Not one of us should be egotistical and boastful and prideful, thinking that we are better than we really are. But we are also not to be those who are continually putting ourselves down, convinced that we can never accomplish anything good in this life, and that we can never be who God intended for us to be, or that we are doomed to remain where we are in a stalemate, not really going forward or backward. But we are to think of ourselves with realistic judgment in the eyes of the Lord, giving God the glory for all that is good within us and for all the good that is accomplished through us.

And with regard to the body of Christ and the gifts of the Spirit, all gifts of God are given to us by God and are not of our own doing, so we should never have cause to take credit ever for anything good that God is accomplishing through us for his glory and purposes. Credit should be given where credit is due. So if one of us has more gifts than another we should not boast as though we somehow did this ourselves. We did not! We can certainly share our testimonies of God’s callings on our lives and how God is using us, but as an encouragement to others, not to puff ourselves up.

Now the body of Christ, the true church, is made up of all who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ across the globe. We are the universal body of Christ, one church which meets in many different locations. We are those who have, by faith in Jesus Christ, been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is no longer our master but Jesus Christ is our Lord and Master, and our will is to do the will of God for our lives, under his guidance and in his power.

And as members of the universal body of Christ we have all been given gifts of the Holy Spirit which are spiritual gifts and ministries. And we have all been assigned our specific body parts by God. But we have to be paying attention to listen to the Spirit within us showing us what our body parts are and where our areas of giftedness of the Spirit are, as well. But we must be those who are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, in order to be in tune with God so that we can hear his voice and know what his calling is upon our individual lives. And then we need to obey him.

Now we are not all going to have the same body parts or the same giftedness. And even if more than one of us has the gift of teaching, for example, we are not all going to teach in exactly the same way. But we should all be diligent in doing our best to make certain that we are correctly handling the word of truth, to the best of our understanding, so that we are not guilty of passing along lies which we were taught. So we should be students of the Scriptures who study and teach them in their appropriate context so that we remain true to the Scriptures and are not led astray.

Now if we have less and others have more, we should not be jealous of them. But we should praise the Lord for what he has given to us and trust that if he wants us to have more that he will be the one to initiate it, and that we will know that this is coming from him and not from within ourselves. We should always be content with whatever we are given by God and do our best, in the power of God, to do what God has called us to do in ministry to the body of Christ and to the people of this world. And not one of us should be neglectful to fulfill the roles to which God has called us.

So many of our present day “churches,” though, are not functioning as the biblical body of Christ. Largely what we have are large gatherings of people (Christian and non-Christian) who attend weekly services in a building called “church.” A typical gathering will usually begin with a praise band (mostly keyboard, guitars, drums, and singers) leading in some worship songs which may or may not be biblically sound in doctrine. And this is generally followed by announcements and an offering and then with one man (the preacher) giving the only sermon for the day. Then the people go home.

This “body” is, therefore, lopsided, and the gatherings are not fulfilling the purpose for which we are supposed to gather together as the body of Christ, which is for our mutual encouragement in the Spirit of God via the use of our individual spiritual gifts and body parts. For if this is the essence of our gatherings, then where do the gifts of the Spirit happen? How do the individual members use their gifts of prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, contributing, leading, and showing mercy, if only a few select people do all the ministering while the rest of the body sits as spectators?

So, we all need to go back to what the New Testament teaches with regard to all of us functioning in the body parts assigned to us by God and all of us utilizing the Spiritual gifts given to us by God within the gatherings of the church, the body of Christ, for our mutual encouragement. For we are to be encouraging and exhorting one another and urging one another in our walks of faith toward obedience to Christ and the forsaking of our sins. And we are to be speaking the truth in love to one another so that we are not led astray by false teachings and so that we do not get trapped by sin’s deceitfulness.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6; Jude 1:22-23]

In Harmony

An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Login to view embedded media

So many times we worry about things that don’t matter at all. Other times we stress over things that do matter, but we forget to take those matters to God in prayer. Yet, worry never solves anything. All worry does is upset us and make us unhappy and fearful. People who are anxious much about a lot of things often times needlessly develop physical ailments such as ulcers or high blood pressure. And, it is because they forget to take these matters to God in prayer, seeking his wisdom, and trusting in his sovereignty.

I was reading in Philippians 4 following a time of prayer in which I was bringing to the Lord some concerns in my life. And, the Lord encouraged me with the words of that passage of scripture with regard to what I was going through, and with regard to what I was bringing before him in prayer. He had given me a tune the night before, and as I prayed for words to the tune, he reminded me of this passage I had just read. The words fit the tune so perfectly. I believe this is from the Lord, and I pray it will encourage your hearts, too.

Fear Not!

An Original Work / October 20, 2011
Based off of Philippians 4

Rejoice in the Lord!
Gentle be always.
The Lord is near you.
Fear not in all things.
But in ev’rything
By prayer, with thanksgiving,
Share your requests.
God will guard your hearts
With His peace always.

Think about these things:
Whate’er is honest;
Pure and is lovely;
And is praiseworthy.
Whate’er you have learned,
Or you have received, or
You heard from Christ,
Make it your practice.
God will be with you.

I can do all things
Through Him who gives strength.
Whate’er I go through,
Satisfied I’ll be.
My God will meet all
My needs according to
His riches in
Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Praise Him forever!

Login to view embedded media

If our faith in Jesus Christ is biblical faith, authored by Jesus Christ, persuaded of God, and gifted to us by God, and not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man – then we will be followers of Christ, his sheep, who listen to him and who obey him. Our lives will be surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will and to live out the lives that he has for us to live in the callings that we have received from him, and not to please ourselves.

We will be those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Our lives will no longer be our own to be lived out however we want to live them, for we were bought back for God (redeemed) by the blood of Christ shed for us on that cross to deliver us out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now honor God with our lives and with our bodies – all in the power of God within us.

But we are still human beings who live in flesh bodies who may be tempted to fall back into sin or to follow the ways of the world and of the flesh, for the influences out there in the gatherings of the church and in the world are enormous, especially in the times we now live when we are being bombarded with media of all sorts 24/7. And it can be so easy to slip and to fall back into the ways of living to please the flesh if we are not careful, and if our hearts are not guarded, and if we are not fully committed to Christ.

So we need to hear encouragements like this to remind us of why we are here, and of why Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross, and what it means to believe in Jesus Christ and to be his servants and messengers and not to please ourselves. For if our faith in Christ is biblical and genuine, our lives are to be surrendered to Jesus Christ to now live for him, and to do his will, and to follow him in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living.

And that is what it means if our lives are given over to the Lord as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. We do not consider our lives to be our own to be lived however we want, but our goal is to please our Lord in whatever we do. For to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because our lives are now being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. We are now becoming more and more like Jesus and less and less like who we were when we lived in the flesh.

So, what this means for us in our day-to-day living is that we will consider our Lord in all that we do and we will inquire of him if we have any concern about whether or not we should go a particular direction. Our minds and our hearts will be open and receptive to hearing him speak truth to our hearts 24/7, and we will not shut him out just so we can do what we want to do. And we will be guided by him in our day-to-day living so that we are following in his footsteps and so that we are no longer going our own way.

And now this is our spiritual worship of God. Worship is not just gathering together with a bunch of people and singing songs and raising our hands and getting all emotional, at least not in itself. For we can do all that and never truly worship God. True biblical worship of God, although it may include singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, is surrender of our lives to Jesus Christ on his altar of sacrifice, denying self, dying daily to sin, by the Spirit, and walking in the ways of the Lord, according to his commands.

So, we are no longer to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world. We should no longer be participating in anything that is immoral, evil, wicked, deceptive, and anything that is contrary to God and to his will and purpose for our lives and that robs us of our relationships with Jesus Christ and us working for the Lord and that keeps us entertaining and pleasing the flesh, instead. So many professers of faith in Jesus Christ are not much different from those who make no professions of faith, and this should not be!

So, if we have drifted from what God has called us to do, and if we are being captivated once again by the sinful pleasures of the flesh or by what the world is offering us in the way of entertainment that is contrary to God’s moral values for our lives, and with regard to what our minds should be set on, then we need some more transforming of our minds back to the ways of the Lord and away from the desires of the flesh so that we can live lives fully pleasing to the Lord, and so we can discern and do the will of God.

[Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Php 2:5-11: Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

My Sheep

An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

Login to view embedded media

hislegacy said:

The shape of the cross used in crucifixion's changed from country to country- Andrews Cross was indicative of Egypt The others are similar. Northern Africa used a straight piece, where the hands were nailed above the head.

G4716 - stauros - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)

G4716 - σταυρός staurós, stow-ros'; from the base of ; a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively, exposure to death, i.e. self-denial; by implication, the atonement of Christ:—cross.

www.blueletterbible.org

1. a cross
   1. a well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves
   2. the crucifixion which Christ underwent
2. an upright "stake", esp. a pointed one, used as such in fences or palisades

The definition is based on usage

When speaking of the instrument of torture and death - it translates to English as cross
When speaking of a fence post or support member - it translates to English as stake.

That is really all there is to the question.

Click to expand...

Indeed, there is also St. Peter’s Cross - he was crucified upside down at his own request to avoid being crucified in the same position as our Lord.

Unfortunately we have lately seen this version of the cross abused by people associated with various anti-Christian occult groups, such as actual devil worshippers, which is entirely disgusting and distressing. They have no moral right to appropriate Christian symbols for their own purpose.

Indeed the National Socialists did this to the Swastika, which was, prior to their adoption of it, primarily used as a religious symbol by Buddhists, but it saw some use by some Christians in Europe, but it was effectively adopted as a logo as part of the very well-planned branding and corporate identity program adopted by the National Socialists.

Basil the Great said:

The only way to ever achieve peace is for both sides to make major compromises in their current positions. Sadly, neither side seems ready and willing to make said compromises at this time.

Click to expand...

True.

wing2000 said:

...or he had fried pork chop on his mind.

Click to expand...

I was about eight years old when I was told, “When Daddy asks ‘does anyone want that last pork chop?’, the correct answer is ‘no’!” Fortunately, I was a slow learner.

DEI needs to go away.

Let people make their own opinions.

I don't know how I feel about this. If he was outside the clinic protesting and praying, I would have supported him.

Inside? Eh.

Lord have mercy!

The leftish media doesn't care.

Simple.

Thanks for posting!

Thanks for sharing.

Amen!

Adam and Eve in the garden. It makes sense why marriage is the oldest institution and oldest sacrament.

I'm just rambling. Forgive me.

Hazelelponi said:

Quoted from a recent article:

Walz’s weaknesses become even more concerning when they are paired with those of Kamala Harris. The Harris-Walz approach to public safety is so radical that it defies common sense and puts the public at serious risk. In fact, to the types of criminals I worked to put away, the pairing of Harris and Walz probably seems like a match made in heaven.

There is possibly no better example to illustrate this than the case of Myon Burrell.

Burrell, a Bloods gang member, was convicted for shooting and killing 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards as she sat doing homework at her kitchen table. Burrell had tried to shoot a rival gang member but killed Edwards in the crossfire. He was a hardened criminal who had no remorse and deserved the life sentence he was given.

But Walz thought otherwise and in 2020, to the backdrop of the “Defund the Police” movement, he commuted Burrell’s sentence. A murderer was released back onto our streets.

While Walz was busy commuting Burrell’s sentence, Kamala Harris was out soliciting money for the Minnesota Freedom Fund, an organization that posts bail for criminals, including murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers. This turned out to be quite helpful to Burrell because, as most anybody could have predicted, his criminal behavior didn’t end when he was released from prison.

In August 2023, after being off probation for 3 months, Burrell was caught by police with an illegal gun and drugs. Despite being a convicted murderer, the Kamala Harris-backed Minnesota Freedom Fund bailed Burrell out. Burrell was set free again.

Not even a year later, Burrell was arrested a second time while out on bail, this time after selling fentanyl. He got caught with more drugs and $60,000 in drug proceeds. And wouldn’t you know it, he was bailed out again.

Op-ed: Joe Teirab: Don’t buy Gov. Tim Walz’s dangerous bill of goods

America is being sold a bill of goods with Gov.

washingtonreporter.news

I don't even want to imagine what kind of a DOJ they would be fostering...

Click to expand...

As so often happens with these articles, the important detail was left out.

An independent national legal panel determined that there was a "failure to investigate that illustrates tunnel vision" and that evidence that could have helped exonerate Burrell was either ignored or minimized. His case was an example of the faulty handling of criminal investigations

Click to expand...

I'm not arguing that this guy was a good person. But he served 18 years after being convicted on potentially dodgy grounds. A fact that was found not by Walz, but by an independent legal panel.

Meanwhile some Trump supporters argue for total exoneration of January 6th rioters who stormed the parliament and tried to bring down your government. So much for "tough on crime".

I think society as a whole has a lot of contempt for the faithful. Jesus warned the world would hate us.

God remains faithful and always raises up Saints throughout all generations.

Amen!

Love365 said:

Would you give the Russians a famous painting,
for something you want?

Click to expand...

Depends on what I could steal from the Hermitage.

LoriSaysHey2U said:

A primeira coisa que você precisa fazer é confiar somente em Deus, em mais ninguém. Você está em uma batalha espiritual e se você é um verdadeiro crente, Deus lhe deu armas para lutar essa batalha. A Bíblia chama essas armas que Deus lhe deu de Armadura Espiritual. O apóstolo Paulo lidou com isso frequentemente. Ele explica o que são e como usá-las em sua carta às pessoas na igreja em uma cidade na Ásia Menor chamada Éfeso. Leia Efésios 6:10-17. Tiago 4:7-8 diz "Cheguem perto de Deus, resistam ao diabo e ele fugirá de vocês." Como você se aproxima de Deus? Seja um cristão PRO (O)re, (R)leia e (obedeça). Ore a Jesus frequentemente. Agradeça a Ele durante todo o dia, mesmo pelas pequenas coisas (Ele ama isso), peça a Ele para ajudá-lo ao longo do dia, mesmo com as pequenas coisas, e agradeça a Ele todas as vezes, então leia Sua Palavra diariamente. Realmente funciona! Eu subi no meu sótão ano passado e acidentalmente caí do teto. Então agora, toda vez que vou ao sótão, oro para que o Senhor me proteja e me leve para baixo em segurança, e Ele o faz. Sou próximo de alguém que foi diagnosticado com transtorno bipolar há muitos anos. O psiquiatra dele o receitou Olanzapina e ele é altamente viciado e não consegue parar. Quando ele tem pesadelos repugnantemente horríveis, isso é guerra espiritual. A única coisa que o ajuda a voltar à paz que só Deus pode dar é se aproximar imediatamente de Deus e orar, ler, obedecer. A Palavra de Deus é mais afiada do que uma espada de dois gumes. O inimigo odeia quando você faz isso, então eles fogem - por um tempo, mas sempre voltam. Estarei orando por você, minha querida!

Click to expand...

MThank you very much for your text.

tonychanyt said:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8


Moses wrote that just before he died.

Click to expand...

Your posts always trigger some useful thinking .. thanks

For a very nice overview of the Hebrew words for love that makes an educational read see:

God's Loving Graciousness - American Torah

Maybe the most important part:

There are essentially 3 Hebrew words that are frequently translated as love in the Old Testament.

אהב (H157), pronounced as ahab
חשׁק (H2836), pronounced as chasak
חסד (H2617), pronounced as chesed

Click to expand...

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 is of the second form; but it's also used for very dysfunctional/damaging 'love' like in the story of Dinah in Genesis 34:8.

Stephen777 said:

Honestly I always thought this was homosexual marriages and inner family marriage.

Click to expand...

Today, marriage is a merely a corporation between two slaves.
Chances are that these two slaves work for another corporation/s.
Fact is that none of the corporations have payed tribute to the Son of Man.
Whom, is alive today, and will be alive tomorrow and the day to come.

Michie said:

The number of Catholic priests serving Nigeria’s Diocese of Nsukka has surpassed 400 following the ordination of 23 new priests on Aug. 10.

In remarks at the end of the ordination, Bishop Godfrey Igwebuike Onah expressed gratitude and joy for the growing number of priests serving in his diocese.

“I must render one apology to all the Nsukka priests who are not in the sanctuary. With the ordination today we are now 417 priests in this diocese,” Onah said during the Mass at St. Theresa Cathedral. “Now you understand why some of you for the past 10 years have not been able to impose hands on your newly ordained brothers, because if all of us were to impose hands, we would still be [doing it].”


Continued below.

Number of Catholic priests for Nigerian diocese surpasses 400

The number of Catholic priests serving Nigeria’s Diocese of Nsukka has surpassed 400 following the ordination of 23 new priests on Aug. 10.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Click to expand...

Amen to this. Hopefully, these priests are free from any persecution and are protected by God.

Nice speech. Thanks, Joe.

Rebecca Jo said:

Just right for me!

Click to expand...

I do agree. It reminds me of Run DMC, but a Christian version. In other words, we must Run to Jesus.

Amen