Monday, June 30, 2014

49 Commands of Jesus Christ - Guest Post

49 commands of Jesus Christ (words to LIVE by!)

Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Keeping the commands of Jesus begins with recognizing what they are. Following is a collection of 49 of Jesus’ commands. As you read through them, ask God to help you observe these words, apply them, and faithfully follow them throughout your lifetime.

  • Repent  “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
  • Follow Me  “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19).
  • Rejoice  “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12).
  • Let Your Light Shine  “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
  • Honor God’s Law  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
  • Be Reconciled “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23–25).
  • Do Not Lust  “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:28–30).
  • Keep Your Word  “Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil” (Matthew 5:37).
  • Go the Second Mile  “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away” (Matthew 5:38–42).
  • Love Your Enemies  “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew 5:44–46).
  • Be Perfect  “If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:46–48).
  • Practice Secret Disciplines  “. . . When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. . . . When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. . . . When thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:1–18).
  • Lay Up Treasures   Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19–21).
  • Seek God’s Kingdom  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
  • Judge Not  “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:1–3).
  • Do Not Cast Pearls  “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6).
  • Ask, Seek, Knock  “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8).
  • Do Unto Others  “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
  • Choose the Narrow Way “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).
  • Beware of False Prophets  “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” (Matthew 7:15–16).
  • Pray for Laborers  “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37–38).
  • Be Wise as Serpents  “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
  • Fear Not  “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
  • Hear God’s Voice  “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 11:15).
  • Take My Yoke  “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).
  • Honor Your Parents  “For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death” (Matthew 15:4).
  • Beware of Leaven  “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).
  • Deny Yourself  “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?” (Luke 9:23–25).
  • Despise Not Little Ones  “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:10).
  • Go to Offenders  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15–17).
  • Beware of Covetousness  “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).
  • Forgive Offenders  “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21–22).
  • Honor Marriage  “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4–6).
  • Be a Servant  “. . . Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28).
  • Be a House of Prayer  “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer . . . ” (Matt. 21:13).
  • Ask in Faith  “Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea: it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21–22).
  • Bring In the Poor  “Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:12–14).
  • Render to Caesar  “Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:19–21).
  • Love the Lord  “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38).
  • Love Your Neighbor  “And the second [commandment] is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:39–40).
  • Await My Return  “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:42–44).
  • Take, Eat, and Drink  “As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26–28).
  • Be Born Again  “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (Jn 3:5–7).
  • Keep My Commandments  “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
  • Watch and Pray “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
  • Feed My Sheep  “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15–16).
  • Baptize My Disciples  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).
  • Receive God’s Power  “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
  • Make Disciples  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19–20).                                     
 (adapted from the Commands of Christ Pocket Guide)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..."   

Romans 1:16

It is not how much of the Bible we have read, or how much we have studied…or how much we have memorized….but how obedient we are to what we have become aware of!  A hallmark of living for Jesus is good works…with NO strings attached.

A wonderful new addition from our friend ST Mann. Thank you so much for your loving words.

s.t.mann is a 50s vintage sojourner for Jesus, and has written dozens of inspirational short stories based on his own true adventures, as well as other works. He lives on a farm in the Canadian Rockies working on numerous projects including two anthologies; he compiles a monthly devotional read on six continents, and is author of the book ‘My Dance With Diane’. He is an ordained minister, founder  and operator of a prison ministry, a retired coach and one time university professor, with a BS from Duke, MS from George Washington, and has completed a variety of seminary level courses.                                                                                                        © 2014 - S.T.Mann,  This story is offered
under Creative Commons license; it is
permissible to use the story as long
as an attribution bio is included.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Mystery or Creativity - Guest Post


WE ARE EXHORTED TO REJOICE ALWAYS, IN EVERYTHING ...THIS IS POSSIBLE, ONCE WE UNDERSTAND GOD'S HEART AND PURPOSE FOR US...
HE IS NEITHER MAD AT, NOR PUNISHING US...OUR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE NEITHER KARMA OR CHANCE...THEY ARE NEITHER FOR OUR PUNISHMENT OR DESTRUCTION ...SEEING GOD'S HAND IN EVERYTHING, EVEN TRAGEDY AND SORRY HE WILL REDEEM, BRINGING BEAUTY FROM ASHES,TRULY CAUSING EVERYTHING ...EVERYTHING ...TO WORK FOR OUR GOOD AND HIS GLORY, IN HIS DIVINE PLAN, FOR HIS PURPOSES, IN HIS UNFAILING LOVE FOR US
FATHER IN HEAVEN, KING AND CREATOR OF ALL THINGS,OPEN THE EYES OF OUR HEART,THAT WE MAY KNOW YOUR TENDER LOVE FOR US,THAT WE MAY SEE YOUR HAND IN EVERYTHING, THAT WE MAY TRUST IN YOU,NO MATTER WHAT,THAT WE MAY KNOW, AND BELIEVE THAT YOU DELIGHT YOURSELF IN US AND TRULY DO HAVE GOOD FOR US,PLANS THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN OR TAKEN,FOR YOU ARE GREATER THAN ALL, AND NONE CAN CHANGE WHAT YOU HAVE PURPOSED IN YOUR HEART FOR US...WE LOVE YOU AND PRAISE YOU AND REJOICE IN YOU,IN YOUR HOLY SPIRIT YOU HAVE GIVEN US,THAT OUR NAMES ARE IN YOUR BOOK OF LIFE!!!!!!!! IN JESUS NAME AND AUTHORITY    AMEN!!!!!!!!                                      - Norm Bennett
Today is a wonderful day to give thanks a praise our Lord God Father of Jesus Christ. God's blessing are pooring over all of you. Let God take all of your worries and transform them to victories. May God take all of your illnesses and make you healthy. May God take all of your sadnesses and make you and all of those you love and love you JOYOUS!!            - Antonio Dipino
What is our everyday strategy? Give thanks unto the lord
In the silent times, seek God
In the painful times, praise God
In the terrible times, trust God
At all times, thank God!            - Ann Voskamp, Canada



 

Today's Creation Moment - Reversible Wings: Mystery or Creativity?

Isaiah 31:5 "As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver [it; and] passing over he will preserve it."
Sometimes incredible wonders pass right before our eyes, but we are not equipped to see them. Take the hummingbird, for an example.
Did you know that like the woodpecker, the hummingbird has a tongue that wraps all the way around its head just under the skin? This feature is not really evident when you look at the hummingbird. Nor is the wonderful way in which its wings move, so that it can hover, fly forwards or fly backwards.
High-speed photography has revealed some amazing secrets about the hummingbird's wings that cannot be noticed by the eye. All birds, except the hummingbird, move their wings at the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Only the hummingbird is capable of turning his wings upside down, so that when he hovers, both strokes of his wings beat the air in order to support him. This demonstrates that the hummingbird is not a modification of the general bird design – as evolutionists tell us. Rather, the hummingbird was created with unique features that enable it to make its living.

Likewise, when God tells us that He cares for those who are His through faith in Christ's saving work, we don't always see exactly how He is caring for us. But like the virtually invisible features of the hummingbird, His care is nevertheless there.
Prayer: Father in heaven, I thank You that You have made me Your own child through Jesus Christ. Help me to believe what You tell me in Your Word, even if I cannot see it all for myself. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Tale of the Hummingbird
A top highlight of summer is the hummingbirds - darting here and there, feeding and hiding. Forwards, backwards, upside down, vertically, and just plain hovering. I love the marvelous little flying miracles.
A righteous man regards the life of his animal…  Proverbs 12:10

One warm, sunny day, I spent all afternoon and into the evening helping a neighbor get his potatoes planted. I finally returned home as the sun was setting…it was getting dark and it was getting cool.
Inside, I was surprised to discover I had a visitor in the grand piano room – one of my hummingbirds! When i entered the room, he flew frantically all around the ceiling looking for an opening, and finally perched on the exposed wire that hangs from the high ceiling, running to a hanging lamp.
What did i do? I did the only thing I knew to do – I Immediately spoke with our loving heavenly Father - 'Father - what can i do to help this bird? i need wisdom; I need Your help.'
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally…  James 1:5
In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.   Job 12:10
Then I spoke softly to my visitor 'hello....i want to help you.'
At once, the hummingbird flew off his perch near the ceiling and landed on the grand piano, a step away from me. Astonished, I took a half step and calmly spoke to him again - 'I'm not gonna hurt you...but I am gonna reach out and put you in my hand so I can take you outside.'
A few seconds later, i reached out and softly closed my right hand around the bird. My visitor gave no resistance. I walked him outside and set him on the deck railing. A few seconds later, as if nothing much had happened, the hummingbird casually flew up to a branch in a tree about 15 feet above the ground…and for several moments looked back at me, as if in appreciation. Then he flew away to resume his usual life with the dozens and dozens of other hummingbirds.
Who among does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? Job 12:9
This wonderful incident lasted less than 60 seconds; the memory will last a lifetime.

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.  Luke 12:6


Aren't these stories wonderful?

Once again, my friend ST Mann has enchanted and mesmerized us with his special words and phrases.