T.J.I.F.A.
THANK JESUS IT’S FRIDAY AGAIN!
PASS IT ON…& ON… & ON… & ON!
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2011
HOW MUCH WORK IS TOO MUCH? HOW MUCH TORTURE WAS ENOUGH FOR OUR SUFFERING SERVANT?
WAS IT THAT LAST STRIPE THAT HEALED YOU? WAS HIS WORK IN VAIN?
SUBJECT:
"WORK"(R U SUPPOSED 2?)
NOTEWORTHY:
TROUBLED SPIRIT: OSWALD CHAMBERS
TJIFA’S BOOKSHELF:
ENTERING EXODUS ON THE BIBLE BUS
REVELATION? REV.1:5, 6 (KJV)
NAMES OF JESUS CHRIST
QUICK QUOTES:
VARIOUS CONTRIBUTORS
FYI:
A FEW HEALTH TIPS
MILLSTONE…FORBID THEM NOT! "
HIS THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER . . ."
THINK ON THESE THINGS-TOTT:
WHAT TO DO WITH LIFE— L. ROLOFF
TESTIMONY TIME:
GOD’S HUMOR – JOYCE’S TESTIMONY
FRIDAY’S WORD:
"WORK"
IN THE MIRROR:
"HE CARES ABOUT US, MORE THAN PERHAPS
WE . . ."
O TASTE & SEE!
A GOOD POT OF BLACK EYED PEAS ENJOY!
LOOKING FORWARD
SEE YA NEXT TIME!
TER and TJIFA STAFF
WORK
Genesis 1:31 (KJV)
31"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
More Americans are without ‘work’ or gainful employment now then can easily
be remembered. Many people have lost valued possessions, i.e. their homes,
their automobiles, their furniture, etc. It seems that this society was completely
dependent on a four letter word . . . "WORK." If that is true, there
should be a point of reference for the beginning, and the evident Creator,
who would also… ‘Work.’ (We will skip over the big bang theory at this time,
unless we want to say that our Creator was clapping His Magnificent Hands.)
Before we were, He was. He was creating, or working, making that which His thoughts suggested, from emptiness — (the earth was void, Gen. 1:2).
Our Creator made everything.
John 1:1-3 (KJV)
"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Our Creator formed, and created, and then inspected and evaluated His own work and pronounced it … "Very Good!"
Our Creator then created a man in His own image.
Genesis 1:27 (KJV)
27"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he
him; male and female created he them."
Our Creator already had a source of work for His created Man. See Genesis
2:5.There was no rain, because there was no man to till the ground. When GOD
caused a mist to water the ground, He also formed Man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the Breath of Life, and Man became a Living
Soul.
Our Creator created after His own image. This image, like GOD, was to work in the Garden that was supplied by our Creator. (Work.)
GOD created an Eternal State of Being for His Man. In other words, man would
always inhabit this earth by propagating, himself.
NOTE: The Big Bang can, if it were possible, only bring forth another Big Bang, or any amount of chaotic noise. It wouldn’t be polite to expect an orderly, reasoning organism, like Man or the Earth, to burst forth from chaos.
Readers, when ‘work’ is removed from any society of human beings, the only possible result is irresponsible behavior, selfish, greedy, lawlessness, miscommunication or no communication, theft, murdering, sanctioning of wrong, disobedient children who have no respect for authority, usurpers of undeserved privileges, liars, fornicators, pornographers, adulterers, haters of GOD, and His Son, Jesus.
TJIFA Readers, the rejection of our Creator means the loss of work. (The permanent dismantlement of all desire, and ambition to create and/or physically participate in ‘work.’)
Ask yourself, why would this be true.
Answer: Our Creator created work before man; because He, our Creator – GOD, worked, and His man would be created in GOD’s image. GOD gave Man a sprawling universe to explore, to rule over, to work in, and to worship GOD.
Deuteronomy 30:9-10 (KJV)
9"
And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: 10If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul."
There is a joy released within us when we
learn that being a child of God has to do with a faithful reconstruction,
and regeneration process of man. That is where we find the pleasures that
spring from work; because it is then that we learn that work is of GOD; from
GOD; and is a quantitative attribute of GOD! It is, and remains our prayer
that while millions of Americans may be out of "work" for gainful
employment, it will be an excellent time of new discoveries in homes, families,
and among loved ones with creative and innovative ideas.
Try it before passing it off, because you don’t know how God will deal with
you here.
Satan tried to convince GOD of Job’s worthlessness:
Job 1:9-10 (KJV)
9"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."
Work is not just an accidental by-product of GOD, nor a side effect; but rather the solid, irrevocable Will of GOD. Work justifies Man’s presence on this Earth. Man was given a mind to create, hands to work, and feet to walk with GOD.
Stop believing and living in the pit of the Enemy.
LOOKING FORWARD
SEE YA NEXT TIME
TER
Are You Ever Troubled?
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you …" (John 14:27).
There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance.
But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible
unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace,
because the words that He speaks are always "spirit, and they are life"
(John 6:63). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? "… My peace I give
to you …"—a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding
and receiving His quiet contentment.
Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves
and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left
no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy,
or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and
receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof
that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn
your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind
anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ
from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of
security.
With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you "looking
unto Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will
be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only
try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in
you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have
not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ,
the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything
out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow,
listen to Him say, "Let not your heart be troubled …" (John 14:27).
From: "My Utmost for His Highest" by: Oswald Chambers
TJIFA’S BOOKSHELF:
ENTERING EXODUS
THE HOLY BIBLE
Dear Readers,
Here we are in the glorious book of Exodus. This book reveals the absolute Miracle Working Power of Almighty GOD…Our GOD! This book should make you stand for GOD, if you’re a critic of seeing the hand of GOD, or if you haven’t until this time known the magnificence of our Creator.
Presently we are in chapter five, and here are some of the comments that Dr. J. Vernon McGee has made:
-Moses is back in Egypt, after 40 years in the desert. He is the deliverer that GOD has prepared for the job. He was to assemble the Elders of Israel, and they were to go to Pharaoh.
-Pharaoh will refuse Moses’ request, and that refusal will open the struggle between GOD and the gods of Egypt. This was not a battle against Egypt nor the people of Egypt; but the gods of Egypt and Almighty GOD.
-The plagues were not haphazard in other words when GOD sent the plague of frogs, he didn’t sit back and wonder, ‘Now what can I do next?’ Dr. J.Vernon McGee states that "Nothing was as organized and as meaningful as the plagues."
-The plagues were directed, very definitely at certain institutions in Egypt,
and that was the idolatry in Egypt.
-Pharaoh is going to ask the question. "Who
is the LORD? I don’t know Him." He believes that his ignorance of GOD
will exempt him from obeying Him. GOD will introduce Himself, by bringing
these plagues on Egypt.
-The Lord makes it clear what He had in mind. Exodus 7:5 (KJV)
5"And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth
mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
-There were literally thousands of temples
in Egypt, and there were millions of idols and about three thousand different
gods.
-Dr. McGee makes this point: There was power in the religion of Egypt. The
Egyptians were not fools. We arrogate to ourselves a superior knowledge to
the people of the past, because we have a transistor radio, color television,
we’ve been to the moon, and that is supposed to mean we are superior. Don’t
we know that all of our knowledge is based on that which has been handed down?
Paul makes it very clear that there was power in Egypt:
2 Timothy 3:8 (KJV)
8"Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist
the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."
-Satan grants power to them that worship him. An example of that today is Spiritism.
To sum up this week’s article:
"The plagues were directed at the gods of Egypt, against idolatry, against
pharaoh, against Satan, and I like to call it ‘A battle of the gods,’ because
that is exactly what it was."
Listen to the Word of GOD:
Exodus 12:12 (KJV)
12"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all
the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD."
-GOD had to reveal to Israel the ability of GOD to deliver, which was a very
important lesson, because these people were born in brick yards, and they
were in idolatry, and GOD had to show them that He was superior, and that
He could deliver them.
NOTE:
Readers, Looking back you can almost taunt the ignorance of the Israelites; but that’s looking back. We should take a long hard look at our society today, that we have called a Christian Society. We should look at the children, how they dress, how they talk, and how they are so disobedient to authority. We should look hard and long at the seeping, creeping evil; the sin that we have allowed to penetrate our society; and then ask the question, "Aren’t we caught in idolatry? Aren’t we worshiping the god of: Mammon; Things; Inanimate Rewards; Freedom; at any cost to others, but ourselves? Until we attempt to answer these questions, we can’t look back in disdain upon our Older Brother, Israel.
TER
REVELATION?
NAMES OF JESUS IN REVELATION 1:5, 6
JESUS CHRIST
Revelation 1:5, 6 (KJV)
5"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten
of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings
and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen"
"Faithful Witness"
"The First Born from the Dead"
"The Bright and Morning Star"
"Eternal Son"
"The Ruler of the Kings of the Earth"
"King of Kings"
"Lord of Lords"
"The Name above Every Name"
(He is The Solver of Every Problem)
"Prince of Peace"
(Until He Rules with His Rod of Iron, there
will be no peace)
"Unto Him That Loves"
(He Loves – present tense – not Loved – past tense)
"He Loosed Us from Our Sin, In His Own Blood"
(He freed us from the chains of sin, not just washed us)
"Our Kinsman Redeemer"
"He Makes Us a Kingdom of Priests to
Rule with Him unto His Father"
(He never calls us kings, He is the King)
"To Him, the Dominion, and the Glory
Forever, and Ever."
(He is the Far Off Eternal Purpose)
From: "The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ" by: Through the Bible – Radio Ministry.
QUICK QUOTES:
VARIOUS CONTRIBUTORS
"As in the days of Noah, we are there: Go to any sporting event, where
there are thousands of people. They will remind you that Jesus is coming soon;
not by their spiritual behavior; but by their cursing, drinking, and ALL OF
THAT.
Noah saved his family from the self destruction
of sin and pleasure of that culture. Noah saved his family from the destructive
judgment of GOD that came as a result of sin, by the flood.
Noah was:
-A righteous man
-A busy man. (Noah worked. The arc took 120 years to build… but it was built.)
-A man who worked to keep his marriage together
-He kept his family separated from the world by keeping his family busy in
the work of GOD.
-Noah did not use his sons to build the Arc; but he used the Arc to build his family.
The above excerpts were from: The Ministry of Jeffery Fugate. Obtained from Sermons on the Phone. (Thanks Linda)
"I’d rather come from a broken place,
than to be in a broken place." C. Williams
"You have the ability with your words to make a person stronger, your
words are to their soul, what a vitamin is to their body."
Max Lucado (From: Today’s Turning Point, by: David Jeremiah)
"Father, in Jesus’ Name, I desire to bring You work that is pleasing. Work that will not burn. Work that helps and does not hinder. Work that brings You glory. Work that illuminates the lamp stand. I desire that my work be in the middle of Your will. I desire to work and never complain, work until You come."
TER
FYI:
A FEW HEALTH TIPS
Gouda cheese is reported to have properties that contribute to the health
of the prostate in men and to healthy breast tissue in women.
Information obtained from the Dr. Oz program
on Thursday September 1, 2011.
Beans – all kinds – are good for many health problems, i.e. placing roughage
back into the diet, and bulk; but the most recent health report states that
beans have an ingredient that is said to lower the risk involved with or associated
to Type II Diabetes.
From: The Kitchen Table Book
Contributed by BJM
A good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy immune system, a good memory, athletic performance, and a note to seniors who are always concerned about their memory; get a good night’s restful sleep, but do not sleep too much. It is important to find a healthy balance.
Visceral fat: This is dangerous fat. It laces itself throughout the organs and the muscles. This fat is responsible for strangling internal organs, hypertension, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and type II Diabetes. Increasing the intake of soluble fiber will decrease these health risks. Soluble fiber is found in fruits and vegetables. Insoluble fiber is found in nuts and grains.
From: Duke and the Doctor, radio program, 8-6-11.
MILLSTONE…FORBID THEM NOT!
HIS THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR THOUGHTS
(A ‘STRUGGLIN 7' ANECDOTE)
Struggling 7 had four boys and a little girl. While his little girl was being processed, he had much time with his youngest (number 4) son. It became mandatory that the youngest little boy be potty trained, and this task was gingerly taken on by Struggling 7.
One day, he and the little boy were here, and I was pleasured to hear the conversation that will be related in this article.
Struggling was moving around in the house quickly with the baby boy attempting to follow his Father. Every now and then, Struggling would scoop the small child up and just take him where he wanted him to go. Struggling ate, and fed his little one. He thought that any moment the child would get sleepy, and he would also catch a nap… but not so. The little fellow was more awake than ever. Finally Struggling relaxed in the lazy-boy chair, and placed his busy toddler right beside him in a nice nook of comfort in the chair. This didn’t invoke sleep, the little toddler was awake, alert, and awaiting whatever the day would hold.
After many minutes of squirming, childish chatter, and refusal to give way to sleep, Struggling dug the squirmy child out of the comfort nook, and safely placed him on the arm of the chair. Struggling obtained the toddler’s attention and then began a dissertation about men, and using the facilities. The, now attentive toddler listened with renewed interest. (His Grandmother also listened as ‘the pride of using the facility’ was extended to this attentive two year old.)
Quietly, I asked Struggling. "Do you expect him to just listen to you and use the potty chair?" His answer. "Yes Mother, I do." I was almost afraid as I almost told Struggling, that his expectations were too high, for a Toddler. About the time that I would get the courage to tell him, the Toddler said, "Blubble, blubble, blubble, Daddy."
A Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation couldn’t have moved as fast as Struggling 7 and his Toddler. Struggling grabbed the baby, tucked him under his arm, and up the stairs they flew, three steps at a time. (I was really nervous, now. What if…?)
I heard the familiar flush, after the washing of the small potty chair’s container,
I heard Struggling-7 mumbling congratulations to his Toddler, and they came
back to their resting place, the little Toddler contented to relax beside
his Father in his own nook of comfort in the Lazy-boy chair, and sleep.
Isaiah 55:8-14 (KJV)
8"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain
cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returned not thither, but watereth
the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the
sower, and bread to the eater: 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out
of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12For
ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the
hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the
field shall clap their hands. 13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir
tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall
be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
Readers, Our Father’s thoughts are so much higher than ours. Trying to figure Him out, we can’t. Try obedience, it works every time.
TER
THINK ON THESE THINGS – T.O.T.T.:
"WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE."
The following statements are excerpted from a recording by Lester Roloff.
The recording was obtained from "Sermons on the Phone" telephone
773- 572- 6206 and press option#6. There are nine options which include several
books, a Drama by Moody Bible Institute, Bible Study on Genesis by Dr. J.
Vernon McGee, A Study in Revelation by Chuck Laseur, and two sermons by Jeffrey
Fugate. These various phone ministries are a listening pleasure as you do
your chores at home, or share with a friend, and have a gatherings to discuss
these building blocks of your soul.
LESTER ROLOFF
Proverbs 23:5 (KJV)
"Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly
make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."
Proverbs 13:7 (KJV)
7"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that
maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches."
Most of the time, in the Bible, where riches are mentioned they are condemned.
GOD has very little good to say about riches, unless they are spiritual riches;
because GOD knows everything, He knows the selfishness of people. i.e. Judas
sold out for money, and he got suicide, and murder. His 30 pieces of silver
did not satisfy him, and yet people are still seeking and seeking for money
and wealth. There is no satisfaction in money or wealth. A rich man told Lester
Roloff that he didn’t want his first million dollars nearly as bad as he wanted
his next million." He said, "I almost went crazy before I got it."
The matter of giving is dependent on your faith. How much do you believe that GOD will take care of you? If we ever learn to live, completely live, by faith we’ll have Joy, and GOD will take care of us.
A certain woman wore thousands of dollars of diamonds on her hand, and wrist. When she was asked about them she replied, "You are looking at peace offerings."(A rich poor woman, very miserable.)
It takes more than money to make you happy, aren’t you glad?
This is the greatest illustration of giving
in the Bible
Mark 12:41-44 (KJV)
41"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people
cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42And there came a certain poor widow, and
she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have
cast into the treasury:
44For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast
in all that she had, even all her living."
Jesus is found watching the giving that is taking place, and according to
Lester Roloff, He is the only One who has that right. He is the only One who
can evaluate our generosity or lack of giving; only he can weigh the heart.
Luke 1:53 (KJV)
53"
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away."
Rich people are so rich that they don’t want anything. They went away full
in the eyes of the world; but in the eyes of Jesus they went away empty.
(The Woe’s)
Luke 6:24-29 (KJV)
24"But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well
of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which
hate you,
28Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29And unto him that smiteth thee on the one
cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not
to take thy coat also."
James 1:9-12 (KJV)
9"Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
10But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
11For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.
12Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:
for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath
promised to them that love him."
He compares the Rich Man to grass.
The woes of GOD are mentioned against the Rich.
James 5:1-3 (KJV)
1"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall
come upon you.
2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
3Your gold and silver is cankered; and the
rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it
were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days."
The woes of GOD fall on the rich man. It is a very rare thing to find a happy
rich man.
From: The Family Alter Program, with Lester
Roloff
The message is, What to do with Your Life?
TESTIMONY TIME:
GOD’S HUMOR
Joyce was a nice person; but she needed Salvation. She knew it, and it wasn’t
long before she made a full commitment to follow our Suffering Servant. Joyce,
however, made one hold-back proclamation. Joyce told the Lord. "I’ll
give you everything, GOD, but the cigarettes, I must keep. I can’t give up
my cigarettes." (GOD never said a word.)
She was very clear about that; because she didn’t want to pretend or play with GOD. She loved Him too much.
As time went, and it wasn’t too long, she
didn’t realize it; but she wasn’t smoking as much as before. She needed a
job, and soon one opened up for her at the Browning, Williams factory. Joyce
was so glad to get the job; she did her job with much pride, and never even
thought about the fact that she was now working in a cigarette factory making
cigarettes. When she realized that her job was working with cigarettes, the
taste had been taken from her.
Joyce jokingly says that, "GOD just slapped the taste of cigarettes right
out of my mouth, and I didn’t even know it. When I realized it the taste and
craving for tobacco was gone and I didn’t even miss it."
Readers, do you know someone with an addiction that needs help from the Sanctuary? Introduce them to, The Deliverer. His nature is to deliver, and to set free. He is no respecter of person; If He did it, or even if you have never heard-tale that He did it…Trust Him!
TER
FRIDAY’S WORD:
WORK, THEOLOGY OF
Meaning and value God places on human labor.
God’s People Work Because They Are Made in His Image
The Bible opens with a picture of a working
God. God worked in creating a universe. He has been at the job of sustaining
creation since He fashioned it. To be created in God’s image means, in part,
that people have the capacity to work, to fashion, to create. The notion that
labor came into being as a result of humanity’s fall does not reflect biblical
truth. Sinless humanity was placed in the garden to cultivate it. The opportunity
to labor was part of God’s original commission to mankind to subdue the earth.
Adam and Eve were given a situation that needed tending. Paradise had its
chores.
Whereas the entrance of sin did not precipitate humanity’s need to labor,
it has affected the original circumstances of people’s work. As He expelled
them from the garden, God told Adam and Eve they would have to labor hard
to carve out a living. Sin hinders the progress of men’s and women’s efforts
and thwarts their genius. Nature does not cooperate like it would without
the curse. People’s physical ability has been limited by the effect of sin.
A person’s mental capacity has been drastically reduced by the ravages of
sin.
However, the primal commission for humanity to subdue the earth remains in
force. In the garden imagery, cultivation was the scope of the original pair’s
labor. Today the range would be broadened to include every pursuit of people—cultural,
physical, social, and spiritual.
God’s People Reflect Him Through Practicing Integrity in Their Work
Christianity that is real shows up in the
marketplace. It affects the work of employees and the attitude of employers.
Christian employees are conscious of their responsibilities to their employers.
Followers of Christ know they owe their employers an honest day’s work. Those
representing Christ should strive to be the most productive and conscientious
workers in the company. Christians view their service to their employer as
ultimately rendered to God, knowing He is the ultimate judge of their efforts
(Eph. 6:5-8). Those in authority over others in the workplace have special
responsibility. Christian supervisors or employers know they are accountable
to God for how they treat those under them (Eph. 5:9). Managers’ testimony
for Christ is on the line in their dealings with subordinates. Fairness, reasonableness,
and generosity can be maintained even when a standard of excellence is upheld.
God’s People Realize His Plan for Work Also Includes a Plan for Rest
After six days of creation God rested. He
reflected on the worth and meaning of His work. Later He prescribed a day
of rest for His people each week to do the same (Ex. 20:8-11). God knows people
have physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual limits. These must be guarded
by a proper balance of work and rest.
God’s People See Their Primary Vocation as Serving Him
For Christians, life’s primary vocation is
ministry. Christians view their workplace as a ministry post. Their pulpits
are their desks, their cars, their classrooms, their kitchens. Seeing oneself
as a mine worker, homemaker, school teacher, or professional person who happens
to be a Christian is fundamentally different from seeing oneself primarily
as a Christian who happens to be a secretary, salesperson, or accountant.
A proper theology of work operating in the lives of believers would see many
people positively influenced toward Christ in every setting where Christians
are found working.
T. R. McNeal
From: "Holman’s Bible Dictionary"
IN THE MIRROR:
In a recent newsletter article I read these words: "He cares about us, more than perhaps we will ever fully realize."
It was those words that started my thinking
along certain lines, and wondered how various are the thoughts of others in
this area where God is concerned. What I am hoping is that we are close enough
to being in the same area of thought, that some very reasonable conclusions
are able to be arrived at.
My questions centered around what type of thinking takes place today; and
does it have to be the case? If something within my life fails in the ability
to realize how much God cares about me, then is He at fault for this deficiency,
or is it me? This idea isn’t just designed for the Christian mind, but for
anyone and everyone that is willing to contemplate any thought that says,
"If God created us in love, then why do I have so much trouble understanding
why . . .?" — If you will kindly fill in the blanks there, it will help
me in the generalization of where I’m trying to go in our reflection of a
loving God.
The two highest forms of relationships I have ever known and paid any real attention to as far as wanting to reach the acme of knowing God is in the institution of marriage, and in the relationships between parents and children. Both require time, love, and attention, and where these characteristics fail in their proper union, there are always corresponding results. In the marriage there is more of a reciprocal element (Eph.5:22-32), and I’d like to challenge you to take another look into the New Testament because throughout the gospels, and the epistles you will find the need to recognize the essence behind Jesus’ words in:
Matthew 18:3 "Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter
into the kingdom of heaven."
What makes this become of infinite worth and value is when you rely upon the
simple truths that God has hidden in this valuable book called, the Bible,
and you find yourself trusting in it to lead you into the very presence of
God. No, you don’t read the Bible just for the sake of saying, "I read
the Bible." This is an apparent error when you look around in the world
today and realize there must be something else to it. — Another most helpful
place for the serious person desiring God is to spend time in the epistle
of 1st John, because of the evidence; the credentials; the witness; the character
of our conduct; the obedience, and the love which should jump off of the pages,
and into our hearts — just to name a few!
Being agreeable is something very dear to my heart when it comes to the consideration
of others. If you like red peppers, and I hate red peppers, then I sit and
watch you eat a bowl of red peppers, while I sit down to a big bowl of strawberry
ice cream. There’s not a bit of controversy or disagreement between us. —
That’s on the one hand. Now on to the other hand . . .
This is where I turn into the AVENGER. (Did you hear the drums roll?) Every
believer ultimately becomes a spokesperson for the Savior. In doing so, goodbye
popularity and everything else (depending largely upon how much you surrender
to God). When I share, and this is what happens when you get involved with
God’s love, my only defense is the written Word of God.
This is what comes to your [my] rescue:
Proverbs 1:31 - 32 (KJV)
31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of
their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32For the turning away
of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
Proverbs 8:36 (KJV) 36But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
all they that hate me love death.
Proverbs 10:17 (KJV) 17He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction:
but he that refuseth reproof erreth.
Proverbs 10:21 (KJV) 21The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die
for want of wisdom.
Proverbs 3:1 - 2 (KJV)
1My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
The reality here is in an attempt to use any
number of scriptures there are over thirty-one thousand Bible verses in the
Bible, and they have to be linked together much in the way the 66 books were
originally put together by the Holy Spirit. Ironically it is only when you
read the entire Bible, that you can come up with any real truths that it contains.
Do we really take time to know God, and spend prime time with Him? We should
consider that when we depend on others to support our views and opinions.
We are going to stand before God alone. They won’t be there; they won’t be
there to make you feel good while ignoring what God said in His Word.
How can you know these truths, and not tell it? The idea is not to saturate
you with scriptures, and just recently I encouraged the Proverbs, but to only
continue to build an acute awareness of the eternal inheritance we have here
and now. We are not going to solve the national problem right now, and that’s
just a reality statement. What is capable of changing at a moment’s notice
is our understanding of God. A godly perspective is a healthy and a wise perspective.
Also I want to note is that I live in the same world that you do where there
is no area of exemption I know anything about. When the storms come, they
hit my house as well as your, tho they may be in different times and different
seasons. My understanding at this point is that everything God placed in the
Bible is for our safety, preservation, and security when this world system
fails us on every turn.
What I’m saying right now is that we all— everybody reading and listening
to the heart and mind of God can come to Him in this very moment. You say,
"What do I get?" Answer: Salvation! — and with that salvation comes
eternal life. That’s God’s big picture. The reason it can be said, "He
cares about us, more than perhaps we will ever fully realize," is enveloped
in the fact that we sorely undercut the plan of Salvation and Redemption that
God had in mind from the beginning of time.
Before we take the position of God loving us any less than He loved His own
Son, every individual created in the image of God has an obligation to pick
up their Bible and be lead by the Holy Spirit to the discovery of how we can
come into a fuller awareness of the unfathomable way in which God loves, and
cares about us more than we will ever fully realize . . . I hope it’s sure
something for you to think about! God Bless, SLC
O TASTE & SEE!
(IT’S TIME FOR SOME BEANS!)
COME ON TRY BLACK EYED-PEAS…AGAIN!
INGREDIENTS:
SMALL BAG DRIED BLACK-EYED PEAS (WASHED and
DRAINED)
1 PK OF SPICY SPAGHETTI SEASONING
1 FRESH LARGE CARROT (CUT IN CHUNKS)
1 CAN WHOLE KERNEL CORN (DRAINED and RINSED)
1 WHOLE ONION SLICED OR CHOPPED; GARLIC TO TASTE;
1 TBLSP BASIL; 1 TBLSP. OREGANO; 1 TBLSP OLIVE
OIL; A SLICE OF JALAPENO PEPPER
DIRECTIONS:
BRING WATER IN CROCK POT TO A BOIL.
POUR ALL INGREDIENTS INTO BOILING CROCK POT; STIR; ALLOW TO COOK ON HIGH FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY.
READERS, THIS IS A GOOD POT OF BEANS THAT COOKS QUICKLY. BLACK EYED PEAS HAS A REPUTATION FOR COOKING UP QUICK. TRY THIS ON A COLD DAY WHEN YOU DIDN’T SOAK YOUR OTHER BEANS OVER NIGHT.
HEY Y’ALL ENJOY!