RE: Who Am I? I'm the Light of the World! (Full Version)

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MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm the Light of the World! (7/28/2008 11:14:39 AM)

Hello again, everyone! Welcome to the top of page 13 of my blog! It's a beautiful day, isn't it? I hope it is for you anyway. Where I'm at, the sun is shining and it feels like a few degrees cooler than that other hot place, if you know what I mean, LOL! There's lots of light, which'll make it easier to do my dusting later today.

Speaking of light, I'm continuing my Bible study series on the Who am I Christian Affirmation series. Today, I'm focusing on the fact that we are the light of the world! There are many verses that show how important it is for us to be a light in this world. All of them are from the NIV version of the Bible.

First of all, Matthew 5:14-16 says "(14) You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. (16) In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Luke 8:16 basically says the same thing, also adding, "...so that those who come in can see the light." Finally, Luke 11:34-36 sums up everything by stating that (34)"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. (35) See to it then that the light within you is not darkness. (36) Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you."

I believe Jesus wants us to know that we are to be like a beacon to those who are living in darkness, like a lighthouse guiding ships on a foggy night. This reminds me of an old song, "You Can't Be A Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine". As a flashlight helps us to find our way in the dark when the power goes out, we can help those who don't know Jesus as their Savior find their way to Him by telling and living the Gospel. Let's strive to shine the light of truth today!

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I'm posting a while, then doing housework, so have a nice day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm Part of the True Vine! (7/31/2008 1:32:06 PM)

Good morning, everyone! [:)] How are you today? I'm doing fine. I woke up early this morning and enjoyed a few cups of coffee before starting my day. So far I've gotten dressed, ate breakfast and lunch, prayed and studied God's Word. If it's God's will, my plans for today include housecleaning and laundry, as usual.

In my Bible study today, I focused on another Christian Affirmation statement which says that "I am part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life." One of the many Scripture portions that illustrate this comes from John 15:1-5 NIV: (1)"I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. (2) He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, so that it will bear more fruit. (4) Remain in Me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (5) I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing"

I think what Jesus is saying here is that we must let our fruit be made known to everyone, so that they can see the sweetness of Christ in our daily lives. Just what is this "fruit"? According to Galatians 5:22 NIV, it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." In other words, these attributes that Jesus modeled for us are what should be part of our character, "the fruits of righteousness.", according to Phillipians 1:11. As we carry out Jesus message of hope and salvation today, let's be sure to demonstrate His love toward all people, even those who are considered to be scum by today's society.

In my next post, I plan to share the results of my study on the statement, "I am Christ's friend." I'm going to do my housework now, so have a good day! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I am Christ's Friend! (8/4/2008 1:03:07 PM)

Hi, everyone! How are you today? I'm doing well. I'm sitting here posting in my air-conditioned house and staying out of the oven-like temperatures outside. I have a busy day ahead of me, but I wanted to take this time to share with you what God has revealed to me in His Word.

Yesterday in my personal Bible study on Christian affirmations, I learned that "I am Christ's friend." In John 15:15, NIV, Jesus says that "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for every thing that I learned from My Father, I have made known to you." By calling us His friends, He reminds us that we are important to God and can learn His will for us.

What attributes does Jesus find important in His friends? According to verse John 15:13-14, He says, "(13)Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (14) You are my friends if you do what I command." Another verse reminds us that, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17 NIV) Finally, James 2:23 NIV says that "...Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend." In order to be considered as one of Jesus's friends, we need to have these characteristics in our lives. Let us strive to be Jesus's friend today!

I was interrrupted by a phone call and I have to log off now. My next post will focus on the fact that we are slaves of righteousness. Have a nice day!



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I am a Slave of Righteousness! (8/5/2008 1:16:25 PM)

Hello, everyone! How are we doing today? I'm feeling pretty good, except maybe I had too much caffeine. I feel like running a 5K race right now, but I'll settle for sitting here and posting my latest discovery in God's Word.

Today, I studied what it means to be a slave of righteousness. In John 6:15-22, American Standard Version, it says:

6:15
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.

6:16
Know ye not, that to whom ye present yourselves [as] servants unto obedience, his servants ye are whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

6:17
But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered;

6:18
and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.

6:19
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye presented your members [as] servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now present your members [as] servants to righteousness unto sanctification.

6:20
For when ye were servants of sin, ye were free in regard of righteousness.

6:21
What fruit then had ye at that time in the things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

6:22
But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life.

What I believe this means is that since Christ died for us, we no longer have to give in to our fleshly desires, addictions, compulsions, etc. Instead, we can allow God to help us overcome these things and enable us to live for Him.

There are other verses that speak on this topic, including, 2 Peter 2:19, Romans 7:14,23,25, Romans 8:2. Due to lack of time, I'm going to encourage you to look up these verses for yourselves and learn more about this subject. Let's make Psalm 119:133 NIV our prayer as we go about our day today: "Direct my footsteps according to your word, let no sin rule over me."

My next post will focus on the fact that we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing our inheritance with Him. I have to get busy doing housework and other tasks, so have a good day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Brief Interruption on Devotional Series (8/9/2008 1:02:25 AM)

Hello, everyone! It's getting late, so this will be a short note, but I just wanted to interrupt my devotional series with a short note of warning I found in the Feedback folder. There were times in this blog and elsewhere on the forums that I posted some information that I probably shouldn't have posted, but at the time, I thought it was only other users who could read what I'd posted. When I found out that these forums are public and ANYONE could read them, I felt embarrassed at some of the things I'd posted. I just hope that nothing I'd posted will come back to haunt me in the future.

It is with this realization that I want to post this warning from Fritz, which reminds us to be careful of what we post here in these forums:

quote:

Don't ever post or say anything on the Web that you don't want your stalker, friend, fiancé, teacher, classmate, band member, employer, employee, church, deacon, pastor, spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, significant other, child, roommate, teammate, coach, counselor, lawyer, judge, Police, CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, or a carpenter born in a stable to see.


That's a lot to think about, so I'll end this post by encouraging you all to stay tuned for my next post about who we are as joint heirs with Christ.

Goodnight, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I am a Joint Heir With Christ! (8/10/2008 2:25:18 PM)

Hi there! I welcome you back to my blog with a [:)] and a [sm=hug.gif] because it's such a lovely day! There's lots of sunshine, green grass and delicious vegetables growing in my garden. I've been feasting on tomatoes and cucumbers, which taste better than those artificial things at the store. It's a great day so far, and if it's God's will, it'll remain that way.

I'm also excited at what I learned in my Bible study about how we are joint heirs with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him. Romans 8:15-17 NIV says: (15)"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him, we cry, 'Abba, Father!' (16) The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. (17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

I believe this means that since Christ died for us and we've accepted Him as our Savior, then we are God's children. Because we are God's children, we are His heirs and will inherit eternal life. He has given His Spirit into our hearts as a guarantee of the eternal life to come (Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Since we belong to Christ, we are Abraham's seed (John 1:12), so we must live out our lives in a way that glorifies God through our thoughts, words and deeds. Let's take time to thank God for allowing us into His kingdom today!


I'm probably going to be doing housework so I might not post here as much today. Next time I post here, I will explain how we are God's temple by His Holy Spirit residing in us. Have a nice day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I am God's Temple! (8/16/2008 10:06:59 AM)

Hi, everyone! How are you doing this fine sunshine day? I'm doing fine, except for a miserable cold that made it difficult to get a good night's sleep. I took some medicine for it at 4 am this morning, so I'm able to post this without having to run for a tissue every 2 minutes.

Now that I've had some full-strength coffee and am more awake, I can concentrate on what I wanted to post about this lovely morning. When studying God's Word a few days ago, I learned that we are God's temple and that His Spirit and His life lives in me. This was an exciting Biblical concept, for it makes me more aware of the need to take care of my body the way that God wants me to, so I can be a more fit temple for Him.

There are sevreal verses that speak on this topic. 1 Corinthians 3:16, NIV says: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" Again His word says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV: (19)"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, (20) you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

I used to believe that the latter verse meant that I would've gone to hell if I'd succeed in committing suicide a few years ago. However, God has shown me in other verses that that's not the case. These verses simply mean that I need to take care of my body the way He wants me to through eating healthy, exercising and focusing on positive thoughts from His Word. By using self control and other fruits of the Spirit in my life, I can serve God better and be a better witness for Him to all unbelievers I meet in my life.

As we go about our daily routines today, let us praise and thank God for creating us in His own image to be His temples. Let's also take care of ourselves the way that God wants us to, so that we can better serve and glorify Him in whatever we do, say or think.

Lord, we glorify you for Your everlasting mercy and grace. Help us to take care of ourselves so that we are more fit vessels for Your Spirit to reside in. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

Next time I post, I will focus on how we're united to God and one spirit with Him. I'm going to take it easy today, drink plenty of fluids, do some light housework and get caught up on my laundry.

Have a nice day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm United To God! (8/17/2008 8:59:11 AM)

Hi, and good morning to all of you in forums land! As I begin this day, I'm feeling okay, even though I have a cold. I woke up at 4 am to take some decongestant and other medication, so I took the time to study God's Word and have my devotions.

What an exciting study it was too! Today I focused my studied on the fact that we are united with God and are one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 NIV illustrates this fact with these words, (15)"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (16) Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh'. (17) But he who unites himself witht the Lord is one with him in spirit."

Romans 12:4-5 NIV also mentions this fact: "(4) Just as each of us has one body with many members do not have the same function, (5) so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." It is obvious from these verses that we are joined into Christ and are one flesh with Him, just as a man is joined to a woman and produce a child.

Jesus prayed for us to continue to be one with Him as he was with God. (John 17:21-23) Since we are controlled by God's Spirit, He gives life to our mortal bodies and we belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9-11) We are crucified with Christ andHe lives in us, so we should live by faith in Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. (Galatians 2:20, NIV) Let us all walk by faith in Him and allow His spirit to bring these verses to our rememberance whenever we're tempted to think we're not saved anymore, or to commit a sexual sin.

Father God, You alone are worthy of praise, honor and glory. Enable us to remember that we are united to You and conduct ourselves according to this truth. In Jesus' wonderful, blessed Name I pray, Amen.



If it's God's will, I'm going to post some more today, update my prayer list, do other computer stuff, and maybe some light sit-down housework. Have a wonderful day and God bless you, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A Member of Christ's Body! (8/19/2008 11:40:37 AM)

Good morning, everyone! How are you all doing today? I'm doing fine. I'm feeling better and the sun is shining, so it's a good day. I've got a minor problem that I'm dealing with right now, but hopefully, I'll get it fixed today,before it gets any worse.

I studied God's Word this morning and found out some exciting news: We are members of Christ's body! There are a number of verses that illustrate this truth, including 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV: "Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it." Ephesians 5:29-30 goes on to say that: (29)"After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--(30) for we are members of his body"

Also, Ephesians 1:22-23 says that (22)"...God placed all things under (Jesus) feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body. (23) The fullness of him, who fills eveything in every way." Other verses that concur with these teachings include Ephesians 4:11-12, Collosians 1:18 and Romans 12:4-5.

I believe that the point God wants us to know is that since we are Christians, we are the Church, the Body of Christ, who represents Him on this earth. As such, we need to be positive witnesses for Him through the proper use of our gifts, talents and abilities, so that other believers are blessed and unbelievers are prompted to turn their lives over to Christ. Let's bless everyone we meet today with Christlike love and concern.

Father God, enable us to be positive witnesses for You by using our talents, abilities and gifts for your glory and bless everyone we meet. In Jesus's Name I pray, Amen.



Next time I plan to study and post on the topic, "I am a new creation." If it's God's will, I'll going to work on my problem situation, plus some housework. Have a good day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A New Creation! (9/1/2008 10:09:09 PM)

Good evening, everyone! How was your day? These past few weeks, I've been dealing with PC problems, so I've not been here as much as I wanted to be. I'm here tonight, though, so I'm glad about that.

Over a week ago, when studying God's Word, I discovered that I'm a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come." John 1:13 NIV says that ""Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." These verses showed me that since I'm a new person in Christ, I need to reflect Him in my words, conduct and thoughts. This was difficult for me to do today, given a terrible incident that got me upset. I just need to ask God to forgive me for my sinful thoughts and to forgive the sick person who angered me with his actions today.

I'm having trouble getting my thoughts together on this topic due to my feelings, so I'll end this topic here with this uplifting verse from Isaiah 65:17 NIV: "Behold I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind." I'm asking for prayer for God to help me let go of my angry feelings toward someone and not blame myself for what I cannot control. Next time, I plan to post about how we're reconciled to God and are ministers of reconciliation. Goodnight, everyone and have a good day tomorrow! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A New Creation! (9/5/2008 4:17:11 PM)

Hello, everyone! How are you today? I'm doing fine. It's a grey, cloudy, rainy day outside, but Jesus' Light is shining inside my heart and that warms me up. I'm feeling a little tired right now, but I've got things to do. I need to study God's Word so I can write a new devotional for my series here, as well as housework and laundry, so I need to go and plan to come back to forums later.



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm Reconciled To God! (9/5/2008 11:34:30 PM)

Hello, again, everyone! I'm back on here tonight, listening to Southern Gospel music and feeding my mind with delicious food from God's Word. Today I studied verses about being reconciled to God and that we are ministers of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV says that, (18) "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himseld through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (19) that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them, and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

Romans 5:10-11 NIV further states: (10)"For if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of his son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life? (11) Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

What I believe God is trying to tell us is that, since we know that Jesus died for us, we need to tell others about His sacrifice on the cross and encourage them to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. It's hard to do sometimes, especially in my case when some of my family and friends think I'm wacky because I suffer from depression, therefore they don't take me seriously. God says in His Word that He takes the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, so if my family think I'm just a foolish nutcase for believing in Jesus, then so be it. All I can do is pray for someone to open their eyes to the truth and that the Holy Spirit can open their heart, so they'll be more receptive to Christ's Gospel.

I apologize for monopolizing my post with my story of my inability to share the Gospel with my loved ones. The point I'm trying to make is that some people will not listen to us, so sometimes all we can do is pray them into God's kingdom and let someone else do the actual sowing and reaping. Unfortunately, there will be some individuals who'll make the wrong choice and will someday have to give account to God for it. We don't need to feel guilty if someone doesn't listen to us, because everyone is responsible for the choice to accept Jesus as their Savior.

Well, that's all for tonight. I plan to discuss the statement, "I am a saint." next time I post here. Have a good evening, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A Saint! (9/6/2008 2:29:44 PM)

Hello, my brothers and sisters in Christ! How is your day going so far? I'm doing pretty well. I woke up early this morning to start my day off right by feeding the cat, eating breakfast, getting ready for the day and spending time with God. It may be a cloudy, chilly, rainy day, but inside, it's warm and cozy, especially when I hold my soft, fluffy cat against me.

I also studied God's Word and found out that we are saints! Several verses point this out, among them Ephesians 1:1 (all verses NIV), which says: "...to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.", Romans 1:7: "To all those who are loved by God and called to be saints...", and Acts 9:13, "..."I've heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem."

What is a saint? According to 1 Corinthians 1:2, we are "...the church of God...to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours." In other words, because we believe in Jesus as our Savior and have called upon Him, we are sanctified because of Christ's blood on the cross and we are now saints in the eyes of God. Let us encourage one another with these words of wisdom and rejoice in our sainthood today, as well as invite unbelievers into it by sharing the Gospel with them.

I'm listening to a football game, doing housework and planning to go to church tonight. Next time, I plan to post about how we are God's workmanship and His handiwork, so stay tuned!

Have a good day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Brief Interruption--My Political Views (9/9/2008 10:56:51 PM)

I'm taking a brief break from my Bible study series to reflect on my reasons why I believe the way I do about world events. I've decided to do this because I wanted to clarify for everyone here just what I think about current world issues, so here goes:

For the record, I'm a born-again Christian who is pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment and believes in the traditional marriage between one man & one woman committed to a lasting relationship. I believe in the death penalty for those murderers who commit gruesome crimes, like the heartless woman who burned her poor baby to death in a microwave oven (She got life without parole). [:@] I believe in the Constitution, especially the First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of religion. I think that there are too many liberal judges taking our civil rights away from us, which they need to stop doing.

While I don't know why we're fighting in Iraq instead of going after Osama Bin Ladin and his cohorts, George Bush is our President and he should be respected, even if we don't agree with his views or decisions. Our military have to obey orders, or risk getting court-marshalled, so they shouldn't be blamed for the war either. We should be thankful that we are a free country, bought with the blood of those soldiers who fought to keep it that way.

Please don't tell me that I'm a homophobic, anti-abortion, right-wing, fundamentalist nutcase for believing these things. I'm just a humble citizen of the United States of America and proud of it! [sm=flagamerican.jpg][sm=flagamerican.jpg][sm=flagamerican.jpg]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm God's Workmanship! (9/10/2008 2:46:12 PM)

Hello everyone! How are we doing today? I'm doing okay. I didn't sleep well last night due to concerns over some scientists experiementing with trying to duplicate the Big Bang theory. It didn't help that our local newscasters joked about providing updates to the story in the morning newscast, "if we're still here." [:o] However, God showed me in Matthew chapter 6 that I don't need to worry about it, because He is in charge of the future, so I finally got some sleep.

Today, I'm continuing my Christian Affirmation series with a segment on the fact that "we are God's workmanship, His handiwork, born anew in Christ to do His work." (Neil T. Anderson, with "we" substituted for "I") This statement is a summary of Ephesians 2:10. Another verse which speaks on the same topic include Isaiah 29:23 (all verses NIV) "When they see among their children, the works of my hands, they will keep my name holy. They will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, they will stand in awe of the God of Israel." Isaiah 43:7 and Isaiah 60:21 go into further detail on this topic.

Basically, since God created us to do good works, I believe that we need to minister to both believers and unbelievers alike by being a servant to them. Whether it's tutoring a child, helping an elderly neighbor with yardwork, or cleaning the church, what matters is that we do it "as unto God and not unto man." Someday, God will reward us for our acts of service done in His name. I believe that those who don't know Christ will glorify God when they see our good works, so we need to be a positive witness for Him by doing them with a servant's heart. Only in this way is He glorified and we show our true love for Him. Let us be a witness for unbelievers by letting our actions match our words today!

I'm doing laundry, paperwork and possibly yardwork and gardening, so I'm not going to be on the computer much today. Have a wonderful day and may God richly bless all of you and your families today! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A Prisoner of Christ! (9/20/2008 11:34:01 PM)

Hi, everybody! How are you doing today/tonight? I'm doing fine. I've been on a roll today, with studying God's Word, writing two devotionals, including the one below, and rewriting my prayer list, so I'm feeling pretty good today. Some people might call it a manic stage of bipolar disorder, but I call it being full of the JOY OF THE LORD! [:)]

In spite of my joyful attitude, however, I'm also saddened by the news that one of my favorite Christian recording artists, Ray Boltz, is a practicing homosexual, according to his own website. [:(] Until I saw his website, I thought that the whole thing was a lie being fabricated from unreliable news sources trying to damage a well-respected Christian's reputation. Even though I'm angry and upset by this news, I'm not going to throw away my CD's. Instead, I'm going to pray for him while listening to his music.

This is part of my devotional, which focuses on who we are as prisoners of Christ. Ephesians 3:1 and 4:1 both mention that Paul is a prisoner of Christ, with Ephesians 4:1 NIV further advising us to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." When I wrote my first draft of this devotional, I was going to focus on persecuted Christians who are suffering ruined reputations and even their lives for the cross of Christ. While it is true that many of these brave brothers and sisters in Christ don't deserve to be mistreated for sharing their faith, there are some individuals who are suffering the just consequences of their actions as a result of sinful disobedience to God's Word. In other words, they make themselves "prisoners" or slaves of Satan, instead of being free in Christ.

What should be our attitude toward Ray Boltz's admission of his homosexuality? Instead of condemning him, like many Christians are doing, we should be praying for him. We should pray for him to repent of and turn away from his lifestyle choices and that the Holy Spirit will remind him of what God says in His Word about it. We need to shower him with our love and concern, instead of dismissing him as a "terrible sinner", who's no longer worthy to be called a Christian because of his sin. Since we have all sinned, then according to Matthew 7:1-5, we need to "remove the plank out of our own eyes so we can see the splinter in our brother's eye." Let's pray together for him now:

Father God, we come to You on behalf of our brother in Christ, Ray Boltz, who has fallen into sin by his own admission. We ask You to shower him with Your love and show him the way back to Your loving arms of forgiveness. Help him to repent of his sin and come freely to the cross of Christ to be renewed in fellowship with You. Help us all Lord, not to judge our dear brother, but to love him enough to pray for him. In Jesus mighty Name, we pray, Amen.



My next devotional in this Christian Affirmation series will be either on the topic, "I am righteous and holy" or "I am a citizen of heaven." Goodnight, everyone! Have a good day tomorrow!



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm Righteous & Holy! (10/2/2008 4:30:56 PM)

Hi, everyone! How's the month of October going for you so far? I'm doing okay, but other people I know aren't doing well. Family problems, illness, deaths and household appliance breakdowns are causing quite a havoc in my loved one's lives these days. I'm praying for peace, comfort, and for their salvation, as many of them don't know Christ as their Savior.

Right now, I'm praying for an opportunity to share Christ with someone, who I don't usually feel comfortable talking to. Yesterday, someone asked me if I could share Christ with this person who is asking about having a relationship with Him. I agreed to pray about it, since I have a difficult time TELLING people about Christ. I can WRITE about Him easier than TALK about Him. Please pray that God will open a door in this person's heart to receive the Gospel and that me or someone else who He picks will be able to tell her about Jesus in a way she can understand, so she can choose Christ as her Savior.

Today, I've titled my posting: "I'm righteous and holy!", because that's who we are in Christ, according to God's Word. Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV says, "(22) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; (23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (24) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Other verses tell us to put off, "sexual immorality" (Colossians 3:5), "filthy language" (Colossians 3:8) and other negative things.

God wants us to stop doing those things which hinder us from walking effectively with Christ. Instead, we need to "transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2, NIV) and meditate on things that are "true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, with virtue, or anything praiseworthy." (Phillippians 4:8, NKJV) Our thoughts influence our actions, so if we're thinking positive thoughts, they will result in positive actions. Let's be sure to depend on God to help us live a life of holiness and righteousness today!

Father God, we thank You for Your everlasting mercies and love. Enable us to walk with You by letting our conduct and words reflect Your righteousness and holiness in our lives. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

Next time, I plan to post about what it means to be a citizen of heaven. I've got to tend to family needs and do housework now, so have a nice day, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I'm A Citizen of Heaven! (10/12/2008 1:56:49 PM)

Hi, everyone! How was church this morning? I hope it went well. I went to my church, but found out some things that are causing me to question the teachings of my church. I've started a thread about it, which is located HERE. Because of these concerns, I'm considering leaving my current church and joining one where God's Word is preached more accurately.

When I arrived home from church, I studied God's Word, where I found out that we're citizens of heaven. Ephesians 2:6 NIV says "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus," Romans 6:5, Ephesians 1:3 and 1:20 also mention about the same thing. We are citizens of heaven because we believe that Jesus died for us and have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior. While some churches teach and people believe, that being baptized, doing good works, following the Ten Commandments, or other outward acts will get them into heaven, these things are not good enough for God. Our sin separates us from Him, so we need to tell unbelievers this and invite them into a personal relationship with Jesus by encouraging them to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. Let's go out and spread the Word today!
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I'm going to probably do housework and laundry, so I need to log off soon and get busy. Have a nice day, everyone! If you've not done so already, be sure to go to church this weekend! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Who Am I? I am hidden with Christ in God! (10/24/2008 1:16:48 PM)

Hi everyone! How are we doing today? I'm doing better right now than I was earlier this morning. I woke up in pain and feeling depressed. I've been feeling this way for several days and the cold, rainy weather hasn't helped matters any. I'm feeling better right now, so I'm excited to be sharing some encouraging news with all of you.

Before I do that though, I want to apologize to everyone in the Southern Gospel folder for my comments in the thread I posted there last night. I've been in a lot of pain and feeling depressed, due in part to the cold, rainy weather we've been having here. I wasn't my usual, cheerful self and felt ignored by the wonderful people in the SG folder. I'm sorry for my comments and I'm coming back, so I'll see you there! [:)]

Now to my encouraging devotional thought of the day. According to Colossians 3:3 NIV: "For you have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." In others words, because we've "died to sin", we can walk by faith in Him. (Romans 6:2, 2 Corinthians 5:7) God's Word also tells us that "For Christ's love compells us, because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died." (2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV)

I believe that these verses tells us that since we have died in Christ and our lives are hidden in Him, we need to reject this world's values, standards and beliefs. Instead we need to embrace God's values and standards by believing in His Word. Only then can we live full Christian lives and reflect Him in our daily conduct, speech and thoughts.

For me, this means that I need to stop reading books, watching TV programs and listening to music that promote worldly values. I'm still working on eliminating these things from my life. I like to read Stephen White's novels and watch CSI and Biggest Loser, so it's going to be hard to give up some of these things. I might watch Biggest Loser for weight loss, exercise tips and motivation, but I'll have to remember not to embrace their "me first" values. Please pray for me as I learn to put God first in every area of my life and adopt a lifestyle of full dependence and holiness to Him. I in turn will pray for anyone else who is struggling with these issues.

Anyway, I found out that I'll have a relative staying with us through this holiday season, so I ned to go start cleaning house in preparation for her arrival. I don't know when I'll make my next post, but I plan to post a devotional on the topic: "I'm Chosen By God, Holy and Dearly Loved!"

Have a wonderful day and may God bless each and everyone of you! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Let's Do This On Election Day! (11/1/2008 2:21:50 PM)

Hi everyone! It's November 1st, the start of a new month, with Thanksgiving and praises to our Father God and King of kings Jesus Christ! I'm praising Him today because it's a wonderful sunshiny day and He is a Great God! As I post in these forums today, I'm hoping and praying that someone will be blessed by what I write.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to post a devotional about being chosen by God. I'm still going to do that, but it won't be in this post, because I want to focus on something else today.

As many of you know, Tuesday, November 4th, is Election Day here in the United states of America. This is a historic election because we have two unique candidates running for office. We have a pro-choice, pro-gay-marriage African American candidate running for President. We also have a pro-life male Presidential candidate with a female vice presidential Christian candidate, both of whom believe in traditional marriage between a man and a woman. It's imperative that we make the right choice, because the future of our country and our constitutional freedoms of freedom of religion, free speech and 2nd amendment rights depend on it.

That's why I believe that we should fast and pray in faith on Election Day. God's Word says that if we pray in faith and believe for what we pray for, it will happen. If we do this, then maybe God will answer our prayers for a Presidential candidate that most reflects His values to be elected. I believe that John McCain and Sarah Palin both reflect these values, so I'm praying for them to get elected. Let's stand behind God and vote for Him by voting for McCain and Palin! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Discouraged, But Praising God Anyway (11/5/2008 12:46:31 PM)

Hi everyone! How are you doing? I'm not doing so well. I stayed up late last night watching the election returns and I'm very disappointed in my fellow Americans for their choice of who will lead our country for the next four years. I was not too surprised, but I was hoping and praying for God to allow a Godly man and woman to help us become a Godly nation, the way we used to be. Alas, it was not to be.

However, I'm praising God today, because He's still in control. He knew before time began that this would happen, so He'll help and guide us through the tough times ahead. Whether our leaders continue to support Israel or not, whether we as Christians face increased persecution for our beliefs, whether the terrorist threat increases, it's all in God's hands. All this means is that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled and Jesus return is imminent. We can rejoice in the fact that we'll soon be rescued from this chaotic world and meet our Savior in the air.

In the meantime, we need to get down on our needs and pray like we've never prayed before. We need to pray for Obama and his future administration, for their salvation and protection as they carry out their duties. We need to pray for our protection, especially if our country withdraws it's support of Israel. Finally, we need to pray for us Christians to stand up under probable increased persecution and tell people about Christ's salvation. God will be with us, no matter what.

I conclude with an encouraging reminder from God's Word: "Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say, Rejoice!" (this is paraphrased and I don't have the exact verse handy)

Have a blessed and rejoicing day! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Bothered By Some Things on Boards Tonight (11/16/2008 12:59:51 AM)

Good evening, everyone! How was your day? My day went well. I did 2/3 of my Christmas shopping today. Yesterday, I bought my Christmas cards and bought one today as well, along with a magnet. I'm so looking forward to Christmas, but first I need to survive Thanksgiving.

I'm bothered by some things I've seen on these forums tonight. First of all, I saw a joke that offended me. It was about a subject that I personally don't find funny, because of some issues with the topic in my life at one time.

Another thing that bothers me is when people come into these forums asking a question about the Bible. A number of people answer it, but their suggestions to check out various resource materials is rejected. I mean, if you don't want any advice, then why ask the question in the first place? Honestly! [:@]

I don't mean to say that nobody should attempt to answer someone's questions or shouldn't post their questions on these boards. I'm simply saying that if you're going to ask a question, then at least evaluate ALL the answers before tossing them out because they don't line up with your beliefs, especially if you're questioning whether God's Word is true or not.

Well, I've had my rant and I'm getting tired, so this will be all I post tonight. I need to get up early to go to church, so I need to go to bed. Goodnight, everyone! [:)]



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: Encouraged By God's Word Despite Depression (11/23/2008 9:47:53 AM)

Hi everybody! How is your Sunday morning going so far? Have you been to church this weekend yet? I've not been there myself due to not feeling well, so I plan to go next week.

I've been feeling depressed and moody since the beginning of this month, after the election. It's not the election that's got me down though, it's just a lot of stress going on right now. Family coming to stay with us for the holiday season, a family member's worsening health condition, usual winter depression caused by less sunlight, lack of energy and just wanting to eat everything in sight, especially high carb foods and sweets are making me pretty miserable. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to get out of bed in the morning. If it wasn't for Smokey needing to be fed, I'd probably stay there. [:(]

That's why I come to these forums a lot. I come here because I find comfort in sharing my struggles and offering encouragement to other people who might be struggling with similar issues. If someone needs an encouraging word from God, I can look up a Bible verse and offer it to them, along with a prayer. I do try not to spend all my time on these forums, for it is not good for me to isolate myself from human contact. Sometimes though, I just need to be alone with my computer and my Christian music, communicating with other Christians around the globe through the miraculous wonder we call the Internet.

Today, I've been reading some encouraging Scripture passages about singing to the Lord and shouting joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:1-2 I know that no matter how I feel, I can always worship and bow down, and kneel before my Lord my Maker, because He is my God and I am His daughter in His pasture. verses 6-7 These and other verses show me that no matter how gloomy I feel, I can praise the Lord at all times, and His praise shall continuously be in my mouth. (not sure where that one is)

Well, I've got to get ready for the day and get my house cleaned for my relative's arrival for the holidays. Please pray for me and my family as we struggle through the holiday season and the many challenges our family will be facing with our one relative's worsening health condition. Thank you for your prayers.

Have a blessed day!



MyCatSmokey2006 -> RE: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! (11/25/2008 11:10:11 AM)

Good morning, everyone! How is your day going so far? Mine's going okay. I got up early this morning to spend time with God in prayer and a little Bible study, feeding the cats and other things. I'm posting here this morning a little while before going to my support group meeting and medical appointments, doing housework and helping with Thanksgiving food preparation. We also have a relative coming in to spend the holidays with us, so I probably won't be posting here as much.

I'm probably not going to be posting here for the next two days due to the above activities, so I leave you with this thought: God gives us good gifts, so we need to be thankful to Him by cheerfully giving generous gifts to others and to Him, for God will bless us abundantly if we give plenty. He also loves a cheerful giver, so thank Him today for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for our sins and for our new lives in Him!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE![:)]



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