“I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” Is48.17 NKJV
At least one measure of our obedience should be the blessings of God. Christ promised the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of an abundant life. I would think that we should expect to see these things if we are listening and doing what He is telling us. Maturity will of course affect the measure of these blessings. There are also special seasons where the presence of these things may be obscured, at least for a time. When this happens, we would do well to take a page from the book of Job. When we are, to the best of our knowledge, walking in the Holy Spirit and not seeing certain aspects of the abundant life, we should not be like Job and pass judgment on God. We should definitely remember this when considering another who is under trial, and not be like Job’s friends and pass judgment on them. But all in all, an obedient Christian should expect to see the blessings of that obedience. And in the case of Job, the trial too was a blessing, if only as a seed in the ground. 9/3/07 ts
Just me trying to be honest with God.
The Abundant Life
“I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.” Is48.17 NKJV
At least one measure of our obedience should be the blessings of God. Christ promised the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of an abundant life. I would think that we should expect to see these things if we are listening and doing what He is telling us. Maturity will of course affect the measure of these blessings. There are also special seasons where the presence of these things may be obscured, at least for a time. When this happens, we would do well to take a page from the book of Job. When we are, to the best of our knowledge, walking in the Holy Spirit and not seeing certain aspects of the abundant life, we should not be like Job and pass judgment on God. We should definitely remember this when considering another who is under trial, and not be like Job’s friends and pass judgment on them. But all in all, an obedient Christian should expect to see the blessings of that obedience. And in the case of Job, the trial too was a blessing, if only as a seed in the ground. 9/3/07 ts
At least one measure of our obedience should be the blessings of God. Christ promised the fruit of answered prayer, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of an abundant life. I would think that we should expect to see these things if we are listening and doing what He is telling us. Maturity will of course affect the measure of these blessings. There are also special seasons where the presence of these things may be obscured, at least for a time. When this happens, we would do well to take a page from the book of Job. When we are, to the best of our knowledge, walking in the Holy Spirit and not seeing certain aspects of the abundant life, we should not be like Job and pass judgment on God. We should definitely remember this when considering another who is under trial, and not be like Job’s friends and pass judgment on them. But all in all, an obedient Christian should expect to see the blessings of that obedience. And in the case of Job, the trial too was a blessing, if only as a seed in the ground. 9/3/07 ts
Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Pr22.6 NKJV
I think it is a mistake to assume that taking a child to a church gathering constitutes a healthy spiritual upbringing. Gathering for true worship may very well be a part of their spiritual training, but simply taking them to a service does not necessarily accomplish that. It is what we practice with our children not necessarily what we have practiced in front of them that will remain. Just as there is a difference in plowing shallow or plowing deep, there is a difference in praying with a child and simply praying in front of a child.
I think that maybe this word of wisdom is more an observation than a promise. In short, I think it is telling us that our children will practice what we have practiced with them. Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced. We may practice religion with our children and they will adopt similar expressions of a civil yet safely distant ritual of nodding in God‘s direction. We may practice true godliness with them and they in turn will wake and live before Him in faith, hope and love. The law of gravity is a two edged sword. It has wonderful benefits but the same law which holds us in our seats will dash us on the rocks below. So too, the practice of man made religion or the practice of a true relationship with the living God. 9/1/07 ts
I think it is a mistake to assume that taking a child to a church gathering constitutes a healthy spiritual upbringing. Gathering for true worship may very well be a part of their spiritual training, but simply taking them to a service does not necessarily accomplish that. It is what we practice with our children not necessarily what we have practiced in front of them that will remain. Just as there is a difference in plowing shallow or plowing deep, there is a difference in praying with a child and simply praying in front of a child.
I think that maybe this word of wisdom is more an observation than a promise. In short, I think it is telling us that our children will practice what we have practiced with them. Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced. We may practice religion with our children and they will adopt similar expressions of a civil yet safely distant ritual of nodding in God‘s direction. We may practice true godliness with them and they in turn will wake and live before Him in faith, hope and love. The law of gravity is a two edged sword. It has wonderful benefits but the same law which holds us in our seats will dash us on the rocks below. So too, the practice of man made religion or the practice of a true relationship with the living God. 9/1/07 ts
Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Pr22.6 NKJV
I think it is a mistake to assume that taking a child to a church gathering constitutes a healthy spiritual upbringing. Gathering for true worship may very well be a part of their spiritual training, but simply taking them to a service does not necessarily accomplish that. It is what we practice with our children not necessarily what we have practiced in front of them that will remain. Just as there is a difference in plowing shallow or plowing deep, there is a difference in praying with a child and simply praying in front of a child.
I think that maybe this word of wisdom is more an observation than a promise. In short, I think it is telling us that our children will practice what we have practiced with them. Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced. We may practice religion with our children and they will adopt similar expressions of a civil yet safely distant ritual of nodding in God‘s direction. We may practice true godliness with them and they in turn will wake and live before Him in faith, hope and love. The law of gravity is a two edged sword. It has wonderful benefits but the same law which holds us in our seats will dash us on the rocks below. So too, the practice of man made religion or the practice of a true relationship with the living God. 9/1/07 ts
I think it is a mistake to assume that taking a child to a church gathering constitutes a healthy spiritual upbringing. Gathering for true worship may very well be a part of their spiritual training, but simply taking them to a service does not necessarily accomplish that. It is what we practice with our children not necessarily what we have practiced in front of them that will remain. Just as there is a difference in plowing shallow or plowing deep, there is a difference in praying with a child and simply praying in front of a child.
I think that maybe this word of wisdom is more an observation than a promise. In short, I think it is telling us that our children will practice what we have practiced with them. Practice makes perfect whatever is practiced. We may practice religion with our children and they will adopt similar expressions of a civil yet safely distant ritual of nodding in God‘s direction. We may practice true godliness with them and they in turn will wake and live before Him in faith, hope and love. The law of gravity is a two edged sword. It has wonderful benefits but the same law which holds us in our seats will dash us on the rocks below. So too, the practice of man made religion or the practice of a true relationship with the living God. 9/1/07 ts
Say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him.
“Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts.” Ps95.8 NKJV
The real danger whenever we say “no” to the leading of the Holy Spirit, may not be in that single act of disobedience-eating one more piece of pie when He is encouraging self-control. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. And, in the case of that extra piece of pie we all know where that leads. But I wonder if we truly visualize our disobedience in the ultimate sense. Eventually, our habit of saying "No,“ becomes the character of saying "No.” This is why Scripture tells us that people who as a lifestyle are always refusing God, cannot live in that place where God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Christ of course is both willing and able to make up what is lacking in each of our failings and promises to do so for all who look to Him. But we should understand that with His gift of forgiveness is His gift of the Holy Spirit and He has every intention of training our hearts in obedience. This means of course that we learn to say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him. 8/31/07 ts
The real danger whenever we say “no” to the leading of the Holy Spirit, may not be in that single act of disobedience-eating one more piece of pie when He is encouraging self-control. The real danger is that every time we say “no” to Him we are reinforcing in ourselves the habit of saying “no,” again and again. Every “No,“ makes it easier to say “No,“ the next time. And, in the case of that extra piece of pie we all know where that leads. But I wonder if we truly visualize our disobedience in the ultimate sense. Eventually, our habit of saying "No,“ becomes the character of saying "No.” This is why Scripture tells us that people who as a lifestyle are always refusing God, cannot live in that place where God’s will is perfectly accomplished. Christ of course is both willing and able to make up what is lacking in each of our failings and promises to do so for all who look to Him. But we should understand that with His gift of forgiveness is His gift of the Holy Spirit and He has every intention of training our hearts in obedience. This means of course that we learn to say “No,“ to ever saying “No,“ to Him. 8/31/07 ts
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