Pete Miller is co-owner of The Writer's Friend, an editing and pre-publication business for authors, business owners and marketing managers. Prior to opening his business, he spent several years in the editing department of a daily newspaper. Pete grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the sixties and has been an avid student of the Bible since 1971. Pete is currently enrolled in Bible college and resides in Southern Oregon with his wife and two children.
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Abraham, the Friend of God
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The New Testament declares that Abraham was "<i>fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform</i>." Abraham's submission, resolute trust and faith in God continue providing an inspirational example to Christians today.
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Accountability
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Hebrews 4:13 teaches that nothing and no one is unseen by God "<i>but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."</i> Accountability keeps people honest and reminded of their commitments, to God first, and to people.
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Adam and Eve Hide from God
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Human nature has not changed. People do many sinful things, thinking that they are getting away with it, not knowing that the Lord God is everywhere present and sees all.
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Adam and Eve Blame Shift
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Using Adam and Eve as examples, pointing fingers at others may delay consequences for a time, but there are still consequences.
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Adam and Eve Eat the Apple
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God's original will was a perfect paradise. Oh, there was some work to do, primarily taking care of the garden, but life was simple for Adam and Eve. The only condition was that they do not eat the forbidden fruit.
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Adam and Eve Enjoy Relationship with God
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As long as they lived within the established orderliness, Adam and Eve enjoyed stability and tranquility. God must have delighted as His children discovered daily the many wonders of His creation.
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Adam and Eve in Shame
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Their eyes were opened, but the so-called enlightenment that the serpent had promised was sickening. Like every sensational lie of the enemy, it was nothing like what was advertised, and it was not only extremely disappointing, but vile. They felt dirty, violated, and hurried to cover themselves.
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Adam and Eve in the Beginning
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Genesis is the book of beginnings: the beginning of the universe, the beginning of man and woman, the beginning of sin, and the beginning of God's promise and plan of restoration and redemption. Here are some thoughts to help when studying the articles about Adam and Eve.
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Adam and Eve in Unity
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When a husband and wife are in agreement in their walk with God, that makes a three-fold cord. Like a braided rope, it is not quickly broken. When God's truth prevails, there is personal integrity, transparency and open communication. No stress, no secrets, no confusion.
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Adam and Eve Unashamed in the Garden
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Adam and Eve were unlimited, free to learn about all the things in the garden, the animals, the sun, moon and stars, and each other. The world was fresh and uncontaminated and they had an uninterrupted connection with God.
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Adam Compromises for the Sake of Eve
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Adam wasn't lacking intelligence. He was perfect, and pure. He had never sinned before. Something compelled him to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit.
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Adam is Placed in the Garden of Eden
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It must have been a breathtaking wonderland for Adam, to wander through and visually take in the magnificence of the Garden of Even, to smell all the fragrances and taste the sweetness of all of the different fruit, each in their original uncontaminated state.
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Adam Made in Their Image
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In the first chapter of Genesis is the introduction of God's magnum opus, the purpose for all of His effort. He formed man of the dust of the ground, breather into his nostrils and made him a living soul, and created in man His Spirit. This was Adam and Eve'sunion with the heavenly realm.
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Adam Names the Animals
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While one might think this either mythical or an impossibly daunting job, God's Word is truth, and Adam's brain was flawless and fully functional. Whatever Adam called the animals, that was the name that stuck.
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Adam Receives the Blessing of Multiplication
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Adam and Eve were perfect and sinless. God's original design and desire was for His children to reign over all of the creation, to have dominion over all living creatures. He wanted these flawless ones to be fruitful and multiply.
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Adam Takes and Relinquishes Dominion
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God originally gave Adam and Eve dominion. Dominion means to rule over, to be lord over, to dominate, to reign. For an unspecified time, Adam and Eve enjoyed their God-given rulership, and had a taste of what God's people will experience in the future.
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Authority of God and the Power of Christians
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God created the heavens, formed the earth, made it and established it. Therefore, it's understood that God didn't create the world to be a waste or a place of chaos, rather a place of order and purpose. And as the creator, God has the first word and the last. His Word is His will. God means what He says and He says what He means. God also gives and takes away authority on earth.
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Christ-Centered Atmosphere in the Workplace
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Although tasks may be mundane and repetitive at times, the individual that is influenced by God working in and through them radiates a Christ-like essence. Though the workplace may not be Christ-centered, they create their own Christian-inspired environment.
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Christian Men as Providers
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Scripture proves that God is the true provider and that men are to rely on the example of the Heavenly Father when it comes to caring for his family.
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Christian Principles of Stewardship
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Stewardship, by Biblical definition, simply refers to the management of household and financial matters. A steward is a manager, one who is faithful, diligent, has impeccable integrity and honesty, and is skillfully competent.
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Christian Sanctification
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Christians today are sanctified by what Jesus accomplished on the cross. They are cleansed from sin, set apart from the world and destined for heaven. These are spiritual rights given to believers by grace.
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Compromise as a Sin
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There is no place for compromise in the Kingdom of God. There is no middle road, and there is no fence to sit on. The gate is narrow and the way can be difficult. Be hot or cold, a friend or an enemy. Love the world or love God. Serve the Lord. Choose life!
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David, the Sweet Psalmist of Israel
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The life of David was an important period in the history of Israel. Following Saul's failure, David took the kingdom to a position of worldwide superiority. He established a capital city for the nation, assembled the most powerful military, and provided the arrangements and organization for the central location of worship to the One True God.
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Defining Christian Duty
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The goal of obedience is to please God, and to enjoy privileges. In like manner, the goal of duty is personal satisfaction and contentment, knowing what is good and right has been done, and that society has been improved.
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Developing and Launching a Christian Businessmen's Breakfast
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A Christian Businessmen's breakfast can be a unique time for men in the church to enjoy fellowship with other working men, and starting the day with God and His truth. It is also an opportunity to invite men outside of the church since the only criteria for attendance is that the men are running a business, starting a business, or aspiring to launch a business.
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Doing Business with Integrity
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The successful Christian business has integrity and should positively affect the lives of others. It should help improve and enrich those it serves.
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Duty to God
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The Christian's number one duty is to love God with all the heart, the soul, the mind, the understanding, and the strength. The Greek word for heart represents the innermost part of a person, the center of one's personal life.
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Duty to Society
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The churches and households of faithful Christians need to be the refuges and houses of healing for the drained and disillusioned, for broken, lost and frightened people seeking safety and security. This is the ChristianâÃÂÃÂs duty to society.
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Duty to the Family
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There are always going to be differences of opinion and different ways of understanding things. All Christians are brothers and sisters in the multi-faceted family of God, the Body of Christ. the Word of God teaches the believer to love because love never fails.
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Duty to the Household of Believers
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The neighbors Jesus spoke were not always the people next door or across the street. The neighbors to love most of all are fellow believers. Most of all, do good to the faithful believers.
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Duty to Yourself
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To love one's self, Biblically speaking, is not selfish or self-serving in the wrong sense. For the Christian, real self-love is cultivating the new man (Christ) within.
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Elijah
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Elijah knew the provision and the power of God, the life-giving mercy and the fiery wrath of God. He lived up to his name: The Lord is God.
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Elisha
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Elisha was a true hero and champion for God. He loved God first, and he loved the people of Israel. He was never intimidated, but fulfilled God's directives. Elisha was a true champion for God.
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Eve is Created from the Rib of Adam
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God knew it wasn't good for Adam to be alone, and even though Adam had dominion and authority over all God's creation, God had something very beautiful and wonderful in mind for Adam, a companion that would perfectly complement him.
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Eve Listens to the Lies of the Snake
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When Satan lied to Eve, she was sold. She was mesmerized. She was captivated. It was too irresistible to walk away. She didn't say another word. She didn't ask Adam for advice. She followed her senses right into sin.
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Eve Punished with Painful Childbirth
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Since Eve did not bear a child before GodâÃÂÃÂs punishment, itâÃÂÃÂs impossible to know what sort of birthing experience she could have had, or what God may have originally had in mind for the childbearing process.
Some understanding of the Hebrew words used might shed some light on what God said to Eve.
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Faith as a Mustard Seed
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God isn't concerned with the amount or size of a person's faith, rather their complete trust in Him. This article uses the metaphor of the mustard seed to bring understanding to this concept.
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Faithfulness as the Fruit of the Spirit
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God is faithful, and this fruit of faithfulness builds and grows as Christians walk with God, experiencing the reality of His presence and power in daily living.
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Five Crowns of Christian Service
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The five crowns mentioned in the New Testament represent special honor and recognition for a life of Christian service. The Christian's crowns are symbolic of something of inexpressible value.
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Gentleness as the Fruit of the Spirit
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Gentleness as a fruit is distinctive from kindness and goodness in that the emphasis is on humility. Gentleness, or meekness, as it is translated in the King James Version, is not weakness or timidity. It means to be gentle, even-tempered, and suggests a lack of pride
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Gideon
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Gideon's desire was for the Israelites to turn to God, their true King. For his valiant obedience and heart of humility, Gideon is in the superstar circle, mentioned in the Hall of Fame of Faith.
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Godliness as a Lifestyle
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God wants to have an intimate relationship with all of His children. Living with an awareness of and receptiveness to God is a life of true godliness.
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Godly Principles of Doing Business
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All the great men and women of the Bible were working people, and many were working when God called them. Today, God is still giving Christians the desire and power to do work that pleases Him and brings Him glory.
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Goodness as the Fruit of the Spirit
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Goodness as a fruit of walking by the Spirit is a quality which imitates God. When believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, they can nurture this goodness of God into a rich expression of their own Christ-like personality. This goodness is similar to kindness, with an emphasis on moral values with a genuineness and excellence worthy of admiration, though not attention-seeking.
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Humility
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Proverbs has many verses about humility, contrasting pride and haughtiness with humbleness. The pride of man will bring him shame, but with the humble is wisdom.
Haughtiness precedes destruction, but humility leads to honor. These are promises and benefits that should discourage pride in a person, and encourage one to learn true humility.
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Important Elements of a Solid Men's Ministry
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With a pastor, elder and other church leaders sharing ideas, coordinating events and delegating tasks, churches can establish and build a solid men's ministry. Teamwork and participation are required to provide an atmosphere where men can openly share and allow the Word of God and fellowship to soften their hearts and cause positive change.
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Introduction to Old Testament Kings
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It was never God's idea to have cities. It was Cain who built the first city, and cities were built for the purpose of control. Nor was it God's idea to have kings over His people. Samuel warned Israel that a king would oppress them, but they insisted. So the Lord said to Samuel, Make them a king.
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Job
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God wants prosperity and protection for His people, their families and all they own. God blesses the work of His people's hands and causes increase, not decrease. The DevilÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs purpose is just the opposite of GodÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs.
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Joy
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Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness can be attained with a newly acquired object, a car, or clothing or appliance, for example. A sunny day can make someone happy, or a bouquet of flowers. Usually happiness is a result of something external. But joy is internal. It is not an emotion, but an inner appreciation and sense of satisfaction due to a spiritual reality.
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Joy as the Fruit of the Spirit
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Joy is the delight expressed when God is victorious over evil, when Godly works are done and when the will of God is accomplished. Jesus taught that when people are rescued from the adversary and brought into the family of God, the angels of heaven have joy.
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