HELP IN THE MIDST OF A STORM

Proclamation:

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now 
full ... And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, 'Peace, be still.'   And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm ... And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"  Mark 4:37-41 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Mark.  The situation was such that, because of the large crowd on the shore, Jesus sat in the ship on the lake and taught the crowd. (Mark 4:1)  After He had taught them a number of parables, He said to His disciples, let us go across to the other side of the lake. (Mark 4:35)  As they were crossing the lake a storm with strong winds arose causing waves that splashed water into the ship. (Mark 4:37)  The disciples were fearful and woke Jesus, and He calmed the wind and the sea by saying, "Peace, be still."

Application:

The disciples, who were followers of Jesus, The Christ, and who were with Him at the time, did not really understand who He was or the power that He possessed.  They were in awe that the wind and the sea obeyed Him.  Many of the believers today who are followers of Christ do not understand the power which He has.  Jesus does keep us from some things, but He allows us to get caught up in some storms to show us that He can bring us through the storms. (John 16:33)  He can calm the storms in our lives, but He can also help us to overcome the storms. (Romans 8:37 and 1 John 4:4)  Jesus is always in control of the circumstances in our lives, and we can access His awesome power to deal with them if we believe, pray, ask for it, and have faith that it will be done. (John 14:13)  We need to trust Him to help us when storms hit our life.  He may not choose to end the storm, but He will be with us through the storm.

AVOID IDLE CONVERSATION

Proclamation:

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Matthew 12:36 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Matthew.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees and to the crowd which had followed Him after He healed the demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. (Matthew 12:22)  They accused Him of being the prince of demons. (Matthew 12:24)  After defending Himself, Jesus told them that the things which come out of a person’s mouth is that which is stored up within him. (Matthew 12:33-35)  Then He told them that they would have to give an account for the words that they speak.

Application:

Most of us think that our thoughts, words, and actions are either good, bad, or neutral.  The problem is that either they give glorify God, or they don’t and they are sinful.  The Bible says that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  We should keep our conversations free from perverse and corrupt language. (Proverbs 4:24)  We would all also do well to heed the Apostle Paul's warning to Timothy to avoid all idle godless conversation. (2 Timothy 2:16)  Jesus, The Christ said that we would be judged on every idle word that we speak. (Matthew 12:36)  Christ also said that by our words we would be justified, and by our words we would be condemned. (Matthew 12:37)  Much of what we say could be left unspoken, because it is not helpful, and it does not praise God or give Him glory.  As servants of The Lord we are not to quarrel with others or engage them in pointless conversation.  We are to kindly tell them what The Lord says. (2 Timothy 2:23-26)  It is the job and sanctifying work of The Holy Spirit to convict, convince, and convert them as He deems necessary. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 and 1 Peter 1:2)  If they will not hear us, or listen to us, it is better for us to just walk away than to argue with them. (Mark 6:11)  We should always be mindful of the fact that our behavior may be the only "Bible" that some people will ever read.

THE RETURN OF CHRIST AND THE RAPTURE

Proclamation:

"For The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet The Lord in the air.  And so we will be with The Lord forever."  1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul, the human writer of almost half (thirteen of the twenty-seven Books) of The New Testament of The Bible.  They were recorded in his letter to encourage the believers in Thessaloniki.  Paul told them that those who died believing in Christ would be raised from the dead, and they would meet The Lord God in the air.  Those of us who are alive when Christ returns, will meet up with them in the air.  This meeting of the believers in the clouds in the air is referred to as the rapture of The Church.  

Application:

The first time that Christ came to earth, He came as The Sacrificial Lamb, to die in our place, to pay the price for our sins for our salvation. (John 1:29, John 18:37, 1 Corinthians 15:3, and Galatians 1:4)   Jesus said that He would come to earth a second time. (John 14:2-3)  Also an angel appeared to His disciples after He ascended to heaven and told them that He would return. (Acts 1:11)  When He comes to earth the second time, He will be coming to translate and rapture His Church. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  He is coming to gather all believers unto Himself.  We need to get ready now so that we can be ready when He comes back, for no one knows the hour or the day of His return. (Matthew 24:44, Mark 13:32, and Luke 12:40)  He may return sooner than we think or expect. (James 5:8)  

ADDITIONAL BLESSINGS FOR US AND FOR OUR CHILDREN

Proclamation:

"Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"  Deuteronomy 5:29 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words which The Lord God spoke to Moses and which he recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After the Ten Commandments were given, reviewed, and repeated to the people, they were afraid of God's presence.  They told Moses to speak to God, and then let him tell them what God had said. (Deuteronomy 5:27)  This is The Word of The Lord God which was given to Moses for the people of God.  For He heard what the people had said to Moses. (Deuteronomy 5:28)  This conditional blessing for the people and for their children, was dependent upon their sincere respect for, and humble obedience to God, and their keeping His commandments.

Application:

We would be blessed and things would go well with us, and our children, if we would follow The Word of The Lord, live His way, and keep His commandments.  We are His people, but unfortunately we are often hard-headed.  We want to do things our way.  We are blessed, but we miss out on many more blessings because we do not humbly submit to The Lord.  If things are not going well with you, try changing your behavior.  Be obedient to God and be abundantly blessed. (John 10:10)  The Lord has said that if we are obedient to His word, and do not turn away from them or Him, then we would live a long life and prosper. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)

REPENT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND

Proclamation:

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."  Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as He began His earthly ministry, after being baptized by John, the baptizer, but before He called His first disciple.  As recorded by the Apostle Matthew, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, Jesus preached and His message was "Repent".  Repent because judgement day in coming. 

Application:

Repentance from sin is very important.  It was the message of John, the baptizer. (Matthew 3:1-2)  It was also the message in the first sermons of Jesus, The Christ.  We need to repent from our sins.  This is the gospel, the good news about the coming kingdom. (Matthew 4:23)  We need to repent from our sins because judgement day in coming.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  However, not only do we need to confess our sins, but we need to turn away from them.  The Apostle Paul said that The Lord God will hear the prayers of believers and forgive their sins if they humble themselves, and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  According to the Apostle John, by repentance we give honor to God. (Revelation 14:6-7)  So, let us repent and turn to God so that our sins will be wiped out, and so that we may enjoy the blessings of The Lord God. (Acts 3:19)

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Proclamation:

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love."  1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Corinth.  Paul was encouraging them to be alert to false teaching, to keep their faith in God, and to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity knowing that they were facing times of trouble and tribulation.  He also told them to do all that they do in love.

Application:

Today, whatever our particular situation, we are to act in a Christ-like manner.  We are to obey The Word of God, have confidence in His power, know that He will keep His promises, and with His strength we will have the victory.  We should always be on guard for the devil and his devices.  We should be unyielding in our belief and our faith.  We should be courageous when we face our problems, trials, and temptations because God did not give us the spirit of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7)  With His help and strength we are victorious and more than conquerors. (Romans 8:37)  We should always demonstrate loving-kindness, especially towards one another.  That way the world will know that we are true believers in Jesus, The Christ. (John 13:35)  We should always be about doing the work of The Lord, and we should encourage others who are doing likewise. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)  We never really know what others are dealing with and a kind word of encouragement, spoken in love, can help build up who is silently suffering.

GOD'S FAVOR IS UPON US

Proclamation:

"May the favor of The Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands."  Psalms 90:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy spirit of God by Moses.  This is the only psalm written by Moses.  He ends it by asking God to grant His favor to the people of God and to grant that their life and their life's work may have meaning and be what God has called them to be.  After being in the wilderness for forty years the Children of Israel had done no work and had produced nothing.

Application:

Only with God's favor and His blessing can we be productive and lead productive lives.  Unfortunately, we do not give God the credit for all that we do.  We think and act like we did it ourselves.  Only in God do we live, move, and have our very being. (Acts 17:28)  Through Him were all things made, and without Him nothing was made. (John 1:3)  We should thank God for all that we do, all that we accomplish, and for every talent, skill, and ability that we have.  Since all of these were blessings from The Lord and nothing that we produced or accomplished would have been possible without His help.  We have been blessed and favored by God and we should be grateful and acknowledge His influence in our lives.  We should pray that our life and our life’s work will be pleasing to Him. 

GOD'S PROMISE TO BELIEVERS

Proclamation:

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares The Lord.  I will put My laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be My people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know The Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.  For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.  By calling this covenant 'new,' He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."  Hebrews 8:10-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

Here the unknown author of The Bible Book of Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34 regarding the "new covenant."  This covenant was made with the people of God. It is a promise which is based upon a spiritual change within the believer.  The new covenant bring with it the forgiveness of sins.  The first covenant was written in stone and failed because the people turned away from God.  The new covenant will be written in the hearts and minds of believers and is not dependent upon human behavior.

Application:

The new covenant promises us forgiveness of our sins.  Once we confess our sins, and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and accept Christ as our personal savior, we are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)  Our wickedness and sins are forgiven. (1 John 1:9)  Once saved, we will be judged based upon what we did that gave God glory and that will determine our rewards. In The Bible Book of First Corinthians 3:13-15, it states, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved."  Believers will be saved and rewarded based upon their works.

HAVING THE COMPLETE JOY OF JESUS

Proclamation:

"As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in My love.  If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love.  I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."  John 15:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle John.  Jesus was speaking to His disciples to comfort them after He had told them that He would soon leave them.  He told them that one of them would betray Him, (John 13:21) and that Peter would deny Him, (John 13:38) and that God, The Father, would send The Holy Spirit to be with them. (John 14:26)  Then He likened Himself to a vine and said they were the branches. (John 15:5-8)  He told that as long as they stayed connected to Him and kept His commands, they would remain in His love and that His joy would be in them. (John 15:9-11)

Application:

As human beings we want all of the good without the bad, the sunshine without the rain, and the joy without the pain.  Jesus makes it clear that obedience to His commands is the basis for experiencing His complete joy.  His joy was based upon His obedience to the will of God, The Father.  Our joy is based upon our being obedient to His word.  We can have the ultimate and complete joy of Jesus if we follow His word.  And this joy is special, nothing in the world can give it to us, and the world can't take it away from us.  This joy extends from the joy of our salvation.

GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT US AND STILL LOVES US

Proclamation:

"Jesus answered, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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.'  The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.'  He told her, 'Go, call your husband and come back.'  'I have no husband,' she replied.  Jesus said to her, 'You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have just said is quite true.'  'Sir,' the woman said, 'I can see that you are a prophet.' … The woman said, ‘I know that The Messiah is coming.  When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’  Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you, I am He.’"  John 4:10-26 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words spoken by Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Jesus left Judea heading to Galilee, He went through Samaria.  There He met the Samaritan woman by a well and asked her for a drink of water.  She questioned Him because she knew that the Jews and the Samaritans did not get along.  During their conversation Jesus told her that if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him for the living water that He could give her.  Even though she did not fully understand she asked for that water.  Jesus told her to go and get her husband and return.  When she said I have no husband, Jesus told her about her past five husbands and her current living situation.  She thought that Jesus was a prophet but He told her that He was The Messiah.

Application:

All of us are sinners. (Romans 3:23)  None of us are righteous on our own. (Romans 3:10)  God demonstrated His love for us in that, while we were lost in our sins, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)  The Lord knows us and all about our past, including all of our sins, shortcomings, failures, iniquities, and our indiscretions, and yet He still loves us enough to offer us salvation and eternal life.  Jesus had to tell the Samaritan woman about herself before she believed.  Sometimes The Lord God allows things to happen to us so that He can show us who He is and what He can do for us.  He loves us and He wants us to be with Him throughout eternity, but we must first accept Him. (John 3:16)  It is only by the love and grace of God that we have been saved and not by anything that we have done. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

LET'S DEMONSTRATE GOD'S PERFECT LOVE

Proclamation:

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God ... Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins ... since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another ... but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us ... If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is The Son of God, God lives in him and he in God ... God is love ... There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear ... If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar.  For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.  And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."  1 John 4:7-21 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle John.  Here John offers a description of what perfect love, Godly love, is and tells how we can achieve it and demonstrate it.  The Spirit of God within us imparts to us the will to love each other.  This is how love is mad complete among us so that we will have the confidence to say that we are like Christ. (1 John 4:17)

Application:
God loves us and He has proven it.  If we love God, we will love our fellow man because God is love and God is within us.  We cannot love God and hate one another.  We should pray that God will help us to love each other.  We must learn to demonstrate the love of God in our daily interactions with our fellow man.  By our doing this, the world will know that we are believers in Christ. (John 13:35)  By performing random acts of kindness for one another, and for non-believers, we demonstrate the love of God that is within us.  Love in not just a spoken emption, it requires action in order to be manifested.

TRUE FRIENDS ARE A SPECIAL BLESSING

Proclamation:

 “Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends …”  John 15:13-14 (ASV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle John.  He told them this after He told them that they should love one another as He had loved them. (John 15:12)

Application:

We call a lot of people our friends.  However, most of them are actually more appropriately classified as acquaintances, associates, classmates, colleagues, or co-workers.  Additionally, thanks to social media, we also have some “friends” who are only internet contacts.  Most of us use the term “friend” very loosely.  Jesus referred to His disciples as His friends and He said that He loved them enough to lay down His life for them.  Most of us would be willing to die for a loved one or a family member but not necessarily for our “friends.”  Think about all of the people you refer to as your friend and then ask yourself would you be willing to die for them.  Jesus loved us enough to die for us.  Most of us would not be willing to die for Him.  “What a friend we have in Jesus …”  As believers in Christ, and as students of The Word of God, we should value our relationship with The Lord and with each other.  People are allowed to enter our lives for a reason.  Some of them are a blessing to us which we may not recognize or appreciate during our encounters with them or at that time.  We should thank God for all of our friends, especially any friend that we love enough to die for, because that friend is truly a blessing.

AIM TO PLEASE GOD IN ALL THAT YOU DO

Proclamation:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for The Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from The Lord as a reward.  It is The Lord Christ you are serving.  Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism."  Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom ... The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.  Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come … " Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These two passages of scripture basically make the same point.  Both passages were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The first was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Colossae.  The second was written by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, (2 Chronicles 1:11-12) to all of the people of God who would listen.  Both passages of scripture encourage believers to do their best when they work whatever the task, "... do it with all your might ..." and "... work at it with all your heart ..." as if they were working for The Lord.

Application:

Everyone who is old enough to have even a vague understanding of life knows that they will die, they just don't know how, when, or where it will happen.  There is a purpose for our life, and a purpose for everything that we say and do.  However, if that purpose was not to give God glory, then it was a wasted effort.  We should do our best at everything that we do, because ultimately we are doing it to please God.  Man's abilities do not guarantee good results or a positive outcome during life, or at life's end.  In the end, God will judge our efforts, and the reward for our labor will come from God, not from man.

LEAD ME LORD IN YOUR WAY

Proclamation:

"In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly ... Lead me, Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies, make Your way straight before me ... But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.  Surely, Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." Psalm 5:3-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy spirit of God by King David.  It is both a song and a prayer.  David prays that God will hear him and help him.  He also wants God to destroy his enemies.  He not only prays for God's intervention in his life, but he asks for God's guidance and direction. (Psalm 5:8)  Then he very unselfishly asks that God protect all those who love Him. (Psalm 5:11-12)

Application:

The first thing that David did each morning was to pray and meditate. (Psalm 5:1-3)  It is probably a good idea for us to begin and end each day with prayer.  Pray for guidance and direction in the morning, and for forgiveness and thanks in the evening.  David was not perfect, like us he committed a number of sins, but he was always straight forward and honest with God.  When he messed up, he confessed it, and asked for forgiveness.  We should do likewise.  We should not expect God to overlook our sins and punish others for their sins.  We need to pray that God will make His way clear to us, and that He will give us the strength and faith to follow Him.  We need for Him to lead us and to guide us so that we walk in his way.

BE PATIENT AND PERSEVERE

Proclamation:

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until The Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because The Lord's coming is near.  Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door!  Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of The Lord.  As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what The Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:7-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by James, the half-brother of Jesus, The Christ.  James was encouraging the people to be patient, not just with the trials and tribulations of life, but to be patient with each other.  Things will happen in God's due time.  Pain and suffering are a part of living.  Those who had gone on before them had suffered, persevered, and were blessed.  He reminded them of Job and what he went through, and how God blessed him.

Application:

Most of us are very impatient people.  We want what we want, and we want it right now.  We need to develop patience.  Some of the things that we go through in life are part of our preparation and development, so that God can use us.  Personal growth takes time.  We may not be ready to handle some of the things we ask for at the time we request them.  It is also possible that God has something different and better in store for us which requires some maturation before we can appreciate it.  We also need to recognize that others may also need time to learn and grow.  We need to be patient with, and to pray for, others as they learn and grow.  All of us can say, "We are a work in progress, be patient with us, God is not finished with us yet."

PRAISE AND PRAYER DURING OUR TRIALS

Proclamation:

"Do not withhold Your mercy from me, Lord; may Your love and Your faithfulness always protect me.  For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.  They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.  Be pleased to save me, Lord; come quickly, Lord, to help me."  Psalms 40:11-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written by King David, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David was quick to praise The Lord and to pray.  He prayed and praised The Lord when things were going well in his life and he prayed and praised The Lord whenever he was in trouble.  He confessed his many sins and asked for God's forgiveness and His help.  He praised God for delivering him out of deep distress. (Psalm 40:1-5)  He praised God for his salvation. (Psalm 40:6-10)  Then he prays for God’s mercy and grace. (Psalm 40:11-17)  He not only prayed for himself but he also prayed for all of the people of God. (Psalm 40:16)

Application:

We could all learn a lot from David.  For even though he committed many sins, he acknowledged them and asked God for forgiveness.  He never broke his communication with God and he was always aware of his relationship to God.  That is probably why he is often referred to as "a man after God's own heart." (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22)  We would do well to imitate that part of David's behavior.  We should pray and praise God in good times and bad.  All too often we forget to pray when things are going well and we forget to praise God when things are not going so well.  We need to praise Him and thank Him for what He has already done.  We need to quit worrying about the things that we don’t have and praise Him for that which we have.  Our glass is not half empty, it is half full.  Praise The Lord for that.

STAND FIRM AND HOLD ON

Proclamation:

"... From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.  He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.  May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."  2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These word were written by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to the believers in Thessaloniki.  Paul was encouraging them by reminding them that God chose them to be saved.  He also told them to "... stand firm and hold to ..." what they have been taught.  Then he prays that God will encourage them, and strengthen them, and allow them to do more good work.

Application:

We each were created and saved by God for a purpose.  Our good works here are a part of kingdom building here on earth.  All that we do should be done for the glory of God.  Temptation is all around us and our human nature is basically sinful.  Our trials, storms, and tribulations seem to keep pulling us down.  We need to "… stand strong and hold …" on to our Bible teachings and our faith in God.  Whatever it is that we are going through, may God encourage our hearts and strengthen us, and allow us to do more good deeds in the future.

PUT NOTHING IN LIFE BEFORE GOD

Proclamation:

“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?' ... Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me."  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven ... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:16-26 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here Jesus answered the questions of a self-declared righteous young man who had asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, his reply was that he had kept the commandments since the days of his youth. (Matthew 19:20)  Then he asked what else he should do.  That was when Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him.  He left Jesus sad because he valued his money and possession more than he valued Jesus.

Application:

Most rich people have more faith in their money than in God, and they value their possessions more than the things of God.  Nothing should be more important to us than God.  We should not put anything ahead of God. (Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60)  There is nothing wrong with have lots of money and possessions as long as the money and things are not more important to us than God is.  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  Jesus also said that everyone who gave up their worldly possessions to follow Him would receive a hundred times as much and they will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)  Before we start asking God for more blessings, we should make sure that He is first, and the most important thing in our life.

THE LORD IS SPEAKING TO US

Proclamation:

 “The boy Samuel ministered before The Lord under Eli ... One night ... The Lord called Samuel.  Samuel answered, "Here I am."  And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."  But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."  So he went and lay down.  Again The Lord called, "Samuel!"  And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."  "My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie down."  Now Samuel did not yet know The Lord: The word of The Lord had not yet been revealed to him.  The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me."  Then Eli realized that The Lord was calling the boy.  So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.'  "So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel!  Samuel!"  Then Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening."  1 Samuel 3:1-10 (NIV)

Explanation:
Because he did not yet know The Lord, Samuel did not recognize the voice of The Lord.  When you know The Lord, you know His voice.  Jesus said My sheep know Me and know My voice. (John 10:4 and 14)  When The Lord speaks to us, His voice is described as "a still small voice." (1 Kings 19:12)  Multiple times throughout Deuteronomy the people were told to "hearken unto the voice of The Lord" but frequently they did not listen or obey.

Application:
Years ago, some cartoons would depict a character with a miniature devil standing on one shoulder whispering in one ear, and a miniature angel standing on the other shoulder whispering in the other ear.  The cartoon character knew which was which, but frequently first listened to the devil and got in trouble before he listened to the angel.  Most of us are just like that cartoon character, we hear the voice of The Lord, but we do not listen to it, or obey it.  We need to read our Bible more and listen to the voice of The Lord and obey it.  We should respond as Isaiah did when he heard the voice of The Lord, "Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:8)  We should at least respond as Samuel did, “Your servant is listening.”  The Lord is speaking to us, the question is, are we listening to Him?

DON'T LET GO AND DON'T LOOK BACK

Proclamation:

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in The Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of The Word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace." Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

The human author of these words is unknown but they were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by someone other than one of the apostles. (Hebrews 2:3)   This unknown author basically said that if a person has received The Word of God and then rejects it, and returns to their previous philosophies and beliefs, they will not be forgiven for their severe unfaithfulness.  "It is impossible for those ... to be brought back to repentance.  To their loss they are crucifying The Son of God all over again ..." (Hebrews 6:4-6) 

Application:

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)  Once we accept Christ as our personal Savior, we may mess up on occasion, but there is no letting go of Christ, no looking back wanting the past, and no turning back to our sinful past.   We may remember the sinful things that we did, but there is no wanting to return to our previous non-Christian beliefs.  Don't let go of God, and don't look back wanting the past.  Remember Lot's wife, when The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah for their wicked ways, she looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:24-26)  Her problem was not just looking back, but she was longing for what she had left behind.  There is a cost for following Jesus.  We must let go of our previous beliefs and lifestyles.