What is Soul and Spirit

1. You do not have a soul, you are a soul.

2. You have a fleshly mind.    Thoughts and beliefs.

3. You have a spirit.

4. Spirit is attitudes; emotions; responses.

5.The soul contains the spirit and mind.

6. The spirit of an unbeliever is dead to the spiritual things of God until the prevenient  grace of God               begins to work on his heart.

7. The spirit of a believer is resurrected to life through faith in Jesus Christ ; repentance from sin ; God's          grace (favor); and obedience. 

8. Love is the force that creates obedience.

9. God's love is the force that brings faith and salvation to our soul.

10. We love God only because He first loved us.

11. Salvation is a loving relationship with our heavenly Father, not a religion.

 

The word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than a double edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul (fleshly mind) and spirit (attitude,emotion), and the joints (physical) and marrow (inner spirit) and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents (motives) of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

Curses

1. Some curses are not fulfilled and do not become reality. Prov.26:2  An undeserved curse (curse without a cause) goes nowhere.

2. God established rules for what He allowed to be cursed. Ex.21:17; Lev.24:15; Lev.19:14; Num.22:12; Rom.12:14 .

3. God Himself placed a curse on people and situations in conjunction with His covenant with Israel in Gen.12:3; Gen.27:29; Ex.21:17; Lev.20:9; Deut. 28:15 & 29:45 &29:21 &30:7; Prov.20:20 & 28:27 & 30:11

4. The Bible gives guidelines for how people are to respond to those who curse them. Lk.6:28-36  "Bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you."

5. Through the cross Jesus Christ with his sinless blood He took upon Himself the curse of  the old law, and sin. Gal.3:10-13 "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,having become a curse for us."                                                                                                                    Believers in Christ are free from the curse of the law and free to live in the Holy Spirit .

6. The power of curses and blessings show that God takes the use of speech very seriously.

7. We will be accountable for every word we speak. 

8. "Heaven and earth will pass away,but My words will by no means pass away."  Mk.13:31 

The Test We All Face

 1. Many of Jesus disciples turned away when he gave them a hard to understand teaching about having eat his flesh and drink his blood.

2.Until we understand that Jesus was speaking a spiritual metaphor, we might also be tempted to walk away. It's a hard to fathom teaching.

3.The next statement He made is the one I believe every Christian has to answer at one time or another. "Do you also want to leave ?"

4. Every one of us at some time is tested to the point that we must decide "Do I want to leave this faith relationship with Jesus ?"

5.Whether it's 1.a crisis circumstance; 2.a loss; 3.a tragedy; 4.an unanswered prayer;5.a spiritual dry spell where His presence seems gone; 6.or a struggle to forgive                            We all face the test where we must answer "Do you want to leave?"

6.I want my answer to be like Peter's, "Lord to whom could we go? You have the words of eternal life" John 6:68

7. More than likely we will face this question more than once in our walk with our Heavenly Father.

8. If you stop and count the cost you should find that it's not expedient to go back to the beggerly elements,habits,enslavements,of the world. It would cost you eternally.                                      This life is only a millisecond compared to eternity.  

Bible Promises Follow A Principle

 

 With every promise from God there is a principle.  
You must  meet the requirement of the principle before you can claim the promise.


Ps. 37:4  He will give you your hearts desire.    Promise
Take delight in the Lord                                      Principle

John 8:11  Neither do I condemn you        Promise
Go and sin no more                                   Principle

John 14:3 I go to prepare a place for you-- you will be with me        Promise
Believe in God and believe also in me                                              Principle

John 14:15  God will give you another helper who will stay with you.       Promise
If you love me you will obey my commandments.                                     Principle

John 15:16  The Father will give you whatever you ask in my name          Promise
If you remain in me and my words remain in you.  Love one another.        Principle

Matt. 7:11 Your Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask.        Promise
Do for others what you want them to do for you                                               Principle





 

Seven Reasons Why Homosexuality is Wrong

1. Homosexuality isn't genetic or biologically determined.  There is no gay gene or biological cause for same-sex attraction.

2. The only evidence for homosexuality is social factors. Social influences are key in developing same-sex attractions

3. It opposes the natural function of the body. Male and female bodies have anatomical fit and compliment each other. The reproductive organs work together to produce a human child. This is a clear indicator that natural design is heterosexual.

4. Romans 1:26-27 states that homosexual behavior is a rejection of God's sexual design.

5. Those advocating that the Bible doesn't condemn homosexuality must distort and misinterpret the clear meaning of Bible texts.

6. Some contend that since homosexuality occurs in nature it is morally acceptable. But if that were true every behavior would pass as moral. 
Theft, murder, lying, rape all occur frequently in nature. Some animals eat their mates, some abandon their weak or disabled family members.

7. Often morality is the opposite of what is natural. Morality is often overcoming our fleshly selfish desires and impulses.
Morality is what separates humans from animals.

If you were taught to think you evolved from animals you might believe immoral activities are natural.

Loving someone of the same sex does occur. Just as David and Jonathan loved one another, but sexual relations are condemned as immoral.
  
We are to take control of our emotions rather than be subject to them. That's why adultery, covetousness, fornication, stealing, murder are condemned as sinful. 

God's Design in Men and Women

1. God created man in his image, male and female He created them. Genesis 1

2. Male and female have equal standing because Genesis refers to them as mankind. 

3. Galatians 3:8 "You are all one in Christ Jesus "

4. The function and roles to be fulfilled are different even though they are equal.

5. God intended for men and women to compliment each other through physical and emotional differences.

6. 1 Peter 3:7 "They are heirs together in the grace of life"

7. Both can have initiative and leadership.

8. The ultimate purpose and responsibility of the couple is to spiritually impact and train their children for the Lord.

9. Each is to take responsibility for the welfare of the other and for the welfare of children. 

10. If you are a single man the woman you are friends with may not be your future wife, she may be the future wife of someone else,so keep your relationship pure.

11. Bible says, treat girls as sisters,older women as mothers, men as brothers or fathers.

12. Matt. 19:1-12 and Mark 10:2-12 affirms that Jesus endorses marriage of a man and woman, and they are one flesh. Unless there is continuing unrepentant adultery there should be no divorce.

How To Obtain Righteousness

                             How To Obtain Righteousness

1. Righteousness is not so much what we do as it is why we do it. (motive)

2. Sin is more about what is inside us.
 Rebellion, resentment,  unforgiveness, hate, blame, selfishness.

3. we need a righteousness we can NOT attain on our own.

4. We can only accept the gift of Jesus' righteousness as ours by repenting and living for Him.

5. Our righteousness is never enough no matter how much we improve because the standard is perfection.
 "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect."

6. Since it's impossible for us to be righteous enough all we can do is let Jesus into our heart and accept his righteousness.

Redistribution of Wealth

                                   Redistribution of Wealth

1. Contrary to the beliefs of some Jesus did not endorse the idea of redistribution of wealth or socialism.

2.In the parable  of the Vineyard owner in Matt. 20:1-15 Jesus taught that a person has the right to do whatever he chooses with his wealth and property in spite of what others think is fair.

3. The parable of the Talents in Matt.25:14-30 shows that some people are not as capable as others to handle money.

4. This is the opposite of equal distribution of wealth.

5. Jesus does teach however that we should be generous in helping others and that we will be held accountable for how we spend money and budget our time and talents. 

6. Jesus does not endorse taking someones wealth, whether earned or inherited, and giving it to someone who hasn't earned it. 

7. In fact the lazy servant who hid his masters money instead of using it had his money confiscated and given to the better manager.

8.Store up your treasure in heaven where moth and rust and thieves can not corrupt it.  When you are giving to the least of these you are giving to Me and storing up treasure in heaven.

9. On the other hand giving generously will not buy your way to heaven.
  
10. Jesus:"I am the way, the truth,the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."  Getting to heaven is an exclusive path that only a few find ; even though all are invited to receive Him.

 

For Men Only

                                           For Men Only

1. We all know that men are attracted by appearance (things they see), while women are attracted by character, personality,and appearance.

2. Satan uses the eye gate to tempt the flesh to lust, especially in men.

3. We also know that Jesus said "If a man looks upon a woman to lust after her he has committed adultery in his heart."

4. One of the best ways for men to avoid lusting for a woman is is to resist the temptation by putting his wife in the place of the woman that Satan is tempting him with.

5. For Example:
Suppose Satan tempts you to fantasize that a young lady whispers in your ear that she doesn't have any underwear on under her dress and invites you to look. 
To escape this temptation you should rebuke Satan in Jesus name and imagine that your wife is the young lady whispering in your ear.
Since trying not to think about the fantasy would only cause you to think about it more .

6. Pray for the Lord to deliver you from temptation.

7. Another escape tactic is to remind yourself that this is a false fantasy and to yield to it would only bring guilt; remorse; and regret.

8. Another tactic is to remind yourself that this is a temptation of the flesh, and Satan's only avenue of tempting you is through your flesh (mind), which never lasts or satisfies but only ends in sorrow.

9. Another tactic is to distract your mind with thoughts about work, hobbies, or a picture of Jesus watching you.

10. Also remember that attraction and arousal are normal human responses created by God and you cannot keep Satan from suggesting tempting thoughts; but you can refuse to accept and dwell on the tempting thought.

11. Lust is a deliberate choice to commit in your mind what you would like to do in the flesh. 

12. Remember even Jesus was tempted and you will not  escape without facing temptation as well.
But don't allow false guilt to condemn you.
You can be attracted and maybe aroused without choosing to lust.
To lust is to choose to accept and dwell on the temptation.

13. Someone once said "You cannot keep a thought from entering the lobby of your mind but you can refuse to give it a room."
 

Setting An Example

                                 Setting An Example

1. I see them drinking and cursing in front of their children and grandchildren.

2. I hear them complain that their children's  lives and marriages are a wreck.

3. I wonder how their grandchildren will turn out when they set such immoral examples.

4. The sins of the parents are visited upon the second, and third, even the fourth generation because of the example they set.

5. Yet they are blinded to the link between their example and the problems of the children and grandchildren.

6. From the outside looking in it's apparent who has blinded them.