Blessing and curse

 Blessing and Curse 

Exodus 23:32-33 “You shall make no [a]covenant with them, nor with their gods.  They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

1. Here we find that God is informing Th Israel when He was taking them to Canon (promised Land), God gave them a clearcut direction to not to make covenant with the people of Canaan. Covenant here means (covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other). Friendship with unbeliever means to have some emotional binding, some sort of binding or liking because of which one make friends and share with him/her themselves their emotions/feelings and have friendly talk and vice versa. That way we automatically share with them not only our feeling, emotion but their faith and gods and this way exchange our feeling, emotions. If we do that, we automatically share with them their gods also. 

2. We are in the kingdom of God and unbelievers are in the kingdom of darkness and hence not match.

3. Bible says we are called to have “Ephesians 5:11 – "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness…" II Corinthians 6:14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers..."

4. What is the cause of curse in believer’s life mentioned in “Deuteronomy 28:15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

5. There are 54 curses mentioned in the Deuteronomy 28:15. We must read and identify if any curse is there and if it is there we must confess (say as it and give up such relation) to Lord and ask for His forgiveness. 

6. Moreover, we cannot walk in the territory of God and in the same time in the territory of Satan and if we are doing the same then it would be very dangerous. 

7. We are now children of light and we are to share only our faith without contaminating ourselves with the faith of unbelievers. And our God will change them and make them children of light like ourselves.

8. Many things we decided that it is good and bad with our mind but that may not be true. We have to see good and bad in the light of the word of God (Bible) and then decide. 

1:19 says. “Peter Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked”.

Our walk is to line up with our calling. We are to walk in unity (4:1-16), we are to walk in holiness (4:17-32), we are to walk in love (5:1-6).

May God bless you richly 

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Should saved have friendship with unsaved

                         Should saved have friendship with unsaved

 1 John 5:19, We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one, In 1 Corinthians 4:4 devil is mentioned as god of this age, John 12:31 ruler of this world and accuser in Revelation 12:9-10, He is our “adversary who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) , the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).

  This shows that this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities. World here means people of this world which are not saved / re-generated by our Lord Jesus.

 The “good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18) is that which includes the daily resistance of this enemy (1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7), the daily refusal to give him an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27), and the daily stand against his schemes (Ephesians 6:11).

 The purpose of the wicked one mentioned in John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

 As mentioned above Devil is called wicked, God of this age, ruler of the world, accuser and the adversary and that means we are living in the land of the wicked one and land of our enemy. We are saved from the wicked world which is under the power of the wicked one and we now do not belong to this world.

 Should we have friendship with the world/ people of this world which would means un-equally yoked, unequally joined with the power of darkness then we are in danger.

 The book of Proverbs has a few wise verses on believers befriending non-believers: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Proverbs 12:26). We should stay away from foolish people (Proverbs 13:20, 14:7), from people who lose their temper easily (Proverbs 22:24), and from the rebellious (Proverbs 24:21). All these things represent those who have not been saved. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). First Corinthians 15:33 tells us that bad company corrupts good character. Unbelievers are slaves to sin being under the power of wicked one (John 8:34), and Christians are slaves to God (1 Corinthians 7:22).

If we become deeply involved (either by friendship or a romantic relationship) with non-Christians, we are setting ourselves up for turmoil. It can (and does often) cause the Christian to stumble in his walk, fall back into a sinful life, and also turn others away from God (by misrepresenting God and Christianity).

Another detrimental effect of closeness with unbelievers is our tendency to water down the truths of Scripture so as to not offend them. There are difficult truths in the Word of God, truths such as judgment and hell. When we minimize or ignore these doctrines or try to “soft pedal” them, in essence we are calling God a liar for the sake of those already in the grasp of Satan. This is not evangelism.

Although these close relationships are not recommended, it does not mean we turn our noses up and ignore unbelievers, either. Second Timothy 2:24-26 tells us that as servants of the Lord, we are to be kind. We should gently teach those who oppose the truth, and be patient with difficult people but not friends. Matthew 5:16 tells us, “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father.” So walk as children of light and so shine that they also see the light.

God Bless you.

What does the Bible say about Christian character?

 LWhat does the Bible say about Christian character?

ANSWER:  Ralf Waldo Emerson a renowned philosopher writes:

„Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny. “

Character is defined as strength of moral Nature. A.W. Tozer described character as “the excellence of moral beings.” As the excellence of gold is its purity and the excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man is his character. Persons of character are noted for their honesty, ethics, and charity. Descriptions such as “man of principle” and “woman of integrity” are assertions of character. A lack of character is moral deficiency, and persons lacking character tend to behave dishonestly, unethically, and uncharitably.

A person’s character is the sum of his or her disposition, thoughts, intentions, desires, and actions. It is good to remember that character is measured by general tendencies, not on the basis of a few isolated actions. We must look at the whole life. For example, King David was a man of good character (1 Samuel 13:14) although he sinned on occasion (2 Samuel 11). And although King Ahab may have acted nobly once (1 Kings 22:35), he was still a man of overall bad character (1 Kings 16:33). Several people in the Bible are described as having noble character: Ruth (Ruth 3:11), Hanani (Nehemiah 7:2), David (Psalm 78:72), and Job (Job 2:3). These individuals’ lives were distinguished by persistent moral virtue.

Character is influenced and developed by our choices. Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” in Babylon (Daniel 1:8), and that godly choice was an important step in formulating an unassailable integrity in the young man’s life. Character, in turn, influences our choices. “The integrity of the upright guides them” (Proverbs 11:3). Character will help us weather the storms of life and keep us from sin (Proverbs 10:9).

It is the Lord’s purpose to develop character within us. “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart” (Proverbs 17:3). Godly character is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification. Character in the believer is a consistent manifestation of Jesus in his life. It is the purity of heart that God gives becoming purity in action. God sometimes uses trials to strengthen character: “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). The Lord is pleased when His children grow in character. “You test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (1 Chronicles 29:17; see also Psalm 15:1-2).

We can develop character by controlling our thoughts (Philippians 4:8), practicing Christian virtues (2 Peter 1:5-6), guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:18-20), and keeping good company (1 Corinthians 15:33). Men and women of character will set a good example for others to follow, and their godly reputation will be evident to all (Titus 2:7-8).

The Man/woman of God Pursue Godly Character:-

 The Man/woman of God Pursue Godly Character:-

Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Am I lead by the word of God /Holy Spirit or 5 senses (sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing). Leading by the word of God will help to create Godly Character and leading by the 5 senses will enable us to walk in flesh.

1 Timothy 6:11

Not only is the man of God known by what he flees (from sin) but by what he pursues (Godly Character). Paul lists six godly character traits that the man of God pursues. The word “pursue” is sometimes translated “persecute.” It refers to eagerness and diligence in going after something. It implies that godly character doesn’t happen overnight. It is something that a person continually works at for the rest of his life.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity.” Perseverance marks the righteous. They won’t live in sin; they won’t accept defeat; they fall, but they just keep getting back up. They are in pursuit of looking like their Lord Jesus.

Am I pursing godly character?

What are the six-character traits Paul lists and how do we pursue them?

1.Righteousness doesn’t refer to the believer’s imputed righteousness which we receive from Christ at salvation but outward righteousness. Because God saved us and made us righteous, believers should pursue a lifestyle of righteousness (Eph.2:10). This includes, but is not limited to, serving others, caring for the neglected, evangelizing the lost, discipling believers, and worshiping God. The man of God is in constant pursuit of these things.

2.Godliness can be translated God-likeness. The word has the connotation of reverence for God. It focuses on inward qualities instead of outward ones. A godly person has a holy reverence about them—desiring to honour, please, and reflect God in everything.

3.Faithfulness could mean dependability. The man of God is trustworthy in his endeavours. His yes means yes and his no means no. Or it could mean “faith” daily depending on God as we abide in him and seek his face ( John 15:5). The man of God knows that on his own, he can do nothing, so he constantly abides in God’s Word and prayer. He has great faith in God. Are you pursuing greater faithfulness and greater faith?

4.Love is the Greek word “agape”—referring to godlike love. Often in our culture we think that one shouldn’t have to work at love it just happens. We just “fall in love,” as it is effortless. However, that is not true of biblical love. It is an act of the will that takes work and sacrifice. God commands us to not only love our neighbour but to love our enemy. We must work to love our enemy—we must stretch ourselves. It’s the same with loving others. Are you pursuing love?

5.Endurance in the Greek means to “bear up under” something. It is how the man of God strives to go through trials and difficulties. Our natural response to trials is to quit or give up, but enduring bears gracious fruits in our lives. Romans 5:3-4 says we should rejoice in suffering because it produces perseverance (or endurance), perseverance creates character, and character hope. Sadly, instead of enduring, most waste the grace in trials by complaining, getting angry at people, and angry at God. If we endure, God can develop character in our lives through trials.

6.Gentleness refers to our response to difficult people. Instead of responding in anger or with impatience, the man of God seeks to respond in a gentle manner. It has the connotation of power under control. How do you respond to difficult people?

Are you pursuing godly character? God has kept on earth, among the saved and unsaved people, to enable us to learn the Godly Character required to live in heaven and also teach other about Godly character. Am I constantly working on it. Remember It doesn’t just happen—it must be continually pursued so that the worldly Character which is erected or constructed by us due to our wrongful thinking, patters and habits be erased and new one as per the word of God, be over written on our mind.

God bless you

“Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him”. (Ecclesiastes 10:8)

                     “Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him”.           

                     (Ecclesiastes 10:8)

 

To be bitten by a snake can be deadly; the poison, if not treated, can be lethal. God puts His hedge of protection around your life; however, you can cause little breaks to appear, little holes through which the enemy of souls can come in by his cunning craftiness, then fix his poisoned fangs onto you, sinking into the very fabric of your spiritual life.

How can you break a hedge?

You can break a hedge by wrong ungodly attitudes

You can break a hedge by having sinful thoughts and ways

You can break a hedge by having unforgiveness

You can break a hedge by backsliding

You can break a hedge through disobedience to the will of God.

There is a story in the Old Testament of the people of Israel who, because of their sinful ways, were bitten by poisonous snakes. This is what God told Moses what to do in Numbers 21:7 to 8, “The people came to Moses and said, ‘We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.’ So, Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, ‘Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.’”

Look upon the cross of Calvary and live, look to Jesus, by faith, and live. If the serpent has bitten you, if sin has had a hold on your life, the cure is found in Jesus Christ. Someone once said, “Life is short, death is sure, sin the cause, Christ the cure.”

My friend, how can you fix up the hedge? How do you restore His protection over your life? Repent before the Lord, and ask His forgiveness if you have sinned. Let Him restore the broad wall, let Him repair your spiritual hedge, and let Him fill the break in the hedge by His love, mercy and grace. Walk in the spirit and you will not gratify the sinful desires of the flesh. As you do so you will walk in His victory. Today, may God cover you with His love, and may He restore your hedge of protection. So instead of the serpents of sin fixing their fangs on you and biting you because of the breakage in the hedge because of sin, embrace God’s forgiveness, so you may walk in victory over sin and crush the enemy ( the serpent of sin) under your feet.

God bless you

What does the Bible say about FATE / DESTINY?

This is a very complex issue, and we will start with what the Bible does not teach. Fate is usually thought of as a predetermined course of events beyond human control. if we can’t change destiny, then why even try? Whatever happens, happens, and we can’t do anything about it. This is called “FATALISM” and it is not Biblical.

Fatalism is a major premise of Islam, which demands total submission to the sovereignty of Allah. It is widely held in Hinduism, too. Greek mythology told of the Moirai, or the Fates, three goddesses pictured as weavers of men’s lives. Their decisions could not be cancelled or annulled, even by other gods. Again, fatalism is not a Biblical Concept.

Fate and destiny -Our free Will:

The Bible teaches that Man was created with the ability to make moral choices and that he is responsible for those choices. The Fall of Man was not a predetermined event in which Adam and Eve were helpless victims of a Puppet-Master God. On the contrary, Adam and his wife had the ability to choose obedience (with its attendant blessing) or disobedience (with its consequent curse). They knew what the result of their decision would be and they were held accountable. (Genesis 3 )

This theme of being held accountable for our choices continues throughout Scripture. “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble” (Proverbs 22:8a). “All hard work brings a profit, / but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will command you” (Romans 13:3).

Often, when the Bible speaks of destiny, it’s in reference to a destiny people have brought upon themselves: “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction” (Philippians 3:18-19). “This is the fate of those who trust in themselves” (Psalm 49:13). “A man who commits adultery lacks judgment; / whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32). “Each person was judged according to what he had done” (Revelation 20:13).

 We sin because we choose to. We can’t blame “Fate,” kismet, predestination, or God. James 1:13-14 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”

Interestingly, many people who choose to sin are annoyed by the negative consequences of their sin. “A man’s own folly ruins his life, / yet his heart rages against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3). This is a very insightful verse. When a man foolishly wrecks his life, he may yet insist on blaming God, or perhaps “Fate.” In this way, he persists in his folly.

Scripture also teaches that we choose to have faith. The oft-repeated command in Scripture to believe implies that we do have a choice in the matter. “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27; see also Acts 16:31; 19:4).

Fate and Destiny -God’s Sovereignty:

Lest we get the wrong idea, we are not the sovereign masters of our fate. Only God is sovereign. His sovereign control is called “providence.” He has chosen to give us a free will, and He has created a moral universe in which the law of cause-and-effect is a reality. But God is God alone, and there are no accident in the universe.

An all-wise, all-powerful God must have a plan, so it should be no surprise that the Bible speaks of a divine plan. God’s plan, since it belongs to God, is holy, wise, and benevolent. The providence of God is working to bring about His original plan for creation.

God speaks in Isaiah 48:3, “I foretold the former things long ago, / my mouth announced them and I made them known; / then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.” What God announces, He does (and He may announce it centuries ahead of time.  

Fighting against the plan of God is pointless. “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan / that can succeed against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). This is why the Tower of Babel was never completed (Genesis 11:1-9), why Daniel’s detractors were thrown to the lions (Daniel 6:24), why Jonah spent time inside a fish (Jonah 1:17) and why I get trouble when I sin.

Even what we would normally call “chance” or “fate” is under God’s control. “The lot is cast into the lap, / but its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33). In other words, God does not take a “hands-off” approach to running the world.

Everything that happens in the world is made to work out according to God’s purpose. Evil exists, but it is not allowed to thwart God’s providence. God uses even sinful men for His purposes. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; / he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). God worked in the hearts of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:36) and King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:27) to bring about His purpose. Even when Man’s intent is purely evil, God can still bring about His will, as in the case of those who crucified Jesus (Acts 2:23,4:27-28).

 God’s plan includes a reward for those who trust in Him, and He promises to glorify His children. “We speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. . . . As it is written: ‘No eye has seen, / no ear has heard, / no mind has conceived / what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:7-9). Note the use of the word destined in this passage—and that it’s a destiny based on our love for the Lord.

Fate and Destiny -An Individual Plan:

God’s sovereignty reaches even to a plan for our individual lives. This is illustrated in God’s calling of Jeremiah—before the prophet was even born. “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, / before you were born I set you apart; / I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeramiah 1:4-5)

David also recognized that the Lord had a plan for him. “Your eyes saw my unformed body. / All the days ordained for me / were written in your book / before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). Because of this knowledge, David sought the Lord’s specific guidance in many situations, such as in 1 Samuel 23:9-12.

Fate and Destiny -Putting it all together.

In Acts 9, Jesus appears to Saul of Tarsus with an interesting statement: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (verse 5). Jesus obviously had a plan for Saul, and Saul had been (painfully) resisting it. Exercising our freedom against God’s plan can be painful. 

 Later, Jesus tells Saul that a man named Ananias would come to visit —and then Jesus tells Ananias (verses 11-12)! Obviously, Jesus had a pre-arranged plan for Ananias as well. Now, Ananias didn’t want to visit Saul (verse 13-14). He could have been like Jonah and run the other way. If that had been his choice, God would have had a “fish” prepared to bring him back. Fortunately, Ananias obeyed (verse 17). Exercising our freedom to follow God’s plan brings a blessing. 

 In summary, the Bible teaches that God is in charge. At the same time, He has given us the freedom to obey or disobey Him, and there are some things that God does only in answer to prayer (James 4:2).

God blesses the obedient, and He is patient with those who disobey, even to the point of seeming laxity. He has a plan for our lives, which includes our joy and His glory both in this world and in the world to come. Those who accept Christ as Savior have accepted God’s plan (John 14:6). From then on, it’s a step-by-step following of God’s best for us, praying for His will to be done (Matthew 6:10), and avoiding the sidetrack of sin (Psalm 32:1-11; 119:59; Hebrews 12:1-2).

What does the Bible say about respect?

ANSWER

The apostle Peter summarizes the Bible’s teaching on respect in his first Epistle: “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king” (1 Peter 2:17). This passage encompasses four major areas of our lives, teaching us that, as followers of Christ, we should respect all people, other Christians, God, and governmental authorities. The word respect is a translation of the Greek word timēsate, meaning “honour or value.” It literally means “to place a great value or high price on something.” Interestingly, today we tend to place our values on our personal rights and the equality of humanity. However, biblical respect is far different, more about a perceived inequality in that we recognize that some things and some people are more important than we. (Compare Philippians 2:3).

To respect everyone, believers must be conscious that God has created all people in His image, regardless of whether they believe in Christ. We should show them proper respect and honor because their souls are of more value than all the wealth in the world (Luke 10:33-34,1Corintghian10:33:34)

Loving the brotherhood of believers means to love all believers, regardless of color, nationality, opinions, or affiliations. We are to demonstrate to the world that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. The apostle John wrote of this principle a number of times. Quoting Jesus, he writes, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”John 13:34-35,John3:23)

The word fear is a translation of the Greek word phobeisthe, meaning “fear, dread, and respect.” The word also implies that our fear of Him leads us to total obedience (Leviticus 18:4; Psalm 119:67; John 14:15). Though we are to honor the king, we should “fear” God (compare Deuteronomy 10:12; Isaiah 8:13). The bottom line is that it is God alone whom we Should fear in the sense of having an awed respect.

We honour and respect our governing authorities because they exist by the very will of God (Romans 13:1–7). Such respect must be given whether we agree with them or not. Those in authority are God’s instruments for carrying out the purpose of governing and worthy of the respect God mandates. When we obey the principles of this passage, we give genuine credibility to our faith. As believers, we are to honour our governing authorities and their rights as such. But we may not give to the government those rights that belong to God alone (Luke 20:25).

Christians are to be a people of order and discipline, of righteousness and justice. We are to be dynamic examples of love and peace so that others may be won to Christ and be saved for eternity (Matthew 5:14–16). Part of living as examples of Christ before the watching world is showing respect to others.