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Showing posts from August, 2019

PRAISE

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Those who love God respond to Him with heartfelt praise. The more you know God and realize what He has done, the more you will respond with praise. Praise is at the heart of true worship. Let your praise of God flow out of your realization of who He is AND how much He loves you.  

VALLEYS

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Happy are those who are strong in the LORD, Who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, It will become a place of refreshing springs, Where pools of blessing collect after the rains.  They will continue to grow strong, And each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.                                   Psalm 84:5-7 The pilgrimage to the Temple passed through the barren Valley of Weeping. No specific valley has been identified. The "weeping" may have been a symbolic reference to the times of struggles and tears through which people must pass on their way to meet God. Growing strong in God's presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives. The person who loves to spend time with God will see his or her adversity as an opportunity to re-experience God's faithfulness. If you are walking through your own Valley of Weeping today, don't give up! God is faithful and will se

GODLY LOVE

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1 John 4:8 " But anyone who does not love, does not know God - for God is love." Here John is saying that,  "God is love," not, "Love is God." The world with its shallow and selfish view of love, has turned these words around and contaminated our understanding of love. Consider the confusion and the twisted understanding that our younger generation is learning about what love is. The world thinks that love is simply what makes a person feel good and that it is all right to sacrifice moral principles and another's rights in order to obtain such "love." But that isn't real love at all, it is the exact opposite; it is selfishness . God is not that kind of "love". Real love is like God, who is holy (pure), just (good) and perfect. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 states perfectly what real love is… “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud   or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritab

VOWS

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Too often we see vows made and then broken. Sometimes the intent to keep the vow was sincere at the time, then comes the test of time. But on the other hand, too many times vows are made without taking time to consider what you are saying or doing. We must be careful to watch what we say, for you will be held responsible for every idle word. Matthew 12:36 " And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak." Ecclesiastes 5:4-5  So when you make a promise to God, don't delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to Him.  It is better to say nothing than to promise something that you don't follow through on. In such cases, your mouth is making you sin. And don't defend yourself by telling  the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake.  That would make God angry, and He might wipe out everything you have achieved.

LEADERSHIP

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Leaders must be warned not to allow work to take you away from your family responsibilities. Today, this warning is addressed to both Mom and Dad. With the pressure of outside duties and family responsibilities anyone can easily be distracted from their God given responsibility of tending to family. As Christian workers and volunteers sometimes we make the mistake of ignoring our families in order to focus our energies on doing God's work. Spiritual leadership, however, must begin at home! If a person is not willing to care for, discipline and teach his or her children, that person is not qualified to lead the church. Don't allow your work to detract from your family responsibilities which comes 1st.