Tag: image

Happy is the Man Whom God Corrects

Happy is the Man Whom God Corrects

It’s unusual for us human beings to appreciate being corrected or when someone points out where we need to improve ourselves.  But God says that His correction is a sign of His love for us.  What a beautiful idea that is!

Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.  (Deut 8:5 NIV)

How happy is the man whom God corrects!  Therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty . . .  (Job 5:17 MEV)

My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe His rebuke, 12 for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.  (Pro 3:11-12 NASB)

Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.  (Pro 13:24 ESV)

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  (Rev 3:19 NKJV)

As these Scripture passages attest, correction from the Lord—as from a loving parent—is an affirmation of His love and care for us. 

In the natural realm, parents train and discipline their children in order to raise up polite, likeable, and confident human beings who will be loved and appreciated wherever they go.  We do this with our children because we love them, and want to see them grow into happy, well-adjusted adults who are an asset to their communities, churches, and families. 

The Lord disciplines us for our own good.  He is performing His work in us to transform us into the image of His own Son.  (2 Cor 3:18; Eph 4:22-24)  Praise God!

All Are Made Alive in Christ

All Are Made Alive in Christ

God has made believers alive together with Jesus Christ.  Hallelujah!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) . . .  (Eph 2:4-5 NASB)

For as in Adam all die, so also in the Messiah will all be made alive.  (1 Cor 15:22 ISV)

Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be constituted righteous. 20 Now the law came inso that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Rom 5:18-21 NET)

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.  (1 Cor 15:45-49 NIV)

Before a person becomes born-again, they are dead in their evils and sins.  Even when we were in that state, God loved us.  Because He loved us, He gave us a Savior and Redeemer. 

As believers in Christ, we identify with and are linked together with Christ in His resurrection.  Therefore, His life becomes our life.  Not only that, but the Lord gives us a brand-new type of life—eternal life.  (Rom 6:23)  Eternal life is our present possession!  That is almost too much for us to comprehend.

This is a precious and priceless gift, and we have reason to rejoice and thank the Lord!

How Do You Value Your Soul?

How Do You Value Your Soul?

When all is said and done—when we all reach the end of our lives—what value do we place upon our own soul?  How can we each understand right now, in the present, what we will realize at the end of our life?

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?  (Mt 16:26 ESV)

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’  (Lk 12:20 NKJV)

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  (Mk 8:36-37)

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  (Lk 9:25)

As these Bible passages point out, what good is it to be wealthy, influential, highly educated or well-traveled if, after it’s all finished, we lose our own soul in eternity?  If we think that’s okay, then we do NOT place any value whatsoever on our soul or upon our very self.  God values human beings and we need to learn from Him to value ourselves very highly.  Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for each and every soul who accepts Him as Savior.

God created man in His own image!  What great value God places upon each one of us.  Another verse says that God gave mankind dominion or authority over all of the earth.  (Gen 1:26-27)  He put mankind in a place of authority over the planet.

God says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  (Ps 139:14)  God Himself forms each and every newborn baby.  (Ps 139:13 ESV)  Having a child is accurately thought to be a reward from God.  (Ps 127:3) 

God so loved and valued each one of us that He sent His only Son to redeem all of us.  (Joh 3:16)  This precious gift of redemption must be accepted and received, individually, to be able to take effect in our lives.  The Lord warns us to be fearful of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  (Mt 10:28)  The Lord is talking about the enemy of our souls, Satan.

The advice the Lord gives us concerning our souls is this:

  • The law of the Lord (God’s Word) refreshes the soul (Ps 19:7) – read, study, and meditate upon the Word of God, the Bible.
  • Pleasant words, like honey, gives sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Pro 16:24)  Speak pleasant words to others and over your family and over yourself.  These words will truly bless everyone.
  • The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible passage in 3 John 2: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.  (emphasis added)  We need to pursue those habits that contribute to the prosperity of our immortal souls!

We should live our lives in close relationship with Jesus, and obey His Word in order to be blessed.  We reveal that we value our souls very highly by this lifestyle, and God will bless each one of us for it.  Praise God!

Creativity, Part 1

Creativity, Part 1

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  (Gen 1:27)

. . . for in the image of God He made man.  (Gen 9:6b)

God created mankind in His own image.  If we meditate upon this concept, it can be eye-opening for us. 

One point I’d like to discuss here is that our God is a creative Being, and He has created us in His own likeness.  Every single one of us has the capacity to be creative.  What does that mean?  It means that every human being has original talent and ability in unique areas and ways.  Each and EVERY one of us has and does receive:

  • Imagination
  • Inspiration
  • Resourcefulness
  • Inventiveness
  • Productivity
  • Innovation
  • Artistic thoughts/ideas

We’re not all called to be actors or musicians, but we may instead be called to be composers or designers.  We may be a computer whiz whose creative ideas design new programs and software.  Another person may be an interior designer, an engineer, or a gifted organizer with skill and talent in creating workable systems.  There are as many ways to be creative as there are human beings on the face of the earth!

Don’t sell yourself short!  Acknowledge that you have creativity within you.  Think about what you most love to do, and where your talents and abilities lie.  Then release yourself mentally to prosper in the occupation of your choosing!

God has blessed all of the work of our hands, minds, and hearts.

Do you see a man who excels in his work?  He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.  (Pro 22:29)

There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.  (1 Cor 12:5-6)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  (Jam 1:17)  See our next article for part two of this topic.

 

 

New Man, New Heart

New Man, New Heart

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him . . . (Col 3:9-10) 

In order to put on the “new man,” we need to put on a new heart, or new heart-felt motivations inspired by God’s love and grace.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  (Col 3:12 NIV)

The reason that we have the ability to put on the new man, with his new heart, is due to the fact that we’ve been made new in Christ, our Savior.

  • We are born again when we are baptized (Jn. 3:3, 5).
  • We are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15).

Paul instructs us in this new way of living.

. . . that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.  (Eph 4:22-24) 

We bear with one another and forgive each other.  (Col 3:13)  We put on love, the perfect bond of unity, and are unified with our brethren.  (Col 3:14)  We allow the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, and we are thankful.  (Col 3:15) 

As we obey the Bible passages in Colossians, we are given wisdom and insight into how to live this blessed way of life.  As we obey the Word, we are transformed into people of prayer with a thankful attitude who have godly wisdom towards unbelievers.

We are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power.  (Col 2:10)  Walk in this wonderful newness of life!