#galatians 6:7-10

[robincalamaio]

How Can We Grow Weary? (Original Christian Song: Robin Calamaio)

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THAT CONTAINER IS LYING ABOUT ITS CONTENTS"

Matthew 7:15, “Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you LOOKING LIKE SHEEP on the OUTSIDE, but on the INSIDE they are really like wild WOLVES.” (GNT) My two favorite seasons are Winter and Fall! Winter, because I love Christmas, snow, carols, decorations and the like. And Fall, because I love the colors, Thanksgiving, the start of the scent of fireplaces, but most of all,…

[bojackson54]

Sow Seed However You Want To; But, If You Sow Wisely...

Have you ever sown seeds and watched them grow? I remember the bean we put into a jar in kindergarten. It was so cool to sow it properly and watch it come to life!! Well, think about what it means to Sow and Reap: Consider both the process and the outcome. “Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains…

[holyspiritgirl]

What is Spiritual Warfare and how to overcome it with the help of God?

• Spiritual warfare is the idea that there's a battle going on between good and evil forces. In Christianity, this means a fight between God and His angels against the devil and his demons. It mainly happens in our minds, hearts, and spirits. It’s about resisting bad thoughts, temptations, and influences that go against what God wants for us. Though we believe that Jesus has indeed already defeated Satan by dying on the cross and coming back to life, the enemy still tries to lead us to sin in order to push us away from God, thus spiritual warfare.

• “Symptoms” vary since the devil attacks you where it hurts the most, to make you as vulnerable as possible; but here are some of the most common ones:

- believing that your not worthy of having a relationship with God or talking to God therefore feeling the need to distance yourself from him

-self destructive / sabotage / harm temptations

-paranoia / overthinking

-strong headaches / body aches

-temptations towards sin such as lust, gluttony, laziness, anger.. etc, depends on your weaknesses

-self hatred & self doubt / doubt in faithfulness

-hopelessness, fear, anxiety

-random depressive moods & replaying bad memories … the list goes on!

• Living a life more aligned with God’s will is seen as a threat to Satan and his purposes, leading to increased attempts to discourage or derail one’s faith journey. With a deeper relationship with God often comes a greater sense of purpose and mission, attracting more challenges and obstacles from evil forces trying to prevent one from fulfilling God’s plans. Our Father allows these intensified battles to refine and strengthen our faith, helping us rely more on Him and grow spiritually.

• Here are some bible verses that may help you during those tough times battling spiritual warfare :

-Corinthians 10:13

- Psalm 91

-Ephesians 6:11-18

-Isaiah 54:17

-Galatians 5:17-26

- Peter 5:8-9

-Romans 8:37-39

-Luke 10:19

-James 4:7

-John 16:33

-Deuteronomy 3:22

-Matthew 4:10-11

• Let me know if you’d be interested in me posting those verses and talking about some of them with you guys, sort of like a bible study kind of thing. It’d be a pleasure ;)

Have a blessed day 💞💓👼🏻

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[blushcoloreddreams]

Verse recs for combating lust?

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

1 Corinthians 6:18 in the Bible says, "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body

1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

Romans 13:14 "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."

James 1:14-15 "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

Galatians 5:16 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

Romans 8:6 "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace

Matthew 5:28 "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart

1 Peter 5:7-8 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour"

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral

Proverbs 6: 25-26 “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a piece of bread, and the adulteress will prey upon his precious life”

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me

[justasecretflower]

✝️How to love yourself like God intended🤍

Christian content ahead. <3

__________________________________________

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲.❤︎︎

1. Turn to God. He is all knowing and all powerful, he knows your struggles and he knows how to help.

2. Start writing affirmations for yourself. Specifically “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalms 139: 14. God made you perfectly, he made you in his image and he decided that you were amazing as you are.

3. Notice that your faithfulness to God and your personality are much more important than any physical feature. Yes, God made you wonderfully, but he also shaped your soul to be beautiful, to grow like a wildflower in the field. He wrote your story before you were brought into this world.

4. Deepen your love for Jesus, God, and everything holy. Stop to recognize beauty within, and small things that make things beautiful.

5. Stop listening to the world. “Thunder thighs” “pudge” “butter face” and many more terms like this are meant to put you down and pick yourself apart instead of loving every part of you because God made you. Cancel the world out, listen to GOD.

6. Love your talents and hard work, seeing your worth just based on appearances is degrading to your other features. Like for example how soft you are, or how caring you are to animals.

7. Stop picking on other’s appearance or judging their appearance. Physical appearance judging is stopping you from a lot of great opportunities. Putting everyone including yourself on a scale for beauty is unhealthy for you and everyone involved. Measure people worth by their soul, so that you can do that for yourself in turn, the more kind and loving, soulful people you surround yourself with the better you’ll feel!

8. Conclusion, your personality and faith is worth so much more than any physical feature. Love yourself, love other people, and love God<3.

__________________________________________

Good Bible verses to read

Psalm 139:14

Galatians 4:6

Galatians 1:10

God bless all<3.

Tags

[onlyjesussatisfies]

Wednesday Service Heart Highlight:

October 30th, 2024

Scripture & Service Highlight:

2 Corinthians 4:13 AMP

"Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had, who wrote in Scripture, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” We also believe, therefore we also speak,"

Service Title: Faith Speaks

It's our responsibility to water our faith so it may grow

Thinking something to rebuke something won't work, you have to say something.

Scripture that also came to heart:

1 Corinthians 3:6 KJV

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."

~~~~~~~~~

I believe that one of the biggest signs for when a believer is under attack is when we fall silent. When we aren't able to speak/sign scripture over ourselves. But we have to fight the good fight of faith even when the flesh or the enemy wants to keep us silent. Fighting the good fight means speaking/signing scripture over ourselves even when we don't feel like it. When we do that, the enemy starts to lose, when we do that, we are watering our faith so that God may grow it. The flesh will always fight against our spirit (Galatians 5:17), but praise God that He made us more than conquerors even when we don't feel like we are (Romans 8:37)! That He gave us the victory through Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:57)!

So, if you're under attack ask God to strengthen you, ask The Holy Spirit to show you the scriptures that you need to speak/sign so that your faith may be watered (He will do it! Isaiah 41:10; John 16:13). So that you can stand back up and walk in the light. Beloved, you are not defeated. You are more than a conqueror and the devil has to flee when we take a stand (James 4:7). So say/sign something, and watch as God brings the increase.

You are mighty in Him ❤️

[lilgreeneyes71]

Vain Worship

Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Lukewarm Christians

Revelation 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Characteristics

1 : They have no desire to depart from sin the want to try to get by on grace alone.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2 : All of their conversations are about worldly things and the cares of this world

1 John 4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

3 : Their actions ( No Change in them ).

2 Corinthians 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.

4 : They spend no time praying or alone with God they might show up for church once a week but God is always on the Blackburner .

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

5 : The conversations they have never involve God but rather business or financial or plans they have made. Or what new item they intend on purchasing.

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

6 : No conviction of sin they feel no grief or guilt for sinning.The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (see John 16:8-9)

Jude 1:18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.1:19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

7 : They could care a less about the unsaved or reaching out to them. They outright try to stop us from preaching to the unsaved

Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Proverbs 29:10 The bloodthirsty hate the upright: but the just seek his soul.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

8 : They care more about pleasing people rather than pleasing God

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

9 : They fear man but have no fear of God

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"CONFRONTING THE ENEMY'S TACTICS!"

Psalm 144:1, “Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight” (AMPC) The main tactic of the enemy is deception. “Deception” is defined as, “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid; to trick; to cheat; to defraud; to be dishonest.” And that’s exactly who the enemy is, a deceiver, liar and the…

[lionofthegoldsun]

[Why do you want you be famous?]

Ask yourself this question: Why in heavens name do you want to be famous? Is it because you want to be popular? Is it because you want love and attention? Is it because you want to fit in and feel validated? Is it because you want to show the world how “special” you are? Is it because you want to tell the world: look at me, look at me, look what I can do! Or is it because you want to be idolized like a god?

Well, you are not a god. You are a human being that will wither like grass and disappear (Isaiah 51:12). As the years go by, you will be forgotten.

“For they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

-John -2:43

Look, the reality is your “greatest” accomplishments are insignificant as anthills in the shadow of God’s unfathomable creation.

My friend, all of this is nugatory because you are seeking attention for the wrong reasons. This is self-seeking behavior. It’s all about me, me, me, me.

Do know that all this can lead to pride, boasting, ostentation, narcissism, idolatry, an inflated ego and selfishness, which are all sins in God’s eyes.

There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

-Proverbs 6:16-20

Now, let me tell you this:

The world does not love or care about you. Worldly love is not real love. It’s false love, in fact. Because the moment you turn your back on the world, the world will turn against you.

And you wonder why your life is so miserable. You reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7)

In the end, you can’t take your wealth or accomplishments with you when you die. Worldly possessions are perishable. But the things of heaven are not.

“For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

-1 John 2:16

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.”

-Matthew 6:19-20

When the wicked dies, his hope will perish, and the expectation of wealth perishes too.

-Proverbs 11:7

<Other Verses>

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”

-Matthew 16:26

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”

-1 John 2:15

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

-Galatians 1:10

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

-James 4:4

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

-Matthew 4:8-10

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Distorted Truth

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ 1 Corinthians 13:3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

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VERSE OF THE DAY

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+ Galatians 1:7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM LISTENING TO THE TRUTH

I AM USING DISCERNMENT

I AM LISTENING TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

I AM TRUTHFUL

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READ TIME: 6 Minutes & 56 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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    What does distort mean? It means twisting the truth: How many of us have had that happen? We meet someone, and they tell us a different story, or we buy something, and the person selling it isn’t sincere. They give us half the truth, and now we are stuck with something that isn’t worth the price. It has happened, and people do this with the truth of God; they twist it to fit their agenda, twist it to make their lives or twist it to get more people to follow them.

    I have listened to many people on YouTube and other sites, and they tell people half the truth. Still, the main problem is we, as people of God, don’t study our Bible. The bible says my people die from lack of knowledge; we won’t read it for ourselves. We take everything someone gives us, and we say this is what it is, and this is what the word says, but we should take what that person is saying and take it to God immediately.

    When we sit and allow people to tell us what the word says, we are trusting them with the essential part of our lives; we are trusting them to be the shepherd and to tell us things we don’t know and not to fill us with things that aren’t true, it's so simple to read the word, but all we must do before we start is ask the Holy Spirit to teach us. The Holy Spirit will teach you the absolute truth of your word. And sometimes I even say, Holy Spirit, show me something for me in your word, and he will.

   Psalm 56:5 All day long, they twist my words; all their schemes are for my ruin.

    Some people live to twist the truth of God to make others fall into this endless cycle of sin because some people don’t see it the way we do as believers. If you believe in God, you will try your best not to sin deliberately; the word even tells us not to do that because there is no sacrifice for sin.

   Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,

  We can't do it, my friends. We no longer say I am picking up my cross when we do this. We allow the twisted words of this world and our lustfulness for sin to take over; we must pick up our cross every day, and sometimes reading the bible can be a bit much because maybe you are reading the wrong translation or maybe your mind is filled with all these questions, but as you read, and you have a question write it down.

   We want to read the word of God with the intent of learning more about God because if we read just to be reading, we will lose interest in it; God wants the word to be a light to our feet and a light to our path, without the word this world will be cold and dark and without the word we will always be lost.

   Acts 20:30 Even some men from your group will rise and distort the truth to draw a following.

   People will do everything they can to distort the truth of God to gain followers, and if we don’t ask God to give us discernment , we will be led away. Still, someone that says it’s okay to participate in a sin we are struggling with is leading us wrong , friends, it isn’t okay to continue to sin, it’s not okay to submit your body to sin; we must learn to submit or ways and body to God so he can free us from our sins, we must fast to keep away from the sin we are struggling with.

   2 Peter 3:16 speaks of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something entirely different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

  The word tells us here that some people are ignorant and unstable and will twist the word to mean something completely different, and this will result in our destruction because once we allow people to whisper false doctrine in our ears, we will allow anything it might be hard to get away from these types of people theses wolves in sheep clothing. Still, we must ask God to show me who is in my life who isn’t speaking the truth in me and is tainting my spiritual ears with poison, and he will show you.

  ***Today, the Holy Spirit wants us to see what’s happening in our life; he wants us to study the word of God for ourselves; a lot of times, we refuse to study because we feel we need someone to teach us, but God has placed good shepherds here to teach us, he have place women and man of God to pour we just have to make sure we are drinking from the right place, and not strictly rely on them.

 We do this by asking the Holy Spirit to open our ears and eyes to see. A lot of times, we are blinded by being fed with things we want to hear. I have had many people stop reading or listening to me because I’m speaking the truth of God; if we want to have a relationship with God, we can’t allow what people say to distort the truth of God. We can’t allow just anyone to pour into us, and it happens, but when we see the error, we must correct it, and we must stay away; allow God to show us the error and the true truth of his word. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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Heavenly Father, thank you for everything you have given us, and thank you for always showing us the way; lord, if we allow someone to distort the truth, please show us and help us to stay away; lord, we ask you to give us a better discernment and ears to hear and eyes to see, lord if we are Lukewarm show us and help us to get back on fire for you in Jesus Name Amen

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REFERENCES

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+ Psalm 56:5 All day long, they twist my words; all their thoughts are on my demise.

 

 

+ 2 Peter 2:14 Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed

 

+ Jeremiah 23:26 But refer no more to the burden of the LORD, for each man's word becomes the burden so that you pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of Hosts, our God.

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FURTHER READINGS

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Proverbs 4

Leviticus 4

Genesis 35

Numbers 19

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[anastpaul]

One Minute Reflection – 6 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Ferial Day – Galatians 5:16-24, 6:1-10; Luke 7:11-16 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/ “Young man, I say to thee, arise!” – Luke 7:14 REFLECTION – “In the Gospels, we find three dead people who are visibly restored to life but, thousands who are invisibly so … The Synagogue Official’s daughter (Mk 5:22f.), the widow of Naim’s son and Lazarus (Jn 11) … are symbols of three kinds of sinner whom Christ still raises today. The young girl was still in her father’s house … the widow of Naim’s son was no longer in his mother’s house but not, as yet, in the tomb … Lazarus had already been buried … And so, there are some people whose sins remain in their hearts but who have not put them into practice … They have consented to sin and death is within their souls but, it has not yet been carried outside. Now, it often happens … that people experience this in themselves – after hearing the Word of God, our Lord seems to say to them: “Arise!” They accuse themselves of the consent they gave to evil and draw breath, to live in salvation and uprightness … Others, having given their consent, go as far as the deed. They carry out the dead thing, hidden in the concealment of their dwelling and expose it before everyone. Are we to despair of them? Did not our Saviour say to that young man: “I tell you, arise!?” Did not He give him back to his mother? This is how it is with someone who has behaved like that – if he is touched and moved by the Word of Truth, he rises again at Christ’s Word, he comes back to life. He was able to go a step further along the way of sin but he could not die forever. As for those who are so bound fast in evil habits as to their removing even the sight of the evil things they do, they undertake to defend their evil deeds, they are angered if one rebukes them … Such as these, crushed under the weight of a habit of sinning, are, as though buried in the tomb … That stone placed over the sepulcher is the tyrannical force of the habit which crushes the soul and does not allow it, either to arise or to breathe… Listen, then, dearest brethren and behave in such a way that those who live, live and those who are dead revive … Let all those dead people repent … Let those who live, preserve that life of theirs and let those who are dead, be quick to come back to life again!” – St Augustine (354-430) Bishop, Father and Doctor of Grace (Sermon 98).

(via One Minute Reflection – 6 September – ‘ … Symbols of three kinds of sinner … ‘ – AnaStpaul)

[orthodoxadventure]

The άνάλαβος (analavos) is the distinctive garment of a monk or a nun tonsured into the highest grade of Orthodox monasticism, the Great Schema, and is adorned with the instruments of the Passion of Christ. It takes its name from the Greek αναλαμβάνω (“to take up”), serving as a constant reminder to the one who wears it that he or she must “take up his cross daily” (Luke 9:23). The ornately-plaited Crosses that cover the analavos, the polystavrion (πολυσταύριον, from πολύς, “many,” and σταυρός, “Cross”) — a name often, though less accurately, also applied to the analavos — reminds the monastic that he or she is “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).

With regard to each image on the analavos, the rooster represents “the cock [that] crowed” (Matthew 26:74; Mark 14:68 Luke 22:60; John 18:27) after Saint Peter had “denied thrice” His Master and Lord (John 13:38).

The pillar represents the column to which Pilate bound Christ “when he scourged Him” (Mark 15:15) “by Whose stripes we were healed” (Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24).

The wreath garlanding the Cross represents the “crown of thorns” (Matthew 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:2) that “the soldiers platted” (John 19:2) and “put upon the head” (Matthew 27:29) of “God our King of old” (Psalm 73:13), Who freed man from having to contend against “thorns and thistles in the sweat of his brow” (Genesis 3:18-19).

The upright post and the traverse beam represent the stipes and the patibulum that formed “the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14), upon which “all day long He stretched forth His hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Isaiah 65:2; Romans 10:21).

The four spikes at the center of the Cross and the hammer beneath its base represent the “nails” (John 20:25) and hammer with which “they pierced” (Psalm 21:16; John 19:37) “His hands and His feet” (Luke 24:40). when they “lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32) Him Who “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us by nailing it to His Cross” (Colossians 2:14).

The base upon which the Cross stands represents “the place, which is called 'Calvary' (Luke 23:33), or 'Golgotha', that is to say, the Place of the Skull” (Matthew 27:33), “where they crucified Him” (John 19:18) Who “wrought salvation in the midst of the earth” (Psalm 73:13).

The skull and crossbones represent “the first man Adam” (I Corinthians 15:45), who by tradition “returned unto the ground” (Genesis 3:19) at this very spot, the reason that this place of execution, “full of dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27) became the place where “the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (I Corinthians 15:45).

The plaque on top of the Cross represents the titulus, the “title” (John 19:19-20), with “the superscription of His accusation” (Mark 15:26), which “Pilate wrote” (John 19:19) “and set up over His head” (Matthew 27:37); however, instead of “Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews” (John 19:19), which “was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew” (Luke 23:38), the three languages being an allusion to the Three Hypostases “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), this titulus reads, “The King of Glory” (Psalm 23:7-10), “for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:8).

The reed represents the “hyssop” (John 19:29) upon which was put “a sponge full of vinegar” (Mark 15:36), which was then “put to His mouth” (John 19:29) when in His “thirst they gave Him vinegar to drink” (Psalm 68:21), Him of Whom it was said that “all wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

The lance represents the “spear [that] pierced His side”; “and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34) from Him Who “took one of Adam's ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof" (Genesis 2:21) and Who “washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5).

The plaque at the bottom of the Cross represents the suppedaneum of Christ, “His footstool” (Psalm 98:5), “the place where His feet have stood” (Psalm 131:7). It is slanted because, according to one tradition, at the moment when “Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit” (Mark 15:37), He allowed a violent death spasm to convulse His legs, dislodging His footrest in such a manner that one end pointed upwards, indicating that the soul of the penitent thief, Saint Dismas, “the one on His right hand” (Mark 15:27) would be “carried up into Heaven” (Luke 24:51), while the other end, pointed downwards, indicated that the soul of the impenitent thief, Gestas, “the other on His left” (Mark 15:27), would “be thrust down to Hell” (Luke 10:15), showing that all of us, “the evil and the good, the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), “are weighed in the balance” (Ecclesiasticus 21:25) of the Cross of Christ.

The ladder and the pincers beneath the base of the Cross represent the means of deposition by which Saint Joseph of Arimathea, “a rich man” (Matthew 27:57) who “begged for the body of Jesus” (Matthew 27:58; Luke 23:52), “took it down” (Luke 23:53), so that as in body He descended from the Cross, so in soul “He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth” (Ephesians 4:9), “by which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison” (I Peter 3:19).

Through these instruments, “the Cross of Christ” (I Corinthians 1:17: Galatians 6:12; Philippians 3:18) became the “Tree of Life” (Genesis 2:9; 3:22, 24; Proverbs 3:18, 11:30; 13:12; 15:4; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14), by which the Lord Jesus reified His words that, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

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we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— (6:1b–2) 2Corinthians

2 Corinthians 6

Code: QA0297

The following is an excerpt from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on 2 Corinthians 6.

we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— (6:1b–2)

Paul’s use of the verb parakaloumen (urge; “plead”; “beg”) in the present tense reflects his constant, passionate concern for the Corinthians (cf. 2:8; 10:1; 1 Cor. 16:15–16). God’s ambassadors are privileged pleaders, begging their hearers to respond to the truth.

Specifically, Paul was urging the Corinthians not to receive the grace of God in vain; not to turn away from the gracious opportunity to hear the gospel of forgiveness he had so faithfully preached to them. He had poured his life into the Corinthians during his long stay in their city (Acts 18:11), pleading with them for the gospel and teaching the new converts how to grow in grace. But events in Corinth caused the apostle to fear that his intense labor had been for nothing. The church was riddled with sin, as Paul’s first inspired epistle to them reveals. False teachers, those wolves in sheep’s clothing both Jesus (Matt. 7:15) and Paul warned of (Acts 20:29), were luring many in the assembly away from the truth. This passionate concern for the Corinthians was behind what he wrote later:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. (2 Cor. 11:3–4)

Paul could not stand idly by and allow his diligent efforts to be undone. He could not permit his spiritual children (1 Cor. 4:15) to be deceived by a false gospel or led astray from the true path of sanctification. His duty before God, like that of all faithful ministers, was to exhort people not to receive the grace of God in vain. The apostle had given them the grace of God, as embodied in the truth of the gospel of grace, for their eternal benefit.

Paul was concerned first that the Corinthians not receive God’s grace in regard to salvation in vain. As in any church, not everyone in the Corinthian assembly was redeemed. Some had intellectual knowledge of the gospel but did not have saving faith. That is why Paul challenged them, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Cor. 13:5). Those in the congregation who were not regenerate were in grave danger of being deceived by the false teachers. To follow those preaching another Jesus, another Spirit, and another gospel would lead to a waste of their privilege and to spiritual ruin. Paul was similarly concerned about the Galatians.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (Gal. 1:6–9)

The Corinthians were also in danger of receiving God’s grace in vain with regard to sanctification. The legalists sought to turn them away from living in the power of the Spirit to living in the strength of the flesh. Paul chided the Galatians, also under assault by legalism, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:3). Sanctification, like justification, is a work of God. It does not come from legalistically conforming to an external set of rules but from a Spirit-generated, heartfelt love for and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of the unsaved Corinthians were being led astray by a false gospel of salvation by works. Others were saved, but legalistic false teaching was stunting their spiritual growth. In either case, the grace of God to them that sent Paul with the gospel was in danger of being nullified.

The corrupting influence of the false teachers hindered evangelism. That made the Corinthians’ defection all the more galling to Paul, for it was (and still is) the time for the ministry of reconciliation. To stress the urgency of this time, Paul quoted from Isaiah 49:8, where God declared, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.”

There is a time in God’s grace when He may be sought by sinners. The Lord warned the pre-Flood world, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” (Gen. 6:3). Isaiah 55:6 commands, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” Hosea warned that apostate Israel “will go with their flocks and herds to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn from them” (Hos. 5:6).

Repeating behold and now to emphasize his point, Paul declared that now is “the acceptable time,” “the day of salvation”   when God will listen to repentant sinners. Now, when the fields are ripe for the harvest (John 4:35), is not the time to waste gospel opportunity, or to be feeble, vacillating, or deceived by false teachers. It is the time to hold fast to the truth and faithfully proclaim it. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day,” Jesus admonished. “Night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).

Knowing the urgency of the times Paul, true to the urgency of his calling, passionately pleaded with the Corinthians not to let God’s grace in their lives be in vain.

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Faith and Belief

6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. — Galatians 3:6-14 | Cambridge Paragraph Bible (CAMB) The Cambridge Paragraph Bible of the Authorized English Version, by Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose, 1813-1891. Published by Cambridge University Press. Cross References: Genesis 4:11; Genesis 12:3; Genesis 15:6; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 24:1; Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 21:23; Deuteronomy 27:26; Habakkuk 2:4; Luke 19:9; John 8:39; Acts 2:33; Acts 5:30; Romans 1:17; Romans 4:3; Romans 4:9; Romans 7:10; Galatians 3:2

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Notes: In Galatians 3:6-14, Paul argues that people are justified before God by faith, not by following the law of Moses. Paul's message is that people gain right standing with God through faith, not by following religious rules.