KEYS TO A GODLY LIFE PART 8/12 - LIVING AS GOD'S PEOPLE

THE DAWN OF GLORY SERIES:

PLEASE READ THE PASSAGE, THEN - WATCH THE BRIEF EXPOSITION FROM THE PLUMBLINE VIDEO:

1 Peter 5: 1-10

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN RICHES

PART 7/12 ...OR CHAPTER 7 ON THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

So many people are losing their minds in the world today. The Culture of Celebrity delights in building people up, only to tear them down. Many get to the finish line of life, only to stumble right before the tape - thereby blowing it all. We live in a time when one's word does not seem to matter...where up is down and down is up.

It is and was never supposed to be like this. Hence the reason for my indepth TV series on the powerful Book of Ecclesiastes for the weekly Plumbline TV show. I went through a chapter per show, doing into the major themes and exhorting viewers to read the study the rest of the chapter themselves. 

Chapter 7 really spoke to me about a critical need for everyone alive today, about how to travel the highway of life. You can read the entire chapter 7 here after watching the next 26.5 minutes of a teaching on it

PLUMBLINE CAN BE SEEN EVERY WEEKEND @ 5am CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME HERE ON CHRISTIAN TELEVISION NETWORK AFFILIATE WLCF TV (streaming), AND EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT AT 9:30PM

THINK ON THESE THINGS - FRIDAY

LIVING THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES

A new and from feedback, favorite guest writer here - JENN TRUMM JONES - has struck a nerve with her Thirty Days of Gratitude for the month of November, leading up to Thanksgiving...and especially with this short, yet convicting testimony!


So many of our friends and families and even people we work with or know, down the street, are going through just the roughest time of it, in life! It is not just about unemployment or low finances, but there is such a hopelessness and feeling of Godly abandonment (not true) that it must be address.

Starting yesterday, for as long as it takes, I will be addressing any issue which fellow saints face, with the Hope of bringing encouragement to their souls, day by day. Occasionally, like today, a friend and fellow writer like Jenn Jones will  give the message. Please read on! I know it will bless you today!

Bernie

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength....Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

JENN TRUMM JONES, 

This may seem odd to some people - to others it will make perfect sense. I am grateful for the adversity and challenges I have faced, still do face and will face in my life. Why, you may ask? Why not?

In my younger years, before I was a Christian, I faced many, many challenges in life. Most of them were brought on by my own unwise decisions. At the time I felt sorry for myself a lot, wondering why these things kept happening. Looking back and looking at who I have become - I know now that God used each and every one of my bad decisions, each challenge, and each obstacle to mold me into who I am today. He is still doing it. How can I not be grateful for that?

I have learned enough over the past 3 years to know that when I am facing a challenging or difficult situation to stop focusing just on the problem. Christ has taught me to look past my own feelings and look for what I can learn from it - how it brings me closer to what He has planned for me - how it strengthens me. If life was always perfect and we never faced adversities - how could we grow? We wouldn't. We would atrophy like unused muscles.

So, for today I am thanking my Lord for all of the tough stuff in life that I have faced, am facing now, and will continue to face time to time in the future. I am thanking Him for the lessons learned and the strength He has created in me through these situations and issues. He takes things that we think stink - and creates something good and beautiful - someway, somehow. 


In some ways that we may never even know or experience personally. But we should thank Him anyway. He doesn't just want to hear our gratitude when things are going peachy. He wants us to recognize even in the rough times, that He is there waiting on the other side of whatever it is we are facing. Waiting. Loving....

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