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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Great Commands of the Bible, Love

The Great Commands, Love
                                       
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 Prologue
There are many words of Command in the Bible, 
                                               Commands from God, 
                                                     Commands from Jesus,
                                                           Commands of the Disciples, and the
                                                                 Commands of Paul.

This is the first of many "Great Commands" postings to be published from time to time. 
I begin with the Greatest Command.

Matthew 22:34-40

 -- Mk 12:28-31

34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'38This is the first and greatest commandment.39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."


Among the many things Jesus did, He was a master of using few words to bring His opponents to a sad end with their questions.  
In this series of the Commands of Jesus we will see carefully worded theology that Jesus gave in His time that will last for all times to the end of time.  The truth of which we cannot question.
Words that create a newness in God.  Where the relationship with God was the Law, now Jesus' words define a New Personal Relationship God wants with His believers.

Jesus, He was and is the Master of the Word.

In reading this passage, it is good to remember that Jesus is in His last week of life and He knows it.  The Sadducees and Pharisees are distressed at the popularity of Jesus and are trying to trick Jesus into saying something that would allow them to arrest Him for blasphemy.

The Sadducees and Pharisees had been put to shame in asking questions about paying taxes to Caesar and a question about the resurrection, to which the Sadducees did not believe in.  In both cases, the Sadducees and Pharisees were made to look like fools and had withdrawn from the verbal sword fight with Jesus, a most patient Jesus.  Now, the Pharisees are seen trying to trick Him one more time, so they send in a lawyer, "an expert in the law".


For the Pharisees and the Temple Rulers, 'the Law' found in the Old Testament gave these people ruling predominance in power and position over the Jews of the day.  However, here in quick order, Jesus reduces the role of the Pharisees and Sadducees to the sidelines of history.  Jesus says the people's trust and faith  in God has nothing to do with all the little laws the Pharisees diligently followed and taught for over 500 years. With this pronouncement of 'Love', Jesus removed the Sadducees from the equation of setting requirements of Temple worship in the Godly relationship of the day.  It just made the Pharisees and Sadducees more upset with Jesus because He became more influential with the people.  Something the Pharisees and Sudducees could not allow to continue and felt they must stop, or so they thought.

In the power of His words as He had done so many times before,       Jesus' Words were again changing the
                theology of the ages.
       Words the with new meaning, astonishing, and amazing. 
     
       Words from Jesus giving totally new and astonishing
                 meaning to our our relationship with God.  

        Words destroying the work of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

        Words silencing the "expert in the law" that through
                  Jesus,  "the law" summed up in one word, "Love".

       Words redefining the Mosaic law Jews lived by.

        Words, not to be questioned because 
                 the Words were verified by God 
                 in raising Jesus from His death.

 The Words of Jesus are not the best way to achieve our Close Personal Relationship with God, as "best" implies there are other ways.  

 Make no mistake, 
    because the words come from Jesus and because 
    they were verified by God,  we can be most assured
 they are the only way to our Personal Relationship with God.

 "Love God, Love Others."

 Thanks be to God.

© lonnie coggins


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© Lonnie Coggins
ldcoggins@gmail.com

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.


lonnie

Publication  0185



Intro-

There are many important commands of the Bible directed at us.  Jesus had a special ability to say just the right words in perfect timing to destroy his enemies.  From the devil in the desert to the Temple leaders, He always put them on the run.  We do well to not only understand what He said but the circumstances in which He responds to questions.  These 'commands' messages will appear from time to time.  We begin with the Greatest Command from Jesus.  Click the link to learn more and you are welcome to share these messages on your fb page as you are lead to do so.

http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-great-commands-of-bible-love.html

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Saturday, September 28, 2013

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Living in the Spirit                                       
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It has been said, "Timing is everything."  When a someone tells a joke, timing of the unexpected words, the punch line, has to be timed to just right moment to get the biggest laugh.  Timing is needed when making an investment; to buy low and sell high you have to know the product and the readiness of the market for the best time to get the greatest return on your investment.  But in receiving the Holy Spirit, timing does not matter.  In accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of your life, as having Risen from the dead, and because He is the Son of God you receive the Holy Spirit as your guide in Life, counselor, comforter, and teacher to know God's Will.  

 In this, Timing, waiting for just the right moment, means nothing as Jesus' timing is always now.  Always, in our "I believe", He immediately fills you with the Holy Spirit and accepts you as His.  He is on duty 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  He never takes holidays, vacations, or breaks, always ready to provide for your needs.  With Jesus, time is of the essence, the words are not joke, all that matters are the words "I believe", and the 'right' timing is always now.  In the decision of that moment, your real life begins.
------- So, you have said "I believe"- now comes the time of
   "Seeking the Will of God in your life by 
          Living in the guidance of the Holy Spirit" 
as presented in the example of Jesus.

To do this, first look at the New Testament scriptures as the foundation and motivation to live in the guidance of the Holy Spirit:

In this first scripture, we see Jesus doing exactly what God desires for us to live in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  His desire is our public acceptance of the Holy Spirit into our lives, baptism.  Accepting and living in the Spirit brings powerful changes to your life.

Matthew 3:15-18 NIV

15Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.

  • John 20:22 NIV

    And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
    Read John 20 | View in parallel | Compare Translations

    Here, Peter verifies that we too receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Savior.


    First, 
       Pray daily to be in the Guidance of the Holy Spirit and
            to Live Obediently in the Will of God just as Jesus did.
            Trusting God and Trusting Jesus.- It is a command to do so.
           That is God's plan!  Jesus said so!  He prayed often!
    To know God's will for living life-
       Study Scripture, 
              especially the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 4-7).
       Jesus knew Scripture, Follow His example!
       Remember, Jesus quoted scripture three times 
            in His desert experience and
            bang, the evil one was gone.
        When you feel tempted, pray and think scripture.
       Prayers and answers to your prayers, build Trust in God!

     Then, in Seeking the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33-4)
       Seek to Live as Jesus Taught and 
         Seek to Live as He walked His Talk and
            Seek to live Righteously before God in Jesus' example to us.
        And again, Trust God, Trust Jesus!

     Finally, just as First,
        Most importantly,
             "Pray and pray and pray, Everyday, 
             often Everyday for the Holy Spirit 
                  to fill your heart and guide your life in
                  everything you think, everything you say, and 
                      in everything you do."
         This, my friend, will change your life.  It did mine.

    Faith- it is all about Trusting God and Trusting Jesus!
    Now, 
        We all make many decisions every day and most of them are
              not very difficult, but
        When a decision you make is difficult, 
          when you have prayed in Righteous Obedience to God, when 
           you have examined the scripture concerning your need, and 
             when in your heart you are truly and righteously at 
             peace with your decision then 
    perhaps you are in the Will of God and 
         in the path the Holy Spirit is leading you.

     In doing this, we must leave worry out of daily life because
          Jesus counseled us not to worry in Matthew 6:25-34,
               Jesus did so because
          worry presents barriers to our relationship with God
             shoving inteference into our decisions,
               making difficult the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

     As you live out your decisions, 
          discern your needs as they are different from your wants,
          continue to examine scripture,
          continue to pray that you are in His will,
          pray often daily for the Spirit to lead you,
          live in acceptance of and trusting in His will,
          live in Righteousness before God by
               following the words and life of Jesus
    then
          as you seek answers in His Grace to
             the decisions you daily make,
         you will come to know the peace you seek in
         the life God has planned for you
    and 
          in His answers to your Righteous prayers
          the peace you find builds Trust,

     Thanks be to God
    © lonnie coggins





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     You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You will have to copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

     © Lonnie Coggins
    ldcoggins@gmail.com

     If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

    Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.

    lonnie

    Publication  0000
    Intro:

     We all make decisions every day.  It has been said that most people make just as many decisions in their daily lives as Presidents do, they just do not affect as many people.  But, to make the best decisions, President or not, you need guidance.  Click the link for more on making decisions in our lives.

     http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2013/09/decisions-decisions-decisions.html
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Sunday, September 22, 2013

Three Likeable Behaviors We Should Not Keep

Three Likeable Behaviors We Should Not Keep

 Seeking the Good Life                                       
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There are many things and behaviors in life we should give up that we would rather keep.  Some of these in the times of Jesus would likely be called 'evil spirits'.  Behaviors such as selfish pride, and "emotional baggage" are not good for us and are 'stuff' we need to give up, but unfortunately, we just enjoy the sinful feelings they brings us.  Also, too often we are too involved in our self afflictions of "worry", so much so that we would not know what to do if we could not worry about something.  

 Down deep in our hearts we know we need to purge these behaviors as they are truly not worthy of our time, they create barriers, and can easily be physically unhealthy.   We know we need help to eliminate them but at the same time we too much desire them.  What we do not always realize is that these behaviors become barricades and stumbling blocks to our most important behavior with God- the close personal relationship He wants with us and has demonstrated by pursuing us in completing that relationship!

There are many things we need to pray for but perhaps the most important are those that represent barriers to our Relationship with God, our stumbling blocks in knowing Jesus, and the easy detours in accepting the path and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Here are but three that can be real stumbling blocks to knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.


  1. Pray to Avoid and/or Give Up Selfish Pride
    Pride is a great but dangerous motivator.

    We depend on God for all we do, all we are, and all we accomplish.  But, when we think we alone accomplish something, and forget that God gave us the tools, the materials, and the brain to do all we do, then we are on a slippery slope to sin.
    When in thinking we alone have done something, we are building barriers in our ability to Love God and anything we do that puts barriers between us and God is Sinful.

    We have to remember, that 'I" is at the center of the word 
    'p r I d e'
    We can take some pride in what we do,
    we work hard to accomplish,

    we use our brain to understand instructions,
    we try to find the best way to solve problems,
    but in the end

    it is our loving God who provides all that we use,

    therefore, we have to give God the Glory in all we do.

    Some additional thoughts:

    a-  Pride is a "Sneaky 'little' Sin'


  2. Pray to forgive and give up Old Baggage, Grudges, and
    the Discontent that comes with it.

    We all like to keep stuff.  We move, we pack, and some of it goes in the attic.  Years later it is still there and we do not want to let go.  It does us no good yet we keep it knowing it would be fuel for a fire.  The problem is, we pack emotional baggage in our memory attic knowing it is not good for us and not realizing it too can become fuel for a fire.  What is worse, this old memory baggage can be about people we love that we chose to have close to us.
    For more on 'Old Baggage' and what Jesus had to say about it

    click this link:  "Old Baggage" - another sneaky sin.
  3. Pray to Follow the Words of Jesus and give up Worry

    In Matthew 6:  Jesus teaches us not to worry.  In fact, He commands us not to worry.  We can be concerned about our Problems, Issues, and Troubles (PITS) in life, but excessive concern becomes worry.  Worry can lead to a whole host of medical issues including death.  Many years ago, a friend of mine excused himself from the Sunday dinner table after attending church, and with his parents, wife, and four children at the table went to the bedroom, took a 410 shotgun and killed himself.  He worried himself about a potential Army courts martial (arrest and trial) that he thought death was better than facing life.  Worry does lead to problems greater than the PITs you think you have.
    Like other issues discussed, worry creates a barrier to our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, it is sinful.

    Worry- if you are excessively and overly concerned, you have to find a way to beat it.  At one point in my life, I was an excessive worrier, I am experienced at beating it because I daily choose to trust God, therefore beating worry everyday.

    For more on the medical affects of worry- 
       google search-  worry medical results  
       or
       try this web site:  
                               http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/how-worrying-affects-your-body

    For more thoughts on the Biblical aspects of worry and possible ways to beat it
       click this link:  Worry and Beating It
    I caution you, worry can be serious, if you ever have any thoughts of harming yourself or people around you, seek professional advice in addition to Seeking the Kingdom.

    Another Link on Worry:
                10 Thoughts on Reducing Worry


In nearly all aspects of our lives, if we take something away, there is an empty space that needs to be filled.  Read Luke 11 19-28 below for Jesus' thoughts on removing the 'evil spirits' of pride, Old Baggage, and Worry.

In purging something in your life, fill it with Bible Study, prayer, and Seeking the Kingdom.  When these and other sinful thoughts come to mind, immediately pray.  The thoughts will go away, eventually, if you are sincere in your prayers. 

Thanks Be to God

© lonnie coggins


==============================
References:

 Luke 11:
19Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.20But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.22But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.23"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.24"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."28He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."


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You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You will have to copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

© Lonnie Coggins
ldcoggins@gmail.com

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.


lonnie

Publication  0000


There are many behaviors we know we should not keep, but we too much enjoy the sin in living with them.  Click the link for three of these behaviors and what we should get rid of them.

http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2013/09/three-likeable-behaviors-we-should-not.html

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Promises, Trust, Forgiveness, and Hope

Promises, Trust, Forgiveness, and Hope           

                                       
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In addition to the skills in two courses I taught in middle school, the academic aim was for the student to learn about 300 new words / concepts and apply them to thinking skills.  The skills part of the course work was fun and most everybody did well.  However, with the 300 required academic items in the course, a course they volunteered for, it was a challenge getting them to study for a good grade on the academics.  For most students, the key was to give them hope.  

I promised the students at the beginning of the semester if they made a bad grade on a test, they could retake the questions they missed and if they made a 65 or better on the customized retake tests they would get credit for what they answered correctly.  This grading system involved forgiveness in that once you answered a question correctly it was if you had never missed it; all the previous wrong answers for a question were forgotten.  

 With that process, a good student could make 65 (failing) on all the customized retake tests and earn a final 98 on the testing portion of their overall grade in the class.  It took a couple of weeks for some of the students to really trust me in the process.  However, even with a path of hope and forgiveness leading to greatness, I had a few students that were hopelessly time selfish.  Selfishly lazy with their time and in their laziness, overwhelmingly failed in caring about themselves to learn and know what was good for them and their future.

Our Experiences

Our First experience of Promises, Trust, Forgiveness, and Hope (PTFH) is our parents.  In the inherent promise of parenthood, children should experience trust, and hope even in the midst of the problems we create as children.  We depend on our parents for everything, especially forgiveness, and if we are fortunate children we have a good experience that influences us in all our other experiences of PTFH.  The better our parents keep the promise of being good parents the better outlook on life we have.  Good parents never stop being good examples to their children.

 In our marriages we experience PTFH, some with good relationships, some not so good.  But, there is assurance in one relationship that will not fail us.

As we read in the Gospels, Jesus made many promises to those who accept Him.  Here are but Seven:


Matthew 25:12 NIV

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

Matthew 9:6 NIV

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."

John 14:1 NIV

[Jesus Comforts His Disciples] 
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.


John 12:36 NIV

Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
·       

John 14:6 NIV

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
                               No one comes to the Father except through me.

·        John 8:51 NIV
I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

John 14:26 NIV

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.


The Truth of Jesus' Promises

Matthew 28:6 NIV

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 


In all of our problems, many of the same problems Jesus lived through, we have His many Promises.  But, in reality, His Promises go beyond Hope.  As God raised Jesus from death, Jesus' promises were made and shown to be the Absolute, Unconditional Truth.  In that Truth of Jesus Words, we Trust God and Trust the words of Jesus, and in that Trust we find God's Holy Reality for our life.  We find Reality and Truth leading NOT to a life we create but a Perfect Plan for life that God creates for us; a Plan the Holy Spirit reveals to us when we simply Trust the Words of Jesus.

As my students had a path to greatness in my classes, we have a path to Great blessings in our Relationship with God and our Savior, our Lord Jesus.  As with some of my students, we must not be lazy and fail to make the grade; rather, we must live Trusting the Words of Jesus. Words Authenticated, Verified, Sanctified, and Made Holy by God in His Resurrecting of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So,
Why is it, 
people know about Jesus 
     but do not really seek to know Him, 
they know about His promises but 
     just do not care to absorb the meaning His Words truly offer, 
they read His everlasting words but
     do not seek the spiritual content of the Words for their life,
why are they contented to exist in their ignorance
     while being oblivious to the grand opportunity 
            to Live Gloriously in His eternal Salvation.

 I guess they are as some of my former students,
    living selfishly lazy in their ignorance and 
           in their stupid laziness
                overwhelmingly fail to care about themselves.
In not caring about themselves
    they fail to learn, know, and understand the Glory of
         what is good for them, their future, and their eternal Salvation.
What do you do to continue to build your Trust in God and
    further develop your Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ?
When you stand before Jesus,
     Will He just know about you or will He truly know you?

 Thanks be to God.

© lonnie coggins

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You can print the message including this sharing message only for your friends and for non-profit.  You MUST copy and paste the message to a word processing document.   After you copy and paste add the following at the end of the message:

© Lonnie Coggins        source- Facebook "A Daily Thought Group"
ldcoggins@gmail.com              www.adailythought.NET

If you desire to use any of these messages in a For-Profit manner you must contact me (email) for permission.  Typically, I will most likely give permission.

Please email me if you find any broken links in this message.


lonnie




Publication  0173


intro
IT IS OUR EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE people that determines if we trust their words ring of the truth. But, there was a man whose words that came to be known as the absolute Truth. A Truth We Trust, and Trusting in His Promises and Forgiveness we have our Hope for the future. Please share the message on your Fb page as you like, and if you like, click the FB 'Follow' button to have notifications of these publications.  For other messages like this, visit my FB page, or on FB visit-"A Daily Thought Group".
http://lonnieadailythought.blogspot.com/2013/09/promises-trust-forgiveness-and-hope.html


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