saved gamer, geek, most of all sinner...
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
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Myr Tokens.
[via KayFedewa]Now I want to ask my girlfriend to make these in sculpture.
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Jesus Saves Bro Shirts at www.8tnapparel.com
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<3
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Seen at Comic Con.
havent posted in this in forever!, prolli going now link it to my instagram.
(via ringalingdong)
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Anonymous asked:
I am a female and I think I’m a little addicted to pornography. It starts out as wanting that feeling of intimacy and it just gets worse. I’ve tried not to do it but I feel as though I always slip up. I usually watch once a month or every few months. HOW CAN I STOP. I HATE…
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
(Philippians 2:14-16 ESV)
Okay, here’s your chance to show yourself if you’re working out your salvation with fear and trembling. Will you do all things without grumbling or disputing?
I have noticed lately how much daily conversation consists of people talking about how much they hate their job, how little money they have, how terrible the roads and traffic are, how they had to do what they didn’t want to do, about how bad the weather is, about how their neighbors are inconsiderate, and how the other people in their family make life so difficult.
Grumbling, complaining, whining, disputing, and arguing. Paul says that the Christian is not to be like this. Are you willing to eliminate complaining from your conversation? Are you ready to take disputing out of your daily dialogue?
Prove that you are a child of God. Prove that you are different from the world. Shine your light as a witness of Jesus. Hear the Word and hold fast to it - today it is telling us, “Stop complaining. Stop arguing.”
In the beginning of Colossians, Paul and Tim were praying that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
God’s will is a hot topic among Christians. We’re always trying to find out what His will is. “Should I keep this job, or take the other one that’s been offered to me? Should I move across the country or stay here? Should I start up this ministry, or wait?” Have you ever been asked or asked ?? ”How can I find God’s will for my life? How can I know which path to take?”
I’d like to share something with you that may revolutionize the way you live your Christian life. The Greek word translated “will” here is “THEL-ay-mah.” It is used frequently in the Bible to encourage us to do God’s will, and to know God’s will.
Many say, “I want to do the will of God, but I need to know what it is first.” But the Bible tells us that..
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV
He has already made His will known! Sure enough, the Scriptures say,
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 ESV
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
(1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV)
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 ESV
Very simply, the will of God is to give thanks, to do right, and not to do wrong. That is God’s will for your life! It’s as simple as that!
You might protest, saying, “But how do I know what to do about my job, my house, or my ministry?” I say if you are doing God’s will in your life, then your decisions are in the will of God. The Bible says that the person who is walking in God’s ways and studying God’s Word is blessed…
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Psalm 1:1-3 ESV
My exhortation to you is to stop worrying about the decisions and start focusing on the discipleship. Stop fretting about whether to go left or right, and start walking righteously.
When we know the will of God, we are able to walk in a manner worthy of God. What does it mean to walk worthy? There is a list of five things given here:
- Pleasing Him in every way
- Bearing fruit in every good work;
- Increasing in your knowledge of God
- Being strengthened
- Giving thanks
First on the list of walking in a manner worthy of God is to please Him in every way. Romans eight says,
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8 ESV
Next is bearing fruit in every good work. Jesus said,
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.(John 15:1-8 ESV)
Fruit cannot be produced in your life on your own. It’s a basic horticultural fact that branches which have been cut off of the peach tree won’t be producing peaches. The same is true for fruit in our lives. We’ve got to abide in Jesus - be tied in, connected, to Him. If we aren’t, we produce no fruit, and when we are, we produce much fruit.
Third on the list of walking in a manner worthy of God is to always be increasing in the knowledge of God. One thing I was taught from the beginning of my Christianity was this: the Bible tells me everything that God wants me to know about Himself. As I study the Scriptures, God reveals Himself. Increasing in the knowledge of God by learning what the Bible teaches is far more important than you may be giving it credit for. You see, Peter tells us that…
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.2 Peter 1:3-7 ESV
Next on the list is being strengthened with all power.
The word “power” here is used throughout the gospels to describe the mighty works and wonders - the miracles and healings - that Jesus performed during His earthly ministry.
That same power is available today to strengthen you. Just as the blind received sight, just as the lame were given the ability to walk, so you too can get patience! You can receive steadfastness - the ability to be consistent in spite of the lows and highs of life.
“Surely that couldn’t happen to me! I have no patience at all! I am up and down all the time with either joy or discouragement!” But notice that little adjective: “all.” All of the power with which Jesus healed and transformed people is available to heal and transform you. To strengthen you. And not only is it available, but it is in fact necessary to walk in a manner worthy of God - He’s practically insisting that you partake of that power!
Last on the list is the giving of thanks. I do this alot in prayer, because it comes up in the Scripture a lot. Giving thanks isn’t just God’s will for you
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:5-6 ESV
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:17-21 ESV
Real Christians with hope in heaven love one another. It is interesting to me that the basis of our love is not how lovable others are, but how much God has loved us. We don’t have to force ourselves to love the people in the church, we just need to let God’s love flow through us. Jesus said, John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
If you’re having trouble loving people, I would challenge you to look, not at your relationship with others, but at your relationship with God.
God has already blessed us with more than we have acknowledged. Paul says that we are to bless Him for this. Our challenge this morning is to consider whether we are blessing God for blessing us. Are we being thankful? Are we being worshipful? Are we acknowledging that James 1:17 Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father… I pray that we will bless God for blessing us.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
(Galatians 6:8-10 ESV)
One of the best ways to sow good, spiritual seed is to do good to others, especially those in the body of Christ. Consider how you might do good to one another. I’m talking about active good, not passive. More than offering a smile and a handshake. Offering to help with a project, actively meeting a need. Find out where people are at and where they need help. Then meet them there, meet their needs, help them out. Minister the love of Christ to people that need to be reminded of it, to experience it afresh.
(Galatians 6:14-16 ESV)
When we’ve got something to boast about, we work it into conversation, don’t we? We are so sneaky, so effectively dropping those statements that let people know that we got the raise, that we won the prize, that we were so spiritual, that we did so well. We can work anything into any conversation, no matter how much of a stretch it is.
But instead, we should be doing that with the cross of Jesus! Instead of boasting about our accomplishments, we should be boasting about what Jesus has accomplished.
Do you realize this morning that you cannot be made right before God by your own actions? No amount of good deeds or religion can erase your sin. You’re still a sinner in the eyes of God. But, if you allow Jesus’ death on the cross to be the payment for your sin, you will be righteous before God. It’s nothing that you’ve done, it’s nothing that you deserve. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
Be not so terribly angry, O LORD,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
Our holy and beautiful house,
where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD?
Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
this really is a challenge for me verse 6, “seasoned with salt”, man and salt for us christians is what were called for, to affect change, like salt gives favor and taste to food, our speech SHOULD give our conversations with people a new taste, it should flavor our conversations with edifying and uplifting speech to one another
