DO ALL FOR HIS GLORY

Remember that everything we say or do is as if it were done directly
to the Lord. Knowing that, we strive to honor Him in all we say and
do. And we are thankful to Him for giving us the grace and strength
to be able to Honor Him this way.

Read Colossians 3:17

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (NIV)

"And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (KJV)

OVERCOMING

To overcome is to overpower and defeat the enemy. If we endure the
struggle with God's help and overcome Satan, we are promised the
greatest reward of eternity in the presence of our Lord and His angels.

Read Revelation 3:5

"He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never
blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name
before my Father and his angels." (NIV)

"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will
not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name
before my Father, and before his angels." (KJV)

THE LAW ONLY MAKES US AWARE OF SIN

Laws are given to help us stay in the boundaries of the right way.
The problem is, laws do not give us the ability or the desire to stay
in the boundaries of the right way. The law merely shows us that
we do not have the ability to be "right"eous. We can only be made
right by the sacrifice Christ made. Faith in Him will give us the desire
to do right, whether the law is present or not.

Read Romans 3:20

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing
the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (NIV)

"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (KJV)

HE WILL KEEP US STRONG

According to our faith and trust in the Lord, He will keep us strong
and victorious so that we will be ready when He comes back for His
Church. We are always encouraged and reminded to stir up our faith,
keep the faith, and guard our faith.

Read 1 Corinthians 1:8

"He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless
on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NIV)

"Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." (KJV)

REJOICE

To rejoice is to celebrate, enjoy, take pleasure, or be full of joy.
If we are rejoicing that we belong to the Lord, we are fully
equipped to overcome the difficult things of this world.

Read Philippians 4:4

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (NIV)

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." (KJV)

GODLY SORROW

There are two kinds of remorse for doing a sinful action. Godly
remorse is based on knowledge and acceptance that God has
been offended by our actions and we are ashamed that we have
dishonored Him. We will then get rid of that sin, forsaking it and
walking in the way to eternal life. Worldly remorse is based on
awareness of being caught and embarrassed that others know we
have done wrong. This type of remorse puts us in danger of eternal
separation from God.

Read 2 Corinthians 7:10

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves
no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." (NIV)

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (KJV)

NO MORE SELFNESS

Imagine how you would feel if you could not do things you want
to do, think things you want to think, say things you want to say,
or go places you want to go? Imagine letting someone else decide
all these things for you. If you to follow Christ, this is exactly how
it will be. It is a difficult, narrow path. Very few are willing to do it.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:32

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after me,
he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" (NIV)

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, 'If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'" (KJV)

GOD'S JUDGEMENT

If we are spiritually open to God's judgement of our thoughts,
feelings, and actions, He will let us see if there is anything
contrary to Him and His Word. This allows us opportunity to
change and get our lives in harmony with Him.

Read 1 Corinthians 11:32

"When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that
we will not be condemned with the world." (NIV)

"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we
should not be condemned with the world." (KJV)

POWER OF THE GOSPEL

Jesus told us that the result of His being lifted up, nailed to the cross,
dying, and rising to life would be a powerful Gospel message. It will draw everyone who hears it to a point of decision to believe in Him as Savior or to continue in sin.

Read John 12:32

"But, I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
(NIV)

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." (KJV)

SPIRITUAL VS NATURAL

As humans, we have five senses with which to gather information
and provide stimulation from our environment. When we allow our
natural senses, on a regular basis, to bring us stimulation that is
displeasing to God, we have chosen our natural desires and the
things of this world to be our gods. Those who have Christ will allow
the Holy Spirit to direct their desires toward Godly and eternal
things.

Read Romans 8:5

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on
what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (NIV)

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." (KJV)

GETTING DIRECTION

There will be times when we come to crossroads or major decisions
that will have far reaching impact on our lives. The Lord tells us we
are to choose the way of Christians who have gone on before us. They
have worn a proven trail that leads to peace and rest for the soul. Jesus
Christ took that road, walk the way He did.

Read Jeremiah 6:16

"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (NIV)

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for
your souls." (KJV)

YOUR CHOICE

Temptation is universal. It comes to every human being. Giving in
or not giving in to the temptation is always a choice. God will never
allow us to be tempted to the point that we can do nothing but sin.
There will always be an option to get through the temptation without
sinning. It's our choice and we will be held responsible for the choice
we make.

Read 1 Corinthians 10:13

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And
God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can
bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so
that you can stand up under it."(NIV)

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye
may be able to bear it." (KJV)

PRIDE VS HUMILITY

Pride results in an expectation of special treatment and privileges.
Shame and embarrassment result when these things do not occur
and the proud person is treated as common. The humble person
expects nothing and does not believe he is deserving of special
treatment or privileges. God honors the humble by lavishing them
with wisdom. Others will then show them with respect.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes
wisdom." (NIV)

"When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom." (KJV)

THINKING ATTENTIVELY

To have discernment is to recognize those thoughts and statements
that are lies and not from God. In fact, we are to filter all thoughts
and statements through the Word of God and His principles.

Read 2 Corinthians 10:5

" We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ." (NIV)

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ." (KJV)

LIGHT & JOY

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour and repent of our
sins, the Lord sows seeds of Godly light and happiness into our
souls. We are to cultivate what He has sown within us until the
light shines out into the darkness and the joy brings strength
and joy to the lost.

Psalm 97:11

"Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart."
(NIV)

"Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in
heart." (KJV)

THE REAL BATTLE

The struggles we encounter in this life are not against human beings. They are against the natural and sinful spirit within humans, the ranks of evil spirits in Satan's kingdom, the powers of Satan himself, and the darkness of sin and lawless ness that presently prevails over the earth. These are the things we struggle against and we cannot do it without the help of the Lord and putting on His full armor.

Read Ephesians 6:12

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (NIV)

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness In high places." (KJV)

DELIGHT & RECEIVE

What does it mean to delight ourselves in the Lord? It is to be
conscious and eager to know Him, to learn His ways, to be close
to Him, to commune with Him. By delighting in Him, He will give
us our heart's desires. If our hearts are truly right with God, our
desires will not be for personal gratification, but will be to love
God, live according to His will, and to please Him.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of
your heart." (NIV)

"Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of
thine heart." (KJV)

HIS INVISIBLE IMAGE

The divine nature of Christ was invisible to humanity just as the
divine nature of God the Father is invisible. Jesus Christ is the
image of God the Father. He is the perfect representation of the
Father. Jesus Christ is first over all creation and holds the position
and privilege of being God's Son. Is it any wonder that we will spend
eternity praising and worshipping Him.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."
(NIV)

"Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature."
(KJV)

WORDS AND THOUGHTS

We live each day bumping against the temptations and tribulations
of this world. It is so easy to allow the things of this world to invade
our thoughts and speech. Without being aware of it, our thoughts and
speech are no different than that of the world. If we ask the Lord each
day to keep watch and guard our thoughts and speech, He will help us
keep them pleasing to Him.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing
in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (NIV)

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." (KJV)

WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US

The Gospel was not given in the same manner as the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai where there was great fear and trembling. The Gospel, born of a great and terrible price, is offered to us with power to be like Christ, doing the things He did. It is given freely to us to love unconditionally as He loves us. And it is given so that we can be alert, wise, and have understanding. All we have to do is acknowledge that we need this Gospel, repent of our own ways of living, and believe that Christ is truly the Son of God, our Saviour, that gave us this great and wonderful message.

Read 2 Itmothy 1:7

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love
and of self-discipline." (NIV)

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind." (KJV)

HE KNOWS US

We do not understand the ways of God, as we know His ways are
far above our ways. But, He knows the ways we take, and is well
acquainted with them. Even when others around us don't understand
our ways, God does. He honors our choice to go the right way even if
we have taken a wrong step at times. Our Lord will examine our ways
and when we have passed His test of our faith, we will emerge with
the rewards of everlasting life.

Read Job 23:10

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will
come forth as gold." (NIV)

"But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall
come forth as gold." (KJV)

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION

The Gospel message and the Words that Christ gave us are of such
infinite importance to our eternal future and our walk through this
world. This should be foremost in our hearts and minds and of the
deepest concern to us. There are many, many things in this world
to distract us from this most important message. Consider the glory
and dignity of the One who has spoken these words and gave all for
us, and of the eternal importance of the message. Don't allow your
mind and heart to get side tracked.

Read Hebrews 2:1

"We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have
heard, so that we do not drift away." (NIV)

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things
which we have heard, lest at any itme we should let them slip." (KJV)

NOTHING IS HIDDEN

It is usually the case that when we are about to do something we
know is displeasing to God or even illegal in man's eyes, we do our
best to hide it, disguise it, and make certain no one sees. Don't be
fooled! God sees every move we make, every move. Not only does
He see it, He thinks about it and makes rightful judgement about it.
If we confess and repent, God is faithful to forgive us. If we continue
to do those same "hidden," sinful things, God will allow us to reap
the terrible judgement we have sown.

Read Proverbs 5:21

"For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord and He examines all
his paths." (NIV)

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he
pondereth all his goings." (KJV)

LOOK WHERE YOU CAME FROM

For those who are serious about following after righteousness, God
tells us to recall the place He brought us from, the hopeless condition
from which we could not save ourselves. When we remember what He
did for us, we will be more attentive to our walk in righteousness.

Read Isaiah 51:1

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which
you were hewn." (NIV)

"Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD:
look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence
ye are digged." (KJV)

WHAT GOD RESPECTS

The most elaborate and ornate churches, temples, and shrines are only
impressive to the human senses. God is not impressed with them at all.
After all, He made the awesome universe. What gets God's attention as
the most beautiful temple is the individual that is humble in spirit. One
who grieves the sin in this world and gives total respect to the things of
God.

Read Isaiah 66:2

"'Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?'
declares the Lord. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and
contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.'" (NIV)

"For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have
been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." (KJV)

GREATNESS OF GOD

God has revealed to us in His Word that He is omnipotent, and we
stand in awe and recognize the fact that He is all powerful. There
is no force in existence more powerful than He is. God also revealed
to us in His Word that He is eternal. He has always been, He is, and
He always will be. If anyone is searching for happiness, security, and
peace, all these things can be found in trusting and following God.

Read Isaiah 43:13

"Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my
hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" (NIV)

"Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver
out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?" (KJV)

GOD'S PROTECTION

Lawlessness and evil has been unleashed in this world. Look
around you, it is everywhere. There is no escape from it, except
to call on the Lord. He has promised that He will watch over us
and protect us from all this evil. We can fully trust Him to take
care of us. There is no human or other entity that can be trusted,
that will be faithful, or that is even capable of keeping us from
harm. Only our God, Him only.

Read 2 Thessalonians 3:3

"But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect
you from the evil one." (NIV)

"But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you
from evil." (KJV)

REAL CHRISTIANITY

To actively choose to follow the way of Christ is to ignore what the
"self" desires. It is to walk out in active steps each day the kind of
life Christ lived. That is so unlike many "Christians" today who glut
their minds with knowledge about the Lord and exchange their ideas
at the meeting place with others who do the same.

Read Luke 9:23

"Then He said to them, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (NIV)

"And he said to them all, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.'" (KJV)

LET GOD TELL IT

It is human nature to want others to know about our special gifts and
abilities. The thing is, human nature is infected with pride. Calling
attention or merely mentioning our abilities does nothing for the
Kingdom of God or to draw others to Him. Just living for the moment
and opportunity to use our gifts, practicing them without fanfare, is
when the Lord will acknowledge us and others will know we have
gifts and abilities and that they are God given.

Read 2 Corinthians 10:18

"For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but
the one whom the Lord commends." (NIV)

"For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord
commendeth." (KJV)

KEEP ALERT

Living in the end times is very chaotic, distracting, and difficult.
It takes conscious, deliberate effort to stay focused on the things
that are really important and of eternal consequence. We are to
make every effort to keep our attention on God's unfolding plan so
that our prayers will be in harmony with His will, not our own wants
and needs.

Read 1 Peter 4:7

"The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and
self-controlled so that you can pray." (NIV)

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and
watch unto prayer." (KJV)

THINK ABOUT YOUR ANGER

It is so easy to act on our anger and emotions. We are emotional
beings and it is in our nature to express them. Sometimes our
emotions, anger in particular, are best kept under control. It is far
better to give ourselves time to think about why we are feeling this
way and listen to our heart. Our own hearts will counsel us to do the
right and honorable thing if we are serving Christ. Many sins and
heartaches have been avoided by heeding this wisdom.

Read Psalm 4:4

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your
hearts and be silent." (NIV)

"Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon
your bed, and be still. Selah." (KJV)