“C” for CLEOPAS

“C” for CLEOPAS

No Disappointment with Jesus

Pic. Credit. A to Z Page

Sometimes disappointment is hard to hide.  Friends and family let you down, and it’s written all over your face.  But what about when you think God lets you down? 

How do you beat back disappointment then?

NAME: “Renowned Father”

DATE: 1st Century AD

IDENTIFICATION:  Christian from Emmaus, northwest of Jerusalem

STORY LINE: Cleopas encountered the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus

READ IT IN THE BIBLE:  Luke 24:1-35

Cleopas and a friend were glumly returning to Emmaus after a disappointing week in Jerusalem.

They had gone to the Holy City for Passover, but they weren’t prepared for what they encountered there—the shocking crucifixion of Jesus.

As true believers, they anticipated this was the Passover Jesus would declare Himself to be Messiah.  Instead He was humiliated and put to death.  All their hopes were dashed.  Their faith was in shambles.

As they trudged home, a stranger caught up with them and inquired what they were talking about.  Not realizing it was Jesus, Cleopas related all the bizarre events of the week.  Jesus responded by demonstrating from the Scriptures that every Bible writer had pointed out the event of this week; it was all part of God’s plan.  No sooner did they realize this was the resurrected Christ than He was gone.

Nothing could change their disappointment except the reality of the risen Christ.  Nothing could make Cleopas and his friend retrace their steps to Jerusalem except news that was too exciting to keep to themselves.  Jesus hadn’t failed them.  He is risen indeed!

If you find yourself disappointed with God, maybe you also need a fresh encounter with the resurrected Christ.  Nothing is better antidote to disappointed faith than to discover the reality that Jesus Christ is alive. 

We do not worship a dead Savior.

We worship a living Lord.

There is no disappointment in Jesus.

       by Dr. Woodrow Kroll
(Former President back to the Bible)

Source:
Back to the Bible Intl.
Confident Living Magazine

The Blessings of Fear

Credit: A to Z Blog Challenge

We don't hear much these days about the fear of the Lord.  All too often the Lord is looked upon only as a heavenly friend, someone who walks with us and smiles on us constantly.  But verse 1 says, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.”

What does it mean to fear the Lord?  It means to be in reverential awe of Him.  It means we don’t tempt Him.  We don’t jest with Him.  We don’t try to make Him do things He will not do.  The Israelites did not fear the Lord.  They tempted Him.  They played with His Law and tried to see how close they could get to the world.  So God had to discipline them.

God blesses us in three areas of our life when we truly fear Him. 

First, He will bless us in our walk.  “Blessed is everyone who fear the Lord, who walks in His ways”  (v1).  This means that our conduct and our character become holy.

Second, God blesses us in our work.  “When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you” (v.2).  Some people are unhappy in their work.  But if we are obedient to God, we are doing His work no matter what our occupation is and therefore can rejoice in it.  When we fear the Lord, we can go to work and be happy.

Third, God blesses us in our homes.  “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house, your children like olive plants all around your table” (v.3).  This does not mean that everybody is going to have a family, let alone a big family.  It does mean that you’ll be a blessing to your family.  “Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord” (v.4)

Never become so “familiar” with God that you lose your reverence for Him.  He is your personal God, but He deserves your awe and respect.  The fear of the Lord is the key to His blessings.  Fear Him.  Walk in His ways and receive His blessings.

—Warren W. Wiersbe
(Former President Back to the Bible)


Source:
Confident Living Magazine
Back to the Bible Intl.
Back to the Bible India
Warren W. Wiersbe

“A” for AMOS, God’s ‘Little People’

“A” for AMOS

God’s ‘Little People’

William Carey was an apprentice shoemaker at age 14.  He came to Christ as Savior at age 18.  Later when a high society Englishman wanted to embarrass Mr. Carey he said, “I hear, Mr. Carey, that you were a cobbler.”

“Oh, no, my lord, not a cobbler,” replied the humble Carey, “just a shoemaker.”

On  William Carey's Bicentenary celebration time
India Government honored him
by releasing a postal stamp.

Carey’s motto was, “Expect great things from God, Attempt great things for God.”  He was one of God’s “little people” who went to India and, along with two friends, attempted great things for God.  Together they founded 26 churches and 126 schools with a total enrollment of ten thousand.  They translated the Bible into 44 languages and produced grammars and dictionaries.  Cary and friends organized India’s first medical mission, savings bank, seminary, Indian girls’ school, and Bengali newspaper.  Their accomplishments were astounding, especially for such humble beginnings.

NAME: “Carry or "Bear a Burden”

DATE: 8^th Century BC

IDENTIFICATION:  Shepherd form Tekoa, called by God as a prophet

STORY LINE: Amos denounced the corruption of Northern Kingdom

READ IT THE BIBLE:  Amos 1:1-2; 6:1-14; 8:1-1

The prophet Amos also was one of God’s little people.’  He had humble beginnings, too.  He was but a shepherd living in Tekoa, an unassuming village about ten miles south of Jerusalem.  But God does not look on our humble beginnings when He chooses someone to attempt great things for him.  God spoke to Amos in a vision, and the shepherd—turned—prophet mightily denounced the idol worship, graft, and corruption of Israel.  He was just a herdsman and a tender of sycamore fruit (Amos 7:14), but Amos spoke effectively with the highest authority possible—the authority of God.

It doesn't matter who you are; what matters is what God wants to do through you.  If you feel like one of the “little people” in the church, be encouraged.  Our big God likes to use little people to impact the world.

                       —Dr. Woodrow Kroll
                          (Former President Back to the Bible Intl.)

                                                                   

Source:

 Back to the Bible International

Dr. Woodrow Kroll

Confident Living Magazine

William Carey picture (Google)

Read And Subscribe Confident Living Magazine

Read And Subscribe Confident Living Magazine

"goTandem" What It is? And How It Works ?

About goTandem

What is goTandem?

Everyday life is busy. And as a result, our spiritual lives are often neglected. But that doesn’t have to be the case. With goTandem, you’ll receive customized biblical content based on your unique spiritual needs, designed specifically to move you closer to Jesus on a daily basis.

The term for all that is Bible Engagement. Such engagement occurs when we receive what the Bible says, reflect on its meaning and respond accordingly with our actions. And after more than 7 years of research, we’ve learned that it has the biggest impact on our lives – in overcoming temptation, building healthier relationships, and having hope in uncertainty – when we begin considering bits of Scripture throughout the day, at least four days a week. More is better. Less is significantly worse.

That might seem like a lot, but with goTandem, it is manageable. Providing a personalized experience with the Bible, goTandem delivers meaningful content directly to you, exactly when you need it. Each message is designed to help strengthen and encourage you by taking an honest look at what the Bible says and how applying it moves you closer to Christ.

Who is behind goTandem?

goTandem is the direct result of a group of researchers, artists, tech wizards and writers coming together to develop a way to deliver the promises of the Bible into our everyday lives. While our ages, backgrounds and experiences are all very different, each of us has committed to spending our days in the pursuit of becoming more like Jesus. We’re probably a lot like you, actually. We have our ups and downs, and we have a hard time engaging the Bible every day. But after our research experts proved that daily Bible engagement is the absolute best tool God’s given us for our spiritual journey, we decided to create something that could come alongside people to help them engage the Bible – throughout the day, every day. And that’s how goTandem was born.

How it Works.

Watch These Videos It explains What it is and How it Works!!!

Have a Good and Godly Day. :-)

 

Source: 

Back to the Bible Intl. 

Lincoln Nebraska

U S A
Back to the Bible, Canada

Back to the Bible Intl.
Masihi Vandana

Welcome To Masihi Vandana Blog "मसीही वंदना"

Welcome To Masihi Vandana Blog "मसीही वंदना"

Speaking Without Anger

For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.  So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2:12-14)

Speaking Without Anger

picture credit: spurmag.com

Anger has become a major problem in our society, especially when associated with driving.  Between 1990 and 1997, 2, 50,000 people were killed in traffic accident.  The U. S. Department of Transportation estimates that two-thirds of these road fatalities were caused by drivers who were angry.  They not only lost their temper, but they lost their lives as well.

When Daniel was confronted with the king’s edict, it could have given way to anger.  The King’s demands were unreasonable.  Who ever heard of telling the dream as well as giving the interpretation?  Furthermore, it was unfair.  Why destroy all the wise men when not everyone had been given the opportunity to redeem himself?  But Daniel knew better than to give way to such futile passions.  Instead, he answered with “counsel and wisdom.”

To his credit, Daniel first sought information.  He checked out the facts to find out what lay behind this seemingly unreasonable edit.  Then he spoke with wisdom.  Daniel took the time to understand the situation and then offered a practical solution that would both meet the king’s need and save the lives of many innocent people.

Anger can be terribly devastating, especially for Christians.  Not only do they suffer the same consequences unbelievers do when they lose their temper, but they also tarnish their testimony before a watching world.

If you struggle with anger, learn to seek counsel and then speak with wisdom.  Get the facts straight.  Give yourself time to think about the consequences of your anger.  And then, rather than waste your energy on a fit of rage and bring shame to the Lord, as God to show you how you can resolve the situation for His glory.

Anger isn’t always wrong, but it’s seldom profitable.

                                                  —Dr. Woodrow Kroll

Source: Confident Living Magazine, Back to the Bible