Long ago, God promised a new covenant of grace for His people Israel. "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel." Some day, the Israelites will turn to Messiah as a group and enter into this promised covenant of grace. "And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans 11:26-27). This will take place when the Lord Jesus returns to this earth. "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10).
Meanwhile, the church of the Lord Jesus, comprised of all Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ, already has the new covenant instituted for her. "This cup is the new covenant in My blood" (Luke 22:20).
life under the new covenant of grace is described as the "new and living way." This could be contrasted with the "old and dying way" of attempting to live under the old covenant of law. The "newness" of grace is not really a matter of time sequence, because the grace of God actually precedes the law in man's history with God. The "tree of life" in the garden of Eden was God's provision of grace for Adam and Eve. The promises of God to Abraham (given hundreds of years before the law) depended upon the faithful grace of God, not the legal performance of Abraham.
The "newness" of grace is its everyday freshness and vitality. Day by day, by the grace of God, fresh measures of life are abundantly available to those who look to the Lord as their supply. This makes life with God fresh and new every day.
This new covenant of grace (promised to Israel eventually) has already been inaugurated for the church now. The book of Hebrews documents this fact repeatedly. "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises." Here in chapter 8, verse 6, the new covenant is referred to as "a better covenant." Then, the instituting of this new covenant is described in the past tense, "was established." It has already been put into operation for the church.
“Life can only be understood backward; it must be lived forward.” —Soren Kierkegaard
OSWALD CHAMBERS
The truth is we have nothing to fear and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly glorifying to the work of Christ.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.
OSWALD CHAMBERS
Our danger is to water down God’s word to suit ourselves. God never fits His word to suit me; He fits me to suit His word.
You don’t reason with a giant or yell at a giant. You kill him. That is what David did. The Bible tells us that “as Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him” (1 Samuel 17:48 NLT). That’s the only way to take on a giant.
If you tolerate a Goliath in your life, he will take over your territory. For instance, maybe you think you’re going to go ahead and play around with a so-called little sin. You tell yourself that you know when to stop, that you won’t go too far.
Then one day you have a bona fide giant in your life, and you want it to go away.
What are spiritual weapons? Prayer is one of them. Have you ever noticed how big your problems can seem when you haven’t prayed? Worry overtakes you. It’s like a force all on its own. You can worry yourself into a frenzy.
In a spiritual battle, we must use spiritual weapons. The Bible tells us, “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4 NLT).
Sometimes as Christians we forget that we’re fighting a spiritual battle. A lot of the things that we’re facing in life have a spiritual element to them.
The Bible tells us this had gone on for forty days and forty nights. David couldn’t believe it. He thought someone had to take this guy on. Why had no one answered his challenge?
About that time his brother Eliab saw him and said, “What are you doing around here anyway? What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of?” (1 Samuel 17:28 NLT).
Are you grieving the loss of a loved one? We know the misery and we’re so sorry. We pray these words from Mike have made you feel less alone and a little more loved by God.
Words that picture a special future for a child, spouse, or friend can act as agents of this kind of transformation in that individual’s life.
Words have transformative power! How are we going to use our words today? We have the opportunity to do little to help and encourage or to bless and exhort. Come share your thoughts with us. We want to hear from you!
Mighty promises are given to those who master the Bible so well that the Bible masters them.
There’s no better time than right now to start or re-start reading and learning the Bible! Let’s get going today!
WHAT'S IN A NAME? When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John." The Lord told Moses, Tell them I AM sent you.
What a joy for you to take the Word of God, to sit down with Jesus, and to let Him take control of your life. Take some time out of every day—just you and Jesus and the Bible—and watch your life change. As we read and meditate on God's Word, we are ushered into His presence; after all, the Bible is about Him (Luke 25:27). And as you begin to change, others will start changing around you. Jesus wants to meet with you! Take that next step and gather around Him.
Mike MacIntosh
“God is able to speak loud enough to make a willing soul hear.” Lewis Sperry Chafer
“Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can”
John Wesley
We can literally change our life by changing how we think – but we cannot do it alone. God’s standard and guideline for our thought life is very clear and demanding. In fact, it’s completely impossible without God’s power at work in our life.
Isn't it good that you and I don't decide who is "worth saving?" We're too easily deceived by appearances. We may think the rich, profane executive who has the world by the tail would make a dynamite Christian if he were "cleaned up," but judge the down-and-out derelict as a more likely candidate for prison. Years ago a play called "Tobacco Road" caused a stir at its Atlanta, Georgia premier because those in the audience were offended by its main character, Jeter Lester. Lester was the epitome of every bad southern stereotype: uncouth, swaggering, dishonest, mean. The city's elite were repulsed by the idea that the south might be full of Jeter Lester's, and re-dedicated themselves to social reform to remedy that possibility.
Sinners, the ungodly, the imperfect, the fearful! Why does God choose such losers to change the world? I’m thinking it’s because there’s a lot more of us to choose from!
God uses people to change the world. Abraham the liar. David the adulterer and murderer. Are you getting the picture? What they lacked in perfection, God made up for in love.
Opposition to the Divine will is the very essence of sin.
~David Thomas~
When we cannot accept the gifts God has given to us, we are saying we know better than God. We are saying we have a better plan for our lives than the plan God has for us. Is that possible? Do we know more than God? I do not think we do. Seek God’s will and the gifts He has for you individually. How does He want to use your life and your gifts to glorify Him?
"Up there we gotta push it. That's our job."
Viper ~
If you know you’re being lied to in a conversation, change the subject. It’ll make it easier to uphold Tip #1 and you’ll take yourself out of a potentially hazardous situation.
If it really bothers you, limit contact as much as possible. Be polite, but keep conversations as short as possible and just discuss your work.
If the lie is work-related, talk to the liar immediately. "Confront" them politely and privately; there’s no need to embarrass the other person, especially if it turns out to be a misunderstanding. Emphasize that the main goal is for both of you to perform better in the workplace.
When all else fails, take professional action. Create a list of lies and "incidents" with solid evidence to bring to Human Resources, a manager or, if you’re the boss yourself, as a means to let the person go or put him/her on probation.
When our lives are filled with love, when we are verbally praising the Lord, when we're doing good things for people practically, giving financially, and witnessing to the lost -- when we're joyful, peaceful, patient -- all these represent fruit!
The more we are humbled in grace, the more we shall be
exalted in glory.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
America was built on at least three essential principles, and upon this triad of values, our culture has been steadfastly secured against the winds of time and circumstance. Faith, family, and work are the simple components of the American spirit -- recover them in their fullness and we will recover our cultural equilibrium. These are the cords that weave the gloriously resplendent fabric of our lives. Thus, it would behoove us to look once again upon these great precepts.
As Christians, we must rely on each other; we are to love and serve each other so that we can function as a unified body for the glory of God. But Satan thrives on separating us from each other; he is the ultimate divider of our relationships, our families, our communities, our nation, and our world. And he knows exactly what Jesus is saying here: If we as Christians are divided, Satan wins. But God will have the last say in all of this: Satan is ultimately the one who will be divided! He will be cast into darkness, eternally separated from God and His people. Satan may be laughing now, but his end is near.
Here, life under the new covenant of grace is described as the "new and living way." This could be contrasted with the "old and dying way" of attempting to live under the old covenant of law. The "newness" of grace is not really a matter of time sequence, because the grace of God actually precedes the law in man's history with God. The "tree of life" in the garden of Eden was God's provision of grace for Adam and Eve. The promises of God to Abraham (given hundreds of years before the law) depended upon the faithful grace of God, not the legal performance of Abraham.
Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,
To let me know you love me, when I’ve done something wrong;
To show me by example, and help me learn to choose,
To take those actions every day to win instead of lose.
Just be there when I need you, to tell me it’s all right,
To face my fear of falling when I test my wings in flight;
Don’t make my life too easy, it’s better if I try,
And fail and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.
If I had two wishes, and two were all I had,
And they could just be granted, by my Mom and Dad;
I wouldn’t ask for money or any store-bought things,
The greatest gifts I’d ask for are simply Roots and Wings.
The only thing that limits your questions is your belief about what is possible. A core belief that has positively shaped my destiny is that if I continue to ask any question, I will certainly receive an answer. Just as in a Jeopardy! game, every answer is already there—all you have to do is come up with the right question.
Half truths turned into doctrine is not doctrine but stupidity.
We must not allow an unforgiving heart to come between us and our brothers and sisters, because it will also come between us and our heavenly Father.
BUILDING YOUR CHURCH COMMUNITY STARTS WITH YOU BEING IN CHURCH.
God's love for sinners is very wonderful, but God's patience with
ill-natured saints is a deeper mystery.
~Henry Drummond~
The Preparation for Change: choosing the right method and partnering with God to select the areas you need to see change.
The Process of Change: exploring the biblical method of saying no to sinful patterns and yes to the things God desires for you.
The Power to Change: knowing how to experience the power of God personally and continuously
Includes study questions, exercises, and single-sentence chapter summaries.
Don't look around for a life partner, look up. Any other choice than God's will mean disaster.
~Anonymous~
Hymn writer Charles B. Widmeyer penned the words, “He who fed the multitude / turned the water into wine / to the hungry calleth now / come and dine.” What marks a special occasion better than eating together? Feasting connotes celebration, thanksgiving, and fellowship.
Jesus illustrated spiritual teachings with food. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Before Christ died, He ate the Passover meal with His disciples and instituted the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:14-23). To the woman at the well, Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again” (John 4:14).
God desires intimate communion with His people. “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one” (John 17:23). “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). As you thank God for your food today, remember to invite Him into fellowship with you and your family.
what we’ve done and accomplished is only garbage when compared to the surpassing value of our Savior.
Christians are given the extraordinary privilege—and the extraordinary challenge—of sharing God’s love with others. The privilege comes from seeing the healing power of that love in the lives of hurting people. The challenge comes in trying to help people who have little interest in God recognize the life-changing power of His love.
Peace if possible, truth at all costs.
~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.~
“meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus” and to “walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love” and “pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free.”
Dr. King
Enemy-occupied territory — that is what the world is.
~C.S. Lewis~
Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer~
Have you ever heard of the “Knowledge Doubling Curve?” First described by Buckminster Fuller in 1982, this curve notes that, until 1900, human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the middle of the twentieth century, knowledge was doubling every 25 years. As of 2013, human knowledge was doubling every 13 months on average. Now, human knowledge is almost doubling every day.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is sort of the poster robot for the increase in knowledge. Fujitsu says in a brochure, “Artificial Intelligence is hugely powerful - there is a real possibility that it is the most powerful technology we have ever created.”
AI has the potential to produce art, music, poetry, plays, and even video games. It’s now possible for machines to learn from their experiences and make decisions based on them. They can even create new information about their surroundings that wasn’t present before. The fact that these capabilities are now being exhibited in machines suggests that “artificial” intelligence is approaching a somewhat ill-defined idea of what constitutes “real” intellect.
AI singularity refers to an event where the AIs in our lives either become self-aware or reach an ability for continuous improvement so powerful that it will evolve beyond our control. Scientists like to predict when singularity may occur. It is sooner than later.
An Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) system would be able to surpass all human capabilities. This would include decision-making, making rational decisions, and even includes things like making better art and building emotional relationships.
Is knowledge increasing, as we expect from Daniel? Yes.
We are witnessing the stage-setting for the seven-year Great Tribulation that is described in the last book of the Bible.
Often, the most intense warfare happens just at the brink of a breakthrough.
Don’t relent!
The Bible is remarkably blunt about how broken we are. Most of the patriarchs of the Bible were pretty rotten fathers. Other than Jesus, all of the biblical characters we meet are generally like us: people who botch most everything. None of them are particularly good, and when we idolize them, we do a disservice to one of the great themes of the Bible — that we are all failed sinners in desperate need of grace.
We who follow the Lord Jesus Christ are "ministers of the new covenant." The term "minister" means servant. The phrase "new covenant" speaks of relating to God by grace. Thus, we are those who serve God by the resources of His grace. Our day by day lives, lived in service of the Lord God Almighty, are to be developed by the grace of God at work in us. What is involved in this biblical, heavenly approach to life here on earth?
OSWALD CHAMBERS
The emphasis to–day is placed on the furtherance of an organization; the note is, “We must keep this thing going.” If we are in God’s order the thing will go; if we are not in His order, it won’t.
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We’re not built to control others. Others are not created to control us. Sensitivity in relationships leads us to seeing the other point of view, the other side of the issue. For love’s sake, let’s live like Jesus and be sensitive to those around us!
What will you do with the life that God has given you? You have a choice. Will you conform to the will of God, or will you resist it?
Life is full of surprises. We all know people like Samson, people who had great promise but never reached their potential. Then there are others who didn’t seem to have much promise, yet God is powerfully using them today.
We are like the clay, and God is like the potter. He has a plan for each of our lives that is better than anything we’ve planned for ourselves. And we have a choice as to whether we’ll yield to the will of God for our lives or resist it.
The purpose of life: Know Jesus. Make Jesus known.
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