Be Ready
1 Pet. {3:15} But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and [be] ready always to [give] an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
Titus {3:1} Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work
Make God Holy in our hearts. Be ready ALWAYS to answer everyone that asks you why you have hope, do so with meekness and reverence.
Is God holy in your heart? Are you ready to tell others why you have hope in you? Ready not with a cockiness that some have because they feel superior in their beliefs, but ready to do so softly, quietly letting the Holy Spirit work. We have to understand that we need to be ready to walk as Christ walked and that isn't in wickedness. So many believe they can walk in wickedness and claim God. We need to be ready to every good work- ready to work for the Lord in any circumstance. God needs to be with us wherever we go in whatever we do. If we can't take God with us, if we have to tuck our religion away while we do something then in our hearts we know that what we're doing isn't something good, but something wicked.
We have to obey the laws of the land, we are subject to the law of our land and we have to obey those who enforce the laws of the land as long as there is no compelling us to contridict the word of our Lord and Savior. God first, always, and God first, God's will is that we obey those around us as servants. He who was the greatest Servant of all is our example.
If we are looking for strife, if we are looking for a cause to fight for and we want to rail against the system we live in we aren't following Christ's way. Even when there comes a time for us to make a stand for God against others we are to do so with meekness, as a servant whose Master is God. Our Master would have us represent Him properly, not wickedly.
So yes, we need to be ready to answer any man, we need to be ready to every good work, and we need to do all this with the Spirit of Christ in us, guiding us. Suffering so much, Christ didn't rail against his accusers but asked that they be forgiven will we, can we, do we the same? Do we ask that our accusers, our enemies be forgiven or are we quick to wish them evil for the evil they give?
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior now and forever may we have the heart of Christ in us now and always to be ready to answer any man, to be ready to do good works for the Lord representing Him as He wills.
Amen.
6/1/10
Deu 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
Children in whom is no faith.
Today people lack faith, real faith. The hope they have they place not in God but in mankind to prevail for them. They worry about things that are God's and believe they can cause to live or destroy the future of mankind. Placing their hopes in facts and solid, tangible things that they can see and touch, leaving no room for faith. If they do claim to have faith they claim it for themselves. They have faith in mankind. Truly even now here in the end days this generation is just as froward, just as faithless. Some people will shout that this isn't a faithless generation that there is a lot of faith, and compared to the worldly belief the true faith is very small. The faith people possess isn't in the One True God. Very few could deny we live in a VERY FROWARD GENERATION. Froward meaning--Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate. (dict) Very few could deny that each subsequent generation has deteriorated from the last. Very few could deny that faith in God has declined.
Deu 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Truth here...if people were wise and understood they would consider their latter end.
People don't consider their latter end, people don't want to consider their latter end. There are many people who don't want to consider anything that has to do with their own mortality let alone their eternal mortality. We need to consider our latter end, we ALL need to consider our latter end. We need to seek the Lord and all truth in Him. We need to believe in the righteousness of Christ to be our righteousness. We need to have faith in God, faith that life is only true life when we do have faith in God and not in ourselves or this world we live in.
By the grace of God we will have faith. May we consider our latter end, our eternal end, and in light of our eternal end may we live with our hope in life eternal with Christ, our treasures truly in heaven and not here on earth.
Amen.
6/1/11
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness
This does NOT say deliver me in my righteousness. This does NOT say deliver me in my friend's righteousness. This does NOT say deliver me in my loved one's righteousness.
This tell us that we are delivered in GOD'S righteousness.
Oh if only we could truly comprehend this! If only we could understand that we have NO righteousness of our own. No possible way whatsoever to deserve eternal life. No possible way to ever earn eternal life on our own merit. If we live believing that as long as we are *good* we will get to heaven, we are sadly, and lethally mistaken. God is good. God enables us to be good and it's only through HIS enabling us to be good in anyway that we have goodness in our lives. Without God no good is possible, no true goodness exists. There is a false goodness and it exists in such magnitude most believe it's real goodness because they know very little else. They know it in part as being good enough, having good intentions, good ideas, being as good as can be, mostly good, a good person overall- you know what I'm saying. We do know good and we evil, and yet so much good is evil in disguise and Satan loves it that way. If he can get whole churches of seemingly *good* people believing they are saved in their goodness he has won them without them ever suspecting. It sounds cruel but NO one is deceived unless they desire to be confused- unless they deep down desire to live their lives under a cloak of self-deception that allows them to believe more in their own selves than in their Savior, their God.
This is God's word--
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Our BEST at being good, at being righteous is as a FILTHY RAG!
Yes, I'm shouting it! Yes, I mean it, because GOD means it! Yes, I want to scream this out like a preacher of old, shouting down the rafters of a church, like a prophet of old letting His voice echo against the rocky hills. We have NO righteousness to claim as our own and if we plan on standing before God and pointing to ourselves explaining how we did this bit of goodness and that bit of righteousness and can we please live eternally - all we will get as a response is a sad no. We cannot expect any goodness in ourselves to save us, not the tiniest speck, not the largest act of kindness. People talk all the time about being redeemed by an act of goodness. We are not redeemed to eternal life by any act of goodness of our own, not by any sacrifice we make, not by any exceptional life we may truly, in fact lead. We are ONLY redeemed by our Savior through HIS righteousness, His life, His death, His love.
Accepting that our Savior Jesus Christ is our ONLY righteousness is something we need to cling to!
Any righteousness that we even think we might possess comes solely from God. We do need praise and thank God for all good because of ourselves we have none.
Joh 5:30 'I can of mine own self do nothing…'
Eph 5:9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
Zec 9:17 For how great is his goodness
Whatever we do…
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
*******
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness
Gen 32:11 Deliver me, I pray thee
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me
1Sa 24:15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
Psa 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
Psa 31:2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Rescue, recover, save me! Deliver me in thy righteousness!
Only by your love, only by your grace, only by YOUR righteousness, all by faith.
Amen!
Titus {3:1} Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work
Make God Holy in our hearts. Be ready ALWAYS to answer everyone that asks you why you have hope, do so with meekness and reverence.
Is God holy in your heart? Are you ready to tell others why you have hope in you? Ready not with a cockiness that some have because they feel superior in their beliefs, but ready to do so softly, quietly letting the Holy Spirit work. We have to understand that we need to be ready to walk as Christ walked and that isn't in wickedness. So many believe they can walk in wickedness and claim God. We need to be ready to every good work- ready to work for the Lord in any circumstance. God needs to be with us wherever we go in whatever we do. If we can't take God with us, if we have to tuck our religion away while we do something then in our hearts we know that what we're doing isn't something good, but something wicked.
We have to obey the laws of the land, we are subject to the law of our land and we have to obey those who enforce the laws of the land as long as there is no compelling us to contridict the word of our Lord and Savior. God first, always, and God first, God's will is that we obey those around us as servants. He who was the greatest Servant of all is our example.
If we are looking for strife, if we are looking for a cause to fight for and we want to rail against the system we live in we aren't following Christ's way. Even when there comes a time for us to make a stand for God against others we are to do so with meekness, as a servant whose Master is God. Our Master would have us represent Him properly, not wickedly.
So yes, we need to be ready to answer any man, we need to be ready to every good work, and we need to do all this with the Spirit of Christ in us, guiding us. Suffering so much, Christ didn't rail against his accusers but asked that they be forgiven will we, can we, do we the same? Do we ask that our accusers, our enemies be forgiven or are we quick to wish them evil for the evil they give?
By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior now and forever may we have the heart of Christ in us now and always to be ready to answer any man, to be ready to do good works for the Lord representing Him as He wills.
Amen.
6/1/10
Deu 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
Children in whom is no faith.
Today people lack faith, real faith. The hope they have they place not in God but in mankind to prevail for them. They worry about things that are God's and believe they can cause to live or destroy the future of mankind. Placing their hopes in facts and solid, tangible things that they can see and touch, leaving no room for faith. If they do claim to have faith they claim it for themselves. They have faith in mankind. Truly even now here in the end days this generation is just as froward, just as faithless. Some people will shout that this isn't a faithless generation that there is a lot of faith, and compared to the worldly belief the true faith is very small. The faith people possess isn't in the One True God. Very few could deny we live in a VERY FROWARD GENERATION. Froward meaning--Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate. (dict) Very few could deny that each subsequent generation has deteriorated from the last. Very few could deny that faith in God has declined.
Deu 32:29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!
Truth here...if people were wise and understood they would consider their latter end.
People don't consider their latter end, people don't want to consider their latter end. There are many people who don't want to consider anything that has to do with their own mortality let alone their eternal mortality. We need to consider our latter end, we ALL need to consider our latter end. We need to seek the Lord and all truth in Him. We need to believe in the righteousness of Christ to be our righteousness. We need to have faith in God, faith that life is only true life when we do have faith in God and not in ourselves or this world we live in.
By the grace of God we will have faith. May we consider our latter end, our eternal end, and in light of our eternal end may we live with our hope in life eternal with Christ, our treasures truly in heaven and not here on earth.
Amen.
6/1/11
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness
This does NOT say deliver me in my righteousness. This does NOT say deliver me in my friend's righteousness. This does NOT say deliver me in my loved one's righteousness.
This tell us that we are delivered in GOD'S righteousness.
Oh if only we could truly comprehend this! If only we could understand that we have NO righteousness of our own. No possible way whatsoever to deserve eternal life. No possible way to ever earn eternal life on our own merit. If we live believing that as long as we are *good* we will get to heaven, we are sadly, and lethally mistaken. God is good. God enables us to be good and it's only through HIS enabling us to be good in anyway that we have goodness in our lives. Without God no good is possible, no true goodness exists. There is a false goodness and it exists in such magnitude most believe it's real goodness because they know very little else. They know it in part as being good enough, having good intentions, good ideas, being as good as can be, mostly good, a good person overall- you know what I'm saying. We do know good and we evil, and yet so much good is evil in disguise and Satan loves it that way. If he can get whole churches of seemingly *good* people believing they are saved in their goodness he has won them without them ever suspecting. It sounds cruel but NO one is deceived unless they desire to be confused- unless they deep down desire to live their lives under a cloak of self-deception that allows them to believe more in their own selves than in their Savior, their God.
This is God's word--
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Our BEST at being good, at being righteous is as a FILTHY RAG!
Yes, I'm shouting it! Yes, I mean it, because GOD means it! Yes, I want to scream this out like a preacher of old, shouting down the rafters of a church, like a prophet of old letting His voice echo against the rocky hills. We have NO righteousness to claim as our own and if we plan on standing before God and pointing to ourselves explaining how we did this bit of goodness and that bit of righteousness and can we please live eternally - all we will get as a response is a sad no. We cannot expect any goodness in ourselves to save us, not the tiniest speck, not the largest act of kindness. People talk all the time about being redeemed by an act of goodness. We are not redeemed to eternal life by any act of goodness of our own, not by any sacrifice we make, not by any exceptional life we may truly, in fact lead. We are ONLY redeemed by our Savior through HIS righteousness, His life, His death, His love.
Accepting that our Savior Jesus Christ is our ONLY righteousness is something we need to cling to!
Any righteousness that we even think we might possess comes solely from God. We do need praise and thank God for all good because of ourselves we have none.
Joh 5:30 'I can of mine own self do nothing…'
Eph 5:9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth
Zec 9:17 For how great is his goodness
Whatever we do…
1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
*******
Psa 71:2 Deliver me in thy righteousness
Gen 32:11 Deliver me, I pray thee
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me
1Sa 24:15 The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
Psa 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
Psa 31:2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Rescue, recover, save me! Deliver me in thy righteousness!
Only by your love, only by your grace, only by YOUR righteousness, all by faith.
Amen!