TAT 136 Mind, Ears and Feet

On February 28, 2024   /   Character, Maturing  

TAT 136 Mind, Ears and Feet

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. (Rom. 12:16)

Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (Jam 2:5)

I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
(3 Jn. 1:4)

He who has My commandments AND KEEPS THEM is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. (Jn. 14:21).

Without obedience to God it doesn’t matter what we think, hear and do.

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Spiritual Thinking, The Government

On December 4, 2017   /   Character, Faith, God's Will  

Things Above Thought
TAT 121 The Government – What were you thinking?!
(Area #2 of testing our spiritual thinking test.)

When Christ walked the face of this earth, the head of the government was considered to be God. If you placed any other god higher than him, by law, you could be killed. One might think that Christ would have something to say about that government, and He did:

Speaking to Pilate, Christ said: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above . . .” (John 19:11)

Speaking to the believers in Roman He said: “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” (Romans 13:1)

Earlier, Nebuchadnezzar was told: The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes And sets over it the lowliest of men.” (Daniel 4:17)

When we think human rulers are going to destroy our world and thwart the good that we are trying to do then we need to think again: “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2:21) And: “. . . the rulers of this age, who are passing away;” (1 Corinthians 2:6)

Satan has blinded the minds of many to the important issue of the day: “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see (understand) the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4). While living under the rule of a horrible government, Christ himself made no political changes, nor did He ask any of His followers to make political changes. Christ did not even pray for political change! At your last election “What were you thinking?”

The Bottom Line: Christ lived His life with a spiritual mind-set and spiritual goals, according to God’s spiritual plan. And to this day He is still working on that spiritual plan—God’s eternal rulership of all creation (Colossians 1:19–20)! Is that how you think? If so, is your thinking revealed in the daily activities of your life, for all the heavenly host to see?

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Truth, Testing Intimacy

On April 17, 2017   /   Character, Faith, Maturing, Strengthing, Suffering  

Things Above Thoughts
TAT 104 Truth, Testing, Intimacy

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words
Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. (Prov. 30:5–6)

Our opinions do not create, establish, or validate truth.

When we add our opinions to God’s word we become liars—enemies of Christ.
But when we obtain accurate information from God’s written word we can take refuge in Him—intimacy with Christ.

When God’s word in me is tested then my lies are revealed and my intimacy with Christ can grow.
Don’t fear testing it can lead to intimacy.

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Institutions or Heart?

On August 22, 2016   /   Character  

Things Above Thought
TAT # 89 Institutions or Heart?

All NT commandments are given to people to carry out, not to denominations, not to religious churches, not to governments. We cannot pay our churches or politicians to obey commandments given for us to obey. Political programs don’t fix moral problems and churches don’t have the authority to change God’s laws. In short: “You cannot fix Babylon with Babylon.”

Do you trust man made institutions and their laws or God’s heart and your Bible?

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Happiness

On June 13, 2016   /   Character, Endurance, Joy  

Things Above Thought

TAT # 85 Happiness!

 

Much is being said, written about, preached on, televised, announced, blogged, and tweeted about how God wants Christians to be happy. It’s almost as if Christ came, suffered, and died to make us happy. But I wonder what made Paul so happy that he was –

 

imprisoned, beaten so many times the number is not recorded, in danger of death, given 195 lashes, beaten with rods three times, stoned, three times, shipwrecked and adrift for 24 hours,  frequently in dangers from natural disasters, robbers, Jews and Gentiles, and dangers in the city, the wilderness, on the sea, and even those clamming to be brethren but were not. He even labored with hardship through many sleepless nights, went hungry and thirsty, was often cold and exposed and on top of all that he lived with the daily pressure of concern for all the churches. (2 Cor. 11:23–28) ☺

 

And what made Christ soooo happy that He –

 

started His ministry not with an ordination ceremony and then a celebration and a parade but by spending 40 days alone in the desert without food and then tempted by the devil? After that He suffered rejection by His countrymen, His handpicked disciples, and the religious leaders of the religious system handed down by His Father. And if that were not enough He endured the shame and suffering of a trial by those same religious leaders and then the government also turned its back on Him and handed Him over to the worst death any human has ever faced. ☺

 

So what made them happy? How about –

 

. . . Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2 emphasis added)

 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4 emphasis added)

 

Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. (Heb. 11:1 GWN emphasis added)

 

When God’s heavenly, eternal goals don’t make us happy we might need to spend a little more time with Paul and Christ. ☺

 

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Suffering #6

On November 30, 2015   /   Character, Endurance, Strengthing, Suffering, Trials, Victory  

Things Above Thought
TAT #62
Suffering #6

Not everybody suffers the same but all suffering can have the same results!

1. Suffering because of sin. This suffering points out the need for repentance and after repentance I can glorify God and continue on toward perfection.
2. Suffering because of trials that God sends to test my faith. Because these are godly trials I can glorify God and continue on toward perfection.
3. Suffering because I am growing old and living in this world. This provides good opportunities to apply and grow in my faith to glorify God and continue on toward perfection.

Fact #9 All unjust sufferings on this earth pays huge benefits for all eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16–18; 1 Corinthians 3:8–15)

Fact #28 All suffering and trials can strengthen my faith (Job; James 1:2–4).

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Suffering #5

On November 23, 2015   /   Character, Christian Basics, Christian Values, Endurance, Goals, Suffering, Trials, Victory  

Things Above Thought
TAT #61
Suffering #5

Jesus Christ came and enable us to be obedient to Him. Can obedience bring happiness? Absolutely! Will it always bring happiness in this life? Absolutely not! (Just ask Job, John the Baptist, or Paul.) Is obedience better than happiness? Absolutely!

If our sole purpose of obedience is to make us happy now – who are we serving?

If we suffer in this life for His eternal glory we will be happy for all eternity.

Fact #27 Even when I’m hurting, questioning why, and wanting to die, it is still possible to be in the center of God’s will (Job1:21–22; 3:1–26; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6–7).

(The numbered facts above come from the pamphlet “A Glimmer of Light” found on the web site.)
*******************************
All TATs can be viewed at www.things-above.org (Click on “Blog”)

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Suffering #4

On November 16, 2015   /   Character, Christian Basics, Endurance, God's Will for Me, Strengthing, Suffering, Trials, Victory  

Things Above Thought
TAT #60
Suffering #4

“Why do you write so much about suffering?”

When the Lord God came to Adam and Eve after they had sinned He did not say “there, there everything is going to be alright. From now on I’ll take care of everything and make you happy again.” Instead, He told them there was going to be hostility, struggle, trials, and pain throughout their lives (Genesis 3:8–24). He told them exactly how it was going to be, He didn’t “sugar coat” it. His main objective was not to make them happy! He prepared them for what was ahead.

We have placed ourselves, and our world, under Satan’s rule and there will always be suffering. As America slips into greater and greater darkness the suffering of the obedient will probably increase. Be prepared.

Eternal goals might not include our present happiness.

Fact #27 Even when I’m hurting, questioning why, and wanting to die, it is still possible to be in the center of God’s will (Job1:21–22; 3:1–26; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6–7)).

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Suffering #3

On November 9, 2015   /   Character, Christian Basics, Endurance, Faith, God's Will for Me, Sin, Strengthing, Suffering, Victory  

Things Above Thought
TAT #59
Suffering #3

Fact #30 Trials can come into my life that are for God’s purposes (Job 1:7).

What are the other times that God wants me to suffer?

God constructed the laws of cause & effect and actions & results. One such law is that disobedience to God (sin) can bring suffering. Therefore certain pain can be a result of sin. This pain can be used to recognize our sin and repent. It can also be considered to be from God and therefore good. It’s just like our visit to the ole Doc: “ Doc, when I do this it hurts! Well if it hurts when you do that then don’t do that.”

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (1 Peter 3:17)

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Suffering #2

On November 2, 2015   /   Character, Christian Basics, Christian Values, Endurance, Eternal, Faith, Goals, God's Will for Me, Strengthing, Suffering, Trials, Victory  

Things Above Thought
TAT #58
Suffering #2

Fact #30 Trials can come into my life that are for God’s purposes (Job 1:7).

There are times that God wants us to suffer!?!
When does God want me to suffer?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (1 Peter 1:6–7)

And if the above does not happen then:

If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15 underline added)

God wants our faith to be perfect and complete thus producing eternal praise, glory, and honor. Godly suffering produces such results!

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