"The Prophet's Anguish and Hope"

Lamentations 3:20-32, 40-41, 50, 54-58

20 My soul still remembers and sinks within me.  

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.  

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  

23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.  

24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"  

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.  

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  

27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.  

28 Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him;  

29 Let him put his mouth in the dust -- There may yet be hope.  

30 Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, and be full of reproach.  

31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.  

32 Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.  

40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;  

41 Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven.  

50 Till the LORD from heaven looks down and sees.  

54 The waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"  

55 I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit.  

56 You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry for help."  

57 You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!"  

58 O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.  

God Bless

Remember Me?

Remember Me?

My name is gossip.
I have no respect for justice.
I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning, malicious and gather strength with age.

The more I'm quoted, the more I'm believed.
I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless.
They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.
To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody's friend.

Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.
I topple governments and wreck marriages.
I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches and indigestion.
I spawn suspicion and generate grief.
I make innocent people cry in their pillows.

Even my name hisses.
I am called GOSSIP.
Office gossip - Shop gossip - Party gossip - Telephone gossip.
I make headlines and headaches.

REMEMBER, before you repeat a story, ask yourself:
Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary???
If not, do not repeat it!
KEEP QUIET.

GREAT minds discuss ideas . . .
Average minds discuss events . . .
Shallow minds discuss people . . .
Which are you?

Word for Thought:

"These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren." Pr 6:16-19

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." Pr 18:21

"Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles." Pr 21:23

"Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit." Ps 34:13

"You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit." Ps 50:19

"And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not." 1Tim 5:13

"He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip." Pr 20:19

"Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully." Ps 52:2

"For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue." Ps 109:2

"Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; (they are) gossips," Rom 1:29

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander (evil speaking) be put away from you, along with all malice." Eph 4:31

"But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, slander, (and) abusive speech from your mouth." Col 3:8 

"The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness." Pr 15:2

"The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little." Pr 10:20

"The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment." Pr 12:19 

"For He who would love life and see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit." 1 Pet 3:10

God Bless

The Valentine Code

Your Valentine

For God so loVed the world,

......That He gAve

...........His onLy

...........BegottEn

................SoN

....................That whosoever

......Believeth In Him

.........Should Not perish,

.......But have Everlasting life."

John 3:16

Beloved...Be loved!

God Bless

The Fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit

Visible Growth in Jesus Christ
"Fruit of the Spirit" is a biblical term that sums up the nine visible attributes of a true Christian life. Using the King James Version of Galatians 5:22-23, these attributes are: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. We learn from scripture that these are not individual "fruits" from which we pick and choose. Rather, the fruit of the Spirit is one nine fold "fruit" that characterizes all who truly walk in the Holy Spirit. Collectively, these are the fruits that all Christians should be producing in their new lives with Jesus Christ.

The Nine Biblical Attributes
The fruit of the Spirit is a physical manifestation of a Christian's transformed life. In order to mature as believers, we should study and understand the attributes of the nine fold fruit:

Love - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Joy - "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

Peace - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Longsuffering (patience) -- We are "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Gentleness (kindness) -- We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left" (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).

Goodness - "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:9).

Faith (faithfulness) - "O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1). "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17).

Meekness - "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

Temperance (self-control) - "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5-7).

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control---we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our life to His (John 15:4-5). We must know Him, love Him, remember Him, and imitate Him. As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law---to love God and our neighbors. We must ask ourselves…which of these qualities do we want/need the Spirit to produce in us?

Because the God who sent the law also sent the Spirit, the by-products of the Spirit-filled life are in perfect harmony with the intent of God’s law. A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who observes the rituals but has little love in his or her heart.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love”. Only as we live in love can we fulfill the will of God in our lives. The believer must become love-inspired, love-mastered and love-driven (2 Cor 5:14). Without the fruit of the Spirit (love), we are just a religious noise (1 Cor 13:1). And if love is not the motivating force in the life of a believer, the gifts will be of no value (1 Cor 14:27, Jude 20).

“The fruit of the Spirit is love,” and it is manifested in joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:

1. Joy is love’s strength.
2. Peace is love’s security.
3. Long-suffering is love’s patience.
4. Gentleness is love’s conduct.
5. Goodness is love’s character.
6. Faith is love’s confidence.
7. Meekness is love’s humility.
8. Temperance is love’s victory.

            “Against such there is no law”

A Holy Spirit-controlled man fulfills the law and will cause him to live a righteous life. The secret of a Spirit-controlled life is found: Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

 Put your all on the altar, and the Holy Spirit will fill your heart with the love of God, “Rom 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

God Bless

The Story of Salvation