Keep Yourselves In God's Love

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."  Jude 21.  It is the work of God's child to keep himself in God's love.  One can wander outside of the love of God.  The world always beckons and Satan continues to tempt.  We must constantly remind ourselves of the love that God has displayed for us.  And, God continues to love us.  We can rely upon His Holy Spirit for our help in maintaining our continual commitment unto Him.  As we keep ourselves in His love, we live with an expectant hope.  We look for the mercy of Christ to help us along this earthly journey.  We look with hope for the coming of Christ to deliver us from this earthly bondage and carry us safely to our eternal home.  In Jesus Christ, we have life both now and hereafter.  This expectation should help us to stand firmly in the love of God.  We must not be carried away by some trivial thing that would destroy our relationship with God and the wonderful promise that is given to us through Jesus Christ.  Our eternal future depends upon our keeping ourselves in the love of God.  God's love provides a refuge from eternal death.  God's love gives us access to the mercy of Jesus Christ.  We keep ourselves and we look for the mercy of Jesus Christ with the assurance of life eternal.

Praises At Midnight

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them."  Acts 16:25.  Paul and Silas had been placed in prison.  They had committed no crime, and yet, they found themselves in a dungeon.  Their mood was not one of sadness nor despair.  They chose rather to pray and sing praises.  Our situation in life must not change our outlook.  Paul and Silas continued to praise the God that they had chosen to serve. The world is opposed to those who choose to do right.  And, in this life, we will find ourselves in rather difficult circumstances.  We can always decide to blame something or someone, even God.  Or, we can decide that when the midnight comes, we will sing praises.  Prayer seeks the comfort of God when we are in bonds.  Prayer is not always designed to remove us from the difficulty, but to give us strength that we might travel through the difficulty.  Prayer is to help us through the afflictions of life.  Singing erupts from a merry heart that has learned how to cope with the bonds of our life.  Paul and Silas knew not what awaited them, but they knew that God was their aid and help even in this storm.  In our midnight, let us pray and sing praise unto our God.

Holiness Unto The Lord

"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar."  Zechariah 14:20.  The hour will come when holiness will not be so confined.  Holiness will not only be in ceremony, but in life.  All things shall be consecrated unto the Lord.  All things common will become holiness unto the Lord.  God consecrates unto Himself a holy people.  We are to be used for the glory of the Lord.  The things that we own are to be used in a holy manner.  All things are to be dedicated unto God for those things are only in our loan. We are to spend ourselves in holy pursuits.  In our work, we are to be holy.  In our play, we are to be holy.  Our mind is to be set upon the holy things of God.  Our day and our night is to be in the seeking of holiness.  God is holy, and therefore, we are to be holy.  We are to be without stain and blemish for we are to be holiness unto the Lord.  Our conduct is to be holiness unto Him, and our speech is to be holiness unto Him.  We serve in holiness, and we pray in holiness.  In the building where I worship, I am to be holy.  In the house where I live, I am to be holy.  At all times, and in all places, I am to be HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD.

The Wages Of Sin

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23.  Sin has a certain appeal.  Sin promises much, but instead, brings a terrible curse.  Death is a word used in Scripture to describe separation.  Death is a separation from life, but also is a separation from God.  This is the ultimate payment of sin.  Sin can bring an immediate pleasure, but the final payment is death.  Sin, because of its very nature, is a separator.  But, we have offered unto us another choice.  We are creatures with the ability to choose.  If we make bad choices, we will die, but if we make good and wise choices, we will live.  Eternal life is our other choice.  It is a gift from God.  This gift of God is offered through Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is chosen of God to bless us with life that does not end.  The gift, however, must be accepted.  We can live in sin and, therefore, we will die eternally.  But, as we forsake sin, and accept Jesus Christ by our obedience of the gospel, we become the heirs of eternal life.  Death or life is our choice.  How much more blessed is the life that is lived in Jesus Christ.  Life now, and life hereafter.  Surely, this is a gift that is worth all.

I Am Before Abraham

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."  John 8:58.  The words of Jesus are spoken with truth.  No lie ever came from His lips.  His words must be heard.  And this word is vital to our salvation.  "I am." says Jesus.  Jesus declares His eternal nature to His hearers.  He was before Abraham.  Jesus was with God when the blessing was given to Abraham.  Jesus would be the fulfillment of that promise made to Abraham.  Jesus is the eternal God.  He existed with the Father from the very beginning.  Jesus is ageless.  Before He was born upon the earth, He lived.  He has always been and will be forever.  The belief of this truth is necessary for our redemption.  We believe in Jesus that He is the eternal life which became human that He might save us from our sins.  The eternity of Jesus is the foundation stone of our faith.  Death could not destroy Him, as it will not destroy us.  Through faith in Jesus Christ we receive eternal life through the eternal One.  Only one who is eternal can bestow eternal life.  Jesus, who was before Abraham, provides life without measure.

Saved From Wrath

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."  Romans 5:9.  The book of Romans deals with the subject of justification.  Those in Christ are justified before God.  Sin is the reason that one becomes alienated from God, but God in love and grace has made it possible for sinful humanity to be justified.  This justification is by the blood of Christ.  In the blood is the life, and Jesus shed His blood upon the cross so that all who would believe in Him might be justified.  Justification removes one from the wrath of God.  Sin brings God's wrath.  The wrath of God has the power to overthrow and condemn.  Under sin, one stands condemned.  But, the precious blood of Christ removes one from condemnation to life.  The wrath of God removed Adam and Eve from the garden.  The wrath of God consumed Nadab and Abihu who offered strange fire to God.  The wrath of God rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sexual immorality.  The wrath of God is held in reserve against all ungodliness and disobedience, but the hour is coming when that wrath shall be unleashed.  However, faith in Christ will save the believer from God's wrath.  The blood of Christ appeased the wrath of God.  Oh, how dearly we must appreciate Christ and commit ourselves unto Him because of His blood that saves us from God's impending wrath.

If Sinners Entice Thee

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."  Proverbs 1:10.  Sin achieves its end through enticement.  Satan enticed Mother Eve, and thus, the world was drenched in sin.  Sin lies and knows not the truth.  The devil uses trickery.  Sin uses enticements to beguile unstable souls.  Sin uses flattery and draws us away from that which is good and true.  We are to be wise to the devices of sin so that we do not fall victim to its enticements.  We must not consent to do evil.  We have the power within us to overcome.  We must turn a deaf ear when sin calls.  We must remove ourselves from the allurements that sin offers.  We must say no to the temptations that are presented unto us.  We must not allow sin to defile us and afflict us.  We must always be alert and take constant heed that we be not ensnared by sin.  Let us never consent when sin beckons and be not the victim of the sinner's enticement.  We are to flee with all our might.  We are too weak if we stand still and listen or watch  as did Mother Eve in the garden.  We must hasten quickly away lest we fall.  May we be wise so that we do not yield when sin entices.  Blessed is the one who survives sin's flattery.