sandieh

We continually need to ask forgiveness, because we continuosly sin, in word, thought or deed! Unforgiveness can block Gods blessing because by not doing so we are disobiedent to His command to forgive! Jesus said how can we expect God to forgive us, if we won't forgive others! Forgiveness frees us, unforgiveness imprisons us. This includes forgiving ourselves as well as others. Sometimes that is harder for me to do than it is to forgive someone else!! I had to work awhile on that one. But God in His goodness, set me free!!!

I can't speak for everyone but only for myself. I would rather be able to do for myself, because I want to. It is in us I think as humans to want to be self sufficent. Maybe that is part of the sin nature...interesting thought. We seek to be independent of God, because, surely He doesn't want to be bothered by us! He is much to busy doing God things, than to help me....But of course the truth is God does want us to ask, doesn't matter how trivial. If it's important to us then it's important to Him! We are to daily depend on God! Thank God we can earn a living for ourselves! So many can't even do that! There are handicapped people, and just plain poor people, everywhere in the world who can't "earn their living!" We ask God because it is His grace, mercy and goodness, that enables us...I ask because I am dependant on Him! Without Him where would I be? What would I have? I shudder to think of my life without Him! I know I lived without Him once, and it wasn't pretty!!!

When we pray "Your kingdom come" we are asking God's will be done in us, because the kingdom of God is within us! We want His will to be done, and His will is being done! We are in agreement with His will!! It makes me want to be in close communion with my Abba Father! So when He reveals His will to me I know it and am quick to obey! We also have to put into practice in our own lives what God says His will for us is! I need to be listening!!!!

Our life should reflect reverence and respect for our Father in Heaven. I have to confess that I probably have said "oh lord" or Oh my God, without even thinking of it as being disrespectful! But I repent of that right now! And ask the Lord to set watch over my tongue! When we pray it is "Hallowing" His Name when we do so recognizing that He is the awesome, merciful, loving, daddy that He is. And not take that lightly or without remembering that He is Holy and so should we be.

You know I ask myself that question alot! I have gotten a "word " from God on several occasions, to let go of the past. I think it keeps us looking back instead of looking forward, and we as christians need toi be moving forward always! I need to forget that I once was a sinner, hell bent on destruction! Now I am God's child and He has a plan and a purpose for me! I need to realize that it isn't about me at all, it's about Jesus!!!

Paul was saying that as the Phillipians had been faithful to meet his need, not just once, but time and time again, that God would then also be faithful to meet their needs! As he stated elsewhere, God gives seed to the sower! It means that as I am faithful to give to others, and in the tithe, that God will be faithful to meet my needs. Not "wants" nessecaryly, but needs!

Because they were faithful to give, they were reaping the same blessings as Paul, who was actually going! One helps the work finanicially, the other does the actual work. But it takes everyone doing their part, to get the job done right! The Bible says God gives seed to the sower, so if the church at Phillipi is faithful in giving then God will bless them with the seed!

I couldn't help but read the responses to this question before answering! I was amazed and impressed by some of them. Any doctrine, taken out of context, can threaten christian ministry. Especially if your expecting to get rich and you don't! Or healed and you don't, or.... We have to take all of scripture and not just part! Gods word has said, He will give seed to the sower! Are you a giver?? Then God will provide! Are you desireous of wealth for your own personal gain? The love of money is the root of all evil! Give me neither poverty or riches, but what you would have me to have Lord! That is what the Bible teaches. He will meet our needs according to His riches! Doesn't say with money! Paul knew both how to do without and to have plenty, and in both he gave thanks!! May we also as we grow in Him learn both how to be abased and to abound! Always giving thanks to our Heavenly Father from whom comes every spiritual gift!!

Pauls basis for commitment was his faith in Gods ability to do whatever He said He would! He has seen God's power and faithfulness demonstrated many times! This does not make him complacent however, but all the more determined to press on, having already counted everything else loss, except for Jesus Christ! We too must learn to Trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge Him, as He directs our path!!

The basis of Pauls contentment is his faith in God. He knows that no matter what his outward condition, God is with him, and will not put more upon him than he can bear! He knows that whatever is going on he is enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit to stand!! This is not a "settling for" mentality, but rarher one of trusting God to provide, when the need is greatest. It does not have anything to do with ambition, Paul has already counted everything else loss, that he might gain Christ! The same sort of faith and trust Paul is demonstrating is what we need! Being sure of this very thing! That He who has promised is able!!

I can reply to the first part of this question, from recent experience. When time came for me to give up a bad habit, I had to practice "mind control" to get past it! But it worked! I started to think about something else instead! I have learned how important it is to lead every thought captive into obiedence to Jesus! And it works!! Praise the Lord!! I am focusing on the author and finisher of my faith! And He always causes me to triumph!! It's working great. I wish I had learned this years ago!!

Because we know that we can go to God with anything, at anytime, for whatever reason!! And as we begin to see God's answers to these prayers, our faith in Him grows stronger, and deeper. We realize that God is on our side. Even if we pray and the answer isn't what we think it should be, we know God KNOWS what He is doing, and we trust Him!!! Gods part in the promise of peace, is to garrison and mount guard over our hearts(amp. vers.)to keep us in that perfect peace!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The presence of thanksgiving in a prayer request carries with it, an attitude of gratefullness. When we know that God hears us and cares about what we have to say, and will give us whatever we ask according to His will, how can we keep thanksgiving out of it? Thanksgiving, strenghtens our faith! Because we have answered prayer to back up any current requests! And this also means that even if the answer is No that we accept that with thanksgiving as well because we know He knows best!

Rejoicinng in the Lord, is an attitude of the heart. We should rejoice that our names are written in the Lambs book of life, that Jesus died for our sins, that God loves us! I had to sit here and pray Lord open my heart to that joy! Because I don't often feel it any more! It was good to be reminded that it isn't "about a feeling". Its a fact!! The effect of rejoicing would be peace!

How could one have a relationship with someone without faith in that person? Especially one you can't see with your eyes? You can only know Jesus in your heart and through your spirit! No you can't have one without the other! I am on a quest to deeprn my relationship with Jesus! Sometimes you can get so caught up in daily life that time spent with Him can suffer! But I need Him and more of Him! Because without Him what do I have?

Righteousness that comes by faith, is the realization, that it's not what we have done, but what Jesus did! My church knows the importance of the relationship with our Lord, not just ritual observance. I don't know if society in general knows what to believe about "the church" if they aren't going themselves, then all they know is what they hear, and alot of it isn't good. Of course the devil is a liar! We are so used to having to prove ourselves to someone, work our way up the ladder, etc....that the idea that we are justified because of Jesus! Is just to easy! But I am glad it is so..because without Him, I could never measure up!

Paul had the "religious credintials" to make him a person of importance to the jewish community. How ever it wasn't religion that was important to Paul, it was his relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything he had learned as a Pharisee, was of no use to him, because the old had passed away and the new had come! I was a Jehovah,s Witness before being born again, and I had a lot of junk that had to be undone, as the reality of God and Jesus Christ began to become more real to me. Religion, is an observance. Relationship, is real! Thats what we have with Jesus!

Paul could ask others to imitate him, because, he followed God closely, and knew there was no reproach to his walk. We may hesitate to say this about ourselves because we question ourselves to much! I know I look to others and seek to imitate them in their walk! How else could I ever learn to do it just right? I thank God for christians worth imitating!

I can't say that I see much confidence in the flesh at my church. I don't know their hearts as God does, but what my eyes see, is a church totally dependent on God and looking to Him for His direction!! I on the other hand may sometimes fall into this trap. But it doesn't take me but a minute to realize that "I can't" only God "can". And knowing that the burden is on Him and He alone, then releases me to trust in, rely on, and totally look to Him for His direction, and His plan and purpose. Because God never fails, I rest in the assurance that whatever He is doing, I am but His instrument, and the work is accomplished as He would have it. My own endeavors fizzle, God's always come to pass!!! Thank God!! Because He is! And He knows what He's doing!

In Proverbs 3, we are told to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding, in all our ways (even in the midst of diffficulty) we are to acknowledge Him and He will direct our path! If we are truly trusting in Him, then our faith is in Him and we know that He is in control. I went through five years in prison, and it was no one but me and my Lord! He showed me daily that He was with me. And even though I had to go through the fire, He never left my side. Thats why I believe!

You are more credible when undergoing personal struggles and problems, because others can then see you living out your faith in God, and in His promises. Pauls witness is so powerful because he continued to trust the Lord, and use his time wisely and well. Never hesitating to share the gospel with whomever he was around.

We become much more credible, when how we relate to our own struggles, line up with what we say, and believe about God. Is He in this with me, or not? Our reponse to struggles demonstrate our belief in His nearness, and faithfulness to see us through...meeting what needs may need to be met, or just strenghtening us through the trial. Pauls witness was so powerful because he used it as his reason and his oppurtunity to continue to preach, not only to other believers, but to his very captors themselves. Thus making the most out of what appeared to be a bad situation. This ministry that I am starting has been met with opposition, from the very person who urged me to start it. Instead of being diappointed in them, I can be grateful, that God used them to get me going!! I never wanted to be a pew sitter, yet that is what I had become. Now I am active in jail and soon to be, prison, ministry. And I am not just sitting in the pew anymore!

Paul was confident, that God would complete that which He had began. The work that God was and is doing in every believer! Why was he so confident? Because He had already worked in Paul!! So he could speak from experience. Not only did he know himself, what God had done in him, he also witnessed the work being done in others! We can have this same confidence, because God always finishes what He starts!

We will be rewarded as they are rewarded. Because our financial help is as important as our actually going out to missions. The other kind of help, and just as important, is our prayers.

We become literally partners with them in the mission field, by the assistance we give. Out of this partnership we recieve spiritual blessings, as well as the knowledge that we have helped send out someone to share the trurh of the gospel with others