Thursday, February 20, 2020

The Christian Walk

Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16  I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,  that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Colossians 1:9-14 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Romans 13:12-14 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

John 12:35-36
Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

1 John 1:6-7
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Related Verses: Following Jesus and Being His Disciples

1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;  who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Luke 14:33... whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

John 8:31 ….If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

John 15:8
By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 13:35
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Bible verses on following God's ways


Isaiah 55:7-9 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 119:35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.

Psalm 119:37
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.

Psalm 119:101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

Psalm 119:104
Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.

Psalms 94:18 If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

Psalm 40: 1–2 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 25:8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

Psalm 85:13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps

Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

Luke 14:27-28 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it

Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalm 77:13 (NIV) Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?

Proverbs 2:8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

Psalm 25:9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

Psalm 23:3-4 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Proverbs 23:26 My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

Jeremiah 6:16a
“Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls...."

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Proverbs 10:17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life

Proverbs 4:18 "The path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."

Proverbs 15:24
The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.

Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Proverbs 15:19 The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Isaiah 35:3-8 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.  A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.

Relevant quotes:
The path which I have set before you, [Jesus] said, is narrow; the gate is difficult of entrance; for the golden rule excludes all pride and self-seeking. MB 138

If you cling to any besetting sin you will find the way too narrow for you to enter. Your own ways, your own will, your evil habits and practices, must be given up if you would keep the way of the Lord. He who would serve Christ cannot follow the world's opinions or meet the world's standard.  MB 139

Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being to take advantage of hereditary weakness and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan.... “Be of good cheer,” He says; “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). [DA 122, 123]

There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world's standard....  Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. [DA 330]

Also see The Will of God

Also see this Youtube playlist of songs on following Jesus

Monday, February 17, 2020

Bible verses to help get over past hurts


God knows all you've been through, He takes note of every tear
Psalm 69:19
You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You.

Psalm 56:8
You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?

Nothing ever touches you that Jesus Himself doesn't feel
Zechariah 2:8
For thus says the Lord... he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

Isaiah 53:4
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows...

Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Pour your heart out to God
Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Psalm 119:107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

Carry everything to God in prayer, experience peace
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Leave your cares, burdens, sins, and pain with Jesus
1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Ask God to pour His love into your heart
Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CEV) Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Be careful what you think and say (to or about yourself and others)
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 18:21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Psalms 34:13-14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Ephesians 4:29-32  Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 25:11
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.

Think on these things (How to filter your thoughts)
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Don't go fishing up past sins, remember that God forgave them
Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 17:9
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Leave behind the past, God will do a new thing
Isaiah 43:18-19 Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Press on, look to Jesus, follow His steps, be transformed
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2-3 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

1 Peter 2:21, 24 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.. who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

2 Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

A Divine Prescription: Serve Others
Isaiah 58:6-11 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your  healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad - Ruth Stull

Worship God for the great things He has done and is doing
Psalm 77:10-15 And I said, “This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
1 Chronicles 16:11-12
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth
Psalm 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Psalm 13:6 I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 126:3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.

Also see How to experience God's forgiveness
Also see How to forgive someone who won't apologize
Also see Peace for the troubled mind
Also see Trust Jesus with your burdens
Also see Bible promises for the discouraged
Also see God's promises for the depressed

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Setting healthy boundaries


"This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!" Job 38:11. Just as God made boundaries for the natural world, He also made boundaries for our own personal space. These boundaries help you distinguish between your responsibilities and someone else's. Though we are to help bear other's burdens, each of us have to carry our own load (Galatians 6:2, 5). Each of us have certain responsibilities that nobody else can do for us. You are responsible for your own feelings, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, choices, values, limits, resources, talents, thoughts, and desires.

We're called to be "one" (John 17:11),  but like in any community, we need gates that let in the good and leave out the bad (Psalm 34:14, Romans 12:9). Poor boundaries lead to unhealthy relationships in which bad things going on are ignored and support from the outside is "walled off". No matter how much you talk to yourself, read, study, or practice, you can’t develop or set boundaries apart from supportive relationships with God and others. We need to be “rooted and established in love” (Eph. 3:17) and “rooted and built up in [Christ]” (Col. 2:7).

When we are not secure that we are loved, we are forced to choose between two bad options: 1. We set limits and risk losing a relationship... 2. We don’t set limits and remain a prisoner to the wishes of another. If someone you know is falling into the latter ditch, be the good friend who lets him or her know that this isn't healthy. Some people have been raised in dysfunctional families, or families where God’s ways of boundaries are not practiced, and have experiences similar to that of the alien. They find themselves transported into adult life where spiritual principles that have never been explained to them govern their relationships and well-being.

A common boundary problem is disowning our choices and trying to lay the responsibility for them on someone else... Making decisions based on others’ approval or on guilt breeds resentment, a product of our sinful nature. We have been so trained by others on what we “should” do that we think we are being loving when we do things out of compulsion. Setting boundaries inevitably involves taking responsibility for your choices. You are the one who makes them. You are the one who must live with their consequences. And you are the one who may be keeping yourself from making the choices you could be happy with.

Our hearts are deceptive, that's why we need to go to Jesus for ourselves and ask for the Holy Spirit to convict us of what's wrong (Jeremiah 17:9, John 7:37-39, John 16:7-8).  We need to know what we should say no to and mean it (Matthew 5:37). "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). If we have allowed evil to enter into our hearts, we need to give them up to God in prayer (1 John 1:9). Admitting when we're wrong and praying for one another brings healing to the soul (James 5:16). We need to let Jesus into our hearts (Revelation 3:20). As we abide in Christ, we can enjoy the fruit of "self-control" (John 15:5, Galatians 5:22-23).

God set a boundary for our first parents and our world is cursed by sin because this boundary was crossed  (Genesis 2:16-17, Genesis 3:17). God wasn't being restrictive when He said to them that they could eat of "every tree" except for one. The devil was the one who tried to insinuate that God was being unfair (notice how Eve began to focus that one tree and completely forget about all the other ones). The devil is a liar, God's word says ""For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11.

Sin is destructive and leads to death, so when God tells us to repent and let go of sin, it's because He loves us and doesn't want us to perish (Ezekiel 18:4, 2 Peter 3:9).  If we love God, we will love the boundaries He has set for us, for they will be written in our hearts (John 14:15, Psalm 40:8).

The following passage tells us to recognize our limitations as mortals. "Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah. Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them." Psalm 39:4-6

We should to know our boundaries as mere mortals and understand our dependence on God. Nobody else can be God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for you. You can't be God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for somebody else. To place man where God should be is idolatrous and it's at the root of all unhealthy relationships.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

How to get ready for the second coming


The following comes from a sermon...

Opening Prayer:Dear God, we just want to say thank you so much for your love and mercy to us, for giving Jesus who came all the way from heaven and spent years of life on Earth in an inconvenient and difficult position, then to die to pay the price for all our sin. We just want to thank you for His sacrifice, for His support from heaven, for the gift of the Holy Spirit who you said will guide us in all truth. But we know you don’t force yourselves on us and so we want you to know that you’re welcome here and we’re asking for your guidance. Speak to our hearts as we study from your word and give us strength in our hearts, give us love for you that will enable us to love the people around us and to prepare for your return. Thank you so much for your compassion. Amen.

God shows us in His Word how to get ready
God has told us in His word how to prepare for Christ's second coming. We will look at passages of scripture which will show us how to prepare. As we look over these passages of scripture, we need to ask ourselves "Am I getting ready for the second coming of Jesus? Am I following the instructions that God has given in His Word?"

Don't Trust Material Things, Trust in God!
People have come up with many interesting ideas on how to get ready for Jesus to come. Many suggest  moving to the country in order to avoid the temptations of the world. While there's validity to that, getting ready is more of a faith issue. There are many who even go to the extreme of stockpiling food, but it says in Isaiah 33:16 that bread will be given to us and our water will be sure. Now there is wisdom in having enough food before a big storm comes, but we don't need to worry about that in order to prepare for the second coming.

Some think they have to obtain gold or silver because they won't be able to buy or sell in the last days. This might actually be a bad financial investment (James 5:3) and the bible tells us we shouldn't place our trust in riches (Job 31:24-28, Proverbs 11:28, 1 Timothy 6:17). Some place their trust other material things, such as solar panels. The problem is, if you're putting your trust in things that are going to be destroyed anyway, you're going to be greatly disappointed when Jesus comes. We need to place our trust in God!

The bible provides spiritual preparation
With that in mind, we need to think about spiritual preparation. Jesus is coming, He's a spiritual person and if you want to connect with Him on a good basis when He comes, you have to cultivate spirituality. Throughout the bible we read about how to prepare spiritually for Jesus' second coming. There are 42 uses for the word "ready" in the English bible and 1 in 5 are talking about getting ready for the second coming. Of all the things to get ready for, every 5th one is the second coming.

Cultivating God's love in our families
There are various places in the bible which let us know if we're ready for the second coming. For example, Malachi 4:5-6 says God (through the message of Elijah) would "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers" before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Here we see the importance of cultivating God's love in our families and this is part of our getting ready for the second coming of Jesus. The way you are at home is a better indicator of who you really are. If we want to cooperate with what God's spirit wants to do, then we need to look for opportunities to rebuild those bonds that may have become strained. We have to look for ways to cultivate the love of Christ in our families.

Righteousness by Faith
Revelation 19:6-9 describes the second coming of Jesus as a wedding and refers to God's people as a wife who has made herself ready for Him. She is "granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." To have this righteousness, we need to be right with God and we can only have it by faith in Jesus (Romans 3:22, Romans 5:1, Galatians 5:5). You need to be right with God and be at peace with God now to be at peace when Jesus comes back. Anyone who knows if they've been doing things shouldn't could tell you if they have peace with God. It's that simple.

Ask For God's Spirit
In Matthew 25, Jesus uses parables to describe how to prepare for His second coming. Here we will only cover one of them. Jesus said His second coming is like ten virgins who are waiting for the bridegroom to come. Although they had all fallen asleep, only half of them had enough oil for their lamps. The lesson from that is that in order to be ready for Jesus to come, you need to have oil, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. If you ask God for the Holy Spirit, will He give it to you? Yes! Jesus said "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Luke 11:13. God will give us the Holy Spirit if we ask.

Watch and Pray
In Mark 13:32-37, Jesus speaks of His second coming saying that we should watch and pray, lest He come and find us sleeping, spiritually speaking. Though we saw all the virgins sleep in Jesus' parable, we shouldn't be found sleeping. 1 Peter 4:7 says, "But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers." 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." These verses say be ready, watchful, sober, and vigilant.

Now it's important to approach this topic in the right way and the right attitude, or else we're going to find ourselves frustrated and discouraged, which is exactly what Satan would want. God doesn't want that and He has given us guidance so that doesn't happen.

Sanctification by Faith
Notice the mission that Jesus gave Paul: "to open [people's] eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me [Jesus]" (Acts 26:18). Notice here that sanctification, or our growth in Christ and reflecting His character, is by faith. Naturally we seem to think we have to work really hard to be sanctified, but that's wrong because we're sanctified by faith.
We experience growth in character, become more like Christ, and prepare for the second coming by trusting God, in the same way you've first accepted Jesus by faith. Paul tells us in Colossians 2:6, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him". In other words, the same way that Jesus came into your life is the way He's going to stay in your life, it's by trusting Him. It's by believing that God can be trusted. That's how you experience a change in character and that's how you'll be ready for Jesus to come (notice in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, God does the work of sanctifying us).

The Gift of Repentance
Also notice in Acts 26:20, there is a call to repent, which means to have a change of heart and mind. Repentance is a gift of God (Acts 5:31). God is the one who puts it our hearts to say "I've hurt other people, I've hurt God, and I don't want to live this way anymore". Repentance isn't about being sorry for getting caught. True repentance is when we recognize we did wrong and we don't want to do it anymore (notice King David's repentance in Psalm 51).

This is the first step for getting ready for the second coming. True repentance is when you're sorry in your heart that you did wrong, you know you can't change yourself, but you say, "I really don't want to do this anymore, God help me". When you've reached that point, then you're ready to put away what ever it is that you did wrong with God's help. Then you're putting yourself in a place where you're ready to grow in character because you've repented. Then you will "do works befitting repentance" Acts 26:20.

If you've lost your temper with a spouse, brother, or sister, repentance means you won't want to do it again, because you have a relationship with God and He helps you. Will you fall again perhaps? Possibly, yes, but the Lord helps you over time through a relationship with Him so that you don't. It's because you love God, you want to do His will and you want to be ready when Jesus comes. Love is a transforming power and people say that they love God, but they don't grasp that when you have a committed relationship, that it changes you. We'll look more into that later. You are sanctified by faith, it leads you to repent and do works befitting for repentance.

Be kept by God's power through faith
In 1 Peter 1:3-5, we see that God, in His abundant mercy, has begotten us a living hope through Christ's resurrection, an inheritance reserved for us in heaven. We are "kept by the power of God through faith" for Christ's second coming. We aren't to live trying to save ourselves, that's not how salvation works (Mark 8:35). God didn't purpose that we should live for ourselves, but rather for Him and for others (2 Corinthians 5:15, 1 Corinthians 10:24). When we live for ourselves, we are not answering the purpose that God made us for. Righteousness is a gift of God, we can't make ourselves good (Romans 5:17). We are to trust in God, not in self. We are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This "last time" is talking about the last days before Jesus comes.

Trials Strengthen Faith
Notice what it says in 1 Peter 1:6-9: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls."

Examining your spiritual life
In order to prepare for Jesus to come, we need to be right with God through faith, repentance leads us to put away sins, and to trust God who will enable us to do right. We are to trust God, put away every known sin, trust Him that He will give us a new heart and right spirit, and cultivate that relationship. Examine yourselves, check if there's something that's not right, take some initiative (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Now don't beat yourself up, God doesn't want that. Don't take this the wrong way. To examine yourself simply means to be honest to God about your condition (much like a patient would with a physician) and then He can and will help you. Just as it is wise for us to examine our physical health, we should examine our spiritual life.

Trust in God's willingness and power to save you
Let's look at Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy
You see, the Lord wants you to be saved. Is He going to present you with exceeding frustration? No! It's with exceeding joy! God really wants to save us and He is able to do it, do you believe what His word says?

There's a scam that says the devil is stronger than God. It says God forgives you, but you won't change that much. It says you just have to sin less and that God doesn't really expect you to put away all known sin. The reason we hear these things taught is not always because someone wants to be wicked, nor are they thinking "let me see what lies I can brew up for you." It comes from a genuine sense of frustration.

The Power of God's Love
We see ourselves and we see that we can't, of our own strength, do what's right. We try not to lose our temper, we try not to curse, we try not to do impure actions or think impure thoughts, we try not to waste our money, then we fail. We don't have to do that if we have a relationship with Jesus. Love is a powerful force. It often happens that if someone really loves someone else, they will learn to love what they do and do as they do in order to develop a closer relationship with that person.
Now there is a danger of falling out of love with God and yet still continue going through the motions. It's possible for people to look like Christians without the relationship, "having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof". Then once the slightest temptation comes, they fall over like a tree rotting on the inside. This is why we need to examine ourselves to make sure our hearts are right with God. We need to be careful not to let that happen, that's how church leaders fall. "Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts" Psalm 95:7-8. God has better plans for us that we have for ourselves. God wants us to be saved, but He can't force it on us.

Our Responsibility
"In simplicity and truth we would speak to the impenitent in regard to the way in which men destroy their own souls. You are not to say that God is to blame, that he has made a decree against you. No, he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth, and to the haven of eternal bliss. No soul is ever finally deserted of God, given up to his own ways, so long as there is any hope of his salvation. God follows men with appeals and warnings and assurances of compassion until further opportunities and privileges would be wholly in vain. The responsibility rests upon the sinner". RH Feb. 17, 1891

If you're not saved, it's not because God didn't try hard enough. If you're not saved it will be because you didn't take advantage of the opportunities He's given you.

"Now some will tell you, and they will begin to reckon, and reckon, and reckon, when the latter rain is coming. I would rather that you would reckon right now whether you have brought eternity into your reckoning concerning your individual self. Consider whether you have brought eternity daily to view. If you are right with God today, you are ready if Christ should come today". Ms36-1891

The Publican's Prayer: Be merciful to me a sinner!
If you want to know if you're right with God, remember the prayer of the publican (a Roman tax collector) who said "God, be merciful to me a sinner!". This penitent sinner was "justified" or made right with God, "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted". (Luke 18:14). So there's your answer: You want to be ready when Jesus comes back? You can say "God, be merciful to me a sinner!". You have to do this with humility. It's one thing to preach about it or hear about it, it's another thing to let it come into your heart and change your life.

"God be merciful to me a sinner". Do you want to tell that to the Lord now? Let's pray and do that, this is serious stuff. It's not a game. God loves us. He has given us life, a beautiful world to live in, guidance for health, and social relationships. He has predicted the future for us and promised to be with us until the end. He wants us to be at peace with Him when He comes. Are you getting ready for Jesus to come? Do you want to say that prayer that the publican prayed “God be merciful to me a sinner”? Let’s pray that now.

Closing Prayer
Dear God, we just want to say thank you that we can come to you and that you have been unreasonably merciful with us. You said you were pleased with the approach the publican took, he didn’t have a record of good things and we don’t have a record of good things, Lord. But we are just asking today that you would be merciful to us. We’ve messed up in a lot of ways. Please help us, God, to be ready when you come. Clean up my heart, clean up my friends’ hearts here and prepare us, Lord. Break through the fear and send away Satan and his voices of distrust. Enable us to walk in your ways, to love you and to love those around us. Put repentance in our hearts for the mistakes of the past. Help us to be ready when you come. Thank you, Amen.

Relevant song: Are you ready for Jesus to come?

Friday, September 13, 2019

What the bible says about soul winning


The divine command to win souls
Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Mark 16:15
 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Matthew 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Luke 14:23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Matthew 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 22:15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
James 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Jude 1:23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.

When we receive souls, we're receiving Jesus
John 13:20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.
Matthew 18:5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
Matthew 25:40
And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Soul winning compared to agriculture
Matthew 9:35-38 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
John 4:34-38 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Luke 8:15 But the [seed] that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.  As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Psalm 126:6 He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:7-8 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Soul winning compared to shining light
Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Isaiah 58:10 If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Sunday, August 11, 2019

What is Biblical Perfection?

If you read the context in which Jesus said to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect, you will find that He was talking about loving your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48). If you read Luke's account, you find Jesus saying to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). The Pharisees tried to be perfect in that they even tithed their mint, anise, and cummin. Yet Jesus called them hypocrites, for they "neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith" Matthew 23:23.

As we can see, perfection isn't something we do, it's about having God's character of love and mercy in our hearts. It doesn't matter how talented and smart you are, if you don't have love, everything you do will be pointless (1 Corinthians 13:2). "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5. Yet this fruit of the Holy Spirit isn't something we can conjure up on our own, we can only have it as long as we abide in Christ. Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Character perfection isn't a destination, it's a growth process. When a plant grows, you can't tell that it's growing by looking at it, but over time you can eventually see the changes (Mark 4:27-28). As we grow in Christ (The Vine), God the Father prunes us so we may bear more fruit (John 15:2). God cuts away the thorns of sin from our hearts so that the seed of His word can grow (Matthew 13:22).

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

When we behold the glory of God's character, we will say like Isaiah: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5. Our prayers will be like that of the publican who said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Luke 18:13. This doesn't mean living in fear of being judged, for "perfect love casts away fear" 1 John 4:18.

This growth process of perfection never ends, we will never claim to have arrived. We will keep going forward from perfection to perfection "The path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" Proverbs 4:18

Notice what Paul says here: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

When we understand that we can only find perfection in Christ, we won't compare ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). We won't be so quick to judge others because we will see that we also fall short in the same things that others do (Romans 2:1-2). Rather than pointing out the speck in another's eyes, we will ask God to help us with the log in our eyes (Matthew 7:5, 2 Corinthians 13:5). Instead of putting others down, we will seek to restore them. "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." Galatians 6:1.

Biblical perfection is about being united in Christ with fellow believers (John 17:20-23). Love is the bond of perfection (Colossians 3:14). "If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." 1 John 4:12

Also see: Quotes on Christian Growth