A Christian must believe that…

God is a person who created all material and spiritual substance, and that out of the created material He personally formed the worlds and each creature therein:

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created heavens and the earth.

Genesis 2:7

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:19

Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air.

Psalm 8:1-9

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider you heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

Psalm 102:25

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

John 1:3-4

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Ephesians 3:9

And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.

Colossians 1:15-18

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Hebrews 1:1-3

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed  heir of all things, and through whom he made all the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Revelation 4:11

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Kinds of Days in Scripture

Day of affliction

Jeremiah 16:19  

O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.

Day of evil

Jeremiah 17:17

Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.

Day of calamity

Jeremiah 18:17  

Like a wind from the east, I will scatter them before their enemies; I will show them my back and not my face in the day of their disaster.”

Day of His indignation

Ezekiel 22:24  

“Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.’

Day of darkness

Joel 2:2  

A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.

Day of His coming

Malachi 3:2 

But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.

Day of the Sons revelation

Luke 17:30  

“It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

Day of salvation

2 Corinthians 6:2  

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Fellowship with Wrong

The Bible speaks of many with whom we are not to have fellowship:

Criminals

Proverbs 1:10-15 

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

11 If they say, “Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul;

12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;

14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse”—

15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;

The disorderly

2 Timothy 3:6 

They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

The disobedient

2 Timothy 3:14-15 

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

The Bible speaks of many with whom we are not to have fellowship:

The foolish

Proverbs 22:24 

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered,

Excommunicated church member

Matthew 18:17

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Ways of a Fool: He

Is Jealous and envious.

1 Samuel 26:21  

Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.”

Insensible to danger.

2 Samuel 3:33  

The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die?

Denies God.

Psalms 14:1  

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

Psalms 53:1

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

Is ignorant of the future.

Psalms 49:10  

For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others.

Thought

The Lord of the universe stands ready to pick up your life and give it significance, a sense of fulfillment beyond anything you have ever experienced.  Your heart has got eternity in it…and you will not be fulfilled until you know you are making an eternal difference with the one life you have.

Ron Hutchcraft

Limitation of God

He cannot –Do away with or change His own eternal plan.

Acts 15:18 

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Ephesians 2:7

 

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:11 

According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

He cannot – Save rebels who persist in rebellion, refusing to meet His terms.

Proverbs 1:22-23 

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Proverbs 29:1 

He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Matthew 18:3 

And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

John 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.

John 3:5

 Jesus answered, Verily, verily; I say unto thee, except a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Sins committed and recorded in Scriptures

--Causing division among God’s people.

--questioning God’s Word.

Causing division among God’s people: 

“David let Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam.  When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the King of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold.”…1 Samuel 22: 1-4

See what weak instruments God sometimes uses, to bring about his own purposes. The Son of David is ready to receive distressed souls, who will be commanded by him. He receives all who come unto Him, however vile and miserable; he changes them into a holy people, and employs them in his service: those who would reign with him must be contented first to suffer with and for him. Observe with what tender concern David provided for his aged parents.

The first thing he does is to find them a quiet habitation, whatever became of himself. Let children learn to honor their parents, in everything consulting their ease and satisfaction. Though highly preferred, and much employed, let them not forget their aged parents. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. And the Lord will preserve his people for their appointed work; however they may be hated and exposed.

The Rapture of the Church

The Rapture and second coming are 2 separate events. First for the saints, then with the saints.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Colossians 3:4  

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Jude 1:14-15 

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones

15  to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

Zechariah 14:4  

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

Praise Him

Praise Him

When have you praised Jesus for no other reason than the fact that He deserves your homage, simply because of Who He is? When your spirit is heavy, when your heart is broken, when your future is bleak, when your dreams are shattered, when your memories are haunting, when your burdens are unbearable. Praise him!

If He never answers your prayer, if He never heals your disease, if He never solves your fanatical crisis, if He never reconciles your relationship, if He never lifts your burden, if He never erases your memories,

Just exert your will and praise Him for Who He is! Why? Because He deserves it! And because praise is the switch that turns on the light in the darkness of your life.

So, let us praise Him…

He is enduringly strong. He is entirely sincere. He is eternally steadfast. He is immortally gracious. He is imperially powerful. He is impartially merciful. He is the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizons of the globe. He is God’s Son. He is the sinner’s Savior. He is the captive’s ransom. He is the breadth of life. He is the centerpiece of civilization. He stands in the solitude of Himself.

He is august and He is unique. He is unparalleled and he is unprecedented. He is undisputed and He is undefiled. He is unsurpassed and He is unshakable.

He is the lofty idea in philosophy. He is the highest personality in psychology. He is the supreme subject in literature. He is the unavoidable problem in higher criticism. He is the fundamental doctrine of theology he is the cornerstone, the capstone, and the stumbling stone of all religion. He is the miracle of the ages.

Keep on praising Him for Who He is…

He is the key to knowledge. He is the wellspring of wisdom. He is the foundation of faith. He is the doorway of deliverance. He is the pathway to peace. He is the roadway of righteousness. He is the gateway to glory. He is the highway to happiness.

Just keep on praising Him…

His office is manifold and His promise is sure. His life is matchless and His goodness is limitless. His mercy is enough and His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

He is indestructible. He is indescribable. He is incomprehensible. He is inescapable. He is invisible. He is irresistible. He is irrefutable.

I can’t get Him out of my mind…And I can’t get Him out of my heart. I can’t outlive Him… And I can’t live without Him.

The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him but found they couldn’t stop Him. Satan tried to tempt Him but found he couldn’t trip Him. Pilate placed Him on trial but found no fault in Him. The Romans crucified Him but couldn’t take His life. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him.

And keep on praising Him…

He’s the Lion and He’s the Lamb. He is God and He is man.

He’s the seven-way king:

He is the king of the Jews… That’s a racial King.

He is the King of Israel…That’s a national King.

He is the King of righteousness…That’s a moral King.

He is the King of the ages…That’s an eternal King.

He is the King of heaven…That’s a universal King.

He is the King of glory…That’s a celestial King.

….Anne Graham Lotz

Praise the LORD

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.  …Psalm 150:6