Bible Study

Proverbs 24:10 says “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!” This verse to me is like scale to measure how strong I am in Christ. Looking at this verse from a positive perspective I know how much stronger I can become if I refuse to falter in time of discouragement and trial. Keep the faith. Praise God!

I have a tendency to put away things because it does not look like the circumstances are favorable or because I am just lazy. What happens in the end is that I don’t see a good result and wonder why.

Proverbs 20:4 says The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing.

The above verse tells me I that have to work hard regardless of what the circumstances and that I should not be putting away work that needs immediate attention. Wow, I have to discipline myself.

I was studying 1 John 2:15 which says:
‘Do not love the world or anything in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.’

So what should I do? Hate and avoid everything even money, house, car, job etc. What is God saying here? I don’t believe in twisting the Word of God for our times or our own pleasure and altering its meaning. I believe God’s word can be used literally for the season we are in.

Let me help you understand.

Remember the story of how Jesus was tempted in the desert (Matt 4:8). The devil took our Lord to a high mountain and showed him the world and its splendour. Have you looked out your window and seen how the world looks like. The buildings, houses, nice cars, trees, all the fancy stuff. There’s so much here we can crave for. Jesus rebukes the devil, walks through the same streets that the devil claimed to be his, and ministered to the sinners and showed us true love.

Okay so, do not love the world does not mean we reject the world and choose to live away from everything. It means we love God above everything and not allow the world to influence our relationship with him. It is impossible for us to love the world and also love God. When we love something we automatically follow it or let it speak into us and we reject the opposite. Money or wealth is not bad. In fact, these are some of the things that follow blessing (Psalm 35:27). Wealth is bad if we allow it to deceive us (See Matt 13:22).

Another example – Television is bad if we allow it to cause lust in us. Television is also a great tool for evangelism. Love television and we can be deceived. Love God, not the television and we know how to use a television without sinning.

Jesus lived the same life we are now living. The difference is he loved the Father above everything.

What do you think? 🙂

I inquired to God what I should do now that I am not actively involved in Church or any other ministry. I was confused and God told me that he has prepared a something big and all I need to do is to follow him. I thought to myself what exactly does that mean? I had no idea and prayed for God to show me some clarity.

Today I came across some scriptures that explains what it means to follow him. I use a Dake’s reference Bible and following are some scripture that talk about following Jesus. Qouted here are verses from the NTL version for easier understanding.

Some scriptures:

Matthew 10:37-39
37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Mark 8:34-35
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Luke 9:62
62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

F. J. Dake writes about four things one must do to be saved after being born again.

1. Continue willing to Follow Jesus

Mark 8:34-35
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

John 7:17
17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.

John 12:26
26 Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

2. Deny himself daily

Mark 8:34-35
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Romans 6:16-23
16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1-13
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

Galatians 5:19-24
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Colossians 3:1-10
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

3. Take up the daily cross

Mark 8:34-35
34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Romans 6:11-13
11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.

Colossians 1:23
23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Colossians 2:6-7
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:5-10
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[a] 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

4. Follow Christ daily

John 10:26-29
26 But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29 for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

There are times when I felt like I am alone. There are times when I desperately needed help and I could not get it. There are times when I held on to my money and what I had to keep me secure. Living without some sort of security would give me the shivers. Hebrews 13:5 tells us to keep our lives free from the love of money and to be content with what we have because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”. Amen.