The Lord Is Alpha

 

ALPHA

(al'-fah)

Revelation 1:8

I Am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending, says The Lord, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, The Almighty.

    The First, The Beginning, The Before Everything Else Came Into Existence. He Is God Almighty, Who came in the flesh to destroy the works of sin and restore His people to Himself. 

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME  

    Isaiah 44:6

Thus says The LORD, The King and Redeemer of Israel, The LORD of Hosts: "I Am The First and I Am The Last, and there is no God but Me."

    John 1:1-3

In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

    Psalm 90:2

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

    Colossians 1:16

For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

    1 Corinthians 8:6

But to us there is but one God, The Father, of Whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things, and we by Him.

    Psalm 33:6

By The Word of The LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by The Breath of His mouth.

    Hebrews 12:2

Looking unto Jesus The Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Revelation 21:6

And He said unto me, "It is done. I Am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The End. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."

    Even in the void, He is. Genesis 1:2. Whether it is the darkness of the night sky or the seemingly darkness of the womb, Jesus is there. [Psalm 8:3; Psalm 139:13]. For He is Creator of all light and life. [Genesis 1:3; Psalm 100:3; John 1:4]. 

    He is The First to Rise from the dead in a resurrected body; He is The Firstfruits. [1 Corinthians 15:20]. He is The Guarantor, guaranteeing for God's sons and daughters that that which has been given to God at the beginning, whether it is first and best of the harvest, or first born and unblemished of the flock, will be received by God and that what is left of the harvest and the flock will be blessed by God, and ultimately also belong to Him. [Ephesians 1:13, 14]. He is The First Offering to God from among the many who will follow in His Name, offering Himself to be God's Instrument of Salvation. [Luke 22:42; Hebrews 10:7].

    And I'm so very thankful Jesus did that. I needed a Savior and He is mine.

I'D NEED A SAVIOR - Among The Thirsty

    

The Desires of The Heart - Division + Death vs Peace + Life

 

Hebrews 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, 

and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. 

🧡

The desires of the flesh are divisive and death. But the desire of The Lord Jesus Christ is peace through Him and Life Eternal in Him. 

💔  

    The desires of the flesh, of the heart, bring division and chaos. They first divide us from the presence of God, as Adam and Eve were divided from His presence when they sinned against Him in the garden of Eden. Before they ever bit into the forbidden fruit, their minds questioned the validity of God's Word and then their hearts desired that thing which God had said not to touch. But they touched it anyway. Biting into the fruit was the culmination of sin's aspects: doubt, desire, touch, and taste. 

💚

    Fear soon followed. For finding themselves separated from God they tried to hide from Him. But sin already separated them; hiding in the bushes became instinct. Many times we try to hide from God, when we know we have transgressed against Him, yet He knows where we are. He either waits for us to come to Him (Luke 15:11-32) or goes looking for us (Luke 15:1-6).

🖤

    Death was not far behind fear. But first all parties had to be judged for their sin which had cause the division between them and God. First, the serpent, the craftiest beast, was condemned to slither across the ground (he lost the use of his legs). Second, the serpent, the spiritual enemy of God's people, was condemned to death publicly (in the face of Adam and Eve) and vocally (God spoke the judgment aloud). 

    Then Eve was judged for her actions in dividing herself from God. She would know great pain in childbirth and she would have pain in raising them. Her heart's desire would be for her husband, and she would submit to his authority God's way (Ephesians 5:22-24). 

💜

    Now Adam is judged for listening to and following the actions of his wife. We may never know exactly why Adam did as Eve did, though, perhaps, he did not want to lose this mate whom God had given him. But he ate of the forbidden fruit, too, so judgment came upon him, as well. Work would be hard, and because of Adam's sin, the ground is cursed. The soil he worked in would yield thorns and thistles and he must eat of the plants that grew in these fields. 

    And, finally, death comes. At least one animal had to die, that their sins would be covered and their nakedness clothed (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). After that, they, too, were banished from the garden of Eden for their actions. This paradise was no longer theirs for the keeping and the living. 

🧡

    But the desire of The Lord Jesus Christ is that all are restored to a familial relationship with God. The restorative relationship we have in Christ makes us sons and daughters of The Most High God (Romans 8:14-17; John 1:12, 13). 

💙

     He is our Peace (John 14:27). And in Him, His Peace, we place our confidence and hope of Life Eternal which is promised to all who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord (Hebrews 10:23; 1 Peter 1:3; Titus 3:5). 

💛

    Jesus is The Resurrection And The Life (John 11:25). He came to give us Abundant Life (John 10:10). In Him we have more than enough. So much so that we must go out and share this Life He has given us with so many more people, that they, too, might know this Jesus and have His Resurrection and Abundant Life in them! 

    So rings out the call, "Come to Jesus. Come and see. Come and know. Come and believe." But even as this proclamation is declared, so the warning bells ring out crystal clear, as well, "Before it's too late. Before the last trumpet sounds. Before you return to the dust from whence you came." 

    Come to Jesus and Live! ✟

 

The Holy Spirit Teaches and Reminds Us

 

John 14:26

But The Advocate, The Holy Spirit, Whom The Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

    This is being empowered by God. It is not of our own strength that we accomplish the tasks set before us by our heavenly Father, but through the power of His Holy Spirit. We are weak, and the burden of carrying such a heavy load would break us to such an extent that we would fall and not get back up. 

    But God says that His Holy Spirit would bring everything that His Son Jesus Christ said to us back into our minds and on our tongues what we need to know and when we need to speak it. However, if none of The Word of God is in us, there will be nothing to remember. 

    So, we attach ourselves to our Bibles, studying God's Word for ourselves. We fill ourselves daily, preferable in the morning, because that is the first part of our day (for those who begin their days in the morning). David writes in Psalm 63:1, "O God, You are my God; early will I seek You, my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."

    I don't know about you, but I am always thirsty for a cold glass of water when I wake up after a night's sleep. David was in the wilderness of Judah. I have only been in the landscape of dreams and nightmares. But we both wake up and seek God early in the morning. In the peacefulness of the moment, before the household is awake; before the birds begin to sing; as the sun kisses the sky. It is wonderful to be alone with God. 

    Without a study life I wouldn't know how to start my day. Without a prayer life, where would I be? I would be filled with anxiety and unsureness, like I used to be before I began to fill up on The Word of God. No longer am I empty and dry like a barren well: there is Living Water in me and The Second Wind blows over the surface of the water, empowering It to move in me and through me. 

    John 7:38, 39

"Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of Living Water will flow from within him.’ " He was speaking about The Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

    The first Wind that blew through us was the breath of God, giving us life. The second Wind blowing through us is God Himself, His Holy Spirit, renewing us, strengthening and restoring us moment by glorious moment. He brings The Word of God to our minds and our hearts, convicting us where necessary in order that we may be aware of what else within us needs to submit to God (called to repentance), that we might be fully surrendered as we have promised we would be. 

    We must have an earnest desire to learn what God wants to teach us. Many have opened their Bibles to disavow The Word of God, only to find themselves submitting to The Word of God. Many an atheist has laid hold of The Word only to find The Word laying hold of them. The godless have encountered God and become some of His staunchest supporters. Nothing is too difficult for God. 

    I have a few study themes within me just waiting to be poured out, but they cannot all come rushing out at once. One thing at a time. No pushing, no shoving. As the seasons shift throughout the year, so, too, does The Wind and The Water within me. This is a time of submission and surrender. Submit to God's Will for my life and my family's life. Surrender to God's Will with all my heart and my mind. 

    We are empowered by this Second Wind, this Second Breath, to persevere; to go forward under great trials regardless of the cost. [Hebrews 12:1, 2]. We are empowered by this Second Wind to pursue the mission we have been given, namely to share the gospel message of salvation and repentance through Jesus Christ. [John 20:19-22]. 

    We are empowered to witness, be willing martyrs, if necessary, for the sake of the gospel. [Acts 1:8]. We are empowered to speak other languages to reach people who want to hear the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. [Acts 2:1-10]. We are empowered to be bold as lions [Proverbs 28:1]; wise as serpents, and blameless as doves [Matthew 10:16]. We are empowered to resist (stand against, oppose) the devil [James 4:7]. 

    But only after we have submitted to God. Submission. Surrender. Empowerment. It is enough to be here in this place, at this time. 

Father, may Your Wind empower me that I might accomplish the tasks You have set before me. Amen.

MORNING WORSHIP - Ember and Altar

    

    

    

    

God Is Love

 

1 John 4:16

And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is Love, and he that dwells in Love dwells in God, and God in him. 

Romans 13:10

Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore Love is the fulfillment of the law.

GOD IS LOVE

    What is this Love that God is? It is more than any kind of love you have ever known. This Love goes beyond brotherly love, which is outlined here in 1 Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, you be all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be tenderhearted, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing." 

    This Love that God is, is deeper than any intimate relationship love we have known with another person. It is more than a sentimental love, more than a familial love, more than a spousal love, more than a best friend love. It is all-encompassing and divinely unconditional. It is AGAPE.

    Agape, as described in The Topical Lexicon: 'denotes a holy, self‐giving disposition that originates in God, is displayed perfectly in Jesus Christ, and is implanted in believers by the Holy Spirit.'

    This Love that God is flows so deep that when our sins are washed in it, they are never seen again. In this Love God blots out our sins and they become like mist [Isaiah 44:2; 1 John 1:9]. 

    This Love which God is fills us with The Hope of His Salvation through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. This Love is a poured out Love, poured into our hearts.

    Romans 5:5

And hope makes us not ashamed; because The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by The Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

    This Love Whom God is, is Grace in Action. It is Jesus' ministry, Jesus' gospel message, Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the dead given to anyone who will hear it; everyone who will receive it and believe it and live it. 

    As Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus, this, too, is my prayer for you:

    Ephesians 3:16-21

16. I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 

17. so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18. will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth

19. of the Love of Christ, and to know this Love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

21. to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Names of Christ - Jesus Is The Life

 

IESOUS ZOE

(pronounced ee-ay-soos'  dzo-ay')

JESUS IS THE LIFE

John 14:6

Jesus said to them, "I Am The Way, The Truth, And The Life. No one comes to The Father but by Me."

    Whether we are speaking of this life we now live or the life we who believe will one day live on the other side of death, this word 'zoe' is applicable. It refers to the life we are given when we are born into this world. It also refers to the life eternal the born again believer will have after death. For Christ Jesus is part of the Triune God Who created life from the beginning. 

THE CREATED LIFE

    Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

    Genesis 2:7

And The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 

    Psalm 139:13

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

    Job 10:11

You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.

THE BORN AGAIN LIFE

    John 1:4

In Him was Life, and The Life was The Light of men.

    John 5:26

For as The Father has Life in Himself, so also He has granted The Son to have Life in Himself.

    1 John 5:11, 12

And this is that Testimony: God has given us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son.  Whoever has The Son has Life; whoever does not have The Son of God does not have Life.

    Psalm 36:9

For with You is The Fountain of Life; in Your Light we see Light. [(cf) John 4:14].

    From the moment of conception there is life. Whether it is the baby being formed in the mother's womb or the born again believer being transformed by The Holy Spirit, there is life. As infants, we take our first breath with mild shock, for we have left the relative darkness and warmth of our mothers and find ourselves in a wide-open, airy, somewhat colder and brighter place. 

    When we first believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, the wonder is even more amazing. We have left the darkness of sin and shame, exchanging that place for the Light and Life of a Loving God and Merciful Savior. Our first breath in Life in Christ is amazing. We have drawn into our souls the unimaginable grace that saves us from eternal damnation and punishment. We find ourselves in a wide open garden, a meadow full of wonderful things which God has prepared for the believers. 

    As babies, God 'knit us' in our mothers' wombs. As believers, God weaves us into Himself through His Word and His Spirit. As believers, we form the body of Christ, the church, Whom He gave Himself for. As born again believers, we recognize Christ as The Head of the church and choose to be transformed into Him on a daily basis by being obedient to The Spirit's lead. 

BORN AGAIN BY WATER & BY BLOOD

    John 3:5

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and The Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 

    Titus 3:5

He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by The Holy Spirit.

    As a child grows in life, so, too, must a child of God grow in Life. We grow in The Life of Christ after Christ is written on our hearts by The Holy Spirit at our new birth. We seek out God in His Word and His Word is daily applied to our hearts and our minds by His Holy Spirit. This is wisdom. This is Life. 

    And when we draw our last breath in life, when death tries to embrace our souls, we take our first breath in Eternity. We will leave this frail body of death and decay, and rise in new bodies that will never die. Because LIFE ETERNAL is Living in us now. What a Way to go!

JESUS IS LIFE - Steven Curtis Chapman

LIVING FOR JESUS - classic hymn

Renewal & Hope in Christ

 

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 5:1

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of The Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from The Lord, Who is The Spirit.

    Life is not permanent. Youthfulness fades. Hairs gray. Skin wrinkles. Muscles weaken. Bodies soon succumb to death and decay. But the soul is eternal.

    How sad that so many who could live eternally in glory with God and Christ choose not to make that decision while they still draw breath in this life.

    Time is moving faster now. Days are not as long as they used to be: there are less than 24 hours in a day now. God has shortened the days for His people, His church.

    But, O how lovely to know that just a step away from death and the grave is our eternal home in Christ with God our Father! The inner self that gains strength from a daily, personal relationship with and in Christ Jesus will finally be at home with Him!

Have you chosen to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? Is heaven your eternal dwelling place? Why do you linger? why do you wait? Are you hungry for something you feel is lacking in your life? That something is the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of your life and your soul.

    Remember: Scripture tells us, "It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement." Hebrews 9:27. Which means that if you are not living in Christ while you are alive on this side of death, then you will not be living in Christ on the other side of death. There is no heaven, no paradise, for you.

    I encourage you, my current brothers and sisters in Christ, to remain steadfast and faithful in your walk with Christ Jesus in His Spirit. And to those who are contemplating this life in Christ which Christ lives in us, come to Jesus and live.

    Ephesians 3:16-19

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Indescribable Gift of Grace

 

ANEKDIEGETOS DOREA

(pronounced an-ek-dee-ay'-gay-tos do-reh-ah')

INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

2 Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Romans 5:15

But the free Gift [of God] is not like the trespass [because The Gift of Grace overwhelms the fall of man]. For if many died by one man’s trespass [Adam’s sin], much more [abundantly] did God’s grace and The Gift [that comes] by the Grace of The one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to [benefit] the many. 

THE GIFT OF GRACE

    The first Gift we receive as believers is Jesus Christ. He is God's Gift to the world. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He GAVE His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.' See? God gave Jesus to the world that the world might believe on His Name for our salvation. And, a few of us do. He is God's Grace Personified. 

    In Christ we are valued. We are worth dying for. In Christ we are given many more gifts after we open the first Gift and The Holy Spirit writes this Gift on our hearts. But we absolutely cannot receive any more gifts from God until we accept this Gift of Grace through Jesus Christ. 

    The King James Bible calls this Gift 'unspeakable'. Not because It can't be spoken, but because there are not enough words in any language to describe just how valuable The Gift is. But it is a good thing to know The Scriptures, because we have them to rely on to tell us Who The Gift of Grace is! 

GRACE IS A GIFT FROM GOD

    Ephesians 2:8, 9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is The Gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE

    Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death; but The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

THE GIFT OF GOD IS GOOD AND PERFECT

    James 1:17

Every Good Gift and every Perfect Gift is from above, and comes down from The Father of Lights, with Whom there is no variableness or shadow of turning.

THE GIFT OF GOD IS LIVING WATER

    John 4:10

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew The Gift of God, and Who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you Living Water.” 

THE GIFT OF GOD CANNOT BE BOUGHT

    Acts 8:20

But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that The Gift of God could be purchased with money!"

THE GIFT OF GOD IS KINDNESS AND LOVE

    Titus 3:4, 5

But when The Kindness and The Love of God our Savior toward man appeared, He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

I AM A SERVANT OF GOD'S GIFT OF GRACE

    Ephesians 3:7

I became a servant of this gospel by The Gift of God’s Grace, given me through the working of His power.

    Do you have The Gift of Grace from God? Do you want it? None of us can gain entrance into Life Eternal under our own power, strength, belief system. The Gift of Grace is Jesus Christ. It is through Him, God The Son, that we have access to God The Father, by the power of God The Holy Spirit. God, and God alone, brings us into His kingdom when we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

Come to Jesus. Drink of His Living Water. 

Taste and See that The Lord is Good. 

Jesus Is The Truth

 

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, "I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life: no man comes to The Father, but by Me."

    Declarative statements leave no room for doubt. I AM  is a declarative statement of fact. When The Word of God speaks to us in such a way, we can believe that it is True. Every Word of God is Truth. Because Jesus Christ Is Truth. 

    When time is nearing its reign, Jesus will appear on a white horse bringing judgment and war against the people who have chosen not to believe that He Is The Only Begotten Son of God The Father. 

    Revelation 19: 11, 13

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called FAITHFUL AND TRUE, and in righteousness he does judge and make war.

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His Name is called THE WORD OF GOD. 

    John 1:14

And THE WORD was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of The Only Begotten of The Father,) full of grace and TRUTH.

    What is Truth? When it comes to believing Who God is, there is only ONE TRUTH. 

GOD IS GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER. 

    Exodus 15:11

Who is like Thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 

    Exodus 3:14, 15

And God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM:" and He said, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you." And God said moreover to Moses, "Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, THE LORD GOD of your fathers, The God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and The God of Jacob has sent me to you: this is My Name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations."

    Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that The LORD your God, He is God, The Faithful God, Who keeps covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.

    Isaiah 45:5, 6

I Am The LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded you, though you have not known Me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I Am The LORD, and there is none else.

GOD IS SAVIOR

    Ephesians 2:8

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

    Romans 3:21-24

But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

    Psalm 27:1

The LORD is My Light and My Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is The Strength of My Life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

    Do you know God? Is He your Savior, too? God loves you and He sent His Son here to die for you, to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. Jesus Christ is The Promised Messiah and there is no other Savior. He died a wretched death on the cross. He defeated hell and the grave and death when He walked out of the open tomb in a glorified body. 

    Before He ever was nailed to the cross, He was unrecognizable because of the torture and torment He went through. By the time He was nailed on the cross, (nails being 6-inch iron spikes) Jesus was a bloody mess. Strips of shredded skin covered His back. His beard had been manually ripped from His face. A crown of thorns had been forced into the top of His head and just above His brow. He had been pummeled and beaten and made fun of by the men who were assaulting Him. 

    Unrecognizable in death. Unrecognizable in Life. One body that was laid down in Love for me and you got an upgrade after death. And all the suffering He received in His life gained Him a great reward from His heavenly Father. He is The Name Above All Names. He is The Name By Which All Men Are Saved. He is The Lamb of God Who Takes Away The Sins of The World. He is The Lion of The Tribe of Judah. He is The Only  Begotten of The Father. And so, so much more. 

    Jesus Is The Truth. And you better believe it!

    

Hold Onto Your Faith

 

    Hebrews 10:35

Hold onto, and maintain your confidence, your assurance, for it holds a great reward. 

HOLDING ONTO OUR FAITH

    Holding onto our faith and maintaining our faith are two separate actions. 
     To hold onto something is to hold it close to our chest with both arms and hands supporting whatever we are carrying in front of us. But it also requires us to have strong backs in order to carry it in an upright position. 
      Our legs may get wobbly beneath the weight of whatever it is we are carrying, but even if we stumble, we cannot allow ourselves to fall, for then it is possible that whatever we are carrying could drop out of its holding position. 
     To hold onto our faith in Christ is to keep it in our hearts and our thoughts at all times. It is to reject anything, however seemingly minor, that would cause us to drop our faith in Christ, cause us to doubt or even disavow our faith in Christ. We must hold onto our faith in Christ Jesus even when everyone is against us, or seems to be against us. 

MAINTAINING OUR FAITH
     To maintain our faith in Christ Jesus is to continue to believe that God's Word is Faithful and True. It is to know that you know that you know this fact. Fear has no place in faith. Doubt has no place in faith in Christ. Even death has no place in faith. 
     To maintain our faith in Jesus Christ is to be obedient to The Word of God and the Voice of The Holy Spirit. It is to seek God daily in prayer and in reading His Word for ourselves. It is also to hear God's Word being spoken by God's anointed ministers. 
     Jesus tells us to "love one another as I have loved you". How does Jesus love us? Amazingly. With a neverending Love. Unconditionally. It is God's nature to love. We know this because we know that "God is Love". 
     And then Jesus tells us to "Love your neighbor as yourself". How do we love ourselves? Well, we make sure we are fed and clothed and housed and healthy. Are our neighbors? And just who is my neighbor? Anyone I meet on this road of life is my neighbor. How can I love them like I love myself? I can pray for them. I'm praying to a powerful, loving God, Who can meet the needs I cannot.

PRAYER OF FAITH FOR OUR NEIGHBORS
     Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank You for this day and everything in it. Thank You for the many blessings You have given me today. Thank You for clean water, good food, clothes to wear, shoes on my feet. Thank You for Jesus in my heart, a Bible to read, and The Holy Spirit in my life. 
Father, bless those who have none of my benefits, that their needs would be met according to Your Word, Your Will and Your Spirit. 
Strengthen Your people where we stand, Lord, in prison and out. Bind our wounds, heal our diseases and raise our dead to the astonishment, frustration, salvation and deliverance of those who persecute and kill us for Your Name's sake, that Your kingdom would increase and Your Name be glorified.
     In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen. 

HYMN OF THE DAY

  BLESSED ASSURANCE
(Fanny Crosby - ca. 1873)
1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
    O, what a foretaste of glory divine!
    Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
    born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
    visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
    angels descending, bring from above
    echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]
3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
    I in my Savior am happy and blest;
    watching and waiting, looking above,
    filled with His goodness, lost in His love. [Refrain]

OUR HOPE OF SALVATION

     Our confidence, our assurance, our faith in Jesus Christ as our Hope of Salvation is a major stepping stone in receiving a great reward at the end of our journey. 
     Knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life now, and living in His Name now, is the preemptive basis of my life in eternity. It is living a life filled with wonder and awe, even when I navigate unexpected events, with the full knowledge that God still loves me and is with me through it all. 
     Having this kind of faith in Christ is the most important decision any person will ever make in their entire life. It is more important than choosing a mate. More important than finding the right place to live in. More important than whether or not to have children. More important than a job, or even a job promotion. It is even more important than familial ties and who our friends are. 
     The best thing that can come from believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior is the knowledge that when this life is over, and I cross death's threshold, I will be face to face with my Lord and Savior forevermore. 
     But the second best thing that can happen because of what I believe and refuse to stop doing? The people in my family will give their hearts to Christ Jesus, too.

Goodness & Mercy of God

 

Psalm 23:6

Surely Goodness & Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of The LORD for ever. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD

The Goodness of God is visible.
    Psalm 34:8 

O taste and see that The LORD is good: blessed is the man who trusts in Him.

The Goodness of God is for those who seek Him.

    Psalm 34:10

The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek The LORD shall not want (lack) any good thing. 

    Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

The Goodness of God is the foundation of our faith in Christ Jesus.

    Proverbs 3:5

Trust in The LORD with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. 

    Isaiah 26:4

Trust in The LORD for ever, because GOD The LORD is The Rock Eternal.

    1 Peter 2:6, 7

“For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a Stone, a Chosen and Precious Cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The Stone which the builders rejected has become The Chief Cornerstone.”

THE MERCY OF GOD

The Mercy of God blots out transgressions.

    Psalm 51:1, 2, 9

1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness: according to the multitude of Your tender mercies blot out my transgressions (willful disobedience which breaks the covenant relationship with God). 

2. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity (guilt), and cleanse me from my sin (the moral breach between God and man).

9. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

The Mercy of God intercedes between judgment and restoration.

    Micah 7:18-20

18. Who is a God like You, Who pardons iniquity, and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger for ever, because He delights in Mercy. 

19. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

20. You will give Truth to Jacob And Mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. 

    Romans 8:34

Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.

    Hebrews 7:25

Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

The Mercy of God never fails.

    Lamentations 3:22, 23

22. It is of The LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

    Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that The LORD your God is God, The Faithful God Who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

    James 3:17

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

    This Goodness and this Mercy not only follow me all the days of my life, but are integral in living a holy and righteous life in Christ while I draw breath and after death claims my body. For in Christ, Who is The Resurrection and The Life, I have Life Eternal, which I have only begun to live on this side of eternity, but will continue to live on the other side of eternity. 

    God's Goodness and Mercy are ever-present in The Person of God The Son, for The Son of God is Eternal, Everlasting. This Goodness and Mercy was sent from God The Father (John 3:16) to save the world from the condemnation of their sins if they would only believe in The Name Above All Names (Philippians 2:9) that is The Name of  Salvation (Romans 10:13). 

    Surely. With confidence I can say, God's Goodness and God's Mercy follows me (walks closely with me) all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of The LORD for ever (John 14:2, 3; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 21:3, 4; 22:14). 

    

Blessed Are The Righteous - Psalm 1:1

 

Psalm 1:1

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers.

WALKING WITH THE WICKED

    The wicked are themselves deceived and seek only to deceive others, including the righteous, if possible. 

    Proverbs 12:5

The plans of the righteous are just, but the counsel of the wicked leads to deceit.

    Ephesians 5:11

Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

THE WAY Of SINNERS - Proverbs 2:12-17

    The way of sinners is the way of evil, and therefore, it is not The Way of the righteous. The evildoer lies and has a hypocritical tongue. The evildoer enjoys evil and takes great pleasure in it. Their path is not strait, and their words are perverse. The prostitute and the adulterer tempt and seduce. Their ways are traps and snares for the unwise, the unsuspecting.  

THE COMPANY OF MOCKERS

    A mocker is a person who derides The Truth of God's Word. The mocker is scornful of righteous ways. Intolerance and hate spew from the mocker's mouth. Pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness rise up in their hearts and violence perpetrates harm and death to the target of their derision. 

    To keep company with such is to keep company with death and destruction. This, too, is not The Way of the righteous. Contempt drips from their lips. Rebellion against The Authority of God has taken up residence in their hearts. Of such the believer is not to align themselves with, for they are corrupt and divisive. 

    The mockers persecute, torment, are scornful of, belittle, and ridicule the righteous. To mock is to lampoon, scoff, jibe, jeer, sneer. It is intended to dissuade the righteous from The Way by speaking words which could torment the mind and cause the weary heart to be discontent, fearful and doubting. 

THE RIGHTEOUS ARE WISE

    But the faithful, righteous, born-again believer who is filled with The Word of God daily and listens to God's Holy Spirit, The Voice of Wisdom, will not be so easily dissuaded, nor overcome by the evildoers, the workers of iniquity, of this world. The righteous are blessed by their God because they walk in His Way of Holiness, in The Path of Righteousness. 

    Psalm 40:4 - The righteous trust in The Lord. They listen not to the prideful, nor to the liars

    Psalm 112:1 - The righteous fear The Lord and greatly delight in His commandments

    Proverbs 3:13 - The righteous find wisdom and acquire understanding

    Proverbs 12:5; 16:3 - The plans of the righteous are just

    Proverbs 11:30; Daniel 12:3; James 5:19, 20; Jude 1:22, 23 - The righteous win souls to The Lord 

BLESSED ARE THE RIGHTEOUS - A Few Scriptural References of Such:

    Matthew 5:3-11 - Be Attitudes

    Psalm 144:15 - Who Choose The Lord

    Psalm 128:1 - Who Fear The Lord & Walk in His Ways

    James 1:12 - Who Perseveres Under Trial

    1 Peter 3:14 - Who Suffer For What Is Right

    Luke 11:28 - Who Hear The Word & Obey It

    Romans 4:7, 8 - Whose Sins Are Covered & Forgiven 

            And, ultimately,

    Revelation 19:9 - Who Are Invited To The Marriage Supper of The Lamb

    

    

    

God Is Light

1 John 1:5

This then is the message we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 

    God Is Light. Jesus Is Light. There are not two Lights, but one Light. For God is Father, God is Son, and God is Spirit. One Light. One magnificent Light. 

    Isaiah 42:6

“I, The LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a Light to the Gentiles."

    Isaiah 60:19, 20

No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for The LORD will be your Everlasting Light, and your God will be your splendor. Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not wane; for The LORD will be your Everlasting Light, and the days of your sorrow will cease.

    John 8:12

Then spoke Jesus to them, "I Am The Light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have The Light of Life."

    John 9:5

"As long as I am in the world, I Am The Light of the world."

    John 12:46

"I Am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believes on Me should not abide in darkness."

    John 13:35

Then Jesus said to them, "Yet a little while is The Light with you. Walk while you have The Light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not where he goes."

    Revelation 21:23

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did Light it, and The Lamb is The Light thereof.

    Revelation 22:5

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for The Lord God gives them Light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. 

    Everlasting Light is that which emanates from The Everlasting God, Who created all things and has caused light to radiate from Himself into a world that would otherwise be completely dark. But even more so, into this world occupied by spiritual darkness and spiritual blindness, God has sent His Everlasting Light in The Person of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. 

    Sent He Him here to open the eyes of the blind that we may see The Light of God's Love for ourselves. We each must make an independent, individual choice to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, and give this Light our hearts and minds, choosing to walk in His Light instead of in darkness and sin. 

    When we have The Light of God's Love shining within us, we glow with Love and God's Light shines through us. We speak of the grace which God has prepared for each one who believes, that more people would see The Light and believe It for themselves. 

    When we have The Light of God's Love filling us with Himself, He overflows into our words and our actions. We are compelled by The Love of God to go into the streets and share the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ and none other. We share the whys and wherefores, the how and the hope, of grace and redemption. We speak Love. We speak Light. We speak Grace, Hope, Mercy, Peace and Joy. 

    Even when we warn of the consequences of refusing God's Light, of denial of God's Love in the face of Jesus Christ, we are speaking in Love. For The Love of God both lights up a dark heart and reveals a dark heart. Light shines in the darkness and darkness cannot overcome it. [John 1:5]. Where The Light penetrates in the heart and in the mind, darkness must flee, taking its companions with it. 

    With The Love of God's Light shining brightly within us, we urge you, we beg you, Come to Jesus. Come and drink of His Living Water and live forever with Him. Come and feed on His Bread of Life and live forever with Him. Come to Jesus. Before it's too late.