Agree!
But I urge you, believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your judgment [about matters of the faith]. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10 AMP
Run, with Faith!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, HEBREWS 12:1 AMP
Be Safe!
GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 AMPC
Wait!
Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14 AMPC
Love, Defined!
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 AMPC
Does anything else need to be added?
Stand!
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose]. 1 Corinthians 15:58 AMPC
Complex!
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalms 139:13-14 NLT
Seeing Right!
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man.” 1 Samuel 16:7 ERV
Plan, but Submit!
You can make many plans, but the Lord ’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21 NLT
War and Joy!
“The Lord your God is in your midst, A Warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins], He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.
ZEPHANIAH 3:17 AMP
Trust!
I will say of the Lord , “He is my refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!” PSALM 91:2 AMP
Sheep Relationships!
Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord. PSALM 23:4-6 AMP
Holding On!
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Hebrews 10:34-35 NLT
You do not hear such messages anymore: that there can be suffering and pain even when walking with God. Most of what you hear these days are the benefits and gains that come from walking with God. We forget that walking with God calls for careful consideration, where we are expected to sit down, count the cost of denying ourselves and following Jesus every day. There will be good days, and there is an assurance also that some days may not be so good, but one thing is clear, and as it has been clearly stated in today's extract, it matters where you are located and who you know and belong to.
Paul, writing here, recounted the unusual experiences of some of the men of old. When Joseph, armed with a dream, went down into slavery and prison, did it not appear that God wasn't on his side? When Stephen stood and boldly declared God's mind to the people of his time, and they responded by stoning him to death, did it not appear that God was silent? When Abraham had to leave the familiar and go out on a journey of unknown destination or timeframe, all he had was an assurance of God's presence and promise.
Nothing around these men at the time looked right; but they knew God who knew the end from the beginning and they were assured He had their back. As I take stock of my own life now, can I go out with that same assurance, certain that all will end well, no matter what it looks like now?
What keeps me sane must be an understanding of the times and seasons I am in. Nothing down here was built to last forever, and only the eyes of faith can look beyond the now into the great future God has in store. The early church gave all it had and shared it with those in need, because they had that clear understanding. Today, we hoard as much as we can, and seek only after our own interests.
The charge is this: keep your eyes on the prize. When that is settled, the temporary discomfort and inconvenience will not be a challenge. Nothing on this side of earth can secure your future, because the world itself is uncertain about its future. You are only safe and secure in the confident assurance that God will reward you if you sradn firm to the end, as God's promise of eternal life is to those who hold on to the end. Where do you stand? Where do I stand? His time of favour is here.
Sheep Relationship
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. PSALM 23:1-3 AMP
Walk Right!
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]? MICAH 6:8 AMP
When you read today's extract in context, you see God laying a charge against his people Israel. He had done so much for them and then demanded obedience and faithfulness from them, but like people who are well fed and satisfied, they threw away God's restraints and were doing as they pleased. First lesson: when all seems to be well with you, be very careful. God wants his provision and grace to make us more dependent on Him, not careless, carefree or independent of Him.
God never leaves us in doubt as to what His requirements for our lives are. There are so many commandments but let's focus on what today's extract says: to be just, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him. For any man to be pleasing to God, your first responsibility is to Him. If you do not get the vertical relationship with God right, it does not matter how well you nurture the horizontal human relationships. Today's world focuses on the horizontal; there are books and authorities on the matter, yet the world is farther apart than it has ever been. You get into the public places and you see a mass of people, yet there are no connections. Unless and until God is given his righful place, nothing is guaranteed to work.
All the attributes listed above: being just, love, kindness and humility are attributes of the presence of God in a life. It does not matter how moralistically upright you are; the complete package is found only in union with Christ. The world will offer you standards, but God has only one standard, and that is expressed in and through Christ. There is nothing in me that makes me earn God's approval or grace, and it is the finished work of Christ that qualifies me to stand before God and show forth his grace, power and mercy to the world.
The world will not take notice of the usual; only the unusual and unpredictable will speak. Where the world expects revenge, it will always notice love. Where the world expects hurt for hurt, it will always notice kindness. Where the world expects pride in achievements and possessions and all it sees is a heart completely sold out to God, then the world takes notice. Where do you fall? What are your priorities? Remember, God has made it clear what he demands of you; He will not force himself on me, but the benefits of obedience and cooperation with God will last me for eternity. His time of favour is here.
Timely Help!
In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words. ROMANS 8:26 AMP
Introductions!
“Behold, God, my salvation! I will trust and not be afraid, For the Lord G od is my strength and song; Yes, He has become my salvation.” ISAIAH 12:2 AMP
Stand Guard!
More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it. Proverbs 4:23 CEB
Standing Strong!
THE Lord is my Light and my Salvation–whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 AMPC
The Overflow!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. ROMANS 15:13 AMP
Functional Relationships!
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 TLV
Lessons!
He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin]. PROVERBS 10:17 AMP
Consistency!
The Lord appeared from of old to me [Israel], saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3 AMPC
Life!
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 AMPC
Rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! PHILIPPIANS 4:4 AMP
Attitude, Response, Repetition.
Good News!
So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.
Romans 10:17 ERV
The Basics!
No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15:13 AMPC
Personal Touch!
And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 4:19 AMP
Do Right 3
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 KJV
Do Right 2
Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 NRSV
