God's mercy is new every morning!

For some reason or another, I have found myself waking up earlier and earlier in the morning. I finally figured out that God wanted to share some things with me concerning his mercy and grace. Many people don't understand that God gives us a do-over every day. Every day that I wake up is a chance for me to correct what I got wrong yesterday. Every day that I wake up is a chance for me to experience his undying love.

Lamentations 3:21-23 KJV says: This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness!!

Before I go any further let me just say: I get tired of this entitlement mentality that has crept into Christians and prevails in American society today. This attitude that "I have a right to it" or "I am entitled to it" or "You owe it to me." This idea that we have no responsibilities, no obligations, no price to pay; that we don't have to work or put any effort into succeeding in life. Getting saved is the easy part but excelling in the faith will cost you something. It is a heretical notion that somehow the Lord owes us something. The Lord does not owe us anything: we owe Him everything!

Jeremiah tells us, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, then it follows that our salvation, our not being consumed, is entirely on God's terms. Again, taking the Bible as a whole, we see that the Lord does set the conditions on which we will be saved. Now, mind you, our meeting these conditions still doesn't entitle us to salvation. We still have not earned it. And we can never earn it (Matthew 19:26). We'll never be entitled or have a right to it -- at least not by anything we can ever say or do in and of ourselves. Paul tells us in Titus 3:5-7 (one of those anti-works proof-texts) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration" (water baptism in Jesus' name) "and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (receiving the Holy Ghost); "which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Verse 23 tells us, "They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness," like we sing in the old hymn. What are new every morning? God's compassion. They are fresh in our lives every day. They are in full strength. They do not deteriorate, spoil or go stale. We've heard throughout our Christian journey about how much the Lord loves us and cares for us. Here is yet another confirmation of this. And that's the whole point: it is HIS love, HIS care, HIS mercy, His compassion. It is of the Lord's mercies! It is of the Lord's mercies! It is of the Lord's mercies! Revelation 4:11 tells us, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." God isn't here for us, we're here for Him. We're here to honor Him, glorify Him, bring pleasure to Him; not the other way around. Any blessing or pleasure or honor we receive as a result of our serving Him, is entirely out of the goodness of His heart.

I believe that Christians can get a bit self-righteous and think they are more than what they are. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Everyday we must understand just how much of a mess we would be in without God's mercy. We may not speak wrong but we all have had wrong thoughts. Look at the many scriptures about thoughts and how powerful they are. I have thought of committing suicide in the past and even attempted it but THANK GOD FOR HIS MERCY!! We will never deserve the unfailing, undying, unmerited favor that God bestows upon us. So let us always remember this before we decide to bad mouth someone for the wrong they've done. If it wasn't for mercy you wouldn't be where you are.

Remain blessed

Praise your way out!

Did you know that your praise is one of your greatest weapons? Praise is a weapon that can be used to deliver us from any problem or situation. It takes absolutely nothing to praise God when things are going alright but something happens when you praise God in the face of adversity. You can praise your way out of any situation. Let's look at an example of this.

Acts 16:23-32 (KJV)

²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

²⁴Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

As you can see, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in jail for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Can you imagine doing your job and getting beaten and thrown in prison for it? Instead of Paul and Silas mumbling and complaining they begin to use their main weapon...praise. Even though, they had been beaten and humiliated they chose to praise the Lord. As we have said before, something happens when you praise God in the midst of your trials and tribulations.

We must realize that getting saved doesn't cost us anything but in order to go anywhere in Christ it comes with a great price. Paul and Silas had to pay for doing what thus says the Lord. If you notice something begin to happen when they praised God. There was an earthquake that took place. An earthquake that was so powerful that it loosed their shackles and set them free. Not only did their praise deliver them, but it delivered everyone else that was in jail that night. Notice that Paul and Silas could easily have escaped but they didn't. They stayed there in order to do the work of the Lord. And because of their obedience to God, the guard/keeper got saved that night. Why? Because praise is a powerful weapon. That guard knew that there was something different about these guys. He saw the impossible happen and wanted what Paul and Silas had. Christians should radiate the power of God so strongly that people know there's something different about us. People will marvel at you when you refuse to allow your situation to dictate your happiness.

No matter what you're facing today in your life, just like Paul and Silas praised their way out...you can praise your way out. We just have to make up our minds that we're not going to take our focus off of what really matters and that's living to please God. Has God ever failed you? No, so why would he fail you now. Understand that God is with us wherever we go, just waiting to show himself strong. All we have to do is trust him. When you praise God in the midst of your storm you are telling him, "God I trust you"..."God I know you're going to make a way out of no way"...."God I know that somehow, someway you're going to work this out in my favor". Things can not remain the same when you begin to praise God anyhow. So chose today not to mumble your way out, not to grumble your way out, not to worry your way out, but to Praise your way out!!!

Remain blessed

To live, we must die!

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:

Genesis 45:1-15
1 Corinthians 15:35-50

When I say, "To live, we must die," it cannot be in the physical world, for we know that in the physical world, we live until we die.

Thus, "To live, we must die," is an expression to describe what must take place spiritually for us to enter our everlasting life with the Lord.

But then, we may ask, "How must we die, that we may live forever?"

The answer is that we must die to our pride and to our other sins.

So, this morning we are going to look at two examples of this dying to self.

The first example is from Genesis 45:1-15, when Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, the very brothers who sold him into slavery in Egypt.

1. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried, "Have everyone go out from me." So there was no man with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard of it.

Joseph had known who his brothers were for a long time, and he had been playing a game with them, to bring fear to their hearts, because of what they had done to him.

But now, Joseph can no longer do that, for his previous actions are troubling him, and he is really glad to see them.

Joseph was dying to self, to his office of prime minister of Egypt, and to his thoughts of revenge.

Joseph was just their brother.

3. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.

4. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

5. "And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Sometimes we question how much we are to forgive others.

But here, we see that there should be no limit, no matter what was done against us.

Joseph was looking at the bigger picture, and not just at the sinful act done against him.

Joseph saw the hand of God in the whole matter.

Joseph saw how God turned their evil into good, because of the way he lived before the Lord.

So he explains further to his brothers what is still to take place.

6. "For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.

7. "And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

8. "Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9. "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

10. "And you shall live in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that you have.

11. "There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, lest you and your household and all that you have be impoverished." ’

12. "And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you.

13. "Now you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here."

14. Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck.

15. And he kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him.

Joseph was acting as a type of Noah, who was there to save his family from the disaster to come.

He was not forcing them to come and be saved, but he was encouraging them.

But the ultimate decision was theirs to make.

They, likewise, had to die to self; for they would now have to tell their father what they had done, and stand before him confessing that they knowingly brought all the past grief upon him, who mourned for his son.

We can also see in the life of Joseph an example of God's saving grace given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is also telling us He has paid the price of our sins, and is willing to forgive us, and to bring us to a land of everlasting life; but we, on our own, must die to self, confessing our sins to our Father in heaven, and then willingly come to Him.

In other words, we too must die, if we are to live.

Let's now take a look at our second example for this morning,

1 Corinthians 15:35-50, where Paul is trying to explain this concept of dying to self to the Corinthians.

35. But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come?"

36. You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;

37. and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else.

Paul is trying to explain to them, and to us, that a spiritual being is no longer the same as the physical being it was before rebirth, or when we are planted in the Lord.

And as we go on, picture our life before we came to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, as a seed, and our life with Him as the growing plant that produces additional seed of its own.

38. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own.

39. All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.

40. There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.

41. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.

Remember that this was written before microscopes or telescopes, or any of the technical advancements we have today; yet, what Paul is saying we know to be true.

Thus, it should be the reminder to us of what he is saying of the spiritual realm.

42. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;

43. it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

44. it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

We cannot see the spiritual body now, but one day hopefully we will all see it, and rejoice.

Now Paul gives us another example of how we got to where we are today: that we will look to what we shall be, if we take advantage of what is being offered to us.

45. So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

“The last Adam” refers to Jesus.

46. However, the spiritual is not first [speaking of God's created beings], but the natural; then the spiritual.

47. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

48. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.

Here is where the choice must be made, for we are earthy until we choose to be heavenly.

49. And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

We must remember that Paul is speaking to believers, for until we are born again, we do not bear the image of the heavenly.

50. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

We must die to that part of us that is perishable, and we must be spiritually born into that which is imperishable.

And what is imperishable will not die or decay, for it is no longer physical, but spiritual.

Thus, to live, we must die.

Seek Christ, that we may live.

And encourage others to do the same; that we may live together in everlasting love and peace forever and ever.

Jude 17-25

Jude 17-25

17 But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Jude calls us to think about the predictions and prophecies in the Bible, especially the predictions of the apostles as they travelled with Jesus and learned from Him the prophecies He would fulfill in His first coming and those He would fulfill in His second coming. We need to be watching what is happening in our world today and consider the predictions in the Bible as we make ready for the Lord’s return.

18 for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.”

What we know as selfish, self-centered, self-indulgent, sinful worldly pleasures Jude labels “ungodly lusts.” Those who are motivated to indulge these ungodly lusts scoff at God, at the Bible, at Bible-believing Christians, whether Christians try to encourage them and offer to help them change their behavior or not. As the second coming of Jesus Christ draws near, such ridicule and scoffing by unbelievers will increase in volume and intensity, often leading to persecution. Moreover, such scoffers will develop their own belief system or theology or adopt an established one or find a church that will enable them to live an ungodly life, harden their conscience, and disregard the truth of God.

19 It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.

Unfortunately, Jude needed to recognize and warn people about situations we also know of by experience today. In the church, we find worldly people who do not follow Jesus Christ and His teachings, people who do not believe the Bible is the infallible word of God (without error in all that the Bible affirms). These people are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit; indeed, they actually call God a liar when they reject the Bible’s clear and consistent teachings on the most basic moral and theological truths that Jesus and the apostles especially upheld as of first importance for all believers and the church in all times and places. They reject the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit as He tries to teach them the meaning of the Bible and help them apply the Bible’s teachings to their behaviors and beliefs. Such people cause divisions in the church, divisions that we experience or hear about almost everyday, divisions we try to overcome in Christ. 2

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit;

Our response as Bible-believing Christians to such self-centered people and sinful situations must begin with increasing our own faith in the face of such disappointments within the church. We need to increase our most “holy faith,” a “holy faith” that loves, trusts, and obeys the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We do this with constant prayer as we study the word of God written, the Bible, to hear from God with a purpose to obey God and go wherever God leads. We pray with the Holy Spirit and in the Holy Spirit, Who indwells us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit prays (or intercedes) for us even in our grief and groaning.

21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

Furthermore, we want to knowingly remain within the circle of God's live by obeying His commands in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus declared: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Though believers sin from time to time, rather than live in the practice of known sin (of which they are ashamed) as they did in the past, we look to the merciful forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ to save us and lead us into eternal life – now and forever. In these troubled days, to “look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” gives us a heartwarming blessedness.

22 And have mercy on some who are wavering;

The pressures from those who are worldly in the church and the temptations the world puts before us to lead us astray can become so great that some may waver in their faith and temporarily walk into sin. Believers need to have mercy on these weak Christians or these times of weakness in strong Christians (knowing that the same could happen to any of us) as we try to build everyone up in their faith in Jesus Christ, Who alone can save us and show us the way of escape.

23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.

There may be some believers that we can physically and mentally lead away from the false teaching and sinful temptations toward which they are committing themselves. We need to have mercy on many, with the fear and certain knowledge that if it were not for the Lord’s sustaining grace and power we would be headed in the wrong direction too. Unhappily, some can have so defiled themselves through sinful practices that we can even hate the clothing they wear, especially when their clothing and appearance sometimes advertises their sinful preferences and desires to entrap others in their lifestyle.

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,

The pressures of sin and temptation in this world are so great that we cannot save ourselves from falling or walking into sin. We have all sinned in the past, and only Jesus Christ can free us from our slavery to sin or preference for sin. Only one Person can save us and bestow eternal life upon us – God in Jesus Christ – so we must turn to Jesus Christ moment-by-moment when the world tries to shape un into its mold. Only Jesus can cleanse us and help us so live that we will be able to stand before Him with a rejoicing heart when we meet Him face to face.

25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Pray only to God our Savior. Pray to God our Father in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Pray as Jesus taught us to pray: Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in His Name and make our requests known to God in His Name. Pray to God in the power and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In prayer and by the way we live, we also want to offer God our recognition that all glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to God alone, and not to any other being. We look forward to the time when the glory, majesty, power, and authority of God are obvious to all beings in heaven and on earth and wherever God has placed them. We look forward to the time when all will bow before God and acknowledge He is King of the universe.

Five Questions for Discussion

1. Why is it important for us as believers to remember some of the predictions

that Jesus Christ fulfilled in the past? In what ways does knowing the “yet to be fulfilled predictions” help you in your daily life?

2. In what specific ways do some scoff at Christians and Christian beliefs today? Pray for any who scoff at Christ and Christian teachings today.

3. What does “most holy faith” mean to you? Is there any distinction between “faith” and “most holy faith”?

4. In what ways can you keep yourself in the love of God? How can the church help people keep themselves in the love of God?

5. In what ways can believers and the church show mercy toward others today? Why must the mercy we show be “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ” instead of simply our own mercy? What is the difference between the two types?

2 Timothy Chapter 2

As I have already shared before, I am now the Sunday school teacher at my church so whenever I get a chance I'd like to share some of what I plan to teach. Our lesson this week will be coming from 2 Timothy 2:8-15 . This lesson will hopefully bless someone.

Verse 8. "Remember that Jesus Christ" - The apostle seems to say: Whatever tribulations or deaths may befall us, let us remember that Jesus Christ, who was slain by the Jews, rose again from the dead, and his resurrection is the proof and pledge of ours. We also shall rise again to a life of glory and blessedness.

"According to my Gospel" - The false teaching of Hymeneus and Philetus stated that the resurrection was past already. Paul preached the resurrection from the dead; and founded his doctrine on the resurrection and promise of Christ. This was his Gospel; the other was of a different nature.

Verse 9. "Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer" - This verse contains one of the proofs that this epistle was written while St. Paul was a prisoner the second time at Rome. See the preface, where this is particularly considered.

Verse 10. "For the elect's sake" - For the sake of the Gentiles, elected by God's goodness to enjoy every privilege formerly possessed by the Jews, and, in addition to these, all the blessings of the Gospel; the salvation of Christ here, and eternal glory hereafter.

Verse 11. "If we be dead with him" - That is: As surely as Christ rose again from the dead, so surely shall we rise again; and if we die for him, we shall surely live again with him. This, says the apostle, is pistov o logov, a true doctrine. This is properly the import of the word; and we need not seek, as Bp. Tillotson and many others have done, for some saying of Christ which the apostle is supposed to be here quoting, and which he learned from tradition.

Verse 12. "If we suffer-with him" - These are other parts of the true doctrine, which the apostle mentions above.

Verse 13. "If we believe not" - Should we deny the faith and apostatize, he is the same, as true to his threatenings as to his promises; he cannot deny - act contrary to, himself.

Verse 14. "That they strive not about words" - WORDS, not things, have been a most fruitful source of contention in the Christian world; and among religious people, the principal cause of animosity has arisen from the different manner of apprehending the same term, while, in essence, both meant the same thing. All preachers and divines should be very careful, both in speaking and writing, to explain the terms they use, and never employ them in any sense but that in which they have explained them.

"The subverting of the hearers." - This is the general tendency of all polemical divinity and controversial preaching, when angry passions are called in to support the doctrines of the Gospel.

Verse 15. "Study to show thyself approved unto God" - Endeavour so to cultivate and improve thy heart and mind, that thou mayest not be a reproach to him from whom thou professest to receive thy commission.

"Rightly dividing the word of truth." - It is generally supposed that the apostle alludes here to the care taken to divide the sacrifices under the law; the priests studied, in dividing the victim down the spine, to do it so scrupulously that one half of the spinal marrow should be found on each side the backbone. Probably nothing was much farther from the apostle's thoughts than this view, which is now commonly taken of the subject.

Indeed this scrupulously dividing does not appear to have been any original ordinance among the Jews; much stress was laid upon it in later times, but from the beginning it was not so. The word orqotomein signifies, 1. Simply to cut straight, or to rectify. 2. To walk in the right way; it is thus used by Gregory Nazianzen, who, in Orat. Apol. fugae, opposes orqotomein to kakwv odeuein, walking in a right way to walking in a bad way. Thus, kainotomein signifies to walk in a new way, and kateuqunein to walk in a straight way. See Kypke. Therefore, by rightly dividing the word of truth, we are to understand his continuing in the true doctrine, and teaching that to every person; and, according to our Lord's simile, giving each his portion of meat in due season-milk to babes, strong meat to the full grown, comfort to the disconsolate, reproof to the irregular and careless; in a word, finding out the necessities of his hearers, and preaching so as to meet those necessities.

Are you on empty?

Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

I’ve heard so many Christians ask, “How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?” As if the Holy Spirit is some kind of power or force that we can control or weild. What we should really be asking is, “How can the Holy Spirit have more of me?”

We cannot control this power from on high. If we could, then we could be led to pride and strut around as if we’re some kind of “Super Christian”.

But if we recognize that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person — and that this Person is actually willing to live in us, we’d greatly be humbled! We must be very honored that the Spirit of God would inhabit these these corrupt vessels of ours and more importantly that He would even consider using us!

It’s only when we empty ourselves that we truly become filled! Let’s empty ourselves of our selfish ambitions and desires today and allow ourselves to become broken before the Lord. We need to be truly filled with God’s Power if we’re going to impact the world for Him! There’s SOOOOOO much work to be done!!

Remain blessed

Commentary on 1 Timothy 2:1-6; 3:14-16

I was recently named the Sunday school teacher at my church which I am very excited about. So now I want to share with my readers some of what I teach the students during class. This weeks lesson is titled "Instructions about worship". The following is a commentary that I will be sharing about this weeks lesson. It includes the scripture text from the New American Standard

Bible—Updated (NASU) and the King James Version (KJV), in addition to the

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

1 Timothy 2:1-6 — NRSV

2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,

and thanksgivings be made for everyone,

Paul lists some types of requests that can be a part of every prayer (conversation

with God). Supplications discuss with God the needs of others and ourselves,

trusting that God knows and will meet the needs of His children. Intercessions

often involve concern for our sins and the sins of others, where we ask God to

forgive, cleanse, and free people from the power of sin. We sometimes pray as

though we were in their place, confessing their sins as though they were ours and

asking God to forgive us. We offer all of our prayers with thanksgiving to God,

Who by grace invites us to come to Him. Though we are undeserving to come into

His presence, He invites us to come in Jesus’ name. No one should be outside of

the circle of our prayer concerns, for Paul told us to pray for everyone.

2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a

quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.

In praying for everyone, Paul wants us to include leaders that are political or

religious, business or home, etc. Paul requests that we pray for God to work in

their lives so those who follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior do not suffer

persecution or hardships because they are believers, so believers can live godly

and receive respect for living righteous lives.

3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

Praying for everyone, for God to work in the lives of everyone to meet their needs

and help them make the changes in their heart, mind, and behavior that they

need to make is right and acceptable in God’s mind. God is our Savior, and the

Savior of all who trust in Him. We can pray for people, especially all leaders, to

come to know God and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of

the truth.

God desires certain events. Some events are directly caused by God. Other events

are permitted by God as He allows people to exercise their ability to choose in

opposition to His will. God desires that everyone love God and their neighbor, but

many fight against God and His desire that we love Him and others. When people

come to a knowledge of the truth, they may choose to live in accordance with the

truth or not; they may choose to follow God as Savior or not. We can pray that

they will choose rightly, which is what God desires.

5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and

humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human,

Christians believe in one God, but here Paul writes of God the Father and God the

Son, two of the three Persons of the Trinity. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary

and conceived by the Holy Spirit; therefore, Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

As such, Jesus Christ can, did, and does serve as the One who brings God and

people together.

6 who gave himself a ransom for all — this was attested at the right

time.

Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to provide for the forgiveness of sin, the

cleansing from sin, and the freeing from sin of all people; however, some do not

want to be cleansed and freed from the sins they enjoy; some do not think they

need forgiveness nor do they want forgiveness from God. People can refuse to

accept the ransom that Jesus paid in their behalf. God sent His Son into the

world at just the right time, according to His plan and perfect timing.

1 Timothy 3:14-16 — NRSV

3:14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to

you so that,

Paul wrote his letter to Timothy in case he was delayed in coming to him. In the

providence of God, his letter was written and saved for us, and so it provides

instruction for us as well. The troubles Paul and Timothy faced we face today, and

the solutions are God-given for us to apply.

15 if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the

household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and

bulwark of the truth.

Paul describes in his letter the best way to behave and the church and the best

way to discipline and organize the church. The church is the household of the

living God. Those truly a part of the church are members of God’s family. The true church will hold up the truth, as a pillar holds up a roof, and the people will

live under and protected by the truth. The bulwark serves as a defense. The

bulwark protects people on the ship when waves wash over a deck. The church

must defend the truth which saves people and enables them to live godly lives

16 Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was

revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed

among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

Jesus is the truth and the Bible is the truth of God written. We cannot and do not

understand completely all the truth of God, that we can understand enough truth

to be saved and enough truth to share with others that they might come to a

knowledge of the truth and be saved. Here, Paul describes Jesus, Who came in

the flesh so the invisible God became visible; Who was raised from the dead after

a ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit; Who was seen by angels at the to and

that his resurrection; Who is proclaimed as Lord and Savior not only among the

Jews, but also to non-Jews, who is believed in by some wherever the gospel is

preached around the world, and Who is seated at the right hand of God in glory.

1 Tim 2:1-6 — NASU Text

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings,

be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we

may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and

acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and

to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator

also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a

ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

1 Tim 3:14-16 — NASU Text

14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in

case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself

in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and

support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.

1 Tim 2:1-6 — KJV Text

2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and

giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in

authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and

honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who

will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For

there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time

1 Tim 3:14-16 — KJV Text

14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 15 But if I

tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the

house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the

truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was

manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the

Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

[Feel free to leave your comments, conclusions, suggestions, and thoughts as a

Comment on the Bible Lesson Forum. We can learn from one another.]

Five Questions for Discussion

1. What does Paul say we should include in our prayers? Compare his list with

what we normally include or omit in our prayers. How might we need to improve

our prayer life? Can you add to Paul’s list (think of the Lord’s Prayer).

2. What reason does Paul give for praying for leaders? Can you think of additional

reasons to pray for them? Pray for the leaders where you live and others around

the world who need our prayers.

3. In what ways might a Christian leader govern differently from a non-Christian

leader, or differently from a “Christian” leader who does not govern according to

the revealed will and spirit of God in the Bible (who does not seek the Kingdom of

God and His righteousness, though he or she says they are Christian)?

4. Why is truth important? How you and your church can become a better “pillar

and bulwark of the truth”?

5. Read 1 Timothy 3:16 again. What does Paul include in his list that surprises

you? What truths about Jesus from the Bible would you add to Paul’s list? Give a

reason for your answers.

Remain blessed

Jesus took your sickness away!

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (KJV)

Understanding what Jesus did for you on the cross will help you to connect your faith to God's healing power.

God loves you. He thought about you before you were a twinkle in your daddy's eye. He already made provisions for your body long before anybody ever thought you'd ever be around. That's called a God who loves you, a God who cares, a God who's on your side, a God who wants to make sure you are blessed in everything in your life. He wants you blessed in the city and blessed in the field. And most importantly, He wants you healed in your body.

Isaiah says, "Surely, he bore your griefs..." The word "grief" means sickness, disease and pain. "Sorrow" means pains. In other words, surely he hath borne our sicknesses, diseases and pain. The word "borne" means to suffer punishment for something. So we can conclude that somebody deserved punishment, somebody deserved to suffer, somebody deserved to have cancer and AIDS and sickle cell and lung disease and heart disease, and other diseases. Who was it? It was me and it was you.

We were born in sin, our forefather's sin, Adam's sin, and Eve's sin. We deserved to have all that, but Jesus bore that punishment in our place on that cross. He took in his body every sickness, every disease, every pain, every AIDS, every cancer cell, every lung disease, every heart disease, every kind of sickness and disease for you and He bore it away for you. Why? S o you don't have to have it.

With every stripe Jesus took on His back, He was looking at you. With every stripe He bore, Jesus was thinking about you, knowing that if He took it, you would not have to. Now that is love.

You don't have to be sick. You don't have to die prematurely. You don't have to lay down to the devil and say, there's nothing I can do. There's one who's already done it for you. His name is Jesus. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Scripture References: Hebrews 13:8; Jeremiah 1:5; 1 Peter 2:24

Remain blessed

Be Blessed by: Bishop Paul S. Morton

Love is ACTION- Part 2

Our last post was centered around a specific incident that allegedly happened with a man of God. We focused on the love chapter which can be found in 1 Corinthians 13. Today we're going to pick back up on verses 4-8 in the Amplified Bible:

⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

These scriptures basically give us the true definition of love. This is what God expects of his people on a daily basis. The truth of the matter is, how hard could it possibly be to love someone who always does what you want them to do, always acts the way you want them to act, etc. Love means sacrificing. It means that I have to love people regardless of how they treat me.

We all have heard various portrayals of the Bishop Eddie Long situation. My heart goes out to both him and his church family. Whether the accusations are true or not, the prayer warrior in each of us should have been activated immediately. Whenever accusations start swirling, Christians should reserve comment until the truth comes out. Verse 7 says: Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Instead of sitting around talking about how dirty and nasty this man is and what a liar he is, just simply pray the mercy of God upon him and his family. Treat them as you would want to be treated if you were accused of something. Even if the accusations were found to be true remember what the scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:12 (Amplified Bible) Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall [into sin].

The final thing we should know about love comes from verse 8 which says: Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. My love for you and your love for me should never end regardless of what I do to you or what you do to me. Love does not end! Before judging or begrudging someone it's always important to remember that we're not perfect. As a matter of fact, For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6 KJV). What would we have done if Jesus hadn't loved us in spite of ourselves? What would we have done if God had a respect of persons? None of us would be alive if Jesus hadn't looked beyond our faults and saw our needs. So whenever something comes out about any of our brothers and sisters, whether true or not, let's love them the way that Jesus loves us. (Galatians 6:1 AMP) BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.

Remain blessed