May I ask or do I even need to? How was your 2020.. was it like mine..pretty rough? So sorry about that. Are you ready for a brand new start?
Let's pray about way into and through 2021 so we can walk in victory. Here's a tough true story that perhaps many can relate to. I pray that you can be encouraged in God's word this 2021.
It kinda reminds me of 2020. Have you heard about what happened to “CHIPPIE THE PARAKEET? He NEVER saw it coming. It was sorta like us -- we never saw 2020 coming our way.
One second Chippie was simply there peacefully perched in his cage. The next moment he was sucked up.. sucked on in, washed up, and blown over. It was rough. It was like 2020!
The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said ‘hello’ when ‘sssopp!’ Chippie got sucked in.
“The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie– still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.
“Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
“A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. ‘Well,’ she replied, ‘Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore he just sits and stares.’
“It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
Thinkin' about this new year ahead.. there are some bridges that you need to burn. There are some bridges that you need to cross over, and there are some bridges that you need to build.
“This book of the law should not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on a day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.” Joshua 1:8
Let's burn on fire for Christ. Let's cross over into God's will for us..for each one. Let's build.. ourselves in the word..in prayer, in fellowship. Let's build up others too in Bible Study and in sharing the Gospel with an aim to win people to Christ.
Listen believer, the only way you can positively change your life is by positively changing your mind, and the only way you can positively change your mind is by the word of God. Think biblically..worshipfully. Read. Meditate upon the word and memorize Scripture too. Study the word and act obediently. I’m not into the religion of PMA. Want to live and be realistic, but positive thinking seems better to me than negative thinking.
The most miserable person is the believer living a defeated life. The happiest person is the victorious believer, walking by the Spirit’s power.
So many believers are wandering in the wilderness spiritually. God has something that’s greater than anything that you could conceive in your own mind. So many have not entered the promised land – walking here in victory, walking in the Spirit, not in the flesh as some worldly believer.
021 is almost here -- a good time to start over. People, it doesn’t matter what you started last year and somehow failed to accomplish, you can start over. Need a second chance? He’s called the start over God.
In 2020, though God didn’t create Covid or any sickness or disease.. it’s kinda like God has hit the pause button so we can pause and start over again. So we can get right. Yes, our God is a start over God. He made this world so that every 24 hours we start a new day. And every seven days we start a new week and every 4 or 5 weeks we start a new month, and every 365 days we start a new year. God could have run all that time together without any breaks for us to really pause and think, but He didn’t do that. Jesus came into this world so that we could start over clean. And when we follow this Jesus Christ the Bible.. old things pass away and behold all things become new in Him. This could be your defining moment as we start a new year.. when you start over filled with JOY totally forgiven.
“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10
You can start over, have a second chance at life. You too can experience real joy. Ongong. Is it always easy without any suffering this righteous life – you know, like some cake walk whatever that is? Nope, but there’s no better life. Come to Christ.
“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” Psalm 71:23
No silly, I don’t mean when you’re high. I mean when you're done with lame livin'. I mean there is a high so to speak.. that’s far better than some drug or drink kinda high. Been there, done that. I know and wanna show.
I'm talking about life in relationship with the Most High.
Been a weird time here this 2020, a year of chaos, of anxieties, rioting, looting.. a time of false news, of confusion, of fears, of small people and businesses sadly dying off, and of political rangeling (and I’ve done my fair share of that. Hah!). It’s time now to experience firsthand the power of the Most High..for a purpose. Yep, His purpose for you.
I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I was born -- I awoke and saw that life was service in the Son. Twice born, not always easy to explain. I acted and behold, service was JOY, but not just service the waiting time is too. There’s JOY in Jesus.
When I lived in Europe I would sometimes take a train through the Principality of Liechtenstein (auf Deutsch/German das ist: Fürstentum) and when the flag was up flying in the sky the king of Liechtenstein was in residence there. So, how can people passin’ through tell if the King of kings is at residence in you and me? Real JOY!
Joy is the flag flown high From the castle of my heart From the castle of my heart From the castle of my heart Joy is the flag flown high From the castle of my heart When the King is in residence there
So let it fly in the sky (everywhere you go) Let the whole world know Let the whole world know Let the whole world know (So) let it fly in the sky Let the whole world know That the King is in residence there.
Like The Sun You Can Rise Again. Like The Son You Can Be Live Filled With Joy, And You Can Be Physically Resurrected Too.
He Wants To Be Trusted, Worshipped, Known, Followed And Enjoyed As Well. That’s Abundant Life. Fellowship And Eternal Life Can Begin Now And Be Enjoyed Non-Stop. Sin Doesn’t Need To Mess It Up.
If you can’t remember the very day that you were born again spiritually, then you probably haven’t been. Some don’t remember the day, but most do. Come to Christ as you are.. as you are and willing to be changed.. willing to cooperate with His Holy Spirit working within you.
Let’s get that nailed down in your mind and heart -- this assurance of free and full forgiveness. Turn, trust and ask for this cleansing. He will forgive you today. The Bible says...
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.." 1 John 5:12-14
“Sometimes,' said Pooh, 'the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” ― A.A. Milne
Let Christ in, turn, trust and in invite Him in instead.
Remember how the Jews asked Jesus about this new liberty..“’We are Abraham’s descendants’...“We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:33-36
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13
When your passion for the Lord becomes greater than your passion for sin.. even for some beloved pet sin..then you will glorify God and experience JOY in the Son!
Are you a happy person? Admit to God that you're a sinner and put your faith in Jesus as your Savior. God has promised to meet our every need, so why look to this corrupt world to do that? Look away to Him!
I'm talking about salvation, justification and sanctification here. I'm talking about the Jesus of the Bible who rose from the dead and was seen by over 500 eyewitnesses! Have you been depressed or down without hope? Have you experienced being bored, down, sad or unhappy? Let's see that fixed in this New Year.. even now. See ya 2020 and 2021 is now upon us.
Come as ya are. Now is good. Don’t put it off until later cuz it’s the most important decision that you’ll ever make. He frees. He made me loathe what I used to love, and love what I used to loathe (worship, prayer, the Bible etc.) -- man, wish I could adequately describe this JOY of fellowship that I feel inside! Come to..come back to Him now. He's the God of second chances and He'll give you a second chance in Christ.
It doesn't matter what you started last year and somehow failed to accomplish, you can start over. Need a second chance? He's called the start over God.
In 2020, though God didn't create Covid or any sickness or disease.. it's kinda like God has hit the pause button so we can pause and start over again. So we can get right. Yes, our God is a start over God. He made this world so that every 24 hours we start a new day. And every seven days we start a new week and every 4 or 5 weeks we start a new month, and every 365 days we start a new year. God could have run all that time together without any breaks for us to really pause and think, but He didn't do that. Jesus came into this world so that we could start over clean. And when we follow this Jesus Christ the Bible.. old things pass away and behold all things become new in Him. This could be your defining moment as we start a new year.. when you start over filled with JOY totally forgiven.
"Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."Luke 15:10
"My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed." Psalm 71:23
"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2
"More than that, we also reJOYice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Romans 5:11 #emph.mine
Have you been caught up in the frenzy of the lights of the season and can't see the Light of the world? Christ. Why be lost in the frenetic frenzy, distractions, busyness and fatigue?
Happiness often is based on what is happening around us. When bad things are happening we say we are unhappy, and when good things are happening we say we're happy.
It's been said.. there are two major reasons for unhappiness in this world today.
- One of them is not getting what you want...
- And the other one is getting what you want.
Turn trust believe..invite Christ in and let him be Lord. The promises of God found in the Bible are not for underlining (though that's what I like to do, not a bad thing), they are for believing. For God so loved the world that He gave us His sinless Son.
Other temporal things, people, and activities can't fill that hollow void in your heart to satisfy you. Let God fill that hungry vacuum in your life.
Why has God allowed such interference from China etc? Why are so many people living with fear, confusion, misinformation, emptiness, loneliness and pain? Why have so many people lost their jobs and now can't find other work? Why are so many businesses still closed down and going away? Why has God allowed Covid 19 and all the other junk during 2020? Have ya been through some trouble and distress lately?
Times have been pretty weird huh. Reminds me of this verse... “They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.” 2 Chronicles 15:6 (See the whole context).
“…city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress.”
That does sound kind of like our day huh. What's it been like in your part of the world.. lots of distress, disruption, no peace, chaos, lots of lies flying at the masses?
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~ Jesus, John 16:33
The false teachers here today, and there are many of them even inside some so called Christian churches..would never tell you that. They'd say if you have enough faith, you'll never have any trials or hardships.
But Jesus, Paul, all the other disciples, and many saints today have experienced such. Remember not long ago seeing all those Christians beheaded on the beaches?
Hey, God hasn't sinned any and sin is why viruses and suffering are here.
Sin is why there is distress, sorrow, depression, chaos, death, disease and illnesses are in our world today (I'm not saying that your own personal sins always cause you such trouble now).
God does love you and has a good plan for your life for sure -- that hasn't changed any. He does allows this stuff to happen in our world so that we will ditch all idols, wrong-doin's and simply come close to him. Let’s make this Christmas more about His presence than anything else. Yeah, more so than about temporal presents that soon wear out, rust, break or become obsolete. Come to.. come back to God. Have you never come to Christ as you are? Have you somehow drifted away?
“My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to You and dead to me
But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of Your Blood “ ~ Keith Gordon Green (Lyrics)
How can I trust God's word? Aren't there contradictions in the Bible.. in following Jesus the living word. Nope, not one.
One Gospel account has two thieves on crosses mocking Jesus on his cross.
Another account has one Center mocking Christ on the cross while the other one believes in Jesus.
Hah, a contradiction in the Bible? Nope, a conversion. It was a deathbed conversion ...or rather a death cross conversion.
You too can gain an assurance of your salvation in just a moment as well. What would prevent you from coming to Christ as you are.. right here and now? He's only a simple prayer away.
Am feelin’ grateful for Christmas. Yeah, even during these crazy times.
Remember, even in the darkest of times...God has stepped in before. I pray he will again for you and our Land.
Check it out in history. Do you remember how bad in was back then during the first Christmas? Was bad!
Such a small man, the leader Herod had so strategized -- he had planned to make the Magi tell him of the exact whereabouts of the Christ child... cuz he wanted to kill Him. Wanted to always remain in power -- didn’t have Dominion or SmartMatic. And He killed others in an effort to kill Jesus.
“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:16-18
God’s Son stepped in. God’s pure Light will, and has stepped into the darkness of this corrupt world around us. In the chaos and confusion of this world, many people are lonely and afraid. God is near. Emmanuel is close to you -- confess Him as Lord.
“And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil.”John 3:19
“Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.’" John 8:12
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.”John 12:46
Here’s a reminder that you’ve heard before -- let’s make Christmas more about his presence than about temporal presents. If stuff that soon breaks is your main focus, you’ll be let down.
Sure, before you can enjoy the peace of God, you have to have peace with God. Many don't yet know that they’re at an enmity with God.. yes, like at war with him but they can turn, surrender and believe.
What,
friendship with the world is enmity with God? How do I know if I am “being friends” with “the world?”
Does it mean that if I I am friends with people who are not Christians, then I am an enemy of God? Naww. Does it mean that I should be unpleasant, unfriendly, cold and distant towards non-believers and have a “know it all,” or “holier-than-thou” attitude in order to be God’s friend? Naww.
That’s not what James meant, although it could be interpreted like that by some religious folk, which means they can’t be allowed to shake hands with unbelievers or even share a meal together, for fear of becoming “unclean.” Hey, God ain’t religious or that way. Jesus was friend of sinners like me.
Some religious people refuse to embrace modern technology, i.e., cars and computers etc. for fear of “friendship with the world.” This leads them to live apart from and “shun” contact with most other people! Jesus said Go tell. He wants us to lovingly spend some time with sinners in order to win them to Him. He did that. Just don’t spend so much time that you are pulled back down by them into a life of sin. Don’t need that. How would you be strong, spiritually healthy and help others who are somehow at war with God ..in the future?
Since God REALLY REALLY loves people and wants to draw them back to Himself to both save and help them, such interpretations would have the opposite effect, which is to push people away. It says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Let’s address the enmity, so we can help others to address the enmity they experience. Let’s get the Log out or our eye first so we can see the needs.
The Bible says..
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”James 4:4
Medical science promises to add years to your life, but only Christ can have life to your years. He has come that you’ll have life and life more abundantly. Eternally!
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’“John 14:6
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands--this is the Word of life.”1 John 1:1
“And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.” 1 John 1:2
“And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”1 John 5:11
And if the lights go out, He’s still your light, believer. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”John 11:25
Has it been kinda bad where you are..or real bad and getting worse? No worries. He is there. Are you feeling lonely, empty, confused, afraid some, or kinda sad during the holidays? Listen, you don't have to be all alone this year (or any year). You can be in fellowship, and following close to Christ.. the real reason for the whole season.
You know how depression rates go up this time of year and there are reasons for that. Estranged loved ones or family members are some reasons.
Here’s are 10 steps to have a Merry Christmas (practical acts to combat sadness and depression during the holidays):
1.) Find someone that's less fortunate than you are, voice a prayer and do something kind for them just to help out.
Then steps 2 through 10: Repeat step one and give thanks for them.
Yup Factoid: The Bible more than any other book is shoplifted..yeah, is jacked more than any other book.
What!? But why? There are a number of reasons hypothesized to explain why people often steal the Book of all books:
People feel that the Bible should be free—so they just take it.
A high-quality leather bound Bible can be an expensive purchase.
In the frenzy of shopping for the holidays, people steal for gifts.
Some steal Bibles to later sell them on the Internet or on the streets.
Whatever the reasons people have for stealing copies of the Bible, it still breaks the Eighth Commandment found in the Bible. Go check out God’s Top Ten List.
People are hungry for solid truth today. The prophet Amos wrote of a time when there would be “a famine … of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8:11).
The Bible is also being removed, legally unfortunately, from many places it used to freely occupy.Is the Bible being respected and faithfully taught in our culture today? Or is it being removed from everyday life—both literally and figuratively? Could it be that the Bible is being shoplifted from more than bookstore shelves? Has it been stolen from its proper place in our lives by forces that hate it and its message?
Bibles are not free, but the truth and forgiveness of the word are free. The agape love, joy, peace and grace of God’s living word are always available for free.
What are you waiting for. Go for God and what He has for you. Receive God’s free gift of eternal life. It’s the time of His birthday, so give Him a gift He values--you. Yep, your heart and life. Turn, trust, believe. Yeah, where can we all find hope and what’s good? In a relationship with Christ. The Bible says...
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens, in whom there is no variation no rising or setting or shadow cast by His turning for He is perfect and never changes." James 1:17
Watch, pray, obey, be as wary as serpents are and yet harmless as doves. “Do not let unwholesome foul, profane, worthless, vulgar words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear you speak. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God but seek to please Him, by whom you were sealed and marked branded as God’s own for the day of redemption the final deliverance from the consequences of sin. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted compassionate, understanding, forgiving one another readily and freely, just as God in Christ also forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32
It's true, in our world today there are promise makers, promise claimers, promise breakers, and promise keepers.
How do you do with your promises? Trust is built in any relationship when we keep our word.. when we are careful about making promises.. when we keep our promises.
It's been said that we always get an A when we grade our own paper so to speak. Do your friends say that you always keep your promises? Many politicians make promises. Some keep their promises and others just make more. You probably know who some of them are.
Isaiah has more than 1,000 promises in it says D. Jeremiah.
Which chapter has the most promises? Well, in Psalm 37 -- see how practically every verse is a promise. Here's a challenge for ya: Read through, and pray through the entire Bible with its good promises. Memorize some.
"Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed." Joshua 23:14
Some Bible promises were made to Israel. And many were made to Christians in Christ’s Church.
There are four promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Let's talk about em a bit.
1. God promises us his presence. Emanuel God with us -- we hear this name song in Christmas hymns. God came down to us here and became one of us. Sinless Jesus still has a physical human body and always will. God understands us and won't bail out on us. He sings over us believers, won't leave us -- His love never lets us go.
I love this name Hebron. it a peace from being face to face with God.
2. God promises us peace in the Prince of Peace. And on earth peace to men. Christ is still our peace. Jesus is my peace. He said, My peace I give to you.
We can be reconciled to God in Christ and enjoy His peace. I was at enmity with God, but Jesus came here to make peace with us.. to bring us into relationship with his Holy Father.
A Gallop survey on were people are at emotionally and mentally during this season in our Nation tells us this: The only group that didn't decline in emotion and mental health this year were the weekly churchgoers hearing God's word. Makes sense cuz of the promise of God -- we have peace in Jesus.
3. God promises us his power when we walk with Jesus -- his resurrection power and redeeming power. You have strength in Him. Promises thinking.
What is the number one Bible verse looked up in the in the YouVersion Bible app. It's this one. "Do not fear anything, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation.’" Isaiah 41:10 amp
God upholds you with His strong right hand.
4. God promises us his free forgiveness. Bible - "He shall save his people from their sins." Our greatest need is this Savior and his pardon.
in our world today there are all kinds of so-called Christians. nominal Christians -- they are not, but are merely religious. in 1st Corinthians the Apostle Paul talked about the natural man and this is who I'm talking about here. He also talked about the carnal man and the spiritual man. There are lukewarm, worldly, and carnal Christians who have one eye on the world to meet their needs and one eye on Christ to meet their needs. you and me want to be the spiritual man so to speak, be on fire growing Christian. To grow we need to obey and wisely apply the word of God. We need to desire the pure milk of the word -- that's how babies grow is on milk. I encourage you to pray everyday from the heart to read your Bible everyday and listen to the holy Spirit, to fellowship with other growing believers.. ideally in the context of a healthy Bible teaching local church. and from this healthy relationship to go out and share your faith with others who don't yet know Jesus in a personal way. the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit always keep their promises. It's good to know them and claim them by faith. It's good for us to keep all our promises too. Let's earn the right to be heard as we share the Good News.
In our world today there are those who are saved, and those who are unsaved, yes, the unregenerate (spiritually dead inside) and those who are born again spiritually in Christ. God's forgiveness is available to all of us sinners, if we will simply turn and trust his Son Jesus. I'm talking about repentance and saving Faith here.
Here's how not to fall away from the faith and not to hurt Christ in that way. With the holy fear of God, daily add to your faith virtue. The Bible says..
“Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ..” 2 Peter 1:4-8
Here’s 5 Steps How:
1. Fill your heart with the living word -- Jesus. Turn, trust, invite Christ in. Fall in love with Jesus, and be falling in love with Him over and over again. Pray earnestly.
2. Fill your minds with the Word of God. Be busy being filled up with the truth of Scriptures in your brain and heart.. Think of the Aramenes displacement rule. If you go in a full tub of water, the water will always rise up, flow out and make room.
3. Fill your routines with good Bible-based rules for you. Never be left alone with a woman other than his wife. Billy Graham made a rule. Not on an elevator alone with a woman. His hotel room was checked, There’s more temptation in our world than ever before. But people will think I’m radically old fashioned. Who cares?
A guy named Bob (not his real name) was really mad at God and said so, because he said he prayed he wouldn’t fall into adultery with a girl at work, but then he did.
Listen Bob, as I push this vase towards the edge of the table praying that God let it not fall off..CRASH..would it be weird to say. I’m mad at God.
Another businessman was tempted towards adultery at work but the lady wouldn’t go away. His pastor in California said, Go quit your job and find another job. He didn’t but fell. He hurts now and should have quit. I say fellowship upwards and outwards for accountability.
4. Fill your life with accountability.
I say, choose to love your faith-family and small group Bible study in an ongoing honest sort of way.
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell." Matt. 5:30 nkjv.
"And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”Mat 5:29-30 nkjv
Sure, the Spirit’s first name is Holy! Now did Jesus mean the practical application should happen exactly like that? Probably not. Cut something important to you out.
5. Fill your fellowship with sinners open to turning and trusting Jesus. New baby believers revivalize, motivate, remind, sort of energize veteran believers. Gets you back to the basics of relationship and sowing.
David Jeremiah once said that in California, people go to church 2 out of 5 Sundays per month. I say go five out of five to a healthy church--that's much better for you. Go for fellowship and to worship. He'd say the same thing.
Let's be careful to study them in the Bible, and to keep our promises.
One man named Dr. Everek R. Storms of Ontario, in Canada spent a vast amount of time studying the promises of Scripture and he explained this to us:
“The Scriptures contain a grand total of 8,810 promises. How do I know? I counted them. All my life I have seen various figures quoted as to the number of promises in the Bible. The one most generally given is 30,000. Since this is a round number with four zeroes in it, I have always been a little suspicious about it. Furthermore, since there are only 31,101 verses in the Bible, it would mean that there would be practically one promise in every verse. I do not guarantee my count to be perfect, but it is the most accurate I know of."
Dr. Storms even classified the promises that he found in Scripture into eight kinds:
1.) There are 7,487 promises from God to man (about 85 percent of all the Bible promises). 2.) There are 991 instances of one person making a promise to another person.
3.) There are 290 promises from man to God. 4.) There are promises made by angels, most of them found in Luke. 5.) There are nine promises made by “that old liar, the devil.” (For example, his promise to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would fall down and worship him.) 6.) Two promises are made by an “evil spirit.” 7.) Two are made by God [to his] Son. 8.) Dr. Storms additionally found that one book of the Bible contains no promises at all—yep, that's Titus. Ephesians has only six promises. On the other hand, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel have over 1,000 promises each. What section of Scripture most impressed Dr. Storms?
He wrote, “The most outstanding chapter as far as promises are concerned.. is Psalm 37. Practically every verse is a most wonderful promise.”
What's the last prayer in the Bible?
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." Rev. 22:21
And what’s the last promise found in the Bible (you know all of them of course are important)?
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” ~ Jesus, Revelation 22:7-21
“When our trials come, when we feel pain and suffering, when our tears flow again, it is our joy and comfort to lift our faces heavenward and to go on, standing on the promises of God.” ― W. A. Criswell
