Category Archives: Christian Growth

Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

Liberty

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‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ (Declaration of Independence, United States of America)

Life…

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV).”

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent (John 17:3 KJV).”

“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world (John 11:21-27 KJV).”

Liberty…

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1 KJV).”

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32 KJV).”

Pursuit of Happiness…

Trust Him.

“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and raiment let us be therewith content (1Timothy 6:6b-8 KJV).”


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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Crucifixion, Devotionals, Redemption, Resurrection, Salvation

Three Days; I Believe!

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Three days…

“Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days.’

Therefore the Jews said, ‘This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?’

But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made (John 2:19-22 HCSB).”

I believe.

“As they were eating, He took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, ‘Take it; this is My body.’

Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them, and so they all drank from it. He said to them, ‘This is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many. I assure you: I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in the kingdom of God (Mark 14:22-25 HCSB).”

His body, His kingdom…

“Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10 HCSB).”

Three days…

“For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40 HCSB).”

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Christmas, Devotionals, Salvation

Gift…Through the Generations

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“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 1:16-18 KJV).”

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Worship

Great is the LORD!

Praise the LORD.

Be glad.

Rejoice.

We are His people.

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Give thanks.

Bless His name.

“Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 100:1-5 NASB).”  

Oh, how great is the LORD!

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals, Redemption, Salvation

In HIM

 

blue and white metal fence

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“Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. (Psalm 146:1-2 NKJV).”

My help…

My hope…

My help, my hope is in the LORD; in HIM.

“How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them;
Who keeps faith forever;

Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free (Psalm 146:5-7 NKJV).”

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

Crooked!

white and black camera inside a wooden frame

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There was a crooked man… (Nursery Rhyme)

Oh, dear me; we do hate to see an object in need of straightening.

It matters not where.

At home, a crooked framed picture might catch my eye.

Aghast, I could notice a masterpiece off kilter in a museum.

I’m compelled to straighten the crooked frame.

Tabloid headlines label an influential politician crooked.

Peers point fingers and constituents contemplate on candidates for his replacement.

God has the solution for crooked, wicked men.

He sets them straight.

“Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7 NASB).”

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

A Heart Reality

three red heart balloons

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How do I define eternity?

Is it fact or fiction?

Eternity is a heart reality.

“He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB).”

God’s work spans from beginning to end.

Ponder eternity; can we comprehend it?

Micah did.

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity (Micah 5:2 NASB).”  

Days of mankind…

“So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12 NASB).”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Christian Growth, Hymns, Salvation

Do you; do I?

Trusting the LORD…

Obeying Him…

Do you: do I?

‘Trust and Obey’ by John H. Sammis 1887 (Public Domain)

When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still,
and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we’ll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

 

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Christian Growth, Devotionals

‘Sea to Shining Sea’

 

 

 

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From sea to sea …

“May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8 NASB).”

Atlantic to Pacific…

“From sea to shining sea!”

‘America the Beautiful’ 1911 version

[Lyrics: Katharine Lee Bates/ Music: Samuel A. Ward/ Public Domain]

“O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!” 

 

 

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Bible Studies, Christian Growth, Devotionals

The Reflection

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Mirror, mirror on my heart…

What does God see?

“As water reflects the face,
so the heart reflects the person (Proverbs 27:19 HCSB).”

Is my reflection in the mirror distorted by sin?

“Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was (James 1:23-24 HCSB).” 

Lest I forget…

“Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 HCSB).”

 

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