Jan Magiera did a fantastic teaching this week on a biblical illustration for keeping ourselves in fellowship with God. If we keep ourselves in the garden via meditation on God’s Word, then it is God’s job to provide us with the full measure of water to cause us to prosper spiritually. God truly is the great gardener of our lives!
Special thanks to Jan for teaching this week.
1 Corinthians 10:12 cautions us that “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” When we put stock in our own ability to stand in life – even if it be upon our strengths, we are setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment. Likewise, Solomon (in the book of Ecclesiastes) describes all the many places he set his affections, areas in which he excelled upon Earth, and how they all were ultimately lacking. To truly obtain meaning in life we find that all things “under the sun” come up short, but heavenly affections result in great happiness and meaning.
Verses:
1 Corinthians 10:12
1 Kings 3:12
Deuteronomy 17:14-17
Ecclesiastes 1-2:20
Philippians 3:4-8
Colossians 3:1-2
Additional Verses on Solomons Violating God’s Word (from Deuteronomy 17):
On multiplying wives to himself: 1 Kings 11:3
On multiplying horses to himself: 1 Kings 4:26
On greatly multiplying gold and silver to himself: Ecclesiastes 2:8
April 22, 2010
Faith is described as one of the Manifestations of the Spirit; it is something that God works in us through the Holy Spirit which allows him to do things, miricles or ordinary endeavors, when we are otherwise incapable of doing them. Our part is to make a decision to allow God to work and to follow it through. God does the work and He gets the glory.
Verses:
I Corinthians 12:7-8
Galatians 5:22-23
Acts 3:1-16
Acts 4:1-4
Acts 6:5-8
Psalm 23:4-6
Luke 1:35-38
Psalm 18:1-16
God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Upon even a brief examination of the church epistles, it becomes crystal clear in the believer’s mind how close a unity, and how close an identification we have with Christ. As Romans proclaims, nothing shall ever separate us from his love, and a truth that parallels this is how inseparable our spiritual walks should be from Christ’s example. As believers we are not only to believe concerning his accomplishments, but we are to believe who God says we are because of those accomplishments. We are to put on the new man, which is what allows us to lead lives of bold excellence. There are many aspects to this, but at the heart of our spiritual walks is the imitation of Christ.
I Corinthians 11:1 – “Be ye followers of me (Paul), even as I also am of Christ.”
The word “follower” means to imitate, and the word imitate means “to seek to follow the example of.” This verse is an encouragement to imitate Paul, because Paul was imitating Christ. In the world, it is common to come in contact with people who are struggling, and it is often said that such people are “trying to find who they are” or are having an “identity crisis”. Every human being needs an identity, because without an understanding and belief of who you are, life becomes more of an aimless wandering than a diligent seeking. God is aware of mankind’s need for identity, and he has made a more than abundant provision to supply this prerequisite for spiritual abundance.
(more…)