“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4 NIV Read full chapter
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
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RealChristianWomen.blog
About a year ago, I found this intriguing story, and not sure how I might use it, I filed it away for future use. Today, it hit me! Could I find it again? I did! Read the story below.
The Clay Balls
As a man explored caves by the seashore, he found a canvas bag full of hardened clay balls. Apparently, someone had rolled the clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but intrigued, the man took the bag.
As he strolled along the beach, he threw the balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it until he dropped one and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Delighted, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each one contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 balls with their hidden treasure out into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
The clay balls are like the Scriptures. A man goes through his whole life without realizing the value of what he possesses. He has several copies of the Bible, but they mostly remain on a dusty shelf, unread.
Then one day, he finds himself in crisis. In desperation, he opens his Bible, searching for answers. He finds a treasure inside. It’s the answer he needs! It is the hope he needs! It is the comfort he needs! It is the guidance he needs!
He suddenly realizes that just like the man in the story, he has carelessly thrown away the treasures he could have had: wisdom, joy, encouragement, faith, comfort, understanding, and hope. If only he had known what treasures were within his dusty Bible.
Now an old man, he realizes he could have known the wisdom of God in all of the trials and hard times of this life.
“Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 3:13-15
The Bible is a bottomless treasure chest of beauty and wonder… inspired, true, authoritative, clear, sufficient, powerful, Christ-centered, and precious. May God help us to treat it as such.”
Matt Smethurst, Pastor
“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.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves,” the apostle James writes. “Do what it says” (James 1:22).
Happy is the man who possesses a Bible! Happier still is he who reads it! Happiest of all is he who not only reads it but obeys it.”
J.C. Ryle
Peter says God has given us “everything we need for a godly life” through the knowledge available in the Scriptures (2 Pet. 1:3).
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. (Rom. 15:4)
And my favorite, Psalm 119
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Source: 8 Things Your Bible Says About Itself by Matt Smethurst, lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia; editor at The Gospel Coalition
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RealChristianWomen.blog
“He who withholds the rod [of discipline] hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines and trains him diligently and appropriately [with wisdom and love].” Proverbs 13:24 AMP
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
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RealChristianWomen.blog
“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:5-7 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
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RealChristianWomen.blog
Preoccupied with mystical encounters and emotional ecstasies, [many] seek ongoing revelation from heaven – meaning that, for them, the Bible alone is simply not enough. [With them], biblical revelation must be supplemented with personal “words from God,” supposed impressions from the Holy Spirit, and other subjective religious experiences. That kind of thinking is an outright rejection of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16–17). It is a recipe for far-reaching theological disaster.
John MacArthur
“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.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Humble Lamb on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:37 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Amevi Wisdom on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 NIV
My Thoughts: To have a fear of the Lord means you wouldn’t dare to exalt your own opinions and desires over God’s Word.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Michael Chambers on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.” Psalm 34:7 NIV
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash
RealChristianWomen.blog
Some say I’m too picky. But as a person who was once deceived by NAR and Word of Faith teaching, I know firsthand how dangerous false teaching is. Satan is very tricky and he would like nothing more than to lead Christians down a dangerous road of deception. He is very good at what he does and it won’t be obvious. You can be sure of that.
Women’s Bible Studies often center around a popular Christian author and teacher. I began to notice that many of their teachings were based on their personal experiences. They weren’t really teaching the Bible. Instead, it was more about them, what God had “told” them, and their fascinating experiences. I remember thinking, “Wait! Where’s that in the Bible?”
For me, red flags go up when a “Bible teacher” says, “God told me…” or “God said…”. I haven’t always seen that as a red flag, but I do now. Here’s why:
These “Bible teachers” are often funny and entertaining, so you can see why they would be popular. The word gets around. Hungry believers, seeking to learn about God, consume their books and videos. The motives of these believers may be pure, but pure motives aren’t enough. We must study the Bible for ourselves or risk being misled.
I know this is true because it happened to me. The problem is this: if you learn from the wrong teachers you will undoubtedly be led into error. Of course, they get a lot right, but it’s what they get wrong that is the problem.
You can usually find out a lot about popular teachers on their own websites. Who do they learn from? What books and/or teachers have influenced them? If they are influenced by the New Age, Mystics, NAR, or Word of Faith that’s all I need to know. I don’t listen to their teaching and neither should you. Jesus said,
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Matthew 7:13-15
I’m afraid this kind of advice isn’t very popular today. It would be more acceptable if Jesus would have said not to be concerned about who we listen to as long as it has a Christian label on it. But that is not what He said. In fact, the Bible says,
“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
Nowhere is this more evident than in the “Prosperity Gospel” teaching of preachers like Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, Joel Osteen, T.D Jakes, and others. The Bible clearly teaches that anyone who teaches these things has been robbed of the Truth.
So-called “Bible teachers” are standing in line to say what people want to hear. According to Publisher’s Weekly, one popular teacher (that I won’t name) generates over 30 million dollars a year in book sale revenues!
“If anyone … does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:3-10
I don’t know how it could get any clearer than that. Yet “Prosperity preachers have huge followings and live in great abundance and wealth.
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 11:14b
And in case you aren’t convinced yet, remember these words of Jesus:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
Final Word: The Bible is more precious than silver and gold because God’s Word, and God’s Word alone, will keep you on the narrow road. Don’t neglect this precious gift from God.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
All Scripture references are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
RealChristianWomen.blog
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3 NLT
My Thoughts: This is King David’s testimony, but is also my testimony.
In His Love, Cindy
Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?
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RealChristianWomen.blog
Real Christian Women 