THINK" SERIES: PART 12 - "IF THERE IS ANY VIRTUE....."

"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". (Philippians 4:8)

Can an authentic, practicing Christian, live a virtuous life, full of every attribute called for in this incredible verse (Philippians 4:8), 24/7/365, that is – all the time? In the natural – it is extremely difficult. Led by the Spirit of Christ – we absolutely, 100% can do it.  Jesus Himself prayed in John 17:15 “ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world but that You should keep them from the evil one”.

 

This section of the verse makes the statement “if there is any virtue”….and therefore, it begs the question: what really is virtue? The Biblical Greek word is “arete”. It means the following in modern English: uprightness; a gracious act; moral goodness (which we would expect it to be); excellence and has the sense of the highest level of moral excellence, personal qualities, and attributes. You get the picture.

 

In Galatians, the Bible gives us a big contrast between the evil attributes of this world (click here) and the Fruits of The Spirit of which each and every Christian should be a live and living example.  Virtue is one of the foundational blocks that makes those fruits of the Spirit, shine Jesus’ shine!

 

Since virtue and integrity are closely parallel, they are both an adjective and a verb.  They are almost synonymous. However, while these incredibly admirable qualities reflect the honesty, kindness, graciousness, transparency, and love that we have for God and man, a high degree of maintenance is required. The minute we let our individual guards down, we are in trouble. If there ever comes a time we take a break from actively praying for all those qualities in Phil 4:8 to not just remain in us, but continue to seek the Face of God daily through:

• Mediating, reading, and digging into His Word. While we all love and acknowledge the Psalms, as the official “Prayer Book of the Bible”, other Books of the Bible are extremely beneficial. Not just Proverbs, but Isaiah especially. The Book of Isaiah is so rich that it could be considered five different books. The rich history of the people of God and the Mighty Hand of God throughout, from the personal to the prophetic, could and should drive you and me to our knees.
• We also maintain a lifestyle full of virtue and integrity by, believe it or not, serving others. We need to make ourselves available for those who are younger than us, in both chronological years AND the Faith, to be the best example of the Lord, as we can.  To that end, we should:
• Do random acts of kindness, love, and thoughtfulness. The vast majority of people do not send greeting cards or letters of encouragement. Therefore, why don’t you and I just continue being a living tradition of writing notes of faithful encouragement and hope to someone who needs it, for whatever reason? This is sure to buck them up, so they can know that when the chips are down, they have a friend who loves Jesus and talks with Him. I tell you what, boxes of Christian cards, for all occasions, can be purchased very cheaply at Hobby Lobby. One box, for $10,  can last you six months to a year. The joy of a recipient of one of your encouragements would be priceless!
• Speak what is virtuous. There are countless Scriptures about the power of the tongue. The old adage "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, is Fake News!" Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit". What comes out of our mouths is, for the most part (not always), what is in our hearts. Therefore, let us be resolved to think biblically, so we can think righteously and act honorably. There is a pattern or sequence to this kind of living.
• Study the example of Jesus. While we are more headstrong or easily flummoxed by petty things like Peter, when he denied Christ, we can also be like the same Peter of whom it was asked and said in Acts 4:13 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus". There is no greater virtue than to be like King Jesus!

There is more to be said on this subject. However, these five exhortations are a handful enough to keep us busy for half a lifetime, if we would just become very intentional about accomplishing even 85% of them. In all the commands, statutes and precepts of the Bible, we have the most difficult time keeping even the very few critical ones, were it not for God's Grace and the Holy Spirit. So, may we be resolved to bear down on these five listed above - and excel in them....like a virtuoso!

QUOTE DU JOUR ON VIRTUE FROM CS. LEWIS:

"Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. One has a glimpse of a country where they do not talk of those things, except perhaps as a joke. Every one there is filled full with what we should call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they do not call it goodness. They do not call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes"

Heavenly Father, thank You in the Mighty Name of Jesus, for the simple tools, resources and guidance, which You have given, so that we may live honorable lives - upright in the sight of God and men, so that "if there is any virtue", may it be found in us. Amen.

LOYALTY - FIRST VALUE OF A SOLDIER OF CHRIST

 THE FIRST OF SEVEN VALUES OF A SOLDIER OF CHRIST - LOYALTY

FOUNDATIONAL VERSE: "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him."  (2 Timothy 2:3-4 NASB 1995)

THE FRUIT OF LIVING BY THE SPIRIT

Putting aside misconceptions of what being “spirit-filled” means, living a Spirit-filled life is what all truly converted, born-again Christians actually do. The Spirit spoken of is the Holy Spirit. At the point of conversion from darkness to light, when a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior, thereby being born-again, the Lord immediately embeds His Holy Spirit in that person.  God gives all or nothing. So the truly saved receives 100% of the Holy Spirit at the point of Salvation. Case closed.

Now, we are to live as though the Spirit of God lives in us. The Bible tells us that before this life altering event, we were once doing the horrible deeds of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 enumerates this list of horrors. All of us used to belong to one or more of these categories before God saved us.  We were partakers in immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery (for example: witchcraft/New Age/Eastern Mysticism), enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21b).

The Holy Spirit immediately begins turning us away from those things, which unfortunately begin increasing their temptations and presence right up close and personal, in our faces.  Here is where staying close to the Lord, through reading and studying His Word, prayer and going to some form of assembly (home or formal church)  are the pillars.  No truly saved Christian will reject the Word of God. Truly saved Christians have to be taught the value and the mechanics of prayer so they will know how to communicate with our Heavenly Father.  This process can only work if the saved start attended good bible-believing and bible-preaching churches, that believe in Discipleship.

There is a school of thought that a person does not have to go to church to be “spiritual”. Not only is this unbiblical (“do not neglect the assembly of the saints”) but unwise for the person engaged in this spiritual neglect.  It is one thing for doctors, nurses, gas station attendants and others who work on Sundays to not be able to go to service. Many larger churches have Saturday night services to accommodate those who are unable to be in church on Sundays.  So, it is another thing to willfully disobey the Lord and stay away from the fellowship of fellow believers, as well as unwise as to accountability,  true spiritual maturity and service to the Lord.

The Bible basically instructs us to “walk by the Spirit and we will not carry out the desire of the Flesh”. This is absolutely 100% correct. DL Moody says “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible". Modern life is full of enough sin, temptation and distraction. The only way to beat this is to methodically, effectively and clearly walk away from falling into disastrous sin, is to walk almost 24/7/365 with the Lord, so as not to grieve the Holy Spirit.  The word “almost” is key here as nobody will be perfect, until we are completely with the Lord after leaving this life.

The depth of depravity and degradation from which we emerged at the point of Salvation gives way to a whole new world of permanent inner peace and a joy, which are both indescribable. The newly saved Christian is supposed to be able not just “hold those great thoughts and experiences” but use this newfound passion for the Lord to grow in Him. This growth is supposed to then lead, to Spiritual Fruit, which will then be a blessing to as many others as possible, and the Kingdom of God in general.

We get a perfect illustration of how we should live from the Lord Himself in Ephesians 5:15-21, which says:

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

A lifestyle, powered by Christ, such as this (among many other similar characteristics) brings a combination of solid permanent blessings, that embed themselves in our souls. Just like Moses when he came off the mountain and his face shone so brightly, that he had to use a veil so as not to scare the disobedient, our lives then become a reflection of the Holy Spirit working in us.

Calling them the “Fruit of the Spirit”,  the maturing authentic Christian exhibits the following attributes:

• Love (agape love for all people, like the Love God shows us – John 3:16)
• Joy (not a feeling of fleeting “happiness”, but a confident satisfaction in our own spirit – Nehemiah 1:10)
• Peace ( “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives…” John 14:27)
• Patience (we should now be more of a listener and a friend.   )
• Kindness (service and compassion)
• Goodness (proactive in spotting needs and moving towards giving a hand)
• Faithfulness (loyalty to God, commitment to our vows and loved ones)
• Gentleness (just like the meek and loving Savior – Jesus Christ)
• Self-Control (the more spiritual mature we grow into, the most 2 Timothy 1:7 is evident – we don’t sweat the small stuff). 

LUKE 3:16 - "EVANGELISM 101 BY JOHN THE BAPTIST"

John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16)

Any believer in the one True God will know that He is not only His best Evangelist but also the very First One. He says in Exodus 9:16 “But for this purpose, I have raised you up. I show you My Power, so that My Name may be proclaimed in all the earth”. Jesus, the Son of God Himself, was clear in Mark 16:15 when He says “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel”.

The great Scottish missionary Robert Moffat (1795-1883) said these immortal words, which inspired his son-in-law David Livingston “In the vast plains to the north, I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been”.  These words had a profound impact on Dr. Livingston, who blazed a trail for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in darkest Africa.

These men – Moffat and Livingston – operated with the same urgency as Yochanan the Immerser (or John the Baptist), the final Old Testament prophet. The first half of the Gospel of Luke, chapter 3, contains a detailed and dedicated account of the greatest evangelist in the Bible, after the Lord Jesus. The methodology of this passionate man of God is a thing to behold, thereby becoming a blueprint for us to know the basics of evangelizing.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Luke 3:3 gives us John the Baptist’s mission statement “…and he came into all the district around Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”.

DIRECTIVE:

God Himself had prophesied through Isaiah that He was sending John to pave the way for the soon coming Messiah – John’s actual earthly cousin (in verse 4). Here is what the Lord called John, who is called “the voice of one crying in the wilderness”. His assignment came directly from heaven, which he declared with powerful proclamations. These are his orders from our Heavenly Father. God the Father gave these orders 700 years before, in Isaiah 40:3-5:
-  Make ready the Way of the Lord
-  Make His paths straight
-  Humble the proud and exhort the humble (every ravine will be filled every mountain and hill will be brought low)
-  Reveal the crooked and depravity of mankind that they may face up to their sins
-  Explain the rough roads and narrow gates will lead to smoother, greener pastures
-  Do all of this (repentance, faith, and baptism) that “all flesh will see the salvation of God”

METHODOLOGY:
John used varying degrees of heat to apply the board of divine education of their spiritual condition, to the seats of their knowledge.  He was quick to call out those who claimed to represent God because of their position in the temples and synagogues of the Land

NARRATIVE:

John understood his role and mission here during his brief time on earth. He was almost the exact age of Jesus but full of the Spirit of God. His extremely humble lifestyle (clothed in rugged natural clothes), with a menu of locusts and honey, was indeed reflective of simple Savor Himself – the Lord Jesus! John’s lifestyle and integrity gave him immediate credibility when God unleashed his fiery ministry in the desert!

Consider this – the desert was quite some miles on foot, or donkey – from Jerusalem and its surrounding towns like Bethany and even Bethlehem. When this Duck Dynasty looking man, with the beard and “desert -styled” hair started preaching, many recognized that he was a significant prophet of God! The reason is that there had not been a prophet of the Holy One of Israel for over 400 years since God shut the windows of Heaven with the closure of Malachi’s ministry. Malachi was the final prophetic book of the Old Testament.

John completely sold out to his mission. He was fearless and let the Truth fly, as God revealed it to Him. 

He let fly with what some may term the “Doctrines of Grace”, but with power, conviction and a knife straight to the heart of sin! Listen to some of the words he chose carefully:
 -  You brood of vipers (religious hypocrites and fake “believers”). (Why do you wish) to flee the coming Wrath of God (the coming Judgment of all people)
 -  Produce fruit in keeping with Repentance (stay humble, seek forgiveness from God)
 -  Don’t believe because you are children of Abraham, you are saved (God has NO grandchildren)
 -  The ax is at the root of (your) tree and one that doesn’t produce will become firewood! (This is the gist of Luke 3:7).

Note that in his modus operandi of in-your-face evangelism, he was very explicit about the sinful nature and total depravity of man. This really got their attention because they stayed and listened to him. First of all, they had to be more than interested in just who this eccentric prophet was. They walked miles through the desert to the various deep pools of water, where John was baptizing after the converts made declarations of Faith. (John kept moving to different rivers depending on where he could find good amounts of water).

Cut to the quick, some of the new converts, once getting on the same page as John, now sought to sincerely seek how to live and bear “fruit”. This is called Sanctification. This fruit of repentance of which the Baptist spoke is no different from what the Apostle Paul taught in Galatians 5:22-23. Paul had spent three years in the Arabian desert being taught directly by Jesus Christ after his dramatic conversion on the Road to Damascus.  Therefore,  he knew, with precision, what the fruits of the Spirit were. 

The fruit of a forgiven and converted person are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  These are no different from what John the Baptist taught, as a voice, crying out to the lost in the Judean Desert. Basically, he was saying….and it is still true….that “they shall know you by your fruit”. In all of the above-mentioned, John the Baptist became the first New Testament Evangelist, in addition to the final Old Testament prophet! All of this occurred in his early 30’s.

APPLIED:
Luke 3:16 fulfills the zenith of the John the Baptist’s main prophesy, and where the fullness of Jesus the Lord’s mission of earth comes completely into view:
- The One Who comes (and is now, here) is most Powerful
- This Powerful Supreme Being is overall, and even I, John the Prophet, am not even fit to be in the same room as Him or even tied His shoes. This Person is a King of which no word or action is comparable
- The King Who is coming is not here to baptize people with natural water. This is a topical testimonial of This is the job of mortal men. This King’s baptism is the Holy Spirit and "fire" (as Luke 3:16 indicates).

Knowing this, we have, who are called by His Name, have two choices. We can work for the King or sit back in the back row of the church of life, and do nothing. We can inspire our children, friends, family and the gas station clerk to be better and find peace, joy, and be healed with Jesus, or we can do nothing. We can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us, but if we do not recognize and grow in this strength and power, we are just barely going to squeak into heaven.

If your neighbor's house were on fire, you would warn him/her and call the Fire Department. Christians know instinctively there is pending doom. The Holy Spirit and the Fire of God are in sync with our spirit to place that fact of eternity in our hearts. We will be held to account by the Father if, when presented with an opportunity to help someone in distress find God, we pull a Jonah and bolt in the other direction. The difference between modern western Christians and Jonah is this - Jonah actually stayed around Nineveh (now called Mosul) after we read of him and his book cuts off in Jonah 4. He taught about Yahweh, lived in the area, died and was buried in Nineveh. We know this because when the Islamic State took over Mosul a few years ago, one of the first things they went after to destroy, was the tomb of - guess who - the Jewish prophet Jonah. Jonah complained, but he did the right thing. Today, church people complain...and the majority do nothing.

Let this not be said of us. In the same beautiful journal, of which we spoke in Matthew 3:16, we recommend the following:
 - Go to Galatians 5:22-23.
 - Write down one fruit of the Spirit per day. Then, take the first one - love - and do some soul-searching.
 - With the first Fruit of the Spirit, Love, write down what your love for God means, in Jesus Christ. Be honest, and also write down where you think you need to do more work in loving God. 
 - Write down where you are at with your love for your family, and other people. How is your love for the lost and hurting? Write it down. Are you cold and need to show some TLC (tender loving care) in that area? Write that down....and so on. 
 - This first fruit (love) is probably the most important because how you view Love affects all the other fruits.  If you and I love God and the Bible and Jesus and honor the Holy Ghost, we will be so much at peace that the joy will overflow and people will see it on our faces, all the time. Because of that peace, we are patient with others, because we LOVE (agape) them...and so on.
 - Do the same exercise with EVERY single fruit of the Spirit in your journal. For instance, if you are troubled over something, journal it, with the question "why am I not at peace?" Then go to the concordance at the back of your good Study Bible or most any bible, and research the word "peace". Or simply, "google" the words "peace in my soul..." or something similar. Then find the associated bible verses and instead of just writing down the verse number, journal the ENTIRE verse....or verses...and then watch God begin to transform your cares into a state of rest in His Promises and care.

This is a major assignment and all flows from the Gift of our Salvation, from the One Whom John the Baptist said, will fill us with the Holy Spirit and fire. This One's Name is - Jesus, the Messiah. 

(Images Credit Here)

PSALM 103 VERSE 8 - "I AM A FRIEND OF GOD"

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8)

We are given more about all the various attributes, qualities and characteristics of our Heavenly Father in the official prayer book of the Bible – the Psalms than anywhere else in Scripture. Just in the first few verses of this twenty-two verse Psalm, we find so many different blessings to praise God for, it is incredible.  One praise builds on another praise. 

This verse 8, of Psalm 103, though, shows us why God would even put up with people like us, and how we used to live. In fact, some people live close to how they lived BC (before Christ) so much, that you are excused if you and I wonder if they are even saved!

What sort of God would pick a double-crossing, greedy and lustful man to lead His Chosen people (Jacob, who became Israel)?

What kind of God would take a little teenage shepherd boy, make him King, then watch him steal a man’s wife then kill said man (King David)? Then his former shepherd boy repents and not only is he forgiven, but he is restored in right standing before God.

What manner of Divine Being would allow a self-righteous (but brilliant) religious extremist to persecute and kill Christians, then knock him off his horse as he is going to another city to do even worse and makes him the author of over half the New Testament (Apostle Paul)?

What kind of God would look at people like you and me, vile in our sinful life, living amazingly wretched lives, then, would pull us out of the fire, clean us up and set us free?  I will tell you what Kind of God would do all of this – our Father Who art in Heaven! Hallowed, glorious, mighty, worthy and awesome is His Name!! AMEN!

He is the God Who is Merciful, is Who He is. Mercy came running and grabbed us, His prodigal sons and daughters and drew us to Himself.  Mercy means God has the absolute power, potential, and capacity to just annihilate us and who can blame Him? But because of the love, compassion, and forgiveness, He has in His heart – He sent Jesus Christ, God the Son, to be the acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Once we accept Jesus Christ, His finished work on the Cross, and allow Him to be Lord of our lives, God the Father sees us through His eyes. THAT is Mercy. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.

He is the God Who is Gracious. That means He is kind, benevolent, charitable, considerate, civil, amiable and just all around nice. In short, God is a gentleman. Through the study of the Word and prayer, we are directed by the Holy Spirit to what we need to do or how we should live. If we chose to not do these things, God will not force us to do them. Sure, it would be better if He did as things will get done,  but we have a certain amount of free will to avail ourselves of His grace and goodness. If we decline, for whatever reason, it is on us. If we run with what He says, the joy and the rewards are incredibly fulfilling.

He is the God Who is slow to anger. Thank You, Lord, for this Truth! Unlike those who follow pagan and other non-existent gods, we have a Heavenly Father Who forgives and the bible says, forgets.  If God were to get angry every time we did something inappropriate, and fly off the handle to smack us down as we deserve, we will be in a constant state of punishment and pain. But He is not so. There is coming a day when all humanity who reject God will be punished forever in a place called Hell, but that is of their own choosing. We may not see the recompense of the wicked in our lifetime. On that, we should NOT focus. What the Bible is teaching us, via the Psalms and Proverbs, is our Father is patient, loving and kind with us, even when we deserve none of it. Many times in Scripture God shows how angry and upset with the vile nature of sin and rebellion He really and truly is. Then in the very next breath (and sentence) He would say “return to Me, declares the Lord”….or “come let us REASON together as men, though your sins be scarlet…..” Do you know any other God? If you do, you have no part in the God Who forgives, loves and is full of kindness.

He abounds in mercy. His love knows no end and His Grace is for a lifetime.  Abraham believed God. He is called a friend of God. This is the very same God Who know stands at the door and knocks and opens His Mighty and protective Arms to all. He is my God. He is my King – today, He can be yours as well...and the Best Friend you will ever have! Amen.

Song- I am a friend of God

PSALM 103 VERSE 2 - "BENEFITS OF THE BELIEVER"

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2)
Webster's Dictionary defines the word "benefit" as "something that produces good or helpful results or effects or that promotes well-being". It is also described as "an act of kindness". This basically describes the Grace of Almighty God to a bunch of people who deserves the opposite of acts of kindness and goodness. But this is Who He is.

Just as we glorify our Father in Heaven for Who He is (verse 1), we bless and should be absolutely grateful for ALL He has done for us. There are so many benefits of being a child of God, it comes down to a question of "where do I begin"?! 

First and most importantly, we look at the Eternal Benefits of being a born-again, saved, being-sanctified in the Lord son or daughter of the King- the Lord Jesus Christ:
ETERNAL BENEFITS:
- Jesus saves us from Hell. Yes, He does. Salvation, however, is more than just eternal "fire insurance". It is the fruit of the Gospel manifested in the believer. Salvation is the main opening bell....to the greatest and best life a person could ever dream of having. At the point of conversion, we are immediately transferred from the kingdom of darkness, death, and the devil, to ALL of Eternity Past, Present, and Future. 

In Eternity Past, the Holy Spirit, Who takes up permanent 100% residence in us testifies to the Veracity of the Scripture. The Oracles of God are recorded in the Bible and while we see archaeology proving the Bible almost daily, Holy Spirit confirms the accounts of the Old Testament, from Creation to the Book of the Revelation. Biblical historians like Josephus, Eusebius as well as others confirm the rest. How much we avail ourselves of these eternal truths actually depends on us and our willingness to study the Bible, fast and pray.

In Eternity Present, we should be aware that everything we do has consequences. Our Faith in Jesus Christ should spur us to not just good works in the community and to our family and friends, but Faith requires us to share the Gospel with those whom we know, are lost. We take nothing from this life to the next, except another person, if we lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Eternity Future is first, the 1000 year Reign with Christ, right here on the Earth and secondly, at the end of that Age, the Eternal Kingdom forever, with the Lord.

TEMPORAL (In This Life) BENEFITS:
-  Blessed Assurance that not only Jesus is yours and mine, but we are the only ones with the sure Hope of an after-life free of Judgment which casts us away from Holy God. 

-  This Assurance of heaven brings peace, joy, contentment and if we live with the knowledge of our inheritance in Christ, we can have the life which Christ intends us to have. This is available right now, in this present life.

-  The fruits of the Spirit are for us to enjoy NOW. They are, as listed in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness". How we love our spouses, children and our fellow man bring so much joy. This joy leads to peace and contentment in our hearts if we are patient and kind. This Christian attitude then shows the goodness and faithfulness of God, which if applied with the sharing of the Gospel, has the potential to lead many to Jesus Christ and Salvation!

-  One of the main benefits of living in the Life and Authority of Christ is the ability to persevere. Life is never meant to be easy and many are the tears, pains, and fears of the believer. Most Christians worldwide live in massive poverty due to persecution by those under atheist and other religions of those countries.  It is in these times of persecution and trial that the Lord brings the true hope of Christ which sees them through the end.  Christians everywhere, get cancer, lose children, lose jobs and get in horrible tragedies like everyone else. The main difference in this life is the Christian is prepared for Eternity if he or she is truly born-again and following Jesus Christ as Lord.

These are just some of the primary benefits of the believer. Those who are wise, will rise and thank God for every single one of those mentioned above. The gratitude we exhibit should not only be evident in our lifestyle but in our personal relationship with Almighty God. A daily consistent attitude of gratitude, humility and more should lead us to bless His Holy Name, at all times, since He has given so much to us. Amen.

NEW LIFE: A MONTH OF VERSES: JANUARY 22, 2017

VERSE: "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you....(Genesis 12:1)...' Abram took.....Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they [set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:5).

EQUATION: Doing exactly what God says = Less hassle + headaches.

ACTION: God specifically told Abram to leave his relatives behind and go. He was only supposed to take his wife. Abram (not yet Abraham) took Sarai (Sarah) and much more, including his nephew Lot. The result of this error of slight disobedience is all kinds of trouble with Lot to the point of parting ways with him, and Lot eventually becoming steeped in the culture of Sodom, even though God rescued him from its destruction. Lot's young daughters' immorality with him, eventually led to the birth of the pagan nations of Moab and Ammon (Jordan etc). For us, this means one thing - do exactly what God says, as far as Abram and secondly, do not be as greedy and eager to partake in the fleshly lusts and temptations of this world, even if you're a real Christian. In other words, do not be like Lot!

PRAYER: Most High God, blessed be Your Name in ALL the earth. You call many out of the pit of despair from pagan and lost lands, families and backgrounds and You give life, hope and purpose to them. You make promises which are always true and never to be broken. But we, in our broken, sinful and rebellious condition always violate Your commands and either ignore Your specific instructions or do not follow them, as You intend. Lord, today, in this new year, give us clean hearts to obey You, clean minds to listen to You and clear thoughts to execute the plans You have specifically put before us, that it will go well with us and Your Perfect Will be done. Forgive us for all the times we have disobeyed Your extremely clear commands and instructions and paid the price. You continued to rescue us, like You did with Abraham, because You love us so much. Make us more like Christ, Who always did what You wanted and help us to see with Your eyes, the things we are called to do, to the Praise and Glory of Your Name, amen.

(Graphic Credit Here)

PRAY FOR.....SELF-CONTROL

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers (1 Peter 4:7)
Serious times demand serious and focused conduct from the people of God. We should be identified by the Spirit of peace, compassion but intense spiritual maturity and this is only possible if we are functioning within the lines prescribed by Abba Father,  and pressing ahead in the paradigm of prayer.

The great Apostle Peter is speaking directly to the people of the Lord, and the message is clear. If we live as the world - full of corruption and double-minded, with no sense of who we are, Whose we are and what is expected of us, we are just howling at the wind like the pagan Israelites of the the Northern Kingdom after the Kingdom split, following the death of King Solomon.

This is what we call in the business - "preaching to oneself"! Therefore, there is no way anyone, spiritually mature or not, can speak about self-control without searching the depths of our owns souls to see if we are in alignment with the Word of God. Times are too critical and there is too much at stake to do otherwise.

Self-control, or self-discipline, is a gift from God. 2 Timothy 1:7 tell us that "God did not give us a spirit of timidity (a gift) but one of power (a gift); love (another gift) and a self-discipline (a tremendously important gift)". Without self-control or self-discipline,  we would be in constant trouble and totally out of the Will of the Father. 

Proverbs 25:28 tells us that "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls".
1 Corinthians 6:19 says "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own" - therefore "control yourself, man"!

We are told to control what comes out of our mouths as well.  Psalm 141:3 tells us as the Father to "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" We are also encouraged to turn from lust and sexual sin here in Romans 6:12  as God warns us to "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions."

One of the Fruits of the Spirit is self-control. This means that the born-again, spirit-filled daughter or son of God, who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of our lives, is expected by definition to be not conformed to this world. We may have struggles to stay away from over-eating or the lust of the flesh/eyes etc. but because Christ lives in us, through the Spirit of God, we have no choice but to challenge ourselves to walk the "straight and narrow"....and succeed at it, in HIS Power. In other words, we - God's people - can do ALL things, and no bad things, through Christ Who strengthens us!

Any great woman or man of God, who has lived the life of Faith for any length of time, will tell you that their greatest fear is messing up...or losing self-control. This is why we are told to reboot our Faith daily, so we can die to the things of the flesh daily, in order to concentrate on the "things of the Spirit" - or God's Will, Way and Purpose for our lives. Just in case we think we are the only ones who have some sort of problem with self-control, the great Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament himself said  the following from Romans 7:15-20:
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

And so, we pray : "Oh most kind and gracious God and Father in Heaven, we thank You that You know us more than any human can ever know us. We thank you that You are our Creator, Giver and Sustainer of Life, Who holds our every breath in Your Hands- Your Mighty and Capable Hands and loves us so much to ever leave us to our own devices. We know that You have given over the corrupt, unsaved and perverted to their own lusts and devices because they have rejected You, where they will die in their sins. You said so in Romans 1:18-32. But because You loved the world so much that many like Your remnant, trust completely in You, You gave us a spirit and the ability to discipline ourselves to first see and understand the high standard of morality and Faith which is required of us, and then how to maintain this standard. 

Thank You so much Father, we are so eternally grateful that the Lord Jesus prayed for us in John 17 that even though we live in this world, we are not OF this world, and He has given us the Holy Spirit to keep us in right order so we are NOT disqualified by evil and immoral actions. But that our consciences will be seared, convicted and that we may see the potential consequences of any potential sin BEFORE it happens, so we are then able to redirect our actions, thoughts and focus to You, the Great God of Heaven, that we may never, ever, never disappoint You. Thank You for embedding this Fruit of the Spirit in us: self-control and self-discipline, that we may be like Christ - obedient even unto the Cross, Who considered Himself poor and humble even though He had cause to be otherwise. We love You too much to knowingly disappoint You, even though we have do so too many times in the past, to our shame. But now, we resolved to be sober-minded and serious, so sin will not reign in our bodies, but Christ will. Christ will! We believe that, with all our bodies, souls, minds and strength, in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

(Photo Credit Here)

WHERE IS THE ROAD TO PEACE WITHIN?

The late seminary professor Howard Hendricks once told of a neighbor of his whose pride

and joy was his speedboat. This man was really proud of this boat and spent all of his spare moments washing and waxing it. One day, he boasted to Hendricks that "I now have 38 coats of wax" on the boat. That must have been one exquisite looking boat.

Every time he boasted about the mint condition of his vessel, Howard Hendricks was kind to him, encouraging him. He never said an unkind word to this rich lost man, as he said to himself "this man has to stay busy and always doing something so as to hide the completely useless emptiness of his life". If you ever watch some of these hyper or active men or women who pursue self-gratification and pleasure with a passion, you will find that same type of emptiness. I see them on most Sunday mornings (except in the middle of winter) when I drive by the lake on the way to church, and see these guys fishing....sometimes in the rain.

Do ALL of them have empty lives? Do any of them have peace? Sure they have great families, the best homes, cars, jobs and even boats like this guy Hendricks lived next to. But do they have the peace that passeth all understanding? Are their souls at rest in the Lord? Do they even know what that means? Sadly, the majority does not and this problem cuts across all classes, races and stations in life. 

Scripture gives us the roadmap to the way of Inner Peace, the Peace within. Ephesians 2 tells us that "14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." There is NO peace unless we have God in our lives and that can only happen if Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

In this older Plumbline program. I look at one of the fruits of the Spirit - PEACE, and give part of my personal testimony as to how I found that peace....and it was only through coming to the end of myself. It was only hitting the ground so hard that all I could do was look up and choose Him....then give my life to Him and see His forgiveness for all my sins - Repentance. You too can have that fruit of the Spirit - Peace...we all can, so we don't have to make busy plans or occupy our minds with mindless books, hobbies, sports, activities etc just to run from ourselves, and the convicting conscience we have been ignoring. Please watch:

EVINDA LEPINS ON "SELF-CONTROL"

BERNIE'S NOTE:
What we witnessed during the Nike Shoe Riots of 2011, in the past five days, not just a complete breakdown of decency and humanity....but a glaring lack of SELF-CONTROL. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that "God did not give us a spirit of timidity (or fear) but of love, power and SELF-CONTROL". Self discipline and personal responsibility are gifts from God to ALL human beings! God has written His Law in the hearts of ALL mankind. Some just can't read it because their hearts are not right!


Also Galatians 5:23 tells us that one of the Fruits of the Spirit is self-control. The only people who even possess the Spirit are those who are saved and called to the elect as children of God in Christ. In light of all of this, my friend Evinda Lepins, author and conference speaker, has a very nice take on Self-Control or Temperance, as we get close to winding up yet another beautiful Christmas season!

EVINDA LEPINS:

EVINDA LEPINS

Did you know that in translations of long ago, the word “self-control” was translated as temperance? The explanation for the word change is this: “The various gifts given by God” – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness – “to us are capable of abuse.” 

Now let me clear that up a bit!

The right use of temperance/self-control requires the controlling power of your will under the operation and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it’s a surrendering and letting go and letting God, just like we talked about in the gift of faithfulness. See, when trying to do something within our own power and not under His power, we are either going to run into ourselves or run out of ourselves.

Here’s another really cool thing to understanding self-control/temperance: When we exercise temperance/self-control, this is our response to HIS Spirit. It suggests, not assumes, that what is learned must be put into practice.

And finally, self-control/temperance is the outer protective layer of all the other fruits, aka, gifts! Just like all fruits have a protective layer, so do the gifts. Some protective layers are thick; some are thin; some are soft, and some are hard, but the point is they protect the sweetness of the fruit/gifts within.

I don’t know about you, but I think that is so divinely ordered! Temperance to you, my friend!

Evinda

Chicklit Power!

(image by bing images)