Apples

Apple Harvest Cake

12:00 PM

This apple walnut cake is delicious on it's own, but the caramel glaze makes it out of this world! A big hit with the family, and one that will be included in my Thanksgiving menu!

 Apple Harvest Cake 


1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar 
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 tsps. vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 or two Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter
2 tsps. milk
1/2 cup brown sugar 

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan. In a large bowl, beat sugars, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until blended. Fold in the apples and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 70 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for twenty minutes in pan before inverting onto a wire rack. Make glaze by heating the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from heat to cool slightly and to thicken. Drizzle over warm cake. 

1 Timothy

Real Contentment!

12:00 AM



Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing 1Timothy 6:6,7…

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.

I love reading verses in the Amplified version as well…

But godliness actually is a source of great gain when accompanied by contentment [that contentment which comes from a sense of inner confidence based on the sufficiency of God]. For we have brought nothing into the world, so [it is clear that] we cannot take anything out of it, either.

As followers of Christ our lives need to be focused on pursuing holiness in behavior, attitude, and thought.  Easy to do in this world?  - no - but we should continue to choose to be content in whatever circumstances God has placed us, placing our trust in a Sovereign God, as Paul himself writes while in prison…

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (Phil 4:11,12)

Paul’s secret? “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13)

Contentment, as Paul is describing, is a mindset, a heart set, and a work set…knowing/believing/behaving that our real home is in heaven. "It requires but little of this world's goods to satisfy a man who feels himself to be a citizen of another country, and knows that this is not his rest." (Clarke)

Father, thank you for all of the blessings that you have bestowed upon us, for the spiritual wealth that You have given us through Your Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help us to keep our eyes and thoughts upon the riches we have in You and in the eternal wealth that has been given us.  Help us to see through this world’s constant reminder of what will make us “happy” - to see it as the work of satan and a testing given by him. We desire to place our hearts solely on the true treasure - You!


Have a blessed and precious day everyone!

A Christian Duty {1 Tim. 5}

3:29 AM



Are you helping take care of and provide for any relatives you have who are unable to take care of themselves, especially parents and grandparents? Do you know that doing so, it is God's will? A Christian duty?

There is a great blessing and favour as a prize for those looking after their own people, regardless how they treated us in the past, regardless how much we have to offer.

I've seen these blessings over my parents' lives. My dad's mom moved in with us when I was only 8 years old. She was a difficult woman to deal with. She didn't know God, she was stubborn, etc...in fact before my dad married my mom, she mistreated her so much for being "a protestant". Life turned around and here she was, in my house...under the roof and under the care of that "protestant" woman, who looked and took care of her way better and more than her own daughters.

It wasn't an easy task, but my mom just did what God asked her to do. My mom understood (and taught us through her actions) that "hurting people hurt people" and we must develop a merciful, forgiving attitude towards those who have hurt us. When we have truly forgiven we are willing to help those who does not deserve to be helped...we don't deserve God's help either, but He helps us and expects us to do the same for others.

There are no excuses to ignore this duty. We may do other "good works" or "church work" but if we ignore this duty, we are not doing what is right. If a believer fails to provide for his own relatives he is worse than an unbeliever who does perform his obligation better.

My husband has also taught me this lifestyle, the blessing behind blessing other people, specially our immediate family.
We provide for his parents on a monthly basis and we have helped all of his siblings to try to get them on their feet and become somehow independent.

I have learnt that though God wants us to be blessed and have our desires met, He first and foremost wants us to do our duty as believers in Christ. If we dont care for our own families, God is not pleased.

God teaches us in His word no to hide ourselves from the needs of our own flesh and blood and this instruction is followed by a promise 

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.. Isaiah 58:7-8

Blessings do follow obedience :-)

Remain blessed sisters, have a great weekend ahead.

Angie






1 Timothy 4

Persistent Training { 1 Timothy 4}

12:30 AM



Many will hear the Word of God. Then, they will follow one of two paths.  They will persist in their faith or they will depart from it. 
Paul warns: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”(1) As we've talked about over the last few weeks, it is very important to know God's character, study His Word for yourself to know truth and have a personal relationship with Him so that you will not be one of those deceived to follow wrong teaching and beliefs. 

Paul encourages us to be " a good servant of Christ Jesus"(6) He uses the word training, specifically “being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”(6) Training is something that takes time, commitment, focus, and dedication knowing that the end result is worth all the sacrifice and effort. Paul warns us: “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;” (7) There may be many things we choose to devote our time and efforts towards. These may be worthy goals such as physical fitness but God doesn't want us to make other pursuits too important and not devote enough time to our spiritual training.  The reason he gives: ‭‭“godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (8)

Paul also encourages us to be examples to other believers “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (12) He encourages us as a church: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (13)

Where do you see yourself in your spiritual training? Are you sitting on the sidelines watching and trying to motivate yourself to begin?   Are you a beginner, taking slow, cautious steps and perhaps not sure how to proceed?  Are you somewhat experienced but inconsistent and struggling to stay the course?  Are you a more seasoned believer, so persistent and faithful in your spiritual walk that it's as much a part of your daily life as breathing? Wherever you are, don't train alone!  Partner with other believers, seek godly mentors and most importantly, seek the help of God.

Paul knew how to persist.  He wants us to persist too. 
“...But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:13-14‬ ‭

1 Timothy

Aspiring to Greater Things {1Timothy 3}

12:00 AM

I once was a young ballerina, at least in my mind I was! In truth, I took ballet lessons from a woman who once danced in the finest ballet company in the country; who filled me and the other girls with great aspirations of doing the same one day! Have you ever dreamed of fame and fortune? Of being someone greater than you consider yourself to be? If so, you certainly aren’t alone! For every singer, every actor, dancer... person that makes it to the top of their profession there are hundreds that never do. Thousands perhaps, that laid down their dreams somewhere along the way.

One thing is certain for all of us however, no matter if we accomplished our dreams or left them behind somewhere, one day the bright lights will dim, and the applause will grow silent for each one of us, and we will find ourselves bowed low before Almighty God- our Creator and have to give an account. On that day we will all be equal as our lives; accomplishments and past failures are laid out before Him.

The question that will be first and foremost on His mind will be, “What have you done with My Son? Did you love Him, accept Him, follow Him and make Him Lord of your life?” Then, I believe, next He’ll want to know what we did with the talents He gave each of us. This is where each of us won’t be equal, for the Bible clearly states that some have been given more than other, and to those given more, more will be expected.

Verses 14 and 15 are significant verse in this letter to Timothy, for here Paul states his reasons for writing, “...I am writing these instructions to you  in case I am delayed, so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God.” But what truly struck me the most was how he began his list of qualifications for the overseer and deacons of the local body, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” (1 Tim 3:1) The terms overseer, pastor, elder or bishop are all used in the New Testament to refer to the same office, which would be the man placed in charge of watching over the congregation, or local body of believers.

The next thing that stuck me was Paul’s list of qualifications! Looking down the list I noticed that Paul is not giving a job description, but in essence is describing the character of the person who should serve in the position of overseer, “must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (3:2-7) The description for deacons is fairly similar except that the overseer must be able to teach.

I love that when it comes to God’s church He has leveled the playing field. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor, nor how talented or beautiful, what matters is the heart. It's clear, Paul is speaking of a man  as an overseer, though I think all of us should aspire to possess these same qualities when we come before Him one day.
Hi Everyone!
If you enjoyed this post I'd like to personally invite you to join me and a wonderful, eclectic group of women from all over the world on a Facebook site we call, Women in the Word . We are currently traveling through the entire New Testament - one chapter a day! It has been such an incredibly journey which we want to share with you! So, if you've ever wanted to know more of what God's Word has to say about everything, and meet and make new friends from all over the world, come join us by clicking on this link . 
There will always be someone there to welcome you! Oh! And please feel free to invite others!
God bless you,
sue

1 Timothy

ALL People {1 Timothy 2}

12:30 AM

If you’ve been following our posts all summer, you probably have caught on that the Apostle Paul has been telling us to pray.  I know that these readings have made a huge impression on me, and I want to pray – and pray for people and circumstances I never considered in the past.

Paul reminds us here to pray for ALL people.  We are supposed to pray.  We need to pray.  But there’s a challenge here for all of us – we are to pray for ALL people.  For rich people, for poor people, for different ethnicities and nationalities.  Don’t let your prayers be for just the people you know and like.  We need to pray for ALL leaders.  Are you praying for our president?  And not that secret prayer that he will fall from his current position.  What about the leader of Russia?  How about your mayor?  ALL those politicians you disagree with?  We need to pray intentionally.  We need to pray for peace amidst persecution.  We need to pray for peace for the Church to thrive and not be in opposition.  Think about this - who was the ruler of the Roman Empire as Paul wrote this?  Nero!  Nero was the ruthless leader who had no trouble persecuting Christians.  He even executed his mother.  And burned Christians alive.  Paul was painting a picture of God wanting everyone to know of His salvation.  That cannot happen if we hold a grudge against a certain person or group of people.

We are saved by grace.  Undeserved!  I like what Richard Baxter, an old English pastor said about prayer.  “Do you not care who is damned as long as you are saved?  If so, you have sufficient cause to pity yourself, for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with grace.”

 Image result for 1 timothy 2:3

We pray because God desires the salvation of ALL people .

We pray because God deserves the honor of ALL people.

There is one God over all kinds of people.

We pray because Christ died for the rescue of ALL people. 

As we pray to God for all people, we preach the gospel to all people.

Did you know that one popular college degree is in gender studies?  Why do you think people are so interested in gender?  God’s Word applies to ALL people, ALL the time!  It’s not outdated or obsolete. 

Paul reminds men to pray with holy hands.  What are holy hands?  “Without anger or quarreling”.  We cannot pray before God when we have conflict with one another.  Prayer before God is fake if there’s no peace between you and someone else. 

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”  Matthew 5:23-24

I wonder how often we go to church without being honest with God.  It’s so routine, that we don’t truly worship Him.  How often do we go in with an attitude or expectation?  How often are we clinging to sin?  I am grateful that as I enter my church, I enter with an opportunity to confess – to humbly come before the Lord and lay my sin down.  I can confess before the Lord before the worship service begins.

And then we come to verse 9.  Ladies, even over 2,000 years ago, women struggled with modesty.  Who are you dressing for when you go to church?  Are you attempting to draw men to look at you?  Are you choosing things that you will draw eyes to you?  Or are you asking yourself, “what can I wear that can best express a humble heart that wants nothing but the worship of God?”  Whose attention are you competing for?  GOD’s!  You want your worship and your life in every way, to draw attention to God, not to you.  I realize this is totally against the societal grain – but we have got to get this across to our children (and the lady sitting next to you)!

Image result for matthew 5:16
And finally, vs. 11-15.  Just as Paul was dealing with false teachers in his day, we too are constantly battling with the roles of women, especially in the Church.  God created men and women with equal dignity.  Men and women are equally valuable before God.  (Gen. 1:3).  Neither is superior or inferior.  To demean women is to sin against God.  To demean men is to sin against God.  God created men and women with complimentary roles.  From the beginning in Genesis 2, men and women are different, distinct, not in value, but in role. 

We don’t have to look far to see the best example we have.  The Father and Son.  The Father is fully God, the Son is fully God, both equally God, but the Son is submissive to the Father, and the Father directs the Son.  The Son doesn’t ever complain.  The Father doesn’t ever domineer over the Son.  This is loving authority and glad submission.  The man and woman relationship is a complementary one and a reflection of the nature of God.  Different roles, equal value, beautiful harmony.

Paul reminds us that women can teach, just not above the elder (you’ll see more about this tomorrow in chapter 3), or as an elder.  Women should be listening to the teaching of the elders and then teaching/sharing what she has learned.

Women have all kinds of opportunities to teach.  This is not contradictory as some people try to argue – scripture is not contradictory.  Paul is simply reminding us women to listen to the elders and go out and share what we have learned.  We are not to be elders, pastors or overseers (v. 12).  And as our perfect example of Christ, we are not to rebel against the leadership.  We are to gladly serve the body of Christ.  (I cannot wait to get into Titus 2!)

We need to reflect God’s pattern in scripture.  We need to protect ourselves from Satan.  He is very crafty at deception.  Just remember, God created man first with leadership responsibility.

I just want to say in this gender equality and gender neutral world, God created you as a man or a woman, and there is unique significance behind that.  We are not working out our salvation as just some generic person.  We are working out our salvation as a man or a woman of God!  Uniquely blessed.  Uniquely formed.  Uniquely gifted.  You have been given unique opportunity for His glory to be made know through you, in a way that is distinct from His glory being made through someone else. 


Women and men are saved through the death of Christ.  Sin has distorted this world that we live in.  Satan has distorted God’s design for our lives as men and women.  He has distorted God’s design for our marriages, our families, the Church, the culture, but Christ has come, and He has conquered sin, and He has trampled Satan and in Christ, we can thrive.  Jesus died to make us the men and women God created us to be.

1 Timothy

God's Word Is True {1 Timothy 1}

12:00 AM


God's Word Is True  { 1 Timothy 1 }
Timothy, a Galatian born in Lystra, was a young man who after receiving Christ as his Savior, became the Apostle Paul's protégé and part of his missionary team. He was eventually sent out by Paul to advise churches on how to run the body of Christ, how to deal with false teachings, and what the conduct of the minister should be. Knowing the great responsibility he carried, Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to share his love, encouragement, and guidance.

Paul begins by urging Timothy to stay in Ephesus to, "instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give further rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith." (vs. 3-4) Ephesus was a wealthy and influential port city where the temple of the Greek god Artemis was located. It was full of false doctrines, immorality, and cult worship. Outside influences were trying to mislead members of the church away from sound biblical doctrine. Paul instructed Timothy to pay no mind to these false teachings, but instead focus on leading people to Jesus by teaching godly truth.  

Sadly these same influences are still alive in today's culture. Our society is filled with immorality, cults, and false religions. Too many churches claiming to teach the Word of God do anything but. Scripture is taken out of context and twisted to fit the narrative needed to convince people of its truth, or disregarded all together. Throughout the Bible God gives us very strong warnings about adding to or taking away from His Word. In Deut. 4:2 God says, "You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I have commanded." And Proverbs 30:6, "Do not add to His words, or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar." We must be very careful that our own opinions and interpretations of Scripture, and those of our Christian teachers line up with what God actually says in His Word. Paul warned Timothy against men who "straying from these things have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions." (v. 7)

We can protect ourselves from falling prey to false teachings by having an intimate personal relationship with God, and studying His Word. For as Psalm 119:160 tells us, "The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting." In this chapter of 1 Timothy the truth Paul wants us to know is this, "That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among whom I am foremost of all"(v. 15) Paul sure knows of which he speaks. When it came to Christians, Paul was public enemy number one. No one persecuted God's people more fanatically than him. Yet even though Paul was intent on destroying God's church, when he accepted Jesus as his Savior he received God's forgiveness and unmerited grace. "I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." (v. 16) Paul is saying, "Look at me. If God is willing to save someone as wretched as myself, He's willing to save all of those who believe in Him."

Could there be a more amazing truth? No matter who we are or what we've done, God wants us!  He wants to be our Father and cover us with His loving grace. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God..." (1 John 3:1)  And as children of God, we should take our responsibility of sharing the truth of the Good News as seriously as Paul and Timothy did. We live in a world that fiercely opposes God's truth. Even so that shouldn't deter us from sharing the gospel, never giving up, and always fighting the good fight. For God's Word is true, and "to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (v. 17)

Lisa Moore

Ranch Potato Casserole

3:53 PM

This was a delicious take on regular baked potatoes. I didn't bother to boil the potatoes first, and they still turned out delicious. I also used breadcrumbs instead of cornflakes because that's what I had on hand. Throw in some chicken, and you have a complete meal. 

Ranch Potato Casserole

 6 to 8 medium red potatoes (about 2 to 2-1/2 pounds), peeled and quarterered
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup prepared ranch-style dressing
1/4 cup bacon bits or crumbled cooked bacon
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

 TOPPING:
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup butter, melted
Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 10-20 minutes. Drain.
Combine the sour cream, dressing, bacon, parsley and 1 cup cheese. Place potatoes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Pour sour cream mixture over potatoes and gently toss. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Combine cornflakes and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes. 

2 Thessalonians

Comfort and Hope!

12:00 AM



Welcome to Scripture Saturday!

Today we are memorizing 2 Thessalonians 2:16 and 17…

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

Here is the amplified version…

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and encouragement and the good [well-founded] hope [of salvation] by His grace, comfort and encourage and strengthen your hearts [keeping them steadfast and on course] in every good work and word.

God has given us two wonderful gifts…

~eternal comfort: eternal means whatever we may face in this life will pass - our comfort is here to stay. All of our present pains, sufferings, difficult situations are temporary…our future glory will be forever!

~ good hope: His Word gives us hope! We have certainty that what God promises in His Word is true.  It is good because it is beneficial to us morally and practically.

Paul then adds the words, “through grace.” We have grace because we are the objects of God’s love and receivers of comfort and hope.  It is by His grace and never something we deserve, no matter how faithful we may be. Think upon this…it is by His amazing grace that saved us, that keeps us, and it is by this grace that we will enter into God’s presence eternally.  Such an encouragement for our hearts-!  We are comforted!

But remember, as His loved ones, we are to  “keep (our hearts) steadfast and on course in every good work and word.”  Work and word…these are the essential two parts of a believer’s life…our work, which is our walk, and our words. Our lives should reflect Jesus’ character.  A believer must continuously think upon the truth of God’s Word and hold firmly to the teaching of His Word.

“Let the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

Our world needs a Savior and our lives should reflect His nature so much so that others will desire to know Him.

Father, thank you for your amazing comfort and hope, not only for today, but for eternity promised. Thank you for the grace that You have bestowed upon us, though undeserving.  With the strength of the Holy Spirit, guide our entire being, our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions, both in words and deeds, in a way that pleases You and glorifies Your Son.   We desire to keep our hearts and mind on Jesus, Your Son, our Savior, and Your Word.

Have a blessed and precious day everyone!

2 Thessalonians

Our Lord is faithful! {2 Thess. 3)

10:30 PM



Today we close an awesome week, with the final  words of encouragement of Paul to the Christians in Thessalonica. Paul insists that they  to continue to pray (1 Thes. 5:18) so that the Word would run freely, without any hindrance. Satan is number ONE in bringing this to pass, and some people may become discouraged when facing trials.  But a life of prayer would not only boost their faith, but prepare them to testify and work for His kingdom. These same words of encouragement are for us, too! God has promised that His word would be free and perform its work:  

“So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent (Isa. 55:11). But as with many of God's promises, we are expected to take this promise in faith, and in prayer ask God to perform it for His glory!

In verse 2 Paul warns: “ and [pray] that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not everyone has the faith.“ (emphasis mine).  These were those who wanted to hinder the work of the gospel.  Have you ever been in the situation that some Christian people you know,  don’t’ live their  lives according to God’s precepts but this world’s standards? I have, and must sadly say: many times!!  We might not consider them “evil”, but the Word does!

Paul continues with this wonderful promise: “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do the things [which] we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ” (AMP)

Yes, our Lord is faithful!  Even if not all men have faith, the Lord is faithful. This was the basis of Paul's confidence in God's ability to establish and guard us from the evil one.

God promised to keep Satan on a leash. He will not allow any temptation to become too great for us (1 Cor. 10:13) and will not allow Satan to do whatever he wants with us (Luke 22:31-32)



Paul warns the Thessalonians to withdraw from any  brother  or sister who walk in disobedience (vs. 6-12,14).  "The present tense of the verb walks denotes that it is a deliberate course of action. Their disorderly conduct is not an occasional lapse but a persistent practice." (Hiebert)

The purpose in withdrawing from the disobedient was not so much punishment, but more so simply to deny them the aid and comfort of the fellowship of the body of Christ until they repented. The purpose was to bring about repentance and salvation in the disobedient ones, and not to condemn them.

Paul continues with words of  encouragement: “13 And as for [the rest of] you, [c]believers, do not grow tired or lose heart in doing good [but continue doing what is right without weakening].” Or “be not weary in well doing”.  (Old KJV). 

We find this same encouragement when Paul wrote to the Galatians:

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (6:9 KJV) Yes, although we may find obstacles and trials in our Christian life, we must remember our Father is Faithful and will not leave us nor forsake us and one day we will be with Him through eternity!

"But well doing consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods; tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day's work; sweeping the carpets and dusting the chairs, if you happen to be a domestic servant. Well doing is attending to the duties that arise out of our relationships in life - attending carefully to them, and seeing that in nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers, but in everything are seeking to serve God." (Spurgeon).

  As with Paul’s final words to the Thessalonians, I would like to close today’s study with his Benediction: “16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” “ 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (AMP)  Amen!!


Blessings my sisters!!

Mari

2 Thessalonians

The Man Of Lawlessness { 2 Thessalonians 2}

12:30 AM


Paul opens this chapter by talking about the future " coming of the Lord" and he reminds the church that God has a timetable of events that will play out.  One of the big events will be the revealing of " the man of lawlessness". 
Who is this " man of lawlessness?
He is the Antichrist.  He is the opposite of Christ and Paul reveals a lot about him in this chapter.
1. He is the son of destruction.
  God represents creation and newness of life.  The antichrist will bring death, and desolation. 
2.He will make himself a god and oppose the true God.
“who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
‭3. He will be given power from Satan and he will specialize in deception. 
“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (9-10)
I heard the other day someone say that the devil speaks 97% truth. That's not a quote from the Bible but it does illustrate well how Satan operates. This is why we have to be faithful in studying God's Word.  God's Word gives us the full truth so that we can recognize Satan's sometimes subtle and crafty distortions of that truth. 
4. The antichrist represents that man has a choice.  Those who submit to the antichrist choose to embrace the lawlessness he represents.  By doing so, they choose to ignore truth and reject Christ. When that choice is made, God lets their minds reap the consequences of rejecting Him and His truth.
“Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (11-12)

The " man of lawlessness" will usher in a very troubling time when many will be deceived and ultimately reject God.  But Paul doesn't leave us dwelling on such a bleak and sad situation.  He reminds us who we belong to and that we were "chosen" to be receivers of God's blessings,favor, and righteousness.
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (13-14)
He encourages us to stand firm in what we've been taught.
“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (15)

Many are getting caught up in predictions of " the end times" and some even obsessively dwell on and worry about what is coming. I think it is good to know what God's Word teaches about end times and to be prepared spiritually for Christ's return.  I also think it is important to remember that no matter what the future holds, God is ultimately in control.  We need to encourage and support each other.  In the end, Christ will overcome evil. “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.” (8)  " Bring to nothing" ....how comforting is that?

2 Thessalonians

Teaching Our Young to Stand on Thier Own {2 Thessalonians 1}

10:00 PM

Paul writes this second letter to the church at Thessalonica shortly after his first. His reason for writing once more is to encourage the Thessalonian believers to stand firm in their faith in the midst of fierce persecution, which got me thinking… shouldn’t we be doing the same today? After all, Christians are hated, persecuted, even martyred more today than in the First Century and it’s only growing worse. Are we preparing our children, grandchildren and young believers to face such opposition? Are we teaching them how to walk so closely to the Lord that they will be able to stand firm in their faith when the trials come?  

Paul begins his letter by expressing a need to pray and give thanks for the believers there in Thessalonica, “We ought always and indeed are morally obligated to give thanks to God for you…”(1:3)    And then closes the chapter with a prayer for them, “ With this in view, we constantly pray for you, that our God will count you worthy of your calling [to faith] and with [His] power fulfill every desire for goodness, and complete [your] every work of faith,  so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the [precious] grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1:11-12)

How is your prayer life? I know we often say we will pray, we should pray, but are we taking the time to pray for others; especially for our loved ones, as well as our own needs? I became curious, and discovered through my research, that Paul prays 42 times in his epistles. No doubt about it, Paul was a man of prayer, who not only prayed himself, but encouraged others to as well. Why is it many of us struggle to pass along a legacy of prayer?

Paul, himself has admitted prayer is warfare (2 Cor 10:3-5; Eph 6:10-20), and we know our enemy will do all he can to keep us from praying, but sometimes I think we tend to over complicate the simple act of prayer.

Take for example just the name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush - YHWH - actually denotes breathing sounds in the Hebrew language. Linguists call them aspirate consonants. If you try to pronounce the name without the vowels, one simply breathes. So, every time we breathe in (YH) and breathe out (WH), we are speaking the name of God. (Try it) Every time we breathe, YHWH all of us; believers and skeptics alike are actually speaking the name of our God, the One who is the Breathe of Life.  

The highest name of our God is the sound of our breathing. Calling on our Lord is just a breath away! Here’s a little of what Scripture has to say about breath:
  •  “Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?” -Isaiah 2:22
  • “[It is] the Spirit of God that made me, and the breath of the Almighty that gives me life”. -Job 33:4

Knowing this, can you see how sometimes man seems to complicate thing?

I learned these truths right about the time my son went off to school for the first time. He had a very sweet teacher, who was in her first year of teaching. The trouble was, she tended to allow the class to get out of control and then she began raising her voice to try to bring the children back under control. My son was not used to “a yeller”, as he called her, and began to get anxious the moment the class started getting chaotic. As he described it, he wanted to, “run out of the room and not stop running until he made it home”. Somehow, I had to help him at six years old to sit tight, and call on Jesus when the class got out of control and he began to grow anxious. 

The first thing I did was to pull out my Amplified Bible. It’s now referred to the Classic Amplified Bible and I highly recommend every home have one and here’s why:

Here’s Hebrews 2:18 in the English Standard Version, “ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

Here’s the same verse my son read in the Amplified Bible,
   
For because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted (tested and tried), He is able [immediately] to run to the cry of (assist, relieve) those who are being tempted and tested and tried [and who therefore are being exposed to suffering]. Hebrews 2:18 (AMPC emphasis mine)

I explained to him that God had a purpose for him in that classroom! He needed him to be an intercessor to help keep the class from getting out of control. I then referred him to God’s name, YHWH and that he didn’t have to go into a posture of prayer, or even pray a long prayer; all he needed to do was call out to Him with a deep breath and a whisper, and ask His help referring to Heb 2:18. I convinced him to go back to school the next day and give it a try, and you can bet I was praying throughout the day as well, until he returned home, and I'll never forget our conversation once he made it home:

Me: “So, how did your day go today? Did the class get chaotic again?”
JD (eyes growing bigger): “Yep!”
Me: “Did the teacher start yelling?”
JD, (Nodding): “Oh ya!”
Me: “Did you pray?”
JD: “Yep, just like you told me.”
Me: “Well, what happened!!?” (not being able to stand the suspense any longer!)
JD: “Jesus came running to the rescue, Mom! Just like the verse says! The class all of a sudden started quieting down!”

That day, not only did Jesus start to become more than someone JD learned about in Sunday School, but he also learned that the words in the Bible are true and can be trusted! And today, that little guy has four of his own children, and is doing a far better job than his mom at teaching his children how to stand on their own!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Everyone!
If you enjoyed this post I'd like to personally invite you to join me and a wonderful, eclectic group of women from all over the world on a Facebook site we call, Women in the Word . We are currently traveling through the entire New Testament - one chapter a day! It has been such an incredibly journey which we want to share with you! So, if you've ever wanted to know more of what God's Word has to say about everything, and meet and make new friends from all over the world, come join us by clicking on this link . 
There will always be someone there to welcome you! Oh! And please feel free to invite others!
God bless you,
sue


1 Thessalonians

Appointed for Salvation {1 Thessalonians 5}

12:30 AM

Image result for 1 thessalonians 5:9I like to plan.  I like to know who, what, where, when, 
why and how.   When there’s a detour, I can become anxious.  But we don’t know many things.  Much of life catches us off guard.  I bet if I asked you five years ago would there be 3 hurricanes and a massive earthquake all back to back, you’d say, ‘no way’.  Or if you’ve ever been broken into you’d tell me you never thought that would happen to you.  But that’s how Jesus tells us He will return (Matthew 24:32-44).  Only our Heavenly Father knows when He will send Jesus to return to earth.  And while we are here, there’s work to be done.  We are to keep on doing God’s work until we die or until we see the unmistakable return of our Savior.


I don’t know about you, but I haven’t gotten bored with reading my bible.  I don’t skim much anymore either.  No, I dig deeper because I want to know more.   There are probably very few books I’ve read more than once.  That’s what I think Paul is reminding us here in this final chapter of the book of 1 Thessalonians.  We need to encourage others to keep reading and studying their bibles.  We need to encourage them to keep on doing what is God's will. We need to 'live in peace with each other' (v. 13b). We need to thank our teachers for their hard work.  If you say nothing, then how will they know?  They deserve our love and support for all the work that they do teaching and encouraging us!

Paul reminds us yet again to pray continually.  It’s not our natural inclination to be joyful, to pray continually and to give thanks.  But we are to obey the Lord in these commands and they should not fluctuate based on our circumstances.  When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, we begin to see people in a whole new perspective.  And when we do God’s will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful. 

When I begin my day by reading scripture, praying, studying and journaling, I find myself in prayer throughout the day.  Sometimes it’s like an ongoing conversation because someone is in surgery, or I know one of my kids has to take a difficult test.  Other times it’s spontaneous due to a sudden change in the course of my day.  Or because something wonderful has occurred.  I believe this is having a prayerful attitude all day long.  

I recently decided to spend more time praying about something I used to complain about.  And I’m here to say, I’m much happier!  My perspective looks so much different.  I’ve even suggested to other people to pray for something they just never considered praying about.

Related imageI think we often forget that we are to thank God IN everything, not FOR everything.  After all, evil does not come from God, but we can be thankful FOR God’s presence and for the good He will accomplish through this distress.

Just as we refer to God as three-in-one, our entire being, body, soul and spirit are our entire being.  Paul was trying to tell us that God must be involved in every aspect of our life.  It’s wrong for us to think that we can separate the spiritual life from everything else.  We can’t just live for God one day a week.  Christ is in control all day, every day, not just the religious day.