God's Discipline


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Topic: Religions > Bible
User: "Trudie"
Date: 25 Nov 2006 10:22:35 AM
Object: God's Discipline
God's Discipline
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what
son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"
(Hebrews 12:6-7)
There's a terrible misunderstanding among believers today about God's
method of disciplining His children. They'll point to some kind of disaster-- a
tornado or a car accident-- and say, "I guess God sent that catastrophe to teach
us something."
No, He didn't! A loving God doesn't send death and destruction on His
children to instruct them. He doesn't unleash His bad dog to bite us on the leg,
so we'll learn to wear our boots!
How does He chastise His own? With His Word.
Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, "Every Scripture is God-breathed--given by
His inspiration--and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of
sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, and for training in
righteousness, So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well
fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work" (The Amplified Bible).
If you'll look in 2 Corinthians 7, you'll see an example of this.
There the Apostle Paul talks about a situation in the Corinthian church that
needed correction. That church had gotten out of line and had to be disciplined.
How did Paul do it? Not by asking God to send an earthquake to shake
them up! He did it by writing them a letter. He wrote them a word of reproof
that hurt so badly they would have preferred being beaten with a stick. It cut
deep into their spirits and brought them to repentance.
Your heavenly Father loves you and because He does, He will chasten
you. But He'll do it with spiritual, not fleshly tools. He'll use the spirit
power in His Word to chasten unbelief and purify your spirit in such a way that
you'll come out strong, not weak and condemned.
So quit bowing down to disasters and start subjecting yourself instead
to the Word of God. Yield to the Word. Let it correct you and trim away the
flesh and the lusts that lead you astray. Remember, the Sword of the Spirit is
two-edged--one side is for Satan and the other side is for you. Let God use it
to keep you in line!
Scripture Study: 2 Corinthians 7
<<>><<>><<>>
November 25th - St. Mercurius of Caesarea, Martyr
(also known as Mercury)
Died in Cappadocia, c. 250. All that is really known of St. Mercury is that he
was a real martyr. One legend makes him the son of a Scythian officer in the
Roman army, who became a soldier himself, and led the army to a great victory
with a sword an angel had given him in a battle against the barbarians attacking
Rome. He fought so well that he gained the eye of Emperor Decius, which was not
a blessing when he hesitated to make a thanksgiving sacrifice to Artemis. When
the emperor asked him why he did not participate in sacrifices to the gods after
the victory, Mercury proclaimed his Christianity. After torture and angelic
visions, Decius sent Mercury home to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he was
tortured and beheaded for his faith.
Another legend says that Saint Basil the Great learned in a dream that St.
Mercury was sent from heaven to kill Emperor Julian the Apostate in Persia in
363.
He was venerated as a warrior saint since the 6th century and is reputed to have
appeared at various times in history to lend his sword to worthy causes,
notably, with Saint George and Saint Demetrius, at Antioch during the First
Crusade (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia)
St. Mercury is portrayed on horseback piercing Julian the Apostate with a lance
(from a vision of St. Basil). Sometimes the angel is shown bringing him the
miraculous sword. He is venerated in the Eastern Church (Roeder).
Quote:
No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you
harm. You have no enemy except yourselves. -St. Francis of Assisi
Bible Quote
And they sung to thy holy name, O Lord, and they praised with one accord thy
victorious hand. For wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues
of infants eloquent. (Wisdom 10:20-21)
<><><><>
Litany in Honor of the Holy Cross; drawn from the Imitation of Christ by
Thomas A Kempis, 1380-1471.
The word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18)
Antiphon: God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
(Gal. 6:14)
Jesus has many who love His Kingdom in heaven, but few who bear His Cross.
He has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. He finds many
to share His feast, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, but
few are willing to suffer for His sake. --- Ant.
Why do you fear to take up the Cross, which is the road to the Kingdom? In
the Cross is salvation and life, protection against our enemies, infusion of
heavenly sweetness; in the Cross is strength of mind, joy of spirit,
excellence of virtue, perfection of holiness. There is no salvation of soul,
nor hope of eternal life, save in the Cross. --- Ant.
Take up the Cross, therefore, and follow Jesus, and go forward into eternal
life. Christ has gone before you, bearing His Cross; He died for you on the
Cross, that you also may bear your cross, and desire to die on the Cross
with Him. For if you die with Him, you will also live with Him. And if you
share his sufferings, you will also share His glory. --- Ant.
See how in the Cross all things consist, and in dying on it all things
depend. There is no other way to life and to true inner peace, than the way
of the Cross. Go where you will, seek what you will; you will find no
higher way above nor safer way below than the road of the Holy Cross. ---
Ant.
The Cross always stands ready, and everywhere awaits you. You cannot escape
it, wherever you flee; for wherever you go, you bear yourself, and always
find yourself. Look up or down, without you or within, and everywhere you
will find the Cross. And everywhere you must have patience, if you wish to
attain inner peace, and win an eternal crown. --- Ant.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us to follow Thee not only to the Breaking of
Thy Body, but also to the drinking of the Blood of Thy Passion. Help us to
love Thee, for Thine own sake, and not for the sake of comfort for
ourselves. Make us worthy to suffer for Thy name, Jesus, our Crucified and
risen Lord and Saviour, now and forever. Amen.
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