Joshua 1: 1-9
After the death of Moses, a new chapter in the life of Joshua begins. Joshua wanted us to know how to build a relationship with God. God said that every day is a new day in God. God keeps sending us blessings over and over again. We exist in new realities and this is also a time of excitement. Technology may have the ability to stop a clock but only God can stop time. God is an unchanging rock. Presidents, Congress, pavement laid, new houses occupying the landscape occur but God is in control. This is God’s world. This just isn’t about the past or future. What are you going to do with the day you’re living with? Will you have the courage to be more like God? Or will you be defeated by what the world has to offer? We ought to get right with God. Joshua shares this with us: *Don’t live in the past. Anything dead needs to be buried. The Christian life is a life that is headed toward the sunrise not the sunset. Be thankful for today for tomorrow is not promised. Embrace what the day brings. No matter how you feel when you get up in the morning, you ought to have something to be thankful for. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid of everything. * Obey God’s word. Don’t let the word of God depart from your mouth. Do it God’s way and you’ll be prosperous. The Lord will be with you. Don’t stop; journey on. God promised to be with you. If he’s with you, it is more than the world against you. Go on anyhow.
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Ephesians 1:1-10
Paul did not allow his circumstances to determine his outlook. He didn’t allow what was going on on the outside to affect what was going on on the inside. Don’t let your outlook interfere with your uplook. Peter was in jail, but in spite of all his circumstances, he still had hope. He had a reason to live and a reason to die. Every child of God ought to reach that point where they know no matter what, they’re a winner. Everyone has problems, but you need some internal power. Don’t give up on God. You ought to still have joy. No job? Marital problems? Health issues? PRAISE GOD Peter didn’t allow his circumstances to determine who he was. He didn’t look for happiness (because it won’t come). We feel that if nothing’s “happening” in your life, you won’t be happy but joy comes from God. The joy you have, the world didn’t give it to you and the world can’t take it away. No one said being saved meant piety without problems. But you can still have joy. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he will strengthen your life. The good news is that we’ve already been adopted as children of God. We have the right to call God father and he can call us sons and daughters. We’ve been adopted into the family of God. We’ve got some toys and riches that we’ve never had before. You’ve got more now than you ever had. Every time God blesses you, you ought to bless God. Paul began to realize how good God has been and began to praise God. Where there is salvation, there ought to be some celebration. Jude 24-25
A doxology is a statement of praising God; words that glorify God and give Him the highest praise. “Glory to God in the highest” “Glory be to the Father” “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” There is no failure in God. God never changes. Everything that isn’t nailed down is coming loose. People want to go when they want to go. People want to go where they want to go. People want to go how they want to go. Something’s going on in the world we live in. The only thing that was good then and that is good now is that God never changes. This world we live in is in terrible shape. We sell more pills than Bibles. Illness –cancer, diabetes, obesity- is everywhere. People are stressed out and oppressed. We can’t sleep well at night. People are afraid. God didn’t give us the spirit of fear but the spirit of love. He wants us to walk by faith, not by sight. When you have God in your life, you can lay down at night. If you love more, you fear less. We make more money but spend it all on bills. We work all of our lives for a better life but don’t have the health to enjoy it. We wake up angry. We want to move forward but don’t want anyone to lead us. We’re hungry but don’t want to eat what’s set before us. We’re on a joyless journey. All of this is our mess. Don’t blame it on God. “God is a good god. He’s a great god. He can do anything but fail.” Without Him we’d be nothing. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of this glory with exceeding joy.” (Jude 24). God can open doors that no man can close and He can close doors that no man can open - if you depend on God’s word. If you want to stand on something, stand on God’s word. The God you serve can take off chariot wheels and turn night into day. He can do what no other man can. Then, go and tell somebody how good God’s been. Acts 1:8-9
In God’s true church the only thing you can do is worship because it’s already God’s church. You cannot build a foundation that’s already been built. We don’t have a church because we didn’t establish it. Therefore, we must be obedient to God’s commandments. The word of God is the only solid and sound principle by which we can live. The way to begin in obeying and acting in God’s church is to obey God’s word. First, you must have proper worship and seek the kingdom of God. You worship should be meaningful, and it should satisfy God and His will. Worship is not meant to meet man/woman’s needs. Next, you ought to have a praying church willing and eager to pray at any time. Prayer will change things and will change your mind. Then, the word must be planted. Plant the word of God in the ears of the Christians. The word of God needs to be heard. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Finally, you ought to have a happy worship. It comes under the authority of the word. Why is it important for each member to come under the authority of the Lord? The word will tell you what you ought to believe and it will settle disputes. You need to get the word of God in your spirit because it teaches you how to act. You need to be a witness in the church. The church needs to be evangelizing. You shall receive power in order to witness. How do you receive the power? Just ask. Don’t ever let the devil defeat you. You are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. You have the power in you to change your own life. When witnessing takes place, you’ll see a difference on Sunday morning. Evangelizing is sharing Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to the Lord. There is no power outside of the power of the Lord. |
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