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Understanding God’s Will – Part 1 | Ephesians Study

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
Ephesians 5:15-17
(15)  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(16)  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(17)  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

We already understand that we must walk wisely and redeem the time. Beyond that, though, we are to understand the will of the Lord – what it is. How do we know God’s will? We must redeem the time and instead of seeking after this world’s ideas, seek first God and His kingdom.
Mark 3:35 –For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
Doing the will of God is evidence that we are one with Christ.
Acts 13:36- For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
God has a specific will for specific children. For David, God’s will was that he would serve his generation by being king.
 Acts 21:14 – And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
As believers, we should be surrendered to God’s will for our life and the lives of others.
Romans 1:9-10 – For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.
Romans 15:30, 32 –. . . strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.
In our prayers, we can make our requests (and even ask others to join in this request), but must be submitted to the will of God.
Romans 8:27 –And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
While we pray, Jesus Christ (our Intercessor) intercedes on our behalf, but submitted to the will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 –I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
To prove God’s will in our lives, we must first be renewed in the spirit of our minds – renewed according to God’s way, not to the way of the world or our sinful flesh (the “old man”). God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect. Part of proving God’s will in our lives seems connected with the first verse: presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holily, and doing what is acceptable in God’s eyes. Perhaps to know God’s perfect will, to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, we must apply those three aspects.

Word Wednesday #26

Published on by Amanda Tero4 Comments
“If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.” (Job 31:7-8)

This whole chapter is Job’s cry of “If I have done ____, then let me bear the consequences.” Only the purest in heart can truthfully utter these words, willing to bear the iniquity of their wrongs. Am I willing for God to justly judge me for my wrongs?

Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!

 
 

Give Thanks Challenge!

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

In just a few days, November rolls around and we can “officially” start the “Give Thanks x7 Challenge!” I am thrilled to have an excuse to count my blessings. 😉 Join me, will you?

Read more HERE

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The past two years, I have joined King’s Blooming Rose with their “Give Thanks” challenge. It has been a HUGE blessing to me and I look forward to doing it again this year! By doing the “Give Thanks” challenge, the Lord has helped me to incorporate thanksgiving in my everyday life. Once you “give thanks” for seven things every day for a month, you just can’t stop there!

If you’re like me, you need something to help you keep track. I’ve created a little chart that I just fill out each day. Email me for a copy (withajoyfulnoise {at} gmail {dot} com).

Announcing . . .

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment

Yes, I’m at it again! Last week, the Lord allowed me to open With a Joyful Noise.

This week . . .

it is Truth Pics! Unlike With a Joyful Noise, Truth Pics is merely my “hobby-business.” In fact, you’ve seen all of the pictures already, most of which I’ve shared on Fridays. However, you can still hop on over where I now have large quality images for sale as instant digital downloads. And if you have an Etsy shop, I’d love to hear about it!

View HERE

View HERE

View HERE

View HERE

All three styles HERE

See HERE

Redeeming the Time | Ephesians Study

Published on by Amanda Tero2 Comments
Ephesians 5:15-16
(15)  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(16)  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
The wise man considers not only his walk, but also the times in which he is walking. He believes that what God says is truth – and because of this belief, he is hard at work to fulfill what God says he must do.
An example of this is the belief that Christ really is returning soon. Do we really believe the following verses?
“But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7)
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25) 
“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” (James 5:8) 
“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18) 
If we truly and honestly believed these verses, then would we not walk circumspectly? Would we not wisely consider our lifestyle? Would we not redeem the time? (“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” Colossians 4:5)
Yes, as many people have used this verse, we need to be wise stewards of our time in general. We need to wisely use our time. But let’s consider the next verse: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17) It is unwise to think that God is merely talking about my personal pleasure and activities in “redeeming the time.” We must understand God’s will – the bigger picture – and walk according to that.

Walk circumspectly. Redeem the time. Understand God’s will.

Maggie’s Hopechest (cover design)

Published on by Amanda Tero3 Comments

It was Maggie’s teenage dream to acquire her very own hopechest. Surely now that the Lord provided one for her, He wouldn’t ask her to give up the collection she’s worked on for years – or would He?

“Maggie’s Hopechest” is a short story that the Lord allowed me to write recently. It’s an old idea that I’ve had for several years, but never made the time to sit down and write it. Short stories are an excellent way to express story ideas when you don’t have time to sit down and write a full-length novel. I’m not a short-story writer by any means (aka: I’m very wordy) but this was a great challenge for me to stay concise and keep the plot flowing.
But! I haven’t edited the short story yet, so for now, here’s the cover I was playing with:
Original
After looking at it, I realized that it looks very vintage and masculine. Neither are a good portrayal of the short story (it is a modern story about a girl), so I played with some color, trying to “soften” the tones.
Purple

Pink

As I looked at it, I began to wonder if the chest was what gave it that look, so I tried to lower the opacity on the chest:

Pink 02

And, as I always like “behind-the-scenes” stuff, here is the base image that I used. I actually created this image as a background for my sister’s blog, using a picture of burlap (with writing) and a few Photoshop Elements features.
And then, since I didn’t have any picture of a hopechest or trunk on hand, I searched for a royalty free image and found one:
Via freerangestock.com (use caution when looking!)

If you would be so kind as to give your opinion and/or advice concerning my “cover play,” here are some questions I’m wondering:

– Does the cover look too masculine?
– Which cover gives the thought of a girl with her treasured possessions?
– Any overall suggestions?

And a random question on the topic:
– Do you have a hopechest? (no, I do not :))

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“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6 

Walking Circumspectly | Ephesians Study

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
Ephesians 5:15
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
The word “circumspectly” means “exactly” (NT: 199, akribos). The very description of fools vs. wise gives us a deeper understanding of this word. Scripture has a lot to say about this issue.
“The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.” (Proverbs 10:8)
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.”(Proverbs 12:15)
“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (Proverbs 14:16) 
“A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.” (Proverbs 17:10) 
“A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.” (Proverbs 29:11) 
“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.” (Ecclesiastes 10:12) 
To walk as the wise (according to these few verses) would be to receive commandments, depart from evil, receive reproof, check our words, and speak graciously.
To walk as the foolish would be to reject commandments and thereby fall, walk according to what is right in our eyes, harden our back against any correction, let our mouth pour out abundant words.
The fool does not consider the path he is walking – he just walks, lives. The wise ponders carefully where he is walking, being sure to follow the right path. The fool does not care about the instructions of others. The wise thrives on following God and His Word.

When I consider the path I’m walking, does it look more like a fool or wise?

Word Wednesday #25

Published on by Amanda TeroLeave a comment
“As for me, is my complaint to man? and if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?” (Job 21:4)

To whom are we pouring out our troubles? To mere men? Or can we say like David, “I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.” (Psalms 142:1) Man is not the right source from which to seek true comfort. Yes, God uses men to comfort, but He is the ultimate comforter, able to help and change things.


Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!