He Is Able To Protect

 2 Tim 1:12
 I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

We are faced daily with the philosophy of the world, progressive thinking that is contrary to the teaching of God’s word. The attack on who and what we believe is called bigotry and intolerance. Believing that Jesus is the only way to heaven is to be narrow minded and judgmental of those who think differently. We must not be persuaded to change our message, we must not be ashamed to hold to the paths of righteousness and the good news that Jesus is not only the answer to the purpose of living, but He is able to deliver us from a life of sin.  From the words of Jesus himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me”, we hold these words to be self-evident.  He has called us to a holy calling to let others know of the love of Jesus and His power to deliver from sin. He is able to keep us from the evil one, He is able to protect us from false doctrine, He is able to keep us true until He returns for His own

Burden Bearer

 Gal 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Called to be a burden bearer. The load of cares is heavy among all of us, but there are times that the load gets too heavy, causing our brothers and sisters in the Lord to crumble and break down physically and emotionally. The law of Christ teaches us to pray for each other, reach out to and give a helping hand to those that are burdened with the cares of life. It may be the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, broken relationships, physical and mental stress due to an unforeseen event. The list goes on. The burdens of life are real and it often takes the body of Christ pulling together, supporting each other in the faith. Christ is our burden bearer, but Christ uses the Church as his hands to help carry the load. Be a burden bearer.

Certainty of Death

 Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every person, And the living takes it to heart.

Death is inevitable and comes to all that are born into this life. It is good to think about death because it reminds us that life is but a vapor, and only that done for eternity will live on. We are so focused on the here and now, the demands of our society in our culture to make something of our lives in a material way. Have a nice job, buy a nice home, and be comfortable in our space. I don’t believe there is anything wrong with wanting these creature comforts, but we don’t take any of it with us when death comes. We have our soul, which consists of our relationship to God and others. Jesus said there are two great things in life that we need to pay attention to. “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Going to the house of mourning awakens our heart and mind to what is essential in life. As we continue to live in this world becoming a productive citizen and contributing  to our community, let us not forget that death can come at any time and only that done in Jesus name will really matter.

Follow The Lord

Deut. 13:4

 You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him

This scripture is full of things to do: follow, fear, keep, listen, serve and cling to the Lord. Many follow the world and its progressive thinking, many fear the Covid virus and fear for their life. People will keep and commit to causes to save the earth, but neglect to keep God’s word to save their soul. Voices come from all directions, and many are led astray by people who give out a voice that appears to be good, but it leads to destruction. There are those serving the world and the pleasure of sin, and they cling to the sin that they love, and refuse to let go. Living for God is a full abandonment to be all that God wants us to be. It requires all of our energy and surrender to Him and His will. Serving God is not a “go to church once a week thing”. It is a day by day walk that requires us to live a life filled with the Holy Spirit. The commandment given in the OT is also given in the NT. Be filled with the Spirit, draw close to God, and walk in His word.