Working Our Faith Out

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Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 8, 2012 at 5:35pm

i love you too my beloved sister

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 8, 2012 at 5:17pm

Family ,I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE AND IS SO PROUD OF US ALL LOVE YOU ALL THROUGH JESUS OUR BIG BROTHER

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		Printer version   2 Samuel 9:1-13 (1) David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" (2) Now there was a servant of Saul's household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "Your servant," he replied. (3) The king asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." (4) "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." (5) So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. (6) When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "Your servant," he replied. (7) "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table." (8) Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" (9) Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul's servant, and said to him, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. (10) You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master's grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) (11) Then Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table like one of the king's sons. (12) Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica, and all the members of Ziba's household were servants of Mephibosheth. (13) And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet. New International Version   Change Bible versions We might easily pass over this story as being quaint or charming, but it is much more than that. God intends it as an object lesson to us on our responsibility to perform acts of kindness. It also teaches us a great deal about David's heart and why he was beloved of God. Saul and three of his four sons had been killed in battle on Mount Gilboa. A fourth son survived only to be assassinated, ending an attempt to set up a rival kingdom. All that remained of the once high and proud house of Saul were some daughters and some sons by a concubine. Meanwhile, David prospered as he consolidated his kingdom by gaining victories everywhere he went. Despite David's high station and prosperity, he did not forget his and Jonathan's oath or their love for each other when David was the lowly shepherd and Jonathan was heir to the throne. The story gives no indication that anyone prompted David's inquiry. The request came from his own heart, motivated by his faithfulness to his friend and his caring nature. This seems more remarkable when we consider his undeserved persecutions at Saul's hand, as the aging king became increasingly crazed from jealousy of David's popularity. David could easily have been bitter from having been forced into living the life of a vagabond, dwelling in caves, and existing on the generosity of others while he was doing good for Israel. He could have held a grudge in order to feel justified in retaliating, or spat curses against any of Saul's heirs. Besides, it was the way of Eastern kings to kill off any potential claimants to the throne. Instead, what came welling up in David's heart was a spontaneous and self-motivated desire to do good to any who remained of Saul's house. But David's language as he questioned Ziba goes still deeper in unfolding his motives. He speaks of showing the "kindness of God" to Saul's house, elevating his motive to an even higher plane as a precursor of Jesus' statement in Luke 6:35-36: But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. David's statement reveals that he was constrained to use God as the pattern for what he wanted to do for Saul's house. He recognized that he, a sinner like all of us, had received undeserved mercy and kindness from the hand of God. It is as if God is saying that, before we can pass on His kindness, we must first recognize that we have received it from Him. Jesus follows up His statement with another that touches on this area: "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little" (Luke 7:47). David's touching example of kindness reveals that he felt responsible to be merciful and kind because our great God had been exceedingly merciful and kind to him by forgiving much and giving much. He is a worthy example of one who loved much because he recognized that God loved him. The best basis for kindly service to man is experiencing God's mercy. Indeed, we can say that long before a person can be truly merciful, God has been merciful to him. Religion is not pure and undefiled unless it manifests itself in this quality of kindly given service (James 1:27). Perhaps from this example, we can draw the conclusion that we have not shown our brother all the kindness we owe him unless we have shown him the "kindness of God." John W. Ritenbaugh Excerpted from: The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 8, 2012 at 5:07pm

Family I want to share this with you and my dear sister MARTRP  IF YOUR HUSBAND IS SAVED PLEASE GET HIM TO READ THIS BY ALL MEANS

AN UNCOMPROMISING LOVE

In HIS Presence:  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25).

Most of us have either read or heard a sermon preached on the Scripture quoted above.  The apostle Paul was writing to believers in Ephesus—a city that was one of the most pagan at the time.  These early believers were just beginning to understand what it meant to love others the way that Jesus loved people.  So Paul added an important detail to his teaching—he instructed husbands to love their wives the way Christ loves the church.

When we talk about loving to this degree, we are talking about sacrifice and commitment.  This is exactly what Jesus did for each one of us.  He sacrificed His life and committed Himself to us.  Wives need to know that their husbands are willing to do the same for them.

Jesus is our loving Savior.  Likewise, there will be times when wives need to view their husbands as saviors—not taking the place of Christ, but listening to their daily struggles and providing the protection they need from harm.

If you have never opened your heart to Christ's love, then you will not know how to love the way He loved.  In fact, a person can be saved and still not experience the depth of God's love.  However, when you ask Him to teach you the right way to love, He will do it.  No matter what your past contains, He will broaden your ability to love with His same love.

One Minute Please

Love is measured by sacrifice, not by enjoyment.

Comment by Hamm on January 8, 2012 at 3:36am

My prays are with you Laura.

Your comments CHRIS, ALCEDES & NANCY, are inspiring me.

My prays are with the rest of the groups as well. We will all, together conquer Laura's perdicament through the love of each other and the love of humanity, for the love of Jesus and the Lord God. As we are willing to help others as we struggle with our own demons and weaknesses, so we shall shine and strengthen our selves as individuals and as many to one. In the love of and the light of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Laura maybe you could help me over come my perdicament by sharing with me your understanding of the good book. ALCEDES, CHRIS, NANCY,MARTY & ELAINE have all got great understanding and an orcale of the bible, I don't, so maybe sister you could shine some light on me and help me understand your understandings of the great book.

I have faith in you sister God bless you and keep shining. The comments above by Marty and Chris in different blogs are worth reading. Godbless again sister.

Comment by a servant (Chris) on January 7, 2012 at 10:42pm

Alcedes

I have always Loved Phil 4:6-7.  This is part of something I wrote sometime ago.."So to sum all this up, as we Trust God and we focus on Him; set our minds on the Love of Jesus and His Power.  We are freed from fear, stress, worry and the rest.  We get PERFECT PEACE.  A Peace that is far and away more compelling, dynamic, robust and Supreme to any thought we or the enemy may ever be able to have.  This Knowledge of God, will demolish, tear down, and lay flat into dust any and all arguments, prideful ideas, intellectual arrogance, that any may have against this Word of God, His Promises to us.  This Perfect Peace will guard, protect, give sanctuary to.." Like I said, I really love the knowledge that we have Perfect Peace in Jesus.  Nothing can beat that, not just Peace, but Perfect Peace.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 7, 2012 at 10:29pm

John 15 :5-11
New American Standard Bible

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5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 7, 2012 at 10:06pm

Laura and also the whole group including me this is food for our soul

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV). ...present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus....... Thoughts on This Verse... What guards your heart? What protects your mind? Did you know that the peace of God can stand guard over our hearts and minds? That's the apostle Paul's promise to us in this passage. If we will present our requests to God, with thanksgiving, then God's peace that is greater than any explanation and that transcends our ability to comprehend it, will stand sentry over our hearts and minds. You want an example of how this is true? Look at the book of Job: All that befalls him; all that wounds him. Yet still he doesn't become hard of heart or go insane. What is the key to his survival? His ongoing conversation with the LORD. He will not relinquish that relationship no matter how badly he hurts, how much he is confused, nor how badly he is ridiculed.

Comment by a servant (Chris) on January 7, 2012 at 7:41pm

Nancy

We are also lifting you up in the same way, all are children of the Most High.  We lift up the Daughters, and we lift up the Sons of the One Who has created us All.  We lift up one another in the Family of God.  PRAISE THE LORD  GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!!!!!!1

Comment by a servant (Chris) on January 7, 2012 at 7:33pm

Laura

My dear Sister.  I would ask that you begin to step out in Faith.  To no longer allow how you "feel" define you and your Relationship to Dad.  That you stand on what the Word tells us, who and what we are in Christ.  You are Loved!  Jesus showed us on the Cross.  God showed us also, at the Cross.  The Spirit of Holiness, shows us starting in the upper room, with the 120.  We saw the Boldness of Peter, as he told all those who had heard the 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:2-4  As with Faith and Boldness through the Spirit.  Laura we all face the attacks that you have been facing.  We all must handle this the same way, with Faith speaking of things as though they are, not matter what we see or feel.  You are a dear Sister to so many, we Pray for you and lift you up.  I ask that you receive our Love for you, yet, more then that Receive the LOVE, DAD, JESUS, AND THE SPIRIT, is showing you.  Laura this is Real, this Love is True, this Love is based on a Promise and the Actions that take place.  You just need to Receive, and speak with Faith.  We are All behind you Sister.  Not judging you, but lifting you up to Jesus.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on January 7, 2012 at 6:09pm

/a> Colossians 3 :1-17
New American Standard Bible

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Put On the New Self

      1Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

      5Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

      12So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

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