The best life is a God First life

Category: God’s Will (Page 2 of 8)

GOD -FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY?

As a young adult, I remember thinking and touting that no matter what my plight, I can make the best of any situation. Now, as an aged Adult, my thoughts and words have been severely tested. What I should have been thinking and saying is that with Christ, no matter what my plight, we can make the best of any situation.  Virginia and I lived many of our early years together, treating God as if He were in a drawer labeled ” FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY.”  Looking back, I now recognize many lifelong repercussions from those years. Without Christ and His Church at the forefront and center of our lives, we were broken wrecks, unintentionally causing trickle-down harm through our choices by our examples.

Like us in these early days, many who are not baptized into Christ, who do not put God First in their lives, and who are not an active part of the Church Christ established, may not understand what I am saying here, but I can tell you our lives and relationship became significantly better after we chose to include and live for Christ daily.

Only through understanding, belief, and doing God’s will according to His will, in other words, through our faith in Christ, did we have the strength and comfort needed to endure some of the most difficult times—unexpected losses, financial struggles, and, currently, my wife’s Alzheimer’s. Without Jesus, we are broken; with Jesus, we are whole.

In the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire, a now-famous line is: “You complete me!”

This is what Jesus really does for those who pick up the cross and follow Him. Jesus completes us!

The Apostle Paul had it right…

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11)

We Can Do All Things Through Him who strengthens us.

Matthew 16:24-26, Luke 9:23-26, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Philippians 4:7, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 2:38-41, James 1:2-4

God First!

Faithful Christians in Government

If politicians were faithful Christians, corruption would not be an issue. Lies and Deceit would not be an issue. If we love Christ, we keep His commandments, no matter our role in this world. Love of God and our neighbors are the two Greatest commands.

The keyword to this statement is “Faithful “- those who are continuously striving to be Christ-like, to love others as Christ loved us!

You can’t love two masters, such as greed and God.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Matthew 6:24
  • John 14:15
  • John 13:34

God First!

Judgment Day

Hope Ends – Faith Ends – Belief Ends – All False teachings End

Our Eternal Reality Begins

Are you ready?

On Judgment Day, in a twinkling of an eye, all our Hope, faith, and belief disappear as we face the reality of the choices we face today.

Every Truth we shared that brought someone to Christ or every false teaching we adopted, repeated, or promoted leading us and others away from Christ will become part of our fate, part of our judgment. It is so important that we don’t accept others’ words but rather question and study God’s word. God gave us Truth, Example, Inferences, and References to follow in His Word. If we find a contradiction, it shows our understanding is wrong – seek the truth in God’s word, believing false teaching has serious consequences.

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

  • John 5:39
  • 1 Corinthians 15:52
  • 2 Corinthians 6:2
  • Acts 17:11
  • 2 Timothy 2:15
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21
  • 1 John 4:1
  • Hebrews 5:14
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17
  • 2 Peter 2:1-3
  • Galatians 1:8-9
  • Matthew 7:15-20
  • Jude 1:3-4
  • James 3:1
  • Matthew 18:6
  • Matthew 5:19
  • Revelation 20:12-13
  • Romans 2:6
  • Ecclesiastes 12:14
  • 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
  • 1 Corinthians 13:12
  • Hebrews 4:12-13

God First!

We really miss out when we predetermine not to listen!

Yes, it can be aggravating when someone disagrees with us on important issues; however, we should not take offense. Simply do your best to present the facts and reasons for your position.

These days, the word “Offended” is widespread and often used to dismiss reason; it’s used to detour discussion rather than find solutions.

In the Bible, we read that Paul went to synagogues to reason with leaders about fulfilled prophecies in Scripture and to tell them of Christ, yet still, many would not listen. Most likely, just as with today, some were predetermined not to listen and instead took offense at what Paul was saying.

God’s Word is important; accepting God’s Grace through obedient faith and acting on that faith is essential. We can’t have obedient faith without understanding. You must know what you’re being obedient to, and such understanding comes from study and reasoning, not osmosis.

Keeping God’s commands and precepts is vital to obtaining eternal life because, as Jesus puts it, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  and, “no one comes to the Father except through me” (ref’s below)

Everyone is encouraged to study and apply the teachings of Scripture to their lives, especially those in the body of Christ. Rather than being set and judgmental, attacking, or building a wall between brethren, strive to teach but be understanding. There is only one truth: help each other learn.

It may be that both believe they represent the meat of Scripture, but neither should be predetermined not to listen; approach the discussion with open ears, as if you were the one on milk, seeking growth, which helps avoid the perception of arrogance. Use a humble attitude and words to help each other understand the facts of Scripture by listening first and reasoning together the Words of God, listen to each other in truth and love, that you may both correctly discern the truth and gain a better understanding of Scripture.

“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”

  • John 14:6
  • Ephesians 4:25
  • Acts 17:2-4, 10-11
  • Acts 18:4, 6, 24-28
  • John 14:15

God First!

Prayer request – why would you not ask?

I see many prayer requests on social media. Although it’s sad to see so many people dealing with sickness, death, fears, and concerns, I truly appreciate those who recognize the power of praying in Jesus’ name and asking for prayers from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus is our avenue to God’s help, so if we truly believe, why would we abstain from asking others to join us in prayer and praying for us?

When encountering prayer requests, it’s standard for me to pause and pray before moving forward. I don’t always know the recipients of my prayers personally. However, I know that, by their request, they believe in God’s power to help and in Him, as they have asked for prayers. Scripture shows God wants us to pray; God wants to be included in our daily lives. More than that, and with good reason, God wants to be the front and center of our lives. Scripture clearly demonstrates God’s desire to be included in our daily lives, which consists of prayer before action. As those in Christ, we have confidence that when we pray and ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us.

Praying and asking others to pray demonstrate our belief, and belief is vital to having our request granted according to Scripture. So let us pray with thanksgiving, expectations, and humble hearts that show our love, trust, dependence, and desire for God’s help.

What does it say to God about our belief, our trust in Him, when we don’t include Him in our lives until things are dire?  How would you feel if the only time you hear from a loved one is when they need dire help?  God has feelings, too!

  • John 15:7 (Notice conditions)
  • 1 John 5:14
  • James 5:14-16
  • 2 Corinthians 1:11
  • Matthew 7:7
  • Luke 11:9
  • John 16:24
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
  • James 1:5
  • Romans 12:2
  • Romans 12:12
  • Isaiah 63:9
  • Ephesians 6:18

God First!

The Best Good we can do

Sometimes, when we try to do good and help others, people will take advantage of our kindness and abuse our love. As a result, we can become disappointed and discouraged; we can feel knocked down and ridiculed, and start questioning our efforts. Don’t. When this happens, shake the dust from your feet and move forward. Many appreciate and need your efforts. The best “Good” we can do is to represent and share Christ’s message through our words, example, and efforts, so that others may see Christ in us and want to know how they can obtain the peace and confidence of eternal salvation we have found through following Christ and keeping His commandments.

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

  • Colossians 1:27
  • Hebrews 11:1
  • James 5:20
  • Matthew 10:14
  • Matthew 5:16
  • 1 Timothy 4:12
  • 1 Corinthians 11:1

God First!

Boundaries are for our protection

God gave us boundaries like a fence to protect us; when we push through them, we become victims.

  •  “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

Don’t become a victim. learn and adopt God’s ways from His Word, put your faith in Jesus, keep His commandments, and trust in God, press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

  • “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.Ephesians 6:10-17
  • Philippians 3:14
  • Psalm 46:1
  •  Psalm 91:1–2
  •  2 Thessalonians 3:3
  • 1 John 5:18
  • Matthew 6:25-26. 25
  • Matthew 6:32-33. 32
  • 2 Corinthians 11:23-25

God First!

Understanding God’s Word

There are many misrepresentations of God’s word in the world today, and yes, scripture needs to be studied to be interpreted properly, not just read. If any scripture seems to contradict itself at any point, we are misinterpreting it and should study it more deeply to identify what we are missing.

Who it was written to, when it was written, and for what purpose can help us gain more insight than what we might get from scripture’s face value alone.  Sort of like the milk vs. solid-food scripture.

God, through His infinite wisdom and in His Word, has given us what we need for our understanding so that we can know what we must do to be saved. The whole Bible is from God, and no matter our educational level, if we have access to God’s word, we have access to God’s intent for us, without needing to know the background and history of every word we read.

Today, there are many translations of Scripture, written in multiple languages, some created with little scrutiny and sometimes with an agenda rather than strict interpretation. In contrast, others, such as the KJV, were completed using “rules of language” with strict interpretation and incredible scrutiny. Most later versions use the KJV as their base.

I have complete trust in God and don’t believe God would allow the translations from the languages of old to be included in the King James Bible if they did not convey His Words and intent properly, so I believe the correct interpretations from those old languages have been preserved. We don’t need to be Greek Scholars to understand God’s intent.

“Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”

Proverbs 30:5

Consider 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

While understanding the meat behind this scripture, such as who the letter was written to, Timothy’s history, and all the interesting additional information one can derive with deep study to gain deeper insight, the milk of this passage of Scripture stands on its own, pointing out that we need to study, to show ourselves, workmen, not ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God’s Word is the whole of Scripture. God only needs to say something once for it to be true. That said, to understand what God says once correctly, one may also need to know more of Scripture; however, some attempt to change the face-value meaning of Scripture by using other possible Greek interpretations to claim the interpretation of all those past Scholars is wrong, in order to convey a message that tickles their ears and, sadly, misleads others.

As stated in Scripture, God did not give us a book of confusion, and no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation and provides understanding even to the simple. We all gain at different levels, but we all gain by studying scripture.

  • 2 Peter 1:20
  • 1 Corinthians 14:33
  • Psalm 119:30
  • 2 Timothy 3:16
  • 1 Corinthians 3:21
  • 1 Peter 2:2
  • Hebrews 5:12-13

God First!

Pray and do – Draw closer to God

  • Rather than worry, draw closer to God (Philippians 4:6-7)
  • Rather than whine, pray (James 4:8)
  • Rather than following your desires, follow God’s for you (Titus 2:11-14)
  • God is waiting for you to follow His Word as He intended. (John 6:40)

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16

“Then Jesus told His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24 ESV

  • Romans 10:17 – The Word of Christ
  • John 8:32 – know the Truth
  • Hebrews 11:6– He rewards those who seek Him
  • John 20:30-31 – Written that we may believe
  • Luke 13:3 – we must repent
  • Acts 17:30 – Ignorance is no excuse
  • Romans 10:10 – believe in the heart and confess
  • Matthew 10:32 – Tit for tat
  • Galatians 3:27 – Baptism is to put on Christ
  • Mark 16:16 – Believe and be baptized equals being saved.
  • Acts 2:38 – For the forgiveness of your sins
  • Revelation 2:10 – The Crown of Life
  • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God’s word, Not Some of it!

God First!

How often must God say something for it to be True?

From the beginning of creation, God’s Word has been Truth and nothing but Truth, and it will continue to be so to the end of time as we know it. God is Unchanging, God is Love, God is Good, God does not Lie! When someone discounts the importance of Scripture or flat-out dismisses it, they dismiss God, effectively deciding they know better than God. According to God’s Word, all of scripture is God-breathed. In other words, all of Scripture is inspired by God, giving us what God wants us to know and follow (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

If someone says they don’t believe “ALL” scripture is from God, or that it really means something other than what is stated, are they not calling God a liar or implying God goofed? If scripture tells you something is wrong one time, yet society, someone, or a culture tells you it’s ok or meant differently than what you can read, who’s right? — My answer is God!

When Scripture is pointed out, many respond: “Well, that’s your interpretation.” However, scripture tells us: “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20) In other words, Scripture is from God.

In 1 Corinthians 14:33, scripture states: “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”

Some try to reinterpret the Greek to force an interpretation that yields their desired result; however, in this effort, the problem is not with God’s Word.  No, the problem is with the individual seeking an answer different from what’s in God’s Word. God’s Word is true, as written for our understanding, not our confusion.

We don’t need to be Greek scholars to understand God’s face value meaning. So, if one believes in God and that the Bible is God’s Word, they should also understand that Scripture has only one correct answer, the one that God intended, and that answer will not contradict any other scriptures.

“The unfolding of the words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” Psalms 119:30

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

  • Hebrews 6:17-18
  • Titus 1:1-2
  • 1st John 4:16
  • Psalm 136:1

God First!

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