Sobering Words

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as Lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:1-11 NASB

Repent! Surrender the pride, anger, stubbornness, greed, truly humbled before God, ask freely for the glory of Jesus, and God the Father will grant it. He will grant it so that you will carry His incomprehensible peace and the joy of the Lord through every single Minute of every day gifted. 

The disciples had asked things of God, but they had not learned to ask in Jesus’s name. This was new for them. Followers of Jesus must acknowledge Him, we must receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, giving Him dominion over our lives, when we do we get to trust in His mighty name, we get to by the authority of Jesus Christ pray in His name.

And To pray in Jesus’s name does not mean to tack His name on to the end of a prayer, like a  formula to make the prayer valid. Rather, to pray in Jesus Christs name is to come to holy God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

To pray in Jesus’s name is to believe in Him, it is to pray Christ-centered, Christ-focused, Christ-enthralled prayers. My will means nothing, Christ’s will means everything. My glory means nothing, Christ’s glory means everything. When we pray this way, in the name of Jesus, Holy Spirit will empart the knowledge that it is not I but Christ in me! 

So seek Him. without hesitation. Repent. Ask. Seek, He will open His door. This is Jesus’s repeated call to His people generation after generation!

The literal meaning of repentance is a change of mind. This is not merely mental acknowledgment. The idea is that "I used to think, believe and walk one way, but now I think, believe and walk a new way." People who say "I believe the Bible, but I also believe what I see around me that is contrary to the Word of God" are deceived and living in satans bondage.

Receive Christ, celebrate Jesus, speak the name of Jesus all year not on Sundays, not only in December! renounce (repent) of any and all previous or current compromises with pagan practices, evil spiritualism or false religions. 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 NASB ““When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so.”

Ask Holy Spirit to direct your steps, to the where the when the who. Do not partake of any activity or side with any person or group who mocks and denies Jesus Christ, who offers guidance through any source other than the absolute authority of the written Word of God, or seeps into our lives with an ungodly acceptance of things that grieve Holy Spirit. 

Side note! This does not mean becoming a hermit! We are to carry the light of God into every interaction with His love, His grace, His forgiveness as the banners to the better way, the only way, THE Way the truth the light (john 14:6)

Titus 1:7-16 NASB “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.”

My friend No Christian has any business being part of a social setting, entertainment interest, hobby or escapism marred by following current fads, fashions, music genres, movies that cause us to agree with and find pleasure in satans world view, even for a moment. 

When you know Jesus you live His life  If we truly spend time in the presence of Jesus we will learn what grieves Him, we will learn to respond to people, places, situations and circumstances with the strength, courage and grace of Our lord and saviour. We will not need the things of this world for comfort, to unwind after a hard day, to satisfy a want. 

As daily routines start to pile up let’s keep our ears, eyes and hearts open to Holy Spirit’s showing us how to spend our time, who to pray for, who to share a kind word with. As we pick up our kids from school, speak the name of Jesus. As we work at our jobs, speak God’s truth out loud in the name of Jesus. Remember there will come a day when all will bow before Him. 

Romans 14:11 NASB “For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

Philippians 2:10 NASB “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

Isaiah 45:22-23 NASB “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”

Wow.  Sobering words. EVERY knee will bow. None will deny Jesus Christ when the day of judgement comes. 

God’s purpose and promises have not changed. Maybe our circumstances have, or our employment situation, but His word is unchanging. It’s time to occupy the promises of God. It’s time to cross the river of doubt and take possession of what He has already given to us.  The Lord our God is strong and mighty. He has not lost His power to do more than we could ask or imagine.  God is stirring, now as He always has. Be strong and courageous.  We cannot deny Jesus! 

our divine appointment, Is to be ambassadors of Christ.   This is our mission, In all of the stress, and worry of attempting to find our identity in this crazy world, our personal “calling,” we have moved right past our responsibility as adopted sons and daughters of God. 

Because of Jesus, the Christ, We’ve been brought to life. Rescued from death, and now must share the message of God’s reconciliation.