Twelve tests for making a moral decision: (When I doubt, ask …)
Twelve tests for making a moral decision: (When I doubt, ask …) Will it make me a better Christian? Will it influence others to be better? Will it bring about desirable results? Will it help or hinder others? Will it make me morally stronger or weaker? Will it bring honor to my family? Suppose everybody did it? Is it forbidden in the Word of God? Is it a waste of God-endowed talents? Is it good common sense? Is it motivated by self love or love of Christ? Would I be willing for my family and friends to know about it?
Used to indicate a reciprocal relationship or reciprocal actions among the members of the set referred to by the antecedent God expects us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Paul writing to the Romans says: Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Romans 13:8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Romans 14:2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Romans 14:4-5 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. Romans 14:19Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Romans 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Romans 15:7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Romans 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. Romans 15:20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: Romans 16:16Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. God expects us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. With … Joy, Love, Peace, Power, Praise, Zeal JOY –Romans 5:11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, LOVE-Romans 5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. PEACE – Romans 1:7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 8:6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. POWER – Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. PRAISE – Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. ZEAL – Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
These are YOURS when you receive SalvationRomans 10:9-13
The Lord Jesus said … Matthew 18:17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
There is no escaping God’s Judgements if we NECLECT His Gift of Salvation.
1 Timothy 4:14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
We fail … when we NEGLECT the Gift that God has given to each, freely.
Genesis 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Proverbs 127:1-5Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Proverbs 22:6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The Lord Jesus stated: Mark 10:6-8 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. The Apostle Paul writes: Ephesians 6:2Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; Colossians 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 1 Timothy 3:5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 1 Timothy 5:8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. As one studies the word of God, we can see the family: Husband (man), Wife (woman) were to produce children and they were a FAMILY. IT WAS GOD’s PLAN from the beginning.
This is for Believers Genesis 3:1-7 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2-3 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. SIX STEPS AWAY FROM GOD: Vs 1 Listen to Others Vs 2-3 Answer in your own wisdom Vs 4 Believe what they say Vs 5 Ignore the truth Vs 6 Follow their advice Vs 7 When you find out you’ve been wrong … Cover it up …
The solution: Realize your sin, turn from it and the keep God and His Word first in your Life.
I asked God to take away my pain. God said, No. It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up. I askedGod to make my handicapped child whole. God said, No. Her spirit was whole, her body is only temporary. I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No. Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn’t granted, it is learned. I asked God to give me happiness. God said, No. I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you. I asked God to spare me pain. God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me. I asked God to make my spirit grow. God said, No. You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. God said, No. I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things. I asked God to help me love others, as much as he loves me. God said, Ahhhh, you’re starting to understand.
“To the world you might be one person, But to one person you just might be the world.“
I. God originated Marriage God’s plan for Marriage is ONE Man, ONE Woman Adam stated it Genesis 2:24That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Christ affirmed it Matthew 19:5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ Paul restated it Ephesians 5:31For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. II. Different Marriage Customs Thru-out history many different customs The further away from God, the more obnoxious they became POLYGAMY – one husband, many wives POLYANDRY – one wife, many husbands MULTIPLE or GROUP MARRIGES III. God’s Plan, one husband, one wife Adam was alone, not only alone but lonely How many PETS would Adam have needed to fill this void? God chose for him, just the right mate, one who would be his equal, his help mate, one who could share his joy. IV. What Happened? Why are marriages failing? 1 out of 3. Those are the statics, and it even affects Christians. How many marriages are just dead, meaningless, unsuccessful. Attempts at just living together. V. Four major causes for marriage failures: (in alphabetical order) FINICIAL Not having a proper understanding concerning the handling of money Excessive installment buying, Extravagant spending Partners, everything above board Husband, Wife knowing everything about investments, expenses etc IN-LAWS Criticisms of and by In-Laws Living too close and often with them A mate comes first. Someone you want to spend time with, be with as much as possible a Pal Share secrets with SEXUAL Lack of Common courtesies No open expressions of love Love is a relationship, more than sex, but does include sex. Don’t let it be a dirty word in your marriage 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Hebrews 13:4 It is not a tool to gain an advantage over one another SPIRITUAL No prayer life No attendance to worship services Lack of family devotions i.e. just praying at meal time. Put Christ first in all things He ordained marriage, not as a competitor but as one who will draw you closer It’s His will that your marriage succeeds.
Men – Boys, this is for you. A look at special commands for MALES! Women seem to be more interested in spiritual things than men. Men seem to be content in where they are, spiritually. ADAM vs EVE Genesis 3:5-6 Adam was content with his relationship with God. Eve apparently wanted more. Some directions for Men 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Serve where you are, be content. Don’t try to be something you are not. Don’t think being a Christian entitles you to favors from this world. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Man is head of the house. 1 Timothy 2:13-14 Man was formed first. 1 Timothy 3:4-5 Rule over your house. Rules for Marriage 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 Every man has his own wife Husband, render due benevolence Marriage is a two way street, but each mate has their own responsibilities. HUSBANDS Ephesians 5:25,28-29, 30,33 Colossians 3:19 1 Peter 3:7 FATHERS – 2 commands Ephesians 6:4 Correct them, don’t punish them Teach them about God and godly things. Colossians 3:21 Build, don’t destroy SOME GUILD LINES 1 Corinthians 11:4-14 Hair styles 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Support God’s work Titus 2:2 Aged Men Titus 2:6-8 Young Men 1 Timothy 2:8 Remember to Pray, always. O MAN OF GOD 1 Timothy 6:11-16But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
MEN – Are you WHAT God wants? Are you WHERE God wants you? ⇛ checkoutList of Topics
Most little girls dream of a handsome prince charming coming on his white steed and sweeping them off their feet and whisking them away to live happily ever. Either because of Cinderella or perhaps the story grew because of dreams. June has developed as the wedding month, why June? There are many legends and customs. Here is one: The goddess Juno (for whom June is named) was the protector of women in all aspects of life, but especially in marriage and childbearing. There are many customs connected with weddings. Even in the Bible, we see development of weddings. Genesis 2:23-25 ADAM and Eve First mention of WIFE Genesis 3:6 HUSBAND Genesis 24:57-67 … First Ceremony Genesis 27:21 … First wedding feast What exactly does WEDDING mean? And what does all the pomp and ceremony mean? Origin of Wedding … (as a word) … The WED was the purchase money (or equivalent) which the Groom gave to the Bride’s father, either before or after she became his wife. Three basic types of marriage: Marriage by capture (usually force) Marriage by purchase Marriage by Love Religion and Marriage never really came together until after the COUNCIL OF TRENT … a valid catholic wedding had to consist of two or three witness’s and be preformed by a priest. Prior to this time (around 1500) weddings consisted of two people deciding to live together. Usually, it was the decision of the man. SOME OF THE CUSTOMES THAT DEVELOPED AND STILL REMAIN: The ENGAGEMENT … the time between betrothal and the wedding, is not today what was. One ancient custom among common people was the breaking of a piece of gold or silver, one half to the girl and the other keep by the man, thus sealing their vow of marriage. In ancient Ireland, a man gave his girl a bracelet of woven human (his) hair (pity the poor bald man). The engagement ring can be traced back to 4 BC. Engraved in one found was the Greek word equivalent to HONEY. The WEDDING RING … also traced back to ancient Egypt, symbolizes a tie for eternity. It was made out of every conceivable type of material, varying in sizes, many times to large to be worn. (Hebrews did not wear ornamental jewelry). It symbolizes for the woman … subjugation. For the man … bondage. The very finger the ring is worn on has a lot of symbolism. The left hand symbolizes Subjection…The right hand symbolizes Power, Authority. The finger chosen is thought to have a nerve or vein that runs directly to the seat of love, the heart. It \was chosen because it is guarded on both sides by other fingers and it is the finger least used. The WEDDING SHOES … also a symbol of authority. The bride’s father gave the groom one of his shoes which meant the authority for the bride passed from father to husband. His first act was to tap his bride’s head. The shoe is illustrated in the story of Ruth. RICE AT WEDDINGS … symbol of fertility or productiveness. Fruit, Nuts, Wheat, Barly have also been used. Even cooked Rice (still wet) has been used. Among primitive tribes, throwing rice was done to ward off the demons … Rice was also offered to keep the soul of the Groom from leaving the Bride … The bride has also been beaned by rice cakes. The WEDDING CAKE … a carry over from eating of special foods and the wedding feast … it’s size and shape is traced back to Northern England where many small cakes were prepared and then stacked. The Groom was to try to kiss the bride over the stack and a successful completion (not knocking any part of the stack over) meant a long and happy life together … A French baker saw a problem and developed the idea of cementing the cakes together with frosting … Hence the wedding cake. The HONEYMOON … a remanent of the days when the Groom had to capture his wife and literally hid out with her to avoid her family or tribe. The word comes from Northern Europe where the young married couple drank a kind of wine made from honey for the firth month of their marriage … thus, the Honey Month became the Honeymoon. It symbolizes the period of sweetness and delight. For more about WEDDING PRACTICES AROUND THE WORLD
