EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [77]

Today’s Word:  Praying or prayer

Scripture reading: Eph. 6:¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  [ Saints should be praying for other Saints!]

Quote: Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines. ~Satchel Page

^{Psalms 145: 18} The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. [ We are to talk to Him in spirit and truth!]

Quote: Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  [ pray in faith]

Quote: Prayer may not change things for you, but it sure changes you for things. ~Samuel M. Shoemaker

( prepared by Winston Staples )

 

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [76]

Exploring God’s Word [76]
Today’s word: HOPE
Quote: The oil of hope makes life’s machinery run smoothly. ~ James Basford
Scripture: Psalm 23:The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. John 14: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The Lord is my hope, rest and Peace!
Quote: Once you choose hope, anythings possible. ~Christopher Reeve
When the world says, give up; Hope whispers,” Try it one more time.” ~Author unknown.
[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 71[LESSON 8]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 71 [LESSON 8]
TOPIC: REWARDS OF THE SAINTS
I TRUST YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS STUDY THE PAST FEW MONTHS ;THIS WILL BE THE LAST POST ON THIS TOPIC ON THIS BLOG.
* PRESENT AFFLICTIONS NOT TO BE COMPARED WITH —– ROMANS 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 2 COR.5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

*REWARDS SHALL BE GIVEN AT SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.—-MATT.16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. REV.22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
I TRUST YOU ENJOYED THIS BLOG STUDY!

WINSTON STAPLES

SHARING WORDS OF LIFE!

This morning as I was doing my Bible readings, this chapter in 1 Peter seemed to say share! Here is that chapter and I pray it will speak to you as you read this and bless you.

1 Peter 5 King James Version (KJV)

5 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

² Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

³ Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.

⁴ And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

⁵ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

⁹ Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

¹⁰ But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

¹¹ To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

¹² By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

¹³ The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

¹⁴ Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 69 {LESSON 5}

STEADFASTNESS CONTINUED a/ Saints are are to pray for steadfastness. 

Psalms 17:⁵ Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

b/ Saints praise God for their being steadfast.   Psalms 116:⁸ For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

c/  MINISTERS ARE  1/ EXHORTED TO BE STEADFAST     2 Timothy 1:¹³ Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.¹⁴ That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.  TITUS 1:⁹ Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

2/Ministers are to pray and rejoice for their people!   1Thess. 3:⁸ For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. Colossians 2:⁵ For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

This finishes our brief study on being steadfast; I trust it has been a blessing to you! ~ Winston Staples

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 69 [cont’d]

LESSON 2: STEADFASTNESS IS SECURED BY:

a/ Psalms 55:22 —-²² Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.  Psalms 62:2 —-² He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.  1 Peter 1:5—- ⁵ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.                 Jude 1:24  —-²⁴ Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,     Steadfastness is by the Power of God!

b/ Steadfastness is by the Presence of God—- Psalms 16: ⁸ I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

c/ Steadfastness is by trust in God—- Psalms 26:Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.

d/ Steadfastness is by the intercession of CHRIST—- Luke 22:³¹ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

[ to be cont’d ]

 

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 69!

Preparation: Read 2 Thess.2 

Lesson 1. As believers [ sinners saved by God’s grace ] we are to stand firm by the renewing of our minds by God’s word. In the next few weeks we are going to look at some Bible verses on this subject. I trust you will be blessed and encouraged.

a/ We see this in God’s purposes and and ways.  The Bible states this in the following verses.  Numbers 23:¹⁹ God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?  Daniel 6:²⁶ I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.  James 1:¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

b/ We are commanded to be steadfast.  The Bible states this in the following verses. Philippians 4:Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.² I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. 2 Thess. 2:¹⁵ Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. James 1:⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

c/ Godliness is needed to be steadfast.  We read this in Job 11:¹³ If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;¹⁴ If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.¹⁵ For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear:

[ to be continued ]

A FAVORITE PORTION OF SCRIPTURE!

Ephesians 4King James Version (KJV)

4 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

⁹ (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

¹⁰ He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

¹⁶ From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

¹⁷ This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

¹⁸ Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

¹⁹ Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰ But ye have not so learned Christ;

²¹ If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

²² That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

²⁵ Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

²⁷ Neither give place to the devil.

²⁸ Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³⁰ And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

I trust this reading blessed you!

THE BIG RAIN!

The Summer was dry;

the Fall too,

danger of forest fires,

everywhere loomed.

The wells and streams,

are going low,

Prayers going up,

for the storm clouds

on the horizon show.

They all prayed,

for a big rain;

they needed water,

so much they knelt,

and God answered,

and sent a big rain,

now the wells are not dry,

the streams are filled;

Thank you Father,

thanks again;

You heard our prayers,

and You sent a big rain.

~ Winston Staples

JUST THINKING!

I awoke this morning,

put my feet on the floor,

my head was aching,

and my throat was sore.

I said thank you,

to my Creator,

for this day,

because I could,

read His word,

and for my needs,

and others could pray.

So, no matter what state,

no matter the place,

You can call HIm;

His line is not busy,

He hears our prayer;

He may answer instantly,

and sometimes you must wait!

~ Winston Staples