James 1:14-17
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. …for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23
1 Corinthians 7:5
Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 2 Samuel 21:1
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 Samuel 5:10
Several weeks back I started studying the life David out of 1 Samuel. My study now has me in 2 Samuel 5. In this famous chapter David is anointed king of Israel. He has already served as king over Judah for seven years and six months. God initially revealed that David would be king to the prophet Samuel. It seems that in those early years David was focused on developing godly character. His character was informed by the law of God. He has been is the school of life and his actions, although not perfect, have been reflective of the nature of God. He is convinced that God is sovereign and in control of the events surrounding his life. This has enabled him to be bold in his actions and walk with confidence. 1 Samuel 13:13-14 But Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom over Israel forever. “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. Romans 12:14-19
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 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. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Throughout my years as a Christ follower I have had a few men pour into my life as a mentor. While I was a student in seminary I had the pleasure to sit under my professor of Evangelism, Dr Dan Crawford. Dr. Crawford demonstrated a passion for students and he would seek out 5 seminary students that he would meet with on a weekly basis. Our time together was simple and it included prayer, scripture reading and confession of sin.
As I mentioned on Sunday, we are going to take 21 days (January 10th-January 31st) to fast and pray together as a church. I want to invite each of you to participate in this time because I believe this will be a powerful time for our faith community to draw near to God. During this 21 days of fasting and prayer we will refocus our mind’s attention and heart’s affection on God.
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AuthorOur Pastor writes most of the blog posts we publish, however, occasionally some of our other church leadership (some staff, some volunteer) who also contribute to the New Life blog. Archives
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