HOLD FAST

 

Php 2:13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

Php 2:14  Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 

Php 2:15  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 

Php 2:16  holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

When we submit to God through Christ Jesus, then it is He who works in you and through you to accomplish his will. We still have that old nature that must be put off; the grumbling and complaining. Have you ever seen our nation so full of grumblers, complainers, blamers, destroyers as there is today? They do not want to keep the laws, they want to defund the police and change the constitution. Cities are burned and stores looted with the mayors and governors approving of this. They need to come to Jesus and repent so that they might be saved from the wrath of God on the children of disobedience. If not, they will spend a good part of their life in jail.

We are to be blameless and innocent children in a crooked and perverse generation. Let the light of God shine. Hold fast to the word of God so that when Jesus comes for us we can be proud, because he approves of us. Pride usually is bad in the Bible, but as obedient servants if Christ approves of us we can be proud to be included in the eternal family of God. What is the world proud of? Hold fast to the word of life.

I used to do scuba diving and I saw some beautiful things in the ocean. One place there was a forest of kelp growing from the ocean floor. The kelp trees swayed in the currents but the roots were stuck to the rocks. The secure fastening to the rocks was called the "hold fast."  We are to be like this, holding fast to the rock that is Jesus and then we will survive the storms of life.

Every Knee Should Bow

 

Php 2:5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

Php 2:6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

Php 2:7  but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 

Php 2:8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

Php 2:9  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 

Php 2:10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

Php 2:11  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Do you understand what is being said here?  That Jesus is the Son of God who was with God from eternity, who came as a human to die for our sins? He came as a humble servant who died and rose again being highly exalted. His name is above all names, every knee shall bow to him and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Can we empty ourselves and be filled by God as his servants? If we come to Jesus he will bring us to the Father as adopted son's and daughters of God. He loves us this much.

Meeting Needs

1Jn 3:17  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 

1Jn 3:18  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  

My nephew saw that I was low on firewood and he brought us firewood from his orchard. That was appreciated and it was because he chose to do it. Meeting needs requires that we know if someone has a need that we can help meet. It requires some sort of relationship. Go to prayer for your needs.

George Muller in the 1800's, established orphanages that were supplied by prayer. He would pray for any need that he had and the Lord would have people meet their needs.

If you have a real need and not just a want, then it will be met if we pray about it and make it known.

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.--Philippians 4:19

I Need Thee Every Hour

Sing Unto Him a New Song

Psa 33:1  Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. 

Psa 33:2  Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. 

Psa 33:3  Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. 

Psa 33:4  For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. 

Praise singing was wonderful Sunday, the LORD was in our presence. We sang two traditional hymns and a newer one that we were familiar with and then suddenly the power was turned off by the power company. They turned the power off as a safety precaution because of strong winds and  the danger of fires in the dry plants. We had been prepared for this so we turned on battery powered lights and played the piano and acoustic guitars as we finished singing the familiar hymn. Then a newer song was sung. The singer played  the guitar skillfully and sang unto the Lord. It was for the Lord. The new song had repetition like many of the new choruses. I was unable to understand the words, for I had forgotten my hearing device.  The words to a hymn should contain the word of God and truth from a heart of worship. There are hymns that are great for congregational singing and new songs can be sung unto the Lord to make a joyful noise! There is room for all that is lovely and meaningful and from the heart. Come let us praise the Lord together!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Choose Now

Php 1:20  as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 

Php 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

Php 1:22  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 

Php 1:23  I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 

Php 1:24  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 

2Co 5:4  For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 

2Co 5:5  He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 

2Co 5:6  So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 

2Co 5:7  for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

2Co 5:8  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 

2Co 5:9  So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 

These two passages show us that when we come to Christ Jesus, that when we die, our soul and spirit go directly to Jesus. Our souls do not sleep in a grave or get lost in cremation, our life continues with Jesus Christ. If not in Christ the soul waits for judgement. It is too late after death to come to Jesus. Make your salvation sure now and know that to die is to be with Jesus forever. The choice is ours. Chose eternal peace with God. There is no peace apart from him. Come to Jesus and find rest for your soul.

Mat 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Preach Christ

Php 1:14  And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 

Php 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 

Php 1:16  The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 

Php 1:17  The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 

Php 1:18  What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 

The apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. In many of the nations of the world Christians are being persecuted and told not to preach from the Bible. Many are killed for telling the good news that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven of sins and accepted by God. Why the persecution for such a good message?  Because there is a devil who opposes everything good. He knows that he will be going into the lake of fire for eternity and he moves in the hearts and minds of people to oppose the message of Christ's victory and his defeat.  (Rev 20:10)

As Paul was in prison some of his brothers in the Lord preached Christ out of competition, they wanted to look good. Others preached God from love,  Still there are those who want to build a big following glorifying themselves. But, regardless of the motives, just so long that Christ is preached, that is what is most important.  There are a lot of churches who have lost sight of their purpose; to preach Jesus Christ and the cross for the remission of sins.  They build their own brands of Christianity. Get back to preaching Christ. So long as he is preached, that is what is important.

Act 4:8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 

Act 4:9  if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 

Act 4:10  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 

Act 4:11  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 

Act 4:12  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 

Not Ashamed

Psa 25:2  O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 

This is also a beautiful hymn. 

 UNTO THEE O LORD

Psa 74:20  Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. 

Psa 74:21  O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name. 

In Jesus we are forgiven of sins and he has power over the devil who would oppress you.

Psa 127:3  Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 

Psa 127:4  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 

Psa 127:5  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Happy am I to have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews as well as the family of God.

Isa 45:17  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

God has a covenant with Israel and when Messiah Jesus returns they all will be saved who trust in him.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

This last verse is first in my mind. Jesus is our salvation and believing the word of God has the power to save us from evil.  We become the redeemed, the sanctified and the justified. You might look up the meaning of those words. That's my sharing for today, Love you all family and friends.