According to Merriam-Webster dictionary a hypocrite is:
1) "a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion."
2) "a person who acts in contraction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings."
The Bible also speaks about hypocrisy:
Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of saw dust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
Matthew 6:2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full."
As hard as it is, we must be careful not to judge people. It's possible we saw them at their worst moment. And if we are honest with ourselves, we are all hypocrites... Some are just more obvious than others. We sin every single day and the only way we are saved is through God's grace and forgiveness.
*Many times, those who we think are hypocrites are really just sinners; we only catch them while they are sinning. Now ask this question to yourself: "Am I a sinner?" Answer is YES, because Jesus Christ was the only sinless man. Now all of the sudden, WE put ourselves in the same category as those hypocrites we were judging!
Take a look at what the Bible says about judging:
James 4:12 "There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"
Matthew 7:1-2 "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you."
How to we keep from judging???
- We love them.
We are called to love others and forgive them.
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Challenge:
This week try to show love towards people, even in the midst of their sin. Show them that your not judging them and you truly do care. It will not go unnoticed.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
How to Hear God
It's easy to talk, but hard to listen.
The key to hearing God is to learn His voice. God talks to each of us differently- it may be a literal voice we hear, or it may be a subtle inspirational thought we seemed to get "out of nowhere". There's a couple steps I would recommend if you really and truly want to have a relationship with God and know when He talks to you.
1. PRAY - Prayer helps a lot more than anyone realizes. God values our thoughts and reasons, talk to Him about your concerns!
2. QUIET - Have you ever tried to listen to someone while your cooking dinner, talking on the phone, and helping your child with a project all at the same time??? You probably won't get much out of the conversation because your so busy! It's the same way with God. He may be talking to us, but all the other "noise" drowns Him out to where we don't hear a thing! Try to make time to just sit, relax, and listen to your creator.
3. LISTEN - It's very hard to listen. And how do we know it's God's voice? I would ask some of these questions to know if it's truly from God: a) Does it line up with scripture? b) Would it hurt other people? c) Would this bring glory to God and ultimately help other people?
As you make everything else more quiet, God's voice becomes loud and clear.
4. PRAY AGAIN - We should always maintain some type of communication with God throughout our day, it really helps. He provides insight and knowledge! Pray again and just simply ask God to show you what to do. He will answer and guide you.
NOTE: We shouldn't treat God like a magic genie. There are some people out there that pray for God to show them the winning lottery ticket numbers... We need to think about what we are asking. Playing the lottery is gambling, which is wrong. Do you really think God will promote you doing something that is sinning against Him to begin with??? And also, winning the lottery is usually detrimental to a person and family because it brings so much wealth in a short period of time that people cannot handle the money and end up losing it all in a few short years. Please realize that God loves you so much that He knows what is best for you and for your soul, we just need to respect Him for who He is.
The key to hearing God is to learn His voice. God talks to each of us differently- it may be a literal voice we hear, or it may be a subtle inspirational thought we seemed to get "out of nowhere". There's a couple steps I would recommend if you really and truly want to have a relationship with God and know when He talks to you.
1. PRAY - Prayer helps a lot more than anyone realizes. God values our thoughts and reasons, talk to Him about your concerns!
2. QUIET - Have you ever tried to listen to someone while your cooking dinner, talking on the phone, and helping your child with a project all at the same time??? You probably won't get much out of the conversation because your so busy! It's the same way with God. He may be talking to us, but all the other "noise" drowns Him out to where we don't hear a thing! Try to make time to just sit, relax, and listen to your creator.
3. LISTEN - It's very hard to listen. And how do we know it's God's voice? I would ask some of these questions to know if it's truly from God: a) Does it line up with scripture? b) Would it hurt other people? c) Would this bring glory to God and ultimately help other people?
As you make everything else more quiet, God's voice becomes loud and clear.
4. PRAY AGAIN - We should always maintain some type of communication with God throughout our day, it really helps. He provides insight and knowledge! Pray again and just simply ask God to show you what to do. He will answer and guide you.
NOTE: We shouldn't treat God like a magic genie. There are some people out there that pray for God to show them the winning lottery ticket numbers... We need to think about what we are asking. Playing the lottery is gambling, which is wrong. Do you really think God will promote you doing something that is sinning against Him to begin with??? And also, winning the lottery is usually detrimental to a person and family because it brings so much wealth in a short period of time that people cannot handle the money and end up losing it all in a few short years. Please realize that God loves you so much that He knows what is best for you and for your soul, we just need to respect Him for who He is.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Are We Just Average Christians?
A wise person once told me, "being average is the top of the bottom, and the bottom of the top". We are called to be the light of the world. We need to stand out as Christians. How can we do that if we are just an average person?
"So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:16
We are called to be different.
"You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?" - Matthew 7:16
This "fruit" is referring to the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control..."
The only way we can truly be different is by the help of Jesus Christ in our lives. God did not call us to be average, He called us to be extraordinary. How do we get there??? Sincerely praying to God and asking Him to show you where you can improve your life and what changes need to be made. He will guide your steps and help you in becoming the man or woman you've always wanted to be!
If you have not yet made the decision to follow God, I encourage you to go to our partner website: www.theprayerpeople.org
"So, because you are lukewarm- neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:16
We are called to be different.
"You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?" - Matthew 7:16
This "fruit" is referring to the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control..."
The only way we can truly be different is by the help of Jesus Christ in our lives. God did not call us to be average, He called us to be extraordinary. How do we get there??? Sincerely praying to God and asking Him to show you where you can improve your life and what changes need to be made. He will guide your steps and help you in becoming the man or woman you've always wanted to be!
If you have not yet made the decision to follow God, I encourage you to go to our partner website: www.theprayerpeople.org
Monday, October 24, 2011
Prayer
Is prayer actually important???
YES. Praying is our line of communication to God. If we want a relationship to do well, we must communicate. It's the same way, but with God. If we open our hearts and talk to God, He hears us and helps us.
Romans 10:13 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved".
James 5:13-14 says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord".
These are just two references, but the Bible has many more. Most people only pray to God when they have problems and are scared, however, I encourage you to stay in constant communication with God and allow Him to guide and direct your thoughts and decisions. You will begin to have real joy and understanding!
YES. Praying is our line of communication to God. If we want a relationship to do well, we must communicate. It's the same way, but with God. If we open our hearts and talk to God, He hears us and helps us.
Romans 10:13 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved".
James 5:13-14 says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord".
These are just two references, but the Bible has many more. Most people only pray to God when they have problems and are scared, however, I encourage you to stay in constant communication with God and allow Him to guide and direct your thoughts and decisions. You will begin to have real joy and understanding!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Why do bad things happen?
Why do bad things happen?
This question was asked over and over after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in the United States. The reality is that bad things happen to everyone. This is the result of a world that is very corrupt and far from God. Our society almost considers "bad things" to be in different levels. As an example, it starts out small with a lie or cheating on a test. Then, you might have theft or vandalism. Then there may be something really serious like rape. After that, it could escalate to something like murder.
We are so quick to blame God, and say "How could You let this happen???", but it's really not God's fault, its the result of a sinful world. However, in Romans 8:28 He says, "All things work together for good to them that love God". Oftentimes, we don't understand the situation and we question why we must deal with these problems, but one day we will understand that it all worked out according to His plan for our lives.
Our ways are different than God's ways. We will never completely understand why God allows certain things to happen, but we do need to trust that He will guide us through it! In our own lives, it may be to build our character and help others through our testimony? Or maybe someone saw what you were going through and became a Christian? Remember, God created you, and He wants the best for you!
This question was asked over and over after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 in the United States. The reality is that bad things happen to everyone. This is the result of a world that is very corrupt and far from God. Our society almost considers "bad things" to be in different levels. As an example, it starts out small with a lie or cheating on a test. Then, you might have theft or vandalism. Then there may be something really serious like rape. After that, it could escalate to something like murder.
We are so quick to blame God, and say "How could You let this happen???", but it's really not God's fault, its the result of a sinful world. However, in Romans 8:28 He says, "All things work together for good to them that love God". Oftentimes, we don't understand the situation and we question why we must deal with these problems, but one day we will understand that it all worked out according to His plan for our lives.
Our ways are different than God's ways. We will never completely understand why God allows certain things to happen, but we do need to trust that He will guide us through it! In our own lives, it may be to build our character and help others through our testimony? Or maybe someone saw what you were going through and became a Christian? Remember, God created you, and He wants the best for you!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Decision-Making
Making the right decisions is much harder than we like to admit. These decisions might be: "Is this girl/guy right for me?", "Should I buy this house?", "Do I get a divorce?", "Am I supposed to find another job?", etc. We make decisions for everything, but it seems like for the BIG decisions, we need help...
1. Pray.
This first step is hard. Sometimes we feel like we don't want to bother God with our problems? Other times, we are so busy that we completely forget about praying. It's easy to get distracted, but this is the most important step. I encourage you to just ask God, "What decision would be best for me and also bring honor to You?".
2. Ask Questions.
If we want the best for ourselves, we need to ask questions and fully comprehend what's going on. Questions give us knowledge, which lead to better decision-making. We can ask God, "Is this from You?". And we can ask ourselves, "What does the Bible say about this?". It seems like no matter how many times you open the Bible, it teaches you something. If you disagree, maybe you should try a different translation?
3. Listen.
Listen to what God says! When you have so many different things going on at once, it makes God's voice seem REALLY quiet. Go and just find a place that is quiet and listen. Also, it's always a good idea to seek wise Christian counsel.
4. What's Natural?
Which decision your about to make comes most natural to you? As an example, if your terrified of needles and blood, its probably not a great idea to become a doctor. God made us all unique, if your especially gifted in math and you enjoy it, maybe God designed you to be an accountant? Consider spending some time weighing all your options and seeing which fits you best.
As I said above, the most important step is praying. If we ask, God can give us guidance to handle any and every situation.
1. Pray.
This first step is hard. Sometimes we feel like we don't want to bother God with our problems? Other times, we are so busy that we completely forget about praying. It's easy to get distracted, but this is the most important step. I encourage you to just ask God, "What decision would be best for me and also bring honor to You?".
2. Ask Questions.
If we want the best for ourselves, we need to ask questions and fully comprehend what's going on. Questions give us knowledge, which lead to better decision-making. We can ask God, "Is this from You?". And we can ask ourselves, "What does the Bible say about this?". It seems like no matter how many times you open the Bible, it teaches you something. If you disagree, maybe you should try a different translation?
3. Listen.
Listen to what God says! When you have so many different things going on at once, it makes God's voice seem REALLY quiet. Go and just find a place that is quiet and listen. Also, it's always a good idea to seek wise Christian counsel.
4. What's Natural?
Which decision your about to make comes most natural to you? As an example, if your terrified of needles and blood, its probably not a great idea to become a doctor. God made us all unique, if your especially gifted in math and you enjoy it, maybe God designed you to be an accountant? Consider spending some time weighing all your options and seeing which fits you best.
As I said above, the most important step is praying. If we ask, God can give us guidance to handle any and every situation.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Loneliness
Being lonely is NOT fun. We have all felt this way at times, but it is really just our outlook on the situation that differentiates "being lonely" and "being alone". As we go throughout the day, let's try and confront our loneliness and say "No, I refuse to act this way". Just as we all need time with other people, we all need time to ourselves. I encourage you to embrace this loneliness and change your mindset to just "being by yourself" and enjoy this time of peace and quiet!
Psalm 68:6 says, "God places the lonely in families." (God's Word Translation)
Psalm 147:3 says, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
If we turn and talk to God while we are lonely, He really helps us feel better about ourselves. Out of every single bad situation, try to find at least one positive thing. God is always with us, even when we feel depressed, distant, and lonely. If you start looking for Him, you WILL find Him.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Jobs
With today's economy, it seems like we all live in fear. Fear of the stock market dropping, fear of our local businesses losing money, and fear of losing our job. God does not want us to live in fear. Psalm 23:4 says "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Our enemies know the impact our jobs have on us. They know that losing our job directly impacts our whole life: time, money, stress, health, happiness, etc. Keeping this in mind, we can only lean towards God to guide us in keeping our current job or finding a new job. If you recently lost your job, it may just be because God has a better job waiting for you, and this was just one of the steps that needed to happen? We do not understand God's plan for our lives, if He revealed everything that was going to happen all at once, we might be terrified or get stubborn. That is why He chooses to let certain steps take place one at a time and allow us to build up our character and life experiences to be the best person possible for Him.
If your unemployed, DON'T give up! Sometimes things are the worst before they get better. If you continue to look, God WILL bless you with a job. And as you continue to work at that job for Him, you will continue to be blessed far more than you ever thought.
Side note: if you are currently not tithing, try it and see how God moves in your life! I bet even the first week will somehow benefit you!
Our enemies know the impact our jobs have on us. They know that losing our job directly impacts our whole life: time, money, stress, health, happiness, etc. Keeping this in mind, we can only lean towards God to guide us in keeping our current job or finding a new job. If you recently lost your job, it may just be because God has a better job waiting for you, and this was just one of the steps that needed to happen? We do not understand God's plan for our lives, if He revealed everything that was going to happen all at once, we might be terrified or get stubborn. That is why He chooses to let certain steps take place one at a time and allow us to build up our character and life experiences to be the best person possible for Him.
If your unemployed, DON'T give up! Sometimes things are the worst before they get better. If you continue to look, God WILL bless you with a job. And as you continue to work at that job for Him, you will continue to be blessed far more than you ever thought.
Side note: if you are currently not tithing, try it and see how God moves in your life! I bet even the first week will somehow benefit you!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Money
Cash is king right? Wrong.
Money is NOT bad, but it has the potential to be.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Keywords: "Some people" and "wandered from the faith"
Money is the one thing in this world that can get you nearly anything you would want (materially). That's why it is such a powerful tool. A tool that can be used by God or Satan. Power and money go hand-in-hand. Seems like the more money you have, the more power you have; and the more power you have, the more money you have. They are almost interchangeable. Look at 1 Timothy 6:10 above, one of the keywords is "Some people". Some people is not everyone. Not everybody can handle wealth. The verse goes on to say that these "some people" have "wandered from the faith". These people essentially caused more problems for themselves by chasing money. Let's think outside our little box and imagine God's point of view. He wants to have a relationship with us, if money is going to cause us to "wander from the faith", do you think He would want us to have money? I'm thinking not, but Satan sure does, and there are times God allows it.
If your considering becoming a Christian, and you think that all Christians have to sell all their toys and give everything away, your wrong. "Some people" who become saved, feel led by God to do this. Its not because God wants their money, He doesn't need it at all. Its because He wants their heart...
However... as i said, those "some people" is not everyone. It almost seems like God tests us with money. He gives us some blessings to see how we use them.
Luke 19:26
"...to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
Proverbs 10:4
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
CHALLENGE:
For the next 7 days, I challenge you to tithe and give 10% of your income to your local church. No matter how difficult that is, God will bless you.
Comment below and let us know how God has helped you in your time of need!
Money is NOT bad, but it has the potential to be.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Keywords: "Some people" and "wandered from the faith"
Money is the one thing in this world that can get you nearly anything you would want (materially). That's why it is such a powerful tool. A tool that can be used by God or Satan. Power and money go hand-in-hand. Seems like the more money you have, the more power you have; and the more power you have, the more money you have. They are almost interchangeable. Look at 1 Timothy 6:10 above, one of the keywords is "Some people". Some people is not everyone. Not everybody can handle wealth. The verse goes on to say that these "some people" have "wandered from the faith". These people essentially caused more problems for themselves by chasing money. Let's think outside our little box and imagine God's point of view. He wants to have a relationship with us, if money is going to cause us to "wander from the faith", do you think He would want us to have money? I'm thinking not, but Satan sure does, and there are times God allows it.
If your considering becoming a Christian, and you think that all Christians have to sell all their toys and give everything away, your wrong. "Some people" who become saved, feel led by God to do this. Its not because God wants their money, He doesn't need it at all. Its because He wants their heart...
However... as i said, those "some people" is not everyone. It almost seems like God tests us with money. He gives us some blessings to see how we use them.
Luke 19:26
"...to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
Proverbs 10:4
Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
CHALLENGE:
For the next 7 days, I challenge you to tithe and give 10% of your income to your local church. No matter how difficult that is, God will bless you.
Comment below and let us know how God has helped you in your time of need!
Relationships
It seems like relationships have the power to make us the most happy people in the world, or the most depressed. They have an overwhelming power over us and our attitude, that is why we must be careful how much we let relationships affect us. When we go through these hard times, we tend to tell God, "I need him because he makes me happy" or "God, i need this girl!". We act as if we know more than God does, and we know who would be best for us. The reality is, our "best" may just be average for God's "best". If we truly commit to following Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives, we will find ourselves in a relationship that is better than any of us could even imagine!
God designed us to have relationships, not only with our spouse and friends, but with Him. Sometimes I think, "Whenever i'm longing for that person to call or show interest in me, I bet God feels the same way... but only wanting ME to show interest in HIM." God loves us A LOT. Some of you are dealing with a spouse or bf/gf cheating on you. That is such a hard thing to go through, there are so many emotions involved and the feeling that they don't love you. It kind of makes me wonder, what if... every time we deliberately disobeyed God or put other things before Him, He felt like we were cheating on Him??? We do that all the time... And He still loves us. If you read the Home page of www.theprayerpeople.org it talks a little bit more about His love - specifically when Peter denied Jesus.
Someone once told me, "the grass isn't greener on the other side, it's greener where you water it" As you all live your daily lives, remember, God is always with us. He hears YOUR prayers and knows exactly what your going through. Just as steel needs to go through fire to get purified, we need to go through our own "fires" for God to purify us!
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