Tag: advice

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10.5.24. How do you smell?

2 Cor 5 What aroma are you sharing?

One of the fears mankind faces is that of death. We think we are ready to die, but in reality we are not. God has the timetable for each one and no one knows when that will be. Yet, one thing a believer has is his peace and comfort knowing that when that time comes it will be perfectly orchestrated by His command.  Until then let’s follow Paul’s advice that he gave to the Corinthians about their bodies. “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” [2 Cor 5:9] As we go about our daily routine, stop and think how you “smell” to the world around you. Do you smell sweet because of the words and actions you share or do you smell like the pigsty of the prodigal son? 

Today go and be a blessing to someone so that God is pleased.  If today is your death date, you want to enter His presence with joy and peace knowing that you have fulfilled that command. Be a pleasing aroma to those around you and it will translate to a kingdom blessing in heaven. 

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Wise or Foolish?

The wise and the foolish

Matthew 7We are often advised about our life and the decisions we make and this chapter reminds us that what we hear we must be discerning. Some advice is pure and worthy to be heeded and other advice we should discard. We need wisdom about many things and Jesus taught as one with authority, therefore we should heed and obey His advice.  As he ended his teaching he said: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” [Matt 7:24]

We have been gifted with the Word of the Lord and it behooves us to listen and do what He says. The challenge before us is do we want to be wise or foolish? That seems rather simple, but the proof is in our words and deeds. Is our “house” built on the “ROCK’ which is Jesus and His teaching or on the words of men? 

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Advice Scorned

2Chron 18; 1 Kings 22 One can almost hear the voice of James as he might have recalled this OT story.

“you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.” [James 4:3] So, let’s backtrack to see why.

King Ahab is a wicked king of Israel, yet the righteous king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, has divided allegiances when he chooses to marry Ahab’s daughter. But family is family, and so Jehoshaphat goes to visit his father-in-law. While there, Ahab tests him by asking him to go with him into battle against his enemy. Instantly he answers, of course—but quickly says first, let’s ask a prophet his advice. Ahab scornfully says there is only one prophet of God there, yet interestingly he knows that the godly prophet Micaiah is a truth-teller. Therefore when Micaiah tells him that he will lose in this battle and die, he should have listened. But fools do not listen! But Ahab desires victory over obedience, so he ignores his words. End of story: the words of the godly prophet come true; Ahab is killed in battle.

The moral of the story is don’t ask God for something if you are unwilling to listen and obey.

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Dead People Don’t Sin

rom 6 dead to sin2Jeremiah  noted  that  we  have  lived  so  long  in  our  sinful  state  that  we  don’t  even  blush  at  sin!  Yet  as  he  reminded  the  people  they  were  standing  at  a  crossroads  and  they  should  consider  their  path.[Jer  6]  Paul  is  giving  us  similar  advice  by  saying  that  we  are  not  to  remain  in  sin  for  we  are  now  alive  in  Christ  not  because  “works  of  righteousness  that  we  have  done  but  on  the  basis  of  his  mercy,  through  the  washing  of  the  new  birth  and  the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  “  [Titus  3]  Sin  now  has  no  mastery  over  us  UNLESS  we  purposefully  yield  to  it.  Beloved we are to “not  let  sin  reign…do not  present  your  members  to  sin  as  instruments  to  be  used  for  unrighteousness!”

If we do the words of John should echo in our ears: “The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person.” So  the  test  is  really  this:  if  we  are  living,  moving,  and  enjoying  sin  we  might  want  to  check  our  status  and  see  if  we  are  living  a  life  that  is  merely  a  charade  because  he  who  is  alive  in  Christ    “is  a  new  creation;  what  is  old  has  passed  away  –“  [2Co  5]  and dead people do not sin.

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