|
Users viewing this topic:
none
|
|
Login  | |
|
RE: Who Am I? I'm the Light of the World! - 7/28/2008 11:14:39 AM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hello again, everyone! Welcome to the top of page 13 of my blog! It's a beautiful day, isn't it? I hope it is for you anyway. Where I'm at, the sun is shining and it feels like a few degrees cooler than that other hot place, if you know what I mean, LOL! There's lots of light, which'll make it easier to do my dusting later today.
Speaking of light, I'm continuing my Bible study series on the Who am I Christian Affirmation series. Today, I'm focusing on the fact that we are the light of the world! There are many verses that show how important it is for us to be a light in this world. All of them are from the NIV version of the Bible.
First of all, Matthew 5:14-16 says "(14) You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Luke 8:16 basically says the same thing, also adding, "...so that those who come in can see the light." Finally, Luke 11:34-36 sums up everything by stating that (34)"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. (35) See to it then that the light within you is not darkness. (36) Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."
I believe Jesus wants us to know that we are to be like a beacon to those who are living in darkness, like a lighthouse guiding ships on a foggy night. This reminds me of an old song, "You Can't Be A Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine". As a flashlight helps us to find our way in the dark when the power goes out, we can help those who don't know Jesus as their Savior find their way to Him by telling and living the Gospel. Let's strive to shine the light of truth today!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm posting a while, then doing housework, so have a nice day, everyone! 
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I'm Part of the True Vine! - 7/31/2008 1:32:06 PM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Good morning, everyone! How are you today? I'm doing fine. I woke up early this morning and enjoyed a few cups of coffee before starting my day. So far I've gotten dressed, ate breakfast and lunch, prayed and studied God's Word. If it's God's will, my plans for today include housecleaning and laundry, as usual.
In my Bible study today, I focused on another Christian Affirmation statement which says that "I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life." One of the many Scripture portions that illustrate this comes from John 15:1-5 NIV: (1)"I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. (2) He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, so that it will bear more fruit. (4) Remain in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (5) I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing"
I think what Jesus is saying here is that we must let our fruit be made known to everyone, so that they can see the sweetness of Christ in our daily lives. Just what is this "fruit"? According to Galatians 5:22 NIV, it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." In other words, these attributes that Jesus modeled for us are what should be part of our character, "the fruits of righteousness.", according to Phillipians 1:11. As we carry out Jesus message of hope and salvation today, let's be sure to demonstrate His love toward all people, even those who are considered to be scum by today's society.
In my next post, I plan to share the results of my study on the statement, "I am Christ's friend." I'm going to do my housework now, so have a good day!
< Message edited by MyCatSmokey2006 -- 7/31/2008 1:39:20 PM >
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I am Christ's Friend! - 8/4/2008 1:03:07 PM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hi, everyone! How are you today? I'm doing well. I'm sitting here posting in my air-conditioned house and staying out of the oven-like temperatures outside. I have a busy day ahead of me, but I wanted to take this time to share with you what God has revealed to me in His Word.
Yesterday in my personal Bible study on Christian affirmations, I learned that "I am Christ's friend." In John 15:15, NIV, Jesus says that "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for every thing that I learned from My Father, I have made known to you." By calling us His friends, He reminds us that we are important to God and can learn His will for us.
What attributes does Jesus find important in His friends? According to verse John 15:13-14, He says, "(13)Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (14) You are my friends if you do what I command." Another verse reminds us that, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17 NIV) Finally, James 2:23 NIV says that "...Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend." In order to be considered as one of Jesus's friends, we need to have these characteristics in our lives. Let us strive to be Jesus's friend today!
I was interrrupted by a phone call and I have to log off now. My next post will focus on the fact that we are slaves of righteousness. Have a nice day!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I am a Slave of Righteousness! - 8/5/2008 1:16:25 PM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hello, everyone! How are we doing today? I'm feeling pretty good, except maybe I had too much caffeine. I feel like running a 5K race right now, but I'll settle for sitting here and posting my latest discovery in God's Word.
Today, I studied what it means to be a slave of righteousness. In John 6:15-22, American Standard Version, it says:
6:15
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.
6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
6:17
But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;
6:18
and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
6:19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification.
6:20
For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.
6:21
What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
6:22
But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.
What I believe this means is that since Christ died for us, we no longer have to give in to our fleshly desires, addictions, compulsions, etc. Instead, we can allow God to help us overcome these things and enable us to live for Him.
There are other verses that speak on this topic, including, 2 Peter 2:19, Romans 7:14,23,25, Romans 8:2. Due to lack of time, I'm going to encourage you to look up these verses for yourselves and learn more about this subject. Let's make Psalm 119:133 NIV our prayer as we go about our day today: "Direct my footsteps according to your word, let no sin rule over me."
My next post will focus on the fact that we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing our inheritance with Him. I have to get busy doing housework and other tasks, so have a good day, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Brief Interruption on Devotional Series - 8/9/2008 1:02:25 AM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hello, everyone! It's getting late, so this will be a short note, but I just wanted to interrupt my devotional series with a short note of warning I found in the Feedback folder. There were times in this blog and elsewhere on the forums that I posted some information that I probably shouldn't have posted, but at the time, I thought it was only other users who could read what I'd posted. When I found out that these forums are public and ANYONE could read them, I felt embarrassed at some of the things I'd posted. I just hope that nothing I'd posted will come back to haunt me in the future.
It is with this realization that I want to post this warning from Fritz, which reminds us to be careful of what we post here in these forums:
quote:
Don't ever post or say anything on the Web that you don't want your stalker, friend, fiancé, teacher, classmate, band member, employer, employee, church, deacon, pastor, spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, significant other, child, roommate, teammate, coach, counselor, lawyer, judge, Police, CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, or a carpenter born in a stable to see.
That's a lot to think about, so I'll end this post by encouraging you all to stay tuned for my next post about who we are as joint heirs with Christ.
Goodnight, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I am a Joint Heir With Christ! - 8/10/2008 2:25:18 PM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hi there! I welcome you back to my blog with a and a  because it's such a lovely day! There's lots of sunshine, green grass and delicious vegetables growing in my garden. I've been feasting on tomatoes and cucumbers, which taste better than those artificial things at the store. It's a great day so far, and if it's God's will, it'll remain that way.
I'm also excited at what I learned in my Bible study about how we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. Romans 8:15-17 NIV says: (15)"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him, we cry, 'Abba, Father!' (16) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
I believe this means that since Christ died for us and we've accepted Him as our Savior, then we are God's children. Because we are God's children, we are His heirs and will inherit eternal life. He has given His Spirit into our hearts as a guarantee of the eternal life to come (Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Since we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's seed (John 1:12), so we must live out our lives in a way that glorifies God through our thoughts, words and deeds. Let's take time to thank God for allowing us into His kingdom today!
I'm probably going to be doing housework so I might not post here as much today. Next time I post here, I will explain how we are God's temple by His Holy Spirit residing in us. Have a nice day, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I am God's Temple! - 8/16/2008 10:06:59 AM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hi, everyone! How are you doing this fine sunshine day? I'm doing fine, except for a miserable cold that made it difficult to get a good night's sleep. I took some medicine for it at 4 am this morning, so I'm able to post this without having to run for a tissue every 2 minutes.
Now that I've had some full-strength coffee and am more awake, I can concentrate on what I wanted to post about this lovely morning. When studying God's Word a few days ago, I learned that we are God's temple and that His Spirit and His life lives in me. This was an exciting Biblical concept, for it makes me more aware of the need to take care of my body the way that God wants me to, so I can be a more fit temple for Him.
There are sevreal verses that speak on this topic. 1 Corinthians 3:16, NIV says: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" Again His word says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV: (19)"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, (20) you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
I used to believe that the latter verse meant that I would've gone to hell if I'd succeed in committing suicide a few years ago. However, God has shown me in other verses that that's not the case. These verses simply mean that I need to take care of my body the way He wants me to through eating healthy, exercising and focusing on positive thoughts from His Word. By using self control and other fruits of the Spirit in my life, I can serve God better and be a better witness for Him to all unbelievers I meet in my life.
As we go about our daily routines today, let us praise and thank God for creating us in His own image to be His temples. Let's also take care of ourselves the way that God wants us to, so that we can better serve and glorify Him in whatever we do, say or think.
Lord, we glorify you for Your everlasting mercy and grace. Help us to take care of ourselves so that we are more fit vessels for Your Spirit to reside in. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.
Next time I post, I will focus on how we're united to God and one spirit with Him. I'm going to take it easy today, drink plenty of fluids, do some light housework and get caught up on my laundry.
Have a nice day, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I'm United To God! - 8/17/2008 8:59:11 AM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Hi, and good morning to all of you in forums land! As I begin this day, I'm feeling okay, even though I have a cold. I woke up at 4 am to take some decongestant and other medication, so I took the time to study God's Word and have my devotions.
What an exciting study it was too! Today I focused my studied on the fact that we are united with God and are one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 NIV illustrates this fact with these words, (15)"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (16) Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh'. (17) But he who unites himself witht the Lord is one with him in spirit."
Romans 12:4-5 NIV also mentions this fact: "(4) Just as each of us has one body with many members do not have the same function, (5) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." It is obvious from these verses that we are joined into Christ and are one flesh with Him, just as a man is joined to a woman and produce a child.
Jesus prayed for us to continue to be one with Him as he was with God. (John 17:21-23) Since we are controlled by God's Spirit, He gives life to our mortal bodies and we belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9-11) We are crucified with Christ andHe lives in us, so we should live by faith in Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. (Galatians 2:20, NIV) Let us all walk by faith in Him and allow His spirit to bring these verses to our rememberance whenever we're tempted to think we're not saved anymore, or to commit a sexual sin.
Father God, You alone are worthy of praise, honor and glory. Enable us to remember that we are united to You and conduct ourselves according to this truth. In Jesus' wonderful, blessed Name I pray, Amen.
If it's God's will, I'm going to post some more today, update my prayer list, do other computer stuff, and maybe some light sit-down housework. Have a wonderful day and God bless you, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
|
RE: Who Am I? I'm A Member of Christ's Body! - 8/19/2008 11:40:37 AM
|
|
|
MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2717
Status: offline
|
Good morning, everyone! How are you all doing today? I'm doing fine. I'm feeling better and the sun is shining, so it's a good day. I've got a minor problem that I'm dealing with right now, but hopefully, I'll get it fixed today,before it gets any worse.
I studied God's Word this morning and found out some exciting news: We are members of Christ's body! There are a number of verses that illustrate this truth, including 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV: "Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it." Ephesians 5:29-30 goes on to say that: (29)"After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--(30) for we are members of his body"
Also, Ephesians 1:22-23 says that (22)"...God placed all things under (Jesus) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. (23) The fullness of him, who fills eveything in every way." Other verses that concur with these teachings include Ephesians 4:11-12, Collosians 1:18 and Romans 12:4-5.
I believe that the point God wants us to know is that since we are Christians, we are the Church, the Body of Christ, who represents Him on this earth. As such, we need to be positive witnesses for Him through the proper use of our gifts, talents and abilities, so that other believers are blessed and unbelievers are prompted to turn their lives over to Christ. Let's bless everyone we meet today with Christlike love and concern.
Father God, enable us to be positive witnesses for You by using our talents, abilities and gifts for your glory and bless everyone we meet. In Jesus's Name I pray, Amen.
Next time I plan to study and post on the topic, "I am a new creation." If it's God's will, I'll going to work on my problem situation, plus some housework. Have a good day, everyone!
_____________________________
Melissa
I'm a child of the KING!
<----Smokey, the Jungle Cat!
Who Am I?
|
|
|
|
 New Messages |
 No New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/ New Messages |
 Hot Topic w/o New Messages |
 Locked w/ New Messages |
 Locked w/o New Messages |
|
 Post New Thread
Reply to Message
Post New Poll
Submit Vote
Delete My Own Post
Delete My Own Thread
Rate Posts |
|
|
Forum Tools
Printable Version
