Church of God and Saints of Christ

9March2010

Meaning of Names

Posted by admin1 under: Bible Quizzes & Puzzles.

COGSOC Copyright © 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

4March2010

Lord, teach us to pray (Part XIV)

Posted by admin1 under: Spiritual Growth.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalms 1: 2-3).

An active prayer life is essential to our Spiritual Growth. We cannot grow in the Lord unless we purposefully spend time in His presence.  The time we choose to spend with God outside of worship services must be deliberate. It must be a sacrifice we are willing to joyfully give the Lord.  Our idea of prayer are often limited to making our wish list, that is what we desire the Lord to do for us. Most of us do not even consider that  time to pray could like manner be time to ask God what He requires of us and thus open opportunities for us  to do for God. Prayer is not only about our petitions, supplications and our needs. Whilst praying we should not forget to give thanks, “and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalms 103: 2) and to praise (Psalms 117: 1) and adore Him.  When we pray, it is a time also to hear from God (Joshua 3: 9), to seek His face (Psalms 105: 4) and to abide in His presence (Psalms 91:1), learning and meditating on his word and his will and to hear thus saith the Lord God.

By prayer life we mean our private time at home in the presence of God. This may include praying, singing, studying, worshiping whether alone or others such with members of your household. We often think of praying privately when we are in crisis and facing hardships.  Daniel prayed in good times. And continued even when his own life was at stake (Daniel 6). His prayers during the good times, prepared him for the bad times.

For many of us however, it takes crisis to make us remember that God still exists outside  the Church.  A continuous prayer lifestyle, will strengthen our Spiritual posture in season and out of season.  We will be stronger no matter the storm ( St. Matthew 7: 24-25). A strong prayer life will help us know his will and strengthen us to keep God’s commandments consistently, even when we are out of sight.  Daniel continued to pray even when there was declaration of the King’s decree not to.

Spending time in the presence of the Lord, will give courage to correct our evil ways, revive our conscience and fear doing evil (Psalm 51:1-19).  Meditating on the scriptures, will put the fear of the Lord in us. It will be easier and a joy to apply the word of God in our lives (Psalms 37:4-5). To reach this mark, we need to be willing to Make room for Jesus in our lives, give the Lord some of our time and surrender all of our lives to Him.

Building a strong prayer life requires  commitment to God and a strong desire to living righteously. Be willing to sacrifice our personal time in His presence listening and learning what the scriptures teach us of God and God’s ways . Quality time spent with God will build a close relationship with Him and in return sin will flee from us (James 4:7).  We must choose a suitable time of the day and schedule it so that other activities of life will be secondary.

Our prayer life must be woven into our lives as a continuous habit rather than a special occasion. Our lifestyles should uplift the commandments of God. A clashing lifestyle will not sustain a strong prayer lifestyle. Ungodly habits and/or company will choke our desire for God (Psalms 63:1).

Our schedule must be flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen life disturbances but still be consistent enough to keep this habit as a daily practice possible.

Our goals and objectives for this time will fuel our strength. For instance if our reason for praying are our problems, then when our problems go away prayer will cease too. Our reasons for praying will influence what we do  and what we do will determine our strength.

As we learn to give our time to God, we will also learn to hear and to receive from the Lord. Our prayers are not only about receiving. They are also about giving our time and our attention to God. Next time you pray don’t only list what you want to receive, also list what you want to give, for if we seek him first, then all these things shall be added (St. Matthew 6: 33).

COGSOC Copyright © 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html"
target="_blank"> src="http://c.statcounter.com/5420256/0/9b7628c2/1/" alt="free hit counter"
/>

20February2010

Lord, teach us to pray (Part XIII)

Posted by admin1 under: Spiritual Growth.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (St. Mark 9: 28-29).

The scriptures define and describe fasting as total abstinence from all foods and liquids, from eating and drinking or tasting anything “…neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise…”  (Esther 4: 16).

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: (Jonah 3: 5-7).

When we fast, we offer ourselves to God, to afflict our souls.  “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us (Ezra 8: 21; 23).

Jesus taught many times about the importance of our prayer lives to be a secret to the public. This requirement does not exempt fasting. Our disposition when we are fasting “…should  not be of a sad countenance nor appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (St. Matthew 6: 16-18;  Isaiah 58: 3-7). Only God should know when we are fasting. We should therefore fast unto the Lord and not fast unto men to see.

When others see or know whenever we are fasting, they will think  more highly of us than we actually are. That was the case with the Pharisee to the Publican (St. Luke 18:  9-14).  God wants us to draw closer to him with our hearts, rather than make a show of our faith for the world  to see (St. Matthew 15: 8).

Fasting is the highest and ultimate form and method of praying. It holds high spiritual value to God and thereby renders deliverance to those who use it with faith. Some of our problems can only be moved by prayer and fasting.

COGSOC Copyright © 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

12February2010

Repentance (Part II)

Posted by admin1 under: Search the Scriptures.

We mentioned that repentance is a regret, remorse and involves change of heart and change of actions (Part I).  So Jesus also began his ministry preaching the urgency of salvation, preaching repentance (St. Mark 1: 15). Considering that many with certain ailments, various disabilities and physical challenges were not allowed in the temple, Jesus began his ministry by making an open invitation to all men, not only to the Jews, and not only to the people of his time, but that invitation is still standing “come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden” (St. Matthew 11:28).

Jesus’ purpose was to call sinners to repentance (St. Luke 5:32), for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23). Unlike before, this message of repentance was not exclusive to Israel, but inclusive to all men, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (St. Luke 24:47).

Why would repentance be the first step into the kingdom? (Part I) Remember that Jesus is calling us as we are, but accepting his invitation compels us not to stay the same way we came. For us to be fit for the kingdom, we have to change our garments (St. Matthew 22: 1-14), change our conduct, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).

Take for an example if you are have muddy shoes on, and coming into a clean carpet or floor, you will first take off your shoes before coming in. So that is the case with the kingdom of God. When we accept this invitation, and we want to come into His house, we have to put off our muddy shoes.

Jesus made this parable to illustrate this fact. An open invitation was made to all people.  All those who came were given the wedding garments. The wedding garments are symbolic of God’s Commandments.  Coming to the wedding compels us to put on the wedding garments so we can look the part. We cannot stay in the clothes we used when we were tending the flocks and scrubbing the floors (St. Matthew 22:1-14).

Before we can think of working in the kingdom, we have to repent, hence the first step into the kingdom. We need repentance because we need change of clothes and need to be cleaned up, because our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Repentance is a reaction to the preaching of the word of God “…and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). “Now when they heard this, they were  pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2: 37-38).

Preaching allow us to search our standing with God, and gives us the opportunity to repent, and correct our evil ways. Hearing the word of God should lead “a new heart and a new spirit” (Ezekiel 18:31). For what shall it profit us to hear and not do? “For not the hearers of the law are just before God: but the doers of the Law shall be justified (Romans 2: 13).  The word of God or the will of God becomes fulfilled when we practice it, even as Jesus said “if ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them (St. John 13:17).

Reference: The Bible Gospel Told pg 11-14

COGSOC Copyright 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html"
target="_blank"> src="http://c.statcounter.com/5420256/0/9b7628c2/1/" alt="free hit counter"
/>

5February2010

Bible Quiz: Where did this happen?

Posted by admin1 under: Bible Quizzes & Puzzles.

COGSOC Copyright 2008-2010. All Rights Reserved.

href="http://www.statcounter.com/free_hit_counter.html"
target="_blank"> src="http://c.statcounter.com/5420256/0/9b7628c2/1/" alt="free hit counter"
/>