Sunday, August 26, 2012

Proving our repentance through our deeds


Proving our repentance through our deeds

Acts 26:20

20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.

Jer 18:11

So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.

Jer 35:15

15 Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me.

Mt 3:8

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Luke 3:8

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   Proving our repentance through our deeds
2)   Paul was preaching to people that they should repent, turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds
3)   We should turn from evil ways by reforming our ways and actions
4)    We should turn from evil ways by reforming our ways and actions so that God can bless us
We should produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Turning from darkness to light(continued)


Turning from darkness to light(continued)

Eph 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

Col 1:13
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Pet 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   We are now the children of the light
2)   For God rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into his kingdom
3)   God called us out of darkness into His wonderful light

Friday, August 24, 2012

Turning from darkness to light


Turning from darkness to light

Acts 26:18

17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Psalm 18:28

28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light. 


Isa 42: 7, 16

I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, 
    to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   God sent Paul to Jews and gentiles to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light
2)   God turns our darkness to light
3)   God makes us a covenant for the people and light for gentiles
4)   God uses us to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison
5)   God turns the darkness to light before us and make the rough places smooth
6)   God will not forsake us

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

People of God might be accused of so many things


Jews came from Jerusalem brought many charges against Paul

Acts 25:7

When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

Mk 15:3

The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”
But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

Luke 23:2, 10

Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.

Acts 24:5, 6

“We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. [7] [a] By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”
The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   People of God might be accused of so many things
2)   Jews came from Jerusalem brought many charges against Paul
3)   Pilate was asking Jesus if He will not answer to many accusations that Jews were bringing against Him.  
4)   Herod plied Jesus with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer
5)   Paul was standing before Felix for his accusations.
  

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Necessity of self control(continued)


Necessity of self control(continued)

1 Pet 4:7

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and of self-controlled so that you can pray.

1 Pet 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

2 Pet 1:6

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)  The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and of self-controlled so that we can pray.

2)  We should have self-control for the enemy roars like a lion for someone to devour

3)  Making every effort to add self-control to our faith, keeps us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Necessity of self control


Necessity of self control

Acts 24:25

24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” 

Gal 5:23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

1 Th 5:6

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   Paul talked to Felix about righteousness, self-control and judgment to come.
2)  One of the fruit of spirit is self-control
3)  We are children of light and children of the day, so let us be alert and self-controlled

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

God will never forget the needy


God will never forget the needy

Psalm 9:18

18 But God will never forget the needy;
    the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

Gal 2:10

10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

Psalm 74:19

Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

2 Cor 8:1-4

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

We learn the following from the above verses

1)   God will not forget the needy and the hope of afflicted will never perish
2)   Apostles asked the church to remember the poor
3)   Do not forget the lives of the afflicted people forever
Macedonian churches were very generous in helping the Lord’s people