SCENARIO #1: Knock knock – the people were knocking (really POUNDING) on the closed door of the ark, but it was too late and the waters began to rise.
And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life. So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; AND THE LORD SHUT HIM IN. Genesis 7:15-16
Key Point: Noah obeyed the Lord so he and his family were saved. Once the Lord shuts the door, it is too late.
SCENARIO #2: Knock knock – released from prison by an angel of the Lord, Peter knocked on the door of the house of Mary, where the apostles were gathered. A girl named Rhoda heard him knock and speak, but was so surprised, she didn’t open it but ran to tell the others it was Peter. They didn’t believe her and told her she was out of her mind. (Acts 12)
Key Point: Rhoda and the apostles could not grasp the fact the Lord freed Peter from prison.
SCENARIO #3: Knock knock – Jesus is knocking on your door and my door.
“Behold,I stand at the door and knock.If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”Revelation 3:20
Key Point: Do you hear that knocking on your door? It is Jesus; can you grasp that fact? Will you answer the door and His call upon your life, or will you wait until it is too late because you are too busy with affairs of the world?
SCENARIO #4: Knock knock – You pass through the veil of life into eternity and are standing at the pearly gates of heaven. You knock on the gate. Saint Peter answers you from the other side of the gate and asks you: Who is there? Why should I let you in?
Key Point: We are not saved by works but by receiving Christ and believing on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior:
“The Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ Paul and Silas responded, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.’” Acts 16:30-31
Our Lord is knocking on the door of every person who comes across our path. So let us help them recognize and respond to His call upon their life before it is too late, for time is short, eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Photo of the actual church of Laodicea, Asia Minor
Photo by Torsten62 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
It is the year 56 AD, and we just left our home in Antioch, headed for a weekend in Laodicea, known for its beautiful setting on the Lycus River, mild climate, and prosperous economy. As we approached the city, we saw a large sign that says: “Welcome to Laodicea – City of Comfort and Prosperity – come for a visit, stay for a lifetime.”
We love coming to Laodicea, also called “The City of Zeus”, because of its many attractions – beautiful monuments, temples to many gods, theaters, and baths. Founded in 261 BC, Laodicea is located on a strategic trade route, is the center of thriving trade in black wool, and is known for its embrace of the arts, science, and literature.
On Saturday evening, after dinner at an open-air restaurant on the main plaza, we took in a theatrical performance in the magnificent stadium. Although it was thoroughly pagan and often risqué, the performance was dramatic, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely, as did the other theater goers.
On Sunday, we went to the local Church of Laodicea for worship service. Although the building was beautiful and well adorned, we couldn’t help seeing the many beggars and homeless people nearby, who seemed to be in great distress and need. We even recognized some of the churchgoers from the theatrical performance the night before, including the pastor.
We were impressed with the beautiful historic church, how well dressed the members were, and the melodic sound of music coming from the choir. We concluded that they must have God’s favor, to have such opulence and splendor in their church and church service. The message was comforting, how God loves us all and wants us to be successful and happy, all to His glory of course.
They invited us to stay for their monthly luncheon after the service, and we thoroughly enjoyed the delicious food and fine fellowship. The luncheon was just about over, when one of the church leaders came in and announced that he had just received a letter from the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, just 140 miles to the east. We all knew that John was close to Jesus and was even called “the apostle whom Jesus loved”, so we were excited, looking forward to a message of encouragement and love.
The church leader stood up and quieted everyone down to read this message from Jesus Christ to the church of Laodicea, through the apostle John (Revelation 3:15-19). He read in a somber but loud voice:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, BECAUSE YOU ARE LUKEWARM, and neither cold nor hot, I WILL VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’— and DO NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE WRETCHED, MISERABLE, POOR, BLIND, AND NAKED… As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore BE ZEALOUS AND REPENT!”
There was complete silence in the room for a few minutes as the gravity of the message given from Jesus’ most beloved disciple started to sink in. Although some murmuring was heard, at the same time we could hear soft weeping as other members’ hearts were broken by this convicting word from the Lord. Soon the weeping grew louder and “Lord forgive me” was exclaimed by many in the room. We too were convicted of our fleshly desires and worldliness, and cried out to the Lord for mercy. We realized that we witnessed a spiritual breakthrough in the Church of Laodicea and that it would never be the same.
The application of this story and this Word from the Lord is obvious and direct. If Jesus Christ was to speak to your church about your spiritual condition today, what would He say? Would He commend you for our spiritual purity and good works to all in spiritual and physical need? Or would He chastise you for the ways in which you have departed from Him and His righteousness, embraced the traditions of men, and succumbed to the temptations of the world, the lure of the flesh, and the lies of the devil?
Let us examine our hearts, repent of all sins to be spiritually clean, and draw close to the Lord for comfort, guidance, and the fire of the Holy Spirit. And let us become bold witnesses to all He brings across our path, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Friends – Some things never change. See the article below. Mark
YE SHALL BE AS GODS
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and YE SHALL BE AS GODS…” Genesis 3:2-5
“For the first time, we are going to have THE DIVINE ABILITY of creation and destruction, to re-engineer life, to re-engineer bodies and brains and minds,” states Yuval Noah Harai, lead advisor to the World Economic Forum.
Harai continues: “I titled my book ‘Homo Deus’ [HUMAN GODS] because we really are becoming gods in the most literal sense possible. We are acquiring abilities that have always been thought to be divine abilities – in particular, the ability to create life. And we can do with that whatever we want.”
Harari on Christianity: “Fake news has been with us for thousands of years. Just think of the Bible. The story of Jesus rising from the dead and being the son of God. THIS IS FAKE NEWS.”
Harari on Human Nature: “Homo sapiens [that is you and me] does it best to forget the fact, but IT IS AN ANIMAL… As far as we can tell from a purely scientific viewpoint, HUMAN LIFE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MEANING.”
Harari on the Human Population: “We just don’t need the vast majority of the population in the early 21st century given modern technologies rendering human labor economically and militarily redundant. The most important question in 21st-century economics may well be, ‘WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH ALL THE SUPERFLUOUS PEOPLE [also called “useless eaters”, THAT WOULD BE US]?’”
Harari on New Technologies and Human Beings: “I strongly believe that given the technologies we are now developing, within a century or two at most, our species will disappear. Having raised humanity above the beastly level of survival struggles, we will now aim to UPGRADE HUMANS INTO GODS.” (Such as the chip described in the book of Revelation).
Harari on Culture vs. Nature (i.e. NO RULES): “Culture tends to argue that it forbids only that which is unnatural. But from a biological perspective, NOTHING IS UNNATURAL.”
Summary: We have just glimpsed the mindset and value system of elite globalists, including members of the World Economic Forum. We see their total dismissal of the God of the Bible and God’s special creation of men and women, created in His image, to live lives of meaning and purpose and carry out His mission while we are here on earth.
Harari’s ideas and values are embraced by many people, as traditional teaching about our nation and about Christ are not embraced by our culture. So let us go forth with the love and truth of Christ to witness to all who come across our path, for only The Truth of Christ can set us free, and time is short, eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
To God be the glory
LifeintheSpirit.net
Source of Image: Sharonville United Methodist Church, Cincinnati OH
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
He also instituted:
the family (of man, woman, and children) to ensure that children would be raised in the training and admonition of the Lord.
government to keep peace and restrain evil.
the church to become a gathering of His people for worship and the sacraments, for fellowship and support, and to send ambassadors of Christ out to reach the lost.
Satan’s primary target is people, and his primary strategy is through lies that draw people from God’s narrow path to heaven, to the broad path to the Lake of Fire. Here are eight of his favorite lies that he uses to deceive people; you may recognize them, as they are often expressed in our modern woke culture, as Satan whispers into our ears:
LIE #1: The traditional view of family – father, mother, and children is merely a social construct, created by the people in charge of a government, nation, or religion.
Different cultures embrace different practices, such as homosexual marriages and polygamy. Old Testament patriarchs IN THE BIBLE even had multiple wives – Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. So if you want to be married to someone of your same sex, what is wrong with that? And why limit it to people? Why not to your dog, sheep, or goat? Were we not all created by God to enjoy life and to be happy?
And why get married at all? If you love each other, why not just live together and enjoy freedom as well as companionship?
RESPONSE: God’s created order makes clear distinctions betweenGod and man, men and women, adults and children, people and animals, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Man. Furthermore, He instituted the family (of man, woman, and children) to channel human passions, provide valuable social stability, and to ensure that children would be raised in a safe and nurturing environment.
LIE #2: Not only is the traditional view of family merely a social construct, but so is your gender identity.
The transsexuality movement frees us to choose our own gender identity, liberating us from the constraints and demands of the body we happen to be born in.
RESPONSE: This aberrant ideology flies in the sense of basic biologyas well as common sense. To claim that men can become women and vice versa leads to troubled lives and perverted bodies.
LIE #3: Women, you, not the government, should have the right to control your own bodies, to have the sexual freedom you deserve.
Since a fetus is just a blob of tissue until birth, abortion is not a sin; it is merely a form of birth control.
RESPONSE: The act of human procreation and giving birth to a newhuman being is a tremendous gift from God. So to destroy this new life in the womb is taking a life of another human being, a right that no other person has, including the mother.
LIE #4: Traditional taboos about shielding children from sexual practices are outmoded.
Not only should you be free to express your sexuality in whatever ways we choose, you should liberate your children to do the same, rather than keep them in a cage of celibacy until they are grown up.
RESPONSE: The rearing a child is a tremendous responsibility, andthe sexual act a precious gift from God, to take place in consecrated marriage. To exploit children sexually – pedophilia – is a terrible crime foisted on the young and innocent.
LIE #5: Feel free to embrace divorce as liberating you from the constrictions of marriage, so you will be free to move on with your life.
Just as one career can never encompass all the talents that an individual has, so can your marriage never enable you to fully express your potential as a human being.
RESPONSE: In addition to creating human beings as male and female,God also instituted marriage to be a lifelong commitment, not merely a temporary arrangement dependent on the whims of either party.
LIE #6: Considering the outmoded beliefs of many parents today, it is the state – the government – that is best able to determine what should be taught to your children, and care for them from cradle to grave.
After all, does not the government have authority to rule an entire nation (within which there are many religions and ideologies), rather than any one of them dominating our society or family life?
RESPONSE: God instituted marriage between a man and a woman asthe ideal and most effective means to raise children. He instituted government to provide protection and civil order, but when government takes over the functions of parenting, it always fails miserably because it is simply ill-equipped to do so.
LIE #7: All guilt is false, created by religious leaders for power, control, and money.
You are a free, individual person, with your own mind, feelings, and volition; who are these people, organizations, or religions to tell you what you should do and make you feel guilty for not complying with THEIR wishes?
RESPONSE: As every government has to have a civil and moral orderto restrain chaos and violence, it must also have compliance and a sense of right and wrong (guilt) to ensure its continuance. In similar fashion, the sovereign, living God of the universe established laws (the Ten Commandments), and sent His Son to usher in an even more just and moral order. To maintain this new ethic, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to teach, love, guide, and convict us (through guilt) when we stray from the narrow path He set before us. Eliminating guilt in a society is a sure guarantee that chaos and anarchy are on their way.
LIE #8: Satan and hell are not real.
Like guilt, notions of Satan and hell are not real, but were just created to scare you into complying with their agenda and plans for your life.
RESPONSE: The spirit world cannot be experienced through oursenses because it is invisible. Nevertheless, it is still very real, as testified by fulfilled prophecies and many other evidence. So claiming it is not real is one of Satan’s favorite lies, with eternal consequences.
For each of these lies, Satan promises great happiness, wealth and pleasure, but delivers a life of broken hearts, loneliness, and despair.
Satan’s ultimate lie is that if we abandon God, we can live a life unmitigated pleasure and happiness and still go to heaven. But the Lake of Fire is full of poor souls who fell for his lies on earth and are paying for their terribly wrong decision in the Lake of Fire for eternity.
In contrast to the lies of Satan, Jesus stated: “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32
So let us go forth to witness to all who come across our path with the love and truth of Christ, for life is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
In the year 1931, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began constructing the most massive concrete structure in the world – the Hoover Dam. Los Angeles and other cities in California, Arizona, and Nevada were growing rapidly, and their need for water and electrical power would soon exceed their existing supplies. To construct the dam, it required breaking through massive granite formations on both sides of the canyon wall to divert the river during dam construction, for which they used dynamite.
There is a parallel in the spiritual world. Shortly before He ascended to the Father in Heaven, Jesus met with His disciples and said to them:
“You shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8
The Greek word for POWER in this passage is DUNAMIS, which is where the word DYNAMITE comes from. When Alfred Nobel developed a substance that was more explosive than anything else in the world, he inquired of a friend who knew Greek for a word that would describe such explosive power. His friend recommended DUNAMIS, so Nobel named his invention “DYNAMITE.”
Jesus was telling them: “You shall receive explosive, dynamite power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” While dynamite has changed the construction of physical structures, Holy Spirit DUNAMIS power has transformed the lives of millions of people.
When Saul of Tarsus encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, God led Ananias to pray for him. He was then filled with the Holy Spirit and dunamis power, and went forth to proclaim Christ in the synagogues and to Gentiles across the Mediterranean world, in spite of tremendous persecution and bodily harm.
When the woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years touched the very garment of Jesus, she became instantly healed. Jesus noticed this and said: “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived POWER (dunamis) going out from Me.” (Luke 8:46)
We need to realize that this dunamis power is power with a purpose – to build His church by equipping and empowering us to be witnesses to our Lord, and to tell people about what Jesus has done for us and can do for them.
It is important to note that “in the last days perilous times will come: for men [AND SOME CHURCHES] will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its POWER (dunamis). II Timothy 3:1-2,4-5
Our task is clear. The broad path is crowded with many who don’t know the Lord and are headed in the wrong direction. They are on the road that leads to perdition and the Lake of Fire. So let us go forth with the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit and witness to all who come across our path, for time is short, eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
There is a parallel in the spiritual world. We were born into the world; a fallen world ruled by Lucifer, the Father of Lies. The world system is encroaching on us, but we can escape from the world by receiving Christ, who offers us peace, freedom, and a joy of the Lord that the world cannot match. We might envision it in these terms:
Like the Americans who headed for the Saigon airport in April of 1975, we can head for the spiritual airport to take a flight out on United in Christ Airlines on one of its Holy Spirit Express planes. Just as modern travelers go through TSA checkpoints to check for weapons and drugs, we must go through a Holy Spirit checkpoint to make sure we have received Christ as Savior (our ticket), and are not taking any harmful possessions (unconfessed sins) on to the plane. For the Holy Spirit Express is holy, and no unconfessed sin is allowed on board.
The planes that take off are full of individuals who fully embrace Christ, walk in the Spirit, and use their gifts and talents to carry out The Great Commission and the Lord’s will for their lives. The true Holy Spirit Express planes serve communion on the flights, celebrating the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to overcome sin and the fear of death.
Although the ultimate destination of all Holy Spirit Express flights is heaven, they often land in other locations so the Christians on board can deplane to care for the physical and spiritual needs of people in those locations.
The people who don’t go to the airport are non-believers who enjoy the culture and enticements of the world, the pleasures of the flesh, and the schemes of the devil. They have all been invited to fly on the United in Christ Airlines (to receive Christ), but they declined. Perhaps they were busy with affairs of the world and always thought they could receive Christ later. But sometimes time is up and LATER never comes.
Some people get to the airport but refuse to discard their spiritual baggage (unconfessed sin), and prefer other gods or idols. They may take other airlines departing from the airport, such as World Airlines (the world), the Las Vegas Special (the flesh), or Lucifer Lines (the devil). Instead of an extraordinary life in the Spirit, they prefer other destinations, such as Wall Street (for wealth), Washington, D.C. (for political power), Hollywood (for fame and fortune), or the lure of communist utopia (one of Satan’s lies). They don’t realize that these flights are piloted by Lucifer or one of his minions. While they may party through the entire flight, ultimately their plane will crash and burn in the Lake of Fire.
Many Holy Spirit Express planes are churches, with many people on board and the planes painted with different insignia such as Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or Non-Denominational. But there are also decoy planes that are painted to look like they are in the United in Christ Airlines. They worship other gods, embrace sin as virtue, and are even proud of their vile practices. Once they are airborne, their true destination becomes revealed. (Their pilot is Lucifer or one of his minions.)
For the Laodicean Airlines, people get on the plane, but are having such a great time partying that they forget to invite the Holy Spirit to pilot the plane, so they never get off the ground. Then there are those who are so governed by fear that they get on the Flight for the Fearful plane, but it just cowers in the hangar, so afraid of venturing out.
Once the Holy Spirit Express plane is airborne, it attracts anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles, and fighter jets from the enemy to shoot it down. We are in a war zone, and the enemies of Christ seek to steal our faith, kill our bodies, and destroy our souls. This is why we need to put on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).
The person at the gate for the Holy Spirit Express just announced your flight is about to leave. Will you make it? Will your family and friends also make it? How about the individuals you meet at the grocery store or coffee shop? The enemy is encroaching upon us and time is short. So let us go forth with the love and truth of Christ to witness to all who come across our path, for eternity is forever, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
P.S. NATO just attacked seven military bases inside Russia, and there are indications these attacks came not from within Ukraine, but NATO countries. If so, Russia could feel justified in attacking those NATO bases, which could trigger direct involvement of NATO forces and a hot war with Russia. It looks like WWIII is on the way, which would likely reach Europe and America. So it is time to repent, forgive, and board the Holy Spirit Express for protection and guidance, for the world system is encroaching upon us and our lives are about to change.
We are now entering one of the most dangerous times in our nation’s history, as NATO and U.S. are faced with military defeat in Ukraine or direct military involvement in a war with Russia – the nation with the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, including hypersonic missiles and nuclear drone torpedoes that could wipe out our East Coast.
This is a gripping tale of two ancient nations and two modern nations, and how they all impinge on the current war in Ukraine. Finally, some serious warnings and great encouragement.
This follows up on Part I: The Ukraine War is Going Badly, and you can see it here: Ukraine War PART II – A Tale of Two Nations, Warnings, and Encouragement:
Six Gold Nuggets from our August 15 CBMC zoom session:
1) Time can be our god.
Time and saving time is a big deal today.
If you can give people time, that is a big thing in business now. The new time-saving device is AI – artificial intelligence.
In the future, people will have their own personal AI, that will spend a month with you, to learn all about you, then you can send them to a meeting to represent you.
Ask people how they are doing, and many times they will say “I AM BUSY.”
So time can be our god.
2) We should not let THE URGENT in our lives interfere withTHE IMPORTANT.
There is a booklet called “The Tyranny of the Urgent” that describes how we often let THE URGENT interfere with THE IMPORTANT. We act like a dog that chases a squirrel, because it is URGENT.
We should not let time and circumstances dictate what we do; we should let God dictate what we do.
3) If we draw close to our Lord, He will redeem our time.
We redeem time by spending time with God, and He will redeem our lost time.
One way God redeems our time is for us to reflect on and learn from our past (sinful) times and experiences, and use those unique insights to witness to others now going through similar challenges.
Remember how Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery. They were deeply sorrowful later, but Joseph told them “you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good, to preserve life.”
· Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time for everything: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…”
How we spend our time and our money reveals our heart.
4) Loneliness and isolation are a great problem now.
We have a lot of things that take us away from each other.
Think of all the sports we now watch, where we watch other people do things instead of doing things ourselves.
But we are not to forsake our gathering together with each other – with the saints of God.
5) We should relate to people with tattoos and piercings withthe love of Christ.
When we see someone with tattoos and piercings, it is helpful to consider – this is somebody’s son or daughter, and they used to be a baby. And they are still loved by God.
We can move mountains, but if we do not have Christ and His love, it profits us nothing, for God is love and He seeks to manifest Himself through us.
Why do people get tattoos and piercings? They want to be accepted by their peers, and may also want to rebel against their parents or other authorities.
We can ask them about their tattoos – ask them “What does it mean to you?”
While tattoos and piercings reflect where a person is spiritually, we should not make assumptions – they are still a child of God and perhaps they have moved on from that period in their life.
The Word of God speaks to this issue: “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:28
Furthermore, our bodies are temples of the holy, righteous God: “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” I Corinthians 6:19
Can you imagine a permanent billboard advertising secular or pagan messages on a New Testament church or the temple in the Old Testament? Neither can I. (T-shirts can also be used to express viewpoints, and are less permanent).
Many who get tattoos don’t know why they do it, but they are captive to the devil, so we need to pray for them:
“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” II Timothy 2:24-26
When we were lost, we were held captive by Satan.
6) Ultimately, we want to draw close to our Lord, so we cansee the world and other people as He does.
This song expresses this: “Break my heart for what breaks Yours.” Source: Hillsong
Have a great day in the Lord, and always watch for the divine appointments He has for you each day.
In His grip,
Mark
Mark Peterson
Lifeinthespirit.net
P.S. The month of Elul on the Jewish calendar starts this Saturday, August 19, and goes until September 16. This is the last month of a Jubilee year (a Jubilee year is the last year of a 50 year period), and is often a time of great turmoil – stock market crashes, civil unrest domestically and major disturbances overseas. So hold on to your hats and stay on your knees, for God will take us through it all.
Our Tuesday morning CBMC zoom sessions continue to be fruitful, fulfilling this passage: “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17 (If you would like to join us, please let me know; we meet from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.)
Four gold nuggets from this past Tuesday morning:
We are to live in the presence of God, which will lead to the abundant life Jesus promised. (See the article below on this topic) This is in contrast to part-time Christians, who just dress up and go to church on Sunday. – PHIL
Our lives are like a train – the Word of God is the engine, the coal car is our faith, and the caboose is our feelings. Our feelings are the result of our faith, not the driver of it. The train will run with or without the caboose, but it would be useless to try to pull the train by feelings. And so it is in our Christian life. We are to put our faith in the Word of God, not our feelings. – JIM M.
I learned I could not change anyone around me. We have to release people to be who they are, and concentrate on our walk with God. Love them well, but don’t try to change them. (That’s God’s job) – CHET
My son is a U.S. marine – he is willing to lay down his life for our country; even the men and women in prison for their crimes. That is what God did for us – He sent His son Jesus to lay down His life for us to set us free, even though we deserve to be in prison for our sins. Can you imagine sacrificing your son or daughter for others, especially those in prison for their crimes? – ROLIN
“My Presence should be desired more than anything else in your life. (Psalm 16:11) It is more precious than silver or gold. (Psalm 19:10) For when you seek to enter in to My Presence, you prepare your heart and mind for an encounter with Me. (Psalm 51:10) You search yourself deep within (2 Corinthian 13:5) to see if there is anything within you that could keep you from experiencing My Presence in your daily walk with Me. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Prepare yourself to experience My Presence. (Psalm 84:1-2, James 4:8) For it will empower you to go forth and shine My Light, (Matthew 5:14-16) the Light I have placed in you with a world filled with darkness and confusion,” saith the Lord. (Isaiah 60:2)
Once My Light begins to shine upon you it begins to transform you into a new image after Myself. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Old things pass away and behold all things are made new. (2 Corinthians 5:17) As you allow Me to change you, to mold you into what I created you to be (Romans 12:2) and shackles fall and chains are broken. (Psalm 107:4) Who I set free is free indeed. (John 8:36)
You shine with the Love of Christ [agape]. (Ephesians 3:19) Others see the change in your demeanor. When they look into your eyes, they see My Love for them shining back at them. You obey My commandments when you show others Love instead of hate, encouragement instead of discouragement, and compassion instead of judgment,” saith the Lord. (Mark 12:31)
“For I Am a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) Let My Fire purify your imperfections, sanctifying you for My Work and My Purpose. (Zechariah 13:9) For I work all things together for the good of those who love Me, to them who are the called according to My Purpose. (Romans 8:28) I have a plan and a purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11) and it can only be accomplished when you walk in obedience (Job 36:11) and submission to the prompting of My Spirit that lives within you. (James 4:7, John 16:13)
Let My Love pour through you. (1 John 4:7-10) Encourage the hurting. (Psalms 3:4) Pray for the afflicted. (Psalms 102:1) Minister unto all in word and in deed without expecting anything in return. (Colossians 3:17, Luke 6:35) Live your life as an example of My Love. (1 Peter 2:21) Don’t withhold My Love from anyone you encounter (Proverbs 3:27) for through your sharing My Love, lives will be transformed and souls will be saved. (Ephesians 4:15) For My Love breaks down the walls that people set up to protect themselves from being hurt,” saith the Lord.
“Experiencing My Presence is what changes you. (2 Corinthians 3:18) It is how I fill you with My Spirit so that you can share it with the world. (Romans 15:13) My Atonement on the cross for all sins displayed My Love for all people. (1 John 2:2) It is My Commandment that ye love your neighbor as yourself. (John 15:12) And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for Love shall cover the multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) I didn’t say it would be easy, in fact, it will be one of the most difficult things you have ever done, but it will change the dynamics of how you react to your family, your church, your community, and this world. (John 13:35) It’s up to you to choose to Love like Me. (Luke 6:46) I will teach you how so you can teach others,” saith the Lord of Hosts. (Matthew 5:19)
“I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16
Ten Gold Nuggets for Walking in the Spirit:
A witness is someone who attests to what they know.
We are to serve as witnesses to our Lord. (Which means we need to spend time in His Word TO GET TO KNOW HIM and His still, small voice, not just KNOW ABOUT HIM.)
We are either missionaries or a mission field.
We are to serve where we are called. (And if we do, we will experience the joy of the Lord.)
The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will.
We like to be on the mountain top. (But often we have to go through the valley to get there.)
It is not what we acquire, but what we share that is important.
Living for other people is the only life worth living.
We need to get involved in their lives and give them something that will last forever – the Word of God (not just give them money).
A lot are looking for a hand out, not a hand up. (But if we give them a hand out, they may be open to a hand up.)
Source: Little Rock Christian Business Men’s Committee Zoom Session, July 25, 2023
Life in the Spirit 