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Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 7, 2011 at 2:23pm

	Take Your Life Back TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Everyone has days when they feel like life is out of control. This usually happens when we allow our circumstances to dictate our thoughts and attitudes. You might say, “Well, Joel, the economy is wreaking havoc on my business.” Or “This relationship is just too far gone.” But I say, today is the day to take your life back! You can take your life back by choosing to take your thoughts back. Even though we live in this natural realm, as believers, we are not limited by this natural realm. We can tap into God’s power by making every thought line up with the Word of God. Don’t allow your circumstances to control you; instead, meditate on His Word and let His truth set you free! Today, as you take captive every thought and boldly declare His promises over your life, you are setting yourself up for victory. You are positioning yourself to partake of His blessing. You are taking your life back, and you will live the destiny He has prepared for you! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Heavenly Father, thank You for empowering me to live in victory today. I choose to take my life back by taking captive every thought and submitting it to You. Help me live a life that is pleasing to You, Jesus, today and every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 7, 2011 at 6:30am

MEAT TO CHEW ON IN OUR STORMS . Let us not be discouraged at the slowness of the proceedings towards the accomplishment of God’s promises; God knows how to redeem the time that seems to have been lost, and, when the year of the redeemed is at hand, can do a double work in a single day.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 7, 2011 at 2:57am

Thankful for the Bedbugs?

Inspiration   >  Bible   >  Thankful for the Bedbugs?

Thankful for the Bedbugs?

 

In 1944, Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie were sentenced to a Nazi concentration camp for their role in hiding Jews in their Netherlands home. In the midst of those horrible conditions, the sisters clung to their one treasure: a Bible they had been able to smuggle in with them.

One night, they read 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks….” The straw mattresses where the women slept were infested with bedbugs—a fact both disgusting and painful. Betsie asked, “Does that mean we should be thankful for the bedbugs?” But, as dire as their situation was, they tried to be faithful to Scripture. So they finished their prayer time together with the words, “And thank you, Lord, for the bedbugs.”

The sisters soon noticed that the Nazi guards did not check their barracks as they did the other prisoners.  In the evenings, Corrie and Betsie were able to read aloud from the Bible and to witness about their faith to a growing number of listeners. It took them a while to realize that the reason the guards stayed away was simple—they did not want to be infected with the bedbugs! So a horrible situation was transformed into a blessing for many, through the power of giving thanks.

If you’re facing some “buggy” situations of your own, remember:

1.     Whatever happens, God has a hand in it. “For of him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36).

2.     It is darkest just before the dawn. When things seem hopeless, hold on: God is working behind the scenes.

3.     When you trust God, help often arises from unexpected sources. Remember the bedbugs!

4.     The right attitude is everything. Don’t complain. Instead, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this” (Psalm 37:5). Offer thanks in every situation.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 5, 2011 at 4:31am

WOW HAD A ISSUE AT WORK YESTERDAY,HAVE TO COME AND GRAB THIS SO I WANT TO SHARE HOW WE SHOULD TREAT OUR WEAKER SISTERS AND BROTHERS,WOW THANK YOU O HEAVENLY FATHER FOR YOUR WORDS  Chapter 15The apostle, in this chapter, continues the discourse of the former, concerning mutual forbearance in indifferent things; and so draws towards a conclusion of the epistle. Where such differences of apprehension, and consequently distances of affection, are among Christians, there is need of precept upon precept, line upon line, to allay the heat, and to beget a better temper. The apostle, being desirous to drive the nail home, as a nail in a sure place, follows his blow, unwilling to leave the subject till he has some hopes of prevailing, to which end he orders the cause before them and fills his mouth with the most pressing arguments. We may observe, in this chapter, I. His precepts to them. II. His prayers for them. III. His apology for writing to them. IV. His account of himself and his own affairs. V. His declaration of his purpose to come and see them. VI. His desire of a share in their prayers.

Verses 1-5

The apostle here lays down two precepts, with reasons to enforce them, showing the duty of the strong Christian to consider and condescend to the weakest.I. We must bear the infirmities of the weak, v. 1. We all have our infirmities; but the weak are more subject to them than others-the weak in knowledge or grace, the bruised reed and the smoking flax. We must consider these; not trample upon them, but encourage them, and bear with their infirmities. If through weakness they judge and censure us, and speak evil of us, we must bear with them, pity them, and not have our affections alienated from them. Alas! it is their weakness, they cannot help it. Thus Christ bore with his weak disciples, and apologised for them. But there is more in it; we must also bear their infirmities by sympathizing with them, concerning ourselves for them, ministering strength to them, as there is occasion. This is bearing one another’s burdens.II. We must not please ourselves, but our neighbour, v. 1, 2. We must deny our own humour, in consideration of our brethren’s weakness and infirmity.1. Christians must not please themselves. We must not make it our business to gratify all the little appetites and desires of our own heart; it is good for us to cross ourselves sometimes, and then we shall the better bear others crossing of us. We shall be spoiled (as Adonijah was) if we be always humoured. The first lesson we have to learn is to deny ourselves, Mt. 16:24.2. Christians must please their brethren. The design of Christianity is to soften and meeken the spirit, to teach us the art of obliging and true complaisance; not to be servants to the lust of any, but to the necessities and infirmities of our brethren-to comply with all that we have to do with as fare as we can with a good conscience. Christians should study to be pleasing. As we must not please ourselves in the use of our Christian liberty (which was allowed us, not for our own pleasure, but for the glory of God and the profit and edification of others), so we must please our neighbour. How amiable and comfortable a society would the church of Christ be if Christians would study to please one another, as now we see them commonly industrious to cross, and thwart, and contradict one another!—Please his neighbour, not in every thing, it is not an unlimited rule; but for his good, especially for the good of his soul: not please him by serving his wicked wills, and humouring him in a sinful way, or consenting to his enticements, or suffering sin upon him; this is a base way of pleasing our neighbour to the ruin of his soul: if we thus please men, we are not the servants of Christ; but please him for his good; not for our own secular good, or to make a prey of him, but for his spiritual good.—To edification, that is, not only for his profit, but for the profit of others, to edify the body of Christ, by studying to oblige one another. The closer the stones lie, and the better they are squared to fit one another, the stronger is the building. Now observe the reason why Christians must please one another: For even Christ pleased not himself. The self-denial of our Lord Jesus is the best argument against the selfishness of Christians. Observe,(1.) That Christ pleased not himself. He did not consult his own worldly credit, ease, safety, nor pleasure; he had not where to lay his head, lived upon alms, would not be made a king, detested no proposal with greater abhorrence than that, Master, spare thyself, did not seek his own will (Jn. 5:30), washed his disciples’ feet, endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, troubled himself (Jn. 11:33), did not consult his own honour, and, in a word, emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation: and all this for our sakes, to bring in a righteousness for us, and to set us an example. His whole life was a self-denying self-displeasing life. He bore the infirmities of the weak, Heb. 4:15.(2.) That herein the scripture was fulfilled: As it is written, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me. This is quoted out of Ps. 69:9, the former part of which verse is applied to Christ (Jn. 2:17), The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the latter part here; for David was a type of Christ, and his sufferings of Christ’s sufferings. It is quoted to show that Christ was so far from pleasing himself that he did in the highest degree displease himself. Not as if his undertaking, considered on the whole, were a task and grievance to him, for he was very willing to it and very cheerful in it; but in his humiliation the content and satisfaction of natural inclination were altogether crossed and denied. He preferred our benefit before his own ease and pleasure. This the apostle chooses to express in scripture language; for how can the things of the Spirit of God be better spoken of than in the Spirit’s own words? And this scripture he alleges, The reproaches of those that reproached thee fell on me. [1.] The shame of those reproaches, which Christ underwent. Whatever dishonour was done to God was a trouble to the Lord Jesus. He was grieved for the hardness of people’s hearts, beheld a sinful place with sorrow and tears. When the saints were persecuted, Christ so far displeased himself as to take what was done to them as done against himself: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Christ also did himself endure the greatest indignities; there was much of reproach in his sufferings. [2.] The sin of those reproaches, for which Christ undertook to satisfy; so many understand it. Every sin is a kind of reproach to God, especially presumptuous sins; now the guilt of these fell upon Christ, when he was made sin, that is, a sacrifice, a sin-offering for us. When the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all, and he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree, they fell upon him as upon our surety. Upon me be the curse. This was the greatest piece of self-displacency that could be: considering his infinite spotless purity and holiness, the infinite love of the Father to him, and his eternal concern for his Father’s glory, nothing could be more contrary to him, nor more against him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him, especially considering for whom he thus displeased himself, for strangers, enemies, and traitors, the just for the unjust, 1 Pt. 3:18. This seems to come in as a reason why we should bear the infirmities of the weak. We must not please ourselves, for Christ pleased not himself; we must bear the infirmities of the weak, for Christ bore the reproaches of those that reproached God. He bore the guilt of sin and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. he bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the infirmities of the weak.—Even Christ; kai gar ho Christos. Even he who was infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, who needed not us nor our services,—even he who thought it no robbery to be equal with God, who had reason enough to pleas himself, and no reason to be concerned, much less to be crossed, for us,—even he pleased not himself, even he bore our sins. And should not we be humble, and self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another?(3.) That therefore we must go and do likewise: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning. [1.] That which is written of Christ, concerning his self-denial and sufferings, is written for our learning; he hath left us an example. If Christ denied himself, surely we should deny ourselves, from a principle of ingenuousness and of gratitude, and especially of conformity to his image. The example of Christ, in what he did and said, is recorded for our imitation. [2.] That which is written in the scriptures of the Old Testament in the general is written for our learning. What David had said in his own person Paul had just now applied to Christ. Now lest this should look like a straining of the scripture, he gives us this excellent rule in general, that all the scriptures of the Old Testament (much more those of the New) were written for our learning, and are not to be looked upon as of private interpretation. What happened to the Old-Testament saint happened to them for ensample; and the scriptures of the Old Testament have many fulfillings. The scriptures are left for a standing rule to us: they are written, that they might remain for our use and benefit. First, For our learning. There are many things to be learned out of the scriptures; and that is the best learning which is drawn from these fountains. Those are the most learned that are most mighty in the scriptures. We must therefore labour, not only to understand the literal meaning of the scripture, but to learn out of it that which will do us good; and we have need of help therefore not only to roll away the stone, but to draw out the water, for in many places the well is deep. Practical observations are more necessary than critical expositions. Secondly, That we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. That hope which hath eternal life for its object is here proposed as the end of scripture-learning. The scripture was written that we might know what to hope for from God, and upon what grounds, and in what way. This should recommend the scripture to us that it is a special friend to Christian hope. Now the way of attaining this hope is through patience and comfort of the scripture. Patience and comfort suppose trouble and sorrow; such is the lot of the saints in this world; and, were it not so, we should have no occasion for patience and comfort. But both these befriend that hope which is the life of our souls. Patience works experience, and experience hope, which maketh not ashamed, ch. 5:3 endash 5. The more patience we exercise under troubles the more hopefully we may look through our troubles; nothing more destructive to hope than impatience. And the comfort of the scriptures, that comfort which springs from the word of God (that is the surest and sweetest comfort) is likewise a great stay to hope, as it is an earnest in hand of the good hoped for. The Spirit, as a comforter, is the earnest of our inheritance.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 4, 2011 at 6:13pm

	You Have the Advantage TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...His favor is for a lifetime...” (Psalm 30:5, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria One definition of the word “favor” is an advantage for success. When you put God first, when you obey His commands, you open the door for His favor — you have the advantage for success! Even if someone has wronged you and it looks like they have the upper hand, even if it looks like things are never going to change, you need to keep reminding yourself, “I have an advantage. God is in control of my destiny. He’s fighting my battles for me. He is my vindicator, and it’s just a matter of time before things change in my favor.”   I love the scripture in Hebrews that says, “Don’t cast away your confidence.” One translation says, “...for payday is coming.” In the difficult times, you have to remind yourself that payday is on its way! God is a faithful God. If you’ll keep doing the right thing, honoring Him and expecting His favor, God has promised He will pay you back. He will restore everything in your life that the enemy has stolen so you can live the abundant life He has promised to you. A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father in heaven, thank You for Your grace, mercy and everlasting favor. I open my heart and mind to You and receive everything You have for me. Thank You for restoring and healing every area of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 3, 2011 at 9:36am

	Thriving Every Day TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” (John 10:10, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria God doesn’t want you to live with a “barely-get-by” attitude. He has new seasons of increase in front of you. He wants you to thrive, to live an abundant, overflowing life! Sometimes when things seem difficult, it’s easy to slip into “survival mode.” When times get tough, it’s tempting to just “hunker down” and settle where we are. If you’re not careful, you’ll develop a survival mentality that will keep you from growing and releasing your faith. You’ll be happy just to “break even.” But as God’s children, we’re not supposed to just break even; we’re supposed to break through to a new level! We’re supposed to believe for more of God’s favor, increase and promotion no matter what is happening in the world around us. Make up your mind today that no matter how difficult things seem, you are going to thrive every day! Take hold of God’s promises and declare that you are rising higher. As you continue to expect His favor and increase, you’ll see His hand of blessing in your life, and you will t

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 2, 2011 at 4:48am

Plan for Good TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness” (Proverbs 14:22b, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Do you wake up every morning expecting favor and blessing on everything you do? Do you plan for what is good? When we plan for what is good, the scripture tells us that we find love. We know that God is love which means that when we plan for what is good, we will find God in the midst of our plans. Today, don’t let the negative voices of the world steal your focus or get you off course. Don’t start planning for a bad day; choose to plan for good. The scripture doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as the economy is booming.” It doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as the housing market is strong.” It doesn’t say, “Plan for good as long as you aren’t facing any adversity.” No, we can plan for good because we serve a God who is good, and He is ready, willing and able to bring us through any adversity we face! Boldly plan for good today and watch God show up in the midst of your plans!

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 2, 2011 at 4:14am

	He Gives Strength TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:29, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Oftentimes, when we are facing a difficulty, it’s easy to become weary in our minds and emotions. Trying to figure it all out in our own strength can be exhausting. But we weren’t meant to try to figure everything out, we were meant to trust. We were meant to call on Him and let Him be the hero of our story! The Bible says in Isaiah that when you cry to God for help, as soon as He hears, He will answer you! He will give you strength when you are weary and increase your power when you feel weak. No matter what is going on in your life today, God is greater than any obstacle or difficulty you may be facing. Do you need strength to overcome a challenge in your life? Do you need power to stand strong in the midst of a storm? Call on Him and He will hear you. Open your heart, and by faith, receive His strength and might. Let Him empower you to live in victory and overcome all the days of your life! A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on March 1, 2011 at 12:30am

GREAT THOUGHT TO PONDER ARE YOU LETTING satan PLAY WITH YOUR EMTIONS

Take Charge of Your Emotions

Inspiration   >  Bible   >  Take Charge of Your Emotions

 

Take Charge of Your Emotions

 

The danger of failing to manage your emotions is enormous. If you respond to a slight (real or imagined) negatively, it is possible not only to turn a friend into an enemy, but also to damage your own soul—and body. Even storing “bad” things in memory and recounting them can harm your health.

 

Of course, the rewards of self-control are also spiritual and eternal. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). And Ecclesiastes 7:9 warns us, “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”

 

The good news is that it is possible for you to change your habits and control your emotions, regardless of how deeply embedded those habits may be.

· Watch out for negative feelings such as fear, anger, worry, resentment, and jealousy—and refuse to give in to them. Concentrate on the positive emotions and attitudes of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).

· When you do become angry or tense, do something to distract  yourself. Go for a walk or run. Listen to soothing music. Do some deep breathing exercises. Relax. Cool down!

· Use the resources of your faith. Keep a Bible close by. And, remember, prayer works for every mood.

· Mentally picture the advantages of being in control of your emotions. Then, with God’s help, start being in control!

Comment by ALCEDES JONES on February 28, 2011 at 12:25pm

THAT WAS A GREAT MEAL SO I JUST HAD TO SHARE

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