Obedient to Our Government

Staying Right With Government

Book of 1 Peter Chapter 2: 11-25

Peter has taken a lot of time to teach us that by loving the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the people of God. Now this is not how we become Jews, it is how we become the Bride of Christ!

Now Peter changes gears and he will beg us, that since we are the Bride of Christ then there are some things that we must do.

Peter will express to us the urgency to do certain things!

Peter will express that because we are now the strangers in this world, because we are just pilgrims passing through this world, it is not our home, we are to abstain from anything this world desires to offer us, for we have better promises of better things in our home in the New Heaven.

Study along with us.

*****1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1Pe 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

As strangers we are those in a strange house.

As pilgrims we are those in a strange country.

We are to abstain from the desires of anything in "this" house and this "country" which are things of this world that will never be allowed in Heaven.

What are those things? We live in a world that is dominated by lust!

All that is in our government is lusts for power and those who do so, will attempt to have and to control power by any means possible. Legally and illegally, right and wrong, no matter who is harmed, without any regard for the people.

All that is in our nation is the lusts of sexual pleasures without regard for the outcome.

Abortion is out of control and now considered a right, with a right to murder the unborn child.

There is the lust of lesbianism and sodomy, that has led to the destruction of many nations in the past and will lead to the destruction of this world.

There is still of course that lust for silver and gold, for what it buys and the control it gives.

In fact God still says: It is the love of money that is behind all the evil that is in our world today.

1Ti 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

In fact God still says: It is lusts that is in control of our world today as it has always been!

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

We should not miss the fact that we are the "Dearly Beloved" of God!

You see God does not tell us these things, (We should use the word "Command") just to keep us from the things of this world but because He loves us, and all these things will bring nothing but sin and destruction!

How does the world value the man?

By how much of the world he possesses.

By how much money he has.

By how much power he has.

By how much pleasure he is able to enjoy.

By how famous he becomes.

By how many people he is able to conquer in face to face meetings.

Our flesh will war against our soul!

But the message of God is clear, these are not to be the ways of the men of God!

The model for our way of life must be and must remain the Lord Jesus Christ!

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

In the end which way is the most important?

Rev 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

As the "Born Again" children of God, we must always have in mind, our home is in Heaven!

Heaven is where our riches are!

Heaven is where our possessions are!

Heaven is where our Lord is, and He wants us to be with Him!

We are not wanted upon this world in fact we are hated upon this earth!

We will be pilgrims upon earth until the day the Lord takes us home to our true home, in the New Heaven.

Most of the world is searching for aliens and the aliens are the children of God. They will never find any other aliens in God's creation!

We do live in this world until the Lord is ready and while we are, we need to obey the laws of man as long as those laws do not go against the Word of God.

We must always stand on the Word of God!

Eph_6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We must still obey the laws of the land, even when we travel, we need to obey the laws of that land.

*****1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

We have just read where the government had ordered persecution of the Christians, especially the Roman government.

The leaders of the Jewish religious system were persecuting the Jews that had turned to Jesus Christ.

All the false religions were persecuting the Christians.

Most all societies of that day were persecuting the Christians.

Only the poor who were no better off tolerated the Christians.

The one thing about government we should consider is that even the worst government is probably better than anarchy or no government at all!

We must remain true to the Lord no matter what man says!

We must obey the civil rights that are allowed and by legal means try to live with all men!

Lawlessness would run wild.

Not many would be safe to walk the streets.

Christians had to live behind closed doors then as they do now in some locations.

Abuse, attacks, murder, and war would be a constant threat.

Do any of these things sound familiar, because this is the world we live in today and even though we have a government.

In fact corrupt governments create a corrupt people, because most all our resources are used up by politicians who do nothing but use all their time in a battle for power.

Wake up America!

God is saying if we the "Body of Christ" would be obedient to the Word of God, which by the way, will do what God sends it to do, then we would not get caught up in this corruption, we would live in harmony with God, God would fulfill all His promises, and the lost would see a people who are at peace with God and our light would shine throughout this world!!!!!

Chaos is not God's will for this world, and the history of the Bible teaches us, God would use some nation, or some people, to cause chaos to cease. It would not mean a better government but there would be government.

God's will upon this earth is for all people to live with the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

How did Paul describe his days?

Act 16:37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

Paul was a Roman and he was treated in this manner, but He did never quit the work, God called him to do!

It is God who places the rulers of governments in place!

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Rom 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

It is an abomination to God for rulers to misuse the people they are over!

Pro 16:12 It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

God expects every ruler to have mercy on his people!

Isa 16:5 And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

Many rulers like our presidents may live out a life always protected, but God will not have forgotten the works that they have done!

This goes for every member of the ruling government, congressmen and senators, and all other forms of government!

Why are all these things true? Because it is the will of God!

*****1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

Who are those who are foolish and ignorant? All those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ!

You see it is our good behavior as we are like Christ in His ways, that we can silence the critics of Christ.

We must remember, those who will never come to Christ will never cease their wicked ways and their harassment of the Christians but there are many who stand in the middle who do not know which way to go and the ways we are like Christ Jesus can be our best witnessing tool to get us close enough to tell them about the love of God by His Son.

Sure we must render to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, but we are to render to God the things that are God's which is ourselves, for He is our Creator and our life belongs to Him!!!!!

Act 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

Act 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Act 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

The truth is, there are times we can serve the government better by refusing to obey the government and insist on the things God has proven to be true. In fact it is God who ordained the government and the government will answer to Him!

Remember the 10 commandments are our guideline to teach us to be obedient to the government, but the first commandment is first for these reasons!

Jesus simplified these things for us:

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We are never to turn our backs toward the Lord!

We are free because the Lord has made us free!

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

*****1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

1Pe 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

We are to be the servants of God and as so we can live as free citizens not attached to any government but placed by the Lord in the places we live and work for one reason and that is to promote the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ in the way we serve the Lord and in the way we live!

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts and souls, we become servants of God and not servant to our own thoughts nor our own ideas.

To break the laws that govern where we live is to break the laws of God, but we are also not to break any of the laws of God, because God is our higher authority.

We sometimes make these things hard, when these things are not very hard to comply with.

We are to honor all men and women as our created brothers and sister realizing that they are not yet our "born again" brothers and sisters in Christ and sadly some will never be, but let not this one thing be because we have not been obedient to God. God will hold this against us!

Loving the brotherhood means we are to love all our brothers and sister in Christ no matter who they are!

Regardless of color, nationality, or beliefs if they have given themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our diversity that makes the church to be strong!

It is not enough just to honor the brotherhood, we are to love them with the love of God!!!

We are to support one another.

We are to help one another.

We are to protect one another.

We are to share with one another.

We are to fellowship and commune with one another.

We are certainly to pray and worship with one another.

Love means we do not criticize, back bite, grumble, murmur or do anything that would be divisive.

The Lord is the foundation of only one church.

It is all these things and more that have divided the church!

Rom 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation(hypocrisy). Abhor(hate) that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Rom 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Rom 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

We are never to fail in our duty to love God knowing He is the Higher Power!

In America, we are to honor our President and the government that he leads.

In this time of Peter, Nero the most-evil ruler of Rome was in place, and Peter still wrote these things by the Holy Spirit!

In some nations there are still slaves and servants and these words still hold true!

*****1Pe 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

1Pe 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

During this age of the Apostle Peter, millions of slaves and servants were everywhere throughout the empire of Rome and even lands that were not conquered by Rome.

We must realize that the New Testament does not directly attack slavery, because again we are placed in our location as it suits God.

It is the Church that destroys slavery, when both parties have become the children of God!

It is Christian principles that will destroy all evil, including slavery.

Slaves and servants are treated as any other workman or workingwoman.

We are all to subject ourselves to our masters, our employers in the fear of God.

In this case "the fear of God" means "in reverence, to all the Word of God" but submissive to them just as we are to be submissive to our Lord yet knowing, Our Lord is still the higher authority!

These things are necessary to earn a livelihood to provide for ourselves and our families.

What does God say? 2Th 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

We must understand that the energy and effort we put into our jobs pleases the Lord.

The mark of the of the Christian workman is his fear of the Lord!

These are some of the things we are judged of and are written down in the Lord's Book of Remembrances!

Mal_3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.

No matter if our slave master or work master is good or evil, it is not to change our attitude about why we are working or the work itself!

Why is this necessary?

*****1Pe 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We should clearly understand that no one will be accepted to God for doing wrong but only for doing good.

The pure fact is, that before we met the Lord, we had no goodness to display, and even now we can only display His goodness!

Isa_64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

The Lord Jesus Christ was sent into this world to die by the Father Himself.

By this world standards, to murder Jesus was to murder the perfect man.

Jesus had not committed one sin in the eyes of His heavenly Father.

Jesus had not broken even one law of man in His 33 and 1/2 years upon this earth.

The world had murdered the only perfect man without a cause!

When we accept the perfectness of the Lord Jesus Christ into our heart, then and only then will we be righteous in the eyes of God!

As sin came by Adam so righteousness came by Jesus the Messiah!

Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Our eternal life exists, because we have a perfect Savior in all things of this world and the perfectness of Heaven!

If we suffer, even as Christians because we have done wrong God is not impressed even in our patience, but if we suffer having done no wrong and we have the patience of our Savior for this we are acceptable to our Father in Heaven because He can see the works of His Son in us and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

It is by these things that we are the children of a Holy God!

God is seeking genuine Christians to be with Him throughout eternity! This is the government of God!

We are called because we accept that Christ Jesus suffered for us!

We are called because we are willing to follow His example!

Luk_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

This is the government of God!

We all want to live glorious lives for Christ then this is the life God has called us to do.

We should also understand that God will never cause us to suffer as His Son suffered.

This is a hard saying, when so many of our brothers and sisters are persecuted to their death, but they just make a quick trip to Heaven.

The Apostle Paul said he suffered more than all the other Apostles, but they all were murdered except the Apostle John who God would not allow the governments of this world murder Him.

So we see God is on our side in all persecution and He just ask that we patiently wait on Him just as Jesus did!

This is the government of God!

God in the flesh (Jesus the Messiah) did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth!

Guile is deceit. Jesus Christ was not in this world to deceive us, but to show us the glory of God and the government of God's Kingdom!

God (in the flesh, Jesus) gave everything He could give us, including His life so our souls could return to Him, if we would only trust Him.

This is the way God conducted His business. He bought and paid for us and He has given all His possessions, the inheritance of His dear Son, just so we can live and live eternally.

This is the government of God!

When it gets down to it, God in the flesh, Jesus the Christ, died for me and I was certainly not worthy and if you love Him, then He also died for you, you also being unworthy of God's great love!

How does God see us?

*****1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

In reality sheep are one of the most useful animals God has given to us. Not only for food, but for its wool which has been an article of clothing for its warmth since the time of Adam.

Sheep are normally timid animals, but the one thing sheep need to be this great benefit, is a Shepherd!

It is God our Creator who is the Owner of our Souls and the Lord Jesus Christ the Bishop of our souls!

Psa 23:1 (The Psalm of the redeemed) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

We must stay right with the governments of this world, the place where God has placed us.

More important we must stay right with the government of God, who loves us with a greater love than can be found upon this earth!

Amen

Let's Pray about these things!

We Must Lay Aside Some Things

Understanding Our Heritage

Book of 1 Peter Chapter 2:1-10

In our previous lesson we learned that we must be "Born Again" to be in the family of God. God writes the name of all His children in what God calls the Lamb's Book of Life and we must be "Born Again" to have our names written in this book!

As soon as our name is written down, we find that Satan has become our enemy and it will not always be easy to be a child of God!

We will be perfect in the eyes of God because when He sees us, He sees His Son.

We will be an enemy to the world and there some lessons we need to learn very quickly!

That word "wherefore" means, for this reason.

"Wherefore" because we have been "Born Again" there are some things we must do.

*****1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

We must lay aside some things!

**Malice: Malice means that you are determined to get revenge upon your enemies or at least cause them problems, but since you are a child of God, you must let your Father in Heaven take care of all your problems including this one!

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

**All guile: Guile is being cunning and deceitful. These are some of the traits of Satan and Satan is our enemy. We certainly are not to be anything like him. To be involved in the traits guile will cause you to lose the blessings of God!

Psa_32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

**Hypocrisies: Spiritual hypocrisy is acting in any way that goes against the Word of God but claiming to be on God's side.

Luk 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Leaven as used in this Scripture, is the thing that caused the Pharisees to be hypocrites. Leaven represents sin in most all of the Bible.

**All evil speaking: the word evil means wicked immorality, going against the pure Word of God.

These are some of the first things that we are to repent of, and we can learn all these things from the Word of God.

If we cannot lay aside these things, we will never be counted good enough to enter into Heaven's gates!

I can just imagine that pearly gate will be so mirror like that we can see our new selves before we come face to face with the Lord of Glory.

We must have a desire to learn about our God and He has given us the Word of God to do so!

Again God cautions us that as "babes in Christ" we need some help to understand the Word of God, but the more we stay in the Word of God, we will grow and no longer be a "Babe"!

The Word of God is that Spiritual milk we need every day for the rest of our lives to become a mature child of God!

It is by the "Grace" of God that we are saved and the "Grace of God" that we will grow until we come useful to the Lord!

*****1Pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

To be "Born Again" into the family of God, begins to show us just how the "Grace" of God works in our lives!

We must also understand that God intends for us to grow in His knowledge.

We cannot have the wisdom of the Lord until we have the knowledge of the Lord!

You see God wants us to know all about Him! God does not hide anything about His character!

God did not have to reveal Himself to us at all!

We have to have food and water to make our physical bodies grow and most all babies need milk and food from baby foods.

The milk of the Gospel are the basics thoughts.

God took off His heavenly garments and came to this earth to pay our sin debt we could not pay.

We are sinners at birth, and we need a Savior and that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

It is the work that Jesus did that we could not do, that has reconciled us to God.

After we have tasted the "grace" of God it becomes time to grow in the Word of God!

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

God laid aside His majesty to come to this earth to provide a means for our salvation!

*****1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

God came to us in a body of flesh (a living stone)(The Lord Jesus Christ). The Lord Jesus was rejected by His own people.

Remember Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary a descendant of Nathan a son of King David.

The Father of Jesus was the Holy Ghost! Jesus had no earthly father until He was adopted (accepted) by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon the son of King David.

Then prophecy was fulfilled.

Jesus was born a Jew, so His people would be the Jews the tribe of Judah.

Make no mistake, Jesus the Messiah, in the flesh was a Jew and was rejected by these foolish people at the time and that generation perished in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman General Titus, who hated the Jewish people.

Rome was that Empire of iron and clay that was broken into what is the Europe of today

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces

Not so long a time after this God brought to Rome to its knees because clay feet are so easily broken!

At salvation, we become the living stones who make up the Church, a spiritual house when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who can then offer up Spiritual sacrifices accepted by Jesus Christ our Savior, our King, our Master, our God!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

What are our Spiritual Sacrifices?

We must offer up our souls, our bodies, all out thoughts, all our words and all our actions.

It may take some time, but these are the things that God requires of us!

It is at this time we become a part of the Scriptures!

*****1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Confounded means a lot of things but "dismayed" is the meaning of this passage adding maybe "perplexed"!

Jesus, the Messiah is and was that chief corner stone.

He is elect because He is God the Father's chosen Messiah!

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

Isa 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Sion (Zion) of course is Jerusalem. The City of peace!

*****1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

You see, I not only believe my Lord is precious, I know He is precious, or He would never have accepted me into His family.

He did not get much when He first got me!

Much like the Israelite, I spent my 40 years in the wilderness of the world and the Lord endured me until He brought me into His family!

A loving and powerful God opens His arms to all who will believe and accept Him, yet so few do.

The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of unbelief which shows disobedience, and in the end will bring the wrath of God.

God promises those who love Him will never see His wrath!!!!!

Jesus Christ is the appointed foundation stone of all creation, yet He is the foundation stone of our lives and the foundation stone of the Church.

What's wrong with this world?

They want nothing to do with this Stone (Christ Jesus)

They do not think that this "Stone" will fit into their plans.

They do not think this "Stone" will suit what they are building.

They do not think this "Stone" is worth the price they would have to pay.

The "Stone" of eternal life is rejected because, even though His price is free, He still costs too much for the unbeliever to change!

In rejecting this world, which can only offer the promises of failure, we can learn the important things which are life and life eternal.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

In reality, Jesus Christ is the living breathing wisdom of God!

The Bible says: "but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it"

There is no life without Jesus Christ!

You see, if you cannot make peace with the Living Stone of Jesus, then that Living Stone you will stumble over. This Stone will then become the Stone of Offence and He will roll over you!

All those people who disregard the Triune God, reject that Jesus is God in the flesh will find their beliefs are false and they are foolish!

The biggest problem the world has today is the world thinks it is wise and the people of God are from an Era that has long since pasted.

This is opposite from the truth!!!!!

Again the Lord has already said what He was going to do with all unbelievers, and this is the truth of those who reject my Savior!

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jer 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

But what of the believer?

*****1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

What does a chosen generation do?

Those who build their lives upon the "Rock of the Lord" Jesus Christ!

If we cannot give our lives to the Lord, for His use, we have not given God the thing He wants the most !!!!!!!

When we agree with Jesus Christ, we all become a new people, who are special to the Lord! It is just that simple !!!!!

God loves the people who love His Son!

To be a Christian, means we are a very special people in the eyes of God!

That word "chosen" means that the Church is now God's new people.

The "Born Again" chosen children of God somewhat like the chosen people of Israel in that generation of Abraham whom God will return to deal with after the "Rapture" of the Church.

The Church is to be a "royal priesthood"!

When we invite Jesus to come in our hearts we become "royal priests" to King Jesus!

There are men who are called to be Pastors and Priests and other titles, but every child of God is to be a "royal priest" to King Jesus!

We have instant access into the throne room of God!

We also have access to God no matter where He is at, because He is everywhere at the same time.

There is never a time we cannot reach out to God in thought but more in prayer!

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

If we could gather ourselves together with all the Saints of God, we would become a Holy Nation!

You see, God is building Himself a Holy Nation

To be Holy is to be different from this world!!!!!!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

If you wonder why the world hates the Christian, it is because not only are we the "Chosen People of God", Royal Priests, but we are a little bit peculiar in fact, most of us are a whole lot peculiar which means, we are God's own possession, in fact His special possessions!

You know the world hates that we say this but that does not make it any less true!

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In the beginning God said, "let there be light" and we are that special, particular, peculiar, and purchased creation that are to shine like the stars! Created twice to die once, who are called out of darkness into that "Light" which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1) The Light of His truth:

Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

2) The Light of His favor:

Psa 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

3) The Light of His holiness:

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

You see when we were lost in this evil and wicked world, we were nobodies who yielded to the Devil every time he called, but now after the Light of Jesus has shined upon us, we are the people of God!

Maybe the most important feeling we can have is that we know these things are true!

1Jn_5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

You see, we are become the people of God through and by the Lord Jesus Christ!

We now have the Light of life. Not just any life but "Eternal Life"!

OH, for the love and the grace of God that He would give to all who will call upon Him in "repentance" and "faith".

The world would say there is no god, but the world has made themselves to be little gods just as Satan has taught them!

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God has given us "free will" to choose.

We can choose the good of Jesus, or we can choose the evil of the Devil.

Hint! I read the back of the Book and the Devil loses!

Why not get on the “Winning Side”?

Amen

Let us all pray

Loving Because God Loves

Loving As We Live

1 Peter Chapter 1:13-25

We should understand as Peter wrote these things that persecution of the New Church was very great. Those that were Jews had lost their property, possessions, money, and even family members and friends.

They had been forced to flee for their lives and this kind of thing spreads into other countries as people feel like they are doing some good when they are violating basic human rights!

And just like today many others were excited about the Church with its salvation and hope and eternal life but they did not want to hear about repentance.

Somethings never change!

People just do not want to hear about righteousness and godliness!

These of the New Covenant Church needed to be encouraged.

One of the greatest missions we can have is to be an encourager!

It is the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ that changes lives!

It is the promises of God that can be used to encourage others!

When we keep our eyes focused on the "Grace" of God, we find that we can endure the things of this world knowing that we are only strangers here and the New Heaven will be our home!

We must prepare our minds for success. We are on "the winning side"!

*****1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

To gird means: To surround; to encircle; to enclose; to encompass.

The loins are: The loins are the space on each side of the vertebrae, between the lowest of the false ribs and the upper portion of the osilium or haunch bone, or the lateral portions of the lumbar region; called also the reins.

Then these words of Peter mean, because we have such promises from the Lord Jesus Christ we can now be of use to the glory of God!

Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Jesus said it like this:

Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

Luk 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

The Apostle Paul said like this:

Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We can see that we are to be prepared to be a disciple of the Lord!

Our salvation is such a great thing it should be of interest to others as it was to the angels!

You see that true salvation can come only buy the "Grace" of God.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We must be courageous Christians in this wicked world!

We must be genuine Christians in this wicked world!

We must be sincere Christians in this wicked world!

As true Christians we are to make an impact on those around us!

Again the Apostle Paul said it like this:

Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

You see these things can come only by Jesus Christ!

We must be obedient children to our Father who art in Heaven!!!!!

We must never fear the coming of the Lord because He comes to take us home!

*****1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

Whether we like it or not we were servants of the Devil until we gave our life to Jesus Christ.

We obeyed the thoughts in our head without question. We just did the evil things of this world without questioning our own morality.

well in this same sense we must now be obedient to the Lord and honor our Father in Heaven.

Being obedient to the Word of God without questioning our God who wrote His Words by the Holy Spirit, using the hands of some man who dearly loved Him!

We were ignorant to the truth of God. I know I was but not ever again!

If we think Satan will leave us alone, we have become fools. This is why the Scriptures are so very important to us!

We belong to God after we are washed in the blood of Jesus and we need to act like it!

We are not God's mercenaries nor are we God's slaves, we are God's children!

Those that reject this truth need to visit Gethsemane and Calvary and learn of the Nazarene.

Psa 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.

Psa 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.

Psa 119:8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

Why did God reveal Himself to Moses? God decided to reclaim His children!

God has a plan much greater than any plan of man and God's plan cannot be stopped, nor can it be hindered or slowed down!

What is the truth of God?

Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

We can be wise in the wisdom of God or we can be ignorant of the truth of God, we cannot be both!

As we learn more of the Character of God and take those thoughts back to the Book of Genesis and see that when God said let there be light, then that was the Light of Lord who had the same character that we have learned to know and to love about our Savior.

It is God's love for us who sent His Son to Mount Calvary!

God wants us to be Holy as He is Holy and this is not asking too much, it is only learning the truth and realizing the lies of this world that is influenced by the Devil!

*****1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

1Pe 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Lord God Jehovah is Holy in all His ways!!!!!

Isa 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

We can disagree but that just makes us fools!

Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

To be Holy is to be perfect! The triune God is perfect! So to be holy is to have purity and integrity of moral character.

To be holy is to be conformed to the will of God!

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

These things are not so hard to understand!

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Being holy is something God is working on us every day, because it is not an overnight thing. Holiness is learned gradually!

2Co 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Holiness is not something that is appointed it is something we learn by the Scriptures and with the help of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit)!

1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

And yes, we are to have a reverent fear of our Holy God!

But we should also how powerful our God is and have a physical fear of Him also.

*****1Pe 1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Our fear of the Lord is the basis of a good relationship with our Father in Heaven!

Pro 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

If our fear is joined with hope and love, we can have a close and personal relationship with our Savior, and these are facts!

What did Adam say after he had sin in his life?

Gen 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Adam had never feared the Lord before his sin!

If we do not hold our Heavenly Father above all others, then we are not reverencing our Father!

If we call God our Father, then we need to act like we are His blessed children!

We need to stand against all sin.

We need to stand against all trials.

We need to stand against all persecutions, all temptations, and all evil in this life!

If we do not respect our Father, then why pray because we are wasting our time!

Jesus gave us this example:

Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

If we cannot "hallow" our Heavenly Father, then our life will be meaningless!

We must understand that it is Jehovah God who is the "Judge" of this world.

We must hold God in reverence, but we must also live in "awe" of our mighty God and fools not to do so!

1) Every person who has ever lived will be judged and God is that judge! You will stand at the feet of God one day!

2) It is the works we have done that will be judged! For the believer, he will be judged only on what he or she has done since calling on Christ for forgiveness. For the unbeliever it will be the things he or she has done all their lives with the first and greatest sin is rejecting our Savior, and rejecting this Judge!

We are saved by "faith" if that faith is in the works of Jesus Christ! Jesus did all the works so we have no works to get us saved and if we attempt to do works to please God then we will fail. Our works begin after salvation and not before salvation!

No matter who we are we are all judged the same. Billy Graham will be judged the same as Adolf Hitler. God does not show favoritism!

Each sinner has already been judged and condemned to death. This death is an eternity without God to save them in the pits of misery in Hell!

God just does not show partiality or favoritism!

You see once we know Jesus as our Savior, we are adopted into the family of God and we are just aliens on this planet, Heaven is our true home!

All these good things come when we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

All these bad things come when we reject the Lord Jesus Christ. It's just that simple!

How are we to act around other Christians?

1Th_2:10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

You see when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we then are the redeemed!

*****1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

What is the "atonement"?

The state of being at one with God the Father or "reconciled" to our Heavenly Father.

Our atonement came about by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Our Heavenly Father was satisfied with the debt that Jesus paid for our sins.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is this death of Jesus Christ that satisfied all the demands of the 613 laws of Moses and the demands of God for all Gentiles!

The work of Jesus Christ for our sins was His suffering and His obedience in the eyes of His Father!

The atonement is the consequence of God's love to guilty mankind!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The truth is, you can refine silver over and over again and it will never be 100% pure and when placed in the hands of man it becomes less pure. It is the same for gold!

The same cannot be said of our Savior, Our Savior is 100% pure and so is His blood. Jesus was incorruptible then and He is now because He lives!

A slave could be bought with silver and gold in fact a rich man could also be bought with silver or gold, but these things can never buy our reconciliation to our Holy God.

In the eyes of God, gold is nothing more than asphalt for paving roads!

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The blood of Jesus is our means of eternal life!

Lev_17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Joh_6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Joh_6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Yes, we are a bloody religion because it has to be this way!

It is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have been made free from the empty life that we are taught to live by this evil world!

An empty life is useless to our God and it dooms us to eternal death in a place that was created for Satan, the Devil, HELL!

It is the spotless blood of Jesus that washed us as white as snow!

Jesus Christ is the Word that became Flesh. The blood of Jesus is the blood in which God was manifest. There is no blood so precious as that of The Lord Jesus Christ.

"What can wash my sin away? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!"

Jesus and God are one and the same!

*****1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God had a plan of salvation put together before the first day of Creation!

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

The New Testament Church rises or falls according to the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

Will the redeemed of the Lord say so?

We must understand that it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ where our hope of eternity stands!

Jesus Christ is the God of the Bible and the God of all creation!

It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we can be "faithful" toward God. It is the Holy Triune God that was at work for our salvation!

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

The same God who raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from His death can raise us all up from death to live in eternity with Him!

Jesus Christ is the perfect Mediator between us and God the Father who seeks perfection for us all.

It is the work of Jesus Christ who has made us acceptable to God the Father!

To approach our Father in Heaven we can only go by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

It is only Jesus Christ that we can be made whole!

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

To be whole is to have purified our souls!

*****1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Besides prayer there is no greater force upon this earth than "love"!

To God the Father, love is the key to our salvation!

Two people that love each other will do anything to please each other.

Why should it be different in our love of God?

Why should we not have brotherly love toward each other?

It is by love that families can be families.

A purified soul will contain a purified love for all God's people!

2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

Unfeigned means genuine, sincere, without hypocrisy or play-acting.

What is it to be "Born Again"?

How did the Apostle Paul say it by the Holy Spirit?

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Notice to be "born again" is a complete change!

Just as Mary the Mother of Jesus was found with child by the Holy Spirit, then each and every believer is "born again" by the Holy Spirit who lives within each child of God!

The Word of God is that incorruptible seed that we must absorb into our souls and planted in our hearts.

To born again is a Spiritual rebirth, a rebirth of our spirit, a new life, a renewed soul, a godly nature!

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

If we do not have a rebirth we still live in that old sinful flesh and be a servant of Satan!

Just keep this in mind, we must be reborn and not reformed!

There can nothing good come from that old body of flesh!

*****1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

When we are born into this world as a babe, we know nothing but after a few years we feel invincible but as we get older, after the prime of our lives we begin to see that life is really very short.

We realize that what has said is very true. Our flesh is as grass and the glory of the grass is its flower and soon it begins to wither away, until it is gone forever.

The Word of God on the other hand speaks its truth until time runs out, and it will run out.

As Christians we know the end and the new beginning is 1007 years plus the time God allows till the rapture of the Church. That may seem like a long time but in reality, it is not.

If there ever was a time to get right with God, then now is that time!

We can see the reality of what God is saying here.

We look around and we see those who have aged until one day they are gone!

Before that day takes place, we need to make an appointment with God and we can only do that through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If and when the Holy Spirit knocks on the door of your heart, please say yes quickly, very quickly, we are not promised any more time at all!

When we have been "born again", we are at peace with God and these things lose their relevance and only the going home seems to be of importance.

We welcome death but at the same time we all have family members and friends who have not said yes to the Lord.

The Word of God will never change because our God will never change.

You do not have to look for things that are better when you already have the very best!

One day we will be living with the Lord forever and nothing on this earth can be better than that.

Forever and Eternity, have no time limits because time will cease to exist!

Amen

Let's Pray!