DO NOT BRAG OR BOAST ABOUT YOURSELF

Proclamation:

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips." Proverbs 27:2 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live. (2 Chronicles 1:11-12)  Solomon wanted the people of God to know that bragging is not a good thing to do.  One should not seek to honor one’s self. (Proverbs 25:27)

Application:

Do not brag or boast about who you are or what you have.  Jesus told the parable about the certain rich man who said to himself "... you have plenty of good things laid up for many years ..." and The Lord told him "You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you." (Luke 12:16-21)  If we brag about what we have, we may not get to enjoy it.  "All such boasting is evil." (James 4:16)  Arrogant boasting about our accomplishments and possessions leaves God out of the equation.  By bragging we are taking credit for what He has blessed us with and allowed or caused to happen.   Personal aggrandizement, self-seeking honor and pride can lead to one's downfall.  "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12)  "For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom The Lord commends." (2 Corinthians 10:18)  Be humble, lift The Lord up, and He will lift you up.  We should not promote ourselves, promotions are blessing from God and He exalts whom He chooses. (Psalm 75:6-7)  A good academic exercise for us would be to describe ourselves without saying what we do or did, what we have, or who we are related to.  In all of our ways and self-descriptions we should acknowledge the blessing of The Lord. (Proverbs 3:6) 

THE PENALTY FOR SIN AND THE GIFT OF GOD

Proclamation:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome.  Paul wanted them to know that death is the punishment for sin.  However, believers in Jesus, The Christ, will receive the God given gift of eternal life. 

Application:

We all have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  None of us is righteous. (Romans 3:10)  We all deserve the penalty of death for our sins.  Death is both physical and spiritual.  The physical death is the separation of the body and the soul.  Man is just the dust of the earth into which God breathed the breath of life and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)  Without the God given breath of life the body dies and the soul returns to God.  The spiritual death is the eternal separation from Jesus, The Christ.  This "second death" occurs when the soul is cast into the "lake of fire" for eternal damnation and torment.  The only way to escape the second death is by belief in Christ and the acceptance of the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16)  We cannot pay the debt that we owe for our sins.  However, Jesus has already paid the debt for us with His death on Calvary and He has given us the opportunity for eternal life with Him, if we believe in Him.  At some point in time we will all die.  The question is, after death, where will your soul spend eternity?

NOW WHEN I AM OLD AND GREY

Proclamation:

"Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, My God, until I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come."  Psalms 71:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words are believed to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David stated that he wanted to tell all who would listen about the righteous deeds and mighty acts of God. (Psalm 71:15-16)  He stated that God had taught him things since the days of his youth. (Psalm 71:17)  Now he was asking God not to forsake him and to spare him until he had declared God’s power and mighty acts to the next generation.

Application:

Do not discard or disregard the "seasoned" senior saints, there is a lot of wisdom tied up in all those years that could be useful to the believers of the world.  For we who are old have seen, and experienced, and learned a lot during our Christian walk that could benefit the younger generations.  We can truly testify, based upon our trials and tribulations, about the strength and power of The Lord, and what He has done in our lives.  To the young I say, listen when the elderly speak, you just may learn something.  God is not through with us old folks yet, and with His help there is still some kingdom building work for us to do.  To the old I say, share what you have learned with the younger generations, with your children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anyone’s child who will listen.  He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others.  God has left us here among the living because work is not done.  That is why we can pray this old man's prayer.  We need to praise Him for all that He has done and we need His help to guide our tongue as we speak to the younger generations.

GOD SEES ALL THAT WE DO

Proclamation:

“For your ways are in full view of The Lord, and He examines all of your paths.”  Proverbs 5:21 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible reads: "For the ways of man are before the eyes of The Lord, and He pondereth all his goings."  Proverbs 5:21 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King Solomon, who was blessed to be the wisest man to ever live. (2 Chronicles 1:11-12)  Solomon wanted the people to know that The Lord God was watching them all of the time and sees everything that they do.  His purpose was to encourage them to behave in a Christ-like manner.

Application:

Imagine a video camera being focused upon you, 24 hours each day, 365 days of the year.  Would you want that recording played back to all of your family and friends in church, especially if it included all that you said and thought?  That which is done in the dark will soon come to the light.  Some people say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."  It is as if they believe that God is not there and that He does not see all that goes on in Las Vegas, and everywhere else.  God sees all of our actions.  He also hears all of our spoken words, and He can read our minds and our hearts.  He knows all of our thoughts and the motives behind our behavior.  It is a sin to think sinful thoughts. (Matthew 5:28)  For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)  God knows us, and He love us in spite of our sinful behavior.  However, on judgement day, Jesus is going to judge each of us on all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. (Matthew 12:36-37, 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, and Revelation 20:12-13)  We should repent now and ask for forgiveness for all of our sins, and pray for His help to avoid them in the future.

ARE YOUR WORDS AND YOUR WORKS CONSISTENT

Proclamation:

"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."  Titus 1:16 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God to Titus, a young preacher of the gospel.  Paul wanted to warn him that all people are not who they say that they are.  There were false teachers among the congregation. (Titus 1:10-11)  There are also those who profess to know Christ but their actions suggest otherwise.

Application:

A lot of people call themselves 'Christians', but their actions suggest that they are not.  We live as if we don't believe what we say.  What are we as 'Christians' teaching the world by our actions?  By posing as Christians, where our practice does not match our profession, we disqualify ourselves from any good work for Christ.  Eventually, the 'works,' of those who claim to know The Lord with their 'words,' will betray them and reveal that they are actually unbelievers.  If our 'words' and our 'works' are inconsistent, then we are not true believers in Jesus Christ.  If we are Christian, then we ought to talk like one, act like one, and love like one.  Talk alone is cheap.  "Our actions speak louder than our words." (Unknown)  To say one thing, and then to act in such a way which is the exact opposite, is to deny what you say.  None of us is perfect, we are all sinners but some of us are saved by the grace of God.  More often than not, our works should be consistent with our words.  To say that we are Christian, and to never act like one, is to deny that Christ is in our lives.  If we are truly Christian, then our behavior should exhibit the fruit of The Holy Spirit.  Our belief in the right doctrine leads to the right behavior.

THE LORD GOD IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SONG

Proclamation:

"And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee; though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for The Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song ..." Isaiah 12:1-2 (KJV)

Explanation:

The prophet Isaiah wrote these words under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  These words were part of a song which the children of Israel sang as a hymn of praise.  Isaiah also told them to rejoice, sing praises unto God, and to give thanks for the grace of God.

Application:

God will deliver the faithful believers from the consequences of their sins just as He delivered Israel.  We will be punished for our sinful ways, but God will not stay angry with us.  If we honestly cry out to Him, and trust Him, He will help us and save us from our situation.  If for no other reason, that is reason enough for us to rejoice and sing praises to His name.  The Lord God is my strength and my song.

BE THANKFUL PRAY AND SHARE

Proclamation:

"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)

Explanation:

The Apostle Paul wrote these words, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, 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.

Application:

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 everything 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. 

DO THE RIGHT THING

Proclamation:

"Do not fret because of those who do evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.  Trust in The Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”  Psalm 37:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  He admonishes the people of God not to be upset because of the prosperity of those who do wrong.  The Good Lord will deal with them.  David encouraged them to trust in The Lord and to do that which is good and right.  For by doing so, they will be blessed.

Application:

It is hard to do the right thing when those around you are doing wrong and seem to be getting ahead.  It is all too easy to go along with the crowd and do what they are doing without realizing that they are going the wrong way.  We must remember that we are in this world but not of it.  We must answer to a higher authority.  We are to do the right thing and not worry about those that do wrong.  They will get what is coming to them.  Let us be careful and watch our steps to make sure that we are on the right path. (Psalm 37:23)  The right way and the right path is usually less traveled. (Matthew 7:13-14)  Let's make sure that we are following The Lord and going His way.

WE ARE UNFORGETTABLE

Proclamation:

“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice you earth; burst into song, you mountains!  For The Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.  But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, The Lord has forgotten me.’  ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion for the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands; your walls are ever before me…Lift up your eyes and look around; all of your children gather and come to you.  As surely as I live,’ declares The Lord, ‘you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.’”  Isaiah 49:13-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of the Prophet Isaiah which were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God and spoken to the people of God.  Because the city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, the people of Israel said that The Lord God had forsaken and forgotten them.  Isaiah told them what The Lord had revealed to him.  These were His words of compassion to comfort them and to assure them that He had not forgotten them.  The Lord compared Himself to a mother who had given birth to and breast fed a child. (Isaiah 49:15)  She would never forget her child, and if she did, He would never forget His children.  Then He compared Himself to a lover who has the name of a loved one tattooed on their body. (Isaiah 49:16a)  Their relationship may change but He would never forget those that He loved.  Then He compared Himself to a watchman guarding the city.  Their city walls are always on His mind. (Isaiah 49:16b)  Then He compared Himself to a jeweler who would adorn a bride with fine ornaments. (Isaiah 49:18)

Application:

We may go through some difficult times in this life and we may feel as though The Lord has forgotten us.  However, He is true to His word and He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  As believers we are the children of God. (Matthew 5:9 and John 1:12)  He loves us so much that He died for us. (Romans 5:8)  When we were lost in sin He paid the price for our transgressions. (Ephesians 2:4-7)  We are in the very hands of God and no one can take us out of His hands. (John 10:27-30)  The Lord God sees all that we do, (Psalm 33:13) and He hears our prayers. (Proverbs 15:29)  Our concerns are always before Him for He neither slumbers nor sleeps. (Psalm 121:4)  God has great plans for us.  The church will be the bride of Christ and she will be adorned beautifully for the wedding.  He will never forget or forsake us.  To Him we are (as in the words of Nat King Cole) “unforgettable.”  He has made promises to us and He keeps His word. (1 Kings 8:56, Psalm 85:8, and 2 Peter 1:4)

THE HEART IS THE PROBLEM

Proclamation:

“… There went out a sower to sow … as he sowed, some fell by the way side … and some fell on stony ground … and some fell among thorns … and others fell on good ground … He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”  Mark 4:3-9 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words are from the parable of the sower which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, to His disciples, and the crowd which had followed Him, as He sat in a boat on the sea of Tiberias as recorded under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Mark.  Parables are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning designed to conceal the heavenly truth from worldly non-believers.  Everyone who hears The Word of God will not understand what they hear.  The sower is the preacher or teacher, the seed that he sowed is The Word of God, and the ground is the heart of the hearers.  The way side is the hard, trampled dirt of the pathway.  The seed which landed there did not grow or produce any fruit.  The stony ground had very little soil.  The seed which landed there grew quickly and died quickly without producing any fruit due to its poor foundation.  The thorns are the weeds.  The seed which landed there grew but was choked by the weeds and died without producing fruit.  The good ground is fertile soil.  The seed which landed there grew and produced fruit with many seeds, a thirty to one hundred fold increase.

Application:

I was blessed to preach this sermon on Sunday, November 20, 2016.  In summary, this is what The Holy Spirit shared with me.  The way side represents the hard-hearted people who hear The Word of God but reject it and refuse to believe it. (Mark 4:14-15)  The stony ground represents the shallow, superficial faint-hearted people who get excited when they hear The Word of God but quickly forget it. (Mark 4:16-17)  The thorns represent the heart of worldly concerned fickle people who put their worldly concerns before The Lord God and the excuses they offer when any sacrifice is required in service to The Lord. (Mark 4:18-19)  The good ground represent the receptive heart of the true believers who become hearers and doers of The Word.  Their lives are changed and they exhibit a Christian life style with Christian conversation and behavior.  They produce fruit by sharing The Word of God with the lost and telling them about Christ. (Mark 4:20)  All of us fall into one of these four groups of people.  The question is, with respect to The Word of God, are you hard-hearted, superficial, fickle, or a true believer?  There are eternal implications based upon your decision, please carefully consider the above and choose wisely.    

THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR

Proclamation:

"The great day of The Lord is near ... That day will be a day of wrath ... ‘I will bring such distress on all people that … have sinned against The Lord’ … In the fire of His jealousy the whole earth will be consumed …”  Zephaniah 1:14-18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Zephaniah warning the people that God is not pleased with the behavior of mankind.  This prophecy was a warning of the imminent judgement of the tribe of Judah.

Application:

There are many Bible scholars who believe that this is also a warning that applies to mankind today. "The Day of The Lord" is a day of wrath, trouble, distress, devastation, destruction, darkness, gloominess, clouds and thick darkness. (Zephaniah 1:15)  Most people do not like "hell fire and brimstone" preaching but the lake of fire is mentioned in The Bible. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)  And, this earth will be destroyed, many believe that this time it will be by fire.  If this is to be the day that The Good Lord will destroy the earth, believers need not worry because we will have been caught up in the rapture beforehand. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  When we return with The Lord there will be a new earth.  The Bible says that there will be "a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away ..." (Revelation 21:1)  We are encouraged to get ourselves together before that day comes.  "Seek The Lord, all you humble of the earth ... seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of The Lord's anger." (Zephaniah 2:3)

PEACE AND POWER

Proclamation:

“… My peace I give you … Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  John 14:27 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples to comfort them as recorded by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Jesus had told them that He was going to leave them and promised them that He would return for them. (John 14:1-3)  He also told them that God, The Father, would send The Holy Spirit to be with them and to help them. (John 14:16-17)  He told them that they did not need to be afraid or fearful.

Application:

As modern day disciples of Christ, we have The Holy Spirit of God with us and within us.  The peace of God should calm all of our fears.  He also promised us that as long as we abide in Him and His words abide in us, whatever we ask for would be granted, as long as what we wanted gave God glory. (John 15:7-8)  The peace of God removes all of our fears, and all of our prayers will be answered and fruitful.  We can have His perfect peace and know that there is power in our prayers.  All this is ours, as long as we stay in His word and keep His word in us.  So, don't worry, be happy, we can get whatever we want; as long as what we want gives God glory.

THE HIGHER STANDARD OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

Proclamation:

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven…” Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke to His disciples and to the surrounding crowd during His Sermon on The Mount.  His point was that the children of God must be better than the children of the world.  The unsaved worldly people love those who love them so there is nothing special about doing that. (Matthew 5:46)  The children of God should take love to a higher level and also love those who do not love them. (Matthew 5:48)

Application:

Sometimes being a Christian is not easy to do.  It is easy to love the people that love us.  However, as Christians, we are challenged to love those people that do not love us.  We are to love, bless, do good to and pray for the people that we would normally hate, curse, want to get even with, and want bad things to happen to.  God's way for us to treat people is not the way we would normally behave.  We are not to treat people badly because they treated us that way. (Romans 12:17)  We are to overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)  By treating our haters with love we are, in fact, heaping burning coals upon their heads. (Romans 12:20)  Vengeance belongs to The Lord God and He will repay our enemies. (Romans 12:19)  Maybe this is what is meant by "killing them with kindness".  We are to apply the "golden rule" to all people.  We are to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. (Matthew 7:12)  We are to treat people like we would like to be treated, not as they treat us.  Again I say, sometimes being a Christian is not easy, but it's well worth it.  As Christians, we should live and love by a higher standard.

WE NEED TO LOVE MORE

Proclamation:

"A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."  John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as He spoke to His disciples, as recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another.  He said that the world would know that they were His disciples by the way they spoke to, treated, and behaved with one another.

Application:

As believers we have hope, and we have faith, but what we need is more love.  We do not need more love from God, He has already proven His love for us. (John 3:16 and Romans 5:8)  We need to love each other more than we do.  We need to demonstrate our love for one another more often.  We need to perform more random acts of kindness towards others, without expecting to receive anything in return. (Luke 14:13-14)  God is love. (1 John 4:8 and 4:16)  Since God dwells within us, we should exhibit His love in our actions towards others.  The world needs more love, and it should begin with those of us who believe.  We must act Christ-like and demonstrate examples to the world regarding how they should behave.  In the end, we will be judged first, judged on how well we followed The Lord's commands.  Judgment will begin with those of us in The Church. (1 Peter 4:17)  Let us live up to our titles, “Christian”, “Believer”, “Child of God”, and let us demonstrate a Christ-like love for one another.  The world needs more love and we are the agents of love.

BLESSED FOR READING THE WORD OF GOD

Proclamation:

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."  Revelation 1:3 (NIV)

Explanation:

The Bible Book of Revelation is the book of prophesy in The New Testament.  It was revealed to, and recorded by the Apostle John, under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit of God.  There is a special blessing in store for those who read this Book of The Bible.  There is also a special blessing for those who hear this inspired Word of God, believe it, take it to heart, and obey it.  John also warns those who read this that the end of time is near.

Application:

The Book of Revelation is a difficult book to understand.  It is a book of prophesy regarding twenty-first century events recorded by a man with a first century frame of reference.  It would also be helpful to understand this book if one had read the other sixty-five books beforehand, because it contains references to previously recorded scripture and biblical events.  However, this special blessing does not require us to understand all that we read in this book, we will be blessed for reading it.  There is also a special blessing for those who hear it preached, believe it, and follow it.  The truth is we are blessed when we delight in, and find joy in, reading and meditating on The Word of God. (Psalms 1:2)  So, let us read The Word of God daily, and let us attend worship services each week so that we can hear The Word of God preached. (Romans 10:13-15)  Let us also study The Word of God more frequently, so that we may increase our understanding of it. (2 Timothy 2:15)  Then let us be doers of The Word, and not just hearers of The Word. (James 1:22)  For there is a blessing in store for those of us who read, hear, believe, obey, and share The Word of God.

AVOID EVIL AND THE APPEARANCE OF EVIL

Proclamation:

"Avoid every kind of evil."  1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki.  Paul gave them advice regarding guidelines and examples of good Christian behavior.  In this verse he told them to avoid every kind of evil.  The Amplified Bible for this verse reads: "Abstain from evil; shrink from it and keep aloof from it, in whatever form or whatever kind it may be."

Application:
In order to engage in successful Christian living, one must avoid sinful behavior, as much as is humanly possible.  As believers we will still sin, but when we fall and sin, we do not stay down.  We ask The Lord God to forgive us and He picks us up and cleans us up. (Psalms 37:24 and 1 John 1:9)  However, believers are not only encouraged to avoid any activity which is sinful, we are also to avoid anything which even appears to be, or might be perceived to be sinful. (1 Thessalonians 5:22 KJV)  We are advised to avoid corrupt or evil practices which suggest sinful thoughts or actions, even if they are legal by the laws of man.  We should be very careful regarding that which we place before our sanctified eyes, or in our sanctified ears, because some inappropriate things can lead to sinful thoughts. (Psalms 101:3 and 2 Timothy 4:3)  Listening to false witness reports, or watching sinful acts on television, at the movies, or on the internet, produces sinful thoughts which is sinful behavior.  (Exodus 23:1, Psalms 101:3, Matthew 5:28, and Proverbs 23:7)  So, let us ask God to forgive us of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions.  Let us pray for guidance in our decision making, for help in avoiding sinful activities, and for help avoiding those things which appear evil or sinful.  We do not want to stumble and fall into sin, and we do not want to cause someone else, who is watching and imitating us to stumble and fall into sin. (Malachi 2:8) 

MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD TO YOUR FAITH

Proclamation:

"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)

Explanation:

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.

Application:

Today we need to realize that The Lord has blessed us and given us a small portion 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)  As believers, we ought to exercise these traits and increase them within our lives and in our behavior.  As we exercise them, we become stronger in the faith and demonstrate more Christ-like behavior and thereby we become more effective and productive in our efforts for The Lord.

GOD IS OUR PROTECTION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Proclamation:

"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)

Explanation:

These Holy Spirit inspired Words of God were written by King David to encourage the people of God during times of trouble.  David began this psalm with praise to God for delivering him from his enemies. (Psalms 9:1-6)  He knew that judgment was coming to the world (Psalms 9:7-8) and he also knew that the people of God would be protected.  The Lord God would never forsake those believers who trust in Him and who follow His Word.

Application:

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)  All we have to do is to believe.

COMFORT ENCOURAGE AND EDIFY ONE ANOTHER

Proclamation:

"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."

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church at Thessaloniki.  Paul 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.

Application:

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 others, comfort them, encourage them, build them up, and teach them as best we can.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO KNOW THAT THEY ARE LOST WITHOUT CHRIST

Proclamation:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, which He spoke at the beginning of The Sermon on The Mount.  As recorded by the Apostle Matthew, Jesus spoke these words as He taught His disciples and the crowd which had gathered around them.  His first point was that those who are poor in spirit, "those who are acutely conscious of their own ‘lostness’ and hopelessness apart from divine grace," are blessed. (John MacArthur)  To them is given access to the kingdom of heaven.

Application:

Being blessed is a divinely bestowed sense of well-being.  This is the first of the beatitudes, "the eight characteristics of blessed people, which represent the principal graces of being a Christian." (Matthew Henry)  The poor in spirit are emptied of self and willing to be filled with Christ.  To be poor in spirit is to be humble and lowly in our own eyes.  It is to seek to glorify The Lord God, and not to glorify ourselves.  Self-denial is the first lesson Christ taught in the beatitudes.  The foundation of Christian principals is based upon belief and humility.  These are the people who will compose the kingdom of heaven.  The congregation of The Church of Christ is called the congregation of the poor in spirit. (Psalms 68:10 and 74:19)  Those who would be first, will be last, and those who would be last, shall be first in the sight of The Lord. (Matthew 19:30 and 20:16)  It is not good to think too highly of one’s self. (Romans 12:3)  For we would not be able to do anything, and we would be nothing without The Lord. (John 15:5)  Blessed are those of us who know that we are lost without Christ and who know that only He can show us the way.

SEEK HOLINESS NOT HAPPINESS

Proclamation:

"Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)

Explanations:

These words were written by the Apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in Corinth.  Paul was encouraging the believers not to adopt the sinful practices of the non-believers in the city around them. (2 Corinthians 6:17)  He wanted them to rid themselves of everything that contaminated their mind and body so that they could receive the promises of God. (2 Corinthians 6:16 and 18)  He also said that they should seek and do only that which is righteous and holy, out of reverence and respect for God.

Application:

As believers, we have the same promises of God, that if we separate ourselves from the non-believers, and obey His Word, then He will live with us, and walk with us, and be a Father to us, and we will be His sons and daughters. (2 Corinthians 6:16-18)  These promises of God are conditional.  In order to receive them we must cleanse ourselves of all sinful filthiness.  We are to be set apart from the world and we are to behave differently than non-believers. (Psalms 4:3)  We must separate ourselves from things which defile our mind and our bodies.  That includes not following false teaching, in addition to not pandering to greed, the lusts of the flesh, and the selfish pursuit of happiness.  When we accept Christ we are to die to all selfish wants. (Romans 6:1-2 and 6:11)  We are to seek Christ and do that which gives God glory. (Philippians 2:21 and Colossians 3:1)  Our goal should be to seek Godly holiness, as opposed to worldly happiness.  We are to be holy because we are His, and He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  If we seek Him above all else, He will give us other things that we need. (Matthew 6:33)   When we seek Christ and His holiness, He will grant us His unspeakable joy. (1 Peter 1:8)