Faith Under Fire

Daniel 3:
1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

5That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:

6And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

In this story of the 3 Hebrew boys, where they, being followers of God have been confronted by the pagan king Nebuchadnezzar, who issued a command to bow before and worship the golden image that he had set up.

3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.


4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 

5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

They remember their God. They remember what He has spoken unto them. Holiness is still required!! Therefore, THEY WOULD NOT BOW, not to the Satan, not to the king, not to any statue. Not bow to sin. Regardless of the situation! It doesn't matter, what the circumstance is, keep your integrity! Remember God and HIS WORD!! Here is what Job said:

Job 13:15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

There are times when we are confronted with a trial, or temptation, to commit sin or not follow through with God all the way. But even when we don't see a way out, TRUST GOD. Rely on Him, tell Him, the troubles are great and I can't find a way out, but I am going to trust You Lord because you promised, that you'd never leave me nor forsake me.

Hebrews 13:5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

So I encourage you as my brothers encourage me... And even through God's Word:

Do not sin.

Encouragement

Greetings brethren, I pray you do well in the Lord.
Today, this little patty crumb want to encourage us to live in the right and to overcome.

Revelation 3:12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 

One thing I do say that we should take sin lightly, it is a thing that separates mankind from God though He wants us to draw near to Him. Sin is not to be laughed about... it is a detriment and it is death.

Isaiah 59:1-2: 

Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

For those of us who are reading with the hopes of getting closer to God through His Word, I encourage you to continue steadfastly, and even to pray for wisdom where we lack understanding (VERY IMPORTANT).

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 Also to note, its great to have a good relationship with the Word, who is Christ, as it has been said, the Bible is the only book that we read, where the author is always present. So be encouraged by that notion.

Trust in God and don't consent to sin regardless of the circumstances. Look at what Job went through.

Job 13:15  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. 

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  

Don't put your confidence in self nor others, but wholly trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and wait on Him. Got big problems? We have an infinitely bigger God.

"Faith is like a muscle, exercise it!"

_________________

Note: When reading the Bible, it is important to consider the colons (:), which mean continuation or dependency.

The italic in the King James Version were words added to enable us in English to better understand what the original Greek and Hebrew were saying.

All or Nothing

Greetings my friends, I was looking at this admonition last night and I want us to be very wary of the fact that this walk is not something to take lightly. It isn't something we can just claim to know the saviour and not know what we signed up for. It's not a decision to be taken lightly either. We have to consider the costs.

Luke 14:26-33 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

(27) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

(28) For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (29) Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

(30) Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (31) Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

(32) Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

(33) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

This isn't a man telling us this. Christ himself said that we have to be willing to detach from all things and persons to be His disciple.

One thing we may see now if that there are many now in the evangelical community that invite many people to Christ when the person has little knowledge of who Christ is. Some of those who come to turn there life over to the LORD come and pray a prayer and leave feeling justified or feeling better about themselves, and when they leave they live just as godless as they use to under the banner of Christ (they don't even know they dishonour that saving name).

Praise the LORD for the ones He called to Himself, who follow Him and overcome this world.

I want us to ask ourselves, "Is there anything that's hindering me? What am I still attached to that I haven't given up? Is there something I'm too dependent on that is unnecessary?"

Hey who remembers a certain man that went to the Good Master? What did the Master tell Him?

Mark 10:17-23 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

(18) And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

(19) Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.

(20) And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

(21) Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

(22) And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

(23) And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

No doubt this man sincerely wanted to inherit it, but when he was told the cost he was grieved. He turned back...

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

So now I put forward a common sense question:

• Do we lose our stuff, our family and our positions and jobs when we die? Yes!

• We only get to keep these things when we're alive right? Yes!

• Eternal life without pain, suffering, tears, having complete joy and finally being able to see the face of God is totally worth it. Yeah!

What's stopping us? Most people won't come to the conclusion until it's too late.

So my brethren, don't lose out. Know your priorities.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

God said to Aaron:

Numbers 18:20a And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:

Probably sounds harsh, I mean Aaron's a Levite, a priest or all people. We'd probably feel to say "Poor Levites... everyone else is gonna get inheritance but them...."

BUT...

Numbers 18:20b I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

THEY GOT THE BEST INHERITANCE!!!

They got the be in the presence of God, continually. Shall we not also, being a royal priesthood, take pleasure in dwelling in the presence of the LORD.

God Bless

Thou shalt not steal

I have an answer and a question: But I'd like you to read this and take your time, because I'm hoping it will prick at your hearts...
I ask us if using cracked software and unpaid for software makes us thieves in the eyes of God.

Software piracy is obtaining software or electronic resources by illegal means or using a software without the license to doing so...

I read an article earlier today and it spoke about one who is a professing Christian cannot be a contra- Christian. What I mean is one who practices sin while calling themselves "Christian", and the result is, they aren't. Example: A thieving Christian, or a gay Christian or a... well I suppose you get the idea... Its like living the concept of "Syncretism" or doing it because its convenient.


Let us look at these verses:

Thou shalt not steal. -  Exodus 20:15

1 Corinthians 6:9   Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10  NOR THIEVES, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

So this is they that have no inheritance with Christ.

Matthew 5:29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

"offend" means to cause to sin.

Putting a little differently:
And if using Photoshop or any other software or e-book (that was cracked, or without payment) causes you to sin, cut it off or find an alternative that doesn't break the law.

If torrenting movies and software causes you to sin, then cut it off... or stream them... from legal sites

I think these verse can apply to our attitudes as well, if we say we are Christians, we should desire to drop these things, not for ourselves but for Christ. Deny ourselves...

If I could take the verse literally, I'd sooner pluck my eyes and ears out because of what my environment accommodates...
Now, I speak not of being perfect, oh that I were incorruptible, I'd be weeping, but that is what we wait on, bodies incorruptible. Changed. Amen! Till then we praise the position of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous, Advocate, High Priest. Forgiver of sins... Praise God. Its wonder God doesn't kill us when we sin... Such love, that's why we can go to Him so freely. Can you imaging sacrificing a cow before coming before God...


We cannot blame the environment, we are the ones who decide to sin or not when Satan brings himself and then when we fall prey and don't pray... we get weaker and then can't bother. We should lose the attitude, and flee self. FLEE SELF! We contend with the devil but we should flee ourselves, its a battle we can't win... not on our own.

Pray for the strength to overcome, till then, may God through Christ Jesus grant us peace... within our souls.

Don't let "Photoshop" kick you out of the Kingdom, and don't say in your heart "God understands when you now know that it is WRONG!!"

Don't support sin. Flee!!

God bless you in Jesus' Marvelous and Wonderful and Holy Name.