Building Character 7 - 4/27-30/19

27-30 April 2019 - Building Character 7 – Manna by Dorothy and Tony Callies

Theme:  Studying God’s Word Builds Character - 7

1 Timothy 4:6 NIV, “You will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of good teaching that you have followed.”

We are called to study God’s Word and to nourish ourselves in the words of faith and of good teaching, the doctrine which we already have.  To nourish means to promote the growth of development.  Just like food that nourished our bodies.  So are the Word of God to our soul, to our minds, to our spirits and to our hearts.  The Words of God constantly influences us to the right thinking. 

So every day we faced challenges that are impossible to avoid or escape right here on this Earth.  Our minds constantly heard bad news and negative “talks.”  Studying God’s Word will “flush them out” of our minds and keep God’s Word in good shape for Jesus Christ.  Yes, “flush out,” the wrong thoughts and renew our minds with God’s Word.

In the last days, many ‘falling away’ Christians faced so many challenges that overwhelmed them to where they do not know what they stand for. This is the reason why it is so important to focus on “building your character” in Christ and know what you stand for like heroes in the book of Hebrews chapter 11.  

In the Old and New Testament, we read were many stories about people who put their faith in God and great things had happened.  Reading from Hebrews chapter 11 is a hallmark of faith, famous people trusted God and these stories inspired us to take a stand for God.  One of my favorite story is David and the Goliath. David took a stand for what he believes when Goliath challenged David’s faith in God.  Truly, the Bible is a great book for our faith in God.

Song: The Bible Stands

The Bible stands every test we give it,

For its Author is divine;

By grace alone I expect to live it,

And to prove it and make it mine.

Chorus:

The Bible stands tho’ the hills may tumble;

It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble;

I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,

For the Bi – ble – stands….

(Words & Music: Haldor Lillenas, Sing His Praise)

May the Lord blessed you!

Dorothy

Building Character 6 - 4/23-26/19

23-26 April 2019 - Building Character 6 – Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Theme: Perseverance Builds Character

2 Peter 1:5-7 teaches: “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” (NIV) [mutual affection from KJV’s brotherly kindness]

Remember the word, persevere (verb) is to keep at something in spite of difficulties, opposition, or discouragement. Why do we need this perseverance (noun) to build our character?  Peter has the answer: “If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8 NCV).  

I noticed three words … “Make every effort” from NIV from 2 Peter 1:5, 10 and 14. The word, effort means hard work of mind and body and serious try.  In KJV, it really came from “give diligence.” We used ASL sign, “enthusiasm.” 

Dorothy: What impressed me? Make every effort … giving all diligence … means the same thing, but it’s three sentences ‘make every effort’ seems to fit my today’s language. It had more impact.  So thank You Holy Spirit for enlightened the Word of God into my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

Come into my heart, come into my heart

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!

Come in today, come in to stay.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!

Just want to be closer to Jesus!

Dorothy

Building Character 5 - 4/19-22/19

19-22 April 2019 - Building Character 5 – Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Theme: Discipline Builds Character

Proverbs 23:12 advises: “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.” (NIV)

The word, discipline means strict training that corrects or strengthens mental ability or moral character. God’s Words reminds me again and again that my Creator expects me to lead a disciplined life.  Getting up early in the morning is one of my disciplined life.  It leads me to Him and to His Word, the Bible. God continue to give me the talent which is the Manna and He expects me to share the Manna with you.

Discipline makes me feel better no matter how difficult the things are.  God doesn’t reward laziness.  I am constantly reminded that God does not reward lazy servant. Especially with the parable of the Talent.  From time to time, this parable reminded me that you cannot buried your talent that was already given to you.  Talent is not only money, but what you have like a gift to use, for God, for yourself and for others who would be blessed by you. 

Discipline brings greatest reward you could ever imagine! This build your character. Christ was disciplined all the way to the cross!  Christ brought salvation to the whole world.  It was discipline that builds character …

Prayer: Father God, I want to thank You for encouraged me to be a disciplined believer.  I thank You for helping me to be faithful to Your Word and to be influenced by Your Son, Jesus Christ.  You want us to be like Jesus.  I pray for my families and my friends to be a disciplined believer in Your Word, the Bible. I thank You for the marvelous Character Building series that has truly helped me so much.  I love You for that, Father God! In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen!

Song: Keep Me True, Lord Jesus

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true;

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, Keep me true;

There’s a race that I must run,

There are victory to be won,

Give me power, every hour, to be true.

(Inspiring Choruses)

God bless you today!

Dorothy

Building Character 4 - 4/15-18/19

15-18 April 2019 - Building Character 4 – Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Character building Endures Temptations.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation . . .” (KJV).

What does that verse really means? Here’s NIV verse:  “Blessed is the one who perseveres (to keep at something in spite of difficulties, opposition, or discouragement) under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to them who love Him” (James 1:12).

In my own word: “Blessed are you that bear patiently and to withstand the trials.” The word blessed means to make successful or happy. In another word: “You are successful when you patiently withstand the trials.” Or “You are happy when you patiently withstand the trials.”  Why should we be happy? Because God promised rewards for endurance and putting up things that seems to be bothersome.

So building a character is to endure all things that comes our way.  Revelation 21:7 quoted, “He (you) that overcomes shall inherit all things . . .”   To overcome means to gain victory over some things.

Song: Faith is a Victory

Faith is a victory,

Faith is a victory,

Oh, glorious victory

That overcomes the world.

(Inspiring Choruses)

God bless you!

Dorothy

Building Character 3 4/10-14/19

10-14 April 2019 - Building Character 3 – Manna by Dorothy and Tony Callies

Faith Builds Character

Mark 11:22-23 Jesus said, “Have faith in God. For truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself (mountain) into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (NIV).

How do you walk in faith? By claiming the promises of God and obeying the Word of God, in spite of what you see, how you feel or what may happen. Quote by Warren Wiersbe.

My faith is strength through praise, through worship, through Bible study, through challenges and through prayer.  And trust God’s plan. With God all things are possible. Prayer: Dear Abba, Father, thank You for showing me Your Word that my faith is to speak to this mountain of all kinds of challenges and remove them into the sea.  Thank You for teaching me not to doubt in my heart but believe that whatsoever I say will happen as a seed faith and it shall be done for me and Tony. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Song: Faith in God

Faith in God can move a mighty mountain,

Faith in God can calm the troubled sea;

Faith can make the desert like a fountain,

Faith will bring the victory.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Have faith in God!

Dorothy

Building Character 2 4/5-9/19

05-09 April 2019 - Building Character 2 – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Building Character by Putting God First.

Matthew 6:33 “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

How do I build my character with God? I seek Him first and I ask God to be my partner. I need to remind myself that anytime I have a problem, I need to believe that all things are possible with Him (Mark 10:27). Also I ask Him to show me how to budget our money-wise since we only depend on our SS benefits.  

In the past, I never thought of asking God for budget when we had enough money from working at Taco Bell as an extra income.  But now, it’s different so I felt like it forces me to get closer to God than before.  This taught me to consider God as my partner since reading the devotion book on building character. 

Building Character Part 1, I wrote about the third servant whose thought was “unpleasant.”  This makes me realize how the master deals with him.  The third servant didn’t consider himself to be partner with the master as other servants did.  The master trusted the other servants with the money business so in one sense they were partners with the master, building the money to start with.  

The third servant had an attitude that the master would take advantage of his labor while the master do nothing. When the master heard this, he said, “Fine, but you could have put the money in the bank to earn interest, itself, and I would have accept that.  But instead, you buried the money and did nothing with what I gave you.”  The servant was doing nothing, means there’s no building a character.  Does that makes sense?

It does to me.  So being partner with God often corrected my thoughts with different things.  He corrected me often through the devotion when I asked God what He wants me to read.  Really, He has been my partner all the time, but it just that it made me realize it more and more.  He shows me that He cares what I was thinking.  How great is our God!  How precious He is!

Song: Blessed Redeemer

Blessed Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!

Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;

Wounded and bleeding, for sinner’s pleading,

Blind and unheeding, dying for me.

(Avis Burgeson Christiansen, Sing His Praise)

May the Lord bless you!

Dorothy

Building Character 1 4/1-4/19

01-04 April 2019 - Building Character 1 – Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Building Character Through Honesty.

Proverbs 12:22 NIV, “The Lord detests (hate) lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.”

I often wonder what it will take to build character in a person. Why is building a character so important? It reminds me of a talent parable that one of the three servants had a bad attitude toward the master. The third servant was not allow to enter into his future kingdom instead the servant was cast into outer darkness.  What was he called? Unprofitable servant, wicked (unpleasant thoughts) and lazy servant.  [Ref: Matt. 25:26, 30]

This Scripture made me realized that it was all about building up a character in labor for the master.  The master wanted to know what kind of servant he would have for his future kingdom by giving them money to set up and work on their own business. During that time, the servants were developing the finance growth in business as well as building their character through labor and honesty.

To develop a small business, it takes a lot of planning, time consuming, trials and errors. Being honest in business is so very important.  For some people dishonesty is a habit that finally caught up in the open at the very end. Honesty, is also a habit, a habit that would provide a powerful reward for those who put character above personal comfort.

To put character above personal comfort means it is only through experience of trial and suffering that strengthened our soul, our vision cleared, our ambition be inspired and we have achieved our success.  Just remember that character CANNOT be developed in ease and quiet.  Character is not build by doing nothing.  Character is not build by being lazy.   Character is not build by giving nothing.  Like the master said to the third servant, “You are unprofitable, wicked and lazy.” Wicked means unpleasant thoughts.  

The parable of the talent gave us a warning to ask God, “What do You want me to do?” Prayer: Dear Lord, every day can be an exercise in character building with You as my partner.  You are first in my life and thank You for leading me to study Your Word and often worked on Manna to help others to be inspired by You.  And also help me to serve Tony as a caregiver. Help me to teach others with Bible Study and be useful in Your kingdom here and in the future kingdom.  Bless them that read this Manna in Jesus name. Amen!

Song: Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Have Thine own way, Lord,

Have Thine own way.

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay;

Mold me and make me, after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

(Inspiring Choruses)

 

Dorothy

PS: What does this Manna means to me?  I was so impressed how God would touched someone to get me to read the Character building devotion booklet.  Why? Because God had seen Tony and me wondering what we could really do on a daily basis for Him. Then the studying the character building has opened my mind to realize that is exactly what God was doing.  Many verses became clear such as “all things works together”; “edifying us”; “be transformed by renewing of your mind”; “be conformed to the image of His Son”; “according to the working of His mighty power”; “study to show yourself approved unto God” and even quoting the “healing verses.”

God is working mightily inside of us meant “God is building a character inside of us.” Jesus, our Master’s goal is NOT to have an “unprofitable, wicked (unpleasant thoughts) and lazy servant” in His future kingdom.  As a famous deaf and blind Helen Keller’s quote, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet.  Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”

While I was meditating over this “Building Character Through Honesty,” I thought of two choruses that inspired me to share this with you.  I just pray that it would enlighten us to grasp what God is actually doing, “building a character” inside of us. Praise God!

Song: Keep Me True, Lord Jesus

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true;

Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true;

There’s a race that I must run,

There are victories to be won.

Give me power, every hour, to be true.

(Inspiring Choruses)

Song: Jesus, Use Me

Jesus, use me,

And O, Lord don’t refuse me,

For surely there’s a work that I can do.

And even though it’s humble,

Help my will to crumble (break down).

Though the cost be great –

I’ll work for You.

(Inspiring Choruses)

May the Lord truly bless you!

Dorothy