Fitness, Fellowship, Faith

Tag: 3rd F (Page 4 of 6)

3rd F – December 5

Proverbs 5

Warning Against Adultery

My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words of insight,
that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.
For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil;
but in the end she is bitter as gall,
    sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps lead straight to the grave.
She gives no thought to the way of life;
    her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

Now then, my sons, listen to me;
    do not turn aside from what I say.
Keep to a path far from her,
    do not go near the door of her house,
lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.
11 At the end of your life you will groan,

     when your flesh and body are spent.

12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble
    in the assembly of God’s people.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
    running water from your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    your streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
    never to be shared with strangers.
18 May your fountain be blessed,
    and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—
    may her breasts satisfy you always,
    may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
    Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
    and he examines all your paths.
22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
    the cords of their sins hold them fast.
23 For lack of discipline they will die,
    led astray by their own great folly.

Pray for Virus, Dry Rub, Roscoe, Sparky, Hermie.  Lift these men and their families.

3rd F – December 4

Proverbs 4

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
    pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;
    love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all you have,[b] get understanding.
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.
She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.”

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.
11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
    keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.

Pray for Tesla, Hipaa, Defib, Sarlaac, Volt.  Lift these men and their families.

Tiger

3rd F – December 3

Proverbs 3

Tiger

3rd F – December 2

Proverbs 2

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it

Pray for Sister Act, Broke, Montross, Huckleberry.  Lift these men and their families

Tiger

3rd F – December 1

Purpose and Theme

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a]
    knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
    and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
    the sayings and riddles of the wise.[b]

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[c] despise wisdom and instruction.

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.

10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
    do not give in to them.

11 If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
    they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s Rebuke

20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
    she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
    at the city gate she makes her speech:

22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
    and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
    I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Pray for Whopee, Freight, Tool Time, Stroganoff, Def Leppard.   Lift these men and their families

Tiger

3rd F – Deception

The following is from Richard Ames, published in Tomorrow’s World, November 2006:

Nobody likes to admit that he has been conned. But your Bible warns that Satan wants to con you out of your most precious possession. Do you recognize Satan’s greatest deceptions—and how you can avoid them?

Our world is filled with con artists, liars and thieves who seek to defraud us. But the Bible warns us about the greatest deceiver of all—Satan the Devil. Are you aware of his tactics? Are you prepared to avoid his schemes, or could you fall victim to his deceptions?

Satan deceives the whole world! That means the people of every nation. That means you and me. I have been deceived. You have been deceived. But, thankfully, God calls us out of this world’s deception, through the true Jesus Christ of the Bible!

Jesus revealed that one of the most pervasive forms of deception is found in religious practice. And the Bible reveals who is behind many religious deceptions. Do you know who? The Apostle Paul warns the Corinthians against false ministers: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

As Christians, we need to be aware of Satan’s schemes, or devices: False Doctrine, Lust, Pride, Lying, False Dreams, Bitterness, Lack of Faith.

Those who lack faith in Christ, and who persist in trusting Satan, will ultimately be destroyed. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerors, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Thankfully, there is also good news for those who have faith and avoid Satan’s deceptions. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (v. 7).

God wants you to be His faithful and trusting son or daughter, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He will give you His faith, if you turn to Him with your whole heart. In the meantime, arm yourself with spiritual knowledge. Avoid self-deception. Avoid the world’s deceptions. And avoid Satan’s deceptions. As the Apostle Paul reminded us, Christians are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. As regular readers of this magazine know, Bible prophecy foretells of a great future false religious system, inspired by Satan, that will influence billions of people all over the earth. By staying close to the true God, you can avoid Satanic deception. Do not let yourself be deceived!

This week prayer Pax: Tube, Dry Rub, Sparky, Roscoe, Medicine Woman, Big Pappy, Lil Sweet,

Lift these Him’s and their families

Tiger

 

3rd F – Humility

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” — John 13:14

During the day of Jesus, it was common for a servant to wash people’s feet as they entered a home. And as we might imagine, this was an important practice of hospitality. Most people wore sandals as they walked roads covered in dust and  dirt. Can you imagine how unpleasant it would be if the Q asked all Pax to remove his shoes at the COT and proceeded to wash everyone’s feet?

But here Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of His gospel—the good news of the kingdom of God. Washing his disciples’ feet shows God’s love for sinners in a way that mere words cannot express. This act of service gave the disciples a preview of the cross, when Jesus laid down his very life to wash our sins away.

But Jesus didn’t stop there. He also told his disciples to go and do the same for others.

We are called to communicate the gospel through a servant lifestyle, giving of ourselves so that others may experience life.  When satan was tempting Jesus he said for Jesus to bow before him on the mountain top.  Jesus said that “a house divided cannot stand.”  We are called to be humble, to “wash the feet others” daily.  We can’t become all God has created us to become if our “house” is divided.

We are entering the holiday season, let us focus this season on giving of self.  Be all we can be for the circle most near us, and go out of our way for others.

Following up on Sargento’s challenge, this week let’s pray for T Square, Vanilla Ice, Emoji, Wichita, Sarlacc, Huckleberry, Panama, Top Hat

Tiger

40 Day Prayer Challenge

At yesterday’s convergence I read James 5:13-16 which explains that we’re to pray and sing praises. We’re also called to pray for one another.

The power of prayer is real. To pray is to be in direct contact with our maker.

I challenge each of you to pray. As a way to multiply the challenge that Roscoe laid down for the month of November, I challenge each of us to take time each day to pray each day for the next 40 days. 5 minutes a day may be easy for you or it may be a totally new endeavor. Start where you can but just make it a routine and habit. You’ll be glad you did.

To help with the effectiveness of our prayers for each other, I’ll post a daily running list of current prayer concerns that we have. Just direct message me with anything you’d like for the PAX to pray about and I’ll list it on Slack.

Current Prayer concerns:

  • Catamount – pray for recovery from Ramsay-Hunt syndrome
  • Breaker Breaker’s aunt Judy
  • Sister Act’s daughter’s continued improvement
  • Roscoe’s friend Billy Simmons

3rd F – Listen and Be Humble

The following written by Mo Michalski:

God’s Word profiles two kinds of people: someone who allows the chatter of many voices to pull in many directions versus someone “wise in heart,” who listens to once voice and accepts His commands.

The difference between the two pivots on these basic actions:

  • Being disciplined enough to listen to only one true voice – blocking out the chatter of the world around us
  • Being humble

Those who excel at both listening and humble obedience face clear reward: the promise of no lifetime ruin and getting tagged as “wise in heart.”

Let’s take a closer look at the actions that make the man or woman.

LISTENING – See with our ears. Hear with our eyes. A held tongue is better. Shut up to listen up. When we do, God calls us wise.

The one who chatters never gets that label. That person can’t shut up and has to have “the last word.“

HUMILITY – Humility creates enough space for others to weigh in well, especially God’s Spirit and His Word. Only the humble consistently accept commands. Only the humble get tagged as teachable.

They’re the ones who become world class when it comes to trust and obedience. When humility sets in, critical turnovers are avoided, sin downsizes and ruin is escaped. In contrast, the one who chatters is filled with only self-directed thoughts, never leaving room for humility to grow.

Reflect: Which one are you more like – the “chattering fool” or the one “wise in heart”? How are you doing in your listening skills and commitment to humble obedience? Are you doing it like Jesus?

 

This week let’s pray for Sister Act, Slaw, Mayor, Flintstone, Big Pappy, Huckleberry, Dolph, Quiche

Tiger

3rd F – Die to Live

“He said to them, The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you [who have teachable hearts], but those who are outside [the unbelievers, the spiritually blind] get everything in parables, so that they will continually look but not see, and they will continually hear but not understand, otherwise, they might turn [from their rejection of the truth] and be forgiven
Mark 4:11, 12 (AMP)

The following written by Brian Lassister of Heritage Church:

 

I’m astonished at God’s love despite my weaknesses.  My journey to know Christ was slow and tangled, I walked away numerous times out of fear of losing control.  However, after accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior I realized that dying to myself in order to gain a personal relationship with Christ enabled a freedom that I’d never experienced apart from Christ. I was like most unbelievers that thought Christianity was about religion and rules.  However, once I committed my life to Christ, I realized that Christianity is about a relationship with Jesus.

God wants His children (you and I) to see the Kingdom of Light with a level of clarity that enables us to grow in our spiritual maturity.  It’s imperative that we understand it’s not about who we are or what we’ve done, but who God is and what Jesus did for us on the cross that enables us to have a relationship with Him.  Mathew 6:33 states “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  When God sent His son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross, He created the environment for us to seek Him on a personal level.

Our belief and trust in Christ lay the foundation for transformation, from there our ability to learn and grow as a disciple comes from our commitment to seek God on a personal level.  We must remember that our relationship with God comes before anything else.  People often equate spiritual maturity to other areas of development.  However, at the highest level of spiritual maturity (living a God Centered life), is where the individual has learned to die to themselves daily, in order to allow Christ to flow through them.  This enables them to give, serve and expand the Kingdom of Light via their God given gifts, skills and abilities.  Victory to the believer is often characterized in different terms than the world uses to define success.

To the believer, our ability to display Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control always (regardless of scenario) is a mark of victory.  Until you’re able to gain a closeness with Christ its hard to believe you can walk through the various battlefields of life with this type perspective.  However, once you’ve gained this type of relationship with God, you realize it becomes the guiding point for everything in your life.

This week let’s pray for Anchorman, Waterboy, Virus, Fife, Dry Rub, Hermie, Gumby, Scribbles

Tiger

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