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When we look at the Book of Acts and elsewhere, we see that the earliest Christians went about introducing people to Jesus via the preaching of the Gospel and miraculous healings. This was in line with what Jesus did while on earth because He was not only concerned with the spiritual state of people, but also their physical condition. This is why He healed and fed people's bodies and souls. The earliest members of the Body of Christ equally spent a lot of time helping others, including sharing their wealth with the group and taking care of widows, for instance. These were some of the good works they did for their fellow believers as well as strangers.
That duty to help people continues today for those who believe in Jesus Christ and consider Him to be the Son of God. In fact, it is for this reason some Christian groups and individuals give food and finances to the needy where they can. This is also why some allow the Lord to guide them to people in need of healing so they can lay hands on them. Or, the reason why God would prompt one of His children to pray consistently for someone to be delivered from whatever is keeping them from God's promise of the fullness of life.
However, did you know that to truly do good works as a believer you have to be rooted in the word of God? To learn more, look at today's anchor scripture, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This verse teaches us that scripture is essential for many things including equipping God's people for every good work. In essence, we need to spend time in and with the word of God in order to be prepared to do good works that glorify Him. It is no wonder then that satan wants people to think they don't need to study the Bible. Or that devotionals and bite-sized inspirational messages are enough to truly feed a child of God on a regular basis. It is why so many people hear that lying voice that tells them they can never understand or enjoy scripture directly from the source but should settle for God's word aggregated by someone else. Many don't realize how they limit themselves by failing to consistently meditate on God's word as instructed in Joshua 1:8 and elsewhere.
Let me frame things differently to provide another perspective on the point we all need to learn. How many of us have heard another person pray that they want God to bless them so they become a blessing to others? Have you possibly said that prayer yourself? Well, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 essentially states that nobody can be blessed to become a blessing to another person if they are not familiar with God's word. This is not to say that God is not blessing folks who make this petition. It is also not to say you must know the Bible inside and out. However, an individual's lack of intimacy with God's word will always limit their access to the fullness of blessings that can be showered upon them from on high. The type of blessings whereby they become not only a blessing to others but a reason why people rejoice and glorify God (2 Corinthians 9:11). Also consider that God wants us to have all we need for ourselves and more to be of help to others in a multitude of ways (2 Corinthians 9:8). Thus, failing to spend time with God's word keeps us from receiving this promise and truly doing good works.
Please do not be mistaken, the terms "fullness," "blessing" and "good works" do not merely mean money or things tied to money. The fullness of blessings a person needs to do God's good works for others is multifaceted. The foundation, though, will be wisdom, which comes from the word of God. That wisdom will guide an individual to discern whether a person needs money, prayer, a helpful phone call to set things in motion or something else. The more we study the word, the more of God's wisdom is released to us so we can use the blessings He's given to us to glorify Him all the more via the good works He will call us to do. In addition, the more of the word we consume, the more of His promises we receive such as healing (Proverbs 4:20-22), deep insight into the hidden things of this world (Proverbs 2), spiritual strength (Psalm 119:28) and life itself (Proverbs 3:8) among other things.
Do you want to do God's good works on earth? Do you want to truly help others? Then it's time to commit to God's word and let Him build you into the more He's created you to be.
Join us for Praise & Pray (for others) today at Noon EST when we will worship then pray for other people. The Lord will continue to teach us in His word and we will be equipped to do good works that please Him by His grace and to His glory, IJMN, Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are the God who has shared everything He has with us. You have done so because You love us and want us to reflect You here on earth.
Thank You for the grace You granted whereby we could fellowship together this day. I give You all the glory.
I pray for today's participants as well as those who will join at a later point, that they will commit to interacting with and meditating on Your word more regularly. I know that in doing so, You will be glorified and pleased. I also know that in accordance with Your word in 2 Corinthians 9:8, You will grant the blessing of having enough and more to do Your good works.
Bless Your people. Bless them that the world may fear You in accordance with Psalm 67:7, IJMN, Amen.
*From CD* - I am here everyone, I am here!!! I started a new job and have been in transition, Praise God!!!!! I love you all ❤️❤️
LAST 10 MINUTES
We've learned today that spending time with God's word is essential for us to do good works that glorify Him. Psalm 1 tells us the many rewards that come from delighting in His word.
Right now, each of us is at a different stage in our journey with the Lord and we need Him to carry us all the way through this life till we reach our eternal residence in heaven. Between now and then, we cannot afford to ignore the Bible and the nourishment it contains. It is our Life Manual. We might get away with installing that IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions but we can't afford to take the risk with our lives.
Will you join me in a prayer?
Lord God, I pray over each of us that we receive the cloak of zeal mentioned in Isaiah 59:17. I pray, oh Father, that we shall strive to read Your word and meditate on it. That it shall be a delight so that in due time we will do the good works that only the Scripture can equip us for. To You be all the glory and the praise, IJMN, Amen.
Here is another prayer from sis Justa that I feel we need to pray today:
Dear Daddy God. I want to lift up Mr. K who has been missing for at least 2 weeks.
Father his family is undoubtedly worried and wanting their loved one back safe and sound.
Lord, I depend on Your word in Proverbs 23:18 and call on You to bring him back to his family and I thank You in advance for answering prayers to this effect IJMN Amen.
Psalm 20:2 - May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.
Psalm 50:15 - and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
Lord, please help those who are crying out to You for help. All by Your grace and to Your glory, IJMN, Amen.
This is an old prayer shared by our sister, @Justa back in 2021. Saw it this weekend and felt compelled to share it today.
PRAYER TIME
Glory to God in the highest! Now, it is time for us to lift up the needs of others in prayer. Let us call on the Lord to help them by turning their situation around.
If you're not praying for a person but are praying about an issue affecting people, call on the Lord to work miracles.
The Lord bless and guide you, IJMN, Amen.
Father, we thank You for loving each of us. Thank You for this love that never ends. Thank You that even when we sin, You continue to love and bless us for Your word says You let the sun rise on both the righteous and the wicked (Matthew 5:45).
Thank You that You don't want the wicked to go to hell. You want them to come live with You in heaven and continue to extend Your salvation to all.
Glory be to Your Holy Name!
Amen.
Sovereign Lord, thank You for this opportunity to fellowship together. Glory be to Your Holy Name!
Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Psalm 50:14 - “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,
Dear Jehovah! I come before You with my thanks offering. I pray that it will rise as a sweet smelling incense to You. Father, You have done so many incredible things - things that still amaze me. You are my incredible God!
Thank You for being my Daddy. For loving me as a great Father. For showing me mercy and great kindness.
Amen!
Father, thank You for the children who went missing in Colombia. Thank You Lord that after 40 days, they were found.
God, please comfort them on the loss of their mother and others, IJMN Amen.
Glorious God! Thank You for being everything that I need. Thank You that when I am weak, You are strong.
Thank You that when I'm about to make a mistake, You take the time to caution and lead me away from the problem.
Thank You for protecting me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You that Your goodness doesn't stop at me. It goes before, covers my flank and encapsulates others.
Glory be to Your Name!
PRAISE TIME
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
We need to give God all the glory. He is worthy of all our adoration. He is to be exalted at all times, and the holy hosts do so according to the Bible.
The next 25 minutes are our opportunity to join those who've made it to heaven in magnifying the name of the Lord. Think of how excited they must be? They get to walk through the highest heaven as members of God's eternal household!
That's how we need to praise the Lord right now! Let's sing Hosanna in the highest! With fervency! Let us anticipate joining the great assembly to praise our God. We're just practicing now but it counts to the glory of God and obedience of His instructions - Ephesians 5:20 - Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (KJV).
*From AC* - Amen!! Thank you for sharing today's lesson @FFJ. In Mathew 4:4, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy when he told us that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
God's Word is our sustenance, more important than the food we eat that keeps us alive. I have learned that daily feasting on our life manual is truly the key that unlocks the blessings and power of God available to us believers. and I thank God because, years ago studying the bible would feel like a chore, now I crave it and enjoy reading it (so many juicy stories lol) and I pray that for all of us, our hunger only continues to grow - because our lives depend on it.
My God help us and guide us, Amen.
*From AC* - Abba I am so so thankful for this new day You have made, I rejoice and am so glad in it. Thank You for your love, mercy, and grace that renew each day. Thank You for Your unlimited blessings and for my incredible family and friends. Thank You for healing me and restoring my health. I worship at Your feet and praise Your Name above all names. Take all the glory, almighty Lord! Amen
Good morning Peppers, I won't be able to attend P&P live today (or Friday) at noon as I have hospital appointments this week but I wanted to take a moment to glorify God and share how He saved my life on Friday when I was admitted to the hospital.
For a year I have been dealing with debilitating periods due to fibroids but I have been managing. Last week the bleeding was more excessive and on Thursday I was extremely weak and had shortness of breath. By Friday the symptoms were worse. I have dealt with this before but this time the Holy Spirit told me clearly that I needed to get to a hospital and not delay. I wanted to push it aside and go back to bed but the feeling that came over me was so strong that I needed to obey and go.
I called my husband and told him to leave whatever he was doing and come home. By this time my HR was irregular/rapid and I couldn't walk a few steps without feeling winded. He took me to the hospital and they performed an EKG straight way and my HR and BP were through the roof. The initial blood test wasn't too alarming but the doctor decided to repeat the test and took a urine sample (which at this point was full of blood). The second blood test showed that my hemoglobin was rapidly dropping and then I started hemorrhaging right there in the ER. They administered several meds to stop the bleeding, I received double blood transfusions, Iron infusions, and electrolyte infusions because I was losing so much.
I am home now and feeling so much better, praise God! I am still on medication to stop and also will have surgery soon. I am just so so thankful to God because when He spoke to me there was no confusion and He got me to the hospital just in time. I am also very grateful to the doctor that wasn't satisfied with my initial results and kept me there to double-check. God bless her and all the med staff who took great care of me.
*From BI* - Thank You Lord for letting me see this beautiful sunny day that You have made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You Lord for blessing me beyond what I deserve. I thank You for being the greatest Father. You alone are worthy of all praise.
Thank you sis @FFJ for today’s word. I certainly do not read the bible enough and that needs to improve. May God open our eyes to see the truths in His instructions. May God grant us wisdom and understanding as we study His Holy Word. I pray our spirit feed on God’s word and may our faith dwell in Him IJMN Amen.
*From EC* - Amen and good morning ladies!
*From LN* - I have decided to read the entire Bible and following a one year reading plan which is in the back of my Bible. I think for at least once in my life, I need to read it in chronological order and not just pick what I want to read. I think it will be really beneficial and help with my growth as a Christian. Firstly because it is helping make sure that I read the word everyday and secondly, I think you get really great insight. I remember once when I read Matthew from beginning to end and how much more insightful that was than just picking a verse or chapter that was, so I want to do it with the entire Bible. I've tried to do it a few times but got lazy after a while so pray for me y'all. God wants to speak to all of us and He needs his word inside of you to do it.
In addition, I found a really great book, Jesus Always by Sarah Young which I read after I read my Bible chapters for the day. It's really one of the best religious books I've ever found. I'm usually very sceptical and overly cautious with religious books :) but this one is surprisingly helpful.
*From CS* - Thank you God for this beautiful night - for allowing me to have another great day. I pray God that You touch minds and open hardened hearts. I pray that everyone who seeks You will find You.
From CS - About pointers to Bible reading to help others out: I study one chapter a day. I read more if it's a short book or a light reading type of book. Paul's letters are more challenging for me to read than Genesis or Exodus, for instance, and the Gospel requires equally careful reading for me so I stick to one chapter a day. Two at the most. For Paul. I usually have a Bible commentary, too, to help further my understanding and to get nuggets of knowledge from people far more knowledgeable about theology than I am. Like, before I was reading Timothy-Titus-Philemon, I was studying Acts. Here's a Bible study commentary that I was reading: I like this author. I like this book because it gives brief information about early church history. I really appreciate insight like that. You mention ed audiobooks, FFJ. I CANNOT study with audiobooks. Lol After a while, it's like background noise and I don't retain much of anything. I use Bible audiobooks to sleep. At this point in time, I am only reading the Bible. It's the best way for me to understand. But honestly a lot of it just about adopting good habits. You need to read the Bible in order to understand Gods message, to follow His statutes/will and to live well. It takes maybe 5-10 minutes to read a chapter of the Bible. Surely you can give the Lord 10 minutes. You've just got ask yourself what you're doing this for and what really matters to you.
fROM cs - Hey FFJ,
Thanks for the lesson.
This is worth a mental note. I usually just give money and gifts. In a very general sense, that's how I show love. I'm not one to make intercessory prayers and I pray daily! In fact, it is only within these threads that I even think about praying for others and that's only because you're reminding us to do so. I'm just a self involved person. Lol. Like, I really am. I only think to pray for others if that persons had a rough time AND their troubles have been resting on my mind for a time. And I'm ecstatic every time Gods Answered my prayers on behalf of others. But... I'm just not a person that routinely prays for other people. I've prayed about that in the past but I'll be honest : it's not something that I'm actively trying to fix.
Anyway, I agree with you: Being grounded in the Bible is not optional. I have a difficult time dividing the scriptures. Paula letters exclusively. It's the language and Pauls writing style. It's a little beyond me, sometimes. That's why I lean so much on biblical nonbible books. To help my understanding. Plus, I like the insights that come from different authors. For instance, did you know that LORD and Lord in scripture refers to Gods holy name (Y---h) and His title (Lord refers to title)? So, when you said:
Well, that jumped out to me. But I'm pleased to say that I've been reading the Bible (not just relying on Bible audiobooks) and comprehending it, and my confidence in my Bible reading has increased.
But Your Tuesday lesson comes at a good time.
I've been having these tithing fantasies. It began with me trying to figure out how much money I'd be tithing and getting comfortable with that much money disappearing from my account and praying against my greedy money grubbing ways. But I'm comfortable with tithing that much money now. I do give donations to one church - $48/month - because I believe in his ministry and I believe that our ministers should prosper, too. But I tithe by DIRECTLY donating to the poor and destitute.
I used to love volunteering at soup kitchens and such, but I think that I'll have progressed to just ‘donating directly’ because I won't have time to volunteer anymore.
So, I've been thinking heavily:
- I could do a Good Samaritan donation at Walmart or one of these furniture/ goods rental places that low income folks frequent (Conns, RentaCenter, Furniture King, etc.). I've never done this before but I think you just walk in, request the manager and tell them that you want to make a Good Samaritan Donation covering accounts to a certain dollar amount.
- I could leave money at the bus stop. Many low income, homeless, and poor persons pass through bus stops. I used to be poor. I grew up on the poverty line, so I'm aware of such things. I've left clothes, shoes and money at the bus stop. I got the idea while I was poor and seeing that someone had done exactly that one day.
- Many homeless people sleep on church grounds for safety and security. I could buy a meal,put the money in the bag and set it next to a sleeping homeless person with a note wishing them well and encouraging them to thank God. (to glorify Him) I've done this before. It felt REALLY good.
I want to say - last week, your writing about Titus led me to read Titus (Timothy and Philemon.) It's been a very long time since I've sat and actually read those books. For the longest time I was relying on audiobooks, but I can't properly retain the knowledge that way. I've decided to shift focus to Pauls letters at this time because a. Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, and b., Pauls letters to the churches/disciples, through direct revelation from the Lord Jesus. is what actually applies to us (as we are under the dispensation of Grace) at this point in time.
I couldn't really grasp the point of it all in Titus to Philemon so I picked up this book which has been helping me.
Now, you're more knowledgeable than I, being a baby Christian, but you or others may skim the book and come across new insight. So, I'd like to share.
Now, the author is wordy and I had a difficult time with her writing style when I first cracked it open, BUT she is learned and a ‘king James Bible believer’ (lol). I appreciated her insights into Pauls letters to the disciples. The book is free, too.
And I know that I just got through talking about relying on biblical nonbible books versus the Bible, lol, but I was studying the book WITH the Bible. I usually buy a few books and read a chapter/day per book to completion but, I have to say, this book is taking up a lot of my reading time.
REDUX
Let's keep it all the way real, this isn't the first time you've heard me say "read your Bible, guys." In fact, this message has come up so much in the last year that I'm sure some folks are tired of hearing it.
Yet, the Lord keeps bringing it up as a point to mention.
So, what's going on folks? I suspect a few of us Peppers are struggling to spend time with God's word and that's why He has me mentioning the issue so often.
Here is my question - how can I or others in this group help you on this issue?
I'm not even kidding. I genuinely want to be of help. Though I acknowledge that I might not be able to help everyone, I'd like to try with those who are willing.
For those who are able to study the Bible with any form of consistency, do you mind sharing some tips? I recently talked to someone who shared that she listened to the audio Bible and it helped her so much because sitting to read was a bit complex given her busy schedule.
And if you're struggling or have struggled, do you mind sharing why you think that is? You voicing this could be helpful not just for yourself but also someone else who's too shy or just hasn't figured it out.
Anyway, please, let us be giving of information today so that we can help one another to do better in this area. God bless you!
PS: Can we please keep this a judgment-free zone? Please remember that none of us is perfect and it is in discussing our struggles that we can become stronger. Thank you!
PPS: If you rather share your comments at The Miracle Alley blog or forum, please don't hesitate. Thanks!
Jesus died on the cross to create an avenue for sinners to make it to heaven. This is because the Bible is clear that sinners will have no place in God's kingdom.
And so Jesus took on the sin of the world so that everyone who would accept Him as their Lord and Savior can be justified as if they never sinned.
What a great gift to us sinners who in one way or another have rebelled against God. Jesus died so we could be forgiven!
I'd like to invite you to become born again in Jesus Christ today. We are told in John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Good deeds, kindness and the hallmarks of a well-lived life aren't enough. You have to realize that you can't do life without Him. You need Him to get you out of the messy entanglements you're in. You have to put your pride aside and ask Him to get you there.
Now is your opportunity to receive God's forgiveness and get baptized in the Spirit (John 3:5). If you are willing, why don't you say the following prayer?
Lord Jesus I am a sinner. I confess my sins right now to you. And I believe that you are the son of God. I believe that you came , you died, your rose again, and you paid the price for my sins. Today, I accept the new life, today I accept the Holy Spirit. Come dwell in me, make Your home in me. I will never be the same again. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Praise God and welcome to the household of the Lord. Please let the Lord transform you. He loves you as you are and welcomes you just that way but He will change you. I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't let you know. My recommendation is that you let Him have His way and bow to the beautiful changes He will bring your way.
Now that you are born again in the Spirit, I strongly recommend that you get born again with water for we are told in John 3:5 - Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Find a church that is led by the Holy Spirit and get water baptized. The Lord will guide you, IJN, Amen.
To learn more about the faith and find answers to some questions you might have, check out this handy page - ! How to have a stronger relationship with YHWH God!
The Lord bless you!