Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Bible Reading

  I may have expressed this earlier. A person needs to read at least a postion of Scripute each morning. Do a little devotion. Ask what does it say? What did it mean then? How can I use it now?
   Pray over it. Get it into your life. What does this passsage tell me about God? About Jesus? About the Holy Spirit?  About myself?
   I have found a good scripture reading link. It is the Youversion.com link. Once there, you are allowed to read your scripture portion in whatever translation and language you wish. But it will give you a program. The program you also choose. Youversion is like a middle man. It offers so much that is good.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Money and Time

God's House
       Today being Sunday I was in service. All Christian's should be in a Bible believing,Bible teaching fellowship on Sunday or whenever during the week the service is. ACTS meets on a Sunday. Victory Christian Fellowship meets on a Saturday.The day isn't important. The attendence is.
        Pastor Joe was finishing up his series on money today. He said we should think of our finances not only as the money we have in our pockets but also the witnessing we do and the service using our spiritual gifts
        To help us in our understanding of money and its use, ACTS is hosting a series on Tuesday nights taught using DVDs and study groups; using the Dave Ramsey series on money. I highly recommend Dave Ramsey. Learn not only to give but how to save. The series will show you how to handle your money and how to budget.


Telling
           The whole of our life should be service. Even our work. Some of us are put in places of employment that are easier than others. I work at a grocery store in the deli department. It is not somewhere where I am able to use my intelligence. I feel like my brain shuts down. I basicly wash the dishes and tie up chickens for the roasting. I have trouble at certain times feeling this is what God in His sovereignty wants me to do. But that is the mind set I must take.  He has me there for a purpsoe.
      Please comment about your work situation. How do you manage it?
      Also follow me .

Saturday, January 21, 2012

The offering

Tithe
   It is important when the plate is passed during the service that you put something in. You should give because you are part of that group. The ministry needs money to exist. The bills have to be paid. The place you meet in must be cleaned.. The minister must eat.
   God recommends that we give according to as He has prospered us that week. If we have prospered little, we can only give little. If we have prospered much, we should give much.
    God allows us to prosper by our labor. Even the poor man has something to give. There is n o cop out allowed. If we have recieved food by the poreaching of the word, we shoulod give back monetarily, if possible, in the plate.
     Jesus one day was sitting by the temple treasury. It was the storehouse for the needs of the people. He saw thr rich people drop a few coins into the offering box. They would never miss it. There was pleanty where that came from. And their motive could have been to look good before those who were watching.
     Then Jesus saw a poor widow drop in her few coins. She was not going to be able to duplicate these coins by working. Her motive was not to have people say how good she was and holy. She wanted to honor God by giving to support His work which at that time was done in the temple. Just as today God's work is being done in Church.
       "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. And test me now in this," says the Lord Of Host, "If I will not for you open the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing that will overflow." Micah 3:10

      Jesus commended the widow for giving. he didn't commend the rich people who gave. Why? Motive is the answer.
God's storehouse today

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Be Content

  This morning Pastor Joe of ACTS church gave us a sermon on money and how the receiving of wealth is okay if we keep the right attitude about it. Money is not evil. It is the love of money that is evil. When money dominates your life or the lack of it dominates your life so much that all you can think about is possession, so much that it shuts down your concern for God, that is evil. But to have money,to be wealthy, there is nothing wrong in that.
     In fact, I see money as a means to help others. The kingdom effort on this earth needs money to go ahead. It costs to do God's work. God gives man the ability to make money. He can also take it away. He can blow on it and it is gone. Money is only a form of exchange.
     Here in America we work and we get paid. We give a form of service and we get paid. We take the money and we exchange it for a good or service. That is what I mean by a form of exchange.
    But we also need to save some and invest some. The period of time we have to make money is limited. We need to work while we are able to.
    Consider the ant..It works while it can and eats the fruit of its labor. The Bible states if a person will not work, don't feed him. He has not earned his right to eat. Tell him to go out and consider the ant. The ant labors. the ant is not seen to feed ants who are not laboring.
      Yes, we need to invest. We need somethning to live on when we can no longer work. That honors God. That is the purpose of the Christian.--to honor God. So let's honor God with our money

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Warning


        I was just looking at my blog page to see how it looked to the reader. I noticed that google ads has placed an ad for Herbert W. Armstrong' book. I must warn you about him and his organization.
       The book is full of untruth. His group used to be called "The World Wide Church Of God" and it reported to be the one true church. It also reported to have rediscovered the truth hidden for ages until (Gasp) it was revealed to Herbert himself who had made himself a prophet of God.

       He writes very persuasively. In fact, it was his books that drew me into his grasp when I first became a Christian and was searching for a church to join. He draws you in by saying all he teaches is from the Bible alone. That s not true. His doctrine of eternal punishment is wrong. He states there is no punishment but when you die you are no more unless you belong to the one true church, which is his. Only baptism by one of his ministers of his church is the true baptism. He denies the trinity.
     
I could go on. You get the point.
I respect Google's right to make money and its right to acccept ads from advertisers. I just want to warn you what you are getting into. Be careful what you read. Judge all things by what the Bible says.. that is, if you are a Christian.

Scripture Reading


      

     It is very important that daily---and I do mean daily-- you read God's Word, the Bible.
      God has spoken. He no longer spends His time speaking in visions and dreams and signs and wonders.   
      Oh, He could choose to do that, but why would He?. He doesn't repeat Himself. He has already appeared once for all in these last days. Hebrews tells us so.
    And God is not a man that He should lie.
    Nor does he speak to special people today. Beware of the preacher who says he has a special revelation from God.
     Ask him where in the Bible that is found or where does it say that.
     God has spoken and caused  it to be recorded all He wants us to know.
      It is found in the Bible. God's communication. The answer to your question is there. Oh, you will have to dig. truth is like gold. You must mine it. But if you pray before opening the book and you ask God to show you something from the book He wants you to know today, He will it.
       May God bless you as you read His word daily.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Bible Reading 2

  I am on a plan at the moment at youversion.com called Deep Dive 14. It runs for a period of 14 days and is on the topic of discipleship. It is laid out a portion of scripture a day with a comment section. The comment section seems to be emphasizing fellowship in the church.
    That is an imporetant elemenet to discipleship. You need other believers to help you in your growth and development process.
    I would highly suggest,if you haven't yet,that you find a good Bible believing, Bible Teaching, Christ honorng church and plug in your gifts.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Bible Reading 1

      I guess the most important thing a Christian can do is read the Bible. This is God speaking to you. When you come  to a passage you don't understand, pray over it, ask for wisdom, and you will be given wisdom, and rely on the teaching of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you as His temple, and keep on reading. God may bring a Christian brother or sister into your life who will help you with that passsge. Or you can ask your pastor (You must fellowship with other believers). Just keep reading. Keep on praying. Keep on fellowshipping
      If you need a system to get through the Bible reading, I have discovered  http://www.youversion.com/  is good. It has Bible versions (KJV, NASB, Good News, etc) and Bible reading plans. Some are year long. Some are topical and take less time. But get in to a Bible reading program
        The Bible can be liken to food. The Bible is food for your spiritual body. You need more than that once a week injection you get at the weekly church service.

Gifts for the Church

        I insist you find a good Bible believing, Bible treaching,  God honoring church. Plug in and use the spiritual gift that you received the moment you became a Christian. This gift is for the church not for you alone. You are part of the body. A body part. The church needs you and your gift. 


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

God's Plan

     On Jan 1,2012 in our service the sermon was on Malachi 3:7-11. The main emphasis was on the verse 8. "Will you rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say," How are we robbing you? By Tithes and offerings"
      Those of us who are Christians are not under the law where it was required to give 23% in tithes. now it is according to how we have prospered during the week. For some that will be little and for others it will be more
     God said to the Israelites. if they tithed and brought the whole tithe and offering into the storehouse (that may be the church building today) He would bless them He asks them  to test Him in this (Bring your money in and tithe) He would open heaven's door and give them blessings. It may work for the present day Christian. It is worth a try.
      To see one of the plans I have for acquiring something to give feel free to click here.
      It is worth a try this year. What do I have to lose? I am sure you as well as I would like God's blessing this year not only in the realm of finances but in the total area of  life.