jondenden:

“Never be afraid of your Bibles. If there is a text of Scripture you dare not meet, humble yourself till you can. If your creed and Scripture do not agree, cut your creed to pieces, but make it agree with this book. If there be anything in the church to which you belong which is contrary to the inspired word, leave that church.”

—

Charles Spurgeon

This, right here, is the powerful heart of Christian living, the true fire of Charity.

The Bible contains many “hard sayings,” many difficult commands, and plenty of convicting truths. Being the Holy Book, it will inevitably point out our unholiness with piercing accuracy. Don’t run away. Don’t let pride make you hide! That Biblical cutting-down-to-size is what cuts out our sinful habits, if we humbly accept that we both need and deserve the process.

Likewise, some of your personal beliefs, opinions, preferences, ideas, etc., being formed by the world, will stand opposed or contrary– however minimally– to what it says in God’s Word. You may laugh this off as mistranslation or “outdated doctrine” or the like, trying to justify yourself and validate all your thoughts instead, forgetting that you are terribly fallible and prone to commit error every moment. When your viewpoint clashes with that of Scripture, you get off that high hill of yours and seek a different vantage point. When your own “book” of rules disagrees with the one Good Book, you tear your tome apart at the very spine. I use brutal language because we cannot be mincing or hesitant in these matters. There is One Truth that is God, and if we encounter opposition to it in ourselves, however “minor,” it is still a lie in the face of God and it must be removed and replaced.

Lastly, we live in the last days. The Church, though her heart is safeguarded as the Bride of Christ, nevertheless is maintained by thousands of human sons & daughters who maim their Lord’s teachings by their own errors, by gutless lies and social pride and moral laxity. Your local church is not exempt from this plague. You must keep your eyes & heart fixed on God’s Word, vigilant for any missteps or malice both within yourself and in your worship community, and like a devout soldier, always ready to defend your Lord’s honor and guard His Church from the enemy, the Liar. Be gentle but firm, courageous but meek, merciful but just– and start with yourself. Get the beam out of your own eye, by the grace of God! Only in true humble piety can you discern dangers in the church, which includes you. If you aren’t properly living as a sheep of His flock, you won’t recognize the impropriety of a wolf… and a true sheep knows their Master’s Voice: a Voice we learn to love through His Word.

Never be afraid of the Bible. Yes, it is full of fearful power, but that power is meant to save! Such is the nature of holiness. Its fire is meant to purify and enlighten! Every word within it has been given for Good. Trust in its heart, and read it constantly. Let it define your entire life, for when this life ends, only the soul who has loved God’s Word will know the Way to life eternal.

apostolic-fashion:

Living life for Christ Part 1: New year, new me (Setting Godly goals)

Hello! Welcome to the first post for our January theme of Living life for Christ.

I thought a piece about goals would be fitting as I find that everyone likes to set new goals for the new year, though a lot of times they are not reached, I speak from experience.

At this time a lot of people are jotting down in their notebooks that in 2019 they will eat healthier, run everyday, get up at 6am, or get a new job. And those are all great goals, but what about setting some more important ones that not only pertain to your life on this earth but to eternal life?

I saw a post on Instagram that said something along the lines of everyone is looking at their Spotify wrapped to see how many minutes they listened to music this year but have you opened up your Bible app to see how many days you read the word? It drew me to check my own Youversion stats as I was very interested in my Spotify ones and the comparison was insane, Spotify blew Youversion way out of the water. And if was crazy to me because I truly thought I spent a lot of time reading my word.

Honestly sometimes it just happens. You get caught up in the day to day of life and distractions come your way and you find yourself spending your time doing other things. Life is busy, I get it. You get it. We all get it. But it is important to make time for the crucial things in your life. So here is a list of goals for 2019 that I think you should considering adding to your list, and I’ll be adding them to mine too.

1.Read your Bible. Even if you read your Bible now you can always do more. Read every day. Do a Bible plan with friends or on your own. Do an in depth study. Find a new way to fall in love with the word.

Joshua 1:8 (NLT)

Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Matthew 4:4 (ESV)

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"

Romans 15:4 (ESV)

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope

Psalm 1:2 (ESV)

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Matthew 24:35 (ESV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

2.Pray everyday. Pray when you wake up. Pray before you go to sleep. Pray when you leave your house, when you’re on the bus, when you see an ambulance drive by. Go to prayer meetings at your church. Maybe attend an all night prayer meeting. In short, just talk to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

Pray without ceasing

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Job 22:27

You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

Psalm 141:2

May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3.Witness. One of the most important things for a Christian to do. Invite a friend, family member, coworker, or a stranger to church with you. It may be scary at first but it’ll be worth it.

Mark 16:15

And he said to them “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation”.

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jeremiah 1:7-8

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

4.Complain less, be more thankful. No matter what you’re going through, God is still good. Try to stop and thank Him every now and then.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Philippians 2:14

Do all things without grumbling or questioning,

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5.Be more forgiving. God forgives each one of us for every single sin we pray a prayer of repentance for. Who are we to hold grudges against other people?

Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Mark 11:25

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Matthew 6:15

But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

6.Live selflessly. It’s important to do things for others and not just for ourselves.

Philippians 2:4

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Galatians 5:14

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Proverbs 3:27-28

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.

1 Corinthians 10:24

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

And those are all that I have for you. I hope you consider adding a few to your list and trying them out this year. God bless you and happy new year!

Still relevant today. Happy new year to all you wonderful people and may God bless you immensely in 2020!