What Are The Christian Values That The Bible Teaches?

We hear about Christian values in the media and our faith community. Does the Bible list a set of Christian values?  Are some more important than others?

The Bible gives several lists of values. Here is one.

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:12-14.

THEREFORE...
The context of this passage is that Paul encourages those who are made alive in Christ to set their hearts on things above. As he expounds on the idea that in Christ, we focus on heavenly things, he makes it practical for how we live here on earth.

CLOTHE YOURSELVES...
Clothing is a word picture for covering yourself. In this context, it is to say let all your acts be wrapped up in these things.

This is a beautiful teaching illustration. You must willfully put on clothing. He did not say, "Let your servant clothe you" or "Let clothing happen."  To say, "clothe yourselves" requires a purposeful act. we must become intentional in practicing the following virtues.

COMPASSION...
An act of grace when it is in your power to exercise justice or punishment. It is an act of sympathetic understanding.

KINDNESS...
An act of good mercy when it is in your power to withhold it.

HUMILITY...
Take the servant role and esteem others as better than you are.

GENTLENESS...
An act that considers another's weakness and approaches them with care.

PATIENCE...
Enduring over and over the weakness of others.

BEAR WITH EACH OTHER...
Holding others up in times of difficulty or to carry them in their weakness.

FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU...
The highest standard of forgiveness one could have. The Lord forgave sinners who rebelled against him, even those who died for their redemption. If that is our example, we must never hold a grudge or seek revenge.

OVERALL...
We are to put on these virtues, but over them like an outer garment, we put on love. These wonderful virtues are wrapped up with the one that is above all and holds all other values together. It is the supreme governing rule of conduct and is the one thing that is our default behavior. If in doubt, this is the one to do.

PUT ON LOVE...
As we put on the other virtues, we are especially admonished to put on love; we must intentionally choose to do it.

PERFECT UNITY...
Love is the most powerful and binding of virtues and brings balance where one value may become overemphasized, and others neglected. When love is the binding value, we must practice all the values sincerely and without hidden motivation.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God, CLICK HERE.

(c) Adron 6/24/16

What Does Who You Imitate Say About You?

Role models are people we admire and emulate. The world pressures us to copy someone's likes or values. What do our role models say about us?

"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John 1:11.

This Bible verse uses anyone twice. It is all-inclusive, and we must ask what about me, where do I fit in? Am I from God, or have I not seen him?

IMITATE
To imitate is to copy or reproduce. Children imitate parents, adults imitate teachers. Often we do not realize it, though sometimes it is intentional to learn skills and life lessons.

EVIL
Who would imitate evil? Evil hates God and is hated by God.

There are many ways to define evil.
     * Sin or the results of sin.
     * Rebellion from God.
     * The opposite of good.
God does not do evil, so if you are doing evil, you are doing something God would not do; therefore, you have not seen God.

DO GOOD
God is good, so if you do good, you are doing what God does. Christ went about doing good, and he is an example of one who came from God. (Of course, Christ is much more than an example.)

HAS NOT SEEN GOD
The Bible teaches that no one can see God, but this past tense reference suggests it has happened in the life of one who does good.

There is more than one kind of seeing.
     * You might see something up close or far away.
     * You might see as in understanding an idea.
     * You might see the doctor, meaning an encounter.

We cannot see God's face and live, but we can meet with God and experience Him. This requires faith and time. The Bible calls this being born again and starts a relationship through faith in God and the work of Christ on our behalf.

Our actions show what is inside. Doing good won't bring us to God but are the evidence of the truth within. They show we are imitating God, and He is in our life. To learn how to have God in your life, CLICK HERE to see my other blog about the plan of salvation.

Footnote:
A person who does not believe in God could be from God. God could send a person that is not a believer to be a blessing to you. You may have a lifesaving operation though the doctor may not be a believer; he lives and has skills by God's enabling. We should be open to being blessed by anyone.

(c) Adron 1/25/16

How to Become a Better Person.

We want to do good but seem to keep on doing bad. What can we do to be better people?

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator." Colossians 3: 10.

SINCE YOU HAVE...
When we come to God through faith in Christ some things happen. First, we get eternal life and a relationship with The Father, but among other things, we have begun a new life which means we must progressively choose to put off our old way of life and put on a new way of life. It is more than just putting away bad habits and developing new better ones, it is so complete that it is like putting off your old you and putting on a new you.

BEING...
This is stated as a fact that something is actually happening in the life of the believer- a true believer in Jesus is growing, and if there is not a progression of positive change in his life there is a question that his faith is real.

RENEWED...
The past tense of this word points out that things have happened and is ongoing.  This ongoing thing is a change from death to life. When we come to faith we are brought from death to life but we are additionally in the process of becoming more alive or more like Jesus.

Renewal is a process, so it is not done. Our struggle with the sinfulness inside us is an expression of the ongoing progress.

KNOWLEDGE...
One of the purposes of God is that we know God. We were made for Him and we are fulfilled in Him, to this end we must know Him. There is more than one kind of knowledge, some knowledge you get from books but the best comes from experiencing something, God wants us to experience Him.

IMAGE...
In order to know God, we must be like him in some way to relate and God made us in His image for that purpose. Man's sin has tarnished the image of God in us and in order to fully know God we need renewal and restoration.

PUT ON...
Choose to put on the new self that God has given us in Christ and reject the old, then you will be able to have fellowship with the Father and live a life that pleases Him and you.

In practical terms, you may want to identify those old ways and turn from them and think about the good you would do instead, but we must do this in Christ. Express in prayer to Christ that you by faith put off the old you and receive the new you by faith.

Then go out and do good to those you meet.

To learn more about coming to God see my other blog.

(c) Adron 8/11/14

How To Get People To Treat You Nice

"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you." Luke 6:31.

The words quoted are from the teaching of Jesus. We call it the golden rule. He gave these words in between a statement about giving without asking in return, and a statement about loving your enemies.

In Matthew 7:12 he adds that this one guideline summed up all the law and the prophets.

Jesus keeps it simple. It is hard to do...

You have to think about people.
You have to care about people.
You have to love people.
You have to see people as being like you are yourself- not worse or lesser.

(c)Adron Dozat

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron




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How Should Christians Behave Toward Those Who Oppose The Gospel?

Our world is in such a mess and the morals of our society are getting worse all the time. How should we act toward those who are against God's message of love and even want to do away with the things Christians cherish? The Bible gives direction in Titus 6:2

"To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always be gentle toward everyone." Titus 3:2.  

These words were written by the apostle Paul during in the days of Roman persecution.

SLANDER
In ancient times and in places today people of faith were and are persecuted. There is a temptation to decry those who persecute others for their beliefs. It would have been easy for the faithful under Roman oppression to speak against the rulers who oppressed them. It is just as easy to look at our leaders today and say bad things about the people who are shaping our society.

Paul the apostle said do not slander or speak evil of those leaders even if they are oppressors. We should not speak ill of our leaders even if they are enacting laws that we feel are wrong.

PEACEABLE
Our Lord Jesus came with a gospel of peace between God and Man and a message of brotherly love: it is redundant to say we should be peaceable, but unfortunately, we need the reminder. The believers under Rome were victims of grievous wrongs but they were not to seek revenge and were to leave justice to the Almighty One.

Jesus said as much when on the sermon on the mount taught that if someone were to strike you on one cheek to turn the other for them to strike it too, (Matthew 5:39).

CONSIDERATE
To be considerate is to put another's interest ahead of your own; it is to see someone else's point of view and to understand their need or pain. It is brother to compassion. We are to walk in the way of Jesus who was compassionate. He was aware of people's pain and weaknesses and was thoughtful of them. He did not condemn but understood and acted for them

GENTLE
"Gentle toward everyone" is a broad statement that leaves no one out. We are to be gentle to our friends and brothers in faith but we also should be gentle to those who hate Jesus and do not believe in God. We are to be gentle to the people who oppose the message of God's love.

HOW
Where does one get the power to live in such a gracious manner in this wicked world? It comes from having Jesus living his life in you.  To learn more about how to have Jesus in your life see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 10/30/13

Does A Believer Still Need To Seek The Lord?

Often we hear, "Seek the Lord while he may be found.*" It suggests that you must come to the Savor before it is too late. But after that, do you no longer need to seek God with all your heart?

“Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.” Psalm 119:2 NIV.

BLESSED

This verse promises blessing, which conveys more to seeking the Lord than just coming to salvation. Blessings await those who keep on seeking him.

When God says blessed, He does not get specific because His greatness and generosity won't be bound. This is very open-ended, and truly we cannot imagine all it is.

WITH ALL

To do something with all your heart is to pursue it with passion and obsession to exclude other things; you think about it the time, and you spend time, money, and effort in its pursuit.

SEEK THE LORD

To say, "Seek the Lord" is open-ended, it could mean:

• Seek to find Him for salvation.
• Seek to find Him in a decision or circumstance.
• Seek to find a fresher, deeper, and clearer view of the Lord.
• Seek a deeper practical presence of the Lord.
• It could be so personal that we each have our own intimate definition.

DAILY SEEKING

You must be committed to finding the Lord in practical life. Seek Him in daily situations, especially in major decisions and small ones too. Have the attitude that every event of our day is brought before the Lord in prayer; this is seeking the presence of the Lord. Try to do this with a lot of little prayers, like when you get in the car, or arrive at work, or before starting a chore.  Make regular rest stops in your day to be quiet before the Lord and wait on his prompting in your heart. Have set times like morning devotions where you are free from distractions and spend time with Him in Bible reading, prayer, and quiet meditation.

As you try to seek the Lord try to remember these things:

• Pray, and ask the Lord to change your heart to want to seek him.
• Search the scriptures, which reveal the Lord.
• Practice the presence of the Lord and seek Him throughout the day.
• Stop hurrying and take opportunities for spontaneous prayer and rest in him.
• Confess and forsake things that block your view of the Lord.
• Be willing for God to change your understanding of Him.
• Be open to personal change.

To seek the Lord is to find blessing.

 * Isaiah 55:6 
(c)Adron Dozat 7/18/13

Does The Bible Say Be Thankful In Bad Circumstances?

We know we should be thankful, but times are hard and our lives are messed up.  Why should we be thankful?

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV.

THANKS
We should give thanks because it is the right thing to do. Whatever our circumstances are there are blessings we have that we should be thankful for. We may suffer loss and personal disaster but we must look for the other things in our lives we can be grateful for.

ALL
We are prone to be grateful when things are going well, but here the Bible instructs us to give thanks in all circumstances, whether those situations are good or bad.

GIVE THANKS
This is an active phrase that commands us to do something. To actively give thanks is to tell God, "Thank you." We have to make it a point to offer the prayer and the praise of thankfulness.

GOD'S WILL
Many of us wonder what God wants us to do with our lives, and we often ask, "What is God's will for me?" The answer: it is His will that we are thankful people.

CIRCUMSTANCES
When we give thanks to God in bad dark times it is a reaffirmation that He is God.  It says God is good, wise, loving, and merciful.  If He is loving and all-powerful then He allows each circumstance for good. This is not positive thinking- it is faith.  When disaster comes we can thank Him because the God of All Good is involved.

It is not the circumstance that we are thankful for, not the loss or hurt; but the God who is in control and who is working all things out for our good.*

PERSPECTIVE
Much of what we call bad circumstances is a matter of perspective.  We see from our limited view the short focus of the immediate.

The ultimate example is the death of the Son of God, Jesus, in his prime and at the height of his ministry.  His was a life of perfect beauty and ultimate love.  What looked like disaster brought salvation for mankind for God placed our wrongs on him and gives the virtue of his righteousness and salvation to those who by faith receive it.

This principle is woven in scripture that what we think is defeat is for God is really victory.  We can always give thanks no matter how dark the situation because The God of love and all power is in control.

* Romans 8:28.

To learn more about finding salvation follow this link.

(c) Adron 7/15/13

What Priorities Make a Good Life?

With the internet, instant communication and information overload we can easily be sucked into a fascination with things that are not the best and even injurious to us. What should we pay attention to, and how should we spend our time?

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives tails, rather, train yourself to be godly." 1 Timothy 4:7, NIV.

HAVE
The word, have, in this context suggests a choice; another word like choose would not change the meaning of the verse, but the word 'have' is stronger. We must be on our guard for those things that become a preoccupation with our thinking and take us away from the best.

NOTHING
We must be firm in our choice to turn away from the lesser occupations and pursue the best. We should not have any involvement in things that draw us from The Lord and that which is good. "Nothing" is a clear word and means be void, not minimal, some, or a few but not any at all. We must make it a point to abstain from and refuse to engage in these things.

GODLESS
This is the acid test, godly or godless if we weighed every decision on this measure we will be delivered from many troubles. Moreover, we will have cultivated a healthier mindset and blessing in life.

MYTHS AND OLD WIVES TALES
These are insubstantial, they are like vapors that melt away when tested and are not worthy of the time of one who is dedicated to knowing and serving God. Our times are full of fascination with fantasy and media fiction; sadly we know more about TV shows than we do about the life and words of our Savior.

TRAIN
We need to be disciplined in our lives. This may be foreign to many modern people who are directed by markets and media on how to think and spend their time. To train in the sense of this word is to exercise toward a goal like an Olympics. This training is done with diligence, sacrifice and fervor; it brings all areas of the athlete's life to submit to the rigors of the training- to the athlete the goal is worth the cost of training.

We can train ourselves by a few disciplines.

     * Spend time in the Bible.
     * Meditate on God's Word.
     * Become devoted to prayer.
     * Worship in community with sincerity and truth.
     * Serve God and mankind.
     * Turn away from sin.

GODLY
It is worth all the effort to obtain godliness and to have the gracious approval of the Father in Heaven.

To learn more about finding God in your life follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 5/1/13

What Does the Bible Say About Negative Thoughts? Philippians 4:8

We often have struggles in our thoughts, sometimes we have thoughts of gloom, regret, sorrow, depression and failure. They weigh us down and hold us back until they suck us dry.

"Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think on these things." Philippians 4:8. NIV.

CONTEXT
The verse quoted above is part of a closing of a letter written by the Apostle Paul. He gives instructions about unity, rejoicing, prayer, and this encouragement to think on a list of virtues.

WHATEVER
God's Word does not teach positive thinking as much as it encourages directive thinking. We are directed to think about specific virtues. This "whatever" embraces all things of a kind so we may give our thought to anything that fits the virtue of truth, noble, right, pure lovely admirable excellent or praiseworthy.

LIVING THOUGHTS
Our lives follow our thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on negative things we drift into patterns and habits that reflect those thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on specific virtues we find ourselves reflecting those virtues in our deeds and words even our very outlook.

WHERE TO FIND WHATEVER
So we should think about the true and noble, the right and the pure, but where are they? The pages of the Bible are full of these things and a good beginning is to read the Word of God and think on the truths found in it. There are many admirable and excellent things in our lives if we take the time to consider them.

We may have been focusing on the negative so long we are conditioned to blindness to the good around us; we must make an effort to see the good.

     * Make a list of the good things that surround you.
     * Keep a journal where you record the lovely and pure things in your life.
     * Pray daily a thankful prayer. Take ten minutes and pray where you only giving thanks.
     * Ask The Lord to show you the noble and true things to think on.

AN EASY COMMAND
The Scriptures places this instruction in the same emphasis as a command. It is one that is easy to obey.

THE RESULT
We will be happier people for directed thoughts. We will be closer to God and Jesus. We will enjoy life more. We will experience blessing.

To learn more about finding the Truth follow this link: Click Here.

To read Philippians 4 in its entirety click this link.

(c) Adron 4/27/13

What Does the Bible Say About Pleasing People?

Sometimes you have to choose who to please. You might please one person and in doing so offend another. Sometimes the bigger question is if we choose to please some people will we offend God?

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10, NIV.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
There was a time before he received the calling to Christ when the Apostle Paul persecuted the church and in doing so he was pleasing men who highly esteemed his zeal. Upon his conversion Paul turned from the former ways and lived a new life that his society scorned. He even paid the price of martyrdom for his new faith.

APPROVAL
We want approval. It is an honest need. We want others to think well of us, it goes back to childhood where we want our parents to be pleased with us. For a child approval is nice, it makes him feel good and helps him mature. In an adult it is different. We should able to act independently of other's approval. Yet it is a legitimate desire; for to an adult approval is a measure of inclusion, acceptance, community and belonging. These are healthy things.

TRYING TO WIN
Paul was not against man's approval. He just didn't go out of his way for it. He responded to Jesus and if it meant he lost the approval of men it was worth it. If his service to God won the approval of men that was a bonus but the point of his life was something else.

A SERVANT OF CHRIST.
Paul gave up status and lost the favor of his countrymen to follow Christ. For him it was a choice that was no choice because the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus so far outweighed the worth of man's esteem*. Paul gave up ambition to please men and chose to be a servant of Christ.

We can't be both one who seeks to win the favor of men and of God. If we are living to please men we can't be a servant of Christ. We must choose either the fickle favor of people or the eternal esteem of Christ.

* See also Philippians 3:8

To learn more about coming to Christ see my other post, follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat

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Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.
For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.

Adron

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Why Does God Make Daily Life So hard?

Is there a reason for all these hardships?

If God loves us and has a perfect plan then why do we have so many chores and live lives of drudgery where we can barely get ahead?

"He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance, and David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them." Psalm 78:70 -72. NIV*.

LOWLY SHEPHERD

To be an ancient shepherd was a boring job. Shepherds lived outdoors every day, sun or rain, they missed community activities like worship or festivals. Shepherds wandered over the hills looking for lost sheep, pasture or water, they lived in fear of predators or robbers. Shepherds had no future, few friends, and little thanks.

CHORES AND FRUSTRATION
Our lives are full of dull drudgery. We clean the house and it gets dirty again, we change the diapers over and over, we care for kids or bosses, or spouses, with no thanks.

We are impatient to "get on with it." We want to do something great like be a preacher or missionary or theologian. We have to remember it was from the boring years of drudgery and thankless labor that David was made ready to lead Israel.

PURPOSE

There is freedom when we recognize the common daily drudgery as full of God's purpose.  As Christians our lives are not our own, we serve him not ourselves. God is doing something in our lives, and it takes time. To grow a squash only takes six weeks but to grow a stately oak tree that may take a hundred years; so, we must be patient with God's timing, he is remaking us into something beautiful. Consider that Jesus spent 90% of his life on the earth working in a carpenter shop and only the last 10%, three years, in ministry.

There is great power when Christians go about their daily task without complaining. The world does not want more "superstar" Christians; the lost people around us are seeking meaning, and when they see people living the grace of God in daily trials they respond.

MAKING READY

Instead of resenting, and complaining we must rest in God's grace. We must see his hand in the everyday boredom of life's tasks and focus on His purpose. He has a plan for each of us, that plan may include cleaning the toilets, taking out the trash, and working hard at a dead-end job. We learn to do these things by His power and over time we will become the person He desires us to be. Like David when we master the lessons of the daily common tasks we will be ready to apply those lessons to great things.

To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Online Parallel Bible.

© Adron 12/2/12

What Is An Easy Way To Serve God? 1 Thessalonians 5:11 W

There are times when we feel like there is nothing we can do for God. We know we should be serving in church or community or some other way, but we don't seem to find our place. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 gives a good easy place to start.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV.

ENCOURAGE
So many people around us need encouragement. There are those struggling with silent private issues and some who are having desperate times. We have the opportunity to do more good than programs and sermons and spending expensive resources; it is simple- it is by being an encouragement. You can do this easily by cheering them on from the sidelines, or you can come alongside and bear the weight in their struggles.

We have many reasons to encourage one other. We want to encourage others because...

     * We share great salvation.
     * The Bible commands us to.
     * To be able to encourage is a gift you may have.
     * We share God's forgiveness.
     * We experience God's grace.
     * We share the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
     * We have the eternal promises in the word.
     * We are part of the blessing of the church.
     * Remember the time will come when we ourselves will need encouragement.

ONE ANOTHER

The phrase "one another" implies community; it suggests that the Christians are woven into each other's lives. We do not live life only unto ourselves, but as Christians, we are part of a living thing called the church. We must be lovingly involved in each other's lives.

BUILD UP
We build each other up by reminding each other of God's mercy, purpose, and salvation.

     * We can share our own experiences.
     * We can teach the word.
     * We can do acts of service.
     * We can reaffirm the positive.
     * We can pray together.
     * We can commit ourselves to our brothers and sisters who need encouragement.
     * We can simply communicate words of encouragement by letter, email, or phone call.

YOU ARE DOING

Paul paid attention to things. He knew his flock, and he knew what was happening in the lives of those to who he ministered. We need to pay attention to our friends and pray for God to show us when and how they need encouragement.

To encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we must do it on purpose. It just doesn't happen on its own; we must be committed to the fellowship of the faith and stand with our brothers and sisters in their struggles.

To learn more about knowing God personally, visit my other blog. Click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/14/12

What Makes a Successful life? 1 Corinthians 10:31

We want a good life full of satisfaction, fulfillment, reward, and free from regret. What is the key?

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV.

The Apostle Paul instructed the church about their freedoms in Christ and the limits of conscience and love. Paul did not fill his Apostolic teaching with many "do this" or "don't do that" types of commands, but he gave boundaries and guidelines that open up more of our lives.

Click HERE to see some art using the words of this verse. 

Do for the Glory of God:
To do something for the glory of God is not just doing something big but doing something moral and right.

If we are doing what we do for the glory of God we...
*     Will do honorable things,
*     Will do good things,
*     Will do things that make the lives of others better,
*     We will be lifters of burdens and lights in our communities,
*     We will be working in integrity,
*     What we will be done without sin,
*     We will be guided by a moral compass that others lack,
*     We will have excellence.

Whatever You Do:
We do not need to be establishing monuments or great institutions or giving huge sums of money to do something for the glory of God.  It says, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do." Eating and drinking are widespread daily activity and all healthy people do them. Even the common task can be done to the glory of God and become service in His name if it is done thankfully, in a righteous manner with love and thoughtfulness.

We are not told here to do only some special things for the Glory of God, like observing worship once a week or giving a huge donation once a month, but the instruction is to do all for the glory of God. This is inclusive of all the activities. If I clean house, I should clean house for the glory of God; if I work at a job, I should do it for the glory of God.

In Order To Do All Things To The Glory of God You Might...
*     Begin with a prayer,
*     Invite God's participation or help.
*     Confess any struggles, bitterness, resentment, vain pride, etc.
*     Thank him for the task and ask his blessing,
*     Publicly proclaim that your intent was to do it as unto God.

It's Why We Are Here:
We were made to glorify God, and the strange thing is that when we do focus on giving God glory, we are fulfilled. When we make doing the dishes for God's glory or changing diapers for God's glory, we find a sense of satisfaction; if we change car tires for the glory of God, we will find it rewarding.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/13/12

What is Better Than Silver And Gold Proverbs 22:1

If you have a lot of money, you can get many good things and live comfortably; who doesn't want the good things that money buys? But there is something better.

A good name is more desirable than great riches: and to be esteemed is better than Silver or Gold." Proverbs 22:1 JKV.

DESIRE
To desire, something is to want it, and desirable means to be worthy of desire; it points to what people want most. Something that is esteemed is of high value or high opinion. These words have the idea of placing one over the other.

A GOOD NAME
A good name is what you are recognized for; it is what people think of you. You can buy things, and you can buy services. You can even pay someone for their time, but you can't buy their opinion. If you give all the wealth you ever accumulate, it will not purchase a favorable opinion; possibly the attempt to do so would create the contrary- a poor opinion.  A good name is more than being popular. It is the telltale of the relationship you have with society. To have people hold you in high esteem tells that you are a person of character and integrity.

The tabloids and media are full of the disastrous lives of the rich and famous. Their wealth does not protect them from foolishness, vice, pettiness, or poor choices. They are wealthy, but they have wrecked their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Someone might say don't care what other people think, but that only works until you have to do business with other people or want a relationship.

THE COST
Many people throw their reputation away to get wealth. Some people sacrifice their good name for money. This is foolish. In the end, you will only have money. You can't take wealth with you to heaven, but you can send it on ahead by living a life of good acts, charity, and love, for then you will have a reward in heaven.

History is full of millionaires and canonized saints. The millionaires accumulated wealth and are forgotten in the dust of the cemeteries; the saints served and sacrificed, and their names list the noble and best of humanity, serving as an example of what beauty life is in God's hands can be.

There is nothing wrong with riches, and being wealthy is not a sin, but a good name is to be chosen over wealth should the choice come.

To learn more about how to get saved, follow this link: Jesus and Salvation.

(c) Adron 3/14/12

How Can You Tell If Someone Is From God 3 John 11

Our world is full of wickedness. We want to do good but how do we get away from the evil around us to be a positive influence?

"Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God, anyone who does what is evil has not seen God." 3 John: 11.

IS THIS A COMMAND FROM THE BIBLE?
It begins with the command, "Do not imitate..." A command is an imperative which must be followed. This command is simple, but we must still pay attention to it. Clearly, we can choose to "not do" evil and resolve to do "good;" we must not live reactionary lives where we act without weighing Gods opinion.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO IMITATE?
To imitate is to reproduce the actions of another in yourself. A student learns how to play the piano by watching the teacher put their fingers here and there and moves them so; the student then repeats all those movements and creates the same sound. With practice, the teacher's actions become the students. It is the same when we imitate evil or imitate good, we become what we imitate. We must make doing good daily practice and avoid reproducing the actions that God does not approve of.

RESOLVE
There are thousands of opportunities to "imitate evil" every day, so there are thousands of opportunities to "do good." Opportunities like a saying a kind word, a smile, a gift, a donation, a minute spent in prayer, a hug, or a warm handshake, a little note, or a helping hand. We tend to slip into doing evil, but must resolve to do "good." It takes effort and concentration and awareness.

IS GOOD FROM GOD?
Only God is good, "Anyone who does what is good is from God." Evil is not true of God's people. We should pray for God to show us the good to do and look for it. We must not let our gaze rest on evil, but fill our vision with good- with God.

WARNING
The acid test is that "Anyone who does evil has not seen God." Do we make a habit of doing evil? If we do it maybe we have never come to God in faith in the saving work of his son on the cross, and our salvation is in doubt.

Resolved to take this verse to heart and really refuse to "do evil but what is good?"

To learn more about finding a personal relationship with God then follow this link to my other blog.\

(c)Adron Dozat 5/11/11

What Is The World's Biggest Need Today

The world is in such a mess with disasters on every side like global warming, nuclear threats, terrorism, war, famine, and more. The government says we need more taxes to fix this and that; others say education, social programs, laws, or money will fix our national and personal crisis- but our troubles are still there!

“How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose to understand than silver.” Proverbs 16:16.

The problems of our country and world are not solved in more money, laws, dialogue, education, or bigger guns, but men and women of wisdom. We need leaders with the Wisdom of Solomon, our communities need people who are wise, and each of us needs personal wisdom.

BETTER THAN GOLD
Wisdom was with God before creation and will be with us for eternity. Wisdom touches all areas of life. Wisdom will add to our happiness, bless our relationships, grow our business, improve our health and increase our personal satisfaction. It will keep us from bad choices, folly, and error. Wisdom will earn us respect in our communities, families, and jobs.

WISDOM DEFINED
Wisdom can be defined as “good sense” or “ability to make sensible judgments based on knowledge and experience,” also as “Exceptional insight in a particular matter.” For the believer, wisdom is more; it is “Knowing the heart of God in a matter and acting in accord with it.”

GET  WISDOM
We should “get wisdom” and “choose to understand." It doesn't just happen through solar radiation or osmosis. We must choose wisdom and apply effort to get it.

There is much wisdom in the Bible; therefore, choose to read it daily to search for personal wisdom.
     * Read the life of Jesus, who even as a child “grew in wisdom and stature.”(Luke 2:52).
     * God is the source of wisdom and gives it to those who ask, “If any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”(James 1:5).
     * To respect God and his laws are the foundation of wisdom.“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But fools despise wisdom and discipline.”(Proverbs 1:7).
     * Wisdom requires humility and is never found in the proud or arrogant. "With pride comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2.)

We all have many troubles and search for solutions. Let us seek personal wisdom through prayer and study the “scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). Wisdom is there, and God offers it to us if we seek it.

To learn more about how to find salvation, follow this link to my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 5/10/11

When Christians Are in The Rat Race Of Life, 1 Corinthians 9:24:25

God Loves You

The best of us can feel life is frustrating. Even those of us who live a life of faith still feel like we are in a rat race and wonder what is all the busyness is for.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training, they do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NIV.

Run for the prize. 1 Cor 9:24

LIFE FOR THE CHRISTIAN
The Christian life is like a race, but it does not need to be a frustrating rat race.  Yes, it is hard and to win a race you have to train with self-discipline.  You need to expend energy and effort to remain focused and keep the goal ahead of you. This is counter to our modern way of life where we have a do as you please attitude, and a live for the moment philosophy.

ENEMIES
The believer has at least three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. As we battle our enemies we should ask ourselves these questions.
     * How are we doing in our battle against the flesh with its appetites and lust?
     * Do we surrender the battle and give up the rewards that victory will bring?
     * For the sake of a few minutes of sleep forfeit morning devotional time with the Lord?
     * Or for the sake of an entertainment event skip fellowship with believers?
     * Do we choose relaxation over service?
Too many have exchanged the blessings of heaven for the wreath of fading leaves.

THE PRIZE
In a race, only one gets the prize- this reminds us that if we are not diligent we will miss out.  We still finish the race but second place does not win the crown.  The prize is not salvation since the Bible does not teach our works save us but only our faith, the prize is the reward for a life lived unto the Lord.  We who trust Jesus will finish and get a reward but it is how we run that race now that determines if our reward then will be gold and silver or wood, hay, and stubble.

TOTAL COMMITMENT
An athlete who faces competition does not let himself get fat and flabby; he gets exercise, rest and healthy food.  He brings lifestyle into the process and weighs his actions in the balance of his goals.  He dedicates his body and time to the goal- even though that goal is only a temporary reward of a few mentions in the news or a trophy that will collect dust and end up in a yard sale.  How much more should we who know and love God and have a hope in heaven bring our lives under control for the eternal rewards God has promised us?

To learn more about the plan of salvation follow this link: click here.

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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(c)Adron Dozat

To Proclaim the Lord, A Forgotten Beatitude; Psalm 89:15

God Loves You

The Bible pronounces many blessings, but one of the most important may be one of the most overlooked.

"Blessed are those who have learned to proclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence."
Psalm 89:15 NIV.

BLESSING
The word “Blessing” can mean “Happy,” or “Glad.” It is more than being fortunate, it means God has given His approval, assistance, and favor.  Scripture makes it clear that God wants to bless us.

PROCLAIMING
This blessing begins with proclaiming God.  To proclaim something is to shout it from the rooftops. We should boldly declare in the marketplace, streets and wherever the greatness of our Great God.

To proclaim God is a skill to be learned.  The gift of evangelism is the kind of gift that gets developed and matures with use, yet if we don't have this gift we may still learn to declare God's greatness. When we get frustrated with sharing our faith we should press on to discover how.

God blesses us when we proclaim Him, and we experience joy, just ask any who are faithful to share their faith and they will tell you how much joy it gives them.

GOD IS OUR BLESSING
The second part of this blessing is God himself.  It is awesome to walk in the light of God's presence, We long for mountaintop experiences with God but shouldn't we long to "walk" in his light? Walking sets us apart, humans walk in a way that no other creature does. It is a daily and common experience for any healthy person.  To walk in the presence of the Lord must become our daily habit and choice.

LIGHT
God's presence brings light.  Light reveals sin, shows the way and clarifies what we see.  Light gives safety and comfort. We know God is omnipresent but to walk in the light of God’s presence is to choose to count on, recognize, and honor God's presence.

CHOICE
Blessings almost always involve choices on our part.  We must avoid things that darken His light in our lives.  Disobedience and sin do what no other power in the universe can accomplish- it can darken God’s light, at the very least in our lives and at most in the world around us.  Let’s put away even the most minor sin and choose to walk in His light.

TWO TRUTHS TOGETHER
These two truths go together for you cannot do one without doing the other.  We cannot proclaim Him if we are not walking in the light and if we are walking in His light we will be compelled to proclaim Him.

Resolve to walk in his light and to proclaim Him.

To learn more about how to have a relationship with God CLICK HERE.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  
* * * * *
If you know someone who needs encouragement you should order a copy of my book of poems of comfort and hope. 
You will be glad you did. 

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(C) Adron 2/9/11

Fatherly Advice- You can’t be too wise. Proverbs 9:9

God Loves You

After years of school, you get a diploma but are you really done, or just beginning?

“Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.” Proverbs 9:9, NIV.

MADE BY GOD
We are made by God to be creatures that not only grow but who crave to grow, failure to grow leads to entropy.  It seems that God intends for us to be able to add to our learning. We cannot say, “OK, I am wise and learned now. I am done getting knowledge and wisdom.” This verse implies that there is always more wisdom to acquire and more learning to attain.

WISER STILL
If we are wise we will welcome continuous learning. It is a marvel that the wise can become “wiser still.” It is as if the depths of wisdom can always go deeper, and as for knowledge no matter how much you know there is more to learn.

NOT SMART- RIGHTEOUS
Our verse does not say teach a smart man, a professor, or a teacher, but to teach a “righteous man,” and “instruct the wise man.”  We can’t all be professors, PHDs, or Nobel Prize laureates but by the gift of God’s grace, we may be righteous.  Learning is a gift from God and the righteous man sees God in learning.  Righteousness leads to humility and humility is the enabler that opens us to learning.

WISE OR RIGHTEOUS
When two words are interchangeable they are synonymous, they share the same meaning. In this passage of scripture the wise and the righteous are made equal and the same. Wisdom and righteousness go together, you cannot be a wicked man and have wisdom- it is mutually exclusive.  Without righteousness you cannot have wisdom.

THE TEACHER
This verse of scripture does not identify the instructor. Any of us may have something to teach the wise and the righteous. The wise will learn even if taught by the lowly, they know that common everyday people may have something to teach them.

HE WILL
Be encouraged that the righteous may add to his learning, it is a choice; notice the wise “will” be wiser and the righteous “will” add to his learning. It is not just something that happens by chance, instead, there is resolve and decision on the part of the wise and righteous to learn and grow in wisdom.

Let’s copy the resolve of the wise and keep on seeking wisdom and continue searching for knowledge. There is no end to it or its rewards. If you have an opportunity to add to your learning you are wise to take it. 

(c)Adron Dozat

____________________________

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above.  

Adron

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Finding Acceptance : Romans 15:7

One of mankind’s deepest desires is to be accepted. Christians should champion this, but we often fail. The church should be a place of ultimate acceptance, yet the church struggled with acceptance even in ancient times.

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you to bring praise to God." Romans 15:7. NIV

AN HONEST NEED
We know acceptance is essential, and we all want approval. We grow up longing for it, and our adult lives still need it. To be accepted is to be free of criticism and judgment, to be embraced as you are without any requirement.

JESUS' EXAMPLE
We think of acceptance as tolerance glorified. Biblical acceptance not just tolerating someone without criticism, but it is to be the same way Christ ultimately accepted us. God takes us even with all the trashy stuff we bring along. We don’t need to become saints to be accepted by God; instead, we assume that we are saints and sons. We don’t need to give up eating meat, pray for an hour a day, do penance, change our hair, or perform miracles, but when we come to God through Jesus, we are accepted based on Jesus' righteousness, not our own. Biblical acceptance is an adoption where we are welcomed with all rights and privileges to a family.

GOD'S VIEW
When God sees those who have received Jesus, He does not know the garbage of our lives; when God sees us, He sees the credited righteousness of Jesus put over us. So our reaction to another who is different should not be to see them as problems or lowlifes, but ones for whom Jesus died. God accepts us only based on receiving the gospel; as debtors to Him, we should look with the same attitude of grace to others.

OUR PRACTICE
When we see someone different in our community, we should not make that mental inventory of the differences between them and us; we should only see one thing- Jesus in that person. Forget accent, custom, tradition or clothing, taste, or lifestyle- if God accepts that person the way they are, how can we not? Are we better than God? Is it possible our standards are higher than His? If God sees that person as beautiful and worthy of the death of his Son, so should we. And if God accepts that person as His child, I insult His choice when I fail to treat that person as my own brother.

God accepts you only because of Jesus, and you can give this liberty to others who call on the Name of the same Lord. It is one of the most Christ-like things you can do.

To learn more about how to be accepted by God, follow THIS LINK.

(c) Adron 8/29/10