we can see how we were
created to love others as we love ourselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was God who not only spoke
directly through His prophets to tell the Israelites of His love and compassion,
but He also showed compassion and lovingkindness in the person of His Son,
Jesus Christ. God sent Jesus to earth to show God’s love for us, and then
through that compassion and lovingkindness He offered us Salvation. So now let’s
turn to God’s Son in the Newer Testament to see how Jesus showed compassion and
lovingkindness to the people He encountered. At what point did Christ’s acts of
compassion turn into mentoring words of compassion and lovingkindness?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God’s Son, Jesus
Christ, and His Compassion and Lovingkindness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are so many stories in the Newer Testament about Christ’s compassion and love,
but I do not have time to write about them all. So, I will just pick out a few
of the lovingkindness and compassionate ones that will emphasize the example
that Christ was setting for us. For, Christ wanted us to understand that we are
to do more than just live our own lives and leave others on their own. He
wanted us to understand that we are to be involved in the lives of others and
that we are to be there for those who are: hurting, struggling, down and out, or
in need, etc. No, it isn’t about giving out money so that we can get off the
hook and make ourselves feel better by simply throwing money at a problem or
situation. Yes, giving money is great when it is needed. However, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>we are to do more by giving of ourselves
and by showing compassion and lovingkindness with our words and actions</u></i>. True compassion and lovingkindness is about speaking into the lives of others when they are desperate for a
friend or need emotional support. It’s about being there for someone who is
hurting or in need of a shoulder to cry on. It is also about sharing the Good
News to those who are lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
Jesus was going through the cities and villages healing every kind of sickness,
removing demons from the possessed, teaching, and proclaiming the Gospel and
the Kingdom of God, He one day stopped and looked at all the people surrounding
Him. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Seeing the people, <u>He felt compassion
for them</u>, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a
shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. Therefore, <u>beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out
workers into His harvest</u>.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Matthew 9: 36-38. NASB.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christ
Jesus loved all the people he encountered, and He loves all of us today. The
harvest was great back then and it is also still great, which means that we
need to share the Gospel message with those who have as yet been able to find
Christ as their Savior. We can also become involved in the harvest when we tell another
person of the Good News of Christ and when that person comes to know Christ as
their Savior. The sharing of the Good News isn’t hard with the help of the Holy
Spirit, and in many cases all it takes is befriending someone who needs a
friend or needs someone to talk to. No, we are not like Jesus in the sense that
we can take away their pain and problems. But we can pray for them, we can talk
with them, and we can sit with them when they are sick. We can teach them what
we know from what we have learned in life. But, we first have to build a
<u>mentoring relationship</u> based upon compassion, lovingkindness, caring, and
truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is important for us to also befriend, console, help, or emotionally support
another Christian woman through ARCM. Just because someone may be a Christian, does not mean
that she doesn’t need a fellow Christian to come along side of her to actively
mentor her with caring and compassionate words. In fact, most Christians have
been in a valley at some time or another where they have had to struggle to get
out and live their life for the Lord, as the devil does everything in his power
to bring them down. This is where the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">mentoring
discipleship</b> of a fellow Christian becomes so important. But so many
Christians just live and let live. They do nothing to reach out and be there for their fellow Christians. Because of this, I believe that God is very disappointed
in people's lack of compassion and the false kindness or un-Christian behaviors they produce for Him. For, many fail to show acts of compassion and lovingkindness toward even their fellow
Christians, let alone to those that are lost and need the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you remember
the story in the Gospel of Matthew about Christ feeding the four thousand on the side of a mountain? Large crowds had followed Him upon a mountain and they were quite some ways
from any town. Jesus taught and healed for a few days. Finally, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Jesus called to His disciples to Him, and said, ‘<u>I
feel compassion for the people</u>, because <u>they have remained with me now
for three days and have nothing to eat</u>; and <u>I do not want to send them
away hungry, for they might faint</u>.</span></i></b>’” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Matthew 15: 32. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
The disciples were astonished for there was no where to get any food. So, they
searched for food among the crowd, but were only able to come up with seven
loafs of bread and a few small fishes, which certainly was not enough to feed
that large of a crowd. But it was enough for Jesus to create a miracle. Jesus
blessed the bread and fish and suddenly there was enough for everyone. All of
the people were fed and there were even seven large baskets containing pieces
of food left over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christ
felt for these people and their earthly need of hunger, just as He had
compassion for their heavenly spiritual need for God and eternal life. However,
it was with the miracle of food, that Christ was able to not only meet their
earthly need but was also at the same time able to show them that they needed a
spiritual life with God. It was also through this miracle that Jesus was able
to show them that he had the authority to teach them about eternal life as well
as the authority to teach them of their need for the daily compassionate and living
for God. Jesus Christ did this by solidifying in the peoples’ minds, through
their experience as seen through their eyes and the filling of their stomachs, that
Christ’s relationship with God as the Son of God made Him able to perform the miracle of
food for everyone. Christ’s compassion for the peoples’ physical need is why He
created the miracle of feeding four thousand, and it was His compassion for
their spiritual need and His teachings and healings that showed at least some
of the people that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank
goodness that we are not responsible for producing large miracles like those
Jesus created. Furthermore, like those people of long ago, we know that only
God can produce those kinds of miracles. However, it was Christ’s miracles that
provided the backdrop for His teaching and showed everyone that Jesus Christ
was indeed the incarnate Son of God who had come to cleanse them of their sins
and to offer them Salvation. Now, as Christ’s ambassadors, we have been given the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit who will help or guide us into sharing the Gospel
message with others; leading to the miracle of Salvation if the person so chooses to invite Christ into their heart. But in order to
engage another person in conversation about Christ, we must be willing to be
compassionate and show lovingkindness before we can share the Gospel miracle of
the Resurrection of Jesus Christ who will take away our sins. Being
compassionate and showing lovingkindness can then produce small miracles like
those of bringing a smile to someone’s face when they had previously felt so
alone, or of being able to teach someone how to do something that they previously
could not do. In fact, there are many more small miracles that can occur every
day when we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, speak into the lives of
other women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">True
believers are to mentor other Christians in their spiritual growth just by
being there with them and talking to them about the Lord. True believers also
need to be there to help their fellow Christians when they need help. I don’t
know about you, but when I am with fellow Christians, the conversation
invariably turns to the Lord. It is during those times that the wisdom and
knowledge of one person can be shared with the other. Sharing what we know
about the Lord is very important. We also know that Jesus shared His personal
spiritual insight and knowledge with a crowd of four thousand on the side of a
mountain, but all we have to do is to share with one or two of our friends, or
friends to be, what the Lord has lain upon our heart to tell them. For, sharing
what we know from the Lord is just another way of showing compassion and
lovingkindness to another person. This sharing can often be accomplished through ARCM.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout
the Gospels we are told over and over again, and we have been given many examples of
Jesus having compassion on the people. (See Matthew 9: 36; 15: 32; Mark 1: 41;
Mark 5: 10; Mark 6:34; Mark 8:2; Mark 9:32; Luke 7: 13; Luke 10: 33, Luke 15:
20; John 10: 11; John 11: 33-36; John 17: 11-17 as just a few of the examples
of Christ’s compassion for humans). These examples of compassion and
lovingkindness have been recorded in God’s Word for us to learn from and to
show us what God expects of those that love Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout
His healing, miracles, and teaching, Jesus gave people the Good News of
Salvation and eternal life. Indeed, both Christ, the Son, and the Father want
none to perish, but want everyone to come to the Saving Grace of Christ.
Unfortunately, not everyone will come to know Christ as their Savior. Still it
is our responsibility to be the hands and feet of Christ as we are His working ambassadors
to the world. If we do not reach out to comfort, support, share, coach,
counsel, and empower other women to be all that they can be for God,
themselves, their family and their friends, then we are not doing what Christ
has asked us to do. We are just living in a type of limbo that will one day have
to be explained to God at the Bema Judgment Seat. I don’t know about you, but I
don’t want to have to explain to God why I did <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>not</u></b> help, or why I did <b><u>not</u></b> care about, teach, mentor,
counsel, or disciple another Christian. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
takes so little time to reach out and help another person even when you least
expect to find yourself in a position to help. You just have to have your eyes
open and wear your compassionate and lovingkindness as a Christian on your
shoulder so that you can use them when the opportunity is presented to
you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
will end with a story by Anne Cetas who wrote this devotional for the March 17,
2018 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Our Daily Bread</u></b>. It is
entitled “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Whispering Words</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The young man fidgeted as he sat down for
his flight. His eyes darted back and forth to the aircraft windows. Then he
closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to calm himself – but it didn’t
work. As the plane took off he slowly rocked back and forth. An older woman
across the aisle from him put her hand on his arm and gently engaged him in
conversation to divert his attention from his stress. ‘What’s your name?’ ‘Where
are you from?’ ‘You’re doing well’ were a few of the things she whispered. She
could have been irritated with him or ignored him. But she chose a touch and a
few words. Little things. When they landed three hours later, he said, ‘Thank
you so much for helping me.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Such beautiful pictures of
tenderheartedness can be hard to find. Kindness does not come naturally to many
of us; our primary concern is often ourselves. But when the apostle Paul urged,
‘<u>Be kind and compassionate to one another'</u></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
(Ephesians 4: 32.) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he was not saying it
all depends on us. After we’ve been given a new life by our faith in Jesus, the
Spirit begins a transformation. Kindness is the ongoing work of the Spirit
renewing our thoughts and attitudes</i> (Ephesians 4: 23).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The God of compassion is at work in
our hearts, allowing us in turn to touch others’ lives by reaching out and
whispering words of encouragement.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lord,
use me today to bring someone hope, a lighter burden, encouragement</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Compassion
is understanding the troubles of others and reaching out</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” – Anne Cetas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
will add one thing more to what Ms. Cetas said. Compassion is also
understanding the troubles of others, and then understanding when we have been given the
opportunity to help, so that we can reach out to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>mentor</u></b> them with Christian lovingkindness in whatever area
that God may have given us the expertise to help them. If, on the other hand,
we don’t have the specific expertise they need, we can actively look for
another Christian who can help them. Indeed, all of us can reach out in
compassion and lovingkindness, like the woman on the plane did, to help someone
in need. We just have to be actively involved in being ambassadors for Christ.
What do Christian ambassadors do? They represent Christ in everything they do. They look for opportunities to come along side of another person to help or mentor in some fashion or another. Are you representing Christ to others in all that you do? Are you looking for opportunities to actively mentor or help another woman?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">May God bless you in all your mentoring endeavors! </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-38466305166420278652018-04-07T15:35:00.001-07:002018-04-07T15:35:57.255-07:00Making a Difference by Influencing Lives for Christ<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"If [Christian leaders] do not teach Christian</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">principles to all followers of Christ,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">we are not equipping them with God's truth that will</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">overcome worldly influence." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- ( p. 53 Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
have a passion for Christian mentoring, which is why I wrote the book: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i>. I know that fellow Christians
understand that we are to share our faith with non-believers, but we also have
been given the responsibility of speaking into the lives of both believers and
non-believers to help them live more productive lives for the Lord. We are not
supposed to be in this life journey alone but are to be there to help each
other. One of the ways that we can help other women is to speak into the lives
of these other women through <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. Mentoring may sound scary or sound like it
will take too much of our time, but if we are willing to step forward and do God’s will in showing our love toward others, mentoring will not be scary
and somehow through God’s grace and provision we will be able to find the time that
is needed to invest in the life of another woman. In fact, all it takes is 20
to 30 minutes a week to speak into the life of another woman, i.e., to mentor
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So,
what is a mentor? Well, a mentor is an individual who comes along side of
another person to support, encourage, help, teach, coach, or counsel that
person who is also known as the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mentee</i>.
Indeed, there are mentors in all areas of life. Businessmen have mentors,
students have mentors, and most any work-related area of our lives has the
possibility of mentors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A woman Christian mentor, though, is an individual who has truly accepted Christ as her
Lord and Savior and who then develops a godly relationship with either another
Christian woman or a non-Christian woman for the purpose of encouraging,
supporting, counseling, etc. She is investing in the life of the other woman so
that the love of God can be understood and seen by her. The ultimate purpose of the
Christian woman mentor is to empower the other woman, i.e., <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the mentee</i>, to be all that she can be
for God, for herself, for her family, for her friends, and to be all that she
can be even for those acquaintances that she encounters. Of course, for those
that have as yet to ask Christ into their heart, the Christian mentor has an even greater purpose, which is to share the Gospel message within the mentoring
process. It is then through the mentoring process that the Christian mentor will
guide her mentee into knowing more about the Lord and how He expects all of us
to live. Through her witnessing as well as through prayer and study of the Word
of God, the mentor plants the seeds of Salvation for the non-Christian mentee. God then does the
rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
mentoring relationships start out on common ground or with a need that needs to
be met for the mentee or with a topic or subject that needs to be covered in
order to make the woman’s life easier or more productive. But no matter the
initial reason for the mentoring relationship, a non-Christian woman <i>mentee</i> should then
acquire greater knowledge about God and Christ’s gift of Salvation through the Christian
mentoring process and through the time spent together in fellowship with her mentor. Along with
the goal of helping the non-Christian woman in whatever area she needs help,
there is the ultimate goal of helping her to find Christ as her Savior. But in
order to help the woman find Christ, the Christian mentor must first develop a
mentoring relationship based upon love and caring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 22.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Closer Walk with the
Lord<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
outcome or fruit generated from an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> relationship should be the mentee's closer walk with the Lord. The fruit is also the empowerment of another Christian woman who is willing to walk
daily for the Lord, and who is willing to share her knowledge of Christ and
Salvation will other women she encounters. A friend of mine, Donna McCoy Harms,
said this about Christian mentoring: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When
we fellowship with another woman, we will discover that a kinship develops in
the learning, laughing, and sometimes crying that takes place as both the
mentor and the mentee grow closer to the Lord</i>.” All this and more occurs
within the Christ developed relationship between mentor and mentee that can not
only impact the lives of both women, but that can impact the lives of other women
they encounter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian
mentoring of another believer is part of our responsibility as born-again
followers of Christ to encourage each other to walk for the Lord and to always
keep Christ first and foremost within our hearts. This is why, the author of
<u>Hebrews</u> wrote to his fellow Christians: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Take care
brethren that there not <u>be in</u> any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart
that falls away from the living God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
<u>encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called ‘Today</u>’,
<u>so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin</u>. For we
have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance
firm until the end</span>.</i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Hebrews 3: 12-14</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Need for
Encouragement and Love <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is very hard to live in this secular world without the support of fellow
Christians. Moreover, it can be difficult to grow in spiritual
maturity, grow closer to the Lord, or stay true to Him without the help and
encouragement of fellow believers, i.e. the church body. For, it is our fellow
Christians who can encourage us, help us, and keep us accountable, so that we
do not inadvertently let the devil and his espoused sin get a foothold within
our heart. It is only through our healthy relationships with fellow Christian
women that express caring, kindness, support, and concern for these other women
that we can see or are reminded of God’s eternal love for us. That is why it is
so important for women to invest in the lives of other women through the
process of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian
Mentoring</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
Christians, we cannot live in isolation from the secular world. Indeed, both
Christian men and women live surrounded by evil, trials, and tribulations, as
well as by just the daily grind of living in a sinful world. To avoid all the
pitfalls of living within this fallen world, all Christians need the
encouragement of other Christians. In fact, the importance of this needed encouragement
by our fellow Christians is expressed in the Apostle’s writings throughout the
Newer Testament. For, it was the Apostle Paul, who when writing to the
Thessalonians, went so far as to admonish the new Christians to encourage one
another. Paul said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Therefore
encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(I Thessalonians 5: 11. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We all
need to be reminded of our responsibility as believers to encourage and help
our fellow Christians. But we also need to be reminded of the effect that we
are having on those around us as they see and listen to what we have to say.
That is why it is so important for Christian women to step forward to specifically
invest in the lives of other women through Christian mentoring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
of us understand the word encouragement, but how do we build up one another.
Well, we build up others by not only our words, but by our actions too. We can build up our fellow
Christians with our words and by being there for another woman during times of
crisis, loneliness, pain, and sorrow. Taking the time out of our personal
allotted time, shows the other woman that we care and that we are willing to be
there for her. It is in being there for her that we can build her up through
our mentoring of the Scriptures, as well as through our mentoring of Christian
actions, love, and concern. Moreover, being willing to help gives the other
woman a feeling of <u>worthiness</u> while giving her a friend who is willing
to stand by her in her time of need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Apostle Paul again teaches us about the importance of encouragement and true
love through the letter he wrote to the Philippian Christians. Paul wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Therefore
if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make
my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, <u>united
in spirit</u>, <u>intent on one purpose</u>. Do nothing out of selfishness or
empty conceit, <u>but with humility of mind regard one another as more
important than yourselves: do not merely look out for your own personal
interests, but also for the interest of others</u>.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Philippians 2: 1-4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Active Relational Christian
Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a selfless loving service to the
Lord and to other women which allows us to express the love of Christ in both
our words and our actions. Through the simple act of the mentoring fellowship, we
can help, support, comfort, inform, and share our knowledge, skills, talents,
and wisdom with another woman. Active Christian mentoring also helps us to
look out for the interest of a fellow Christian woman as we help empower her
to be all that she was created to be. And for the woman who does not yet know
Christ as her Savior, your Christian mentoring fellowship, support, caring, and
kindness can be seen as the light of Christ shining out from your re-born life.
Moreover, the joyful unity of believers serving the Lord and others is not only
welcoming, but it is a powerful way to express the Gospel of Christ and His
love to a woman who needs Him desperately. Furthermore, women were created to
help, support, and share not only what they know but especially the Gospel
message with other women. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Reason God Created
Women</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
have all read the creation story in Genesis, and we have all been told why God
created humans. Why were we created? Well, in Isaiah 43: 7 we are told that God
created us <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>for His glory</u></b>!
However, our purpose here on earth doesn’t end with just giving God the glory
He so richly deserves. We were also created to love God and to love others. In
fact, besides giving us the ability to glorify God and praise Him, God has also
given each of us a specific purpose in life that has to do with love. It is
this purpose that will benefit the Kingdom of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
is the Kingdom of God? Well, it is a spiritual kingdom made up of believers in
Christ who have been commissioned to tell all the world about Christ and the
gift of Salvation offered to all. As believers we are expected to benefit the
Kingdom of God, but we must be willing to care about the members of God’s
Kingdom, and we must be willing to tell non-Christians about the Kingdom of God
in order to do so. As caring Christians, we are ones who can help the Kingdom
of God grow exponentially by our witnessing for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Humans
were created to not only glorify and praise the Lord, but to serve the Kingdom
of God and through our service produce fruit for the Kingdom of God in our own
specifically created way. Yes, every person who has been re-born has been
created to do specific work and witnessing for the Kingdom of God. Both men and
women have their own special characteristics and abilities that can not only
contribute to the continuity of the human race, but that also enables them to
serve the Lord in their own special way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
all know that God created man first. But shortly thereafter, God decided that
He needed to create a companion for man. In Genesis 2: 18 we read: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be
alone; I will make him a helper, comparable to him</span></i></b>.” But it is
in Genesis 2: 21-23 that we actually discover how God created woman: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">So, the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the
man, and he slept; then He took on of his ribs and closed up the flesh at the
place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from man
and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is bone of my bones, and flesh
of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man</span></i></b>.’”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Hebrew word for woman is “isha”. The Hebrew word for man is “ish”. The
evangelist David Jeremiah said that God took a rib from man or “ish” so that
woman or “isha” would be a part of “ish”. In other words, Adam would be incomplete
until they were brought together as “ish” and “isha”. This was because Adam, who
was missing a rib, now needed to be near to “isha”. In other words, in order to
be complete, Adam needed “isha” at his side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
it was more than Adam just needing to be near his missing rib that brought them
together, because God had created “isha” to be there to support, encourage,
love, and help Adam. Moreover, because of the way that God had made woman, God
knew that she would be able to use the special characteristics of love, as well
as the ability to encourage, comfort, show kindness, and have empathy, and the ability to help and support others in their needs. In other words, she
was to be a helpmate to not only her husband but to her family and friends. Furthermore,
God knew ahead of time that the special and unique characteristics that He had
given to both man and woman would be very valuable in making and maintaining
relationships. Moreover, these abilities would also be important to witnessing
and mentoring others for the benefit of Kingdom of God once God sent His Son
into the world to save us from our sins. Sure enough, each gender, i.e., man and
woman, were to use their special characteristics, gifts, and abilities to be
ambassadors for Christ and for the Kingdom of God once they accepted the free
gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s Son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Besides
the purpose of glorifying God, we each have been given individual purposes in
life. To further accomplish our individual purposes in life within our ambassadorship for
Christ, God has also given each Christian certain talents, skills, knowledge,
and wisdom unique to them to use for themselves and for the benefit of the Kingdom of God. With
these talents, skills, knowledge, wisdom, etc., God has also given both man and
woman the ability to influence others for the glory of God. But, God has further
given women in particular some unique abilities that can enable them to be great
at Christian mentoring and influencing others for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Influence of Women
as Christian Mentors</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">God
has given every woman a great area of influence within her life. In fact, women
can influence their families, their spouses, and their children on a daily
basis. In actuality, though, they have been given, through their influence, the
ability to mentor those around them on a daily basis whether they realize it or
not. In addition to influencing those closest to them, women influence other
women in their workplace, at church, and during ordinary life encounters. They can
even influence the children that their children play with. Women also influence
the women that they meet in stores, in beauty salons, and in workout centers,
etc. In fact, the list of those women who are daily influenced within the category of just
<u>passive mentoring</u> could go on and on. However, when we add to this list, the category of active influence such as women's engagement in conversation, or women's </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">involvement</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> in <u>active
mentoring</u>, then </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">women's</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">' areas of influence grow greatly. Indeed, every person that a
woman encounters is being brought into her circle of influence, even if it is
just momentarily. That is why it is so important for Christian women to think
about their potential words and their actions first; always asking ourselves if
we are glorifying the Lord with our words and actions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One
of the most wonderful things that Christian women can do is to become an active
relational Christian mentor. For, it is through the use of both our words and
actions as mentors that we can influence and actually enhance the lives of
other women, i.e., our mentees, in an active way rather than just a passive
way. In fact, the biblical scriptures tell us that Christian women are to not
only mentor their spouses, children, and friends, but that we are to mentor
other Christian women in our walk with the Lord. Although the word “mentor” is
not specifically used, the apostle Paul wrote to Titus and in his letter set
out the duties of both older and younger Christian women and their mentoring
responsibilities within the Kingdom of God. He said: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Older
women likewise are <u>to be reverent in their behavior</u>, not malicious
gossips nor enslaved to much wine, <u>teaching what is good</u>, so that they
many <u>encourage the young women to love their husbands</u>, <u>to love their
children</u>, <u>to be sensible, pure, workers at home</u>, <u>kind</u>, <u>being
subject to their own husbands</u>, <u>that the Word of God will not be
dishonored</u></span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Titus 2: 3-5. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women have Special
Abilities for Christian Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All
of the things that the Apostle Paul mentioned are important to the Christian
walk and to the influence that women have upon other women. But along with
those duties, Christian women have also been given talents, skills, and
abilities to support, help, enlighten, and empower another woman to be all that
she can be for God, herself, her family, and her friends. Along with the wisdom
and biblical knowledge that women have received from studying the Bible, the
Holy Spirit has also bestowed upon Christian women individual talents that can
be used in their mentoring of another woman. But besides these spiritual gifts,
skills, and talents, women have been given other special abilities that can
help in the mentoring process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These
special abilities actually empower Christian women to develop active mentoring
relationships with other women. Here are just a few of those abilities that
women can use in mentoring. You can probably think of others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are generally great at
communicating. In fact, women speak more words in a single day than men speak
in a day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women in general are capable of
thinking about several things at once and discerning the most important.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are usually capable of
juggling and using time wisely, allowing them to get many things done in a
single day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are generally able to share or
teach others skills, and share their knowledge, and information. (For example:
even without being a career teacher, most women are capable of teaching their
children what they need to know in order to get along in the world.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are able to use their
instincts to help themselves and others even when a situation does not seem
concerning in the natural world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women usually have developed greater
discernment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women usually have good insight if
they are leaning on the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women in general have an instinctual
nurturing nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are usually capable of loving
many people at once.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Women are usually capable of showing
empathy to others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are probably many more abilities that you can list that help women in their
mentoring or influence of other women. But there is one more ability that women
mentors need to have or can acquire. That is the ability to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>listen</u></i> to the other woman. Many
women are already good listeners, but if you aren’t you can acquire the ability
to listen; you just have to desire to listen. It is just a matter of choosing
to listen closely to the other woman. Also, we must understand, too, that
listening encompasses not only the ability to hear what the other woman is
saying, but it also includes the ability to see or observe the facial
expressions and body language of the other woman. If you can learn to do all
three, you can become a great listener. However, if you are then able to add
the ability to discern what the other woman is <u>not</u> saying, sometimes
called reading between the lines, then you can become an excellent listener. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is those women who work at listening to what the other woman is actually saying
who are able to become great mentors. That is because they are able to both
hear and see the need or concern that should be addressed for the mentee. Then
the Christian mentor can pray for her mentee with the assurance that she
praying for the right things or needs of the mentee. This is important, because
prayer is a powerful resource to be used in helping our mentees. For, without
God’s guidance, direction, and support, we are just floundering around in our
human perceptions and actions, with hit or miss results. But, to really be good or
great <u>Active Relational Christian Mentors</u>, we must rely on God through
our prayer and our study of His Word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
bottom line is that God has given each woman what she needs to accomplish the
method of <u>servanthood</u> that He has asked her to perform. God has also given us
the resources and innate abilities as well as the special talents to be used in
our service to Him and to other women for the Kingdom of God. All we have to do is
look at ourselves closely and evaluate our skills, talents, gifts, knowledge,
and abilities, and then pray about how we are to use all of them within our
Christian lives of service. Moreover, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is a wonderful service that every woman can
perform for the Kingdom of God whether you are dedicating your godly service to
Christian Mentoring or you are just occasionally mentoring a friend or
neighbor. You Can Do It! You can mentor for the Lord!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Salvation for All<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Salvation
is always ‘good news.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is news of God’s love and forgiveness – adoption into His family –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fellowship
with His people – freedom from the penalty of sin –<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Liberation
from the power of sin.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[God]
holds in His omnipotent hand the priceless,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">precious,
eternal gift of salvation,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and
He bids you to take it without money and without price.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011. p. 111, 113</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not</b> a born-again Christian,
which means that you haven’t asked for Christ’s forgiveness and haven’t
believed upon Him as the Living Son of God, you can easily do so. All you have
to do is come to Christ with a truly repentant heart for the sins in your life
and then ask Him to forgive your sins, while believing that Christ, who was born of
a virgin, died for you on the cross, and was raised from the dead conquering
eternal death for you and everyone who will believe on Him. For the Word of God
says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put
to shame</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 10: 9-11. NKJ)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-77415934219826895892018-03-11T16:38:00.002-07:002018-03-11T16:38:43.928-07:00Accountability Mentoring by Sharing Each Other's Troubles and Problems<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><span style="color: magenta;">"Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think that you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: magenta;">-- Galatians 6: 2-3 NLT</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpB6D5AjH9RNjCEYrisA585AAG9hV8UCGfyQirzr74FCG1sQ-DwBhDiKMmnYAI22tuEJe73tk3u1x2Qte8kmf9gEIb9adcaQIs4ttLWoP50wpC8yGtIg9_feYbFcv9fV-5HkN5r8vJaY/s1600/holding-hands-752878_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1280" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpB6D5AjH9RNjCEYrisA585AAG9hV8UCGfyQirzr74FCG1sQ-DwBhDiKMmnYAI22tuEJe73tk3u1x2Qte8kmf9gEIb9adcaQIs4ttLWoP50wpC8yGtIg9_feYbFcv9fV-5HkN5r8vJaY/s320/holding-hands-752878_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
my book <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i></b>,
I discuss the many different mentoring categories as well as the types of
mentoring that Christians can engage in to help another Christian to grow
stronger and stay on track for the Lord. Remember, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is a just another type of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discipleship</i></b>
that all Christians can easily engage in. Moreover, we are commanded to go and make
disciples for Christ in Matthew:28: 18-20. To help us make disciples and then
disciple current Christians there are several different mentoring categories
from which a Christian can choose. All of these mentoring categories can be
used to disciple and encourage another Christian; categories such as the simple
fellowship mentoring to and including Sponsorship mentoring and several
in-between. But the specific mentoring category that I want to discuss today is
one called “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Accountability Mentoring</i>”
which is described within several of the different Scripture verses in the
Bible. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
concept of accountability and more specifically the category of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability mentoring</i> has been used
throughout the ages to help, encourage, and empower another person to be even
more than they thought they could ever become. But, how is this concept of
accountability used within the Christian world? Well, Christian accountability
is the relationship that one believer has with another believer for the express
purpose of the mentor believer observing, encouraging, teaching, and holding
accountable the actions of the other believer, i.e., the mentee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although,
a Christian is accountable to God first and foremost, a follower of Christ, i.e, a true Christian, is also
accountable to other Christians and vice versa for their words, actions and
conduct. That is because, <b><u>we do not walk alone in this world</u></b>. First, we have
Christ and the Holy Spirit walking with us. Secondly, we are to have the support
of other Christians who like all true Christians are to represent Christ to the
world in everything that we say and do. In other words, every Christian has a
responsibility to help, empower, and encourage other Christians as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Apostle Paul wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Now therefore, (as
Christians) you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but <u>fellow citizens
with the saints and members of the household of God</u>, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a
holy temple in the Lord, a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Ephesians 2: 19-22. NKJV).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This above verse means that Christians are
also accountable for their interactions with other Christians and are
especially accountable for their brotherly or sisterly purpose in supporting,
encouraging, enlightening, helping, sharing, and checking on the needs of
another Christian. Moreover, we are responsible for discipling each other. This
discipleship and support is just one of the reasons why God’s Word tells us
that we are to help keep each other focused on what God wants for our lives. Then
as we watch out for and support each other, we are to also let each other know if
and when we are doing or saying something that does not represent Christ in the
best light to the world. It is in this process of mentoring discipleship that Christians
can grow spiritually stronger for the Lord. For example, in Proverbs 27: 17 we
are told that as “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens
another</span></i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within this idea of “iron sharpening iron”
rises the concept of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
mentoring.</i> This means that two Christians who are willing to talk to each
other about their ideas, troubles, needs, and insights, and who are willing to
do so in the light of Christ can be there for each other through the process of
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability mentoring</i>. Accountability mentoring is essentially helping
one or both of the believers to stay accountable for their personal actions or words. Their
communication with each other can not only stimulate both believers’ thought
processes and enable them to become stronger for the Lord together, but it can
enable them to challenge each other and become sharper in mental clarity, in
their righteous actions and words, as well as in their knowledge of the Word of
God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability mentoring</i>, the Christian
mentor is there to challenge the mentee’s spiritual growth and to help the
mentee see clearly what it is that she needs to overcome in her life and stay
focused in doing so. During the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
mentoring</i> process the Christian mentor will also help the mentee to see
clearly that Christ will never let her down no matter what trial she has to
overcome. In addition, the Christian friend, i.e., mentor, will not only
support her mentee’s personal endeavors to improve, but also be there to hold her
accountable for her actions as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We are all accountable
to God for our actions <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
ultimate accountability for all of us comes when we stand before Christ at the
Bema Seat or Judgment Seat one day. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">We must all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed
for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (II Corinthians 5: 10. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Bema seat or judgment seat is a place of
accountability for all Christians rather than a place of condemnation. Even
though it is not a place of condemnation, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… each one of us
will give an account of himself to God</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Romans 14: 12. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
Moreover, it is at the Bema seat where we will receive our crowns or rewards
for what we have accomplished for Christ while here on earth. Among the many
rewards we can receive, Christians can receive rewards for the love that they
have shown to others while working here on earth. Showing our Christian love includes
doing such things as working to share the Gospel message and working to help
other Christians grow stronger in their spiritual maturity, as well as working to
help a Christian to overcome a stronghold that constantly bedevils her. Who
have you helped recently? Have you helped a mentee stay accountable to a
decision they have made? Have you spent time with a friend that is suffering
from loneliness or loss? There are so many things that we as Christians can do
to uplift, encourage, empower, and help another Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some
of the things that true Christians can do for others and that can be of benefit
to another Christian in regard to discipleship and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability mentoring</i> could include such things as the
following: simply being there for a friend or acquaintance who needs you to
check in on them about their commitment to daily prayer; being there to check
on and encourage a Christian in their Bible study; or being there to check on
the progress they have made in sharing their faith with non-Christians. Other
accountability areas may include such things as: being there for a fellow
Christian when they are tempted to succumb to a specific negative area of their
personality that they are working on, such as an anger issue. Then taking the
time to talk with the mentee about their anger issue, or just being there to help
the mentee to work on a particular attitude that they are having trouble
overcoming. There are many other areas of accountability needs, too numerous to
mention, that can be helped by a Christian accountability mentor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
are probably saying to yourself, “Why do I have to help someone stay
accountable for their actions and words? Can’t they take care of themselves?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality, though, is that every true Christian
is accountable to other Christians for their conduct, attitude, and character. But
how can that be? Well, the Apostle Peter puts it this way: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for
one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning
evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing
that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (I peter 3: 8-9. NKJV). Peter is saying
that we receive blessings for doing the work of Christ here on earth. One of
those works is just being there for fellow Christians when they need us,
whether it is a need to learn, a need to grow spiritually, or an emotional
need. Furthermore, Christians will be held accountable to God for what we have
and <u>haven’t</u> done for the Kingdom of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
Christians today are not held accountable for their non-Christian actions and words, we
may eventually succumb to our basic human nature, which is the human tendency
to falter and to try to fit in with the secular world around us. But authentic
Christians, who are aware that they will held accountable for their actions as
Children of God, should not want to succumb to their basic human nature, nor should
they want to fit in with or accept the common secular worldviews. Neither
should true Christians easily succumb to the temptations of the secular world
around them. But it isn’t always easy to avoid these temptations, especially if
a Christian has developed strongholds over the years that have become hard to
overcome. That is why a Christian may need to be held accountable to another
Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many things that can tempt every person including Christians, and these temptations
can keep a Christian from living fully for Christ and on the straight and
narrow way. A Christian’s biblical Worldview can become tarnished, because she
falls for the things of this secular world instead of standing for the inerrant
Word of God, truthfulness, morality, integrity, humility, principles,
respecting Word of God, adhering to biblical values, maintaining Christian
authenticity, or standing for Christian virtues; to just name a few things that
should fit into our biblical worldview. That is why all Christians have to be held
accountable for all these godly things and more, because we are the
representatives or the ambassadors of Christ. This means that a fellow Christian
may need to have an accountability partner who can be there to encourage, help,
and empower her to be all that she can be for the Lord. Only other Christians
can hold us accountable for our words and actions while we are here on earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No Christian has ever
been called to go it alone<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
today’s world, most people do not want to discuss accountability, let alone
have an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability mentoring partner</i>.
That is because people have been taught to be independent, and they want to be
independent and self-sufficient even when they need the help of Christ and a
Christian friend. Consequently, the idea of being accountable to another person
for their words, actions, and conduct is <u>not</u> something that most people want to
do. For, even when a person is hurting and suffering from their own actions,
many still want to try to go it alone. Then if you add human pride and egotism
to their ideas of independence and self-sufficiency, we find that there is a
large group of people who will still refuse to be held accountable for their own
words and actions no matter what happens. However, there are strong and
specific biblical teachings within the Word of God regarding the concept of Christians
teaching other Christians and Christians bearing one another’s burdens. Indeed,
there are specific Scriptures that demand that each of us are to be held
accountable for what we do and say. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote in his
letter to the Galatians that we are to “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Bear one
another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the
household of faith</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Galatians 6: 2, 10. NKJV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These
two concepts of teaching others and then individually being held accountable
for our words and conduct comes directly from the Bible. Indeed, Jesus said: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">And I tell you this, that you must give an account on
judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your
fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned</span></i></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- (Matthew 12:
36, 37. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Then after Christ returned to
Heaven, the Apostle Peter said; “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">As obedient
children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your
ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, <u>be holy yourselves also in
all your behavior</u>: because it is written, ‘You shall be Holy, for I am
Holy. If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each
one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay here on
earth.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (I Peter 1: 14-17. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
Obviously, true Christians have a changed or re-born heart and will thus be
held accountable for their words and actions, i.e., accountable for all their
behaviors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
humans have always been held accountable for their words and actions in one
manner or another here on earth. If we start reading at the beginning of the
Bible in the book of Genesis, we discover that not only were Adam and Eve held
accountable for their sinful and rebellious actions against God, but their son
Cain was also held accountable for his rebellious action against God as well as
for his murderous action against his brother, Abel. But, what would have
happened if Adam had spent more time teaching and mentoring Eve so that she
didn’t succumb to the lies of the devil? Or what would have happened if Adam
and Eve and had spent more time teaching their children to love each other and to
be accountable to each other rather than to be jealous? We will never know,
because Adam and Eve had no prior experience at being loving parents who hold
their children accountable for their actions. But, throughout the years, God
has taught us through His Word, what accountability means. Moreover, God set up
a system for mankind (I refuse to be politically correct with the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mankind</i>) of mentoring/teaching, so that people
are held accountable to each other. This system of mentoring and teaching assured
that mankind survived. That system was the system of mentoring and teaching that
was based upon relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The System of
Relationships</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Triune God is in a relationship with His three personas; the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. Because of that deep holy relationship, God knew that human
relationships would be needed in order to help people to grow stronger
emotionally stronger mentally, and stronger spiritually. That is because what
one person didn’t know at a particular time another person might suddenly discover
and then both would benefit from the sharing of their knowledge while growing stronger
spiritually. This sharing and kindness that came about within the mentoring and
teaching process also set up a way for God’s Word to be shared throughout the
world. Each person could grow closer to God while at the same time helping
others to grow closer as well. All this growth was to be accomplished through
the development of mentoring and accountability relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Within
the concept of relationships, mankind soon discovered that there are not only many
kinds of relationships, but that there are also varying degrees of depth to
every relationship, and that within each relationship is a built-in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
factor</i></b>. Some of the different relationships we can engage in like that
of teacher and student easily show us the importance of the accountability
factor within the relationship. But it isn’t just the obvious parental or
teacher/ student accountability relationship that becomes important within our
lives. Indeed, there are many other types of relationships for each of us, and
all of them have some type of accountability factor. Therefore, it is important
to recognize the accountability factor in each relationship and the
accountability that is innate within relationships that we have with others. We
need to understand our accountability in order to maintain that relationship.
For example, husbands and wives are to be accountable to each other, friends
are to be accountable to their friends, and Christians are to be accountable to
other Christians as well. Indeed, we would be hard pressed to name any type of
human relationship that did not have some type of accountability factor built
within the relationship. But how many people accept the accountability that
they are to have within their relationships?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Accountability
Factor<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
whole idea of accountability brings us right back to the Bible. In fact, the
Bible teaches us that there is a strong <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
factor</i> built into all our lives, and we can see it demonstrated throughout
both the Older and the Newer Testaments. Everywhere we read in the Bible, we
discover that accountability is an important biblical teaching that is not only
crucial to our moral and spiritual growth, but that it is also crucial to our
relationship and fellowship with God and His Son. For, how can we ask
forgiveness of our sins, if we do not feel accountable for participating in
these sins and then want forgiveness for having committed those sins? Or how
can we grow and mature spiritually if we do not heed the accountability that
the Holy Spirit (the Encourager) brings to our lives when He quickens our
hearts and conscience after we have done something or even before we have done
something that we should not do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christians
are not only accountable to the Lord, but we are also to be accountable to
other Christians. Indeed, our lives are changed once we ask Christ into our heart.
We have suddenly been reborn into a new person who is held to higher moral and emotional
standard than a non-Christian. We are held to these higher standards through
accountability, because our Salvation has not only cleansed us of our past sins,
but a Christian has been given a reborn heart that no longer wants to sin. We certainly understand that we are accountable for living a life that reflects Christ to
the rest of the world and that reflects His righteousness, goodness, and love. But,
because we live in this fallen world of temptations, deceit, and evil,
Christians still have to focus on discipling each other and on growing in the
Word of God and on spiritually maturing and doing what is right in the eyes of
God. This means Christians grow through listening to the Holy Spirit within, through
studying the Word of God, and through constantly staying in contact with God
through prayer. In doing so, Christians must realize that they have a
responsibility to God and their Savior, Jesus Christ, not only for their words,
but also for their actions. However, what many Christians fail to realize is that
they also have a responsibility for their fellow Christians as well. For, it is
through their Salvation that the Lord has given them a loving heart for other
people as well as the standards of accountability that provide them with a wise
and loving set of checks and balances that will help them and other Christians to
live righteously for God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Where
did these checks and balances come from? Well, previously the checks and
balances came in the form of the Ten Commandments for which humans were to be
held accountable, but God knew that humans would not live up to those standards,
so all along God planned for and then sent us a Deliverer or Savior in the
person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ we can be forgiven of our sins and
made righteous before God. Now, it is through our Salvation with Christ who
lives in our hearts along with the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of us that we
instinctively know how to live up to God’s checks and balances as recorded in
the Word of God. But, all humans are stubborn and selfish, basically wanting to
do what they see others doing so that they, too, can fit into this secular world
without making a fuss. This is why many people fall for the secular world’s
lies and ways; they want to fit in with those around them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Upon
Salvation and baptism, the Lord, Jesus Christ, gave us the Holy Spirit who
indwells all believers, and it is He who talks to us and guides us in living up
to God’s standards. If we listen to the Holy Spirit, study the Word of God, and
pray to God through His Son, we can stay on the straightway and not succumb to
the enticements of the secular world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Christians have to work at following God’s standards. Moreover,
Christians still have to work daily at being accountable for their words and
actions. For, even though Christ forgave us our sins through His sacrifice on
the Cross, we are still responsible to shine the light of Christ and His Truth
out upon the world through our words and actions. The example that we are to
live by is the example that Christ set in His own words and actions. And just
as Christ encouraged and discipled the twelve apostles, we too are to through our
encouragement and discipleship of other Christians to do the same. This means
that Christians are accountable for living up to God’s checks and balances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes,
though, Christians do not behave the way that the Holy Spirit encourages them
to behave. That is because they are tempted by the world’s views on life, and
sometimes they succumb to the negatives within this world. New Christians
especially need to have an accountability partner mentor to help them learn and
see the difference between their past life and their new life in Christ;
teaching them to work at living outwardly for Christ. That is why fellow
Christians are to reach out and help other struggling Christians navigate the
same set of checks and balances given to all of us by Christ. In other words,
true Christians are accountable to help other Christians live righteously for
the Lord as well. We are to disciple each other along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Word of God says to<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;"> “… encourage one another day after day, as
long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the
deceitfulness of sin</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Hebrews 3: 13. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
This verse and others within the Newer Testament reminds us that Christians do
not have to go it alone in their walk with the Lord. First, we have the Lord
and His Holy Spirit guiding us. But when temptation knocks at our door, we should
have other Christians that we can turn to who will help support us and help keep
us accountable, so that the devil and his temptations will not find a place in
our lives. In other words, we have to not only turn to God for the Truth, but
also turn to other Christians when we feel distraught, frustrated, depressed,
and overcome with temptations, so that the devil does not get a stronghold within
our hearts. It is only through Christian love and the healthy interactions
between true Christians that those who are struggling can stay true to Christ
and overcome some of their worldly conflicts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Indeed,
it is through the accountability of relationships provided by Christian mentors
that their mentees can be reminded of God’s unfailing and constant love for
them. In fact, none of us can easily progress in our relationship with Christ
without the help of fellow believers, which usually can be found within the
church body that Christ has provided for those who are Saved. For we are told:
“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… let us consider one another in order to stir up love
and good works, <u>not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together</u>, as
the manner of some, <u>but exhorting (encouraging) one another</u>, and so much
the more as you see the Day approaching</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Hebrews 10: 24, 25. NKJV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. But it is
up to each person to participate within a church body, and it is up to each
Christian to reach out to other Christians to form relationships, especially
those relationships that can mentor, encourage and hold accountable another
Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
category of accountability mentoring within <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b> can be used in many different
relational areas of our lives. Most people at one time or another have been either
admonished or praised for their words or actions by a supervisor or someone to
whom they have been held accountable at work. Some people have even been given
a supervising accountability partner to help them reach goals within their
company or work environment. In fact, some people even need an accountability
mentor/friend to tell them when they have crossed the line, or to encourage
them when they are on the right track.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
of us need someone to hold us accountable and someone to be there for us when
we have to face different things in life. We even enjoy the relationships
developed within the body of Christ, i.e., the church, and enjoy the
relationship that we may have with a specific friend when we want to share with
someone the blessings that we have received from God. As Christians, we
understand that the Lord provides other true Christians and uses our
relationship with them to not only enable them to see the blessings we have
received from the Lord, but to also be able to see our areas of weakness and
then to confront us or help us with these areas of weakness. Facing up to our
personal failures, needs, and weaknesses with a godly Christian friend who is
not afraid to tell us what we need to hear can be very healing as long as it is
done in love. This <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">accountability factor</b>
can also provide individuals the strength to overcome negatives or trials when
that godly Christian friend not only helps them face up to what has been going
on in their life but supports and encourages them to change for the better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whether
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability partner mentor</i>
helps a Christian overcome an anger issue, stop smoking, or keeps a person on
track for overcoming some personal issue, the accountability mentor should be
there for the other Christian. Most importantly, the accountability partner
should keep their fellow Christian from feeling like just because they are
Saved, that they have a license to sin against the Lord. Sometimes this is
emotionally difficult, but the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
partner mentor</i> should not shrink back from telling their Christian mentee
what needs to be said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
we can submit to God’s authority over our lives, we can become beacon of light
for the Gospel lived out daily for others to see. By submitting to God’s
authority in our lives, we can show others that they, too, are to be
accountable to God’s authority and they, too, will be held accountable within
their personal relationships with others as well. It is this <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">accountability
factor</i></b> that shines the light of Christ upon the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Light of Christ
Upon You!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Humans
usually do not want to be held accountable to anyone, and they especially do
not want to be held accountable to God. But, God made each one of us. He knows
each person intimately, even if they do not know themselves. God also made a
space within the heart and soul of each person which is in the shape of God,
and only He can fit into that space. No false god, no idol, no belief, or
anything other than God can fit into that godly spot within each person’s soul.
Oh, many people try to find something to fill that hollow God shaped spot in
their soul. Moreover, most people know early on that something is missing in
their soul. So, sometimes they try drugs, devilish ideas, false religions, and other
things that can lead them to succumb to many vile temptations in order to try
and fill that empty spot in their souls without admitting that they really need
God. But there is only one person who can fill that emptiness and that person
is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you know Christ?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you are hurting, at your wits end, or just searching for peace, Christ is there
for you. All you have to do is reach out to Him. Tell Christ that you really
believe that He is the Son of God. Tell Christ that you believe that God the
Father sent Him to Save you and that you believe that <u>Christ rose from the
grave</u> after having been crucified for your sins and conquering eternal
death. Then ask Christ to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart.
It is really so simple, if you truly mean it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although
repenting of your sins and asking Christ to come into your heart is simple,
many people refuse to acknowledge the Triune God. They refuse to accept that
their lives can change for the better just by believing on the living Son of
God, Jesus Christ. Instead, they accept the lies that Satan has told to this
world. They have fallen for false worldviews that keep them unhappy and
deceived. But if you are tired of living those lies, if you want a peace in
your heart that passes all understanding and that encompasses your whole being,
then turn to Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obtaining Eternal
Peace and Life is Explained in the Word of God<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First
you must realize that: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">all</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;"> (this means everyone) have sinned and fallen short of
the glory of God</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Romans 3: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then
you must understand that there is an ultimate cost to your sin, and we know
this because the Word of God tells us that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050;">the <u>wages
of sin is (eternal) death</u>, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(Romans 6: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God
knew that we would all face <u>eternal death for our sins,</u> unless He showed
us grace and mercy, so God gave each of us a way to have <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">eternal life</b>. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ffc000;">For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(John 3: 16, 17)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="color: #00b050;">… at the
right time Christ (God’s Son) died for the ungodly</span>.”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 5:6)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
fact, it is recorded in the Bible that “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Romans 5: 8)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">and He (Christ) died for all, so that they who live might
no longer live for themselves, but for <u>Him who died and rose again on their
behalf</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (II
Corinthians 5: 15)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For,
<span style="color: #00b050;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…God raised Him to life three days later</i></b></span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Acts 10: 40)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course,
there is only one way to be saved and enter into the Kingdom of God. In fact,
Jesus, Himself, in speaking to a man who had asked him about eternal life and
the Kingdom of God, said: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Truly, truly, I say
to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (John 3: 3)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So,
how can a person be born again? Well, being born again occurs when a person in
believing on Christ and His resurrection then repents of their sins and personally
asks Christ into their heart. For, Jesus told Nicodemus, “<span style="color: #00b0f0;">Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the Spirit </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(i.e., the Holy Spirit)</span><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (John 3: 5)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Later
Jesus said: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #c00000;">I am the way, the truth, and the life; no
one comes to the Father but through Me</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(John 14: 6)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coming
to Christ and being forgiven of your sins is so very simple, for the Scriptures
tell us, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus
as Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will
be Saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 10: 9, 10)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
every person has to decide on their own whether or not they truly believe and if
then they will ask Christ to come into their heart. In fact, Jesus personally asks
each person if they want Christ to come into their heart, so that none are left out. For Jesus said, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Behold, I
stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My Voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Revelation 3: 20)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #ffc000;">For, <u>whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord will
be Saved</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Romans
10: 13)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">See You Too Can be Saved!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you want a peace and love that passes all understanding, if you want to be
forgiven of all your sins and made righteous before the Lord, and if you want
eternal life instead of eternal death, call upon Christ at this very moment in
time. He will save you! Then once you have given your life to Christ in belief
and in repentance of your sins, tell someone what you have done and that Christ
is in your heart. Congratulations! You are Saved! God Bless you! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-25819690540055245292018-02-13T15:27:00.002-08:002018-02-13T15:27:38.433-08:00Dealing with Storms in Our Lives<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrO0hjXTMGrglOIsxrAez0F3rC1QflxkF-91MH61MTZ-hhbv0gaehvJ9OBn_1C3KjQ_r7t2wLtrq4D9oq8LgF7fOm6KEXeM_xGPA-j7jbEs3UwbmJGNur9HAfSQeAasRzdxTx-dpT73I/s1600/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrO0hjXTMGrglOIsxrAez0F3rC1QflxkF-91MH61MTZ-hhbv0gaehvJ9OBn_1C3KjQ_r7t2wLtrq4D9oq8LgF7fOm6KEXeM_xGPA-j7jbEs3UwbmJGNur9HAfSQeAasRzdxTx-dpT73I/s320/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We
all have lived through what seems like personal storms in our lives. Some of
these storms can be small adversities or trials, while other storms may feel
like we are living through personal tornadoes. Fortunately, whether humans
encounter many small storms in life or a large tornadic storm of some
magnitude, most people have the memories of better times in the past and the
hope of better times to come that they cling to. In fact, many people know that
these storms, or the ups and downs of life, will pass and that how the storms
affect them is really about how they deal with them. Others, though, are constantly
devastated by one personal storm after another. It seems that their lives are
constantly being bombarded by trials, tribulations, and adversities. They
always seem to be hurting in one way or another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christians,
though, have been blessed with the hope of a glorious future, which helps them get
through the storms and bad times within this earthly life. For Christians, the
hope of a glorious future is more than just hope, it is faith in the reality of
the knowledge or the assurance of a future in which they will someday live in
eternity with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. In other words, Christians have
not only hope for a future without storms, but they have peace in the knowledge
that this future is true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul spoke of the Christians’ hope, peace, and faith in the assurance
of eternity with God when he wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Therefore,
having been <u>justified by faith</u>, <u>we have peace</u> with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by <u>faith
into this grace</u> in which we stand; and <u>we exult in hope of the glory of
God</u>.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Romans 5: 1, 2. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All
of our lives have been made up of moments of extreme joy, moments of peace and
quiet along with days filled with happiness. The hope of these pleasant or
joyful times make our earthly lives worth living. However, most humans also encounter
moments of sheer terror, trouble, and pain. These are the earthly physical and
emotional storms of adversity that enter our lives, sometimes through no fault
of our own. We simply are in the wrong place at the wrong time; we haven’t
fully anticipated the consequences of our actions; or someone else has caused
us worry, fear, or harm. There are also many other reasons for which we
encounter personal storms in life. One of those reasons is simply that we live
in a “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fallen</i></b>” world with many of its traps and temptations; ever ready
to ensnare us when we or someone we know makes a bad decision. (Remember,
paradise was lost when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.
Satan, the prince of this earth, now holds sway over the earth.). So, if a
person does not have the Holy Spirit living in them as a result of their
Salvation, that person has a much harder time avoiding and handling the
personal storms of this life. But, if a person is “Saved” and listens to the
Holy Spirit indwelling them, they will be given insight and guidance throughout the storms of life that may come their way. For, it is the Holy Spirit who helps and guides Christians
in making better decisions, in coping with problems, and in trusting in God, <u>if
they are willing to listen to Him</u>. Indeed, Christ told us: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance
all that I have said to you</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (John 14: 26.
NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dealing with Stormy Weather <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Humans
must deal with all kind of personal stormy weather, which usually comes about
unexpectedly and disrupts their lives. But, when these terrible storms
of life come, most people have within their hearts a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hope</i> that things will get better, which comes from their happy
memories and past experiences that include past moments of joy, peace, and
happiness on which to base that hope. Indeed, it is the memories of those
joyous, peaceful, and happy times that get most people through a sudden storm
in their life. In addition, they also have the hope of a better future. Based
upon their past experiences these individuals know that this particular stormy situation
will also pass, and they truly believe that things will get better. That is
because most people are optimistic; believing that when these storms come that
better times will also come again. However, there are other people who sometimes
cannot seem to find an answer to their problems let alone find a way of keeping
their heads above the terrible waves of a sudden storm. Unfortunately, the
winds and the waves of a sudden storm can blow these individuals completely off
course, causing their life to go from bad to worse. But, those who have Christ
as their <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>anchor</u></b> know that He will
keep them from being blown off course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Word of God tells us that, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">“This hope we
have <u>as an anchor of the soul</u>, a hope both sure and steadfast and one
which enters within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us,
having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Hebrews 6: 19, 20. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">but Jesus, … because He continues forever, holds His
priesthood permanently. Therefore, He is able also to save forever those who
draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for
them</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Hebrews 7: 24, 25. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus
Christ is not only the Christian’s Savior and anchor, but when we pray through
Christ, He makes intercession for us before the Father. Individuals who have
Christ at the center of their lives and those whose foundation is firmly
planted on the truth of the Jesus Christ know that they have a Savior who not
only intercedes for them, but that He will guide them through whatever storms
come their way. They also know that the One who previously went through many terrible
things for them, including, beatings and death, can overcome anything. For, it
is Christ who overcame the natural earthly storms He encountered when He was
here on earth </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(See Matthew 8: 24-27)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">, and it was
Christ who overcame physical eternal death through His resurrection from the
grave. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(See
John 20: 1-18)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Now, Christ is also able to give all those who will believe
on Him <i>eternal life</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Indeed, it is through believing on Christ as the living
Son of God and our Savior that each person can be Saved and pulled through many
of the winds and waves of this world’s life storms to become overcomers. Moreover,
it is Jesus Christ who gives each of us the hope, grace, faith, and love, to
weather all the storms of life that do come our way. For, Christ is there for
any person who will believe on Him as the resurrected and living Son of God. Christ
will help that person handle the storms of this fallen world. In fact, it is through the
process of handling the storms of life in a Christ-like manner that we become
more like Christ each and every day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously,
everyone who lives on this planet will eventually face at least occasional days
of frustration stemming perhaps from such things as: having to deal with a
traffic jam; misplacing an important paper; having to deal with a child who has
come down with some sickness and then suddenly has to stay home from school while
their parents scramble to find a baby sitter; or having to deal with a person
who daily seems to do everything in their power to cause them problems in their
workplace. Even though these problems may not be great storms in life, such as
a life altering disability or the loss of a loved one, it is during these frustrating
adversities in life as well as during the life altering true storms of trials
and tribulations that we all must to look upward. In other words, we need to
take a deep breath, catch ourselves from lashing out, and then through prayer lift
our thoughts and requests for help upward to the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One
particular man in the Bible faced seemingly endless days of storms as he ran
for his life from King Saul. That man was David, a man after God’s own heart.
Yet, even when he finally became King, David continued to face storms from his
enemies as well as storms that billowed up from his own human failures and
faults. Even so, David wrote, “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Cast your burden
upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be
shaken</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Psalm 55: 22. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. The righteous are those that have
trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
we live in a sinful fallen world and are constantly bombarded by the devil’s
temptations, we must understand that we can have a Savior Who will keep us safe
within the arms of God. Christ is there to intercede for us. That is why, even
though we have to struggle on this earth, we should remember to rise above the
daily distractions and frustrations that we encounter by thinking about what
Christ would want us to do. Furthermore, we never have to face these
distractions, frustrations, problems, struggles, or storms alone. For, God is
there for us every moment of the day or night. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(See Hebrews 13:
5b)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Moreover, God has infinite patience even with our own fluctuating trust and
faith, and He will reach out with His love, if we will just reach out to Him
through His Son, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Again,
David wrote: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the
shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. I will cry
to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from
heaven and save me. He reproaches him who tramples upon me. He will send forth
His lovingkindness and His truth</span></i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm 57: 1-3. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rejoicing in our Sufferings</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God
is our unending source of strength! Believe it or not, we are to rejoice in our
sufferings! The Apostle Paul said it this way: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Having
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…
and we exult in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also
exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does
not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.</span></i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">”</span></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Romans 5: 3-5 NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Why
do we have to face the sufferings that come about from the storms of life and
the tribulations that we encounter? Well, besides the fact that we live in a
fallen world where Satan and his demons continually attempt to disrupt our
lives through temptations, problems, and evil people, we or other people around
us simply make mistakes or do things that cause harm or hurt to them or us.
Christians, though, who focus on living for Christ and His Father will find
that they can draw strength to handle each and every situation with grace,
hope, and love. For every Christian is to focus on becoming more Christ-like
each and every day. But, in order to become more Christ-like we must work at
developing Christ-like character. That is why we must listen to the Holy Spirit
whose job it is to produce Christ’s likeness in us. That likeness of Christ is
represented by the fruit of the Spirit. “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #00b050;">The fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Galatians 5: 22, 23. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We
could never develop Christ-like character if we never had any problems, because
we would never have the opportunity to grow and mature in our faith, trust, love,
and hope. Moreover, we could never rejoice in our problems if we didn’t have
any problems, which means that we would not rejoice in the help and the growth
that we received from God through our trust and faith in Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Storms
of life can also be created by our own sinfulness. Besides living in a fallen
world, humans have to deal with our sin nature, but when pressures arise it is
hard to suppress our sinfulness of anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, or
immorality. Add these sins to the other storms that come our way and we can become
the catalysts for disaster. But, if we trust in Christ, He can completely
replace our old sinful nature with His holiness. How does Christ do that? Well,
within our Salvation, or re-birth, Christ defeats these wicked and sinful urges
with His own godly characteristics that we are to continually work on refining in us,
which are given to us with the fruit of the Spirit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As true born-again Christians, we are to allow
Christ to dictate the course of our lives. That is why, when the storms of life
come, we should rejoice that we are being refined and strengthened by the problems
that we encounter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Problems,
trials and tribulations, whether small storms or large ones, help us develop
Christ-like character. In fact, adversities, difficulties, and trials in life
are often used by God to help us develop Christ-like character. This does not
mean that God sends those storms and trials into our lives, but rather that God
can use what occurs here on earth in the way of trials, temptations,
adversities, and tribulations and even our own sinfulness within our lives to
help us develop Christ-like character. Christ-like character comes about by
relying on the strength, love, grace, and hope in Jesus Christ to get us
through each situation. Christ-like character also comes by developing the fruit
of the Spirit within us. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each
problematic situation we encounter within our lives can help us to learn to
persevere, if we are only willing to cling to God just as Job did thousands of
years ago. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(See Job 1: 13-22)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Today, it is only
through persevering and leaning on Christ that we can develop Christ’s character,
which results in hope; the hope of eternal life where there is no pain and
suffering. In fact, it is through the hardships of life that we will be able to
experience God’s eternal and abundant life to its fullest. Consequently, even
the trials, or storms that we go through are actually the outpouring of God’s
grace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So,
rather than doubting God’s grace and love when the storms of life come, rejoice
in them. The Apostle Peter put it this way: “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0;">Do
not be surprised by the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your
testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree
that you share the sufferings of Christ, <u>keep on rejoicing</u>, so that also
at the revelation of His glory <u>you may rejoice with exultation</u>.</span></i></b>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Peter 4: 12, 13.
NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
know that it is hard to rejoice when we are suffering. I can personally attest
to that after my last bout of severe pain in which I momentarily thought that I
could not handle it. However, through the grace of God, I was able to handle the
pain. Although, I may not have been rejoicing at that moment in time, I did
rejoice when the situation got better. Not only did I rejoice, but I found that
I had relied upon Christ, throughout the entire episode. I relied upon Him,
because He had personally told me that I would never have more than I could
bear. His words kept me sane throughout the ordeal. You too, can rely on Christ
and God, the Father, for all the storms that come into your life. Trust God, persevere,
pray to Him through Jesus Christ our Savior, and meditate upon the Word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Helping Others Through their Storms<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Helping
another person through a particular storm in their life, whether it is
emotional or physical is what Christians are to do. We are to help those that
are down and out. We are to share our knowledge, talents, information, and
gifts in order to empower them. We are to show our love of others by actually
doing something. So many Christians throw money at a situation and think that
is all they needed to do. And, in certain cases money is appropriate. Others ignore people that they could reach out and help. However,
most hurting and suffering people need to see the love of a Christian within their outstretched hand
of help. The Christian hand that reaches out saying to the person in need: “May
I help you? I would love to listen to you, and learn more about you. Maybe we
can figure out together how you can get through this situation”, is showing the love of God through their willingness to listen and help. Whether it is
bringing food to a shut-in, or just listening to or counseling another woman
through a particular rough time, Christian women need to reach out to help and empower other women. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>
is just one of the many ways that Christian women can serve other women and
also serve the Lord. I know you can step up to the plate and reach out in love
to help another. You can help another woman deal with the storm in her life. You
can do it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To
learn more about Christian Mentoring read <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The
Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></b> by Vicky
Lynn Thomas <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-26342719215167120392018-02-01T15:10:00.001-08:002018-02-01T15:10:45.538-08:00Worshiping the Lord Through the Service of Christian Mentoring (ARCM)<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1pt6cBOeTxGYdxbNfE2H1143tUiheCekcoqbbPMTwpumr__WY0Jqg9iuJ1B8pcuaQgJgvik6E2iXflgxaOPKzx_ty55eaScUGkLRTRxg9BBTDE806JCXASEOhWEqlrQsjM1uI7RURKU/s1600/cross-2713356_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1pt6cBOeTxGYdxbNfE2H1143tUiheCekcoqbbPMTwpumr__WY0Jqg9iuJ1B8pcuaQgJgvik6E2iXflgxaOPKzx_ty55eaScUGkLRTRxg9BBTDE806JCXASEOhWEqlrQsjM1uI7RURKU/s320/cross-2713356_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
of you may know that I have written a book entitled: <u>The Three-Strand Cord
of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u>. The subtitle is: “Women mentoring
women with Christ at the center.” What you may not know, though, is what the
title of the book stands for or what the service of Christian mentoring can
mean for all true Christians. First and foremost, the complete title of my book
was chosen to represent another way for Christian Women to bless and worship
the Lord, as well as another way to receive personal blessings from the Lord. For,
besides attending church services we can also worship and bless the Lord
through our specific Christian service for Him that expresses our love of Him
and the love that we have for other people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian
mentoring, which requires lovingly reaching out to other women to help,
instruct, inspire, and empower them to be all that they can be, is a way that
women can serve the Lord and help each other. Moreover, Christian mentoring
does not require a large study group, or hours of time. It simply requires two
women occasionally getting together to discuss, learn, converse, care about,
and support each other. But in Christian mentoring it also requires Christ to
be at the center of the mentoring relationship. Indeed, Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For where two or three are gathered together in My name,
I am there among them</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Matthew 18: 20. HCSB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Three-Strand Cord <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are two important phrases within the title of my book. The first phrase is “<i>The Three-Strand Cord</i>.” The second
phrase is, “<i>of Active Relational
Christian Mentoring</i>.” I want to discuss today what both of those phrases
represent and why I put them together to form the title of my book on Christian
Mentoring. I also want to discuss how <b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is a service that honors, glorifies, and
gives worship to the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let’s
start with the first phrase within the title of my book. So, what does the
phrase “<i>The Three-Strand Cord</i>”
represent and why did I choose this phrase to be a part of the title of my book?
Well, a strong braided cord is usually created by taking three individual cords
and intertwining them. This intertwining of the cords then creates a braided
cord, which is much stronger than just one individual cord. But, it takes at
least three individual cords to produce this single braided cord. In this case,
the mentor, Christ and the mentee make up the three cords that are braided
together within a Christian mentoring relationship. In fact, God’s Word, within
the book of <u>Ecclesiastes,</u> tells us about the strength of such a braided
cord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">King
Solomon, who authored the book of Ecclesiastes, wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><span style="color: #0070c0;">Two people can
accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their
labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are
alone when they fall are in real trouble … A person standing alone can be
attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are
even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.</span></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10, 12. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. So, two
people, a Christian mentor and her mentee, can stand together against the
problems a mentee might encounter. However, the standing together doesn’t just
have relate to problems, but can be based upon the needs of the mentee as well
as her desire for growth in some particular area. This support or strength from
the Christian mentor can encourage, empower, and enable the mentee to become
strong, and perhaps she may even develop a desire to live closer to God as she
sees the mentor’s Christ-like light shining out upon her. But, whether the
woman mentee is a Christian or non-Christian, for the relationship to be strong,
Christ has to be one of the braided cords within the relationship in order for
the mentee to grow spiritually and in the strength of the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
New International Version of the Bible (NIV) translates the above same verse 12
from the Greek and Hebrew, but gives this verse 12 an little clearer
understanding. For, in the NIV translation, verse 12 says: “<b><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Though one may be overpowered, two can
defend themselves. <u>A cord of three strands is not quickly broken</u>.</span></b>”
Thus, I have used the phrase: “<b><span style="color: #7030a0;">The Three-Strand Cord</span></b>” within the title of my
book to represent the importance of having Christ at the center of any
Christian Mentoring Relationship. For, with Christ as the center cord within the
braided Three-Strand Cord, there is a greater strength, spiritual awareness,
and Christian caring than can be acquired with just two cords representing the
mentor and mentee. Therefore, I chose the phrase “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">The
Three-Strand Cord</span></i></b>” to represent the most important part of all
Christian mentoring relationships. In fact, each of those cords individually will
represent the three individuals within the Christian mentoring relationship
(ARCM). However, when taken together as a braided three-strand cord, they
become even more powerful and strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
then used verses 9-10 from chapter 4 of <u>Ecclesiastes</u> as the foundational
part of the title of my book, because in a Christian mentoring relationship there
has to be at least two people to stand back to back and support each other in
order for one or both of them to learn and grow. Moreover, even though one
person, i.e., the mentor, within the mentoring relationship may have the strength,
talents, gifts, or information, etc. to share with the other person, i.e., the
mentee, in order for true fruit production and spiritual maturity to occur within
the mentoring relationship Christ needs to be the connecting cord. For, Christ
is the One who connects and provides love, wisdom, and Salvation for the other
two people within the mentoring relationship. So, it was important that the meaning
of verse 12 also be incorporated in the developing of the title of my book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Within
a secular mentoring relationship, it only takes two individuals to stand back
to back just as King Solomon said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Two people can
accomplish more than twice as much as one … If one person falls, the other can
reach out and help….</span></i></b>”. However, within a Christian mentoring
relationship there needs to be the third person of Jesus Christ within the Christian
mentoring relationship. So, to help us fully understand verse 12, I looked at another
translation of that verse which says: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">And if one can
overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. <u>A cord of three strands is
not quickly torn asunder</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(Ecclesiastes 4: 12. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Within
a Christian mentoring relationship, Jesus Christ is the one that binds the
other two cords together into a strong braided cord which cannot easily be torn
asunder. Moreover, only with Christ at the center of a Christian mentoring
relationship can there be a true spiritual and godly relationship. Indeed,
Christ must be the third person within the relationship if true Christian mentoring
is to occur. Furthermore, without Christ at the center of the spiritual relationship,
there can be little to no spiritual growth for the mentee. For, Christ is the
truth, trust, faith, love, wisdom, and hope that binds them together. On the
other hand, without Christ at the center of the mentoring relationship there may
be a lack of understanding between the mentor and mentee, as well as very little
spiritual growth. That is why it is important for the mentor to know Christ
personally and why it is so important for the mentor to bring Christ to the
forefront of the mentoring relationship. Moreover, Christ is the cord that
binds or braids the other two cords together and then gives them the strength
to accomplish even more than they could ever hope to accomplish if standing alone
or together by themselves. Furthermore, Christ is the cord that not only binds the
two individuals in a godly relationship, but He is the cord that also produces
trust, insight, love, understanding, truth, hope, faith, and wisdom within the relationship.
But, most importantly, Christ also offers eternal Salvation to the mentee, if
the mentee has not yet found Christ as her Savior.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Without
Christ at the center of a Christian mentoring relationship, the two individuals
within the mentoring relationship will not be able to accomplish all that God
wants them to achieve. For, Christ is the glue that binds or braids the
relationship together. Christ is also the hope that permeates the relationship,
while Christ gives the Christian mentor the words to say that can touch the
heart of a non-Christian mentee for Him. However, if both the mentor and mentee
are true born-again Christians, Christ will also be there to speak into their
lives and to give the mentor the perfect words needed to encourage, teach, and
uplift the mentee, as together, the mentor and mentee learn even more from
God’s Word. Additionally, no matter the type of help that is needed by the
mentee, Christ will be there to give the mentor the needed words of encouragement
for the mentee as well as godly insight into every issue. To be that godly
mentor, the mentor just needs to pray, study the Word, and know that Christ
will intercede before God for her/him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Worship is part of
Active Relational Christian Mentoring<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The second phrase within the title of my book is
“<b><i>of
Active Relational Christian Mentoring</i></b>.” It is this phrase that describes
the actual fruit-producing service of Christian mentoring for the Lord and for other
women whom Christian women are to help. But, this service to the Lord is also an act of worship
for the Lord. In fact, it is through the mentor’s prayers, biblical study, and within
the actual service of Christian mentoring that the mentor is actually blessing,
worshiping, and honoring God. She is doing all these things as she teaches,
informs, supports, encourages, and empowers the mentee to be all that she can
be for God, herself, her family, and her friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><span style="color: #00b050;">Worship is
God-centered, aware of one another only in that deep, joyous awareness of being
caught up together in God</span></b>.”
-- (Anne Ortlund). Christian mentoring can become that deep, joyous awareness
of worshiping God when both the mentor and mentee focus on learning more about
God and His Son, and when what they are doing or learning reflects back upon
the world the light of Christ in all that they do. Indeed, helping another
person is the epidemy of living out the commandment that Jesus gave to us when
He said, “<b><i>I command you to love each other.</i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (John 15: 17. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">,
because it takes truly loving another person in order for us to give up some of
our personal time to help her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oswald
Chambers in his devotional “<u>My Utmost for the Highest</u>” also wrote about
worshipping the LORD. Chambers said that “<b><i>Worship is giving God the best that He has
given you.</i></b>” So, what wonderful blessings has God given you to share
with others? Obviously, God has given us life. He has also given us His love. Moreover,
because of that love, He gave us His Son to die for our sins, as Christ took our
sins upon His shoulders upon the cruel cross. All of that occurred so that God’s
Son, Jesus Christ, could arise on the third day conquering eternal death for
us. Because of Christ's resurrection, humans no longer have to spend eternity in hell. For, God has given to
us, through His Son, <b><u>the opportunity</u></b>
to receive Salvation and to be blessed with eternal life once our physical life on this earth is over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Among
the many other blessings that we have received from God while we living on this
earth, God has created and blessed us with a glorious world on which to live; i.e.,
an earth that produces food, animals, shelter, and beauty beyond imagination.
God has also given us the ability to exceed in many of our personal undertakings,
if we so desire. He has also given us creative brains to make our world an even
more comfortable place to live. In addition to our creative brains, God has
given us emotions, companionship, and relationships that can sustain us and
enrich our lives. But the greatest blessing God has given us is <i>Salvation</i> through
His Son, Jesus Christ. And for those who are truly Saved, God has given us the
Holy Spirit to guide us in every way and in everything that we do, if we will just
listen to Him. However, it is each person’s choice as to whether or not they
will believe on Christ as the living Son of God and then whether they will
listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit within them. In fact, God loves us so
much that He will never force us to love Him back or force us to worship Him.
In other words, it is totally up to each person as to the amount of blessings
that that they will receive from the Lord or as to whether or not they will
spend eternity with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
list of the blessings that God has given to each of us is endless, but being
the selfish people that we are, we often forget to recognize the blessings that
God has given us. Remember, "<b><i>Worship is giving God the best that He has given you</i></b>." Unfortunately, we often fail to give God our best in return. Moreover, in
failing to recognize our blessings, we often fail to worship, honor and glorify
God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How
can we fail to worship, honor and glorify our Lord, if we go to church and
worship God there? Well, the worship of God should not only include our Sunday
worship, but it should also include times of quiet wherein we meditate upon God
and His Word. For time spent with God in prayer, meditation, and study, returns
blessings to God. Moreover, our worship and honoring of God should also include
active fruit producing services for Him, which then honors God and His Son,
Jesus Christ, through our representation of God and His Son to others. So, whether
it is through evangelism, teaching Sunday school, or any of the other numerous Christian
out-reach programs we are often engaged in, women should also engage in the fruit
production and worship of our Lord by reaching out to other women through <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. For,
we can become great fruit-producers for the Lord by reaching out to other women
who may need our help, which means that we are in turn worshiping, honoring,
and glorifying the Lord in our service to other women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
told the Samaritan woman at the well: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">But the hour is
coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him. God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.</span></i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (John 4: 23-24. HCSB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Are you a true worshiper of God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Active Relational Christian
Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is just one of the many ways that
we can worship God through our personal fruit producing services for Him and
others. In fact, it is one of the easiest ways to honor God and bless Him back
for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you. Indeed, this particular <b>ARCM</b> service is a blessing to God, because
in Christian mentoring we are either telling others about God, or we are
shining the Light of Christ on other women through our personal <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. In
other words, we are then worshipping God through our <b>active</b> service of selflessly mentoring another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Active <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Notice
that there are four very important words within this second descriptive phrase
that I used for the title of my book. The first important word within the
second phrase of <b>Active Relational
Christian Mentoring</b> is the word “<b><i>Active</i></b>”, which denotes a positive
action such as being <i>energetic, dynamic,
enterprising, lively, working, achieving, and accomplishing</i> things all within
a person’s active efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Relational<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Second Word within the phrase <b>Active <u>Relational</u>
Christian Mentoring</b> is the word: “<b><i>Relational</i></b>”. This word is used
because God created relationships. In fact, God wants us to be in relationships
with each other and in a relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed,
we discover early in the first chapter of Genesis that God was first and
foremost in a relationship with Himself, i.e., within the Trinity of God: The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Later, God created a mentoring
relationship between Adam and Eve and Himself to teach them, to encourage them, and
to bless them in their life on earth. But, most importantly, God wanted Adam
and Eve to be in a relationship with Him. He wanted them to know Him and
Worship Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
was unfortunate that Adam and Eve decided not to trust the Lord by accepting
Satan’s lies instead of God’s Truth. Consequently, they lost their close
relationship with God. Even so, in order to survive outside the Garden of Eden,
God blessed them with other relationships, and now He blesses us, too, with a
myriad of different kinds of relationships. These relationships include the
relationships of husband and wife, parents and children, grandparents and
children, as well as relationships with extended family members, relationships
with friends, and relationships with other people, to name just a few. These
relationships allowed the human race to not only survive, but thrive. But, it
wasn’t until God sent His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, into the world to take
upon His shoulders the sins of the world that mankind could again have a
personal relationship with God. Because of God’s grace and mercy, we can again
have a relationship with God, if we believe in and accept Christ as our
personal Savior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once
a person, through personal acceptance of and belief in Christ as the living Son
of God, has come into the Salvation relationship, she will forever have a
personal relationship with the Trinity of God. But, it is this personal relationship
with Christ that entitles people to be called Christians. Moreover, God not only wants
Christians to have a personal relationship with Christ, He also wants
Christians to develop godly relationships with other Christians and to even develop
acquaintance relationships with non-Christians in order to tell them about His
Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior. In other words, Christians are to share with the
rest of the world the Good News or Gospel message of Jesus Christ as the living
God and Savior of the world, in the hopes that others will come to know Christ
as their Savior too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every
time we share the Gospel with someone that has of yet to come to the saving
grace of Christ, we are worshiping God and blessing God for all that He has
done for us. But sharing the Gospel message with another person is not the end
of our responsibility. For, if the Gospel message touches the heart of a person
in such a way that the person comes to know Christ personally, i.e., they
believe on and accept Christ as their Savior, our time with them is not over.
This should just be the start of an <b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> relationship with that person. Because now we
have not only a responsibility to mentor that new Christian in the knowledge of
the Bible, but we also have the responsibility to mentor them in how to walk as
a new Christian for the Lord. In other words, we are to be there to help them
and to disciple them in living for the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have
you helped anyone come to know Christ as their Savior? Have you helped anyone
learn how to develop a closer walk with the Lord? Or, perhaps you have helped a
fellow Christian when they needed moral support, help, spiritual guidance, coaching,
etc., or you have helped a friend when they were down and out? If you have, you
have indeed not only blessed that person, but you have blessed, honored, and
worshiped God with your active Christian mentoring relationship by helping someone who
needed your help or expertise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christian<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
third Word in the phrase within <b>Active
Relational <u>Christian</u> Mentoring</b> is the word “<b><i>Christian</i></b>” which explains
or describes the type of mentor that you are and the type of mentoring that you
will be doing for the Lord. This word, “<b><i>Christian</i></b>”, also describes who you
are in Christ. Obviously, there are many people out there in the world who are
willing to mentor another person on many different topics or subjects, but
there are not many people who actually represent Christ and His Father within
their mentoring relationship with another. Christians on the other hand, should
have at the forefront of all their mentoring activities, the representation of
Christ to their mentee and their willingness to share their knowledge of Christ
with another. So, whether a woman is mentoring another woman on budgeting or on
some specific emotional need, she should be representing Christ and using the
Bible, God’s Word, and prayer as her resources. We can bless and worship God
when we read the Bible, share the Bible Scriptures with others, and when we use
God’s Word to guide us in all that we do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mentoring<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
last word in the phrase <b>Active
Relational Christian <u>Mentoring</u></b> is the word “<b><i>Mentoring</i></b>”. What is
mentoring? Well, the basic definition of mentoring is that is the transference
of knowledge, skills, insight, wisdom, values, and laws from one person to
another within a relational format or setting. In other words, two people get
together with one being the instructor and the other being the student, mentee,
or recipient of the information that is being dispensed by the instructor or
mentor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
when all four of the above individual words are taken together there is a
better definition or explanation for the phrase <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. This definition of <b>ARCM</b> says:
<i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring, rooted in Christian faith, love, and service to
Christ, is the voluntary and sacrificial investment in the life of another
within a relational format for the purpose of sharing knowledge, values, gifts,
skills, laws, and other God-given resources to empower and enhance the life of
the person being mentored.</span></i>” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARCM is Faith, Love, Worship, and Service to Christ<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
above definition of ARCM has several important aspects to it. First, ARCM is
rooted in Christ faith, love, and service to Christ. Christian mentoring, then,
is a way to show our faith and our love of Christ through our service to God
and His Son. Notice though, that in order to engage in ARCM, a Christian must
voluntarily and sacrificially invest in the life of another person. How does
one go about investing in the life of another person? Well, she must
voluntarily or willingly offer to and then engage in Christian mentoring, i.e.,
teaching, informing, sharing, listening to, and caring about another individual
by establishing a mentoring relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Taking
time from your own life and family to engage in Christian mentoring is a
sacrifice on the part of the mentor. It is also a way to show another person
that they are loved by God. Christian mentoring is also a service to Christ,
because Christ wants us to care about and be of service to those that are in
need. That is why it is so important to listen to the needs of others and be
willing to help or empower another individual to become all that they can be
for God, themselves, their family and their friends. This may come about
through the sharing of a particular talent, a gifting from the Lord, knowledge acquired
through schooling, information obtained, or wisdom received from the Bible and
God. Whatever, a person has to offer within a Christian mentoring relationship,
though, should be for the ultimate glory of God and the benefit of the mentee.
Then that service becomes a form of worship to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sacrifice<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
all have strengths and knowledge that we can share with another. We just have
to be willing to sacrifice some of our personal time to help another person. If
we are willing to mentor another, we will receive so many benefits and rewards
that we would never have expected to receive. For, God blesses those who are
willing to share their time, energy, knowledge or expertise with others. Indeed, we are
explicitly told that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">The one who
blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Proverbs 11: 25. MSG)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
Christ told us “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">You </span></i></b><i>(that is, His disciples and now all Christians)<b><span style="color: #00b0f0;"> are the light of the world. A city on a
hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.</span></b></i>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Matthew 5:14-16. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Obviously, good deeds include our
service to others in the name of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Worship
of God then includes our willing service of sacrifice to Him and to others.
Indeed, every day can be a time of worship when we help others in the name of
Jesus Christ. In fact, we don’t have to just attend church and be led in a
worship service in order to worship God. For, we can worship God with not only
our words and deeds, but also with our sacrificial heart by showing others that
we honor and glorify God in everything that we do. <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b> then is just another way that
we can worship God and also help or empower another person through a developing
relationship with Jesus Christ. Moreover, when we help or empower another
person through sacrificial Christian mentoring, we are shining the light of Christ out upon
them and into the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Spiritual Riches <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did
you know that when we fail to worship God for whatever reason, we are
forfeiting the spiritual riches that God has set aside for us? Every day we are
given many opportunities to put God at the center of our lives, but when we
fail to put Him there, we are giving up spiritual riches that we could have
had. Don’t forfeit your spiritual riches. Put God at the center of your life
and then through gratitude for your Savior, Jesus Christ, take every
opportunity to share your faith with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you don’t know how to start a Christian mentoring relationship, read my book
entitled: <i><u>The Three-Strand Cord of
Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></i>. You can find it on Amazon, at
Barnes and Nobel, at Christian Faith Publishing Co., as well as at iTunes and
Google Play. If you are interested in worshiping God through the service of
mentoring, this is a good and easy book to read. It has personal stories in it as well. It will also help you learn how to
worship God through your love of others. It will also show you that God has <i>Spiritual Riches</i> just waiting for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check
out my book at the following link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring"></a></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span>Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-75989671317389258462018-01-02T13:34:00.003-08:002018-01-02T13:34:56.258-08:00The Truth About God and His Love<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God's Love</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-iw25CrQS24Un6kV8sFylfrzsTDFy2vleAa3jt_w92YsFllGKMWxUZobk7LXeXwT-zUky1TCVku3-P5CsSIkf9vXkx5IWt2dEH1qL5rQw3WjuhLzOirrVL84jK-V9dy19U_C6_hwDCs/s1600/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1280" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-iw25CrQS24Un6kV8sFylfrzsTDFy2vleAa3jt_w92YsFllGKMWxUZobk7LXeXwT-zUky1TCVku3-P5CsSIkf9vXkx5IWt2dEH1qL5rQw3WjuhLzOirrVL84jK-V9dy19U_C6_hwDCs/s320/jesus-christ-1948251_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
we enter the new year people usually set New Year Resolutions hoping to better
their life. But among all the resolutions that people make, we seldom hear of
someone resolving to search for the truth about God and His love. Yet, this is
probably the most important resolution that anyone can make. Why is the search
for the truth about God and His Love so important? Well, people are always
searching for love, but they are not searching for the source of all love, nor
are they searching for the truth about God, who is the source Love and Eternal
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Apostle John wrote: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Dear friends, <u>let
us continue to love one another, for loves comes from God</u>. <u>Anyone who
loves is born of God and knows God</u>. But anyone who does not love does not
know God – <u>for God is love</u>. God showed how much He loved us by sending
His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.
This is real love. <u>It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(I John 4: 7-10. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">People
have always searched for love. From the moment that we are born most humans are
wrapped within the arms of their mother or father and other family members who hold
them closely to express their love for them. Very early on, then, new born
babies quickly recognize the love that emanates from those who care for them
and from those who hold them close. In fact, babies usually quieten down easily
when they are picked up and snuggled by a parent, because they recognize and
feel that they are wrapped in the arms of love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Later, as a child grows, he/she
continues to look for love and love’s acceptance as being a valuable person. This
love and acceptance is felt and seen through the loving arms and kind words of
parents and family members. Unfortunately, those children who are born into
love starved family situations do not feel love or hear kind words, so they will
eventually seek love and acceptance in all the wrong places. In fact, they
often cannot recognize true love and true love’s acceptance, because they never
had love and acceptance in their formative years. That is why these individuals
can be easily duped into believing that someone actually loves them when they
don’t. They are love starved and are desperate to be loved!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(I have again broken a rather
long post into sections that are designated in purple. That will allow you to stop
at any point along the way and be able to pick up again at a later time. Don’t feel
that you have to read the entire post at one time. However, I do think that the
content is worth the read over a period of time. I hope you enjoy this post. Happy
2018.)</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Satan’s Lies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many different ways that the devil dupes love starved people into believing
that they have found real love and real love’s acceptance. One of those ways is
through the use of gangs. Today we have gangs across the world, including the
gang of ISIS, that entice young people into belonging to a “family” gang that
will accept them and need them. They join a gang because they feel lonely and
unloved. Supposedly they can become part of this gang, organization, or so-called
“family” and then they will be cared for and become an accepted and beloved family member. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadly,
many young people join a gang because they have not felt loved, or because they
did not have a family environment in which they felt that they belonged. So,
when even some unknown person or situation gives them an opportunity to feel
loved or to feel that they belong, they suddenly give their allegiance to them
in return for the willingness of the gang members to accept them and give them
brotherly love back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">These
gangs, organizations, and even cults can become a death trap. But, Satan
doesn’t care. In fact, Satan entices people into these gangs because he wants
humans to ultimately feel unloved or be destroyed. Why does Satan want us to feel unloved? Well, this is
all part of Satan’s larger plan to separate humans from the love of God. He
uses the hurtfulness of this fallen and deceitful world and individuals' personal need
for love to steer certain lonely and unloved individuals into gangs and into other
evil situations that can entice them into believing that they are really being
loved and accepted for who they are, even though they are actually being abused
and deprived of real love. For Satan believes that if humans feel unloved they will
be less likely to turn to God for love, and he certainly does not want people to
turn to God for anything and especially not for love. So, when parents fail to
express love to their child, faith in God, or tell their child about God’s love there
is a great chance that the child will grow up searching for love in all the
wrong places. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
it isn’t just gangs that Satan uses to separate humans from God’s love. Satan
uses all the evil devices of this world to bully and deceive humans about the
truth of God’s love. So, whether it is Satan’s deception regarding immoral prostitution,
gangs, or even cliques established within schools, businesses, and the social
arena, he can continually find ways to deceive humans about love. Even joining
or being swept up into a political ideology that projects hatred toward others
for their different beliefs takes many people deep into the realm of hatred
which is the opposite of love. Most importantly, Satan uses different meanings
for the word “love” than the one that God first established. As a result,
humans seeking love are often led into the immorality and deceitfulness of a supposedly loving relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
deceitfulness of love can be found within the abuse that can occur for someone within some dating
relationships. This same type of abusive deceitful love can be found in some marriage
relationships, which is just another way that the devil can separate humans
from the real love that God wants for them. Eventually, those victims that stay
in a loveless and abusive relationship will have been brainwashed into
believing that they are not worthy of love or that the other person really
loves them in some strange way. Indeed, Satan often helps the unloved victim to
justify the other person’s lack of love by convincing the victim that the other
person just does not know how to show love, but he/she really loves the victim. In other words, the emotional or
physical abuse of a spouse is just that person’s way of trying to show love,
which of course is a lie. To make matters worse, many of these abused
individuals can’t seem to get out of the abusive relationship, because they have
come to believe the lie that the other person really loves them. Why? Well, they
cannot recognize real love because they somehow missed out on the early
expression of true love from parents and family members when they were a baby or
child. Satan certainly jumps for glee when he sees so many humans deceived about
love and sees them searching in all the wrong places for real love. Indeed, Satan
perpetuates his lies in order to get humans to sin and dabble in all kinds of his
evil ways and sinfulness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
is no love in Satan. Instead, Satan is prideful, selfish, and filled with
hatred toward God and God’s created humans. Moreover, Satan certainly does not
want humans to experience the love of God. For when we experience <b>the love of God</b> and accept <b>the greatest gift of His love, Jesus Christ</b>,
we will be forever changed. Indeed, every human who accepts the free gift of
Christ’s love, is re-born into a new creature who will never allow Satan to again
control their lives. So, Satan works hard and does everything he can to derail
or change a human’s belief system about love so that the human cannot recognize
God’s love and cannot accept Christ’s sacrificial love. The truth is that every individual who does not recognize and accept the truth about God's love and His Son, Jesus Christ, will be forever separated from love. For, those in hell will never again experience any kind of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
people can’t recognize God’s love. In fact, many others cannot even begin to understand
the concept of love here on earth between humans, because Satan has twisted and
distorted the concept of love in so many different ways. Yet, the Apostle Paul gave
Christ’s followers the true meaning of human love, and he told them how this real
love can be expressed between one another and reflect the type of love that God
and Christ want for them. Paul said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Love is<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Patient and kind.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love does not demand its own way.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has
been wronged.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth
wins out.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and
endures through every circumstance.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love will last forever. …<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love
-- and the greatest of these is love</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(I
Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you can recognize the truth about love and accept the greatest love of all
which is given to us by God through His gift of Jesus Christ, you will be able
to lead a life that is lived daily in love. But can you recognize God’s love?
Again, the Apostle Paul has given us a glimpse into the greatness of
God’s love when through the Holy Spirit Paul wrote the following Scriptures in
a letter to the Ephesians. Paul wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your
hearts as you trust in Him. <u>May your roots go down deep into the soil of
God’s marvelous love</u>. And <u>may you have the power to understand, as all God’s
people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is</u>.
<u>May you experience the love of Christ</u>, <u>though it is so great you will
never fully understand it</u>. <u>Then you will be filled with the fullness of
life and power that comes from God</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Ephesians 3: 17-19. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Truth About God’s Love</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Genesis 1:1. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
verse is really about God’s love. In fact, the Truth about God’s love was
recorded long ago within the Bible. For, the Bible is God’s recorded Love Story
with the people He created. You see, <b>God
is Love</b>! Moreover, God wanted to express His love in an even greater way
than He expressed His Love through the persons of the Trinity of God. But, how
did God decide to express His love? Well, long long ago God’s love began to be
expressed when He created the angels. Later, God chose to express more of His
love through the creation of this universe, the solar system and the earth.
For, God planned to create beings to live on earth who would be able to not
only love each other but love Him too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
begin to understand the depth of God’s love, we first have to understand that
God <u>did not have to</u> create this universe or this earth. Rather, in His
greatness and power God could have created anything. But God chose to express
His love by creating humans who could love. God is love, so God chose to pour
out His love on His creation. These beings and their habitat would be special
with the potential to communicate with God and to love God in return. For God knew
that if love is to grow, it must be expressed, enjoyed, and reciprocated. In
other words, love must be first given away if one is to receive love back. So,
that is exactly what God did. God gave His love to the beings He created, but
first God expressed His heart of love through the creation of this world on
which these loved beings would live and thrive. In other words, God expressed
His love for us by first giving us a place to live, by then creating us, and then
by giving us a way to communicate and spiritually express our love back toward
God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
could express our love of God through the fellowship we could have with God and
through the relationship that God could have with us. Furthermore, God’s love
could be and was expressed through the development of a loving relationship
with His Creation. Indeed, humans are loved by God, and we are each very
valuable in the eyes of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God’s
love was unconditional. That is, God offered His unconditional love to each human,
but unfortunately, starting with Adam and Eve and those people that followed, many
people rejected and still reject God’s love. Why did they reject God’s love?
Well, Satan told them a lie. A lie that Adam and Eve believed. So, when Adam
and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
God had to kick them out of their perfect loving home, because they had sinned.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">Why Do Humans Reject the Truth?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today,
there are now many more reasons why humans reject the truth of God’s love. First of all, people
are afraid. They innately know that they are sinners and that God is a Holy God
Who cannot look upon sin, so humans are afraid to come before the loving Holy God.
Even Adam and Eve hid themselves from God in fear when they realized that they
had sinned, even though they had previously felt the love of God on a daily
basis as they walked with God in the Garden of Eden (See Genesis 3:8). Although
God wanted fellowship with them, Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s deception and
lost that daily fellowship and the perfect loving relationship with God. But
God was willing to give humans a way to repent of their innate sins by
believing on His Son, Jesus Christ. So, even after the fall from the Garden of
Eden, Adam and Eve were told that God would someday send a deliverer. That is
just what God did when He sent His Only Son to earth to take people’s sins upon
His shoulders. So, today no one has an excuse for hiding from God. But, many
people still hide from Him. They continue to believe the lies that the devil tells about
God and His love through the intellectually elite and those that have no idea of who God really is. Many people believe the lies that come from these intellectually brilliant
men and women who have been deceived by Satan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Still
God wants all to come to the saving grace of His and Christ’s love. But, God
knows there will still be many who refuse to accept His offered love. Eventually,
God’s Holy Spirit, will quit calling an individual to come to Christ. Then that
person’s rejection of God’s ultimate gift of love, His Son Jesus Christ, will
lead them into the <b>death trap</b> that Satan set for them which is <b>eternal hell</b>. I
don’t know about you, but I have accepted God’s gift of eternal life by
accepting the sacrificial love that God offered through His Son, Jesus Christ.
If you can read this, you still have a chance to accept God’s loving gift
before you take your last breath. But, once you take your last breath, it is
too late. For, you have chosen to believe the lies of Satan and reject God’s
gift of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So,
why is it that some people are unwilling to accept the love that God has
offered to us for eternal life? Well, first many people refuse to read God’s
love story, i.e., the Bible, to see and understand how much God truly loves them.
Other people refuse to see the difference made in the lives of those who have
accepted God’s love. Instead they accept the nonsense of the intellectual elites
who believe they know more about love and knowledge than God does. But if
people would just pick up the Bible and read it, they would begin to see that
God cares more for them than do the intellectual elites, the snobs, the
philosophical perverters of the truth, and the political correctness police.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another
reason that people reject the love of God and the gift of Salvation is that
Satan continues to lie to them about God. First, Satan tells people, especially
those who believe they are intellectually brilliant, that there is no God.
Then, Satan tells them that if God exists, that God does not care about them,
but rather lives up in the Heavens somewhere just watching His creation kill
each other. Finally, Satan tells people that no loving God would let hungry
little children die, therefore God either doesn’t exist or He is some sadistic
God who doesn’t love them. These are all lies! For, Satan is the one who
brought us into this fallen world with diseases, hate, and trauma when he lied
and tricked Adam and Eve into taking a bite of the fruit from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thus causing them to sin. Consequently, Adam and
Eve were kicked out of the perfect loving garden, i.e., paradise. Now we live in a fallen world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today,
many people who believe they are intellectually brilliant refuse to believe in
God or Satan. They have convinced themselves that do not believe in God. But
they also do not believe in Satan. Consequently, they do not realize that Satan
exists or that he is their enemy. Satan is evil and will do anything he can to
get humans to follow his deadly path which leads into eternal damnation within
hell. That is why Satan promotes humans finding love in all the wrong places.
He doesn’t want humans to find the love of God. Nor, does Satan want humans to
discover the gift of sacrificial love that God gave to anyone who will believe
on His Son, Jesus Christ, and to anyone who will accept the gift of Salvation offered
through repentance from their sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even Within This Fallen World, God’s Expression of
Love for the Israelites and For All of Us can be Found Within the Bible<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t have time or space here to write about all the times that God expressed
His love to the Jewish people throughout God’s recorded love story within both the
Older and Newer Testaments. But, I would like to list a few of the highlights
of God’s love over the years. We know through the Scriptures that God created
Adam and Eve out of love. However, God also disciplined Adam and Eve out of His
love for them. Later we are told that God saved Noah and His family because of
His love for them even though the rest of the people of the world had allowed
themselves to be seduced by the evil that Satan was promoting and perpetrating
with His lies and evil ways. All accept Noah and his family died in the flood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Lord allowed the earth to be gradually repopulated by Noah’s family. However, even though new generations of people
on the earth understood what had happened with the flood and were told why the
flood occurred, most were eventually seduced by the evil that Satan promoted
and the lies that he told about the importance of their man-made gods. People again did
not believe in a loving God or the existence of only one God. Then, when one
man named Abraham finally believed in God’s existence and truly loved Him, God
reached out in love to provide for this man, Abraham, and helped to guide
him safely through the deceitful traps that Satan would set for Abraham.
Indeed, Abraham was protected many different times over by God’s promises and His
love. As Abraham’s family increased and eventually became millions of people
strong, we also read within the biblical Scriptures that God loved the
Israelite people, who were the descendants of Abraham, so much that when they were
oppressed and cried out to God to be saved from the Pharaoh’s harsh treatment,
that God heard their cries and saved them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unfortunately,
Satan continued to ply his evil schemes and ways upon the whole human race, but focused upon the Israelite people to bring them down because they
were especially loved by God. Therefore, the Israelite people were continually deceived
by Satan and enticed by the ungodly ways of the world that Satan put before
them. They would sin, but then when they realized they had done wrong, they
would again repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. Because of God’s love for
them, every time that the Israelite people repented for their wrong doing, God would
accept their apology and help them. That does not mean that God did not
discipline them or punish them just as a good father disciplines or punishes a
child who has misbehaved. Rather, God loved them so much that He did not want
them to continue down the wrong paths that would give Satan even more
opportunities to deceive them even further. So, God would discipline the
Israelites, helping them to see where they had gone wrong and how much He truly
loved them. At other times, God came right out and told the Israelites just how
much He loved them even though He knew they would again falter and would again need
discipline. That is exactly what God did when He sent a message to them through
the prophet Malachi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">This is the message that the LORD gave to Israel through
the prophet Malachi. ‘<u>I have loved you deeply</u>,’ says the LORD. But you
retort, ‘Really? How have you loved us?’ And the LORD replies, ‘<u>I showed my
love for you by loving your ancestor Jacob</u>. Yet Esau was Jacob’s brother,
and I rejected Esau and devastated his hill country</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Malachi 1-3. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
was God telling the Israelites in His message to Malachi? Well, although this
message of love applied specifically to the Israelite people, it is really a
message of God’s love for all people in all times. Indeed, just because people often
become cynical about God’s love, especially in times of economic hardship such
as the devastation of Esau’s hill country or even during times of political or
economic stress, does not mean that God did not love them or that He does not
love us today. For, God loves us because He created us. In fact, the reward God
gives to those who love Him and His Son is the reward of eternal life, which is
dependent upon each individual’s recognition of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
as their Savior. Do you love God? Do you love Jesus Christ as your Savior? Have
you repented of your sins and asked Christ into your heart? If not, now is the
time to make this life and death decision for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
love reading the book of John in the Newer Testament. And, I also love reading
the other three books that the Apostle John wrote, especially the book of <u>I
John</u>. One of the reasons that I love reading <u>I John</u> is because John
so succinctly explains to us that <b>God is
Love</b>. In chapter three, John wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for He
allows us to be called His children, and we really are</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;">! But the people who belong to this world don’t know God,
so they don’t understand that we are His children. Yes, dear friends, we are
already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when
Christ returns. But we do know that when He comes we will be like Him, for we
will see Him as He really is</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(I John 3: 1, 2. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">John
continues to explain in <u>I John</u> about God’s love and our responsibility
to love Him and other people. John says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves
that we have passed from death to eternal life. But <u>a person who has no love
is still dead</u>. <u>Anyone who hates another Christian is really a murderer
at heart</u>. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so, we
also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(I John 3: 14-16. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_Hlk502665344">the Apostle John wrote: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Dear
friends, <u>let us continue to love one another, for loves comes from God</u>. <u>Anyone
who loves is born of God and knows God</u>. But anyone who does not love does
not know God – <u>for God is love</u>. God showed how much He loved us by
sending His only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through
Him. This is real love. <u>It is not that we loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins</u></span></i></b>.” </a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (I John 4: 7-10. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God Sent His Only Son
to Show His Love and Mercy<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God
sent His only Son to earth as God incarnate in a human baby. This baby grew up
into a man who walked the earth telling people about the love of God. Christ
shared with people what God expected of them. But everywhere Christ went, the
Pharisees and Sadducees tried to catch Jesus in some blasphemy or in the
breaking of one of the Jewish laws so they could arrest Him and get rid of Him.
One day the Jewish leaders were harassing Jesus in the Temple. They asked Him
under whose authority could He heal people on the Sabbath. Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">I assure you the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does
only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also
does. … <u>I assure you that those who listen to My message and believe in God Who
sent Me have eternal life</u>. They will never be condemned for their sins, but
they have already passed from death into life.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(John 5: 19, 24. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
know that the Sadducees and Pharisees did not believe Jesus and eventually found a way to trap Jesus
through the disciple Judas who was ultimately indwelt by Satan. They not only
captured Jesus but they sent him to the cross on Calvary to die a humiliating
and painful death. But <b>the grave could not hold the Son of God!</b> Indeed, Christ
arose on the third day with over 500 people seeing Him alive again. Later,
after Christ had gone back to Heaven, the Apostle Paul wrote to the new Christians
in the Roman Church about the love that it took for God to send His only Son to
His death for us. Paul wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For <u>we know how dearly God loves us</u>, <u>because He
has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with Love</u>. When we were
utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
Now, no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing
to die for a person who is especially good. But <u>God showed His great love
for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners</u>. And
since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will
certainly save us from God’s judgment.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For since we were restored to friendship with God by the death
of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be delivered from
eternal punishment by His life. <u>So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new
relationship with God – all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for
us in making us friends of God</u></span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Romans 5: 5-10. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
same love that God expressed in sending Christ to die for our sins, and the
same love that Christ expressed in dying for our sins, was again expressed in
His sending of the Holy Spirit to live within us, i.e., within Saved
Christians, to guide us in loving others every day. In fact, it is through the
Holy Spirit that Christ has given every true Christian the power and the love
that is needed in witnessing for Christ and in loving others. Indeed,
Christians can pray for strength, power, and love as we need it to care for and
be there for others who need our help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paul
also addresses the responsibilities and debts of Christians in his letter to
the Roman church. Paul wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Pay all your debts except the debt of love for others.
You can never finish paying that. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill
all requirements of God’s law. … Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no
wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God’s requirements</span></i></b>.” -- (Romans 13: 8-10. NLT).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
seems strange that the Apostle Paul would call the love of others a debt. Well,
the reason he does so is because we are all indebted to the love of Christ that
He lavishly poured out on us when He died for our sins on the cross. But, loving
others like Christ loved us is the only the beginning of showing our
appreciation to Christ because it is the only way that we can even begin to
repay our debt to Christ. Even so, we will always be obligated or have a
responsibility to love others because of the love that Christ expressed on the
cross, which will always be greater than any expression of our love. In other
words, we need to continually express our love for our neighbors and for Christ
by engaging in service to our Lord and by helping those that need our help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
Christ is the living Son of God. Eternity or Eternal life, which is living with
God and His love forever, begins when a person accepts Christ as their Savior
and culminates when that Saved person physically dies here on earth. For, upon
our physical death, those who have believed in Christ as their Savior will go
to live eternally with God and Christ. The Bible tells us that God is the
source of all life and that it is through God’s love that we exist. So, it is
also through God’s love that we will exist throughout eternity with Him. In
fact, God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever
should believe on Him could have eternal life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once
we choose to believe on Christ and accept the love of God given to us through
His Son, we begin a new life. <u>We are re-born into a new person who lives to
express God’s love within our lives here on earth</u>. We are members of the
Kingdom of God and as such we are to tell others about the Gospel message,
i.e., the message of Jesus Christ who offers Salvation to anyone who believes
on Him as the living Son of God. As re-born humans we are share God’s message
of love with everyone we encounter in some way or another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Expressing Christ’s
Love to Others<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jesus
said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">So now I am giving you a new commandment:
Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your
love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(John 13: 34. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Those who have accepted Christ as
their Savior have also become disciples of Christ. As disciples we are to show
the same type of love to others that Christ showed to people while He was here
on earth. This was a revolutionary statement because <b>Christ is love</b>! Jesus’
love was a sacrificial love that we are to emulate through our service to others. This type of love and service to Christ will
bring others to the spiritual knowledge of Christ, while keeping believers
united together in their focus on God. For the world in general is hostile to
God, and Satan continues to encourage disbelief in God and Christ. That is why
we need to understand what true Christ-like love is all about. Then, as
disciples or believers in Jesus Christ as the living Son of God and
representative of God’s love, we can be living examples of Christ’s love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Action and
Attitude of Love<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love
is a verb or an action word. Moreover, love is more than just a warm feeling or
a euphoric feeling when we are around someone we love. <b><u>Love is an attitude</u></b>. This love attitude is then revealed to
others within our actions toward them and others. Love is revealed within our
actions of helping another or in our sharing of our talents and gifts with another person even when it is not
convenient for us to do so. Love is revealed when we give to another
sacrificially when it hurts. Love is revealed when we devote our time and
energy in giving or helping in another’s welfare instead of thinking only of
our own welfare. Love is not allowing Satan to push us to the point that we
become angry about some hurt. Instead, we don’t push back in anger, but rather
absorb the hurts and forgive the other person. Although this type of love is
hard to do, the expression of this type of love is noticed by others which
opens the door for witnessing about Jesus Christ and His sacrificial love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
all believe that love is important. But, love is more than just a feeling that
effects our emotions toward another human, or more than a euphoric and
eventually empty feeling that causes many to engage in immoral behavior. That
type of love is not love at all. Instead, love is a choice and requires not
only a loving attitude but a loving action. <u>True love comes from God who is the
source of all love</u>. But to express true love we have to make a choice that
culminates in an action that projects our love on others. Remember, that Christ
did everything in life and in death with both an attitude of love and with
actions of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
understand love, we have to look to God who is the source of love. So far, we
have discovered that God created us in love. In other words, because God is
love, He created people to love. Then, God chose to love humans even though we
are sinful people and often fail to love Him back. However, God’s love for humans gave each of us the right to
be free to choose whom we love. For even though God wants a loving response from
us, He will not force us to love Him. Therefore, God’s love was expressed in
action. God’s great love for us caused God to offer a solution or chance for
humans to overcome the problem of sin that keeps us away from God. What was
that solution or loving action? Well, God’s solution for our sinfulness was
expressed in His loving actions of offering His grace and mercy. In other
words, God has given every person the chance to repent of their sins. For, God
sent His Only Son into the world to die for our sins and then to arise from the
grave conquering eternal death. So, by believing on Christ as the living Son of
God and by repenting of our sins we can have eternal life or a loving relationship with God forever. But this is a choice
that each person has to make. Then, if that person decides to accept this free
gift of God’s love and mercy, he/she can receive eternal life, which is the
ultimate expression of God’s love for us individually. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once
a person has accepted the love of God and the sacrificial love of Christ, that
person has been reborn into a new person who recognizes the love that God has
bestowed upon them. This new person in Christ also has a responsibility to
repay this debt of love that they owe to Christ by loving others as Christ
loved them. That is why all reborn Christians have a responsibility to reach
out in love to others to share the Gospel message. Indeed, all reborn
Christians need to reach out in love to help those less fortunate or to help
those in need. Are you willing to step forward in this new year of 2018 and love
others as you love yourself? Are you willing to lovingly care about those
around you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How Can Christians Express
their Christ-like Love?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are so
many ways that true Christians can express their Christ-like love to others. For
example, love can be expressed in personal service to the church family. Love
can be expressed in charity work. Love can be expressed in good deeds for
others. Moreover, Christ’s love can be expressed in services performed for the
glory of the Kingdom of God. One of those services is the service of <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring
(ARCM)</b>. If you haven’t listened to and mentored another person in need,
ARCM is a very rewarding service that benefits both the mentor and mentee. Just
about anyone can help another through the giving of their time to mentor. If
you have a loving heart that cares about the needs of others then you would
make a good Christian mentor. If you are interested in finding out more about
ARCM, pick up the book: <b><span style="color: #7030a0;">The Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian
Mentoring</span></b> by Vicky Lynn Thomas, which can be purchased through
Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Christian Faith Publishing, iTunes, and Google
Play. The following is the link to
Amazon. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Happy New Year and don't forget to resolve to find out the truth about God and His Love!</div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-34582424464735309012017-12-19T11:54:00.001-08:002017-12-19T12:04:18.826-08:00The Season of Generosity<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzH75oIGOICvXCtBOnjNQAUm0pIFpISqPYhjFyN18Z65dkoeB0eTdKkYZpTBjkQvOIyXAD_4Nmijn2YbBtlBxg3IQXdZrK9n3FhMhTqsjt756JTxRA1a-SWrgHXXc7SIGftPAYPQ5jwSc/s1600/church-648430_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1280" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzH75oIGOICvXCtBOnjNQAUm0pIFpISqPYhjFyN18Z65dkoeB0eTdKkYZpTBjkQvOIyXAD_4Nmijn2YbBtlBxg3IQXdZrK9n3FhMhTqsjt756JTxRA1a-SWrgHXXc7SIGftPAYPQ5jwSc/s320/church-648430_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
Christmas season is the season of generosity and gift giving. Although,
Christians know that we should be sharing the Good News, helping those in need,
and living with a generous hear all year long, we tend to focus more on
Christmas for giving and sharing. Certainly, it is important to focus on giving
during the Christmas season because it is a way of remembering and honoring the
greatest gift given to all mankind by God, which was His Son. For, Christ, the Son of God, came to
earth as a small baby to bring Salvation to all mankind. This was the ultimate
sacrificial gift of generosity and love given to us by God the Father. But as
we remember this most wonderful gift of all, we must also focus on sharing
Christ’s free gift of Salvation with as many people as we can. However, the
month of December should not be the only time that we focus on sharing the gift
of Christ or the gift of Salvation with other people. We should share this
glorious gift and our Christian love of service all year long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">One
of the things that Christians do during the Christmas season to demonstrate
their love is to give food and gifts to those who are less fortunate. Many
Christian denominations take up special Christmas collections to help those
less fortunate. For example, the Southern Baptists always collect money for the Lottie Moon missions
to help their missionaries help other people and spread the Word. Most
Christians also have a favorite charity that they help or contribute to such as
to “Toys for Tots” or other charity organizations where they can help fund
Christmas gifts or food for those less fortunate. This is all wonderful! Please
don’t stop! However, there is so much more that we can do for suffering
individuals and others who are need of help all year long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">The Spiritual Needs of
Others<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Obviously,
food, shelter, clothing, and the essentials for living are important things to
focus on when giving. But, we should also be focusing on peoples’ spiritual
needs as well as their emotional and physical needs. But, in order to do this, Christians
need to get to know the individual first. This doesn’t mean that we have to
become a close friend before we can reach out to another woman. However, we do need
to form, at the very least, an acquaintance relationship in order to be able to
speak openly to her. In other words, we need to introduce ourselves and ask
about her life and her needs. We need to let the other woman know that we care
and are willing to listen to her personal stories and needs. We have to have
empathy.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Jesus
had great empathy for the people of this earth. In fact, He loved us so much
that He was laid down His life in order to give us the gift of Salvation and
His cleansing blood of redemption. In addition, while He was here on earth,
Jesus Christ even introduced Himself to strangers to find out what it was that
they needed in life and in order to speak to them about their spiritual situation.
He wanted to give people a chance to repent and change their sinful ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
people found out that Christ could heal them, large crowds of people followed
Christ wherever He went. Individuals, or someone speaking for a specific individual,
came directly to Jesus to ask for His help. Everyone who was sick wanted to be healed. We also read in the Bible that most
of these needy individuals usually wanted help with a physical problem, but some
even needed to be released from demon possession. However, it was when they were
healed from their specific situation that many of these people suddenly recognized that Christ
could also heal their spiritual problems as well. Indeed, it was in healing
them that Jesus Christ was given the opportunity to explain to them about their sins and what
repentance and living for God could mean to their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">There
was one person in particular, though, that did not come to Jesus asking for
help. Rather, Jesus reached out to him unexpectedly. This was the man
Zacchaeus. In this biblical recounting of the story of Zacchaeus, we should
notice that Christ introduced Himself to Zacchaeus, who had “<i>climbed up into a Sycamore tree</i>”. Even
with a large crowd surrounding Him, Jesus Christ knew there was a person in a
tree who needed to be healed spiritually. Why was Zacchaeus in a tree? Well you
see, Zacchaeus was a very short man, and he could not see over the crowd. But, by
climbing up in a tree Zacchaeus had the opportunity to see Jesus even over the
large crowd of people who were surrounding Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Zacchaeus
never expected the Lord to speak to him personally. He may not even have
thought that he was worthy to be near Jesus, yet he wanted to see Jesus. So, he
was caught off guard when Jesus looked up in the tree and calling him by name
said, “<b><i><span style="color: red;">Zacchaeus! … Quick, come down! For I must be a
guest in your home today</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">-- (Luke 19: 5. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">. We are told that Zacchaeus
immediately came down very quickly and took Jesus to his home. While visiting
with Jesus in his home, Zacchaeus began to truly understood how selfish and
cheating he had been to all the people whose taxes he had increased and
basically stolen for his own. So, Zacchaeus repented of his sins. Now, Zacchaeus
wanted everyone to know how repentant and sorry he was for stealing from all
the people. In repentance Zacchaeus then stood in front of Jesus and the other
people and said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I will give half my wealth to the poor.
Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back
four times as much!</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">–
(Luke 19:8. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Most
importantly, Zacchaeus realized that he was not only talking to the Son of God,
but that he needed to ask God for forgiveness and be cleansed from all his
wrong doing. For, Zacchaeus knew that even though he had cheated many people throughout his
lifetime, that he had to somehow make it right. He also heard the
Gospel message from Christ, for Zacchaeus suddenly had a tremendous heart
change and a spiritual re-birth. Moreover, Zacchaeus demonstrated his spiritual
re-birth and the inner change of heart through his outward actions of the repayment
of the people’s taxes and his public statement of repentance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Salvation
changes people both inwardly and outwardly. But, all true Christians have to
demonstrate their re-birth and their changed heart by their outwardly changed
behavior, because people cannot read their minds. In other words, we have to put
our faith into action. Just like Zacchaeus, Christians have to put their faith in Christ in action. One of the ways of doing so, is to reach out to share our faith and
our trust in God and Christ with others through our generosity of service and
time, through our love for others, and through our willingness to mentor other women or help in
whatever way is needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">Where Do We Start?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">It
is only by talking to another person or by becoming acquainted with them that
we can begin to speak into a person’s heart about Christ and explain the
importance of knowing Christ as their Savior. That is why, engaging in
conversation, being a role model, and offering to mentor another can make all
the difference in the life of another human. But, it doesn’t take just a
special time of the year in order to share the Good News or to Mentor another
person. Rather, we need to be willing to reach out to the lost all twelve
months of the year! We need to be of service to God and others throughout the
year! We need to be generous in our giving and in our sacrificial life lived
for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Billy
Graham once said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">We are stewards of the Gospel. The power to
proclaim the greatest news in heaven and earth was not given to angels, it was
given to redeemed men</span></i></b> (</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">and
women</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">)<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">. <u>Every
Christian is to be a witness</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">--
(Billy Graham in Quotes, p. 139., c. 2011 by Franklin Graham)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">As
redeemed humans, Christian women have many opportunities to reach out to other
women in need, i.e., through their need to have a friend, their need to have
support, and most certainly through their need to hear the Gospel message. That
is why, Christian women must try to reach out to women whom they might not
otherwise reach out to help. We have to think outside of the ordinary box that
that makes up our lives. We have to step out of our comfort zone to say “hello”
to someone that we might not ordinarily speak to. We also need to pray
and ask the Holy Spirit to show us who we are to speak to. We are to pray that
the Holy Spirit will give us the right words to say and that we will then be
able to say them at the right time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Just
as importantly, every Christian woman needs to get in front of a mirror and
practice introducing herself to another woman (in this case, to the woman in
the mirror). Then she should also practice speaking aloud and telling her
Salvation story to the mirror so that she doesn’t have to stumble over her
story when the opportunity arises to share it. No, you don’t need to memorize
your story, because your story comes from your heart and it is true. But, you
do need to build up confidence in telling your personal story of Salvation. In
fact, the old saying “practice makes perfect” fits this situation nicely. For,
when you have practiced it and feel comfortable telling your story, you can
then either tell the whole story in one sitting or you can comfortably pull out
the important pieces of your story at appropriate times when needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">It
is also important to memorize some of the Scriptures that will help another
person understand the Good News and why Christ came to give them the gift of
Salvation. In one of my previous posts I gave you all Scriptures that are generally used
together to witness to people for Christ. This collection of Scriptures is called “The Roman Road”. These are a group of Scriptures mostly from the
book of <u>Romans</u> that explain God’s plan for Salvation. So, I won’t write those
Scriptures all down again. But, if you need them, just ask I will get them to
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Women
should also practice listening to other people without interrupting them. This
isn’t always easy because most of us want to add something to the conversation.
However, in mentoring, it is important to be able to listen to everything that
is being said and to be able to distinguish between words for the sake of words
and words that have a meaningful importance. For, it is those words that have
meaning that will tell a Christian mentor what the woman is really trying to
say or not say. Figuring out what the needs of another woman are, though, takes
patience and a desire to be of help. All surface talk will not tell you whether
or not the woman has a relationship with the Lord. All surface talk will not tell
you if a woman is lonely or needs help in a specific area. But being willing to
listen closely and occasionally ask a probing question will eventually give you,
as a Christian mentor, insight into what the woman may need. Then offer to take
the woman out for coffee in order to get to know each other better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Every
Christian woman should practice opening her heart to the needs of others. We
can do this by being willing to share our gifts, talents, information, etc. and
by being willing to make the time to share the Gospel with another. If you are
willing to make the time to help another person, then you have taken the first
step in generosity and in sharing a heart of love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">Sharing<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">In
the Newer Testament, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy who was over the church
at Ephesus, which was a very wealthy church. Indeed, many of the church members
were extremely wealthy. But, there were also many problems within the church at
Ephesus that needed to be addressed. That is why Paul told Timothy that he
needed to deal with all potential problems by first teaching these new
Christians that with great wealth comes great responsibility. In other words,
those Christians who have been blessed with much money should also have a
generous heart. Christians should not put their hope in their money, but instead
put their hope in the living God who is the one who gives security to all of
His children. That is why Paul said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Instruct them to
do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">--
(I Timothy 6: 18. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Unfortunately,
we also live in a “me first” world. Everyone wants to do what they want to do
and when they want to do it. But the more that we think of just ourselves the
more selfish and unhappy we become. If you read the Bible you will notice that
throughout the Bible God instructs us to share with others. Even in the Older
Testament, God put in a special commandment for sharing the food with those
willing to work for the food. This was called the law of gleaning. There are several
other Scriptures throughout the Bible relating to taking care of those in need. For, it is through
sharing and showing the love of God that a person receives blessings from
above. What’s more, we are told that those who proclaim or live by the adage of
“me first” will be last in God’s Kingdom </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">(See
Matthew 20: 16)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">. For, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">God
loves the person who gives cheerfully</span></i></b>”. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">-- (II Corinthians 9: 7. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.
In other words, it is the attitude with which we give of our time, help and
money that is the most important. Moreover, God will reward those who have an
attitude of love and kindness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is just one way that we can share with others
and quit just thinking of ourselves. For it is through ARCM that we can
introduce ourselves to another, discover her needs, and find ways to help her
meet her needs. Obviously, women can and should reach out to other women throughout the
year, and yes, especially at this time of the year when many things seem to
overwhelm women during the Christmas season. Moreover, as Christian women, we can
be there to empower another woman if we are just willing to talk, give of our
time and love, and be willing to help find answers to sometimes tough
questions. Above all, Christian women need to share their story of Salvation
and spread the Good News wherever we can. For, we know that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">The
one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.</span></i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">– (Proverbs 11:25. The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is an important service that all Christians can
perform for both Christians and non-Christians alike. In fact, throughout the
four Gospels we find that Christ gave us example after example of active
relational Christian mentoring every time He reached out to speak to
individuals or when He specifically reached out to help an individual in need. Although
Christ may not have personally known the individuals that He reached out to
help, He was guided by His Father and His love for His created humans in all
that He did. We, too, can be guided by the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit
when it comes to reaching out to help others. We must also allow our Christian love to have precedence in our lives of service to others. We just need to pray for
direction and then focus on having a generous heart filled with Christian love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Christ
came to earth to give us Salvation and to teach us how to love each other.
Christ showed us the type of love that is sacrificial. Christ also gave us His
love and help even knowing that others were watching Him and wanting to stop Him by
killing Him. Indeed, when we read the Bible and look at the individuals that
Christ reached out to help, we quickly discover that He was giving us examples
of many different types of needs that humans have, along with examples of the
caring and love that He expressed for strangers as He met the different needs of
each individual. Christ was God incarnate and was being directed by His Father,
so Christ knew that we would also need help in knowing when and how to reach
out to others in need. That is why Christ has given every true Christian the indwelling
Holy Spirit to guide us and to show us when and how to reach out to other
individuals in need. We just need to listen to the Holy Spirit. God has also given us many Scriptures to help us meditate
and reflect upon what God has asked us to do. The following are just a few of
those Scriptures:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“<b><i>And
do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.</i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">– (Hebrews 13: 16. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“<b><i>Whenever
you are able, do good to people who need help</i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">– (Proverbs 3: 27. NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“<b><i>When
we have an opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give
special attention to those who are in the family of believers</i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">– (Galatians 6: 10. NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">“<b><i>In
everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the
weak, remember the words of Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to
give than to receive</i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">– (Acts 20:
15. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">My Christmas Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dear
Lord, I come before You to glorify and honor You. Please help me to be a
generous person now and all year long. Help me to be a person who loves others
the way that You would have me love them. Please help me to honor You in all my
giving. I know that true joy is found in giving, whether it is the giving of my
time, my knowledge, my love, or my money to help another who has less than I
do. Lord, please help me to focus throughout the year on giving and on sharing
what you have graciously given to me. You have blessed me Lord in so many ways,
and I thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me. Now, I want to
bless others, especially by blessings them with the Gospel message. So, at this
joyous Christmas time of the year, please help me speak out to share the
Christmas story and your gift of Salvation with anyone who needs to hear it. Lord,
make me bold for You! Make my heart generous and full of love! Teach me to
follow the example of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in sacrificial giving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Lord,
I also pray that the millions of Christian women throughout the world will
reach out to share the Gospel message with other women and family members. I
pray that they, too, will be generous with their love and generous in their Christian
service for you. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
ask all these things in Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Learning More About Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">The book, <u><b>The Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b></u> by Vicky Lynn Thomas is an easy read, as it explains the importance of women mentoring other women in service to the Lord. ARCM expresses our Christian faith through personal action by the giving of our time and energy to help another woman. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">This book also makes a great Christmas present or Birthday present for another Christian woman who likes to read. It has true stories of Christian mentoring as well as true biblical stories about mentoring that show how easy it is to reach out and be there to help another woman. The book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, iTunes, Google Play and through Christian Faith Publishing Co.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">The following is the link to Amazon:</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring">https://www.amazon.com/Three-Strand-Active-Relational-Christian-Mentoring/dp/1635753007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511818396&sr=8-1&keywords=The+three+strand+cord+of+active+relational+christian+mentoring</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-59639304541187948672017-11-28T10:45:00.002-08:002017-11-28T10:45:23.308-08:00The Power of Prayer<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkC2KztfETwD-J8Pk8xjFuA5TFC8fUo_Awds-RmLXMq5HBCFPAwO8AAHpbICWx7BnYfzWdmPG3ah0Dk7D5MJciXwCLrn1xMBqnzHOFsfRmTiv3Mx08QXZ708VhVyFuRBg0A1ai-OwUvs/s1600/holding-hands-752878_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1280" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkC2KztfETwD-J8Pk8xjFuA5TFC8fUo_Awds-RmLXMq5HBCFPAwO8AAHpbICWx7BnYfzWdmPG3ah0Dk7D5MJciXwCLrn1xMBqnzHOFsfRmTiv3Mx08QXZ708VhVyFuRBg0A1ai-OwUvs/s320/holding-hands-752878_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“<b><span style="color: #7030a0;">More things are
wrought by prayer than this world dreams of …</span></b>”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(Alfred Lord Tennyson)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
liberal media, non-believers, and atheists have suddenly taken the opportunity
to publicly ridicule prayer and anyone who states that they will pray for
another person. Why is this outspoken ridicule and disbelief occurring in such
numbers? Personally, I believe that the devil knows that his time is coming to
an end, so he is using every means possible to defame Christians and hurt them.
In fact, it is amazing just how desperate the devil has become to keep the blinders
on those who do <u>not</u> believe in God so they will never believe. For, the
devil does not want non-Christians to come to know God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The result of the devil’s effort to blind
non-believers from the truth is that many of those whom he has turned against
God are also unwittingly willing to work for the devil. Oh, they may never
think that they are working for the devil, but when they circumvent the truth
in order to reap their own agenda that is exactly what they are doing. For
example, many atheists are not only desperate to get rid of the Christian faith
any way that they can, but they are willing to do the devil’s bidding to
ridicule anyone who believes in God or anyone who shows their faith in God
through worship or prayer. Other non-believers refuse to believe the truth,
because they have bought into the lies of the devil which are espoused by the
non-believers throughout this world. Still others, though, have never heard the
truth and the devil wants to keep it that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some
particular non-believers, and especially atheists who have succumbed to the
lies of the devil, constantly work hard to turn other people away from God.
They tell untruths about Christians and their faith, and they have become
misinformed by professors and theologians of other religions who espouse false
religions. Moreover, these converts to untruths and their willingness to accept
falsehoods, fear that if they don’t do something to ridicule and get rid of the
Christian faith that it will somehow intrude into their own lives. There is no
live and let live in their eyes. Consequently, many non-Christian liberals and dedicated
atheists do not want to allow other people to believe in or worship God even if
they wish to do so. They want to take away the freedom of the Christian
religion even as they support false religions where they can. To accomplish
this goal they disparage, belittle, defame and vilify all Christians in
whatever manner that fits a particular situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-color: white;">(</span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="background-color: white;">I</span><span style="background-color: white;"> have again broken down this post into sections for those of you who do not have time to read the entire post in one setting. Take your time and digest each section slowly. I hope you enjoy reading this post because it has a great deal to tell you about the power of prayer. I would also like to apologize for not getting this post out sooner, but I had surgery and was sick for the greater part of November. I will try to do better in the future. Thank you for your patience and your willingness to keep reading my blog.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;">)</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Current Catalyst
for Defaming Prayer <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
prime example of again disparaging Christians occurred shortly after the latest
shooting tragedy that occurred in November this year. The shooting happened in a
small Texas town where twenty-six church attendees were killed and other church
members were terribly hurt. Although this shooting was an evil incident that
was committed by a psychotic, evil, and angry individual, the incident was immediately
used by the devil to stir up dissention and ridicule Christians. Unfortunately,
the devil accomplished his goal of giving non-believers and disparagers of the
truth the opportunity to belittle Christians by whispering in the ears of
non-believers and atheists to publicly ridicule the idea of praying for those who
lost loved ones or for praying for those in need. These liberal non-believers
and atheists, who do not believe in prayer, don’t want others to believe in
prayer or to use prayer to pray for those in need. They also wanted the whole world
to know that they think prayer is useless and silly, so they were given air
time by the media to express their disbelief and ridicule. How sad! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Christians
know that the time is coming when many people will no longer be able to tell
the difference between right and wrong or between truth and falsehoods, because
they will have chosen to follow the un-righteous ones and other false religions.
We are seeing the beginnings of this prophesied time period now, as we watch on
television and the internet people telling lies to promote their own agenda and
power structure. But it isn’t just the media that is telling lies. There are
also some powerful people in Washington and around the country telling lies to
get what they want. Some of these lies are even told to bring down other people
whom they do not want in power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Consequences of
Not Heeding and Believing the Truth <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
we study the God’s Word, we will realize that God has forewarned people
throughout history and during specific time periods about the falling away of
people from the truth of God. In fact, long ago, the prophet Isaiah was told by
the Lord to tell His people this: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">You will hear My
words, but you will not understand. You will see what I do but you will not
perceive its meaning. <u>Harden the hearts of these people. Close their ears,
and shut their eyes. That way they will not see with their eyes, hear with
their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn to me for healing</u></span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Isaiah 6: 10)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. And that was just what occurred. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
times throughout history, people have refused to believe the truth of God. And
from biblical history, which is recorded in God’s Word, we can know that God
will again harden the hearts of those who refuse to open their eyes and ears or
to refuse to understand with their hearts that they need to turn to God. In
fact, centuries after Isaiah, the Apostle John, wrote that even with the
witnessed miracles of Jesus that many people still refused to believe that
Jesus Christ was the Son of God. How could that be? They saw the miracles first
hand. Well, to explain their lack of belief the Apostle John quoted from the
book of Isaiah, which we can read in John 12: 38-40. For, what the Lord had once
told Isaiah centuries before about hardening the hearts of people who refused
to believe in Him was being written about again by the Apostle John in order to
explain why these people also refused to believe. Now, here we are centuries
later, and we still see that many people refuse to believe in Jesus Christ
despite the evidence, the Holy Spirit’s voice calling to them, and the Word of
God given to them to substantiate Christ as the living Son of God. Their hearts
have been hardened.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why
do so many people fail or refuse to believe in God and His Son? Well just as in
times past, God continues to “<i>harden the
hearts of people, to close their eyes, and to shut their ears so they can’t
turn to Him for healing</i>”. Certainly, this <u>does not mean</u> that God prevents
people from coming to Him or that He prevents them from believing in Christ. Rather,
<b><u>God simply confirms their own free
will choice to not believe</u></b>, which results in the eventual hardening of their
hearts. For, over the years, the Holy Spirit has called and called to them, and
God has put evidence in front of them of His existence, but instead of
believing in God they have chosen <u>not</u> to believe in God and to <u>not</u>
believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Instead they have chosen to believe the
lies of those who don’t want God and Christ to be known. Therefore, God gives
them exactly what they wish, which is to have nothing to do with Him. He then simply
closes their hearts, eyes, and ears from His presence and the calling of the
Holy Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Between
the devil’s devious ways of keeping people from the knowledge of God and the many
people just disregarding the Holy Spirit’s call, are those people who have actually
made the personal choice to <u>not</u> believe in God. Unfortunately, many of
these, who call themselves atheists, do not want anyone to believe in God. Since
they have chosen not to believe in God, these atheists do not want others to
believe in God either. Their anger at life makes them want to pull other people
down into their same deep canyon of anger and disbelief. In addition, they
constantly have the help of the devil on their side. Now, with the devil’s
help, these atheists have suddenly now turned their anger against the spiritual
communication Christians use to talk to God, i.e., prayer. They have suddenly
decided to attempt to stop the godly communication of prayer by ridiculing
prayer and by suggesting that if God can answer prayers, then why does He let
people die. Better yet, why did God not stop the shooting in Texas before it
happened? Sadly, they really have no concept of God! Nor, do they have any
concept of why we are living in a fallen world. What about free will? Do they
understand that if God stopped all bad things from happening, we would either
be robots or already living in Heaven? But because of the world that we live in
and because we have free will, we can choose or not choose to pray to God in
belief and ask for His help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even
most non-believers will accept the idea of prayer simply because they have seen
the power of prayer even if they have never prayed. They have seen prayers
answered even if they don’t understand how. But, if the devil can get atheists
and misguided non-believers to publicly ridicule and belittle those who believe
in prayer, perhaps the devil can in the process not only stir up controversy
and dissention, but also keep many non-believers from turning to God during a
time of need. Therefore, if these particular ridiculing non-believers and atheists
are able to get any people to <u>not</u> believe in prayer, then they believe
they have struck a blow against God and His followers, i.e., against Christians.
So, these particular groups of non-believing people are ridiculing, defaming,
and vilifying the concept of prayer to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is prayer?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<b><span style="color: #00b050;">At its deepest
level, prayer is fellowship with God;<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enjoying His company,
waiting upon His will,<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thanking Him for His
mercies…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Listening in silence
for what He has to say to us</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(p. 102. Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011, Franklin Graham)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prayer
is a method of communication with the Most High, i.e., it is communication with
the God of the Universe. Because God is spiritual, we have to use a spiritual
type of communication to talk to Him. That spiritual communication is prayer.
Indeed, this communication brings us closer to the One who created us. In fact,
prayer specifically communicates with God through Jesus Christ the Son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
can pray short prayers like in a moment of panic when we lose control of our
car. In that case we may just yell out, “God save me!” or “God help me!” For those of us who have prayed those types
of prayers, we know that God answers right away. At other times, we may say a
short prayer for someone who is sick or we may pray for understanding of a particular
situation. Those types of prayers are to be sent up to God through Jesus
Christ, the Son, and may or may not be answered immediately. For, we have
learned that God’s answers to our prayers may be “no”, “yes”, or “not at this
time.” However, remember that God sees the past, present, and future all at the
same time, so He knows when something needs to be done right away or if it
needs to be accomplished in the future or not at all. But above all, God always
has His children’s best interest at heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
also need to remember that we all have free will to live in this world as we
see fit. So, some of the things that we get ourselves into have nothing to do
with God. Rather people have allowed the temptations of this world to entice them
or they have simply made a bad decision. Of course, succumbing to temptations
can cause some people to get themselves into serious problems, especially if
they make a wrong decision. But, God has given us His laws and commandments to
guide us in making right decisions. He has also given us the Holy Spirit to
guide us. However, if we fail to adhere to God’s laws and commandments or fail
to listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can get ourselves into big
trouble, because the devil is just waiting for us to make a mistake. Sometimes,
too, the children of God may find themselves looking straight upon an evil
situation that is no fault of their own. In these dire situations, only God
knows what the outcome will be. However, we can rest assured that God has the
best planned for His child, even if that means that His child is suddenly called
home to live with Him. For God has said, “<span style="color: #00b0f0;">I know
the plans that I have for you. … They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.</span>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-- (Jeremiah 29: 11. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At
other times, like after I was struck by a car while in a crosswalk, a person
can have their whole world changed in a moment. However, God can see into the
future, and He knows what you or I can become for the glory of the Kingdom of
God. Moreover, the prayers of family, friends, and fellow Christians can have
an impact on the outcome of any situation. In my case, my life was spared, and
I was able to live a full life for the Lord even though I am handicapped. Yet,
even when we lose a loved one through violence, evil, or just an accident, God
will be there to strengthen us and give us peace and understanding, if we will
trust in Him and pray for His strength to get through the situation. Moreover, God
will never leave one of His children stranded without His love or strength. For,
no one is ever alone if they trust in and believe in Jesus Christ as their
Savior. Indeed, God is always there for His children. God never gives up on us
and we can’t give up on God. We just need to communicate with God through
prayer and talk to Him about not only our needs, but talk to Him and tell Him
how much we love Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Finding a quiet place to fellowship with God <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Longer and more meditative prayers of
communication with God, though, should be said in a quiet place where we can also
listen for the Holy Spirit’s prompting of us on how to pray. By setting aside a
quiet time and place to meditate and focus on communicating with God we are
honoring God and giving Him the respect and glory that He deserves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
movie “The War Room” gives us a wonderful example of why we should find a quiet
place to pray, which is to focus on God. In fact, the Bible tells us that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Luke 5: 16. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Jesus did this to get away from the crowds and to be able
to speak quietly and intently with God, His Father. Actually, it is this quiet
prayer time with God that strengthens us and allows us to hear God’s Words within
our heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Studying the Bible is Necessary for Effective Prayers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Effective
prayers have at their core Bible Study and the acquired knowledge of the Word
of God. This means that for truly effective prayers we are to quote verses from
God’s Word or quote back to God His own words in order to validate that our
prayer is in line with what God wants for us and that we are not asking for
something that goes against God’s values, morals, and laws. For example,
praying specifically to become a millionaire goes against God’s plans for His
children. For that type of selfish prayer means that this person’s desire for
money and what it can buy far outweighs their desire to serve the Lord. In
fact, when a person focuses only on money and acquiring money, there is probably
no room in their heart for God. That is why Jesus specifically told his
disciples and the crowds that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">No one can serve
two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and
despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Matthew 6: 24. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In
order to have effectual prayers, we must also be in obedience with God’s Word.
This means that we must live in obedience to God. Billy Graham tells us that “<span style="color: #00b050;">Obedience is the master key to effectual prayer</span>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(p. 103. Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011 Franklin Graham)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Like a master key that opens all the doors in a house,
obedience is the master key to a fruit producing life that is lived for the
Kingdom of God. In fact, if we are always looking for <u>ways to show our
obedience to God</u>, we will have many blessings bestowed upon us, including
the blessings of answered prayers. Think about this: Why would God answer our
prayers in a positive manner if we are always disobeying God or if we are not
living up to God’s rules and laws. Like any father who loves His children, God
wants to give us blessings. But a father who has to deal with a continually
misbehaving child doesn’t want to give undeserved gifts. God is a good Father
who wants His children to receive gifts from Him. However, He, too, will not
give misbehaving children gifts. So, to receive blessings from God, we must
learn to obey God, love God, and care about how we are living for and serving
the Kingdom of God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Billy
Graham said that you are to “<b><span style="color: #00b050;">pray frequently as you read [the Bible] and you will
discover a fellowship with God.</span></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
(p. 102. Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011 Franklin Graham)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Communication with God provides fellowship with God. Ultimately,
developing that close fellowship with God is the reason for prayer. Yes, we can
pray for ours and other’s needs, but God wants us to desire to spend time with
Him. In fact, God created us to fellowship with Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Remember
how God walked in the Garden with Adam; talking to Adam in the evenings? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(See Genesis 3: 8)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
Well, God would have continued to walk and talk with Adam and Eve in the
evenings in the Garden of Eden had they not disobeyed Him and eaten from <u>the
Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil</u>. But having eaten from that tree
they were kicked out of the Garden for their disobedience and their lack of
trust in God. From that time on the only way to talk to God and fellowship with
God was through prayer. Prayer is our way of communicating with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is important to take the time to pray to God and to be in spiritual fellowship
with Him. For, it is in the process of fellowshipping and listening for God’s
Words that Christians find that they can not only talk to God, but can ask for
God’s help and that He hears their requests. Indeed, Jesus said to His
disciples “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">If you get your life from Me</span>
(meaning that you are Saved)<span style="color: #0070c0;"> and My Words live in
you, ask whatever you want. It will be done for you.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (John 15: 7. NLV)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
Yes, as a child of God’s we know that we can pray and ask God for not only our
needs but also for His help. But, Jesus also told us that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Your
Heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and He will give you all you need
from day to day <u>if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary
concern</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Matthew
6: 33. NLT</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">). So, in living for God and working
for the Kingdom of God we know that we do not have to ask for daily provisions,
because God already knows our needs. However, we can ask for help with our
spiritual needs and with our understanding of situations, and we know that God
will give us what we have asked. But by understanding God’s Word, though, we should
also realize how our desires and our needs should always relate to God’s Word. One
of the things that we need to understand from God’s Word is that “faith” is an
important part of believing in God, in living for Him, and in praying to Him.
It is also an important part in our obedience to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Asking in Faith and Obedience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
Bible tells us that our prayers must be offered up to God in faith! That is, we
cannot pray <b><u>not</u></b> believing
that God will answer our prayer and then expect to get what we have asked in
prayer. To <b><u>not</u></b> believe that
we will receive what we have asked for in prayer means that God will not answer
our prayers because we do not have faith that He will answer our prayer. In
fact, Jesus told his disciples: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Have faith in
God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you and
throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that is required
is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You
can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">--
(Mark 11: 22-24. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. The type of prayer that Christ is
talking about here is prayer for the fruitfulness of the Kingdom of God and it
has to be prayed in faith. Although it may seem impossible for a mountain to be
moved into the sea, Christ used this illustration to show the disciples that
God can do anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
would also have to be a prayer of obedience as well. This means that there are certain
conditions that would need to be met for God to answer such a prayer. First and
foremost, the person praying would have to be a believer, i.e., he/she would
have to be “Saved”. Secondly, the believer could not pray with selfish motives.
In other words, just saying to the mountain to move into the sea because he/she
just wanted it to happen or to show off to another person would certainly not lend
itself to receiving an answer to this prayer. For the one praying would <u>not</u>
be in obedience with God’s will. Next, such a request in prayer must be for the
good of the Kingdom of God. In other words, praying for a mountain to be moved
would have to ultimately benefit the Kingdom of God before God would answer
such a prayer, and only God knows when something like that would be a benefit
to His Kingdom. Finally, when we pray, we cannot have a grudge against another
person or have failed to ask for their forgiveness if needed or failed to have given
forgiveness to another if needed. If we can’t forgive someone or can’t ask
forgiveness of another how can we expect God to grant our prayer request. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of
course, as in the above example, we should remember that our prayers must be
motivated by God’s interest in our lives and not motivated solely for our own
interest. For example, when Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying to
His Father to take “the cup of suffering” from Him, Jesus said: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Abba Father” … ‘everything is possible for you. Please
take this cup of suffering away from Me. <u>Yet, I want Your will, not mine</u></span></i></b>.’”
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Mark 14: 36. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Just like Christ, we can pray for our own desires, but we
should always want God’s will for our life above our own desires for our life.
Remember, that God wants good things for each of His children. Therefore, to be
in obedience to God’s will, we must always look inside our hearts to see if we
are truly focused on God’s desires and not our own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No
matter what we are asking for in prayer, we must remember that prayer is not
just about getting things from God. Prayer is about spending time with God and
about glorifying and honoring God. That should always be the first part of our
prayers and it should be the last part of our prayers. Moreover, focusing on
God’s Word, focusing on obedience to God and having faith in everything that
God does, gives us a well-rounded time of spiritual communication with God.
But, without Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we could not even come before
God in prayer and expect it to be answered. For, it is Christ who takes our
prayers and petitions before His Father. Christ is our advocate and He is the
One who makes all requests on our behalf. What a glorious God that we have!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Even
though mankind was banned from the Garden of Eden and from walking in communication
with God each day, God gave us a way to spend time with Him, i.e., he gave us the
ability to spend time with Him in prayer. God planned this process of spiritual
communication through Jesus Christ, His Son, eons ago. In fact, God first
foretold of His Son coming to earth to give people a hope and understanding way
back in the book of Genesis. Then through subsequent prophets God continued to foretell
of Christ coming to earth for our salvation. When the time was finally right years
later, God fulfilled His promise of sending His Son to earth to die for our sins
but then to arise from the grave conquering eternal death for those who would believe
upon Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
devil was afraid of Christ and tried to get rid of Him. Although the devil had
told lies on Christ and had convinced the Pharisees to crucify Him, the devil ultimately
lost, for Christ arose from the grave conquering eternal death and in the
processing giving every human a chance to believe on the living Son of God. Now
it is through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that every “Saved” person can have
their prayers heard by the father through Christ, the Son. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
devil cannot stand the fact that God gave humans a way to spend communication time
with Him every day and every moment if we are willing to take the time to pray.
So, the devil continues to try to keep people away from communication or prayer
with God. He continually tries to defame and ridicule Christians any way that
he can including most recently to ridicule Christian’s prayers. But, remember
that the devil can’t and won’t win. So, don’t let anyone belittle your ability
to pray. Don’t let anyone cause you to feel ridiculed or bad because you pray
to God. They are the unfortunate ones. They are the ones who are missing out on
knowing the greatest God and Savior and of knowing the greatest peace and love
a person can feel through the salvation received through Jesus Christ, the
Savior. Instead, continue to pray to God in Jesus’ Name. Continue to pray in
faith and believing that God will answer your needs!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you know Christ as Your
Savior?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you don’t know Christ as your Savior, take the time to pray. Ask Christ to
forgive your sins. Tell Him that you really believe that He is the living Son of
God risen from the grave. Then, ask Christ to come into your heart and cleanse
it from all sin. If you truly believed and if you truly meant what you said,
you are Saved. You just need to do one other thing. You need to tell a friend,
family member, or even a stranger that you are Saved! For, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus as Lord’, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for
with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the
mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– (Romans 10: 9-10. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
is Salvation power in this prayer to God! I hope that you take the opportunity to
reach out to God and through prayer ask for His free gift of mercy and grace. You
will never regret it. May God Bless each of you! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-34047411466368752402017-10-21T16:00:00.000-07:002017-10-21T16:00:19.087-07:00Storing Up Treasures in Heaven<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our Real Treasures Come from the Investments that We Make for Eternity</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All
people have treasures that they have acquired in this life. Some of those
treasures are worth a lot while other treasures are only worth something to the
one that has acquired them. What kind of treasures have you acquired here on
earth? Well, your treasures may be varied, from gold, cars, houses, boats,
money, etc. to something that only you would cherish. In fact, there are many different types of treasures
that we can acquire in our lifetime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, we also
live in a world where many of the material things that we acquire are not only
fleeting, but disposable. Indeed, nothing seems to be forever, and most things
such as refrigerators, cars, couches, washers and dryers and small appliances
will not even last for twenty years. In other words, we live in a disposable
society. So, even with all the treasures you may acquire and all the money that
you may make while on your earthly journey, your treasures can disappear in an
instant. Indeed, most people find that they will experience some loss, at some
time or another, of at least one or two of the things they have acquired during
their life journey. Others may lose all their material wealth and have to start
all over again. The fact is, though, that all the material things in this life are fleeting. They
certainly will not last throughout eternity, because we can’t take our earthly
treasures with us when we die. Furthermore, many people will lose their earthly wealth even
before they die, because no matter how much a person tries to accumulate, rarely
does life go the way that they planned for it to go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
so many things that can happen to our accumulated wealth. Many people face such
things as stolen vehicles, homes that are flooded from hurricanes and storms,
buildings that fall down from earthquakes and tornadoes, or they accidentally just lose something they prized. In addition, many people also face the loss of personal
items from theft. All these unexpected situations, losses, and many other difficulties
that are faced within the process of accumulating wealth makes our Lord’s
admonition to <b><u>not </u></b>store up
treasures on earth or to <b><u>not</u></b> put
our trust in this earth’s wealth become very significant or meaningful to us. Moreover,
Christ as told us that we cannot serve two masters. Specifically, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… You cannot serve God and wealth</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Luke
16: 13. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In
addition to the normal acquisition of wealth, we have all heard of those who
hoard wealth and of those individuals who can’t seem to get enough money to
satisfy themselves. But, no matter how much money or treasures that people
accumulate, material wealth is only temporary. For, someday we will all die and
when we do we certainly can’t take our money or possessions with us into the
next life. We know this because we can't take our wealth and put it in the grave and then expect it to go where our souls go. Furthermore, Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of not
being able to take our earthly possessions with us as stated within a parable that
He told about what happens to the one whose life is based upon greed and
hoarding. Indeed, Christ’s parable enlightens us about the true treasures of
life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Parable</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
book of Luke, it is recorded that while Jesus was out in a crowd, i.e., surrounded
by people, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Someone in the crowd said to Him (Jesus),
‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’… Then He
(Jesus) said to them (the crowd), ‘Beware, and be on your guard against every
form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of
his possessions.’ And He told them this parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich
man was very productive. And He began to reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What
shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is
what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I
will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you
have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and
be merry.’”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“But God said to
him, ‘You fool! <u>This very night your soul is required of you</u>; and <u>now
who will own what you have prepared</u>? ‘So is the man who stores up treasure
for himself, and not rich toward God.’ And He (Jesus) said to His disciples,
“For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you
will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. “For life is more than
food, and the body more than clothing. … For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also.”</span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Luke 12: 13-23, 34. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We learn
from this parable that whatever you focus upon is where your heart is. Whatever you focus on becomes your treasure. However, only God is worthy of your focus. Only God is
worthy of your heart! Moreover, no one can serve two masters at the same time.
For, only one will have your true attention and your heart. So, who will you serve?
Will you serve God or your desire to acquire earthly treasure?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Does Happiness Come from Earthly Treasures?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How many
times have people thought to themselves: if only I could just have a better job
and more money, if only I could have a bigger house, if only I could have
designer clothing, if only I could have a boat and vacation home, if only I
could have that really expensive car, or if only I could travel around the world
and buy whatever I want, then I would be happy. But these types of material
things or treasures here on earth will not make us happy. In fact, many wealthy
people who have acquired these treasures or the things that they want are in reality extremely unhappy. That is because
they have not found what really makes a person happy. Do you know what will
finally make you happy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
answer to that question is Jesus Christ. It is the love of God and His Son,
Jesus Christ, that makes humans happy. For, it is only through God’s love and
Christ’s ultimate sacrifice that we can be forgiven of our sins and receive
peace, joy, and happiness forever. The Christian’s true treasure is Salvation. Salvation
is the treasure that we can take with us to Heaven. However, Christians can
store up even more treasures in Heaven by sharing the Gospel message and by
living for the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
material things or the wealth that we store up here on earth are <b><u>not</u></b> transferrable to Heaven.
Moreover, these earthly treasures <b><u>cannot</u></b>
truly make us happy here on earth, because they only bring temporary moments of
happiness. In fact, our hearts know that earthly treasures cannot bring us true
peace and happiness. Moreover, earthy treasures and material wealth can only
give us momentary happiness and a false sense of security. But still we think that by acquiring material
wealth we will somehow get that sense of peace, happiness and security. In
reality, we were created to live for God who is the provider of all happiness, joy
and security. God is the only One who can give us peace, joy and security which
will last for eternity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Material
wealth is not lasting; it is temporary. Only what God enables us to do for
others will last both now and throughout eternity. In other words, <u>only what
we do for the Kingdom of God is lasting</u>. This means that when we give of
our time and resources: to become an <u>Active Relational Christian Mentor</u>,
to disciple another Christian, to share the Gospel message with a non-Christian,
to visit the lonely, to visit those in prison, or to help those in need, we are
actually storing up treasures in Heaven. For Jesus said, “<b><i><u><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth</span></u><span style="color: #00b0f0;">, <u>where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break
in and steal</u>. <u>But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;
for where your treasure is there your heart will be also</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Matthew 6: 19-21. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everything
material on this earth is fleeting. <u>Only what we do for Christ and others
will last</u>. Therefore, Christians need to shift their thoughts from
self-centered thinking to “<b>other-thinking</b>”.
What is “other-thinking”? Well, it is when we think about what we can do to
help another human in some manner or another. It is when we share the Good News
with someone who has never heard of Christ or Salvation. It is when we share a
talent, gift, or some specific information that can empower another person to
be all that they can be for God, themselves, their family, and their friends. “<b>Other-thinking</b>” is loving your neighbor
as you love yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Becoming a World-Class Christian<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What is a
world-class Christian? It is a Christian who focuses on Christ and on living
for Him as they follow His commandments to share the Gospel message with
others. But, in order to become a world-class Christian, we have to first
become an “<b>other-thinker</b>.” The
Apostle Paul explained “<b>other-thinking</b>”
best when he said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I don’t think about what would be good for
me, but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Corinthians 10: 33. GWT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. How
often do you think about someone else’s salvation? How often do you think about
sharing the Gospel with another person? For unless you are not only thinking
about sharing the Gospel, but are also actually doing so, you are <b><u>not</u></b> storing up treasures in
Heaven. In fact, by <b><u>not</u></b>
sharing the Gospel, by <b><u>not</u></b>
mentoring or helping other people who are in need, by <b><u>not</u></b> visiting those who are sick and in prison, and by <b><u>not</u></b> living out daily your
salvation for others to see, you are wasting your opportunity to acquire
heavenly treasures and you certainly are not allowing Christ’s light to shine
through you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A Christian’s Mission <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once we
give our lives to Christ and are re-born as a new person who sees the world
through Christ’s eyes, we can then see clearly and understand through God’s
Word that we have been given a mission. Actually, born-again Christians have
been given the greatest commission of all. Indeed, that mission gives all true
Christians the chance to participate in <u>the most wonderful and significant
cause in the world</u>. <b>That cause is to
spread the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and His free gift of Salvation to the
entire world</b>. But first we have to not only be reborn into a new person,
but we have to then change our self-centered way of thinking. In fact, it is
actually by changing our self-absorbed way of thinking into “<b>other-thinking</b>” that we can become
world-class Christians who think first of others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul wrote to many of the Christian church congregations that he and
the other Apostles had helped to establish by sharing the Good News of Christ
and teaching the new Christians about living for Christ and others. His
writings to the Corinthians have been divided into the two books of I and II
Corinthians within the Newer Testament. It is in these books and from Paul’s
teaching that we learn that we are to quit thinking like children and start
thinking as mature people. For, Paul said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">My
friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people.”</span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (I Corinthians 14: 20 CEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When we think
like children we become self-absorbed. As Christians who think like children, we
only learn the introductory facts and facets of Christianity, thus failing to
grow and mature as people of faith. So, Paul was saying in the above verse that
Christians must focus on maturing in their faith and focus on their Christian
actions toward others. Part of that maturing process is to change our selfish
way of thinking to “<b>other-thinking</b>.”
In other words, as Christians we are to no longer think the way that the selfish
world thinks, but we are to start thinking as God would have us think. For, God
thinks about love and about helping His children grow and mature in their
faith. So, Christians should also be thinking about loving others, helping
others, and about sharing the most important message that anyone can hear. It
is the message of Salvation through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
Christians still have many of the same needs as non-Christians in that we need
a roof over our heads, food on the table, and clothes on our backs, we should
also be focusing on doing what God wants us to do as we live our earthly life.
Paul explains it this way: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">I don’t think
about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so
that they might be saved.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (I Corinthians 10:33 GWT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul wrote that “‘<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Things which eye
has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of
man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.’ For to us God revealed
them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of
God. … Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is
from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, </span><span style="color: #00b0f0;">which things we also speak, not in words taught by human
wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining the spiritual thoughts
with the spiritual words.</span><span style="color: #0070c0;"> But a natural man
does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.</span></i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(I Corinthians 2: 9-10, 12-14. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As Christians,
i.e., as children of God, we often do not know what God wants us to do.
However, we can actually know what He wants to do in and through us. For, we
have been given the Holy Spirit who indwells each born-again Christian.
Therefore, we can listen to the Holy Spirit, who is privy to all the thoughts
and directions of God. The Holy Spirit will show us the intimacy, power,
freedom, peace, and spiritual blessings that we can receive from following and
obeying the Lord. Moreover, when we seek the Lord, the indwelling Holy Spirit
will enlighten us on God’s purpose and plan for our life through the Word of
God and through Christ who is speaking into our life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We do not
ever have to doubt what God has in store for us, if we just ask, pray, read the
Word, and listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings in our life. It is by walking
with God in a daily relationship with Him that we can discover what He wants us
to do for the kingdom of God and discover the principles that we are to live
by. In other words, we do not have to be afraid of what tomorrow will bring,
even when we suddenly have lost our job, our money, or our ability to maintain
a life-style that we have previously had. For, God has something better in
store for us, if we will just work at storing up treasures in Heaven. Indeed,
God will never forsake His children, but unfortunately, His children have often
forsaken Him. They have failed to store up ever-lasting treasures in Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Heavenly Treasures<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What kind
of Heavenly treasures can Christians receive. Well, they are treasures that
will last an eternity. Furthermore, they are treasures that cannot be stolen,
burned, flooded, or covered up by earthquakes. They are treasures that have to
do with love, caring, kindness, sharing, and the Salvation of others. In fact, the
Bible speaks of these treasures as crowns. For, Christians will receive crowns
in heaven for the things that we have done for God and for others while here on
earth. But, before a person can receive any treasure or crown, he/she must
first be born-again. Indeed, Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… Truly, I say
to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">—
(John 3:3. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But with our re-birth or Salvation comes great
opportunities to store up heavenly treasures. The following is a list of just a
few of the treasures that Christians can lay up in Heaven for their eternity
with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Crown of Life<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
book of James, we learn that faith without works is dead faith. In fact, James
puts it this way: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">For just as the body without the spirit is
dead, so also faith without works is dead</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (James 2: 26. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. A
Christian can say that they have faith and believe in Christ as their Savior,
but if they do nothing to work to show the world that Christ is their Savior,
their faith is dead. Indeed, it may not be easy work to tell the world or those
individuals around us that Christ offers Salvation to all who would believe on
Him as the living risen Son of God, but it is something that every Christian is
supposed to do. Moreover, for those who work for the Kingdom of God even though
they are persecuted, there will be a treasured <b>crown</b> awaiting them in Heaven. For the Apostle James says: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he
has been approved, he will receive <u>the crown of life</u> which the Lord has promised
to those who love Him</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (James
1: 12)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
This <b>Crown of Life</b> is a heavenly
treasure or crown for the believer who finds strength to overcome temptation
and who endures trials for the love of God. (See also Romans 5: 3-5).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Wreath Imperishable<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The next
treasure that a Christian can lay up in Heaven is <b>The Wreath Imperishable</b>. We read about this treasure/crown in both I
Corinthians and in the book of Hebrews. In I Corinthians Paul explains this
wreath in terms that the Greeks and Romans would have understood in their day. Because
the athletic games were so important to them, Paul used the Greek games to
illustrate the spiritual race of the believer. The Greeks knew that in the
early Greek games, one must have been born of Greek parents in order to receive
a perishable wreath (usually made out of flowers and greenery) for winning just
one of the games. But, Paul told the Christians that believers will receive an <u>imperishable
wreath</u> or crown for serving the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Only
born-again believers can serve the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but
only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.’ Everyone who
competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to
receive a perishable wreath, <u>but we an imperishable</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Corinthians 9: 24, 25.
NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
However, in order to accomplish much for the Lord and receive <b>an imperishable wreath</b>, we must
continue training in our Christian life just as an athlete would continue to train
for a race. So, like an athlete who trains for games, Christians must train by
studying the Word, meditating on the Word, and praying. Furthermore, we must
continue to pursue and obey the Lord daily and moment by moment. The only way
to accomplish things for the Lord and to serve the Lord is to embrace the
Lord’s purpose for our individual lives and by doing so dedicate our lives to
carrying out His purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later the
author of the book of Hebrews continued this idea of running the race for the
Lord when he stated: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Therefore, since
we have so great a cloud of witnesses, surrounding us, let us also lay aside
every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and <u>let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Hebrews 12: 1. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. For, all
Christians have a race to run for the Lord. But we cannot succeed in this
journey or race unless we give up the passions of this world and focus instead on
eternal treasures and living for the Lord while we are living on this earth. To
get <b>the imperishable wreath</b> we must
focus on loving others as we love ourselves, spreading the Gospel message, and
helping others whenever we can. Furthermore, we must focus on obeying the Lord,
studying God’s Word and staying in communication with the Lord through prayer
in order to stay fit for the race and then winning this <b>imperishable wreath</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Crown of Exultation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The third
treasure that we can look forward to laying up in Heaven is <b>the Crown of Exultation</b>. This is the
soul winner’s crown. The greatest work a Christian will be privileged to do for
the Lord is to bring others to the knowledge of Christ so that person can ask
Christ to be their personal Savior. The result of our leading someone to Christ
brings Christ great joy or exultation. For, Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">My
Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My
disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My
love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. <u>These
things I have spoken to you, that your joy may be made full</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 15: 8-11. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Salvation of even one soul is a cause for joy in Heaven, and our willingness to
share the Gospel message so that a person makes a decision for Christ brings
Christ great joy. For, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">those who have
insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of Heaven, <u>and
those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Daniel 12: 3. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Like
Christ’s disciples, Christians today must do something to share the Gospel
message for the harvest is ready. Jesus put it this way: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">…
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are
white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages </span></i></b>(i.e.,
treasures)<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;"> and is gathering fruit for life eternal; <u>so
that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together</u></span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 4: 35, 36. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In
other words, the soul winner will not rejoice alone, for all of Heaven will
rejoice with him when he receives <b>the
Crown of Exultation</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Crown of Righteousness<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Crown of Righteousness</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> is another of the treasures that a Christian
can receive. This Crown is not to be confused with the righteousness of God
which a gift given to us by God when we are born again. The Crown of Righteousness
is instead a reward to be earned by the saved. If the believer looks forward to
and lovingly anticipates the second coming of Christ, it will affect his/her
whole life. This love for Christ and looking for Christ’s return will lead the
believer to remain steadfast in their faith. In encouraging Timothy, the
Apostle Paul wrote to him and among other things said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">But
you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for
me <u>the Crown of righteousness</u> which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will
award to me on that day, <u>and not only to me, but also to all who have loved
His appearing</u></span></i></b>.” --
(II Timothy 4: 5-8. NASB).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What does
it mean to love the appearing of Christ? Well, it means that Christians must
not detour in our journey for the Lord. We must not look back, but instead finish
the course with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Within our journey we are to keep the
faith and never betray any of the commandments of Christ; looking with a heart
of love toward Jesus’ second coming. In staying focused on Christ and in
fighting the spiritual battles that come against us and Christ, one may receive
<b>the Crown of Righteousness</b>. But,
staying the course and keeping focused entirely on Jesus Christ is not always
easy. For example, we read in the Bible that when a young man said that he
wanted to follow Christ, he suddenly stated, “‘<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I
will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-by to those at home.’
But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God.</span></i></b>’” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Luke
9: 61, 62. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Those may
seem like harsh words, but once a person has committed to Christ as their
Savior, they must focus on living for Him and then fulfill their purpose in
life for Him. Christians cannot give part of our lives to the past and to worldly
pursuits and still live for the Lord. Indeed, the Lord wants us to be so
devoted in our love of Him and in our service to the kingdom of God, that we
will not allow anything or anyone to keep us from obeying Him and fulfilling
our ministry and purpose for the Lord. (See Acts 20: 24-31). Do you love the
Lord so much that you are willing to fulfill your purpose and ministry for the
Lord? If you don’t know what your ministry is, think about and look into the
ministry of <b>Active Relational Christian
Mentoring</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #c00000; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Crown of Glory <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The last
treasure that I will mention today is the Crown of Glory. This reward or
treasure is for the faithful and obedient God-called pastors, deacons, and
elders. The Apostle Peter explains this crown within the book of <u>I Peter</u>.
He says, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Therefore, I exhort the elders among you,
as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker
also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you,
exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the
will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it
over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. <u>And
when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Peter 5: 1-4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
pastors or those that shepherd God’s people such as deacons and elders are
specifically listed as those who can receive <b>the Crown of Glory</b>, every born-again Christian may share in <b>the Crown of Glory</b> by: praying for the
pastor, deacon, or elder; encouraging the pastor, deacon, or elder in the work
of the Lord; giving tithes and offerings (see Malachi 3: 10); and giving freely
of your time to the service of the Lord. For, God delights in our desire to
please Him and to serve Him. By exhibiting eager obedience to God’s
instructions and by fulfilling our purpose for the kingdom of God, we are
showing God just how much we love Him and His gift of Salvation. We are also
storing up treasures in Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In Summary<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you
haven’t thought about storing up treasures in Heaven, it is time to start
thinking about doing so now. Why? Well, we only have so many days allotted to
us here on earth. We only have so many days to spread the Good News of Jesus
Christ before its time for us to go home to be with God. Each of us who are
true born-again Christians should be fulfilling our purpose here on earth which
has many facets. Our purpose is to glorify God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Our
purpose is to also share the Gospel message with as many people as we can. In
addition, our purpose is to help other Christians in their times of need. We
are to also help non-Christians understand who Jesus Christ is, so that they
can someday perhaps make a decision for Christ. But if we think that our
purpose in life is only to store up treasures here on earth, we are going to be
very mistaken, disappointed and surprised when our time is over here on earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How many
people have you shared the gift of Salvation or the Gospel message with? How
many people have you helped in some loving and kind manner while not wanting
anything for yourself in return? How often have you engaged in a ministry of
servanthood that can further the kingdom of God? Think about these questions.
Then, pray that God opens the door for you to help others. You can step forward
to share what you know about Christ with someone who may not have ever heard
the name of Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t that be thrilling? <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b> is just one of the many
servanthood ministries that you can engage in to help others, while it also
gives you many opportunities to store up treasures in Heaven. Mentoring often
opens the door to share the Gospel message. Of course, there are many other
Christian ministries you can choose to engage in, but whichever one you choose,
start today! For, time is running out for all of us to do the work that Christ
has asked us to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you choose to look into <b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b>, you might want to read the book entitled: <i><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring; Women Mentoring Women with Christ at the Center</u></i>.
The author of this book is Vicky Lynn Thomas and the book can be purchased
through Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Christian Faith Publishing Co., iTunes, and
Google Play. This book will give both the individual woman and even church
groups information about mentoring which can then help lead them into
establishing mentoring relationships for the Lord</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. You can do it! You can
Mentor for the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-90119425343582163972017-10-08T20:41:00.000-07:002017-10-08T20:41:18.474-07:00The Sin of Silence<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b050;">The power to proclaim the greatest news in heaven or on
earth was not given to the angels. It was given to redeemed men … Every
Christian is to be a witness; every follower of Christ is to preach the Gospel.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (p. 68. Billy Graham in
Quotes, c. 2011</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sadly, I
have recently learned that ninety percent of Christians have never shared the
Gospel message with anyone. Why are Christians not telling others about the
most wonderful gift, transformation, and forgiveness that can be obtained in
this life? Why are Christians so afraid to tell someone about Christ, but will
not hesitate, in the least, to tell another person their opinion on politics,
on movies, or on their ideas about any other subject that is brought into
conversation? Could it be that we don’t have our priorities established? Could
it be that Christians feel that they have been given a ticket to heaven, but are
now willing to let others find their own way? If that is the case, how sad for those
authentic Christians who are supposed to be living their life for God and His
Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. For, they will one-day have to answer to Christ
when they get to Heaven. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want to
have to tell the Lord that I failed to obey Him when He told us to go and tell
the world about Him and the gift of Salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact,
Christ gave every Christian a commission before He went back to Heaven. Christ
told us through His personal direction to the Apostles to “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Go
then and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything
that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually,
uniformly, and on every occasion), to the very close and the consummation of
the age.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Matthew28:19-20. AMP)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, what part of that commission do Christians
not understand? Oh, we understand, but many Christians are lazy, self-centered,
and fearful, instead of being overcomers who love their neighbors and even
strangers as themselves. For, if we loved others as we love ourselves, we would
want everyone to come to know Christ as their Savior. We would not let fear, self-centeredness, and
possible laziness come between us and our sharing Christ with others. But many
Christians are committing the “<b><i>sin of silence</i></b>”, which is the sin of
not telling others about Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christians Have Three Main Objectives within their Earthly
Journey<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
basically three main objectives that Christians have been given in living for
God. <u>The first objective is to glorify God each and every day</u>. <u>The
second is to tell non-Christians about Jesus Christ and the gift of Salvation</u>.
And <u>the third objective is to help other people, both Christians and
non-Christians</u>, who may need our help in some way or another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Believe
it or not, all three of these objectives are actually intertwined. For, we can glorify
God in many ways, including by following His commandments, by living for Him,
and by sharing His Word with others, to just name a few of the many ways
wherein we can glorify God. But it is the glorification of God by honoring His
commandments, by sharing His Word and by living daily for Him that should lead Christians
right into the fulfillment of the second objective, which is to tell
non-Christians about Christ and the gift of Salvation, so that the un-saved can
hear the Gospel message and can make a decision for Christ when the Holy Spirit
tugs at their heart and calls them to Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally,
the third objective, which is to help other people who are need, is also to be woven
or intertwined within the other two objectives. This third objective is actually
godly servanthood through different services or ministries. One such ministry
is that of <b>Active Relational Christian
Mentoring.</b> There are, however, other personal Christian works or ministries
that will also tie directly into the first two objectives of glorifying God and
sharing the message of Salvation. But no matter which ministry that a Christian
is called to engage in, we are helping others, and at the same time we are shining
the light of Christ upon them. It is during our ministry or our servanthood
that we will be given golden opportunities to speak up and tell someone, who
does not know Christ, about the Good News of Salvation. But if we do not speak
up while we engage in godly servanthood, we are committing the sin of silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The world
can often tell that there is a difference between worldly people and people who
live for Christ. The non-saved individuals should be able to see that Christians
have a special light shining out from them. It is Christ’s light, which resides
in us. With Salvation Christians have the ability to shine Christ’s light upon someone who needs to
understand that God and His Son will always be there for them. Certainly, it is
our Christ-light that enables another person to see that there is something
special about the life of the one who has given their heart to Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ultimately
then, it is through our godly love for another that the lost person can come to
see and understand the love of God given through His Son for them. For, it is
through a Christian’s godly servanthood of love and the shining of their true Christ-light
upon them that a lost person can be see that there is something more they need. When
this occurs, they can then be introduced to the Gospel message. Remember, that our
Christian actions along with the verbalization of the God’s Truth can slowly open
a heart to hearing the Gospel message of Salvation. God is then glorified when
honor Him by sharing of the Gospel message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We Were Created to Glorify God and were created for God’s
Pleasure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let’s
take a moment to look a little closer at the first objective or purpose of all
Christians; which is to glorify God. The Bible tells us that, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">God has planted [his people] like strong and graceful
oaks <u>for His own glory</u></span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Isaiah 61:3. LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Later, David, in one of His prayers or psalms
says: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">All nations whom You have made shall come
and fall down before You, O Lord; and <u>they shall glorify Your Name</u>. For You are great and work wonders! You alone
are God</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm
86: 9-10. AMP)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. These are only a couple of verses in the Bible that talk
about our responsibility to glorify God. There are many more verses about
glorifying the Lord. We are also told that eventually “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">… all
the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Numbers 14:21. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God’s
Word also tells us that God created us for His pleasure. We know this because
we can again read in the Bible about what God had in mind when He created us.
In fact, one of the most profound verses about being created for God’s pleasure
is within the last book of the Bible where we are told that, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">You, God, created everything, and <u>it is for your
pleasure</u> that they exist and were created.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- Revelation 4: 11. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In addition,
we can read in the Psalms that “<b><i><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">God takes
pleasure</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;"> in those who honor Him; in
those who trust in His constant love</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Psalm
147: 11. TEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Moreover, “<span style="color: #00b0f0;"><b>the Lord takes
pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.</b></span>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm 149: 4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Indeed, I
believe that God smiles down upon those people who truly love Him, truly trust
in Him, and who are willing to obey Him without reservation. I believe that God
also smiles upon those who remember to praise Him for all the blessings that He
bestows upon them. In other words, we are to continually praise God and thank
Him for Who He is and for all the blessings that we receive, no matter how
small a blessing. For the psalmist said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Let
the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You.</span></i></b>”
– (Psalm 67: 5. NASB). We can also be assured that God takes pleasure in the
people He created, for within the book of Psalms we are told specifically that
God “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">… has lifted up a horn for His people, Praise for all His
godly ones; Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord</span></i></b>”. -- (Psalm 148: 14. NASB). But who are God’s
people?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Originally,
God created all of mankind to be His people. But, early on, starting with Adam
and Eve, mankind in general rejected God. Many people even went so far as to
worship false gods, denigrating the One and Only True God. So, God chose a
specific group of people, i.e., the Israelites, who are known as the Jewish
people, to be His representatives to the world. For, it was through a man named
Abraham, who on His own recognized the One and Only True God, that God chose to
make Himself known. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Through
Abraham’s seed the nations of the world would be blessed. In fact, it was
through His grandson Jacob, whom God later chose to rename Israel, that the Israelite
people multiplied and became a nation. First, though, they lived in a foreign
nation for hundreds of years and were then eventually forced into slavery. But,
God heard their cries and sent a man named Moses to rescue the people. In doing
so, these people were not only shown the power and glory of God, but they were
given many blessings as well. Even so, they could not seem to live up to God’s
holy standards. They could not live up to the holy standards of Truth and
morality even when given specific laws to follow. But, in being the loving,
kind God that He is, God heard their cries and chose to save them. He not only
rescued them, but God, through the Israelites, decided to give all other
peoples on the face of the earth a way to know Him too, which included an offer
to spend eternity with Him. So, what did God do? Well, God sent His Only Son,
Jesus Christ, to earth to tell the Israelites of God’s Truth, mercy and grace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately,
the Israelites did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God, so they crucified
Him. But, Jesus Christ died for all our sins. However, it didn’t end there, for
Christ arose from the grave and conquered eternal death for all, i.e., for all
those who will believe on Jesus Christ as the living Son of God. For, no one
who believes on Christ as the risen living Son of God will have to face eternal
death and damnation. This is the Gospel message and the message of Salvation!
The Jewish people who believed in Christ soon spread the Gospel message far and
wide. They did not keep silent! Moreover, God also offered all Gentiles
eternal life too, if they believed on Christ as the risen and living Son of
God. In fact, anyone who repents of their sins and asks Christ in their heart can be saved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, the
Bible also tells us that even before Abraham recognized the One and Only God and
even before Adam and Eve fell from the Garden of Eden, that God had made plans
to save His people from eternal death and damnation. Even back in the Garden of
Eden, God knew what Adam and Eve would do, so He had already decided that He would
send His Only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die for our, i.e., mankind’s sins
so that on believing on Christ as the risen and living Son of God, a person
could be saved. God would not only give us mercy from eternal death or
destruction, but He would give us grace as well. Indeed, the Scriptures tell us that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Because
of His love God had already decided that <u>through Jesus Christ He would make
us His children</u> – <u>this was His pleasure and purpose</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Ephesians 1: 5. TEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Then, as believing children, who have given
their life to Jesus Christ and who now attempt to live for Christ daily by
living for God and expressing their love of others, we are now His eternal
children. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As believing and saved children we have a major purpose in life,
which is to tell people everywhere of our Savior, Jesus Christ. <i><u>We are not to be silent</u></i>, but are
to tell other people of the Gospel message every chance we get. Indeed, one of
the easiest ways to tell others about Christ is to develop <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b> relationships. For, as God’s
children, we can honor, glorify, and pleasure God by doing what He has asked us
to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As God’s
children, we are to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Obey God gladly</span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0;">.</span>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Psalm 100:2. LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In
fact, Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">If you love me, you will obey my
commandments</span></i></b><span style="color: #00b0f0;">.</span>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 14: 15. TEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. One of
those commandments is to love others as we love ourselves and in so doing to
share the Gospel message with everyone we encounter. Furthermore, in the book
of James, we are told that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">We please God by
what we do and not only by what we believe.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (James 2: 24. CEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. With just
these two scriptures it easy to see that obedience brings God pleasure, honor
and glory. Furthermore, it is through our obedience that more and more people
will come to know Christ as their Savior. So, why are Christians not sharing
the Gospel message with other people? Why are born-again Christians committing <b><u>the sin of silence</u></b>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What sets Christians Apart from the Rest of Humanity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As His
children, God wants us to not only worship Him and glorify Him, but we are to
be <b><i>passionate</i></b>
in and about our worship of Him. In other words, we are to be <b><i>committed</i></b>
in our worship of Him. We are to dedicate our life to not only living for God
and His Son, but our objective or goal should be to share Christ with others. We
<b><u>are not</u></b> to be silent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, what
does it mean to be <u>passionate and committed</u> in our worship of God? Well,
it means that whatever we do in life, we are to keep our focus on God. We are
make every activity that we engage in to somehow become an act of worship of
the Lord. In other words, we are to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Praise God from
sunrise to sunset</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">.</span></i>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm
113: 3. LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. And whatever activity or job that we are engaged in, we are
to transform that activity or job into an act of worship which will then
praise, honor, glorify, and pleasure God. This act of praise and worship of God
should set Christians apart from the rest of humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Apostle
Paul explained to us that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">… whether you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Corinthians 10: 31. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In
other words, we are to be representatives and ambassadors for Christ every day
of our lives so that God gets all the glory. This attitude and our daily actions
are so important to the Christian life that the Apostle Paul gave this same
admonition in another way when he again told the Colossians: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for men.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Colossians 3:23. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, our personal work, our personal servanthood,
and our personal living including our godly servanthood that includes such
things as Christian mentoring should be accomplished or lived out daily with a
heart that wants the Lord to receive all the glory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christians are set apart from the
rest of humanity by the love that they have for each other and by the love they
have for God and His Son, Jesus Christ</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. We are set apart from
the rest of humanity by our desire to love others as we love ourselves. We are
set apart from the rest of humanity by focusing on love rather than focusing on
evil. Yes, Christians can still make mistakes and unfortunately some may succumb
to doing something that is not approved by God. Yes, we can succumb to devil’s
implantation of negative and hateful thoughts, which we can then act upon.
However, if we do something wrong, we can truly repent and be forgiven. But, if
we focus on living for God each moment of our lives, there is less chance of
succumbing to such negative or sinful things. For, on the whole, Christians who
truly are “born-again” and who focus on living their life daily for the Lord,
do not commit evil, hateful, non-caring, thoughtless acts that can hurt other
people. In fact, authentic Christians truly focus on obedience to God, on worship
of God, on servanthood toward God and others, and on loving others as they love
themselves. Indeed, part of loving others, means having a desire to help others
or be there for another person when they need our help, and we can do this
through godly servanthood. Part of that godly servanthood is to tell others
about Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Any time
that we glorify, honor, live for, and worship God, we are giving God pleasure.
God’s pleasure comes from seeing our daily worship of Him in so many different
ways. How wonderful it is to be able to worship God in even the smallest of activities.
Unfortunately, there are times when we all fail miserably in our worship of the
Lord. That is because we allow our personal selfishness to interfere in our
worship of the Lord. If only we could take each ordinary day, whether we are
eating or sleeping, going to work, helping a friend, mentoring, or sharing the
Gospel message, and use our life as a way of honoring and glorifying God. If
only we could focus on giving God pleasure by sharing the Gospel message with
others. The godly servanthood of <b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b>, not only helps others, but it can also be a
way of sharing the Gospel message with another. This type of servanthood along
with many other types of servanthood or ministries, glorifies and honors God.
And if we share the Gospel message with others we are <b><u>not</u></b> committing the sin of silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Giving God Pleasure through the Sharing of the Gospel Message<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whether
it is sharing the Gospel through <b>Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</b>, or simply sharing the Gospel when talking to
a stranger, Christians have been endowed with the ability to present the Gospel
message to others who need to know Christ as their Savior. In fact, as
previously mentioned, the second objective or purpose in being a Christian, or
child of God’s, is to glorify God through the sharing of the Gospel message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously,
pleasing God should be our first purpose in life, but we need to figure out how
we can please God daily. It is through reading the Word of God that we can
discover what pleases God. For, it is in reading the Bible that we discover
that God is pleased with us when we love Him completely and supremely, when we
trust him faithfully, when we obey Him wholeheartedly, and when we praise Him
continually throughout the day and within our prayers. Did you know that “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">God has shaped each person in turn; now he watches
everything we do</span></i></b>.”? </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm
33: 15. The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, it is up to us to bring God pleasure and to
please Him with our actions and our heart as He watches everything that we do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Helping Other People in Need and Sharing the Gospel Message<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have you
shared the Gospel message of Salvation with anyone? Is anyone going to Heaven
because you stepped up to the plate and gave your all as you told them about
Christ? Some of us will be able to say that we have been the catalyst in
someone listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in their heart. In other
words, we can say that we have shared the truth about Christ. That is all that
we are expected to do. Then it is up to the Holy Spirit to draw that person to
Christ. We do not save anyone, but we have been <b><u>commissioned</u></b> with sharing of the Good News with other
people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high
calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, <u>God’s instruments to
do His work and speak out for Him to tell others of the night-and-day
difference He made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to
accepted</u></span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0;">.</span>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I Peter 2: 9-10 The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes,
it takes several times of “sharing” the Gospel message before a person really
pays attention to the Holy Spirit’s call. In fact, William Fay in his book, <b><u>Share Jesus Without Fear</u></b>, says
that it takes an average of just over seven times of someone hearing the Gospel
message before that person finally acknowledges the Holy Spirit’s calling.
Remember, as a Christian, we are to explain the Gospel message as many times
as the Holy Spirit asks us to do so. It is then up to the person who hears the Gospel
message as to whether he/she will acknowledge the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Jesus said, ‘A man’s heart determines his speech</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Matthew 12: 34: LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Christ's words also apply to a Christian’s
willingness to go out on a limb and share the Gospel message. Our heart
determines our love, and our love for Christ determines whether or not we will
be willing to share His love with others. How much do you love the Lord? How
long are you willing to keep silent and not obey Christ’s command to share the
Gospel? If you are afraid of sharing the Gospel message with someone, stop and
pray to God. Ask Him to help you get over your fear, and also ask God to fill
your heart with love for the other person so that love will overcome any fear.
For God, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">… does not want anyone to be lost, but He
wants all people to change their hearts and lives.” </span></i></b></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (II Peter 3: 9. NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally,
the Apostle Paul said within the book that he wrote to the Colossians to “<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good
News. Be wise in all your contacts with them.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Colossians 4: 5. LB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Certainly, Wisdom, comes from the Lord. So, ask for wisdom and God will give
you what you need to share the Good News. Then, listen to the Holy Spirit
within you, and you will easily be able to share the Gospel with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I hope
someone is going to heaven because you took the time to share the Gospel
message or Good News with them. What a glorious time it will be when you get to
Heaven and meet other people that are there because you took the time to tell
them about Christ. God loves you. He wants you to glorify, honor, and pleasure
Him. God wants you to share the Gospel message with others so they, too, can
become one of His Children and be a part of the Kingdom of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally,
it is the servanthood of helping others that shows God the heart of love that
you have toward others. So, start developing Christian relationships with other
people who may need your help. Be there for someone and be willing to be that
shoulder they can cry on, that person who can give needed information, or that
one who can see with her heart what God would have her do. Perhaps, it is just
listening to another woman as she tells you of all the things that she is going
through that will give you an opening to tell her about Christ. Perhaps,
however, it is simply your invitation to this woman to come to church with you that
could end up making all the difference in her life. But whatever you do, engage
in conversation. Develop a simple relationship and then be open to <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>.
Determine to no longer remain silent! No longer commit the sin of silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you need to know more about developing godly
relationships and Christian mentoring, read the book by Vicky Lynn Thomas
entitled: <b><u>Active Relational Christian
Mentoring: Women Mentoring Women With Christ at the Center</u></b>. The book
can be obtained through Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, iTunes, Google Play and
Christian Faith Publishing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God Bless You!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-91636892231787093712017-09-25T11:49:00.003-07:002017-09-25T11:49:56.744-07:00Growing and Maturing Spiritually Leads to Christ-likeness and Servanthood<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"<span style="color: blue;"><b>Satan doesn't need for us to fall into gross sin in order to defeat us; a large does of laziness will do the trick just as well. Put Christ first in your life, and then commit every hour of the day to Him.</b></span>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- Billy Graham in Quotes, c. 2011</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Committing our days to Christ and living for Him is the only way to acquire spiritual growth and maturity. But this is a hard concept and an even more time consuming process that many Christians are not willing to try to understand, let alone engage in. However, every true born-again Christian should desire to grow and mature spiritually. Indeed, every Christian should at some point think upon the following question.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do you
want to acquire spiritual growth and maturity? Most Christians will answer
“yes” to that question. For, what true Christian doesn’t want to grow closer to the
Lord and learn from God’s Word. Moreover, as followers of Christ, Christians should want to know what God expects from His children. Unfortunately, our life-styles and our attitude toward spiritual growth and
maturity often cause us to <i>present</i> a subtle difference in our attitude toward that question or to even give a negative answer to that question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You may
not be able to imagine any true authentic Christian saying, “<i>no, I don’t want to grow spiritually or
mature spiritually</i>”. But wanting to grow and mature spiritually is totally
different from actually pursuing that growth. Why is that the case? Well, for
one thing, all humans and even Christians, are constantly fighting against our
fleshly desires and the temptations of this world in which we live. Things like
television, busywork and our responsibilities in life tend to keep even Christians
from reading the Word of God and from finding out what God expects and wants
for us. Moreover, trying to find the time to pray and communicate with God becomes harder
and harder to do within our busy lives unless we set aside the time to
communicate with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
Christian mentoring of others, it is especially important that the mentor
pursues growing spiritually and endeavors to develop spiritual maturity. It is
important, because without some growth and maturity a Christian cannot be
prepared to answer a mentee’s questions. Nor, can the mentor set a good and
godly example of Christ-like living and behavior for the mentee or a
non-Christian, if the Christian or the Christian mentor has not grown and
matured in knowledge of and obedience to the Lord. That is why every Christian,
whether mentoring or not, should desire to endeavor to become more like Christ
as she lives her earthly life in preparation for her heavenly life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Although we were all created to become more
and more like Christ each and every day, and although with our Salvation we truly
desire to become more and more like Christ, true born-again Christians still
have to fight against their fallen nature in order to strive to become more
like Christ. In other words, Christians have to constantly fight against the
time traps of this life and the selfish desires and the temptations we face daily,
which can lead to only wanting to do what we want to do. Certainly, we have to
fight against all those selfish things in order to even begin the process of becoming
more spiritually mature. But we are not alone in our fight against apathy and temptations. For, God is there with us to give us strength and determination if we will just turn to Him. Moreover, we are not alone in process of developing
spiritual growth and maturity, for God is constantly with us, and He even sent
His Only Son to show us the way. Furthermore, God has had good plans for each
of us; plans He made for us even before we were born. (See Jeremiah 29:11).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God Created Us to Become Like Christ</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. <u>He
decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same
lines as the life of His Son</u>. The Son stands first in the line of humanity, He
restored. <u>We see the original and the intended shape of our lives there in Him</u></span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Romans 8: 29. The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact,
the record of our creation is found within the book of Genesis. It is there in Genesis that we read about God deciding to make man and then deciding on what man would
look like. For we read,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image and
likeness.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Genesis 1: 26 NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God
decided to create caring and loving human beings with the potential to express
His characteristics. In other words, we all have the potential to be wonderful
caring human beings who can <b><u>glorify
and honor God</u></b>. We were created in the image and likeness of God in that
we were given the potential to develop the wonderful characteristics of
goodness, kindness, empathy etc. Unfortunately, because of Adam and Eve’s
mistake and sinfulness, we no longer are able to project these wonderful
characteristics automatically. Now we have to struggle to become the type of
human that God wants us to be. We have to learn how to glorify and honor God in
many different ways as we struggle for holiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">From the
moment that God created Adam and Eve, God’s plan has been to make us like His
Son. This doesn’t mean that God wants us to become gods. Rather, God wants us
to become godly in all our actions and attitudes. He wants us to be kind,
caring, loving humans who think about others before we think about ourselves. With
our Salvation, God also wants us to take on the values, attitudes and characteristics
of His Son, Jesus Christ. That is how we become godly. But first, we must learn
what those values, attitudes and characteristics of Christ are and then learn
how they were reflected in Christ’s life while He was here on earth, before we
can emulate and reflect Christ-likeness within our life so others can see
Christ in us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Before we
accepted Christ as our Savior, we all were sinners who were generally
thoughtless and selfish, and in many cases, we did not desire to acquire the
values by which to live honorably and godly. We were totally unrighteous no
matter how good we thought that we were. But when a person believes on Christ
as the living Son of God and then asks Christ to come into their heart, there
is born a new person with a new desire created within them. The Apostle Paul
explained this godly transformation into a new person when He told the
Ephesians that with Salvation we are to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Take on an
entirely new way of life – a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside
and working itself into your conduct as God accurately produces His character
in you</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Ephesians 4: 22. The Message)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, how does this new life happen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, after
Salvation, Christ then sends His Holy Spirit to dwell within each “Saved”
person. For, it is the Holy Spirit Who will create Christ’s character within
each one of His born-again children. The Holy Spirit works on our hearts and
our conscience to create loving, caring, righteous oriented individuals who
take on the characteristics, attitude, and values of Christ. For, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more
and more like Him and reflect His glory even more.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (II Corinthians 3: 18 NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In
fact, the Holy Spirit nudges us to do the right things and to respond in the
character of Christ through His “gentle whisper” to our heart. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(see I
Kings 19: 12 NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christ-likeness
and godliness is <u>not produced</u>, though, <u>by just imitating Christ’s actions</u>. Our
attitude and desire to become more like Christ must grow in our heart. It has
to be real. Indeed, we must remember that God knows our heart, and He knows
when we are play acting or putting on a performance for those around us, rather
than truly living for Christ. In fact, if you have truly been Saved you will
know that you know that you know that you are Saved, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For
this is the secret: Christ lives in you</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Colossians 1:27. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In other words, true Christ-likeness then comes
from the inhabitation of Christ within your heart and soul. In fact, for the
born-again Christian, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">God is working
in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Philippians 2: 13. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Spiritual Growth and Maturity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When you
come to Christ in belief that He is the living Son of God, and when you ask
Christ to cleanse you from all your sins and ask Him to come into your heart,
your Salvation is not based upon any personal efforts or achievements that you
have made. In other words, <u>there is nothing that you can do to achieve your
own Salvation</u>. Christ is the One Who gives you His Salvation. Moreover,
personal Salvation comes about as a result of understanding that you are a
sinner, and you are unrighteous before a Holy God. It also comes about through the
mercy and grace given to you by God, who sent His Only Son to die for you and me and
then to conquer death for your and my sins by rising from the grave. This means that Salvation only comes
about through your heart-felt belief in the risen Christ and from your desire to change
your life by living for Christ rather than for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Spiritual
growth and maturity, though, is not an instant thing when we are Saved. Although
we might wish it to happen immediately, spiritual maturity doesn’t
automatically occur when a person is Saved. Rather spiritual growth and
maturity is the gradual and progressive development of your heart and soul into
becoming more Christ-like, which has to be sought after and pursued. Moreover,
this pursuit of spiritual maturity will take the rest of each person’s life, as
it something that each Saved individual has to pursue all their lives. In fact, it is a constant life-long process of seeking godly knowledge, wisdom, and truth while
living in obedience to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Becoming More
Christ-like</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To
acquire spiritual growth and maturity one has to be dedicated to the long and
even sometimes slow process of spiritual growth and maturity, which is the overall
process of becoming more and more Christ-like. We know this because we can read
in the Scriptures what the Apostle Paul says about acquiring Christ-likeness.
He told the Ephesians that “<b><span style="color: #0070c0;">[This
process of becoming Christ-like] will continue until we are united by our
faith, and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just
as Christ is, and we will be completely like Him</span></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Ephesians 4: 13. CEV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So,
becoming Christ-like means that we not only need to study the Word of God, live
the Word of God, and be obedient to the instructions and admonitions of Christ,
but that we have to grow our faith in Christ; all the while striving to become
more and more like Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ultimately,
though, each person’s rate of spiritual growth and maturity has everything to
do with their own desire to spiritually grow and mature for the Lord. In other
words, while your effort has nothing to do with your personal Salvation, i.e. you
cannot work your way into Salvation, however, your personal effort has a great
deal to do with your personal growth and maturity in Christ. For, effort is
required in order to cooperate with the Holy Spirit’s direction and work in
your life. In fact, in the New Testament we are told at least eight times to “<i>make every effort</i>” in our spiritual growth
to develop our faith and become more like Jesus, i.e., to become more
Christ-like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: lime; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Making Every Effort to ...</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Here are just
a few of the statements that Jesus’ Apostles made in regard to our <b><i>making
every effort</i></b> to become more like Jesus Christ:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul told Timothy to “<b><i><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">Make every
effort</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;"> to give yourself to God as the
kind of person He will accept. <u>Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses
the true teaching in the right way</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (II Timothy 2: 15 NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But how
do we know what “true teaching in the right way” is? Well, we must read and study
the Bible to learn about God’s true teaching. Then we must <b><i>meditate</i></b> on the Word of
God diligently, so that we will know how we are to act and how we can be
obedient to God’s truth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Additionally, the
author of the book of Hebrews tells us that we are to “<b><i><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">Make every effort</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;">
to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see
the Lord.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(Hebrews 12:14. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But what exactly is holiness? Well, again, to
understand what God considers to be holiness, we have to read His Word, the Holy
Bible, and meditate on the Holy Word. Then we have to apply God’s Word directly
to our daily lives. This means that spiritual growth and maturity is a process,
just like the process of going to school and then graduating years later with a
degree. But if we don’t seek out and meditate on God’s Word, we are no better
than those students who just do the bare minimum to get by in school. They have
little to show for their time spent in school and cannot even tell someone who
the first president of the United States was, let alone name any president
before Obama. So, just like those people
who just get by in school, Christians who do not study the Word of God and
learn to listen to the directions of the Holy Spirit or learn how to emulate
Christ-likeness are just existing. They certainly will not be prepared to
mentor other Christians or non-Christians, because they will not have acquired
the characteristics, attitude, and values of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Peter also explains to us just how important it is to acquire the
characteristics, attitudes, values and knowledge of Christ. For Peter, too, said
that Christians are to, “<b><i><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">Make every
effort</span></u><span style="color: #0070c0;"> to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love</span></i></b>. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (II
Peter 1: 5-7. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, besides growing our faith, true authentic
Christians are to work at acquiring goodness, knowledge, self-control,
perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. This may take years for a
person to be able to say that they have acquired those seven characteristics of
Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But, besides
choosing to let go of our old ways of acting and besides changing the way that
we think, in order to develop spiritual growth and maturity, we must also
acquire the nine characteristics and attributes of Christ’s by
developing some godly habits. What are these attributes and habits that all
Christians should want to develop? Well, they are of Christ, and they are essentially
called <b><i>the fruit of the Spirit</i></b>. As I have mentioned before, Christ’s
Holy Spirit lives within each born-again Christian. Indeed, Christ loves us so
much that He gave us His Holy Spirit who indwells each new born-again Christian.
Christ did this because He wants us to mature in our Christ-likeness. So, He
gave us the Holy Spirit who endeavors daily to help us to achieve Christ’s
characteristics and attitudes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What are
these characteristics and attitudes? Well, they are given to us by the Holy
Spirit. For, the Word of God tells us that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… Now those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the
Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. <u>Let us not become boastful, challenging
one another, envying one another</u></span></i></b>. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Galatians 5: 22-26. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Notice
that there is some overlapping of the first seven characteristics or attributes
that the Apostle Peter lists as part of Christ-likeness and the nine characteristics
and attributes of Christ’s that the Apostle Paul enumerates as given to us by <b><i>the
fruit of the Spirit</i></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
nine characteristics or attributes of Christ-likeness are given to us through <b><i>the
fruit of the Spirit</i></b>. But, there are also seven characteristics or
attributes of Christ-likeness that the Apostle Peter enumerates; some of which
are different from the other nine of the Spirit. However, there are only three
of these characteristics or attributes that are part of both lists. Those three
characteristics found on both lists are Love, Goodness, and Self-control. I
would say, then, that striving for those three and acquiring them is very important
to the acquisition of the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Striving for
Christ-likeness through the pursuit of growth and maturity<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once we
are Saved, the Holy Spirit’s goal is to produce Christ-likeness within us. For,
it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us how to be dependent totally upon God. But
it is only by listening to the Holy Spirit and with our complete commitment to
dependence upon God that we can acquire Christ’s wonderful <u>love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control</u>.
However, without these nine characteristics of Christ’s we cannot become
spiritually mature. But in order to acquire those nine characteristics of
Christ’s, we must also acquire biblical and godly knowledge through reading and
meditating on the Word of God. We also must develop perseverance or
determination in the pursuit of growth and maturity and in our faith in Christ.
Finally, we can only acquire godliness if we learn how to show <i>brotherly
kindness and love to others</i>. For Christ said that we are to <i>love others as we
love ourselves. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True spiritual
growth and maturity leads into serving others. For, it is with our Salvation, along
with our spiritual growth and maturity, and the acquisition of the
characteristics of Christ, that we can then become Christians who will build up and
encourage others through Spirit-led ministries such as <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>. But first, we have to fulfill Christ’s
admonition to us which is, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">You shall love
your neighbor as yourself</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Galatians 5: 14. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. For, it
is only in loving our neighbor as our self that we can step up to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law
of Christ</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Galatians
6: 2. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Steps to Spiritual Growth and Maturity<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are
so many things that we can learn from the Bible, i.e. God’s Word, about
obedience, growth, maturity, truth, knowledge, and wisdom. But, there is one
other thing that I will mention that helps us develop greater spiritual growth and maturity and
that is our complete faith and reliance upon God and His Son as we go through
the trials and tribulations that this earth has for us. As I have mentioned many
times before, we live in a fallen world. The consequences of living in a fallen
world, though, are many from such things as sickness, tragedies, evil
intentions, temptations, wars, and diseases, and including the manipulations of
our fellow man. The result is that we may be faced with trials that we did not
expect or that we would rather not go through. However, it is in the handling
of each of this trials that we can personally grow and mature in not only our
faith in God, but in our Christ-likeness as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Psalmist explains why we have to go through some of the trials that we
encounter in our life journey, when he writes, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For
You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You
brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs, You have caused men
to ride over our heads, we went through the fire and through water, but <u>You
brought us out to rich fulfillment</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm 66: 10-12. NKJV.)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Every
time we keep our faith and our trust in the Lord, we will be purified as silver
is purified. It is through these trials that we are developing more and more of
the characteristics of Christ when we completely trust in God and lean upon the
development of Christ-likeness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
Apostle Paul told his mentee, Timothy, to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Run away from
infantile indulgences. Run after mature righteousness -faith, love, peace –
joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before the Lord</span></i></b>.” -- (</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">II Timothy 2: 22. MSG)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. As we live this life we are to grow and become
even more righteous in spite of the things that we have to face in this life.
In fact, we can face all trials through honest and serious prayer, because
Christ brings our prayers before God, and He hears our every need. It is
through <b><i>faith and prayer</i></b> that we can overcome whatever negative
situation that we are in, because we know that God is there for us. God may not
take away our trial, but He will always be there for us, if we will just turn
to Him in prayer and communication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is
also through our own personal trials and tribulations that we can be there for
others when they go through something similar. In fact, those that never seem to
have any problems cannot develop the compassion and love that is needed when it
comes to helping others endure their trials. If we never had a trial, we would
never know the all-encompassing love that God has for His children. For it is
through trials and our faith in God that we begin to understand the love that
God has for us. It is also through our trials that we can show our love and understanding
to another who faces a similar situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, what does this all mean for you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, it
means that as true born-again Christians it is our responsibility to pursue the
process of growing and maturing spiritually every day of our lives. Yes, we
must work at growing spiritually just as we work at our job or work at taking
care of our family. To grow spiritually we also have to make the time to read
God’s Word and to meditate upon His Word so that we will know how we are to
live for God. Moreover, we have to learn
to communicate with God daily through prayer in Christ’s name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Growing and
Maturing Through Servanthood<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Part of growing
and maturing spiritually is found in our willingness to be servants for the
kingdom of God. We grow ever more mature when we become servants and we do for
others in the name of God and when we do for the Lord by sharing the Gospel
message. For,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b0f0;">When the Gospel of Jesus Christ is presented with
authority – quoting from the very Word of God – He takes that message and
drives it supernaturally into the human heart.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- Billy Graham</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just
doing nothing but living our own sheltered lives, however, will not develop
spiritual growth and maturity. In other words, we cannot become hermits who are
just waiting for Christ to return and take us to heaven. Rather, we must tell
others about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and commit to servanthood that will
help others become all they can be for the Lord, themselves, their family,
their friends, and acquaintances. It is a daily process that is required in
order to become more spiritually mature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> (ARCM) is a wonderful way to be
of service to those around us who may just need a mentoring friend. But, to
engage in servanthood and to be a Christian mentor, you need daily develop your
spiritual maturity by making a commitment to read God’s Word and to pray to God
for the strength and knowledge that you will need to help another. For, no
matter how knowledgeable you are in your particular field, whether it be math,
science, motherhood, your hobbies, or your career, you will need God’s
knowledge given through the Holy Spirit and your understanding of the Bible in
order to share with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have a
little book entitled <b><u>Promises and Prayers
for Friends</u></b> which is a compilation of Bible verses and quotations from different
people on various topics such as Spiritual Growth, Strength, Talents,
Testimony, etc. It was copyrighted by <i>Family
Christian Press</i> in 2005. I found the following quotation in it that I am
including here, because it is succinct and to the point on acquiring spiritual
maturity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><span style="color: #0070c0;">The path to
spiritual maturity unfolds day by day. Each day offers the opportunity to
worship God, to ignore God, or to rebel against God. When we worship Him with
our prayers, our words, our thoughts, and our actions, we are blessed by the
richness of our relationship with the Father. But if we ignore God all together
or intentionally rebel against His commandments, we rob ourselves of His
blessings.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> offers yet another opportunity
for spiritual growth. If you choose, you can seize that opportunity by obeying
God’s Word, by seeking His will, and by walking with His Son.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- anonymous</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I will now
end with a statement from Corrie ten Boom who survived the Holocaust. She wrote: “<b><i>Be filled with the Holy Spirit;
join a church where the members believe the Bible and know the Lord; seek the
fellowship of other Christians; learn and be nourished by God’s Word and His
many promises. <u>Conversion is not the end of your journey – it is only the
beginning</u>.</i></b>” -- Corrie ten Boom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May you
enjoy your life journey as you grow in spiritual maturity and the desire to be
of service to others. May God bless all your mentoring endeavors!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May I also suggest reading the God inspired book, T<b><u>he Three-Strand Cord of Active Relational Christian Mentoring</u></b> to find out even more about the benefits and blessings of pursuing spiritual maturity and of sharing your knowledge, wisdom, gifts, and talents with your mentees.</span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-75934348076816803622017-09-10T15:55:00.003-07:002017-09-10T15:55:49.295-07:00Getting Rid of Self-Criticism<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><span style="color: #0070c0;">No one can make
you feel inferior without your consent</span></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Eleanor Roosevelt)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Many
women are very critical of themselves. This constant critical introspection can
cause all kinds of problems in their lives. Obviously, there are many reasons
for their constant self-criticism, but the first reason unfortunately often
comes from having had a parent who constantly mentioned the negatives that he
or she saw in their child rather than focusing on the positives. These negative
criticisms can be constant verbal criticisms or they can be the subtler
criticisms of facial expressions and body language. But whatever kind they are
they are, all criticisms given during the formative years can do great damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Even overt snide remarks, or the subtle
rolling of the eyes can be criticisms that a child will easily pick up on. In
fact, young children can often pick up on sarcasm and other negative statements
that adults may not think they understand; all the while understanding that
those words, sarcasms, and those hateful looks were really said or made to hurt
rather than to help. This type of constant criticism can eventually lead to an
inferiority complex, shyness, or even fear of others. These criticisms can also
lead to low self-esteem. To make matters worse, when the child enters school, other
kids can quickly pick up on the child’s insecurity or poor view of themselves, and
then they, too, will often jump on the bandwagon and continue the criticism,
which can easily turn into bullying from others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Most
criticized and bullied people survive, but not without some strongholds that
they can’t seem to let go. For, when this browbeaten child finally becomes an
adult, it sometimes isn’t easy for her to put away or forget about all those
negative statements, sarcasm, and distaining looks that she received over the
years. Now, she will often criticize herself because she thinks that is the
thing to do. This is because she has been trained to look at herself in a
critical way. So, even when others may not continue the criticism, the woman may
continue to look at everything she does with a critical eye. The result is that
in an attempt to overcome the negatives that she has faced and heard all her
life, some women may take on the role of critiquing themselves, or they may even
become critical toward others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Certainly,
a born-again Christian woman needs to let go of self-criticism and she needs to
quit being critical of others. But, it isn’t always easy to overcome self-criticism
and criticism of others without the help of Christian mentor that can help explain
to the woman that Christ loves her. This is where the counseling type of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring (ARCM) can be of great help to the woman. Furthermore,
the counseling type of ARCM can be especially important to a new Christian who
needs someone to walk them through what being a Christian means. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously,
self-criticism is extremely harmful in many ways, but one of the most
detrimental things that self-criticism does is to undermine what God wants for
the life of that woman. Remember, that God loves each of His children, and He
wants what is best for each of us. He doesn’t want any woman to feel inferior
or critical of herself. Moreover, God made each one of us with special gifts
and talents that can be used to not only be the best person that we can be, but
so that we can also use those gifts, talents, knowledge and wisdom to help
other women become all that they can be for the Lord, themselves, and their
family. Furthermore, God created each person to be a special envoy for the LORD
and to glorify Him within their life. Indeed, it is important to understand
that God loves us and wants us to love Him back. But it is hard to love God
with all your heart when you are focused on criticizing yourself or others.
That is why it is so important to help another woman focus on loving others and
loving God. A good active relational Christian mentor who is grounded in the Word
of God and who has a great deal of love for others in her heart can be just the
person to help the woman who is self-critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God does
not want us to be so critical of ourselves that we cannot live for Him or do
the work of helping others. Yes, God wants us to learn from our mistakes and to
try not to make those mistakes again, but He does not want us to wallow in
self-criticism or self-pity either. Those two things keep us from being able to
focus on servanthood and on loving others. In fact, God sent His Son into the
world to forgive us of our sins and in believing on Him as the risen Son of God
to then receive Salvation and righteousness. So, if you are an authentic
“born-again” Christian your sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus
Christ. Moreover, you no longer have to be self-critical, but instead remember
to always turn to Christ to ask Him to help you to <b><u>not</u></b> focus on your mistakes, but to correct those mistakes if
possible and then continue living for Him with all your heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We all
have room for improvement even after we have accepted Christ as our Savior.
Yes, our sins have been forgiven, but we can still miss the mark at times.
However, instead of being critical about ourselves and getting into a
depression or beating up on ourselves, we need to evaluate the situation. Can
we see where we went wrong? Is it possible to correct the mistake? If not, can
we ask for forgiveness, if needed? Can we start again? Can we learn from our
mistake and then help others to not make the same mistake? Answering these
questions and others is called <b><i>evaluation</i></b>, i.e., when we look closely
at our motives, for ways to improve or for ways to correct negative situations,
look at how to not make that same mistake again, and then to look at how we can
grow from what we have learned from our mistake. As you can see, there is definitely
a big difference between self-evaluation and self-criticism. Evaluation is a
method of improving ourselves without being self-critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Evaluation vs.
Self-Criticism<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes,
there is always room for improvement in our lives. But in order to find ways to
improve ourselves, we must first learn to evaluate the situations we have found
our self in or learn to evaluate the mistakes that we have made to see if there
are ways to avoid making those mistakes again. Certainly, we need to look at “<i>missing the mark</i>” through eyes that can look
for positive changes rather than through self-critical eyes. Only when we have positively
evaluated the situation or the mistake can we make the needed positive adjustments
and then find ways to not make those mistakes again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is
definitely a difference between evaluation and self-criticism. Evaluation is
supposed to be constructive, i.e. leading to improvement or leading to a more
positive outcome or response, whereas self-criticism can be very destructive. Self-criticism
tears a person down. It leads to even more hurt when the self-criticism
continues. However, when we evaluate our lives, looking for ways that we can
improve or become more helpful and servant-oriented Christians, we take the
emphasis off ourselves and put it on living for the Lord. The result is
positive and growth-related responses that not only encourage our own emotions,
growth, and wisdom but which can then lead to responses that encourage other
women as well. But when we criticize our lives, only negative, hurtful, and
harmful responses are the result. That is because, self-criticism focuses only on
things that probably lead to the self-promoting lies of hurt and which ultimately
encourage low self-esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately,
much of the self-talk that we do to ourselves is actually the repetition of lies
that the devil wants us to believe. You see, the devil wants to destroy not
only the hearts of all Christians but he wants our souls as well. The devil
cannot have our souls, but he can do everything in his power to promote our own
self-loathing. If he can keep us from focusing on Christ and the Father, then
the devil has had a good day. He does this by encouraging us to focus on
ourselves and our own problems. So, the devil plants lies in our minds and then
encourages us to not only believe them, but to make those lies into strongholds
within our hearts. These strongholds then bind Christians up into a type of
bondage that keeps them from living totally for the Lord. Obviously, the devil can’t
take the soul of a true born-again Christian, but the devil wants to make that
soul as miserable as possible. For when we are miserable and not turning to
Christ in faith and trust, we do not express the love of Christ to the rest of
the world. This is what the devil wants; he does not want Christians to be
advocates for Christ or to help other people come to know Christ as their
Savior. So, if the devil can get Christians to focus on themselves instead of
on Christ and living the Christian life, he can eliminate one more potential
Christian mentor and one more person who would have shared the Gospel Message
with another. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously,
when we are focused on ourselves, we are not focused on Christ. Nor does
self-criticism encourage us to think of other people who may need help or
support. However, Christians should be looking at others and finding ways to
help those that need help. That is why all Christians should get in the habit
of evaluating their lives in the light of what Christ would want us to do
rather than for looking for ways to put ourselves down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christians
women can live fulfilled and productive lives for Christ when they get in the
habit of evaluating their lives through the eyes of God and His Son, Jesus
Christ. How would Jesus want us to live? What can I do to share God’s love and
Salvation with others? These type of questions and evaluation leads to
productive and happy lives that are focused on Christ and doing for others
instead of thinking only of themselves and what they may or may not have done
wrong. In fact, we can build ourselves up and can build up other women by not
only evaluating our own lives, but by <b><i>meditating</i></b> on God’s Word and then
sharing God’s Word with others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Meditating on the
Word of God<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We have
all heard of the word “<b><i>meditating</i></b>”. However, the word “<b><i>meditating</i></b>”
often gets a bad rap, because people immediately think of the “new age” type of
meditating that is so common today. However, God used the word <b><i>meditating</i></b>
long before there was yoga and its meditation or before the far east
transcendental meditation arrived on the scene. In fact, shortly after Moses
died, Joshua was given the responsibility of leading the Israelites into The
Promised Land. The Lord spoke to Joshua at that time and among other things the
Lord said to Joshua, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Be strong and
courageous. Obey all the Laws of Moses. … Study this Book of Law continually. <u>Meditate
on it day and night</u> so that you may be sure to obey all that is written in
it. Only then will you succeed.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Joshua 1: 7, 8. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Book
of Law at that time consisted of the first five books of the Bible which had
been written by Moses under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So, Joshua did not
have the entire Bible as we do today to meditate upon because he only had the
first five books of the Bible. But God told Joshua to meditate upon the Book of
Law and to tell the Israelites to meditate upon it too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later as
the Lord spoke to other believing men about writing and recording His Words,
the number of books added to the Bible grew. We, now have a total of 66 books of
the Bible to read and meditate upon. In fact, these Holy Spirit Inspired
Scriptures were written by more than 40 authors on three different continents
over a period of 1500 years. Moreover, every word from Genesis to Revelation is
God-breathed through the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter
to Timothy in which he reminded Timothy and us that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (II Timothy 3: 16. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Training,
teaching, rebuking, and correcting can only be accomplished, though, if
Christians study and <b><i>meditate</i></b> upon the Word of God. This
means that we must first read the Word of God and then think upon what we have
read. How does what we have read affect our life? How can we use the
information that God has given us to live a better life and to share our faith
in God? Could we possibly meditate upon a particular scripture until we have it
memorized so that we can then bring that scripture to mind when we need it? All
these and many other questions can be answered if we are willing to meditate
upon the Word of God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The book
of <u>Psalms</u> is one of my favorite books in the Bible. There is so much
information in the <u>Psalms</u> and so many God inspired words that touch my
heart just when I need help. Several of the psalms also touch specifically upon
<b><i>meditating</i></b>
upon the Word of God. In fact, the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the
Bible is Psalm 119. This psalm may have been written by Ezra around the time of
the rebuilding of the Temple after the Israelites were allowed to return to
their land. But, what is so interesting about this particular psalm is that it
is actually a repetitive <b><i>meditation</i></b> upon the Word of God and
its beauty. Indeed, <b><i>meditating</i> </b>upon the Word of God helps God’s children to stay
strong and pure, while at the same time it teaches us how to grow ever stronger
in our faith toward God. In fact, in <u>Psalm 119</u> some of the verses
actually speak to and promote the concept of <b><i>meditation</i></b> on the Word of
God. For example, in Psalm 119: 15 the author of this psalm says of the Lord, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I <u>meditate</u> on Your precepts and consider Your
ways.</span></i></b>” Then in verses 77 and 78 he again says, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your
law is my delight. … I will <u>meditate</u> on your precepts.</span></i></b>”
And then in verse 97, the author says again, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Oh,
how I love your law! I <u>meditate</u> on it all day long</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If a
person is meditating on the Word of God they cannot be focusing on
self-criticism. So, instead of continually looking for things that others or
you have done wrong, it is much better to focus on meditating on the Word of
God to learn from it. God’s Words will soak into our brains and create a
pathway to even greater love for our Lord. Try it sometime. You will be surprised
at how much peace you will receive from meditating on God’s Word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As you
may know, David wrote many of the Psalms. He, too, talks of <b><i>meditating</i></b>
on God’s Word in several of his psalms. In fact, in the very first psalm, which
may have been written as a preface to all the psalms, David wrote: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of
the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But
his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he <u>meditates</u> day
and night</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm
1: 1, 2. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In another
one of his psalms of praise, David wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His
greatness no one can fathom.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One generation will
commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They will speak of
the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will <u>meditate</u> on Your
wonderful works</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Psalm 145: 3-5. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We can
build ourselves and others up by constantly <b><i>meditating</i></b> on God’s Word
and then sharing that Word with others who may need to hear it. This means,
though, that we have to actually make the time to sit down and read God’s Word,
then think upon what we have read, contemplate how the words that we have read impact
our own life, and then memorize some of the words so that we can use them to
impact the lives of others. Obviously, we cannot do the work of the Lord if we
do not know what God says about the different subjects that we may encounter in
life or know how God wants us to use them in talking to another woman. But,
God’s Word addresses all aspects of life. We just need to be willing to read
His Word and <b><i>meditate</i></b><i> </i>upon it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Word
of God is the living Word that is always there to give us strength, direction
and purpose. God put His Word into print so that we can access His Word at any
moment in time. This also means that if we <i>meditate</i>
on God’s Word and keep it close to our hearts that we can pull up God’s Word within
our minds at both the crucial times in our own lives and at crucial or needed
times in another woman’s life. This wonderful Words of the Lord can be just the
right words that a mentee may need to hear. However, if we do not have the Word
of God in our hearts, we cannot fully mentor or share those words with another
woman who needs to hear the Word of God for a specific moment in her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God is Pulling for You!</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you
know that God is always pulling for you? In fact, God wants you to succeed in
all your <i>good</i> endeavors. However, God
does not want you to be self-critical or to put yourself down. For, God knows
that self-criticism is a tactic of the devil. So, God wants you to walk with
His Son, Jesus Christ in all aspects of your life, including in your evaluation
of your life. We know that God wants the best for us, because we are told in
the Bible that God has good plans for everyone that He created. However,
everyone was created with “free will” so that we can choose how we live, and we
can choose the direction that our life will go. That is why some people refuse
to acknowledge God or Christ as their Savior. They are afraid that they will
have to give up their free will. They have instead chosen to live for
themselves and for the devil. But those who use their free will to choose to
live for Christ and His Father instead of for themselves will find even greater
freedom in the love of God. Moreover, they can take to heart the words that God
told to the prophet Jeremiah. God said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For I know that
plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, <u>plans to give you hope and a future</u>.</span></i></b>’” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Jeremiah 29: 11. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Notice
that God told the Israelites that He has plans to give them a hope and a
future. God’s plans are always good and do not change. He has good plans to
give you a hope and a future too. Indeed, He plans are to give all His children
a hope and a future. But it is up to each of us to choose to live in obedience
to God’s Word and to choose to live with a servant’s heart toward others. This
means that we must quit being self-critical or critical of others. Instead, we
must look to leaning on and trusting in God for everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Keeping
those words in Jeremiah 29: 11 within our hearts can give us strength and
direction for our lives. Indeed, God has specific blessings just waiting for
those who seek them out through trust in, obedience to and love for God. All
you have to do is ask the Lord for His help, and then the Holy Spirit will help
you find or bring to your mind the specific Scripture that you need as you read
and <b><i>meditate</i></b>
on God’s Word. Instead of being self-critical, God’s Word will then help you
accomplish wonderful productive things in your life that God has planned for
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you
are having a rough time not being self-critical, try to find a Christian woman
mentor who has the love of Christ in her heart. This Christian mentoring woman
should be able to help you see, by using God’s Scripture, what words you need
to focus on to understand how God views you, His child. For, God loves you and
wants you to enjoy your life lived for Him. Having a woman Christian mentor who
also loves the Lord and sees the good in embracing what the Lord has given us
through His Word will help you see not only yourself but others in a whole
different light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes,
words can hurt! People can be cruel. But we have a choice in the way that we
allow those words or that cruelty to affect our lives. If you choose Christ to
be your advocate and your Savior, you will never again have to accept those
negative words. For, God has good words for you. Christ has loving words for
you. Moreover, you are important and special to God. You were chosen to be a
member of the Kingdom of God. That is special!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mistakes Happen in Life<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><span style="color: #0070c0;">The greatest
mistake that you can make in life is continually fearing that you will make one</span></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Elbert Hubbard)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Part of
being self-critical is dwelling on the mistakes that we make in life. Mistakes just
happen in life. Mistakes are a part of life and can be the impetus to
developing something even better. For example, just think of how many mistakes
that inventors and entrepreneurial people make before they finally succeed in
accomplishing their goal. Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb, made many
mistakes before the light bulb worked. What if he had just given up on himself
and his project? What would have happened if he had become so self-critical about
the mistakes that he made that he couldn’t continue with his invention. Someone
else may have come up with the light bulb, but Edison would not have achieved
what he had the capacity and knowledge to achieve if he had just given up,
stopped, and become self-critical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Instead
of giving up because of your mistakes, you need to ask the Lord for grace and the
understanding to know that you are a work in progress. In other words, we have
to be kind to ourselves, if we are ever going to accomplish what God has given
us the ability to do. That is why we must ask God to help us rise above our
mistakes with grace and to help us to not get down on ourselves when we do make
a mistake. Along the way, we have to also ask God for patience to accomplish
what we need to do in life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Remember
that discouragement is prompted by the devil, and you cannot let the devil get
a foothold in your life. Instead, ask God to give you His words of
encouragement through your study of His Scriptures. Then ask God to keep you
free from self-criticism and self-condemnation as you meditate on and cling to
the Holy Scriptures. Then choose every opportunity to help others as you continue
the good work that God started in you.
Also remember to:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto
the hearers</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Ephesians 4: 29. ESV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span><b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Prayer for a less self-critical attitude</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Dear
Lord, please help me to focus on the positive aspects of my life, and to not be
critical about the things that I cannot change about myself. Also help me to be
less critical of others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Please,
Lord, help me to not be judgmental or critical toward myself or others. I know
that no one is perfect. In fact, the only perfect person is Jesus Christ, my
Savior. But knowing that I am not perfect should not turn into a pity party or into
constant self-criticism. Nor, should I allow the past or present criticisms of
others keep me from becoming everything that You want me to be. Those
criticisms are not who I am. So, instead, I ask You, Lord, to help me
understand and accept that You love me with all my faults and my failures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I know
that you want me to learn from my mistakes. I also know that you want me to
grow into a healthy wise person who loves You and others. So, please help me to
overcome my true faults and failures as You show me Your truths from within the
pages of the Bible. Through complete trust in You I will accept Your help in
changing what I need change or in accepting those things that I can’t change,
so that I can work at totally living for Christ. Instead of focusing on
self-criticism please help me to focus each day on living for Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I thank You,
Lord, for your Word! For, it is through Your Word that I can find answers to my
problems. And, in reading Your Word, I now know that I am not the only one that
has at times failed You. I also know, that You forgive those that are truly repentant.
You gave us an example of Your loving forgiveness through the story of the
Apostle Peter who really could have succumbed to his own self-criticism for his
failure to stand up for Your Son, Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> It is through Christ, and Your Holy Word that I
learned that even when Peter did the most horrible thing of denying that he
knew Christ, that You and Christ forgave Him. For, the Bible tells us that
Peter was in a terrible self-loathing state, after he had failed to acknowledge
knowing Christ after Christ had been taken into custody to be crucified. It was
in reading the Holy Word written by the Apostle John, where I learned that Peter
made his big mistake when he followed Christ and the men who had captured Him
to the High Priest’s courtyard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Peter had been sitting in the courtyard of the
high priest to whom Christ had been taken, waiting to find out what they were
going to do with Christ. There in the courtyard a serving girl asked Peter if
he was one of Christ’s disciples, but Peter denied knowing Christ. During that
evening, Peter was asked two more times if he knew Christ, but he ended up denying
that he knew Christ a total of three times before daylight. When Peter realized
what he had done, i.e., disavowing any knowledge of Christ, he was disgusted
with himself. He believed that he was no longer worthy of Christ’s love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But Lord,
the story did not stop there for you showed Peter that even when we do
something terribly wrong we can be forgiven. We do not need to live by
self-criticism and under a cloud for the rest of our lives. For later after
Christ arose from the grave, You, Christ, met Peter and the other disciples for
breakfast on the beach when You appeared to the disciples beside the Sea of
Galilee. For, the Scriptures tell us that, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i>After
breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Simon, son of
John, do you love me more than these’</span>? ‘Yes Lord,’ Peter replied, ‘you
know I love you’.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Then
feed My lambs</span>,’ Jesus told him.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus repeated the question. ‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Simon son of John, do you love me</span>?’<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">‘Yes Lord,’ Peter said, ‘you know
I love You.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Then
take care of My sheep</span>,’ Jesus said.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once more He asked him, ‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Simon son of John, do you love me?</span>’<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Peter was grieved that Jesus
asked the question a third time. He said, ‘Lord you know everything. You know I
love you.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jesus said, ‘<span style="color: #c00000;">Then feed My sheep</span>.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">’” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 21: 15-17. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In this
exchange, Lord, you showed us that Peter was not only forgiven, but was being
charged with an extraordinary job to do for You. Just like Peter learned, Lord,
I have also learned that it is one thing to say that we love you, but something
totally different to be willing to do what you have asked us to do in serving
you. For in order to do the job that you have given each of us to do, we have
to take the focus off of self-criticism and take the focus totally off of
ourselves and instead focus on You. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
above Scripture, I learned that Peter had repented from making the mistake that
he made in the courtyard when he denied You three times. I now understand,
Lord, that in these verses, You Lord, were asking Peter to make a commitment to
living for You. I, too, want to commit my life to living for You and working
for You, Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
it seemed like Peter at first tried to give quick superficial answers, You knew
Peter’s heart, and Peter had to face his true feelings for You and commit to
doing Your work, dear Lord. I, too, can give up my self-loathing and
self-criticism when I make mistakes and allow You to cleanse me and show me how
I can become better and wiser through self-evaluation, just as Peter began to
understand his commitment to You, Lord. I know Peter had to commit to
self-evaluation, I want to commit to self-evaluation too, Lord. And in so
doing, Lord, I want to be the person that You created me to be. Thank you for
Your forgiveness and for being my Savior!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-28128037300664253902017-08-28T08:58:00.001-07:002017-08-28T08:58:52.199-07:00Blessings from Sharing and Giving<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sharing
is something that doesn’t come naturally for many people. As children, we start
out early in childhood claiming and holding on tightly to our toys and our
belongings. Humans seem to naturally <b><u>not</u></b>
want to share what they consider to be their own, leading most children into
using the word “<i>mine</i>” early in
childhood. Because sharing does not seem
to come naturally, most children have to be taught by their parents to share. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes
the parental teaching about the importance of sharing takes and is understood
by a child, that is to a certain degree, while at other times the worldly selfishness
within a particular child or an individual keeps them from learning about the
blessings that can be received from simply sharing with another person. Sadly,
that selfish individual’s heart is still focused on themselves. However, once
that naturally selfish individual turns to Christ and repents of their sins,
they become a born-again Christian receiving a new heart with the attainment of
Salvation. For the love of God infuses their heart from the moment that they
received forgiveness of their sins and from the moment that they asked Christ
to enter into their life. True born-again Christians receive a new heart that
has within it a desire to not only share with others, but a desire to use the
gifts and talents that they have been given by God to help others. One of the
greatest desires of a new Christian is to share with their friends the Gospel
message. Moreover, with their new Christian love infusing their heart, there is
a constant desire to help others any way that they can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"<b><i><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is within your power to act</span></i></b><span style="color: #0b5394;">.</span>" -</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- (Proverbs 3: 27. NIV)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately,
Christians still live in a fallen world, so even true Christians sometimes have
to overcome the selfishness of this world in which they live, while overcoming their
own busy timetables and their own internal desire to do and live for
themselves. Sometimes this results in an internal conflict between the
selfishness of their old ways or the ways of the world and the generosity of
what their new heart in Christ wants them to do. This, then, is where a whole
scenario of personal excuses can come into play to dissuade them from sharing
and giving. The excuses range the gambit from “<i>I am too busy to help that person right now</i>”, to “<i>I can help give some time to that person
later on when I get a few more things done that I need to get accomplished</i>”,
as well as the most often expressed personal excuse of “<i>I need to take care of my own needs before I help someone else</i>”. The
excuses, though, don’t stop with just those few. In fact, there are many other
excuses that keep Christians from sharing and helping others when there is an
opportunity to do so. I am sure you can think of several that you may have used
over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">People Who Decide
to Share<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But for
those authentic Christians who decide to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit
in their heart and soul, the sharing of gifts, talents, time, and knowledge,
etc. with others when given the opportunity is a daily experience. In fact, I
have met some wonderful Christians who truly listen daily to the Holy Spirit’s
promptings and know just when and with whom they need to share or when they can
help others in need. One such authentic Christian is a good friend of mine who
just this last week-end gave up her family time and her down-time to help me at
my book signings in Osage Beach, Mo. My wonderful husband was there to do the
heavy lifting and the giving of support that I needed. But my friend, Vicki, offered
to help too and gave up her own personal time to be there with us to tell
others of her own personal experience from reading my recently published book
entitled: <i><u>The Three-strand Cord of
Active Relational Christian Mentoring.</u></i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Vicki is
a very busy personal trainer who not only finds the time to work with others
every day but also finds the time to take care of her family. She is a true
born-again Christian who uses every opportunity to share the Gospel message
while helping people who may need her help. For Vicki is constantly on the
look-out for people in need that she can personally help in any way. Only God
knows how she fits in all her helping of other people and her sharing of the
Good News on daily basis between all her other responsibilities, but somehow,
she is there for Christians and non-Christians alike when someone needs her
help. This wonderful Christian woman is doing exactly what Christ has asked all
Christians to do. For within the Bible, Christians are told to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">… not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such
sacrifices God is pleased</span></i></b><span style="color: #0070c0;">.” </span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Hebrews 13: 16. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Active
Relational Christian Mentoring (ARCM)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> is a great way to focus our
lives on sharing, serving, and helping other people. ARCM is a service for the
Lord that doesn’t have to take a great deal of time, but can also develop into wonderful
Christian mentoring relationships that can benefit both the mentor and the
mentee. Actually, ARCM is an easy way to shepherd and disciple those who are
struggling in some particular area of life. In fact, the Apostle Peter told Christian
leaders and pastors to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Shepherd God’s
flock, for whom you are responsible. <u>Watch over them because you want to,
not because you are forced</u>. That is how God wants it. <u>Do it because you
are happy to serve</u>.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I
Peter 5: 2. NCV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But this verse is not just for pastors. It is really
for all Christians who are expected to participate in the sincere service of <b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">loving one another as they love themselves</span></i></b>.
For, we are to <b><span style="color: #7030a0;">share</span></b>
with others because we are happy to serve!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Did you
know that God delights in our willing service to Him and for others? In fact,
we are told that in heaven we will receive crowns for disciplining and
shepherding people while we are here on earth. For “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">when
the Chief Shepherd (Jesus Christ) appears you will receive the unfading crown
of glory.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (I
Peter 5: 4. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. On the other hand, God knows our hearts, and He is
often saddened by our grudging compliance to help, serve, disciple, and to be
there for others. For, when we grudging comply with His instructions we are not
living up to God’s admonition to “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">love others as
we love ourselves</span></i></b>”, nor are we showing God that we love Him. A
heart that is in love with God obeys His commands eagerly and wants to reach
out to help others in any way that the Holy Spirit suggests or when the Holy
Spirit places opportunities in front of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Remaining Humble in
Serving and Sharing<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of
course, we are to always remain humble in serving others. God does not approve
of the proud. In fact, the Apostle Peter wrote: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">All
of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed
to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (I
Peter 5: 5. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are a CEO of a
large company, teach a class, become a missionary, minister to shut-in, or work
as outdoor parking attendant as long as you are willing to do whatever you have
been called to do for the Lord and for other Christians around you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We must
remember, too, that non-Christians are constantly watching what Christians are
doing, and they will be exposed to either Christians’ kindness or to Christians’
uncaring attitudes. Non-Christians will naturally zero in on a particular Christian
who projects pride in all they do and achieve. This turns the non-Christian off
from even listening to the truth of the Gospel. In fact, no one wants to listen
to or be around the proud. So, remaining humble in all our services for the Lord
and for others is important. Indeed, humility is important in helping others
and in spreading the Gospel message. Will you step up to serve others with a
humble and caring attitude no matter how menial the job that God has given you
to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sharing Our Giftings with Others <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This next
paragraph is a wonderful excerpt from a devotional type of book that has
blessed me throughout the years. I hope that this excerpt will touch your heart
too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #00b050;">We live in a fast-paced, competitive world where it is
easy to say, ‘Me first.’ But God instructs us to do otherwise. In God’s
kingdom, those who proclaim, ‘Me first’ are last. God loves a cheerful,
selfless giver. If we seek greatness in God’s eyes, we must look our neighbors
squarely in the eye and say, ‘You first.’ When we do, we will lead our families
in the footsteps of the humble servant who died for our sins: Jesus Christ.</span></i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
Anonymous</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each one
of us has been given a special gift or gifting that will enable us to be a
benefit to the kingdom of God. We are to employ our gift “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">… in
serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(I Peter 4: 10. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. For it is by serving others that we serve God.
Sometimes though, we think of serving God and serving others as a big
commitment such as the commitment of becoming a missionary or taking it upon
ourselves to do some important job within the church. However, serving God and
others is as simple as sharing our time, our information, our knowledge about
God, or sharing the many varied giftings that God has bestowed upon us
individually to help another. Wherever we are in life, we can also share the
Gospel message, but above all we need to be there to simply listen to someone
else’s sorrows or problems, so we can have the opportunity to tell them how
much Christ can help them. Moreover, when we share our time even to just listen
to the needs of others, God will show us ways in which we can help them even if
it is to just be there for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Even
though we have each been given special gifts and talents, we are not to sit
upon them or use them only for our own benefit, but rather we are expected to
use those gifts and talents for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul encouraged
the Roman Christians with these words: “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Therefore, I
urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.</span></i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Romans 12: 1-2. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> God in His mercy sent His only Son into the
world so that you and I could receive Salvation and enter into eternity upon
our physical death. This act was God’s mercy given to all those who would
believe on His Son, Jesus Christ. Otherwise without God’s mercy we would all
not only die a physical death, but enter into a spiritual eternal death as
well. But with God’s mercy, those who believe on Christ as the living Son of
God who died and arose from the grave for our sins, will have eternal life with
Christ in Heaven. With that glorious gift of mercy and grace comes a
responsibility to offer our bodies “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God</span></i></b>.” Those sacrifices come in the form of sharing our
time and our giftings and talents with others and in helping others to come to
know Christ as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Part of
our responsibility toward other women means that we are use our gifts and
talents to help others grow their relationship with Christ as well as to help
those who do not know Christ come to know Christ as their Savior. We can only
do this by sharing with other women what God has given us to share. In the process of sharing we will then be
blessed beyond anything that we could have expected. In fact, I have been
blessed so many times by simply being there for another woman who just needed a
friend to listen to her. Although, the mentoring or sharing on my part may not
take place immediately, the sharing of my time to listen always seems to mean a
great deal to the woman who just needed to talk or just needed someone to
listen to her. The result is that not only is the other woman blessed with
someone who is willing to listen, but I the listener have been blessed as well.
The greater result is usually the development of mentoring relationship that
empowers the other woman. Invariably, I also learn from her as well. That is
why ARCM can be a wonderful service to engage in for the Lord and for others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Blessings from
Sharing our Lives<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">John
Bunyan wrote: “<b><i><span style="color: #00b050;">Christians are like the flowers in a
garden; they have upon them the dew of heaven, which being shaken by the wind,
they let fall at each other’s’ roots, whereby they are jointly nourished</span></i></b><i>.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">True joy
in this life can only be found in sharing with my family, friends, and
acquaintances what God has blessed me with, i.e. the sharing of my knowledge,
information, wisdom, giftings and talents. In fact, there is no delight in keeping
God’s blessings to myself. Indeed, it is only when I share those blessings with
others that I can then become the humble, loving, caring, person that God
created me to be. For, if I keep everything, i.e., all knowledge, wisdom,
talents, etc, that God has bestowed upon me to myself, I will ultimately become
an ungrateful, thoughtless, and selfish Christian who looks only to her own
salvation and forgets about the millions of others who so desperately need
Christ as their Savior too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Authentic
Christians cannot read the Bible and live for Jesus without sharing what God’s
asks them to share. Remember that Jesus told us to share and care for others
who have less or have needs that we can fill. For Jesus said, “<b><span style="color: #0070c0;"><i>He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath
none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise</i></span>.</b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Luke
3: 11. KJV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But, it isn’t just food and clothing that Christ was talking
about sharing. We are to also share the Word of God with others. We are to
share our wisdom and knowledge with others. Indeed, sometimes, the things that
we have learned and can then share with another person can be that answer to
someone else’s problem. It is then through this sharing that we truly learn
from the words of Jesus: “<span style="color: #0070c0;"><b><i>It is more blessed to
give than to receive.</i></b></span>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Acts 20: 25. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Moreover, when it comes to sharing the word of God, <u>the blessings are innumerable</u>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What kind
of blessings am I talking about? Well for starters, when we share with others
we are blessed with new friends and acquaintances. Some of these people will
become life-long friends who constantly touch our lives in some positive way.
Friends are a blessing indeed! But God’s blessings encompass all aspects of our
lives. Besides the blessings of friends, family, and acquaintances, God blesses
us with His protection, His peace, His comfort, and His provision in our lives.
In fact, we cannot possibly enumerate all the blessings that we receive from
God on a daily basis nor can we enumerate all the blessings that we receive for
obedience and sharing with others. “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">May the Lord
bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Numbers 6: 24-26. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. The Lord loves to bless His obedient children in
so many different ways, yet the greatest blessing of all is to bless us with
His presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Those
that have accepted Christ as their Savior are God’s children. As God’s
children, we are blessed in enumerable ways, but sometimes as busy women with
many demands on our time, we fail to count our gifts from the Lord. Worse
still, we fail to say thank you to the Lord and praise Him. But did you know
that the gifts and blessings that we receive from God are multiplied when we
share them with others? “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For surely, O
Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a
shield</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Psalm 5: 12. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We should
be praying to the Lord and giving thanks for the many blessings that God has
bestowed upon us. But we should also pray that we always share our gifts with
others just as God shared His gifts with us. For, again in the book of <u>Ezekiel</u>
God says, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I will bless them and the places
surrounding My hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers
of blessings</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Ezekiel 34: 26. NIV)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
greatest feeling in the world, is to bless someone else that needed your help
in some way or another. Whether it is sharing through some aspect of <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>,
or it is sharing your time to help out a friend as Vicki did when she supported
me at my book signing, the sharing of you time, knowledge, talents, gifts,
wisdom, etc. empowers the other woman to be more than she ever thought that she
could be. We can be a blessing for that woman in ways that we cannot fathom,
and God in turn will bless us in ways that we cannot fathom. Step forward and
give of your heart and time to bless another person. You will be surprised at
what you can accomplish as well as what blessings you will receive for doing
so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Among the
blessings that we receive from God is inner strength. We receive inner strength
from the Lord when we reach out to bless other people with our time and
giftings. In fact, the Apostle Paul told the Ephesians, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I
pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner
strength through His Holy Spirit.</span></i></b>” – (Ephesians 3: 15. NIV).
When we stay connected to other believers through our time and service, we
receive even more of God’s blessings. So, whether you are engaging in Christian
mentoring, leading a Sunday school class, sharing the Gospel message with
another woman, or simply befriending a Christian woman, you will receive the
blessing of inner strength from the Lord. There will also be crowns given in
heaven to those who tell others about the Gospel message. That is just one
reason that we can’t forget to tell others about the gift of salvation waiting
for them through Jesus Christ. But, we do not have to wait until we get to
heaven to be blessed for the work that we do for Christ, for blessings in
sharing the God’s Word abound here on earth for those who reach out to others
to share the Gospel message.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Do You Know Christ
as Your Savior?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For those
who have not asked Christ into their heart, it is very simple to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You just
have to realize that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 3: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And understand
that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">The wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 6: 23)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But so
that you would not have to pay the wages of sin, which is eternal death and
separation from God and all love, God sent His Only Son into the world to save
you and all of those who would believe on Him. “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send
His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved
through Him</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (John 3: 16)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact,
God loves us so much that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us</span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Romans 5: 8)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“… <b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">and He (Christ) died for all, so that they who live might
no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their
behalf.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (II Corinthians 5:15)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Repent of your sins!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But
unless you repent of your sins and acknowledge that Christ is the risen Son of
God who died and arose for you in order to take on all your sins so that you
would not have to pay the wages of death, and unless you believe in your heart
that He is the Savior, you cannot be saved and enter into the Kingdom of God. Indeed,
one must be born-again in order to be Saved. For, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Jesus
answered and said to him (Nicodemus), ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one
is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (John
3: 3)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For, it
is only through Jesus Christ that one can become a child of God and enter into
the Kingdom of God. Indeed, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Jesus said to
him (Nicodemus), ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the
Father but through Me</span></i></b>’”. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (John 14: 6)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But it is
easy to be saved. Just acknowledge Christ as the Living Son of God. For the
Bible says “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus
as Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will
be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in Salvation.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 10: 9-10)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Don’t
wait too long, though, because once you die it is too late to make a decision
for Christ. Each person has been given many opportunities to repent of their
sins and acknowledge Christ, as the Holy Spirit has been touching their heart throughout
their life asking them to make a decision for Christ, and Jesus has been
knocking on their, i.e. your heart to let Him in. For Jesus said, “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he
with Me.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Revelation 3: 20)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally, please
understand that “<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord
will be Saved.</span></i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- Romans
10: 13</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you
need more of an explanation about Salvation, please contact a faith based
church in your neighborhood or ask a Christian friend to help you understand. I
pray that you, too, come to the foot of the cross repenting of your sins and
accepting Christ as your Savior!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Telling Others
about Christ and the Gospel Message<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christian
Women have many opportunities to mentor other women, some of whom have not yet
made a decision for Christ. Mentoring is easy to do and doesn’t have to be
frightening. The book, <b><i><u>The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring: Women Mentoring Women with Christ at the Center</u></i></b>,
explains not only the importance of Christian mentoring, but shows how simple
and easy <b>Active Relational Christian
Mentoring (ARCM)</b> can be. It contains many examples of mentoring and
enumerates the different mentoring styles and categories for easy understanding.
If you want to know more about ARCM and this type of service for God, then read
this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">May God
bless you in all your mentoring and sharing endeavors!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285868377592440397.post-28968336880385478802017-08-11T13:29:00.001-07:002017-08-11T13:29:08.125-07:00Worry and Thankfulness<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">"A child of God should be a visible beatitude for joy and a living doxology for gratitude." </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- C. H. Spurgeon</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The opposite of joy is sadness, which is often brought about by worry. Thankfulness, on the other hand, is often the result of joy and gratitude. Why then would I put these two very distinctive words, “<i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Worry</span></i>”
and “<i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Thanksgiving</span></i>”, within the same title? It may seem strange to combine these two words within a title. The strangeness, though, does not come from the two
words, per se, when they are used individually, but rather comes from the fact that
these two words are often seen as opposites, and indeed they are opposites from
God’s perspective. So, why would I put such opposite words together as a title
for this posting? Well, the answer is quite simple. Rather than focusing on <span style="color: #7030a0;">thanksgiving</span>, we all have a tendency to let <span style="color: #7030a0;">worry</span> control our lives, when we should actually be
daily <u>thanking</u> the Lord for everything that comes our way. Instead of
spending our time worrying about what is not happening or about what could be
occurring in our lives, we should be thanking the Lord for what is occurring in
our lives whether it is something that happens unexpectedly or it is some
blessing that we have wished for a long time. Whether the situations are good
or bad, there is a blessing that can be seen within both, if we just look for
it. Those blessings should come under the heading of <span style="color: #7030a0;">Thanksgiving</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do
everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
Him</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (Colossians 3: 17. HCSB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You are probably thinking that I have lost my mind. For how
could I thank the Lord for something terrible or hurtful that has suddenly
occurred in my life? But I really haven’t lost my mind. For, it is the Apostle Paul
who tells us in one of his epistles that we are to thank the Lord not only for
our blessings but also for our trials. Moreover, we are to also thank the Lord for
our troubles. In fact, in writing to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “<b><i>We
urge you brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the
weak, be patient with everyone. <u>Rejoice always</u>; <u>pray without ceasing</u>;
<u><span style="color: #7030a0;">in </span></u></i></b></span><b><u><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">everything</span></u></b><b><i><u><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> give thanks</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">; <u>for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus</u>.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– (I Thessalonians 5: 14,
16-18. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. But how can we always rejoice and give thanks when we are in
the midst of turmoil or in the middle of a problem for which we can’t seem to
find a solution? Well, the Apostle Paul also gives us some answers to that
question. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thankfulness for Admonition and Discipline<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians within the summation
of his instructive letter to them, that in their Christian service to God and in
their service to other Christians they are not only responsible for their own personal
actions, which includes the <u>encouragement of others, and the helping others</u>,
but that they are also responsible for the kind-hearted admonishment of others
when they see another Christian doing something against God or they see another
Christian doing something that they shouldn’t be doing. In other words, Christians are to step
forward to tell the truth to another Christian who might be missing the truth
in their behavior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Certainly, most Christians think that admonishing another
Christian can’t possibly be a blessing when we are admonishing them for doing
something un-Christian. However, just as we would feel uncomfortable in
admonishing someone today, it was also a big worry and uncomfortable for those Thessalonian
Christians back then who did not want to get involved in the lives of others
either. But Paul understood that after the admonishment, and along with the
subsequent change in their behavior because of the admonishment, that the
Christian who was admonished would then receive blessings for then behaving as
a true Christian. However, if there was no correction received, then that
Christian’s faith would be watered down and mean less that it should. Moreover,
he or she would be setting a bad example for other Christians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Today, we have allowed our Christian faith to be watered down
by accepting any and almost every behavior from other fellow Christians as long
as long as he or she calls him/herself a Christian. Consequently, we have many
people today who do not receive the blessings that God wants to bestow on them,
because they do what they want, live as they want, and then worry without faith
or trust when things don’t go their way. But if these Christians allowed the
Holy Spirit to lead them into providing the instruction for living for God or into
providing the simple but kind admonishment of others when a person is doing
something against the faith, then they and we would also receive many blessings
and have subsequent thanksgivings for which to honor the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,
<u>just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness</u></span></i></b>.”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Colossians 2: 6-7 HCSB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Patience with Each Other and Learning from Different Experiences<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul also adds within his letter to the Thessalonians the
instruction that <u>Christians are to be patient with everyone</u>. Why are we
to be patient with everyone? Well, even though it is sometimes difficult to be
patient with our family, friends, and even strangers, we must remember that <u>God
is patient with each of us</u>. He expects us to follow in the path of Christ who
was patient with His disciples and followers. Sometimes the disciples had to
have further explanation in order to understand an event or situation. So, like
Christ was patient in teaching the disciples, we are to also become patient
with other Christians who like ourselves are still growing and learning from
Christ and the Word of God. For becoming mature in our faith and wisdom takes
time. In fact, we have to realize that just as our Lord ministers to each of us
in different ways because we all learn in different ways and at different times,
that we need to minister to other Christians in different ways and at different
times and according to their needs too. Therefore, we need to be patient with
each other and share our positive and godly experiences as well as our
spiritual and earthly knowledge with those who are still growing too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">God can use many different things to help us grow spiritually.
Indeed, God can use the tragedies and bad things that happen to us while living
in this fallen world as learning experiences that draw us even closer to Him.
Remember, God is very patient with us! Indeed, He knows that we all grow and
mature at different speeds and at different times. Furthermore, God knows each
of us personally, therefore He knows what we each individually need at any
moment in time, and He knows exactly what we need in order for us develop a
closer walk with Him. So, besides the blessings and love that we receive from
God, He knows that we also sometimes need correction or discipline. Yet, it is
during those times of discipline that we are to recognize the importance of the
discipline and so be thankful to the Lord and joyful for the correction. What a
dichotomy! In other words, we should also not only be joyful for our
discipline, but joyful in our trials as well, just as we would be joyful if we
were receiving special blessings. For in many ways, even if we can’t see it at
the time, our trials will actually become a blessing as we grow and learn from
the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another way to look at this dichotomy is look at the actions
of a good father. For example, Christians must remember that along with the
provisions and blessings that we receive from the love of a good earthly father,
we will also receive discipline and correction from a father who truly loves us.
In other words, if our earthly father did not dispense blessings, provisions,
and discipline, we would not grow or mature into the well-rounded and morally
upright person that our earthly father wants us to become. So, just like a like
a good earthly father, who wants the best for his son or daughter, God, our
heavenly Father wants what is best for us, and He will bestow upon us His love,
provisions, and blessings along with His discipline as well. Indeed, every
child needs discipline and correction, because it teaches the child the right
way of doing things and the right way of living. Moreover, God is <u>the
ultimate good and loving Father</u>, so He, too, will correct or discipline His
children when we need it, and we should be grateful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thankfulness and Gratitude<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His faithful love endures forever</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">– Psalm
118: 29. HCSB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I know that it is hard to thank our earthly father for
discipline at the time that it occurs, but later when we look back on the
discipline that we received from our earthly father, we realize the importance
of him taking the time to discipline us. We also will come to realize that we
learned a great deal from the discipline we received at the time, and then we come
to appreciate the fact that our father cared enough about us to discipline us,
even though at the time when we received the discipline we may have been angry or
sad over the consequences of our actions and the resulting discipline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We must remember, that if our earthly father had not loved us
or cared about what we learned in life, then our earthly father would have essentially
neglected his responsibility to discipline us or neglected to lay down
expectations for our behaviors. In the long run, without discipline for
misbehaving, we would <b><u>not</u></b>
have felt that our earthly father loved us, because his failure to act with
discipline would ultimately portray a father who didn’t appear to care or love
us. For, a lack of discipline when needed can portray a father who just doesn’t
care enough to take the time to set his child right. Certainly, when a person
has no discipline or expectations for positive behaviors from their earthly father
or mother, they can grow up to be ungrateful, unloving, and possibly even a corrupt
individual without morals or values. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But God loves us so very much! So, even though it may be hard
to thank our heavenly Father for His discipline, we need to remember that He is
disciplining us out of love for us and out of the desire for us to grow in
maturity and wisdom with values and morals that lead to righteous behaviors.
That is why instead of moaning about the troubles that we are facing or about the
situation that we find ourselves in, we need to remember to thank God for the
problems that we face, as well as for the discipline, or for the uncomfortable
situation we may find ourselves in, because we know that God is teaching us
something through the experience. We may have even placed our own self in harm’s
way, or the experience or trial that we are facing may be the result of our own
actions, but whatever problem we encounter, God can use the situation to teach
and grow us if we keep our eyes focused on the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanking the Lord in all Things<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With the help of the Holy Spirit and prayer, we can figure out
what it is that we are to learn from each problem or situation that we
encounter. They say that hindsight is 20/20 and that is certainly the case when
we go through trials and tribulations. For, often it is not until we look back
on the situation some time later that we see clearly how we benefited or grew
in wisdom and stature from having gone through a certain trial. Thus, we need
to be thankful for being able to learn from even dire situations. I know that I
would not be the person that I am today had I not faced the trials of having to
learn how to walk again after being struck by a car in a crosswalk. Nor, would
I be the person that I am today if I had not had to deal with constant pain
every day. Along the way, though, I learned to thank God for each and every
step that I was able to take and that I am still able to take today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My whole life has been learning to lean upon and trust in the
Lord for my next step in life. Moreover, I have received so many blessings
along the way by simply leaning upon and trusting in the Lord. Christians need
to thank the Lord when we are going through a trial and then also thank the
Lord when He brings us through the trial. Above all, Christians are to thank
God for the blessings that He bestows upon us daily whether they are seemingly
small blessings or the large blessings like being able to walk when doctors
have told you that you will probably never walk again. But whether small or large,
we need to enumerate all our blessings instead of just accumulating them
without thankfulness. This means that we are not to worry about what tomorrow holds,
but thank the Lord for His provision and care for us each and every day!
Thanking the Lord honors Him and shows our love for Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">I will give thanks with all my heart</span></i></b>.” -- (Psalm 138: 1 HCSB).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the reasons that thanking God in every situation big or
small, bad or good, or happy or sad is so important, is that in thanking God in
every situation we are acknowledging the importance of having God with us and of
having Him at all times within everything in our lives. Saying thank you to God
for both the good things and then thanking God for the bad situations from
which we can learn means that we can see God working in every area of our
lives. In fact, God is with us at all times, and He knows what we need at every
moment in time. So, we should be grateful and thankful to Him even when we face
trials or difficulties in life. For we know that there is “<b><i>but one God, the Father from whom
are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are
all things, and we exist through Him.</i></b>”
</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">--
(I Corinthians 8: 6. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Furthermore, <span style="color: #0070c0;">“<b><i>…we
know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God
<u>who are called according to His purpose</u>.”</i></b></span><b><i> </i></b></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (Romans 8: 28. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Who are those people that “<b><i>are called according to His
purpose</i></b>”? Well, they are the authentic Christians, i.e., the
individuals who have asked Christ to come into their lives when the Holy Spirit
called them, and are those people who have asked for Christ to lead them in all
aspects of their lives. These authentic born-again Christians have Christ and
the Father supporting and taking care of them. So, when this fallen world
dishes out trials and tribulations, these Christians know that they are to
rejoice and be thankful, because God will help them grow and learn something
from each different situation or trial that they encounter – even though it
could be a situation that this fallen world has provoked or a situation or
trial that comes from some arrow that the devil shot at them probably hoping that
it would turn them from their devotion to God. But, authentic Christians know
that God will never forsake us! (See Hebrews 13: 5b). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Authentic Christians also know that if we turn to God and rely
on Him in faith and trust, we will come through every trial or tribulation with
greater faith and insight, as well as with an even closer relationship with God.
Moreover, throughout whatever trial or tribulation that we encounter, while
clinging to God and resting in His love, we will find that we will grow deeper in
our godly maturity, knowledge, and wisdom when we are thankful and willing to
learn. We will also find our specific Christian purpose or service to others
when we understand that Christians are called according to God’s purpose for
our life. Then we can become thankful in everything! Being thankful in
everything also means sharing your thankfulness within some service you have
engaged in for the Lord and for others— a service such as <b>Active Relational Christian Mentoring</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Worrying<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thankfulness can be difficult to achieve, though, when we are
constantly worrying about something in our lives or in the lives of others. Constant
worrying has a tendency to push all thankfulness to the back of our minds,
which brings the worry to the forefront to consume all our time. Obviously, all
people are tempted to worry and most people have moments of worry before they can
catch themselves and then refocus their minds on God, but <u>many people worry
all the time</u>. It is like their entire life is caught in an endless circle
of worry. This type of constant worry affects Christians just as much as it
does non-Christians. But why is that, because Christians should know better? We
do not need to worry, because God is for us and not against us. He will take
care of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #0070c0;">And my God will supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus</span></i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Philippians 4: 19)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Has worrying ever changed or fixed a single problem or
situation? No, because worrying cannot fix anything. But how does a person get
transfixed on worrying, or how does this cycle of worrying come about? Well,
the phrase, “<b><i>what if</i></b>” is usually what gets most people started with their
worrying. “<b><i>What if</i></b>” involves the imagination. People begin to imagine the worst-case
scenario or terrible scenarios and outcomes. Then they wrap themselves up in
those scenarios to the point that they actually believe whatever they are
imagining could actually happen. For example, <b><i>what if</i></b><i> this happens</i>, <b><i>what if </i></b><i>that cold I have is something worse</i>, <b><i>what
if</i></b><i> I can’t make my payments
because I am sick or laid off</i>, and the list of “<b><i>what if’s</i></b>” just goes on
and on. Really good worriers, however, no longer have to include the actual
words “<b><i>what if</i></b>” within their daily worrying. They just focus on the
issue or their imagination and begin to worry about anything and everything to
the point that they do not have to include the words “<b><i>what if</i></b>” in their thought
process. Good or what I call “professional” worriers, which also often includes
Christians, usually start and finish their day worrying about something for
which they have no control. They forget that God is in control of their lives. Obviously,
this is not surprising for non-Christians who do not have Christ to rely on and
do not trust in Him or His Father to take care of them, but what does this
constant worrying mean for Christians who are supposed to trust in God for all
things?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When Christians worry they are actually expressing a lack of
trust and faith in Christ and His Father, which is a sin. Indeed, worrying is a
sin. We know this because a sin is anything that we do that that goes against
our becoming righteous in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. We cannot be
righteous in the eyes of God when we question God’s authority or question His
ability to take care of us. Nor, can we be sin free when we do not have trust
and faith in God’s plan for our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Remember, Abraham? Well, Abraham was called by God to go into
foreign land and he obeyed God on faith. “<b><i>Even when he reached the land God promised
him, he lived there by faith, -- he was a foreigner, living in a tent</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">”—
(Hebrews 11: 9. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. Obviously, Abraham had a lot to worry about, such
as how to provide food for his family or how to protect them from bad people, but
instead of worrying he put all his trust in God to provide and care for him and
his people. As a result, Abraham was made righteous by God. In fact, the Lord
told the prophet Habakkuk that “<b><i>the righteous will live by their faith</i></b>.” -- (Habakkuk 3: 4. NLT). Certainly, Abraham
lived by faith and he was deemed righteous by God. So, as redeemed, i.e. Saved
children of God, we are to certainly live by faith and not by distrusting God
or worrying about something that we have no control over. For God is in control
of everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Bible also tells us that “<b><i>A man cannot please God unless he
has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also
know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.</i></b>” -- (Hebrews 11: 6. New Life Version). So, for
those authentic Christians who believe that Christ is the living Son of God Who
redeemed them from their sins and made them righteous before God, they must
also live their lives showing their belief and trust in Christ to the world and
at the same time disavow any worry or thought processes that denigrate the
power of God in their minds to provide, protect, love, and care for His children.
The evangelist, John Hagee, said it best when he described this worrying thought
process of faithlessness. Hagee said very succinctly, “<b><u>Worry is practical Atheism</u></b>.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What did Hagee mean when he said that “<b>worry is practical atheism</b>”? Well, worrying is not only unbelief in
God but unbelief in the power of God to control the universe and everything in
it. But, God has a plan for all His children. In fact, God tells us in the book
of Jeremiah, “<b><i>For I know the plans that I have for you… plans for welfare and not for
calamity <u>to give you a future and a hope</u>. Then you will call upon Me and
come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me
when you search for Me with all your heart.</i></b>” -- (Jeremiah 29: 11-13. NASB). So instead of
worrying we are to trust in God and pray to Him for our needs. God will never
forsake us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Worry, is to not only sin, but worry also shows and projects
to others unbelief in God. Certainly, we know that those who do not believe in
God are called Atheists. Furthermore, by describing worry as “<i>practical atheism</i>”, Hagee is telling us
that our worrying actually hurts the heart of God just as God’s heart is hurt
by all those people who call themselves Atheists and who do not believe in Him.
But I can imagine that God’s heart truly aches when a born-again Christian
doesn’t trust enough in God to allow Him to move at His own pace in His will
for their lives. Christians are supposed to be His authentic children with full
and complete belief in Him and His Son, yet those Christians who constantly
worry are actually acting like atheists who did not believe in God.
Furthermore, we read in Hebrew 11: 6, that “<b><i>A man cannot please God unless he
has faith</i></b>.” This means that Christians who worry constantly are being
unfaithful to God and are not pleasing God when they worry about things that
they have no control over. To please God, we must have faith in Him and believe
that He cares about us and that He will take care of us when we can’t take care
of ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Ultimately, worrying means that we are doubting God and His
ability to provide and care for us, which also means that we are doubting His
ability to provide for our health issues in due time, provide food, lodging,
clothing, friends, family, etc. In fact, James, the brother of Jesus, said that
“<b><i>…a
doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by
the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do</i></b>.” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (James 1: 6, 7. NLT)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. James is right, for when we worry, we can’t
figure out what <b>we</b> can do to make
the situation better, so <b>we</b>
vacillate between different ideas and outcomes, ultimately not believing that
God will be there to guide and provide for us. Instead of worrying, all we need
to do is turn the situation, be it a health issue or crisis, over to the Lord. We
need to trust in God for His will to be done and then quit worrying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Apostle Paul believed God would provide and care for him
through all the trials and beatings that he endured. In fact, Paul told the
Philippians not to worry about anything and told them: “<b><i>My God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.</i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">–
(Philippians 4: 19. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">. In this verse, Paul was telling the Philippians
and us today that we can be confident that God will meet every need in His
timing, provided that we obey and trust in Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Christians have been given an extra blessing of peace. We just
cannot allow the devil and this world to take our peace away by worrying. In
fact, Jesus said, “<b><i>Peace I leave you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I
give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.</i></b>” </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">-- (John 14: 27. NASB)</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.
Obviously, <u>worrying produces fear and not peace</u>! Christ our Lord does not want
us to either worry or fear. Rather, He wants us to have a peace that passes all
understanding. In fact, if we depend on Christ in everything we face, we will
find that Christ keeps us from worry and fear, because trusting in Him brings
us directly to Him. Indeed, if we trust in Christ and allow His peace to come
over us, He will sustain us through every situation. Moreover, Christ will
strengthen us and enable us to walk through every situation with victory,
because Christ is actually walking beside us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally, Christians are supposed to trust Christ fully.
However, when we worry or stress over things that we can do nothing about, we
are showing others around us that we do not completely trust in Christ. A
better path would be to turn all our worries and anxieties over to God and
submit every circumstance, problem, crisis, or health issue over to the Lord.
He alone has the power to take care of anything! Moreover, God has our best
interest at heart, and He wants to help us. Therefore, we must quit stewing
over things for which we have no control and instead lean on God. We can lean
on God by praying for strength and faith. For in prayer, our need is immediately
connected to God’s supply of strength and faith. God will provide unending love
and sustenance. If we obey God, He will provide for all our needs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I will end with one of my favorite Psalms. It is </span><b><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Psalm 91</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> which
enumerates how God will provide for us in every situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0;">He who dwells in the shelter of the Most
High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in
whom I trust!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and
from the deadly pestilence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may
see refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow
that flies by day; of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the
destruction that lays waste at noon.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A thousand my fall at your side and ten thousand at your right
hand, but it shall not approach you.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You will only look on with your eyes and see recompense of the
wicked.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For you have made the LORD, my refuge, even the Most High your
dwelling place.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your
tent.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For He will give His angels charge over you, to guard you in all
your ways.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They will bear you up in their hands, that you do not strike
your foot against a stone.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the
serpent you will trample down.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will
set him securely on high, because he has known My name</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him
in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation</span></u></i></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What a beautiful song of faith and thankfulness. This Psalm
teaches us not to worry. Moreover, it tells of the salvation of God. Have you
seen the salvation of God? You too can have God’s Salvation through Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. All you need to do is believe in the <span style="color: #7030a0;">One and only Son of God </span>as the risen Savior who
died for your sins and then arose conquering eternal death so that you, i.e.
those who believe on Him, can spend eternity with Him and His Father in Heaven.
If you repent, i.e. if you ask forgiveness of all your past sins and promise to
try <b>not</b> to focus on sinning, Christ
will forgive you of your sins. Then if you believe that Christ died on the
cross and then arose from death to remove the unrighteousness of human sin from
all who will believe on Him and that He is now sitting at the right hand of God
in Heaven, you will be saved. For, the Bible says, “<b><span style="color: #7030a0;">if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus as
Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and
with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.</span></b>” – (Romans 10:
9-10).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you are interested in pursuing a service for the Lord such
as the service of <b>Active Relational
Christian Mentoring</b>, you should check out the book <b><u><span style="color: #0070c0;">The Three-Strand Cord of Active
Relational Christian Mentoring: Women Mentoring Women with Christ at the Center</span></u></b><span style="color: #0070c0;"> </span>by Vicky Lynn Thomas. This book is an easy read
with lots of examples of the different type of mentoring that a person can
engage in. It also contains many mentoring examples from the Bible as well as
from present day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vicky Lynn Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07119049924531448863noreply@blogger.com0