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. 

    

Grace & Peace to You

 

Grace and Peace to You

    Of the twenty letters written to churches and people, there are only sixteen salutations which include this phrase in the beginning of each letter. Of these sixteen, twelve are written by Paul. The other four are written by Peter, John, and Jude.

Paul:

1 Corinthians 1:3

2 Corinthians 1:2

Galatians 1:3

Ephesians 1:2

Philippians 1:2

Colossians 1:2

1 Thessalonians 1:1

2 Thessalonians 1:2

1 Timothy 1:3

2 Timothy 1:2

Titus 1:4

Philemon 1:3

Peter:

1 Peter 1:2

2 Peter 1:2

John:

2 John 3

Jude:

Jude 1:2

    It is more than just a lovely greeting. It is a glorious reminder from the pen of the church-planter to the churches. From the pen of a brother in Christ to other brothers in and sisters in Christ: 

    When Paul writes to Titus, he writes to his 'son of common faith'. A Gentile Greek whom Paul had led to Christ. This son he entrusts the care and setting up of the churches in the area where he left him. Titus is both a brother in Christ and a son in the faith in which they had in common: faith in Jesus Christ "our" Lord and Savior.

    When Paul writes to Philemon, he writes also to Apphia, Philemon's wife, and Archippus (fellow soldier of Christ), and the church in their house. He writes regarding Onesimus, who at one time was not of the faith but now is through Paul's ministering to him. This Onesimus is now a son of faith and Paul is sending him back to Philemon and the house church to be received as man of faith, and not as a runaway, thieving servant. 

    Peter writes to "the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia". Strangers, perhaps, to Peter, but definitely strangers set apart from the world. For we know that this world is not our home, that our home is in heaven. We are the 'aliens', the 'foreigners', lights shining the love of God through Christ into a rapidly darkening world. To us, as well as them in their day, this letter is sent. 

    In 2 John 3, the aging John addresses his letter to 'the elect lady and her children'. To a woman who has chosen to belong to Christ and to her children, whom she has raised in this faith in Christ for their own. A short letter encouraging them to continue to walk in this faith, to be aware of deceptions and to avoid people who profess not that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

    Although Jude does not send greetings of Grace and Peace, he does, however, send "Mercy and peace and love, multiplied". And to whom does Jude send this greeting? To them that are sanctified by God The Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called. (v1)

    Why do I bring up to whom these letters are written? Because if the person reading any of these letters, these Epistles, is not a son or daughter of the common faith, they will not receive said letters. If the woman reading is not a woman of faith who is raising her children in The Lord, she won't receive it. 

    If the person reading is not a stranger to this world, is not a foreigner or alien, they won't receive the letter written to such. If the one reading is not sanctified by God The Father, not preserved in Jesus Christ, and not called, then that person will not be able to receive the letter written. 

    From the pen of one who is a stranger, a daughter of faith, in an alien world; from the heart of one who is sanctified by God The Father and preserved in Jesus Christ, who has been called not only to salvation but in the service of God through Christ Jesus, I, too, send Grace and Peace to you who also are of our  common faith in Jesus Christ. I send Mercy and Love multiplied. 

    Grace: the favor of God extended outwards from Himself to anyone who wants to receive it [John 1:16]

    Peace: the gift of God in wholeness, completeness in Him through Christ and His Holy Spirit [Romans 5:1]

    Mercy: God gives us new birth into a living/lively hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead [1 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 2:8]

    Love: the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ and applied to the hearts of believers by The Holy Spirit [Romans 5:5; John 1:14] 

THE WORDS OF JESUS - Indie Folk Worship Set

    

Names of Jesus - I AM THE WAY

 

HAYAH HODOS

(pronounced ha-YAH ho-DOS)

I AM THE WAY

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me."

    Do you want to get close(r) to God? Jesus is The Way to do so? He is the only Way, all other ways are fruitless. God's Way, God's Word, is Faithful and True. [Revelation 22:6]

    He is The Road, The Path, by which we must all travel. He is The Way of Holiness on which our travels begin when we believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord, that His Name is our Salvation. Which, indeed, is true, for His Name--Jesus--means "He Saves". 

    Matthew 1:21

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His Name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” 

    Matthew 1:25

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called His Name JESUS. 

    God's Eternal Presence is The Most Holy Place in the tabernacle. Only the high priest could enter there once every year and only if he met strict requirements. Jesus is our High Priest. 

    Hebrews 10:19-22

 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter The Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 

    Jesus is The Way. 

He is The Way of Holiness. Isaiah 35:8

He is The Way of Righteousness. Psalm 116:5; Jeremiah 23:6; Malachi 4:2

He is The Way of Justification. Romans 5:9, 18

He is The Way of Sanctification. Job 23:10; Malachi 3:3

The Way of The Lord is perfect and flawless. Psalm 18:30

The Way of The Lord is Strength for the upright, but destruction for the workers of iniquity. Proverbs 10:29

The Way is narrow. Matthew 7:14

The Way is Life. John 11:25

    1 John 5:10-12

Whoever believes in The Son of God has this Testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in The Testimony that God has given about His Son. 

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. 

    

TAKE ME IN - Kutless

Seeker's Heart - Strait and Narrow

 

Matthew 7:14

Because strait is The Gate, and narrow is The Way
that leads to Life, and few there be who find it.

Luke 13:24

Strive to enter in at The Strait Gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

    Why won't people be able to enter The Strait Gate and The Narrow Way? Because that Gate and that Way is through Jesus Christ. 

    John 10:9

I Am The Door (The Gate). If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

    Just like in a garden fence there is a gate to open and go in, go through, there is also One Gate, One Door, to go through to get into Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ.  Right now this Gate is open, but the day is near and close at hand, when this Door will be closed. And many who will be left out will not be able to get The Door open on their own. 

    Just as the ark's ramp/entryway/door was closed by God, so, this entrance into the spiritual ark will be closed by God. God ordains events to happen at certain times of His calendar. Just as Noah could not open the door to let people in when the earth flooded, so, too will God's Door not be able to be opened to let 'just one more' in. 

STRAIT IS THE GATE

    A fine line to walk on and live in according to the plan of Salvation and Sanctification which God has laid out for us. Luke writes that we are to strive to enter in at The Strait Gate. A few translations say, "Make every effort". 

    Strive: Earnestly pursue, endeavor to accomplish, labor intensively

But do so now, while we still have our faculties. While our minds can still comprehend and understand the need to enter in. While our eyes can still read The Word. While our ears can still hear The Word. While our hearts can still pursue The Word. 

    While we have preachers who are not afraid to preach The Whole Word of God according to The Word of God. While we, as yet, have teachers and expositors, who break down The Word, sometimes one word at a time, just to know that we know what we know. 

    Let us seek The Lord "while He may be found". [Isaiah 55:6]. Once The Gate closes, The Lord will not be found anywhere on this earth. Nor will The Holy Spirit of God be here. For when The Bridegroom comes to get His bride, His Best Friend will go back home with Him. [Matthew 25:1-13; John 3:29]. 

NARROW IS THE WAY

    Narrow does not mean what you may think it means. 

    Narrow: suffer tribulation, suffer affliction, distress, trouble

 Luke 9:23, 24

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

    Carrying a cross requires an inordinate amount of strength and self-discipline. While we will carry whatever our cross may be for the most part, there will be times when we need someone to help us carry it. Regardless, the cross we carry will be heavy and we may want to lay it down and just stop. Don't. The destination is worth the journey. 

    The cross we carry is designed by God. We may not always recognize it as such, but the burden of carrying such a load surely weighs on us just the same. Taking up the cross daily means we have set aside worldly desires and goals, so that we can accomplish godly goals. 

    I've Got My Mind Made Up my heart is fixed, I'm going with Jesus all the way!

        

FEW THERE BE 

    Why will only a few find The Gate and The Narrow Way? The Way of Holiness means anything unholy cannot be found in it. No sin of any kind can touch it. No unrighteousness may enter The Narrow Way, for The Way is holy and pure. The one who believes he or she is not a sinner is lying to themselves. 

    Who cannot enter in at The Strait Gate: 

John 8:19; 14:7; 1 John  - Those who do not know Jesus cannot know God

John 3:5; Titus 3:5 - Those not born of water and of blood

Revelation 20:15 - Those whose names are not written in The Book of Life

Revelation 21:8 - The fear-driven [lacking fortitude {determination and dedication in following Christ}, they who give into persecution and deny Christ], and unbelieving [faithless, the unpersuaded soul], the sexually immoral, the unrepentant, the murderers [those who willingly shed innocent blood], sorcerers [incantationers, those who practice witchcraft & make magic potions, illusionists who deceive by twisting Scripture], idolaters [both those who make idols, those who sell and buy idols, those who worship idols], liars [deceivers, opposers to divine Truth] 

    Everything Jesus is, The Narrow Way and The Strait Gate are. Because JESUS CHRIST IS THE STRAIT GATE. JESUS CHRIST IS THE NARROW WAY. 

    John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me."

Warrior of The Word - The Tongue of Discipleship

 

Isaiah 50:4 (ESV)

The Lord GOD has given Me 

the tongue of those who are taught,

that I may know how to sustain with 

a Word him who is weary. 

Morning by morning He awakens Me; 

He awakens My ear to hear 

as those who are taught.

    Though the prophet Isaiah is speaking here, it is Christ who speaks through him. That's prophecy, The Word foretold through the writings of one of God's faithful servants and friend, Isaiah. Because Isaiah was willing to learn what God had to say. 

    Are we in a place where we are willing to learn what God wants to say to us? The word 'disciple' means learner, one who learns what is being taught. In other words, disciple is student. 

    A disciple listens to the teacher, taking in the words of wisdom and instruction, as a thirsty man slakes his thirst at a cool spring. The thirsty never get their fill of godly instruction. The hungry are never satisfied with just the crumbs. The true disciple goes back to the teacher for more instruction, more learning, more learning to apply what is being learned. 

    Here Jesus Christ is telling us that He is learning the tongue of discipleship. The tongue that He will speak to the weary soul, calling that soul to strengthen it and give it rest, true rest. Rest in Christ Himself. 

    Matthew 11:28

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

     Just as Isaiah learned to listen to God, to hear what He had to say through Isaiah's mouth and writing, so, too does Jesus listen to God that He may speak what The Father would have us to know.

    John 12:49, 50

“I have not spoken on My own, but The Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what The Father has told Me to say.”

    Hebrews 4:9, 10

There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.

    The  tongue of discipleship has a learning ear. Instruction enters it when morning awakens the listening soul. O soul, are you eager to rise when the voice of The Lord enters your hearing? Slumber falls into the shadows of dawn and the listening heart rejoices to hear its Master's voice.

    But too many hear The Word of The Lord without hearing The Word of The Lord. Their ears are deaf and their hearts are hardened. They receive about as much instruction from The Word as a wooden idol. A pebble hears better than they do. 

    The tongue of discipleship drips like honey. Each Word that The Teacher speaks enters sweetly into the ear of the learner. Proverbs 16:24 says it best. Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. 

    The Law of The Lord comes from The Lord GOD. For He it is Who gave us The Law to begin with. And note, it is ONE LAW. One Law composed of many regulations. And this Law of The Lord GOD is sweet and desirable to the faithful disciple. The Law is The Word, and The Word is Jesus Christ. One Law, One Word, One Savior.

    Psalm 19:10

More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

    Psalm 119:72

The Law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver. 

    How can The Law come from The Lord's mouth unless that Law is spoken. In order for that Law to be spoken, The Words must be orated. And The Word accomplishes Itself, for It does not return to The Father without having done so. 

    Isaiah 55:11

So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But It shall accomplish what I please, And It shall prosper in the thing for which I sent It.

   John 19:30

 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

    Mark 16:19

After The Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

    We praise You, God, for all that You speak to Your disciples. O Lord, help us to be able learners of Your Word, applying it to our daily lives. Open our ears and our hearts to receive Your instruction, that we might become holy vessels of honor for Your use. Fill us with Your precious Holy Spirit right now, O Lord, that You may find us faithful servants and friends. You have made us Your sons and Your daughters through the precious blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. We have received Your Word knowing the consequences of such obedient faith and we long to see Your face when we have run our course. 

    To You be all the glory and honor and praise! Amen.