1)Prayer
2)Thinking
3)Talking with wise people for their advice and counsel, but realizing that the ultimate decision is yours
4)Being aware of the bias of your will, but not being afraid of it.  God doesn't necessarily thwart a person's desire.  Don't make the mistake of thinking that your will and God's will are always at odds.
5)Doing God's will in small things so that he may use you to do great things.
6)Acting on the knowledge you have when the time of decision comes.
7)Making sure that you don't reconsider a decision, once it has been acted upon.
8)Being patient.  You may not find out until afterward, perhaps long afterward, that God was leading every step of the way.

Source: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4:7  NIV
Writer: Paul
Date entered: July '97
 

    It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is  holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this manner no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

    Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices , holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.

    Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

    In order to further the kingdom of God, we must live the example for others to follow.  As R.V. Brown said at a retreat at Epworth by the Sea, "We need to make sure that our bodies are not even caught in situations that would allow others to think that we are doing something wrong."  He used the example of walking out of a convenience store with a six pack of Sprite in a paper bag.  While it may seem and be innocent, passersby may think that he had alcoholic beverages in that bag.  Then, his opportunity to witness to those passersby and his reputation would be compromised.  So, his solution was to not go into convenience stores to start with.
    The above three passages are three of my favorite passages in the Bible that concern the body.  If you notice above, the Bible very clearly tells us that our bodies are supposed to be used for God's will.  What does that mean?  Well, to me it means that (as is stated above)  we need to control our bodies and use them in the ways in which God created them to be used.  By doing this, we agree to not have sex outside of marriage; to not use our bodies in ways that are degrading to ourselves or which will degrade another person's body such as pornography and rape; and even more basic to make sure that we use our bodies to further the kingdom of God.   In R.V.'s case, his situation was a real case, but the solution was simple.  Although the situations that we face in everyday life with our bodies may not be that simple, if we will remember the above passages and remember that it's not always easy to do God's will, we can persevere.

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Source: Exodus 20:14
Writer: Moses
Date entered: October 1997

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

10-For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasent to your soul. 11-Discretion will protect you and
understanding will guard you.

16- It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words,
17- who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenent that she made before God.
18- For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19- None who go to her return or attain the the paths of life.
20- Thus ou will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the rightous.
21- For the upright will live in the land and the blameless will remain in it;
22- but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

15-Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well.
16-Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?
17-Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.
18-May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19-A loving doe, a graceful deer- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you be ever captivated by her love.
20-Why be captivated by an adulteress?  Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?
21-For a man’s ways are infull view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.

...the corrections of discipline are the way to life,  keeping you from the wayward woman, from the smooth tongue of
the wayward wife.  Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes...
 

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you.  Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kindsman; they will keep you from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.

...do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.

You have heard that it was said, “Do not commit adultary.”  But I tell you that anyone who looks lustfully a woman
has already committed adultary with her in his heart.

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.  For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven.  The one who can accept it should accept it.”

...We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles that are turning to God.  Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkeness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified;that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.  Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Source: Hebrews 11:1  NIV
Writer: Unknown
Date entered: August '97

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
 

In Jesus and through faith in Jesus, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
 

...faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.
 

    We see God's grace and human activity working together in the relationship of faith and good works.  God's grace calls forth human response and discipline.
    Faith is the only response essential for salvation.  However, the General Rules remind us that salvation evidences itself in good works.  For Wesley, even repentence should be accompanied by "fruits meet for repentence," or works of piety and mercy.
    Both faith and good works belong within an all-encompassing theology of grace, since they stem from God's gracious love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."  

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Source: Hebrews 11:3-12,17-31 NIV
Writer: Unknown
Date entered: August '97

    By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.  By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.  And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
    By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.  For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.  And without faith it would be impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
    By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.  By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
    By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
    By faith Abraham, even though he was past age- and Sarah herself was barren- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.  And so from this one man , and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
 
    By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.  He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."  Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
    By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
    By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
    By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
    By faith, Moses parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
    By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the King's anger; he persevered because he saw Him who was invisible.  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
    By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
    By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
    By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies was not killed with those who were disobedient.

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Source: The Bible
Writers: Inspired Men and Women of God
Date entered: July '97
 

Romans 8:16
    A Child of God
Ephisians 2:8
    Saved by Grace through Faith
Psalms 107:2
    Redeemed from the Hand of the Foe
1 John 5:11-12
    An Heir of Eternal Life
Ephisians 1:7
    Forgiven
Romans 8:14
    Led by the Spirit of God
2 Corinthians 5:17
    A New Creature
Galations 3:13
    Redeemed from the Curse of the Law
Isaiah 46:4
    Kept in Safety Wherever I Go
Ephisians 6:10
    Strong in the Lord and in His mighty Power
2 Corinthians 5:7
    Living by Faith and not by Sight
Colosians 1:13
    Rescued from the Dominion of Darkness
Romans 5:1
    Justified
Romans 8:17
    An Heir of God and Co-heir with Christ
Ephisians 1:3
    Blessed with every Spiritual Blessing
Revelations 12:11
    An overcomer by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of my Testimony
Matthew 5:14
    The Light of the World
Ephisians 5:1
    An Imitator of God
1 Peter 2:24
    Healed by His wounds
Romans 12:2
    Being Transformed by the Renewing of My Mind
Galations 3:14
    Heir to the Blessings of Abraham
Phillipians 4:13
    Doing all things through Christ who Strengthens Me
Romans 8:37
    More Than a Conqueror

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Source: Genesis 1: 31
Writer: Moses
Date entered: July '97
 

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

    I think of the song that we often sing in church that says, 'God is so Good'.  He created the heavens and the earth and by the end of the sixth day, He looked on all that he had created and said that it was good.
    I often think of people with low self esteem or people in bad home situations who are told that they are not able to do anything, that they 'are not any good'.  As a result, they often grow up with the burden on their shoulders of inferiority and they never achieve what they are actually able to achieve.
    As Christians, we need to reach out to those people and let them know that they are created by the same God who loved us enough to send His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins.  We need to embrace them and let them know that they are loved. In many cases, it is not very evident that someone close to us may even need help.  But by loving all people as God loves us we make sure that we reach out to those in need whether we realize it or not and whether it be in your place of business, in church, or wherever.  By doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, we make sure that all people can feel the truth in the statement that 'it's all good'!  And, again, remember in dealing with these people that prayer is the most important tool that you have.

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Source: 1 Corinthians 13
Writer: Paul
Date entered: July '97
 

    Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.
    ...And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.
 

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
 

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

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Source: The Bible
Writers: inspired men and women of God
Date entered: July '97
 

Matthew 1:26
    And you shall call His name Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6
    Wonderful Counselor;
    Mighty God;
    Everlasting Father;
    Prince of Peace
Mark 1:24
    Holy One
Luke 1:32
    Son of the Highest
Matthew 1:23
    Emmanuel
John 1:29
    Lamb of God
Acts 3:15
    Prince of Life
Revelations 15:3
    Lord God Almighty
Revelations 5:5
    Lion of the tribe of Judah
Revelations 22:16
    Root of David
1 John 1:1
    Word of Life
Revelations 19:16
    King of Kings
John 8:23
    I AM
Revelations 19:16
    Lord of Lords
1 John 2:1
    Rightous One
John 14:6
    The Way
John 14:6
    The Truth
John 14:6
    The Life
Luke 1:78
    Dayspring
Acts 10:36
    Lord of All
John 1:41
    Messiah
John 1:34
    Son of God
2 Peter 2:20
    Saviour
1 Peter 2:25
    Sheperd and Bishop of Your Souls
Hebrews 12:2
    Author and Finisher of our Faith
Ephisians 2:20
    Chief Cornerstone
2 Timothy 4:8
    Rightous Judge
John 8:12
    Light of the World
Revelations 22:6
    Morning Star
Ephisians 1:22
    Head of the Church
1 Peter 5:4
    Chief Sheperd
John 11:25
    Resurrection and the Life
Revelations 21:6
    I am the Alpha and the Omega

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Source: Matthew 21:22
Writer: St. Matthew
Date entered: July '97
 

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of Him.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to Him who knocks, the door will be opened.

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
    This then is how you should pray:
"Our father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,

Give us today our daily bread,

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors,

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from  the evil one."

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive  you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
 

God has four distinct ways in which He answers our prayers:

1) No, I love you too much.
2) No, not yet.
3) Yes, I thought you'd never ask!
4) Yes, and here's more!

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Source: Ephesians 4:29
Writer: Paul
Date entered: July '97
 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

    Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.  Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
    All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
    With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
 

Question: How should I deal with profanity in sports?

Answer: Squeeze a tomato and out comes tomato juice. Mash an apple and you get apple juice.  Put a human being under pressure and what's in his heart comes out. Profanity is the ignorance and frustration of the heart coming out of the mouth in angry words.  Ephesians 4:29 encourages, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."  If you are personally having trouble with profanity, ask a few close friends to hold you accountable. Tell them to interrupt you and say something like, "Pardon me, but your mouth just
committed a 4:29 moving violation!" then you can realize what you're doing, stop, repent and try again. Think ahead and come up with alternative words to use in stressful times.  If profanity is your teammates' problem, you have several options. When the filthy language starts, just quietly walk away. Or you may try something more confrontational. A quiet question will suffice: "Isn't there a better way to express yourself?" Profanity is a bad habit that reveals what's in us. And only Jesus Christ can make us new within. Then, when we are pressured and squeezed, out comes what is in us - Christ Himself."
 

Question: I know I should never use the name of the Lord in vain. What does the Bible say about using profanity?

Answer: James 3 says that the rudder and control of our life is our tongue. When our tongue is out of control, our whole life is off course. In the same way, when we have control of our tongues, we have control of our whole body. Another problem with profanity is that it ruins our personal testimony before others. Paul said, "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men" (2 Corinthians 8:21). It does matter what people think. Another reason is that our words should build others up. Paul said, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up..." (Ephesians 4:29). A dirty mouth is dishonesty to God, dishonesty to us, and useless to others, as well as becoming the first step in a whole life out of control.

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Source: Psalms 95:6
Writer: David
Date entered: July '97
 

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
 

In Him and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
 

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.

    Quiet time is one of the cornerstones of the Christian faith.  It is a gift that God has given us through which we can commune with God openly.  For me, quiet time is a time that I look forward to everyday because it gives me a chance to open the word and to focus on what God would have me to do in the coming day.
    Also, it gives me a chance to humble myself before God.  I started (a couple of years ago) to do my quiet time on my knees in my bedroom.  While this may seem to be no problem, it made me very aware of the humbleness which I felt on my knees and it also later (and is currently) became the place in which I felt the most comfort when approaching God.  But, that is not the only place where I do my quiet time.  I try to talk with God every chance I get.  And contrary to popular belief, quiet time doesn't have to be in depth thinking or Bible study (although a lot of the time it should be).  Quiet time can be as simple as turning off the radio in the car and listening to the peace of silence.  It can also be praying while cooking lunch alone or many other things.  Remember though, in our quiet time setting we should not be afraid to approach God with freedom and confidence.
     In my life, if I do not daily spend some type of time alone with God, my whole day seems to be off course.  Like many other Christians, there are times when I feel that the whole world is on my back and that I am in it all alone.  Also, some of the time I feel as if God can be of no real help and that I have to take care of it alone.  THIS IS WRONG!
    It is in those times that we need to be careful that we do not push God away (as in any case)  when it may be the devil trying to consume our lives with misery.  A good friend of mine, Joe Paul, said at a Baptist retreat, "The devil is doing everything that he can to render our lives useless in the kingdom of God."  Among other things, he said that one of the main ways that the devil tries to bring us down is by getting us to think that slipping 'a little here and a little there' is OK.  To put it in layman's terms, we don't pray here, we don't read our Bibles there, and we don't take time to meditate on what God's will is for our lives. Before we know it, we have slipped too far and the only way to recover is to call out to God in our time of pain and he will do what he always does- pick us back up.  Unfortunately, by this time we may have lost respect in the eyes of others, and therefore lost a valuable opportunity to witness.
    So, we need to make sure that we have quiet time daily that incorporates three basic principles:  Prayer, Meditation on God's Will and Direction for our Lives, and Bible Study.  In addition, we should remember to approach God in a spirit of humbleness but to talk with and worship with Him in freedom and confidence.  And lastly, we should remember that we reap what we sow,  so we should be sure that our quiet time incorporates ALL of the above said and that it is a part of our daily lives.

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Source: Romans
Writer: Paul
Date entered: July '97
Introduction:  The following is a good tool to use in witnessing to others and is also a good guide to follow for those who want to accept Christ.  It is commonly referred to as 'The Romans Road'.  I will give my own personal insights (in purple) between the verses.
 

Romans 3:10-  As it is written, "There is no one righteous, not even one."

Romans 3:23-   ...for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 6:23-  For the wages of sin is death...

Romans 8:37-39- ...in all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9-  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is our Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 12:1-2-  Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices , holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

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Source: Ecclesiastes 5:4-6
Writer: Solomon
Date entered: October 1997
 

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it.  He takes no pleasure in fools-- fulfill your vow.  It is better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.  Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.