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Measuring Your Progress as a Christian

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  How do I measure my Christian progress?  At times I become discouraged at my slow pace.  I keep making the same mistakes, or I go back to making mistakes I thought I was beyond. We've lived in our home for 8 years.  There is a tree in our front yard.  Looking at that tree this morning, I cannot tell any difference in how it looked 8 years ago, but if I look at photographs from back then, and now I can clearly see growth. Psalms 1:1-3 KJV Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper We are to be like trees and not like weeds which spring up quickly, and whither and soon die.  Our growth is to be...
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Unity

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  I’m involved in a study on unity in the Bible.  Yesterday I posted 22 Bible verses which spoke about unity.  This morning as I’m meditating on this, about how I do not believe that it is God’s will that the body of Christ, the Church, be so fragmented as it is. From Google: There are estimated to be more than 45,000 Christian denominations globally as of the early 2020s, a number that has grown significantly from around 500 in 1800. These groups range from large, established traditions like Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy to thousands of smaller, independent, or Protestant denominations. The forecast is that if this trend continues, that there will be 60,000 Christian denominations by 2050. What a horror this is.  Just a few verses regarding this: 2 Corinthians 13:11 KJV  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind , live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Acts 4:32 KJV  And the multitude of...
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Once Saved Always Saved NOT!

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  I'm continuing to do my study in Ezekiel on idols, and idolatry.  When I ran across this passage: Ezekiel 18:20-32 NLT  The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.   21  But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.  22  All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.   23  “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.  24  However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like ot...
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Idols

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First time doing a study on the word idol] in the Bible.  I was surprised to learn that there are 16 Hebrew words and 6 Greek words translated as such, which I believe is an indication that ‘idols’ are not easily defined.  They resist being put into a neat pigeon hole.  This may serve as a warning to us that idols can arise in unexpected places. I did a search for words in the KJV for words containing: idol], abomin], image].  These are the most common English words translated from the Hebrew, and Greek words for “idols”. There are 401 verses in the Bible and 484 instances where those words are found.  What greatly surprised me was that the book of Ezekiel contains 82 verses, and 98 matches of that total. Ezekiel = 1 of the 66 books of the Bible = 1.5% Ezekiel = 82 of the 401 Bible verses on idols, etc. =  20% I’ve read the Bible quite a number of times, but reading the Bible is very different from studying the Bible.  I never associated Ezekiel with i...
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The Foundations of Our Hope

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I've never done a study on hope until today. I was recently asked how to help someone have hope.   That question forced me to look into what hope means.  I found a key to be in this passage: Ephesians 2:11-12 NLT  Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.  12  In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. This verse presents the idea that there is a strong correlation between the covenant promises of God and hope.  The promises of God raise our expectations.  The promises of God fill us with hope.  No matter our present circumstance, the promises of God birth in us with joy and hope. Romans 15:13 ...
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No Luck. . .

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  According to Google, depending on how you count them, there are between 783,137 to 789,629 words in the KJV Bible, and not a single one of them is "LUCK or LUCKY". These are not words found in the Bible. . . I catch myself sometimes saying, "that sure was lucky', before coming to God I would say that quite often. After coming to God, and seeing how He works, I'm not sure that pure luck exists. . . One of my favorite passages of the Bible: Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him. . . and He shall direct thy paths. Give Him credit. Don't give credit to random luck, when it is really the hand of God. . . "LUCK or LUCKY" are not words found in the Bible. . . Maybe they should also disappear from my vocabulary. . . I love You my Lord. . . For so long I was blind to the work of Your hands. ....
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Jezebel's Death Threat

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  I was listening to my audio Bible as I walked this afternoon, and I heard the passage in 1 Kings of the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  This is one of the great miracles in the Bible.  If you’re not familiar with it, it’s an exciting read. 1 Kings 18:38-40 KJV  Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.  39  And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.  40  And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. Elijah and the prophets of Baal have a contest to show which God is real.  Elijah/God wins, and Elijah has the prophets of Baal killed. The queen of the land Jezebel, a believer of Baal, is humiliated and furio...
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