Don't Envy Others Walk With The Spirit

"Since we live by The Spirit, let us keep in step with The Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."  Galatians 5:25-26 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Galatia, the Apostle Paul told them that since The Holy Spirit of God was within them, that they should obey The Word of God and keep His commandments.  He also told them that they should not be jealous or envious of one another, or be conceited and self-centered.

When we are envious of that which others have, it suggests that we are dissatisfied with that which The Lord God has blessed us with.  It suggests that we are ungrateful or greedy.  Being greedy can lead to sinful thoughts and actions. (Proverbs 1:19)   We should not envy sinners or one another. (Proverbs 23:17 and Galatians 5:26)  The Lord God will deal with those who enjoy ill-gotten gains. (Psalms 37:1-2)  Envy is one of the sins of those with a reprobate mind. (Romans 1:29)  Envy will destroy us, it will eat up that which is inside of us. (Proverbs 14:30)  We, who are called by His name, should have faith in Him and obey His Holy Word. (Exodus 20:17 and Romans 13:9)  We should not be envious of that which others have, but we should rejoice with them that they have been blessed. (Romans 12:15)   We live by The Spirit and we should exhibit the Christ-like qualities of The Spirit of God. (Galatians 5:22-23)  Since we live by The Spirit of God, let us walk with The Spirit of God. (Galatians 5:25) 

Honest Is The Best Policy

"Finally, 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.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of The Lord Jesus.  It is God's will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."  1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki, the Apostle Paul gave them instructions regarding holy living in order to please God.  He urged them to live a sanctified life, to control their bodies, and to live in an honest, holy, and honorable manner.  He also warned them that God would punish them if they chose to do otherwise.

We know that we are all sinners, we all fall short when it comes to obeying The Word of God. (Romans 3:23)  However, we are all encouraged to make an active effort to do the will of God and live a Christ-like life.  It would please The Lord God if we would consciously choose to sin less and less each day.  We may not know all that is contained within The Word of God, but we know right from wrong.  God said that we should be holy because we are His and He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  We have been called and set apart from the world to behave in a Christ-like manner. (Psalms 4:3)  Our bodies are His temple, and we should treat ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19 and Romans 12:1)  We should be honest and helpful in our dealings with each other.  We are children of God, and our actions should reflect that we are in this world but not of this world. (Romans 8:16, Galatians 3:26, and John 8:23)  "God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." (1 Thessalonians 4:7)

Thank You Lord

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received The Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, The Word of God, which is at work in you who believe."  1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki.  He was thankful that they received the disciples, and that they heard The Word of God and they believed it.  Paul also said that they were witnesses that the disciples worked while among them so as not to be a burden on the people.  Then he urged them to live theirs lives in such a manner that would be pleasing to God, and to continue to imitate Christ-like behavior.

Today, we should also be thankful, and we should thank The Lord God continually.  We should thank Him for His Son, Jesus, The Christ, and we should thank Him because we have The Word of God within us.  During this thanksgiving holiday season, and every day throughout the remainder of this year and on into the future, we should give God thanks for blessing us.  We should also live our lives in a way which imitates Christ-like behavior. (1 Thessalonians 2:14)

Be Thankful Share And Pray With Thanksgiving

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."  2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in The Church at Corinth to encourage them to be generous with those who were less fortunate.  He told them that they had been blessed, and would be blessed even more so that they could be a blessing to others. 
He also said that their generosity would result in them giving thanksgiving to God. 

O, give thanks unto The Lord. (Psalms 105:1, 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, and 136:1)  We should begin our thanksgiving celebration with prayer, as Nehemiah was first to do. (Nehemiah 11:17)  We are encouraged to always come before the presence of The Lord with thanksgiving. (Psalms 95:2)  When we enter into our place of worship, we should do so with thanksgiving. (Psalms 100:4)  We should sing unto The Lord with thanksgiving. (Psalms 147:7)  This should not be something that we do one day of the year, every day is a day of thanksgiving.  We have been blessed in more ways than we can count, and we should be thankful. (Psalms 100:4 and Colossians 3:15)  We have been blessed so that we can be a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Let us thank God for the blessings which we have already received, and let us share with those who are less fortunate.  Let us not worry about anything, and pray about every thing with thanksgiving to God. (Philippians 4:6)  Let us do this every day, and not just on this day of celebration, but continually. (Colossians 4:2)  Have a blessed day of thanksgiving.  O, give thanks unto The Lord. 

Repent And Turn To God

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from The Lord, and that He may send The Christ, who has been appointed for you, even Jesus."  Acts 3:19-20 (NIV)

These are The Holy Spirit inspired words, which were recorded by Luke, the physician, that were spoken by the Apostle Peter to the crowd that had gathered at the temple gate, after he healed the lame man.  He told the crowd that God had sent Jesus unto them, and they denied Him.  He said that they asked Pilate to release a murderer and crucify Jesus.  He said that they killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead, and he and the disciples were witnesses of His resurrection. (Acts 3:11-15)  Peter's message to them was that they should repent, and turn to God, so that their sins may be forgiven.

Christ died for the sins of the world. (John 1:29)  That means that He died for our sins, He went to the cross and died for us.  We also need to repent, to turn from our sinful ways, and to seek His face, and to follow Him. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  If we confess our sins, and ask to be forgiven, He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from our unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  We must repent while we have the opportunity, and get busy working for The Lord. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)  There will come a point in time when it will be to late for our names to be recorded in The Lamb's Book of Life. (Revelation 20:12 and 20:15)   Jesus said and preached, repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2 and 4:17)

Enjoy The Joy Of The Presence Of The Lord

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."  Psalms 16:9-11 (NIV)

After beginning this psalm with a one line prayer, King David goes on to recount how The Lord has blessed him, and then he restates his commitment to The Lord.  Then he states how glad he is that The Lord has kept him, shown him the right path to take, and filled him with joy.

We can learn a lot from David.  The first thing that we should learn is that a prayer does not have to be lengthy in order to be effective. (Psalms 16:1)  Maybe if we prayed more often, then our prayers would not have to be so long.  The second thing we can learn is to praise The Lord
more often for the good things that He has done for us and for others. (Psalms 16:2-3)  We need to be grateful for what we have already been blessed to receive. (Psalms 16:5-6)  Then we need to listen to, and obey the counsel and instruction of The Lord, and we should always keep The Word of God before us. (Psalms 16:7-8)  God has blessed us, and we should be glad. (Psalms 16:9)  He has shown us the right path to take, and His Word is the light unto the right pathway. (Psalms 16:11 and Psalms 119:105)  The joy that He has given to us, cannot be taken from us. (John 17:13)  He is always with us, and in His presence there is complete joy. (Psalms 16:11)

The Humble Will Be Exalted

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."  Matthew 23:12 (NIV)

These are the words spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples, to the crowd, and to the Pharisees and Sadducees in the temple in Jerusalem, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew.  He said this after telling them not to do things just to be seen by men.  He also said that they should not seek lofty titles, or call themselves "Rabbi", or "father", or "teacher".  The man who exalts himself will be brought down, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.

We should not promote or exalt ourselves, true promotion and exaltation comes from The Lord, He puts up one and puts down another. (Psalms 75:6-7)  He will honor and bless whomever He chooses, for whatever purposes He chooses.  The proud shall be brought down and the humble shall be honored. (Proverbs 29:23)  It is better to be invited up to a position of honor than it is to be asked to move or step down after taking a position or seat on your own.  It is better to be humble than to be proud. (Proverbs 16:19 and 1 Peter 5:5)  If we humble ourselves before The Lord, He will lift us up. (James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6)

Make Every Effort To Add To Your Faith

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."  2 Peter 1:3-8 (NIV)

These are the words of the Apostle Peter, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the early church to counter the false teachers who were infiltrating the church.  Peter told them that God had given them the power escape the corruption caused by evil desires and evil influences.  He told them that they must make every effort to exercise their faith.  By doing so, they would increase their faith and produce more fruit of The Spirit of God.

Today we need to realize that The Lord has blessed us and given us some of His divine power.  We have The Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, and that makes us capable of exhibiting the fruit of The Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)  These traits which we have as believers, we ought to increase them within our lives and in our behavior.  As we exercise them, we become stronger in the faith, and thereby we become more effective and productive in our efforts for The Lord.

God's Correction Discipline And Punishment

"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so The LORD your God disciplines you.  Observe the commands of The LORD your God, walking in His ways and revering Him."  Deuteronomy 8:5-6 (NIV)

This Fifth Book of Moses, the fifth book of the Pentateuch, which center around the events that occur near the end of the life of Moses, was written to the people of God.  Here Moses told them that just as they discipline their children, so The Lord God disciplines them.  His purpose was to correct their wayward attitude and behavior.  Moses encouraged them to obey The Lord, to keep His commandments, and to walk in His ways.

Some times as believers, because of our back-sliding sinful behavior, we need a good old fashion spanking, and The Lord God provides us with the appropriate discipline to get our attention and to change our behavior.  In this day of "time out" as a form or punishment, some parents need to be reminded that The Bible says, spare the rod, spoil the child. (Proverbs 22:15, Proverbs 23:13, and Proverbs 29:15)  None of us received all of the punishment from our parents that we deserved, and thanks to His goodness and mercy, The Lord God did not discipline us every time that we sinned.  However, our sins did not go unnoticed. (Job 34:21)  
If we confess our sins and ask to be forgiven, He will cleanse us of our unrighteousness because Jesus paid the price for our sins. (1 John 1:9)  If we do not confess our sins, then we will have to give and account for them. (Luke 16:2)  Blessed is the man whom The Lord God chastises. (Psalms 94:12)  He only disciplines us because He loves us, and He wants us to do that which is right. (Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6)

Refrain From Anger And Wrath And Sin

"Be still before The LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evil."  Psalms 37:7-8 (NIV)

These are the words of King David, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, addressed to the people of God, telling them to relax, be calm, and do not get upset because of what is going on around them, especially the success of the wicked.

These words are also appropriate for us today.  The wicked, the evil ones, the liars, and the cheats seem to be getting ahead in this world and enjoying the spoils of success.  Whereas the good, "the nice guys" seem to finish last.  Believers should not worry about the wicked ones, for they will soon be cut down. (Psalms 37:1-2)  Rather, what we should do is trust in The Lord, commit to The Lord, delight in The Lord, and do that which is good in His sight, and He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalms 37:3-5)  We should learn how to mind our own business and not worry about the affairs of others. (1 Thessalonians 4:11)  We should do what The Lord has assigned for us to do, and we should pray for every body else, good and bad.

The Lord Can Calm Our Storms

"Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.  Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke Him, saying, 'Lord, save us!  We're going to drown!'  He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?'  Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.  The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this?  Even the winds and the waves obey Him!"  Matthew 8:23-27 (NIV)

In the gospel according to the Apostle Matthew, he records this account of The Lord Jesus rebuking the wind and the waves.  He spoke and calmed the storm. (Peace, be still. Mark 4:39)  He questioned His disciples and asked them why were they afraid.  Jesus already knew that they were men of little faith.  They did not yet really understand exactly who He was and is.  

Today, we act like we do not understand just how powerful The Lord God really is.  Every thing on earth is subject to His will.  When Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead, He said that all power in heaven and in earth is given unto Him. (Matthew 28:18)  When we were created, we were given the free will to choose to serve God, or not to serve Him. (Joshua 24:15)  We have the option to believe in Him, or not to believe. (John 3:15, John 3:16, and Acts 10:43)  He will knock on the door of our hearts, but we must open it and invite Him inside. (Revelation 3:20)  If we choose to believe in Him, He can calm the storms in our lives.  He can also give us His peace and protection in the midst of our storms and troublesome situations, and deliverance through them. (Jonah 2:1-10)  Some times He will move our mountains and calm our storms, and other times He will give us the strength to endure them.  As He told the Apostle Paul, His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  

Don't Use The Same Words Every Time You Pray

"And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words."  Matthew 6:7 (NIV)  The King James Version of The Bible for this verse reads: "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

These are the words of Jesus which He spoke during His Sermon on The Mount, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew, with respect to how believers should pray.  

Jesus said that we should not pray to be seen by men. (Matthew 6:5)  It is better for us if we pray in private when we pray. (Matthew 6:6)  Jesus said that we are not to use "vain repetitions" when we pray.  We should not say the exact same thing each time we pray.  Prayer is our means of communicating with The Lord God.  We would not take seriously anyone who spoke to us using the exact same words in every conversation.  Then why would we speak to God in that manner?  Our prayers should be respectful and relevant to our situation, circumstance, or need, or the needs of others.  Our prayers should not be merely  words which we recite.  Let us not be guilty of saying the same thing to The Lord God every time that we pray.  Let us be sincere, honest, and truthful when we pray.  Let us mean what we say, and let us be careful what we ask for.  The effective fervent prayer of the righteous is productive and fruitful. (James 5:6)  God hears the prayers of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

We Have Sinned Against God

"I said, 'O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against You."  Psalms 41:4 (NIV)

King David uttered and recorded this brief prayer to The Lord God.  David knew that he was a sinner, although he did not identify exactly which of his sins he was referring to in this case.  However, he admitted that he had sinned, and he knew that the sin was a sin against God.  He asked for God's help to heal his sin sick soul, and he asked God to have mercy on him, and not to give him the punishment that he deserved.

As believers, we need to understand that we are still sinners. (Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:10)  All unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  If whatever we did or said did not give God glory, then it was a sin.  It is also important for us to realize that we may do wrong to our brother, but all sin is a sin against God. (Psalms 51:4 and 1 Corinthians 8:12)  The penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  However, Christ took our place and died for our sins. (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Galatians 1:4, and 1 John 2:2)  And, if we confess our sins, The Lord God will forgive us of our sins. (1 John 1:9)  If we want God's mercy and forgiveness, we have to ask for it.

Believers Are Protected

"The angel of The LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them."  Psalms 34:7 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit inspired King David to write these words to the people of God to let them know that The Lord God protects and delivers those who love Him and obey Him.  

There is some disagreement among the Bible scholars with respect to the exact meaning of the phrase "the angel of The Lord".  Most of them, like John MacArthur,  F. J. Dake, and C. I. Scofield, suggest that it refers to the special manifestation of Yahweh Himself, the pre-incarnate appearances of The Lord Jesus, The Christ.  While others, like Matthew Henry, suggest that it refers to a guard of angels, but as unanimous in their service as if they were but one, or a guardian angel.  However He does it, it is clear that God protects His people from the malice and powers of evil.  If we believe and confess that Jesus, The Christ, is The Son of The Living God, and that He rose from the dead, then we are also protected. (Romans 10:9-10)  We do not have to understand how The Lord God does what He does, we just have to have faith in Him and trust Him. (Proverbs 3:5)  For it is by faith in Him that we walk this walk. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  So we can rest assured knowing that He has a hedge of protection around us, (Job 1:10), and we are safe in His hand. (John 10:28-29)

Keep The Tongue From Evil And Lies

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.  Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of The LORD are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry;"  Psalms 34:13-16 (NIV)

These are the words of King David, inspired by The Holy Spirit of God, as he exhorted believers to avoid lying and speaking evil of others.  He also told them that they should do that which is good, and to avoid doing that which is evil.  He warned them that The Lord God sees all that they do, and He hears all that they say, especially their prayers.  

As believers, we need to watch what we say, and what we do.  We need to avoid all gossiping, backbiting, speaking evil, as well as lying on, to, or about anyone. (Exodus 20:16, Matthew 19:18, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20, and Romans 13:9)  Lying lips are an abomination to The Lord God, (Proverbs 12:22), and there is a special place in hell for liars. (Revelation 21:8)  Not only are we to do that which is good, to turn from our evil ways and seek His ways, (2 Chronicles 7:14), we are also to avoid even the appearance of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:22)  Our behavior should not cause another to stumble into sin. (Malachi 2:8)  Our Christian walk should be such that we can show and tell others to walk ,Christ-like, as we walk. (2 John 1:6)  As believers, we should always be mindful of the fact that The Lord God sees all, and He hears all.

God Is Protection In Times Of Trouble

"The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You."  Psalms 9:9-10 (NIV)

This is The Holy Spirit inspired Word of God which was written by King David to encourage the people of God during times of trouble.  He begins this psalm with praise to God for delivering him from his enemies. (Psalms 9:1-6)  He knows that judgment is coming to the world, (Psalms 9:7-8), but the people of God will be protected.  The Lord God has never forsaken those believers who trust in Him and who follow His Word.

When we are in the midst of one of life's storms, we can always seek and find refuge in The Lord.  He will always shelter and protect believers in times of trouble. (Psalms 61:3)  He can protect us from our enemies. (Psalms 143:9)  He is our stronghold.  He puts a hedge of protection around us, and around our families because of us. (Job 1:10)  He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  The Lord God is always present, and He is always there to help us in times of trouble. (Psalms 46:1)

 

Pray About Everything And Worry About Nothing

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

In a letter to the believers in The Church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote while imprisoned in Rome to encourage them, (Philippians 4:1-5), to thank them for their gift, Philippians 4:14-18), and to warn them.  He told them not to worry about anything, but to pray about everything.  He told them that they should present their requests to The Lord God in prayer, with thanksgiving in their hearts.  He also said that if they prayed and did not worry, that God would grant them peace of mind and heart through Jesus, The Christ.

The old saying is: "If you pray, then don't worry; but if you are going to worry, then don't pray." (Author unknown)  The Lord God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Jesus said do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:34)  King David said do not worry about evil doers. (Psalms 37:1, 37:7, and 37:8)  His son, King Solomon also said the same thing. (Proverbs 24:19)  In fact, the phrase "fear not" is used sixty-three times in The Bible.  Additionally, we are encouraged to always pray. (Luke 18:1, Luke 21:36, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11)  If we pray and praise God continuously, then there is no need for us to worry about anything.  We should not let the devil steal the joy out of the present, by causing us to worry about the future, for we know who holds and controls the future. 

Knocked Down But Not Destroyed

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;  perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;  struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."  2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (NIV)

These Holy Spirit inspired words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church at Corinth in order to provide them with words of encouragement during difficult times.  He told them that even though things were bad for them at that time, they were knocked down, but not knocked out.  He told them that because they had Christ within them, The Lord God who raised Jesus up from the dead, would also raise them up. (2 Corinthians 4:14)

We need to understand that we have already been assured of the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57 and 1 John 5:4)  Satan and his demons may attack us, and we may fall, stumble into sin, or get knocked down by the storms of life, but we will not stay down. (Psalms 37:24)  The Lord God said that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  We are more than conquerors through Jesus, The Christ. (Romans 8:37)  So, we may be hard pressed, but we will not be crushed.  We may get knocked down, but we will not be destroyed.  We have The Spirit of The Lord God within us, and we will rise up again.

God Is Our Refuge And Our Protection

"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."  Psalms 18:2 (NIV)

This psalm is a song of King David.  In this verse, He is taking comfort in and expressing the fact that The Lord God is the source of his strength, his hiding place, and the source of his protection.  This is part of his justification for his love for The Lord. (Psalms 18:1)  It is also why he says that The Lord God is worthy of praise, because He has saved him from trouble. (Psalms 18:3)

We know that our strength comes from The Lord. (Exodus 15:2, Psalms 27:1, Psalms 28:7, Psalms 37:39, Psalms 118:14, and Isaiah 12:2)  We also know that The Lord God is the source of our protection. (Deuteronomy 33:27, 2 Samuel 22:3, Psalms 9:9, Psalms 46:1, Psalms 57:1, Psalms 59:16, Psalms 62:7, Isaiah 25:4, and Jeremiah 16:19)  As He was in the past, He is now, and always will be. (1 Kings 8:57)  He did it for them and He can do it for us.  
When God is our foundation, we are on solid ground and unshakable.  When He is our protection, we are safe for all hurt, harm, and danger. (Psalms 91:4)  There is no safer place, and there is no place that we would rather be. (John 10:28-29)  We can take comfort in knowing that we are safe in God. (Psalms 46:1)

Praise The Lord For All His Blessings

"Praise The LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.  Praise The LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits;  who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."  Psalms 103:1-5 (NIV)

This psalm of King David is a song of praise.  He encouraged the people to praise The Lord God with all that is within them because of all of the good things that He has done for them.  They should praise Him because He forgives their sins, heals their diseases, lifts them up when they fall, loves them in spite of their selves, and He gives them the desires of their hearts while He preserves strength and their ability to function.

We should praise and thank The Lord much more often than we do.  He has done so much for us.  He is worthy of all praise.  In fact, His praise should continually be in our mouths. (Psalms 34:1)  We have been blessed in more ways than we can count.  He wakes us up each day.  He forgives our many sins.  He blesses us with His loving kindness and His mercy.  He allows us to recover from illnesses.  He renews our strength.  He delivers us from death.  We ought to praise The Lord with all that is within us, and we ought to praise Him often.

Our Spirit Will Live Forever

"Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her.  'Stop wailing,' Jesus said. 'She is not dead but asleep.' "  Luke 8:52 (NIV)

Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the Apostle Paul, recorded these words which Jesus spoke to the crowd that was mourning the death of the twelve year old daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue.  He said, stop crying, she is not dead, she is asleep.  Jesus touched her hand and called to her, and her spirit returned to her, and she got up. (Luke 8:54-55)

We were created to live forever, our spirit will never die.  Once our spirit leaves our physical body, the body dies and the spirit returns to The Lord God who created it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7, 2 Corinthians 5:6 and 5:8)  So we can find some comfort in knowing that our loved ones who have died are just asleep, and they will rise again.  On that great day, when The Lord God Himself shall return, the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)  Then we will all meet up with Him in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)  We will see our loved ones again.

Put On The Whole Armor Of God Stand Firm And Pray

"Finally, be strong in The Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  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.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of The Spirit, which is The Word of God.  And pray in The Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in The Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul told them to be strong and to arm themselves with the whole armor of God, so that they could stand against the devil's schemes, against evil rulers, authorities, powers, and against evil spiritual forces.  Paul told them that when evil attacks them, they should stand firm in the things of God and pray.  He advised them to pray, not only for themselves, but to pray for all of the saints because they would also be under attack.

We need to be aware of the fact that we are engaged in a battle against evil powers and evil spiritual forces, which we cannot stand up against without the help of The Lord God and His power.  Daily we struggle against evil.  The only protection we have from evil are The Truth, His righteousness, the gospel of His peace, faith in Him, and His salvation.  The only weapons that we have to fight against evil are The Word of God and prayer.  Without the help of The Lord God we could not stand against the evil schemes and power of the devil.  God knows that, which is why He said that the battle is not ours, it is His. (2 Chronicles 20:15)  Just as He did for Israel, He will fight our battles. (2 Chronicles 20:17)  We just need to believe, and pray, then stand and see the salvation of The Lord.

We Must Believe In Order To Receive

"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, calling out, 'Have mercy on us, Son of David!'  When He had gone indoors, the blind men came to Him, and He asked them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?'  'Yes, Lord,' they replied.  Then He touched their eyes and said, 'According to your faith will it be done to you;' and their sight was restored.  Jesus warned them sternly, 'See that no one knows about this.'  But they went out and spread the news about Him all over that region."  Matthew 9:27-31 (NIV)

After Jesus had raised the dead daughter of the ruler, and after He had healed the woman who had the issue of blood for twelve years, two blind men followed Him.  The blind men called out to Him saying, "Have mercy on us."  Jesus asked them if they believed that He could heal them.  Then Jesus said, "According to your faith will it be done to you;" and their sight was restored.

Like the two blind men, we must ask The Lord God for what we want, we must be persistent with our request, and we must believe that He can and will do what we ask of Him.  He can hear our prayer requests. (Psalms 6:9, Psalms 66:19, and Proverbs 15:29)  We must believe that He will reward those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  The two blind men first followed Him, and then they were tested before they were blessed.  Some blessings are only for believers, and the blessing and the testimony only come after the test.  Some things we must first believe in order to receive.  

Once Forgiven Christ Won't Remember Our Sins

"But when This Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.  Since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool, because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.  First He says: 'This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says The Lord.  I will put My laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.'  Then He adds: 'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.' "  Hebrews 10:12-16 (NIV)

This unknown author of the Book of Hebrews clearly stated to the scattered people of God that Jesus sacrificed Himself once and for the sins of all, and that He is now in heaven, seated at the right hand of God, The Father.  His sacrifice paid the price for those who were being imputed with righteousness.  Once they believed, He put His Word in their hearts and on their minds.  Then he said that He would no longer remember their sins.

Today, we need to know that Christ died on the cross for our sins.  Once we believe, we are forgiven and declared righteous.  The Holy Spirit of God has entered us to bring to our remembrance The Word of God and all that Jesus taught us. (John 14:26)  When we choose to follow Him, our past sins are forgiven.  Christ has forgiven us, so we no longer have to beat ourselves up for our past sinful mistakes and indiscretions.  We are now new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  Thank God, we are not who we used to be.  As we daily strive to be more Christ-like, we are not as good today as we are going to be. 

The Lord God Keeps Our Light Burning

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."  Psalms 18:28 (NIV)  The King James Version of The Bible reads; "For thou wilt light my candle, The Lord, my God will enlighten my darkness."

King David penned this psalm as a song of deliverance.  In this psalm he records what God has done for His chosen people, and specifically what He has done for David himself.  Here he states that it was The Lord God who brought him out of trouble and darkness, and into His marvelous light.

When we were walking in darkness, we were lost, undergoing disappointment and discouragements, trials and tribulations, all without hope.  It was The Lord God who turned our darkness into light, showed us the right way, and provided a light on our path for our feet. (Psalms 119:105)  The moment that we believed, The Holy Spirit of God entered into us, and changed us. (John 14:17, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and 2 Corinthians 5:17)  He enlightened our mind and our heart.  The light that He lit within us, was so that we could be a light to a world that is struggling in darkness. (Matthew 5:14-16)  He made disciples of us so that we could go forth and make disciples of others. (Matthew 28:19 in the ASV, ESV, NAS, NIV, NKJV, NLT, and  RSV Bible versions)  We were spiritually enlightened so that we could enlighten others.  He keeps our light burning only because He still has work for us to do. (Ecclesiastes 9:10 and John 9:4)

Comfort Encourage And Edify One Another

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."  1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)  The King James Version of The Bible reads: " Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki and told them that they should comfort and encourage each other.  He also said that they should edify one another and build each other up.  Then he added the phrase "even as ye also do" so as not to offend them or to sound as if he was chastising them.

The Bible says that we are to love one another. (John 13:34, 13:35, 15:12, and 15:17)  We are also to help one another. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)  However, we are also to encourage and comfort one another, and to edify, teach, and build up one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)  We are truly to be our brother's keeper and helper.  We are to promote the welfare of others.  We are to pray for one another. (James 5:16)  We are to treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated. (Matthew 7:12)  Jesus said that as we treat His brothers, which are also our brothers, we are doing it to Him. (Matthew 25:40 and 25:45)  So, we need to be very careful with respect to the way we treat each other.  We need to treat one another with loving kindness, and help them, comfort them, encourage them, build them up, and teach them as best we can.

Peace Joy and Comfort Come From God

"When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."  Psalms 94:19 (NIV)  The King James Version of the Bible reads: "In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul."

The author of this psalm penned this song for the people of God, for a time when the faithful were being oppressed and the wicked seemed to have no fear of The Lord.  This song expressed the consolation in the assurance that, even though they were anxious, concerned, and worried about what was going on around them, The Lord God was able to comfort them and brought a calming joy and peace to their soul.

There are times today when the situations and circumstances of life can have us so anxious that our minds just will not turn off.  However, The Bible says that we should not be anxious for anything. (Philippians 4:6)  It is a comfort for believers to know that even during times of grief, sorrow, sadness, distress, trials, troubles, and tribulations, that The Word of God can afford us consolation. (Psalms 94:19, Acts 15:31, and 2 Corinthians 1:5-7)  The Lord God can calm any storm, (Mark 4:39), or He can bring a calming peace to our mind and spirit in the midst of any storm. (John 20:19 and 26)  It does not matter what is going on in our heads or our hearts, The Lord God is The God of comfort, and He can ease our troubled mind and heart. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)  We just have to believe, pray, and ask Him, and know that He will. (John 15:7)

Created To Do Good Works For God's Glory

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

These divinely inspired words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church at Ephesus.  Paul told them that they were created by The Lord God, to do the good works which He had planned and prepared in advance for them to do.

It is not always easy to do that which we know is the right thing to do.  Our human flesh nature and our spiritual nature are frequently at war as we decide what to do.  We can come up with plenty of excuses for not doing that which we know that we should do.  It is possible that we were created for such a time as this, to do the right thing. (Esther 4:14)  "Sometimes God will call you to do a work – a work that He has planned for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). You may not want to do it. You may feel that you are not smart enough, talented enough, strong enough, or bold enough. You may even argue with God like Moses did (Exodus 3-4). You may laugh at God like Sarah did (Genesis 18:12). But if you obey God and depend on Him to work through you, amazing things will happen. People will be blessed. You will be blessed.  You may never know the people who are changed by your obedience (to God) to speak a word, to lend a hand, or to give a hug. You may never know the lives that are impacted by your obedience to do what God has called you to do. But know this. There will be abundant fruit with your name on it – if you choose to obey." (Sharon Jaynes, author of When Saying "Yes" To God Seems Too Hard)