Word from the Bible

Numbers 21:34  

The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon.”

Deuteronomy 1:21  

See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 2:25  

This very day I will begin to put the terror and fear of you on all the nations under heaven. They will hear reports of you and will tremble and be in anguish because of you.”

Ezekiel 38:23

And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’

Thoughts on this verse:

"They will know that I am the LORD," is a familiar refrain in Ezekiel's prophecies. Here it is also a horrifying one to his people who have been rebellious, sinful, and wicked. God is holy. The people who claim him as their God had better reflect that glory and greatness. They had better magnify God's holiness. If they do not, God will do so even at their expense. God will be known as God. In a day when so many profain the name of God and use it so glibly in their reactions and frustration, this is a sobering reminder that even the name of God is holy. He will show his greatness and holiness.

Quotes on Obedience 

Abide in Me says Jesus. Cling to Me. Stick fast to Me. Live the life of close and intimate communion with Me. Get nearer to Me. Roll every burden on Me. Cast your whole weight on Me. Never let go your hold on Me for a moment. Be, as it were, rooted and planted in Me. Do this and I will never fail you. I will ever abide in you.    J.C. Ryle

We shall know nothing about beauty of walk till we come to compare our walk with the walk of Christ on earth.    G.V. Wigram

If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?   David Livingstone

Blameless Ways

Blameless Ways

Psalms 119:1 

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.

Psalms 128:1 

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.

Ezekiel 11:20 

Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

James 1:25 

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

Titus 2:11-12

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 

12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 

1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 

2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 24:16 

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

John 13:17 

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Luke 1:6 

Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.

Your Kingdom Come

Satan rules this world

1 John 5:19 

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

Revelation 20:3-7 

3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

5  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 

6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison
Satan rules through human authority

Revelation 13:2-4 

2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 

3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 

4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”

Ephesians 6:12 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

An Invitation to Serve

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The invitation: “Come unto me”

Those invited: “All ye that labor and are heavy laden”

The promise:  “I will give you rest”

Charles Finney’s Quotes

~ Sinner! Mercy yet calls. Jesus is here with the offer or pardon and salvation. No matter how great your sin. If you will now, indeed, back right out, and pour it all out before the Lord, wash your hands in innocence, bathe yourself in the blood of Jesus, and you shall be forgiven!

~ Dismiss all selfish ideas and all selfish pursuits. Cease to form selfish schemes, or to scramble after selfish good. Be satisfied with Christ and his love; so shall he accept your heart’s love and make you his own.

~ To love the law, or will of God, is to have our will submerged in his will–to have no will of our own, separate from his; but to will with all our heart, that his will should be done.

Daily Thoughts   

~ A helping hand can lighten another’s burden.

~ At the heart of worship is worship from the heart.

~ A grudge is one thing that doesn’t get better when it’s nursed.

~ God’s love for us is as expansive as the open arms of Christ on the Cross.

~ In light of eternity, what one believes is far more important than what one achieves.

~ The design of creation points to the Master Designer. 

~ When God wipes our tears, sorrow will give way to eternal song.

~ No one is hopeless whose hope is in God.

Quotes on Obedience 

You cannot obey God without your obedience spilling out in a blessing to all those around you.   Adrian Rogers

God calls all children to be obedient and respectful. Obedience is the act; honor is the attitude.   John MacArthur

He has told us to pray, ‘Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven’ (Matthew 6:10). And if we have ever prayed that prayer and meant it–even once–we have ourselves shut the door on thousands of things for which we might foolishly ask.   Tom Wells

Examples of Younger Chosen

Abel

Genesis 4:1-7 

1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” 

2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 

3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the 
LORD. 

4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 

5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Seth

Genesis 4:25 

Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”

Shem

Genesis 9:24-27

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 

25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

27 May God extend the territory of Japheth; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be his slave.”

Abraham

Genesis 11:26 

After Terah had lived 70 years, he became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.

All Men are Free to Obey or Disobey

Civil Laws:

Romans 13:2 

Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

God’s Conditions of Salvation:

John 3:15-20

15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 4:14 

But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Acts 2:21 

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Acts 10:43 

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Romans 9:33 

As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”

Romans 10:9-13 

9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 

10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 

11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 

12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Revelation 22:17 

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

Faith to Faith – Strength to Strength

Hebrews 11:32-34 

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 

33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 

34  quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

Be Faithful Until Death

Revelation 2:10  

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Hebrews 12:2  

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Timothy 6:12  

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Colossians 1:23  

if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

1 Corinthians 16:13  

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Psalms 31:23  

Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.

Hebrews 10:35  

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

Hebrews 3:6  

But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

Revelation 2:26  

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

Revelation 3:21  

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 3:5 

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Hebrews 6:10-12  

10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 

11  We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 

12  We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Don’t Give Up

Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

“Ask and it shall be given you” (v.  7); “Every one that asketh receiveth” (V. 8)

“Seek and ye shall find” (v. 7); “He that seekth findeth” (v. 8)

“Knock and it shall be opened unto you” (v. 7); “To him that tknocketh it shall be opened” (v. 8)

Daily Thoughts

~ The angels of God protect the people of God as they do the work of God.

~ What you put into your children’s hearts today influences their character for tomorrow.

~ Looking to the needs of others honors Christ.

~ People with a heart for God have a heart for people.

~ The only way God hurries holiness is by turning up the heat.

~ Every word in the Bible was placed with a purpose; and part you’ve not read is your buried treasure.

~ Repentance means hating sin enough to turn from it.

~ Make an excellent choice and watch the ripple effect of blessing.

God Will Take Care of You

Psalms 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

God will take care of you:

When you adhere to his word

When you delight in his law

When you trust his providence

Ravi Zacharias quotes 

. Life, Die, Wrong

Where destruction is the motive, unity is dangerous. For example, if I have evil intent and I galvanize that evil intent with many others, the capacity to destroy is immense. Where goodness is the motive, unity is phenomenal and actually has some good issues to it.

. Good, Evil, Others

Sometimes the very presence of God is barred by our presuppositions and our intense and constant desire for triumph.

God, Sometimes, Desire

. Many Christians have so busied themselves with programs and activities that they no longer know how to be silent and meditate on God's word or recognize the mysteries that are in the Person of Christ.