atemolee

The Source of Comfort
          
          When you find yourself in pain, it’s natural to seek comfort. Everyone wants the agony of injury, illness, or heartbreak to disappear as quickly as possible.
          
          If you touch a hot stove, you might grab a ice for your burn. If you get caught in a rainstorm, you might immediately look for shelter. If you experience the loss of someone you love, you might do whatever you can to distract yourself from grief. 
          
          We can also seek things like food, shopping, work, drugs, alcohol, technology, or entertainment as mind-numbing agents to attempt to ease our suffering.
          
          But only one God can truly bring us comfort:
          
          “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
          2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
          
          When Paul and Timothy use the word “comfort,” they’re describing a God who comforts, consoles, encourages, helps, strengthens, instructs, and refreshes. That’s the God He was to Paul and Timothy, and that’s the God He still is.
          
          No matter how bad things get, God can comfort you in a way that no one else can. You can lean on Him.
          
          And because God’s Spirit is within His people, His people can also comfort others. He works in them and through them to offer a hope that’s beyond any present or future pain.
          
          Are you hurting physically, mentally, or emotionally? There’s a God who cares. There are people who want to help. So cry out to the source of all comfort. You can trust Him with your pain.
          
          © https://bible.com/stories/11949

Tanging si Yahweh lang ang ating pag-asa; tulong na malaki at sanggalang siya. Dahil nga sa kanya, kami'y natutuwa; sa kanyang pangalan ay nagtitiwala.
                        [Mga Awit 33:20‭-‬21 RTPV05]

Why are you on this planet?
          
          To reflect Christ's character and to do the will of God. If Christ is the hope of the world, then God's people are the messengers of His hope. 
          
          Following Jesus means we're on a mission with God to bring change to our world, starting with the people around us.
          
                                      Awit 32:8-9
          Ang sabi ni Yahweh,“Aakayin kita sa daan, tuturuan kita, at laging papayuhan. Huwag kang tumulad sa Kabayo o sa Mola na walang pang-unawa, na upang sumunod lang ay hahatakin pa ang renda.”

The Media [Music, Movies, Magazines, TV, Radio, and Internet] can also slowly kill godly values and our walk with God --- without us even realising it.
          
          The Media spews out lies that if we aren't careful, will undermine our purity and faith --- lies like 'sleep around', 'it's alright to take revenge ', 'being rich, beautiful and famous --- will make you happy!', 'all religions lead to God!', 'don't allow anyone to tell you how to live --- it's your life!', and 'God and Faith are old-fashioned!'
          
          Let's learn how to 'Jump' away from the lies and avoid our hearts being slowly in the process!
          
          “Brothers and sisters, God has shown you his mercy. So I am asking you to offer up your bodies to him while you are still alive. Your bodies are a holy sacrifice that is pleasing to God. When you offer your bodies to God, you are worshiping him in the right way. Don’t live the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you. And you will agree that what he wants is right. His plan is good and pleasing and perfect.”
                                [Romans 12:1‭-‬2 NIRV]
          
          God is Holy and merciful. Our relationship with Him begins to change us so that we better reflect his Holiness to the world. We must offer every area of our lives to God as an act of worship. [v1]
          
          HERE'S THE CHALLENGE:
          We're surrounded by a culture where God's word and ways are not known, respected or obeyed. Everywhere we look, people seem to be happily sinning and living without even thinking about God. We are pressured to become like them, instead of being transformed to be like Jesus. [v2]

Read: Mark 4:35-41
          
          Jesus leads us in a certain direction (v35). Sometimes, as we obey Him, we experience stormy times and things become difficult (v37). When this happens we often feel Jesus is doing nothing to help us and that he doesn't seem to care (v38); but he does! Since he's in control, he doesn't panic. This is why he could sleep. Our lack of trust in him makes us fearful (v40); but he can end the storm any time.
          
          WHY DOES HE ALLOW STORMS TO COME OUR WAY?
          --- He does this to develop our faith in him. Faith untested is not real faith. In the midst of every storm, remember that God's grace can and will sustain you.
          
          HOW DO WE GROW IN TRUST?
          --- Remind ourselves that Jesus is with us. He does care. He's made promises he will keep (v34). He has the power to change any situation, but until he does, we must trust him. If we don't, our emotions may overwhelm and ship wreck us. We must hold onto the promises God makes to us in his word --- Promises like!
          
          Be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be terrified because of them. The Lord your God will go with you. He will never leave you. He’ll never desert you.”
                             [Deuteronomy 31:6 NIRV]
          
          Life is tough, but God is good.

Read: 1 Peter 5:6‭-‬11
          
          The devil is like a roaring lion looking to devour you; but if you're in Christ, then satan is in a cage. Jesus has total authority over him. Jesus gives you his authority over him too (see Luke 10:17-19). Satan may not harm you, unless you enter his cage.
          
          HOW DO WE RESIST THE DEVIL AND STAY OUT OF HIS CAGE?
          --- through humility, trusting God, self-control and spiritual alertness (v. 6-8). When we give in to pride, unbelief and temptation, we lose our spiritual protection.
          
          Stand firm in your Faith (v.9). The main battlefield is in our minds. Satan will try to make us believe his lies, so we must stand in faith on the truth of the Bible.
          
          Stay in community (v.9). Satan preys on those who are isolated. Together we can guard one another's backs.
          
          Also, we must repent of all occultist practices such as witchcraft, sorcery, talking to the dead, visiting psychics, tarot card readings, glassy-glassy and others (Acts 19:19).
          
          Lastly, be sure that God will overcome satan's efforts to harm you (v.10). So be aware of the devil, but be in awe of God (v.11).
          
          Don't Be Under Satan's Yoke.

Read: Romans 6:8-13
          
          These verses give two secrets to godliness:
          
          I. REALISE WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST [v8-11].
          --- the moment you trust in Jesus, you receive a new status in God's sight. What is true of Him becomes true of you. His acceptance by God, death to sin and aliveness to God are all yours because you are in Christ. Count on this being true [v11].
          
          “And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.”
                                       [1 John 2:3 NLT]
          
          II. OFFER EVERY PART OF YOURSELF TO GOD AND HIS WAYS [v12-13].
          --- your words, sexuality, thought-life, relationships, money, time, plans, ways of treating people, work-life-all of these are instruments [v12]. You decide whether you will offer them to sin [v12], or to God [v13]. Pray every day saying,“God, here are my words. I give them to you. God, here is my sexuality, I surrender it to you.”
          
          Why not write a list and go through it every day. This is a form of active surrender.
          
          “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
                                    [1 John 1:8‭-‬9 NLT]
          
          One more thing:
          It's important to know the difference between the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin and the devil's condemnation. 
          
          When you sin, the Holy Spirit lovingly highlights your sin and gently draws you back to God. 
          
          The devil tries to make you feel unworthy of God, causing you to run from Him in shame. 
          
          REJECT these lies and feelings of shame. Instead RUN to GOD'S GRACE.
          
          “This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.”
                                      [1 John 1:5 NLT]

Read: John 15:1-8, Galatians 5:16-26, 1 Timothy 4:7-12
          
          “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
                                       [John 15:5 NLT]
          
          A young boy once noticed apples growing on a large branch of a tree in the park. Not wanting to share them, he cut off the branch and took it home. He waited for more apples to grow. They never did! In these verses, Jesus says that apart from dependence on Him, we will never bear the fruit of a changed life either.
          
          The gardener is the father [v1], Jesus is the vine [v1], and we are the branches [v2]. Our role is to remain in the vine [v4], filling ourselves up with His word [v7], and constantly drawing closer to Christ by praying [v7].
          
          The Father trims all the things hindering His work in and through us [v2]. Christ pours the sap of His Spirit into us, so that we bear the Fruit of a changed life [v5, 8].
          
          Reminder for all of us that we must know too the sins that are living in our lives so that we could be aware how to overcome it. Here's are some of it:
          
          “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
                               [Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 NLT]

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
                    [James 5:13‭-‬18 NLT]
           #Praywithoutceasing #StayConnectedwithGod #ToGodbealltheglory! #Godbless #PraywithFaith #PraywithPerseverance #PraywithPassion #PraywithTruthfulness #TrustGod #ObeyGod 

“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
                                     [John 16:5‭-‬15 NLT]