"Organic Structure"

 "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4:2 KJV)

  "We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece - throughout both Macedonia and Achaia." (1 Thessalonians 1:4-7 NLT)

 It is really no surprise, but yesterday I heard at least three messages about people losing faith and the reasons they walk away from the Lord. It is really not as if the message was given then, but it was still aired in a way that I could hear it. That, my friends, is the work of the Holy Spirit, for that I am sure.

 I know that the title, "Organic Structure," might seem strange to some, but it something that comes from the word, "mixed," in the verse we are looking at today. Something happens when there is the Word of God preached, and our faith is strengthened by what we have heard; especially when it happens to more than one person. 

 Even though the people of Thessalonica suffered severe persecution, their faith was not weakened, but it was strengthened, as trusted more and more to the Word they had received, the Good News of the glory of the Gospel message! You really can't take that away, no matter how difficult things might become; if you have received the message and have the faith to believe it, nothing, not even the threat of death, can take it away!

 Do you know what happens by that example? Other are changed and strengthened by seeing that your faith is real! There is a body of believers that gain boldness and encouragement; so, it doesn't only benefit you, but it benefits many in the body of Christ...

"And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven - Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment." (1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 NLT)  

 

"Struck with Amazement" - Too

 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)

  ""Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five of them were wise. The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take alone extra oil."" (Matthew 25:1-4 NLT)

 Seemingly, there is more to this that just trying to have faith; faith is not good enough if there isn't some sort of work to show that your faith is real! Some might challenge that statement, as there are people who do. But there is something called, love, which makes doing something with your faith, something to give others hope and encouragement; that this thing called, being a Christian, is real! 

 In the parable about the 'five wise and five foolish virgins,' Jesus is expressing the importance of being prepared for His return. Basically, what that could mean, is that those who are wise are prepared, meaning that they have filled their lamps, and have actually taken extra oil, just in case they needed more.

 If there was some way to simplify what this might look like in the real world, dealing with life and death issues; there are some people who have enough faith to deal with any sort of tragedy or situation, and then there are those who's faith is shattered when something seems to go terribly wrong. 

 In other words, when your faith is tested or you don't have the will to keep believing, you must be prepared to fill your lamps again! The foolish virgins didn't take enough oil for their lamps, meaning that they didn't have enough faith for being prepared for whatever might happen. 

 I'm sorry if that doesn't seem right, as if there is some other reason for the oil; but there are several different things that the oil represents. Many believe it is the Holy Spirit, which is easy to associate with what it takes. But even if that is the case, you must still have the faith to do what the Spirit tells you to do and allow the Spirit comfort you through whatever you are going through. 

 There are many that think they have enough faith, until some sort of travesty or disaster happens, then they lose it all together! We must be willing to trust God in every circumstance, believing that He has purpose in everything that we might have to go through or face.

 One way to be sure that there is a way, is to keep believing He is coming soon! If you are prepared for His return, then the things this world might throw at you, really won't matter as much! By the way, the title, "Struck with Amazement," is a definition of the word "fear" that is shown in verse one...

"When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what I should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:22-27 NLT) 

"Struck with Amazement"

 "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering unto his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)

  "And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy - just as the entire branch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham's tree - some of the people of Israel - have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not a root. "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me." Yes, but remember - those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either." (Romans 11:16-21 NLT)

 I can remember what it was like to sing the song, "Father Abraham," as we gathered in a circle of men, marching in step, swinging our arms, and bobbing our heads. A circle of inmates, celebrating being sons of Abraham, grafted into the promise, the same promise given to Abraham! Just because of faith; as it was spoken of Abraham, we too were made righteous because of our faith! 

 This might seem hard for some to believe, but it is hard to do something that God cannot forgive you for, even if it was murder! Not that it is something that you won't be punished for, because you will still be required to deal with the consequences here on this earth. But God's grace is sufficient to remove all sins, no matter what; making your statis perfect as you enter into His Kingdom! 

 Hopefully that is what you believe; because God has made it something that He is proud of, as He says in Isaiah 55...

""Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised David. See how I used him to display my power among the nations. You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious." (Isaiah 55:3-5 NLT)

"Promised Rest for God's People"

   "God's promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news - that God has prepared this rest - has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn't share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, "In my anger I took an oath: 'They will never enter my place of rest,'" even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: "On the seventh day God rested from all his work." But in the other passage God said, "They will never enter my place of rest." 

  So God's rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard the good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: "Today, when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts." Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

  For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." (Hebrews 4:1-13 NLT) 

"I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and me fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalms 18:1-2 KJV)

 As much as I think that I understand the big picture, the more I look, the more complex and difficult it is to understand everything there is to know. Just when you think that you have it all figured out, God will show us how little we actually know! 

 This is really not that hard to understand, because God has clearly already told us that we don't know the totality of His word, let alone His plans. So what do we do? We simply trust in Him no matter what, and we give Him all the glory and praise that He deserves...

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:11-14 KJV)  

"Simply Put!"

 "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:19 KJV)

  "Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. "Come in with me," she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, "Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment."" (Proverbs 9:1-6 NLT) 

 There are certain things that cause us to feel as though God isn't listening; mostly they are the things that we do which are not what God wants us to do. If you don't know what I am talking about, it involves the lack of good judgment, which involves everyday things we do, without first taking them to God! 

 Putting in another way: If we are drawing closer to God, wanting to listen for His voice, then God will listen more to what we have to say; and we will know that it is sure! I really don't know how else to put it; and it is not that God doesn't actually listen or does not hear us; because it is our relationship with Him that makes the difference.

 In Solomon's description of wisdom, it is all about having the right frame of mind! If we truly know and believe that God is all knowing, He loves us, is for us, and will always do what is best for us, then we will not be doubtful and have unbelief. Much like the little things in life that are laws of nature: if you test the law of gravity, hoping to not get hurt, you will not be happy...

"So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you." (1 Peter 4:19 NLT)  

"Unbelieving"

 "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?" (Hebrews 3:18 KJV)

  "The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the LORD." (PSALM 106:24-25 NLT)

 There is more to this than just believing that God is real! James makes that perfectly clear, saying, "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?" (James 2:19-20 NLT) 

 This world will not provide the peace and joy that we need; even though things might be going well for us, there is still certain things that will cause us to need to trust in God, death being one that always seem to work! Those who might get some kind of notice from a doctor that they have something wrong in their body, and they may not last very long at all; they will suddenly not care so much about the things they own or the job they have, because none of that matters to them anymore. 

 Something else is more important than even your health! As I listened to a message yesterday at church, the point that stuck out the most was about, "God Wins!" There were other major points, but that one was the one that makes the most important message; besides the fact that we win also, in the end! 

 Paul was writing to the church in Philippi, knowing that he would most likely be executed, sooner or later; but his main theme of this letter was about rejoicing, no matter what, good or bad, we should rejoice in every circumstance. That might not be easy, depending on your situation; but God is ultimately in control, and He has absolute control of everything that happens to our soul! 

 We live in a body that will not last, no matter what! Even when the Rapture comes, if you are taken up, this body will not be the body you have in Heaven. It is your soul that matters most of all; and it is your soul that has full protection from God! When it says, "He protects you forever," it is talking about your soul...

 "The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." (PSALM 121:5-8 NLT) 

"The Mark" - 2

 "But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?" (Hebrews 3:17 KJV)

  "Teacher; which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?' Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."" (Matthew 22:36-40 NLT)

 Just so you know, 'The Mark,' is part of the meaning of 'sinned' that is used in the reason their carcasses fell in the wilderness, because they missed the mark! This is the challenge of hitting a bullseye with an arrow; if you don't hit that bullseye, then they say that you missed the mark; which basically means, you missed doing what you could have done. 

 Not everyone is equipped for hitting the bullseye, sad to say; but that doesn't mean that they are not able, if they wanted to try! I can't imagine why someone that had a snakebite, and was going to die, would not look at the bronze snake on a pole, to be made well! What would cause such a reaction to something that was so simple? 

 It is just the same for those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ and be washed in the blood of the Lamb! It is because they do not want to be changed! They will continue to miss the mark, because they have no desire to do what it takes to please God! Big mistake...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.  "There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."" (John 3:16-21 NLT)   

"The Mark"

 "But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?" (Hebrews 3:17 KJV)

  "Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites." (1 Corinthians 10:9 NLT)

 Having been in the wilderness, so to speak, I can relate to what it feels like when you just don't have the hope you should, especially when it seems things are never going to get better. Not that I don't have any hope for the life after this one, because that hope is pretty much all that I can really trust in; I am talking about having hope for this life, and what happens here, on planet earth.

 I took my wife to the movies the other day, to see the kid's movie, called, "Elio." It was okay, somewhat enjoyable, until the movie started to end and the credits started; then they announced how this movie is to give people the sense that they are not alone, and that there is life out there in space. 

 Actually, it was rather interesting how they showed the 'space' to be, as if it was taken from the Bible. I am talking about how heaven shows up, as if a window opens up, and there it is, right in this atmosphere. Something like we see in Ezekiel; or in Acts when Stephen sees the heavens open. 

 What it reminded me of was the Rapture, which I believe will be soon coming, and how the world will believe that the people taken were abducted by aliens. It's just one more sign to show us that things are falling into place! 

 Anywho; this verse from 1 Corinthians 10:9 is to show us the 'test' that was put to Christ! Simply put, the test was not multiple choice; there was only one way that people were saved that had been bitten, and that was by looking at the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up on a pole.  

 There is something about missing the Mark that has power to save...

"Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has even gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life."" (John 3:10-15 NLT)    

 

"Nevertheless"

 "For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt be Moses." (Hebrews 3:16 KJV)

  "For he divided the sea and led them through, making the water stand up like walls! In the daytime he led them by a cloud, and all night by a pillar of fire. He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them water, as from a gushing spring. He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river! Yet they kept on sinning against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They stubbornly tested God in their hearts, demanding the foods they craved. They even spoke against God himself, saying, "God can't give us food in the wilderness. Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can't give his people bread and meat."" (PSALM 78:13-20 NLT)

 There are several different points that need to be made about the way we should receive this great salvation we have been given, as one that we use the most, as we share God's mercy, is that He saved us from going to hell. Yes, that is wonderful and should be something that gives us great joy and peace; but it is not the main reason that we must appreciate what He has done for us! 

 The first point that is sometimes forgotten about, is the heart of the Father; as it was, He offered His one and only Son, to be a sacrifice for our sins! This was something that hurt, even though He knew that the outcome would be greater than the actual torment; seeing His Son tortured and hung on a cross, is not something that brought Him great pleasure, to say the least! 

 But He did it for us, that we could have our sins removed, and so we could be set free from death! Yes, I said death, because with Adam sinning, we were separated from God and the life we should have had was cut off, because of sin. We were all born in sin, being separated from God! Longing for something to make our hearts whole, without even knowing what we were missing. 

 Then we acknowledge the Son, Christ Jesus! As He suffered and died to allow us to have fellowship with the Father, once and for all; His sacrifice on that cross gave us life, the life that was taken away by Adam's sin in that garden. 

 With that, what is the big deal about being saved from hell? If God really wanted that to be the reason to love Him, He could have just destroyed hell or made another way. But He choose to do it the hard way, making it count! There needed to be a punishment for our sins, in order for justice to be made, because God is just and holy...

"God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (1 John 4:9-10 NLT)   

"Obstinate"

 "While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Hebrews 3:15 KJV)

  ""I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me. I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice. My gifts are better than gold, even the purest gold, my wages better than sterling silver! I walk in righteousness, in paths of justice. Those who love me inherit wealth. I will fill their treasuries."" (Proverbs 8:17-21 NLT)

 This message from Proverbs is about wisdom, as most of you should know; and this verse we are looking at today, which continues the verses from the last few days, is also about making the right choices. To be perfectly honest, my choices are sometimes not the right ones! I hate to admit it, but there must be some sort of issue God still hasn't fixed in me; most likely because I refuse to let Him do it! 

 Much of what I have highlighted over this past week or so, is those who have been, shall we say, less than perfect. David being one, who God said he was, "a man after my own heart," which, from all the many messages that I have heard about that, it basically just means that David believed God had a heart of mercy and grace! No matter how bad he messed up, he knew that God still loved him! 

 It is hard sometimes to remember that, because we forget how much God loves us when we have made some terrible mistakes. And yes, I said mistakes! When Jesus was hanging on that cross, just before He died, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they no not what they have done!" This is because most of what we do that offends God, we don't really realize the condition of our hearts while we are doing them.

 When Nathan met up with David about his great sin with Bathsheba, he used an illustration of a poor man that has his neighbor take his precious little lamb, (which he treated like his child,) and feed it to a friend that was stopping be for a visit. David was furious, and wanted to know who that man was, and wanted to punish whoever had the nerve to do such a thing.

 Nathan said to David, "You are that man!" And he reminded David of what he had done...

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you." (PSALM 51:12 NLT)   

"Keep Holding On" - Too

 "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;" (Hebrews 3:14 KJV)

  "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins - and not only our sins but the sins of all the world." (1 John 2:1-2 NLT)

 For the last couple of days, I have heard several messages about this particular passage from John, especially that portion that says, "We have an advocate that pleads our case; Jesus Christ!" Yesterday was more direct than Monday, so it made me think that the Holy Spirit was really trying to stir up some hearts. I know He did mine, because there are times when I do get discouraged; mostly because I sometimes don't feal as though I have what it takes! 

 We really need to understand that the enemy of our souls is not nice; you can see that being illustrated in the Book of Job, as he really does not care how hard we suffer, especially when we start blaming God for the situation we might be dealing with. If that might be something you have felt, then you need to repent and tell God how sorry you are for blaming Him!

 Unfortunately, there are certain people that will use Isaiah 45:7 to validate the idea that God is to blame for everything that happens: "I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the LORD, am the one who does these things." (NLT) It is not God's fault that man cannot obey Him! 

 Why else did He need to send His precious Son down here to die on a cross for our sins? It was man's fault that Jesus had to come and die for our sins, not God's! Everything that God did was for man's life to live in perfect splendor; everything was put in place for man to enjoy a beautiful earth; but Adam had to do the one thing God told him not to do! 

 That said, I am 110% sure that we will see Adam and Eve in heaven, because they realized that they sinned and were forgiven by God! That is something I feel is the most important thing God loves to do, forgive us of our sins! It was so important to Him, that He sent His Son to make it happen.

 Yesterday, Pastor Mike, got a little hard on Jonah, saying that he was an evangelist without compassion for the lost. This was because God wanted him to tell Nineveh to repent; and he knew that if they did, God would forgive them...

"And the LORD God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah's head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. "Death is certainly better than living like this!" he exclaimed. Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?" "Yes," Jonah retorted, "even angry enough to die!" Then the LORD said, "You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"" (Jonah 4:6-11 NLT)   

"Keep Holding On"

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;" (Hebrews 3:14 KJV)

  "Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad - for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT)

 Then again, sometimes we might not get the opportunity to comfort each other; as it goes, sometimes we are dealing with things that cause us to be too busy with our own issues, we don't have the time to deal with anyone else; or so it goes.   

 By the way, it might sound strange to some, but putting your own issues aside to help others, might be the thing that makes you least worried about yourself! God is more than able to take care of your issues, as He always has in the past. Think least about yourself and more about others! 

 I know quite a few people that will say that is a stupid thing to do. 'If you don't care for yourself, how can you care for others?' is what they say. There are certain things I know that I must do, and then there are certain things I know I need to not do: worrying about something that is happening in my life, is not one of the things I should do...

""Go out and stand before me on the mountain," the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"" (1 Kings 19:11-13 NLT) 

"Comfort One Another!"

 "But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:13 KJV)

  "But you aren't in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won't be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like others. Stay alert and be clear headed. Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation." (1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 NLT)

 We must be looking after one another, not to be judging each other, but to comfort one another and lifting each other up. I know it might not be done as often as it should, because I might have someone comfort me, maybe once a month! Most everyone at church knows my situation, but I really don't think they know how to comfort me in that situation; so I try not to judge! 

 Besides this, we just need to encourage one another in the basic manor of living! It doesn't need to be about strength or weakness, but just about counting on the Lord and loving each other, regardless of the situation, we all have something that God is working on, in our lives. With some it might just be the ability to share Jesus, which is really not that hard to do, if you have been encouraged in the way to do so!

 I have shared this before, because it is something we must experience in order to know that it is so. When we share Christ with anyone, whether it is a believer or someone that needs to know about Him, we are being energized and filled with the Holy Spirit. It is as if there is a river of life flowing through us, as we share our testimony of what Christ has done. 

 Don't neglect to share with each other, because your testimony might be something that encourages them, and gives them the ability to share with someone else. To be perfectly honest, we really don't share with each other as we should...

"Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us." (1 John 3:21-24 NLT)    

"Don't Become Stubborn"

 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12 KJV)

  "So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NLT)

 One of the last retreats I went to at Woodleaf, started out with this very interesting statement from the first speaker: "We only keep the sins that we like!" That might not sound as if it is some kind of mystery or something we really don't already know; but it is something that is true and hard to overcome. This might be news to some, especially to those that love their bodies: But your body belongs to the Lord! 

 There are certain things we might do, thinking that they are not all that harmful, as if they don't matter all that much, because no one sees what we are doing; but guess what: God sees, everything! Do you count on God to hear you when you pray? Then you must also believe that He sees you and knows everything you do. 

 It is really not something that I am making up! People do it naturally, all the time, without even thinking about it, it just comes naturally, because it is our human nature. It started with Adam and Eve, as they hid in the Garden, covered in fig leaves; as if God didn't know what they did, or where they were hiding. 

 It happened with David, as he plotted to have Uriah killed; being frustrated that he refused to go into his house to be with his wife, David didn't even think about God's ability to observe everything he did. It was as if he was stepping away from God, therefore God was not watching! But He always watches over us; He even sees the things within our hearts, even though we don't...

""Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can't come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Simon Peter replied, "Lord, where are you going?" And Jesus replied, "You can't go with me now, but you will follow me later." "But why can't I come not, Lord?" he asked. "I'm ready to die for you." Jesus answered, "Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter - before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me."" (John 13:33-38 NLT) 

"The Peril of Unbelief"

  "Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says:

"Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled." 

 "And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people who made God angry for forty years? Wasn't it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn't it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest." (Hebrews 3:12-19 NLT)

  We have come to that part of the message which has been the test of many Retreats and Conferences I have attended; besides the portions of Scripture still ahead, there are many times that this one quote is addressed, over and over again: "They will never enter my place of rest." 

 With that, I must say with every bit of belief that I can hold firmly in my heart: If we believe in Christ Jesus, and we have accepted the Salvation He has given us, we will be saved! 

Do you believe...

"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:11-12 KJV)