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Things That Can Never Be Bought With Money
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Acts 8:18-21, NIV When Philip shared the gospel in Samaria, a sorcerer named Simon believed and followed him. He was so astonished by what he witnessed that he desired the power of…
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When People Speak Before They Listen
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Proverbs 18:2, NIV The book of proverbs is filled with practical wisdom that could help people live a fruitful and blessed life. There, you will learn how to identify the wise or foolish people. One of the things that King Solomon mentioned about foolish people was that they find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Sometimes, they speak before they listen. They judge before they check the background of the story. They are quick to misinterpret the situation or other people because they choose to value their own opinions. Sometimes, I am…
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Allow God To Use Your Circumstances For His Glory
And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria… Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Acts 8:1 &4, NIV When the early church experienced persecution, they were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Jesus talked about these places in Acts 1:8 before He resurrected to heaven, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Because of the persecutions,…
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Please Keep In Mind That God Is Always Willing To Help
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121: 1-2, NIV Remember that you can always ask for God’s help in moments of difficulties and struggles. Call upon His name, and His loving hands will assist you. God is capable of helping you. He is the maker of heaven and earth. It means He is powerful enough to give you the resources you need. Sometimes, when we go through challenges in life, we tend to focus on our wisdom and rely on our strength. We ask for help from others, thinking it’s…
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Let’s Pray That God Will Teach Us How To Let Go Of The Grudges Inside
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7: 59-60, NIV Stephen died with faith in his heart. He chose to pray even when he was in pain and suffering. In fact, he didn’t hold grudges. With a humble heart, he asked God to forgive those people who stoned him. If I experienced the same pain, most probably I would complain and ask God for questions. But Stephen did the exact opposite. His life is a great reminder for me…
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Suffering for Christ
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:57-58, NIV When Stephen tried to defend himself from false accusations, he was stoned and killed by people. He followed Jesus, yet He didn’t have an easy life. In fact, he was threatened. Stephen went through suffering for preaching the gospel. In the eyes of the world, what Stephen experienced was a sad story. But God used it to open our eyes about the…
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Because Of The Holy Spirit, We Will Experience Jesus In Unexpected Ways
But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55 -56, NIV Stephen was accused and condemned before the Sanhedrin. People treated him as a threat. They felt furious the moment he finished explaining himself. He was in the middle of an interrogation, and when he was full of the Holy Spirit, he chose to look up to heaven. That’s when he saw the glory of God. In the midst of a difficult…
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Let God Record Your Miseries And List All Your Tears
Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll—are they not in your record? Psalms 56:8, NIV Have you ever experienced that moment when you just can’t stop the tears from falling? No matter how much you try to hide everything, you just felt so weak and exhausted by the pain and the unexpected situation that happened. It drains your soul. Somehow, it kills your hope. These days of miseries were not new to David. Just like you, he also went through moments of brokenness because of the people around Him. David knew what wickedness was all about because he was once surrounded by people who twisted his words, and…
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David Put His Trust Not In Mere Humans But In God
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? Psalms 56:3-4, NIV There are days when we experience betrayal, lies, and negative things from the people around us. And most of the time, fear comes because of the pain we receive from them. Fear is dangerous. It keeps us away from experiencing the great things of God. When extreme and negative emotions consume our hearts, it prevents us from hearing God’s words and instructions. That’s why David put his trust not in mere humans but in God. We…
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God Is A Perfect Parent Who Will Never Break Your Heart
Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Psalms 27:10, NIV Our parents are not perfect. There will be times when they will break our hearts. Maybe because they have different hopes and expectations. Or perhaps they tried to project their past hurts to their children. For whatever reason they may have, we couldn’t expect them to be always loving and understanding. And David, in one of his cries to God, surrendered this pain by reminding himself that even though his parents would forsake him, the Lord was there to receive him. He knew that God would stay no matter what happened. Just like David, we…
