Christian Encouraging Poems

Living Water at Christianity Oasis

John 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Quench your thirsty soul!

Christian Encouraging Poems

Encouragement Corner

Welcome to Christianity Oasis Purity Publications. This E-book is titled Christian Encouraging Poems - Encouragement Corner written by Author Charles Green, Jr.. Christianity Oasis in association with Purity Publications proudly presents you with this Encouragement Corner E-Book free of charge for your enjoyment.

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Table of Contents

Dedication
Acknowledgments
Encouragement Endeavor

Section One

Empowerment to Patiently Pursue Perfection in Christ
Part One: Increasing Your Faith Toward God
Part Two: Perfecting Your Walk of Faith
Part Three: Increasing Your Knowledge of the Word & Warfare
Part Four: Perfecting Your Fight of Faith
Part Five: Run, Rest & Receive
Epilogue: Celebrate Our Hope In Christ

Section Two

Empowerment to Patiently Pursue Prosperity of Christ

Section Three

Exhortation to Push Forward Proclaiming the Praise of Christ

Dedication

To all of God's children, I pray as you dedicate time and space to get into God's Word, grace & peace will be multiplied to you and yours. I pray you may grow in the knowledge of God our Father and of Jesus His Son and our Savior.

I pray you will know by His Divine Power, He has given you all things you need to succeed in life and godliness, through the Knowledge of Him.

Know and understand God has given you Exceedingly Great & Precious Promises, that through them you may be a Partaker of His Divine Nature and Escape the Corruption of this World.

You are blessed and God wants to use you to be a blessing unto others. Until next time Be Encouraged, Stay Encouraged and Encourage someone else to continue fighting the good fight of faith.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost I have to give thanks and praises to the one true and living God, our Father and Creator of all things, to His Son our Savior, Christ Jesus our Lord and to the Holy Spirit our Comfort and Guide who lives and moves in us to fulfill the Cause of Christ.

Much love and affection to my wife and best friend, for your unfailing love, support, prayers and fellowship in the Word. I will be loving you for forever and a day.

Grace and peace be multiplied to Lady Brigitte Eaton and Faith Forever Foundation for your faith in my call, gift and ministry as an Exhorter to the Body of Christ. I am eternally grateful for the space and opportunity to share God's Word on the World Wide Web.

My sincere appreciation and gratitude to Sir Thomas Chandler; Lady Olga Grey; and Lady Lisa Niestadt and her family for your fellowship in the Word and for reviewing the weekly words of encouragement.

To my mother who taught me how to share the love of Christ by giving of my time, talents and treasure to better the lives of others.

May God always cause His face to shine on you and yours. In Jesus Name. Amen

Peace & Blessing in all that you GROW THROUGH!!!

Encouragement Endeavor

It is my hope and prayer that you will receive Encouragement for your Heart and Life from this Corner of your bookshelf. I endeavor to encourage you as it concerns who you are as a Child of God, what you Posses as a believe in Christ and what you can do through the Power and Presence of God's Word and Spirit.

I'm sure some of us remember watching "School House Rock" on Saturday mornings as we were growing up. One of the mottos was and still is, "Knowledge is Power". This is true in all aspects of life. The more knowledge we have the more able we are to accomplish any given task. The more knowledge we have of our Position, Possessions & Promises in God through Christ the more empowered we are to fulfill God's will for our life. God has given each of us a Purpose and He has a Plan to help us fulfill His Purpose for our life. Below is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians and it is my prayer for each of you:

"God...give to you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Him, so the Eyes of your Understanding can be Enlightened, to Know what is the Hope of His Calling, to know the Riches of the Glory of His inheritance in the Saints, and what is the Exceeding Greatness of His Power Toward us who Believe, according to the working of His Mighty Power which He Worked in Christ when He Raised Him from the dead."
Eph. 1:16-21

Notice, if you will, Paul's hope and prayer was not for them to receive material blessings, although God wants to bless us with material wealth that is not Paul's concern. Nor is it my concern, for I know and understand as you grow in the Knowledge of God in His fullness as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, all other things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). I realize as we grow in our Knowledge of Him the more we learn to obey the sound of His Voice and He promised that when we diligently obey His Voice, blessings would just come upon us. The more we grow in the Knowledge of Him the less we have to ask God to bless us, for our knowledge and obedience will cause the Blessing of God to overtake us (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

The Hebrew word for overtake literally means just that...picture, if you will, watching a Sunday Afternoon Football Game, the center hikes the ball, the quarterback drops back in the pocket, spots an open receiver to his left, as he turns to throw, he loses sight of the defender coming from his right. As the quarterback cocks his arm to release the ball the pursuing defender hits him hard from behind. So it is when we take our eyes off of what God can do for us and focus on what we can do for Him in service to others that the Blessing He has in store for us will OVERTAKE US!!! We need not ask God for His blessing; we need only listen to His Voice and Obey His commands as they concern our own individual lives and the Blessing WILL follow. Again, I endeavor to encourage you from this Corner of your bookshelf to seek first God's Kingdom & His Righteousness, in all that you do and watch how God will bless you.

"Provoking Devotion in Thought & Action"

The bible has been called our:

• Basic
• Instruction
• Before
• Leaving
• Earth

... And I believe it is our blue print for our life and our roadmap to fulfilling God's purpose and plan for our life. If we are to know who we are and what we are created to do we have to ask God and search His Word and He promised, we would discover His will and way for us individually.

In Psalm 1 the Psalmist paints a picture of one who has dedicated time and space to search the Word of God and discovered God's will, way and walks accordingly. The writer says this person delights in the law of the Lord and in it He meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-6). The word delight indicates a person who finds deep enjoyment in the Word of God. The Hebrew word for law expresses the idea of how God uses His Word to point out His chosen path for our individual life and fellowship with Him (Psalm 19:7-11)

The word meditate means "to mumble" or "speak to oneself" and biblical meditation is focusing on scripture and rolling it over and over again in our heart and mind (Psalm 4:4; Psalm 77:6). The psalmist said empowered is the person who delights, meditates and walks in God's Word and time spent in personal devotion provides strength and wisdom to do just that.

Personal time in devotion helps us fully surrender our heart and life to the truth of God's Word, Will and Way. Daily devotion let's God know we are serious about growing into the image of His Son. I encourage you to devote more time to dig deeper into God's Word and study harder to discover and develop your God given potential for greatness.

Section One

Introduction

Our Patient Pursuit of Perfection

"Let us run with patience the race marked out for us and let us fix our eyes on Jesus"
Hebrews 12:1-2

If we are to continue to maintain the ground Christ gained for us and keep moving forward in the Grace of God in our Pursuit of Holiness, it is necessary for us to allow patience to have her perfect work within us (James 1:4). We have to pray God develops within us the dedication, determination and drive to follow after Him until we see His destiny for our lives manifest.

Some will tell you that we will not obtain perfection until Jesus returns and changes the corruptible into incorruptible. I am writing to exhort you, through the testimony of scripture, God says Pursue Peace with ALL men and Holiness for without these no one can see Him (Hebrews 12:14). Remember Paul said Christ put some in the Body to help us grow into Perfection and reach the Fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).

God would not tell us to pursue Peace & Holiness if He had not placed in us what we need to be successful in those endeavors (Philippians 4:13). Although we are to Patiently Pursue Perfection, we must remain in Pursuit of Holiness. Not just in passive pursuit, but in HOT PURSUIT of God's Will and Way. The word pursuit means to run or hasten after something or someone. This is not a sprint, but a race of endurance, that we must run at a constant and steady pace.

We cannot passively sit by while time continues to go on, without earnestly contending for our faith and maturity in God (Jude 3). Never forget the race is not given to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but to the one who will endure to the end (Ecclesiastes. 9:11). We must holdfast to what the prophet said, it is they that wait on (actively serving as a waiter in a restaurant serves a customer) the Lord who will renew their strength, run and not get weary, walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Now we have need for patience in our pursuit for it is only through patience that we are able to persevere and only through perseverance does perfection in Christ come (Romans 5:1-5). I think it is important to mention at this point, that the perseverance I speak of here is in God's Word. We have to know and understand that perfection, maturity and holiness only come through enduring in God's Word (Mark 4:10-20).

Temptations and trials tend to make us forsake studying and meditating on the Word, but it is during those times of hardship and struggle that we need to be even the more dedicated, determined and driven to search the scriptures for Divine Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding. We need to remember when we pray for patience and endurance to Pursue Perfection, trials and tribulations come to Grow, Develop and Mature our faith with patience. For truly it is only when we patiently endure in Christ, God's Word, that we develop Strong Faith and it is strong faith that produces Perfection or Maturity in Christ Jesus our Lord (James 1:5-8).

• Keep your head up (Psalm 121)
• Keep your heart filled (Ephesians 5:18)
• Keep your mind focused (Colossians 3:1-5)

This first section is divided into five parts, with each part representing one week (5 weeks for the five days God took to prepare the earth for mankind and for His gift of grace found in Christ). Each day set aside time and space to read the devotion and to study the scriptures (7 days for God rested on the seventh day for His work of creation was complete and by the Grace of God we have rest and are complete in Christ). Enjoy your journey toward Perfection in Christ!!!

Part One

Increasing Your Faith Toward God

"Consequently, faith comes by hearing God's message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ"
Romans 10:17

"God has given to each of us a measure of faith"
Romans 12:3

"Make every effort to add to your faith goodness"
II Peter 1:5

Faith Toward God

Hebrews 11

There are many definitions of faith, many beliefs on how one is to express his/her faith, and there are many teachings on the different levels of faith. The greatest expression of faith toward God I believe we can have is expressed in the song, "He is all over me":

He's on my right, on my left, in front, in back, under me, over me, and He's living down inside.He's all over me and He's keeping me alive!!!

To truly have Strong Faith in God is to know that He is Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipotent (all powerful) and Omnipresent (present in all places at all times) and thus He is able to meet our needs whenever and wherever we are. When we have Strong Faith towards God, we are able to trust in Him, even when we can't trace Him (figure out what He is doing). Proverbs 3:3-6

To develop Strong Faith we have to continue growing in the Knowledge of how we can trust Him for being for/with us, among us and in us. It is our faith toward God that He is all over us, that keeps us alive in the midst of sin and death. Faith towards God becomes this, "Believing that He is God, whether that is God with us, God among us or God in us".

Three Levels of Faith

Ephesians 4

In the Old Testament the people's faith towards God was strengthened as His presence moved with or upon them (II Chronicles 20:17). In the New Testament the disciples' faith was strengthened in the Lord, because He took on human form and walked among them (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-8). Lastly, we can see in the letters to the churches, our faith should be strengthened in the Lord, because He now resides within every born again believer (I Corinthians 3:16; II Corinthians 6:16).

My prayer is that we will Grow in the Knowledge of the Three Levels of Faith towards God. It is our belief that every born again believer should walk in all three levels in order to have Strong and Secure Faith in our Father. If we have faith that our Father is for us, it matters not who is against us and nothing that comes against us shall destroy us (Isaiah 54:17). If we have faith that God is among us, we know that we are never alone, for He promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Joshua 1:5). If we have faith that God is in us, we know nothing can stop us for He is greater than the world against us (I John 4:4)!!!

Finally, Be Strong in your faith towards God and Believe that He is able to do what He said He would do In you, For you and Around you!!!

Good Fight of Faith

Philippians 4:13

We are admonished to fight the good fight of faith (I Timothy 6:12), which is fought in the spiritual realm and with spiritual weapons (II Corinthians 10:3-5). It is high time that we take heed to earnestly contend for our faith (Jude 3) for only when we overcome the battle within can we effectively as a nation under God walk in true victory.

As the eyes give sight to our body and hope gives sight to our faith, our thoughts give sight to our will, therefore what we set our mind on is what we will see come to pass in our lives (Colossians 3:1-3). Our mind is the battlefield on which the enemy of our soul does wage war against us, therefore we cannot afford to have faith in our own reasoning and intellectual ability.

Our heart is the center of our personalities and where we make the decisions that govern our lives. As the bridge on a ship, the driver's seat in a car, so our heart directs our life and whatever we have in our heart is what we will become (Proverbs 4:23; 23:7). It is very important for us not to trust our feelings and inclinations for they will always lead us astray.

Job like Faith

Job 13:15

If faith is being confident of what we hope for and sure of what we can not see (Heb. 11:1) we must direct our faith and trust toward God (Heb. 6:1) and hold fast to the fact God is who He says He is and He is faithful to fulfill His promises (Heb. 11:6). If we are to walk by faith and not by sight (II Cor. 5:7) we must not be moved by the many troubles life blows our way. Test and trails will cause our carnal nature to panic (having a sudden sense of overpowering fear), but my sisters and brothers let's not allow are old nature to creep up and cause us to forget the life changing truth of Gods Word.

The scriptures speak of Job as being blameless, upright, one who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). What scripture doesn't say is Job was a man of Great Faith. It was faith that empowered Job to endure & overcome his test and trails. I can only imagine Job must have thought God was slowly taking his life, but in chapter 13 verse 15 Job makes a bold statement of faith, that we all need to make today..."Though He slay me yet will I trust Him".

To have faith like Job we have to be willing to trust in the goodness and mercies of God, even when your circumstances say others wise. During struggles and hardship we have to keep our faith in God's Word and His Promises if we are to see God turn our Misery into our Ministry.

Patiently Walk in Faith

When we are faced with issues that bring about a sense of panic, as I am certain Job's situation did, it is crucial that we speak to ourselves and encourage one another according to God's Word and Promises (Eph. 5:19,20). We must remember, no matter what/who comes or goes our God has not given us the spirit of fear, but He has given us a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind (II Tim. 1:7). Only God's Word can remove the spirit of fear and doubt and cause us to patiently walk in faith and cause us to experience the inheritance God has promised each of us.

Know and understand my friends that God is at work in our lives through the good and the bad. He is at work in all things, so we can count it all joy when we encounter our hardships and struggles', for it's the trying of our faith that brings about patience. When we allow patience to finish her work in us we will be mature in the things of God. We will be complete, able to be used by God and lack nothing we need to live an abundant life here in the earth (James 1:2-4)!!!

My, my, my what a Mighty God we serve...angels bow before Him, heaven and earth adore Him...WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!!! Somebody ought to give Him some praise for the marvelous things He has, is and will do for us!!!

Misery Becomes Ministry

I am sure at one time or another everyone has felt like Job...overwhelmed with self-pity, in search for an explanation of why God allows us to suffer so. We can learn a lot about how to endure and overcome by studying the life and sufferings of Job, for it reveals the troubling questions, the terrifying doubts and the anguish of one who is suffering (Job 3:1-3 11; 21).

The Book of Job helps us to see God's perspective of our sufferings and how God relates to us during those times when we are surrounded by troubles. Some of you have and are experiencing the losses that Job did so many years ago. Truly some of you are smack dab in the middle of a Job Experience! Job lost everything, even the respect from his wife, for she wanted him to curse God and die (Job 2:9, 10).

The Book of Job shows that he wasn't a "fake it until you make it saint", one who puts on a face and acts as if all is well, when inside they are broke up from the floor up. Job stayed real with God and openly communicated with God about how he felt about his situation. It shows how Job struggled with his emotions and feelings, how he was patient yet impatient, as we are today and God welcomed that from Job (Isaiah 43:26). Be encouraged and know God is in the process of turning your misery into ministry.

Preparation for Ministry

Job shows us how God rains good and bad into the life of everyone and none of us are exempt from suffering, but God uses our suffering to bring about His will for our lives (James 1:2-4). When we learn to submit ourselves, as Job did, under God's Almighty Hand and accept by faith that He has planned for all the bad to work for our good, it is then that God is able to turn our situation and life around for His Glory (I Peter 5:6-7).

It is when we learn to seek God on what it is He is bringing about through our sufferings and what is required of us, that God will give us a vision of how our Misery will become our Ministry. See, we need to know and understand, God sends us through things, so that once we have come through, we will be more effective in helping others endure and overcome as well, that's ministry. Jesus told the disciples, that satan was going to try and break them down like wheat, but He had already prayed for them, that after they had been tried and their faith failed not, they would be able to strengthen their brothers and sister in the faith (Luke 22:31-32).

How do we turn our Misery into Ministry? The same way Job did...he took his focus off of himself and what he was going through and prayed for his friends (Job 42:10). We have to learn to see our sufferings as God's preparation for us to minister to others.

Part Two

Perfecting Your Walk of Faith

"We walk by faith and not by sight"
II Corinthians 5:7

"I urge you to walk worthy of the calling by which you are called"
Ephesians 4:1

"We pray that you will walk worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work"
Colossians 1:9-12

The Battle Within

Like the cartoon character with a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, our natures battle for our attention, wanting us to yield to them. In the beginning everything God created was good, and man had no inclination to do evil (Genesis 1:26-31). But after the fall of Adam and Eve they inherited a nature to do evil and thus so did we (Genesis 3). But, thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, His Son, and Our Savoir, who died that you and I might have a right to the Tree of Life and created in us a Clean Heart and renewed the Right Spirit.

The key to winning the battle that wages on within us is to realize we don't have the strength to stand on our own, admit we are sick with sin, and finally we need to put on the whole armor of God, that we will be able to stand against the tricks of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11). Jesus Christ truly is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 10:6). He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly and not be enslaved to our old nature, but live unto our new nature in Him.

We can win this fight, but it has to begin within...as Mother Teresa once said, "Love begins at home and then is shed abroad." Change and victory begins within each of us as individuals and then we as a Nation under God can walk together in the victory Christ obtained for us!!!

• Christ on our mind (Philippians 2:1-5)
• Christ in our heart (Ephesians 3:16-20)
• Clothed with Christ (Romans 13:14)

Mission of Love

While Christ walked the earthHe was the Expressed Image of God and through faith in Him we have become His Ambassadors to continue His Mission of Love (II Corinthians 5:16-21). Christ stated, when we do for the least it is then we are actually doing for Him (Matthew 25:40). He becomes the source of our giving andHis love and dependability becomespresent in the life of the least by the compassion, love & kindness we give to one another (John 15:9-14).

If we are to be effective in our Mission to Spread the Love of Christ throughout the world, it is imperative that we learn to trust one another in Him.He left us behind that He could always be present with the Father in Heaven and with mankind in the earth through His Church (Matthew 5:13-16).

We must learn to trust the "New Man" in Christ. We must learn to trust the Spirit in the lives of other believers. We must trust that our enemies are going to remain the same until God brings about a change. The key to us learning to believe in one another is to continue to trust God regardless if we can trust the "imperfections" of others (Romans 8:9-11).

Sowing a Seed of Trust

We have to trust God will not allow us to be ignorant of the tricks of our enemies and He will reveal to us how much trust to sow into the lives of others (II Corinthians 2:11). Jesus sowed a level of trust in Judas, when He knew He would be betrayed. Jesus sowed a level of trust in Peter even when He knew He could not trust him to control his temper. Jesus sows a measure of faith into all believers even though He knows we will fall short of His grace and He can do that because He knows God's Word will not return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11).

Again, if we are to be effective in fulfilling the Cause of Christ, we to must learn to trust others even when we know they can't be trusted as far as we can throw them.The key is to be sensitive to God's Spirit & Word and only sow the level of trust He leadsus to sow (Matthew 7:6). It is only when we sow a Seed of Trust, water and nurture that Seed with faith (the substance of things we hope for), hope (trusting Godto fulfill His Word & Promises)& love (charity, providing others with what they need instead of what they deserve) that God will be able to help us be trustworthy & learn to trust one another (I Corinthians 13:13).

If we never sow trusthow can we expecttrust togrow??? How can we grow into the Bride, the One Body, The Unified Church of God in Christ, if we don't trust one another??? "Trust Man To Be Man...Trust God to Be God!!!" (Romans 3:1-4)

Love Delivered Me

Many know or have heard the great old song, Love Lifted Me; it is in the words of this song that we can see the salvation of the Lord explained.

"I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shores, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, then the master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, and from the waters lifted me, now safe am I. His Love Lifted Me.

It can also be sung, Love Delivered or Freed me, because that's what Salvation really is. God's love for us delivers and frees us from the Penalty, Power and Presence of sin.

The word Salvation comes from the Greek word, soteria, which means to save, deliver or preserve. It is used of material and temporal deliverance (Luke 1:69, Acts 7:25, 34; Hebrews 11:7) and of spiritual and eternal deliverance (Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 1:13)

God does not wish for any of us to perish, but that we all come turn away from sin (I Pet. 3:9) once we repent of our sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God begins the Process of Salvation within us and He will continue that process until the Lord comes back (Philippians 1:6).

3-Fold Salvation

We believe the scriptures reveal a 3-fold Salvation (Our Spirit is Saved, Our Soul is being Saved and Our Bodies will be Saved) for a 3-fold person (We are a Spirit, that has a Soul and lives in a Body) (1 Thessalonians. 5:23, 24). Our Spirit has been Justified by Faith in Jesus Christ, Our Soul is being Sanctified by God's Spirit & Word and Our Body will be Glorified (or changed) at the Second Coming of our Lord & Savoir.

If we are to Rejoice in the Hope of Christ we must know that our spirits have been justified before God, through grace, by faith in the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another way of looking at it is we have been Freed from the Penalty of sin (Romans 6:23). We have been Justified and are no longer condemned for our sin because of Jesus' death on the cross (Romans 8:1-17). The word justified comes from the Greek word, dikaloo, which is a legal term meaning to remove ones guilt and penalty for a crime (Romans 5:1-11; Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16; 3:22-26).

I am convinced that our God will complete His Good Work of Transforming us into the Likeness of His Son. We can have unshakable confidence in fact that God will fulfill His promises and there is a time coming when He will completely finish the Good Work He started when we first believed (Philippians 1:6).

Sanctified Through Service

Philippians 2:13

As stated before, we are from the school of thought that there are 3 levels to our Salvation, because we are 3 part beings (I Thessalonians 5:23). When we except Jesus into our heart and life it is at that point, We Are Saved From the Penalty of Sin, Sealed with the Holy Spirit and Our Spirit is Delivered from the Judgment of Sin (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Once we are Sealed with the Holy Spirit it is then through Faith and the Word, We Are Being Saved from the Power of Sin, and our Will, Emotions, and any Unresolved Issues are being Sanctified and Purged by God's Word and our Works (John 15:1-3; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 15:9). The Third Level is We Are Going to be Saved from the Presence of Sin and Our Bodies will be Changed from Corruptible to Incorruptible, when Jesus returns (I Corinthians 15:51-58).

The responsibility of the First and Third Level of our salvation belongs to God and God alone, but we have a major part in the Second Level. We have been born with a Purpose to fulfill here in the earth and it becomes up to us to Present ourselves to God, as a Living Sacrifice, for Him to use to save souls (Romans 12:1, 2). It is our responsibility to Study God's Word and be led by His Spirit so as to be Workmen/women that need not be ashamed of being unprepared for service (II Timothy 2:15-21).

Work it Out

Although there is yet purging that needs to take place within our heart, mind and life, this purging, cleansing and sanctifying comes through our Faith. And faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17) and through our Works/Service, because faith without works is dead (James 2:20-26).

So it is through the process of Working, through Faith that which God placed in us (our gifts, calling and ministry) that we are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus (II Corinthians 3:18).

Know and understand that Salvation is a Gift from God and no amount of work can save us, but we are encouraged to Develop and Work Out our Salvation, but not to Work For our Salvation (Ephesians 2:8-10).

As we walk in our gifts, calling and ministry we are being sanctified for greater works, we are being delivered from the power of sin, we are being cleansed from the effects of past sins and we are being purged of any unresolved issues (Colossians 1:28-29).

Part Three

Increasing Your Knowledge of the Word & Warfare

"The weapons we fight with are not weapons of this world, but we have divine power"
II Corinthians 10:4

"All scripture is God-breathed...so God's people can be thoroughly equipped for every good work"
II Timothy 3:16-17

"The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword"
Hebrews 4:12-13

Sanctified by the Word

John 17:9-17
"I Pray for them...I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one...Sanctify them by Your Truth. Your Word is Truth."

Sanctify means "to set apart" or "separate". Jesus prayed and is still praying not only for our hearts to be kept from evil, but also that our lives will be set apart from the world and our sinful nature (Hebrews 7:25).

In essence Jesus is praying that all of God's Children would advance in the Righteousness of the God. He is praying for us to be set apart to serve Him in Building up the Kingdom of God here in the earth. He is praying for God to cleanse us with the washing of His Word (Ephesians5:25-26).

Jesus has great confidence in the Power of God's Word to separate our new nature from our old. We too can take great courage and confidence in studying and hearing God's Word. He promised His Word would not return to Him without accomplishing what He sent Christ to do.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a Worker who does not need to be ashamed, Rightly Dividing (an exhausted study of) the Word of Truth."
II Timothy 2:15

Work the Word

The Apostle Paul encouraged us to "Work out Our Own Salvation" (Philippians 2:13). If we are to be effective in working towards sanctification, we cannot depend on the studying of others, we have to get in the Word and study for ourselves. We are God's workmanship, created in Christ, for Good Works. If we don't study the Handbook for our Mission and Ministry how then can we be prepared for Good Works, for every thing that is good comes from God and is found in His Word (James 1:17). "For the Word of God is Living and Powerful, and Sharper that any two-edge sword..." Hebrews 4:11-13

In and through the Word of God we find the Greatest Power for change and sanctification of our hearts and lives. God's Word is alive and active in the heart and life of every born again believer and the more Word we have the more God is able to separate us from the world and set us apart to serve in the Kingdom (Hebrews 6:1-3). I have to be honest with you and talk about me for a minute...it is not enough to read the Word we have to Apply the Word to our everyday life. Know and understand that if you are born again and studying God's Word, the Process of Sanctification is at work in you. Now it is up to us to Work the Word that is at Work within us (Colossians 1:28-29).

Sanctified through Warfare

II Timothy 3:12

As we continue to Work the Word and Walk the Walk we must be prepared for persecution, which literally means, "to be hunted". The closer we draw to God the more the enemy of will fight against us. The more we stay in God's Word and apply it to our lives the more the enemy will try and choke the Word out of us (Mark 4:19). God has not promised us deliverance from persecution but deliverance through persecution. It is through the things we suffer that we learn to obey the voice of God (Hebrews 5:8). It is through spiritual warfare that God develops within us the ability to reign with Him in His Kingdom here in the earth (II Timothy 2:11-12)

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good solider for Jesus Christ...that you may please Him who enlisted you as a soldier."
II Timothy 2:3-7

Many illustrations are given for our sanctification and faithfulness to God. Our walk is often presented as us being soldiers in the Army of the Lord. Effective service calls for a singleness of mind and purpose (Colossians 3:2). When you see or hear a soldier you know they are soldiers by their appearance and by their conversation. Their has to be a visible difference between us and the world and if we do not separate ourselves, if we do not sanctify our lives before God and man, then God will use trails, tribulation and things that we suffer to do it for us (Hebrews 10:26-31).

War on the Inside

Romans 7:21-23

There is a war raging not outside of us, but within our own bodies and within our own minds. The enemy's battleground is within the mind of every born again believer. That is why it is imperative that we find ourselves Working the Word that is within us by the Power of God's Spirit (John 16:12-15). This conflict between the flesh and the spirit confused the Apostle Paul and confuses many of us today, because what we want to do we don't do and what we don't want to do we do. But we can take courage and know that God will cause all things, good and bad, to work together for our good (Romans 8:26-39). Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God..." II Corinthians 10:3-6

If we are to be separated from the world and set apart for God's use and purpose we can not use worldly ways and worldly means to fight the Good Fight of Faith. We have to use the Power of God's Word and Spirit to fight for our Soul Salvation and this we will do with the help of God through all that we suffer and GROW THROUGH!!! (Zechariah 4:6)

Living Today Preparing for Tomorrow

Ecclesiastes 3:10-11

As believers, created in the Image of God, we should have a deep longing to transcend our mortality by knowing God's Purpose and Plan for our lives (Ecclesiastes 1:13). The life we live here on earth is only a brief moment of our life in the grand span of eternity. This world is not our home and this body is not our house (II Corinthians 5:1-8), but there will come a day when we will transition from life as it is, into life as it should be...Life without End!!! On that Great Day of Transition, sin, sickness and death will be swallowed up and Righteousness, Peace and Joy will spring forth eternally (Romans 14:17).

So life now is to prepare us for our New House and Home in eternity with God (II Corinthians 4:16-18). God is at work in all we experience, preparing our Hearts and Lives for our life in eternity. The world tells us to live for today and seize the day as if it were the first day of the rest of your life, but as Believers we need to live for tomorrow and seize the day as if it were the last day of our life (Matthew 6:34). We should live and work as if we know Christ will return tomorrow. We should live as if the Only Bible people will read is the life of love we live and the goodness we share. Now is the time for all of God's people to search out God's Purpose and Plan and not just life here, but the life we will experience in eternity (Romans 13:11-14).

Invest Wisely

Matthew 25:14-30

We need to understand our purpose on earth is directly connected to God's Plan for us in eternity. Jesus said He was going back to the Father to prepare a place for us, that where they are we would be too (John 14:2). If in fact we believe Jesus is with the Father preparing a Place in Eternity for us, should we not be about the task of preparing ourselves to live in that place???

With that we must understand what we do for God here in the earth, will directly affect the life we experience in eternity (II Corinthians 1:22). Our experience of eternal life in Christ is being determined by how we invest our God-given Time, Talents and Treasures while here in the earth (I Corinthians 3:11-15).

We also need to know and understand while we are preparing ourselves and others for our eternal tomorrow, we need not worry about whether or not we will be ready when Jesus returns (Matthew 6:33-34). God promised that if we would Feed, Exercise and Rest our Faith toward godliness to Workout our Soul Salvation, He would finish the work he began when we first believed (Philippians 1:6). He promised, though we don't know what we shall be or when our complete transformation will be complete, we can take courage in knowing that when He returns, we shall be just like Him (I John 3:1-3).

Knowledge of Christ

Ephesians 3

Previously I shared that the first step in Preparing Today for our Eternal Tomorrow is by presenting our bodies to God daily as living sacrifices. The second step is to learn to think like Christ and continually think about Christ, which is found in the last part of Romans 12:2:

"...Be not conformed to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Proverbs 23:7 says "so as a man thinks in his heart so he will be." If God's ultimate purpose for us on earth and His plan for us in Heaven is for us to be conformed into the image of Christ, then the more we THINK ABOUT CHRIST (Luke 22:19) the more we become like Christ. The more we THINK LIKE CHRIST (Philippians 2:5) the more we will live like Christ in our relationships with others.

Paul encouraged the Church at Rome to not conform to the world, by thinking like the world, but for them to be transformed by the renewing of their mind. He was encouraging them to watch their way of thinking and what they were thinking about. We need to know and understand that what we think about and the way we think forms who we are and what we do. (I John 2:3-6).

Part Four

Perfecting Your Fight of Faith

"Put on the whole armor of God to stand against the devils schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood"
Ephesians 6:10-18

"I give you these instructions...so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience"
I Timothy 1:18-19

"Fight the good fight of the faith and take hold of eternal life to which you are called"
I Timothy 6:12

Knowledge is Power

Paul also tells the Church at Colossi to "seek those things which are above, where Christ is, for our life is HIDDEN IN CHRIST." (Colossians 3:1-4) Why should we seek to know more about Christ and change the way we think to think like Christ??? Because the more we learn of Christ (Matthew 11:29) the more we become like Him and discover who we are in God.

Since our lives our HIDDEN IN CHRIST, God's purpose and plan for us is found in Christ as well. When we seek to know Christ, in order to be like Him, it is then and only then God's will for our individual lives becomes clear (Colossians 1:9, 10).

Remember Paul said in Romans 12:2, that through the process of renewing our minds (by thinking like Christ and thinking about Christ) we are able to PROVE what God's GOOD, ACCEPTABLE and PERFECT WILL is for our life. When we know and understand God's will and way for us individually we are then empowered to fulfill His will and walk in His way. It is then we are truly empowered to Prepare others and ourselves Today for our Eternal Tomorrow.

The world says, "Knowledge is Power", but I here to tell you that it is the "KNOWLEDGE OF CHIRST THAT GIVES US TRUE POWER TO LIVE AND LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!!" (John 10:10)

Steps are Ordered but Actions are Options

Psalm 37:23; Romans 6:13

As stated before, as believers we are to Live Today in Preparation of our Eternal Tomorrow, which means we are to seek God daily for our Purpose on earth and His Plan for our lives here, and in eternity. The very first step in Preparation for our Eternal Tomorrow is Presenting ourselves to God today and everyday as Living Sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2).

Instead of using our human limitations to try and figure out what our life's purpose is, we need to look to the Sovereignty of God to lead us in the way that we should go (Proverbs 16:1-9). We can plan, dream and hope, but we need to know and understand that the final course and outcome of our lives is up to God (Proverbs 19:21; Jeremiah 10:23)

We cannot depend on fate or our own intellect, but we have to learn to trust God with all our heart, lean not to our own understanding, acknowledge Him and He promised to direct our path and lead us down the path of righteousness (Proverbs 3:5, 6; Psalm 23:3). In learning to trust God with our lives we come to realize that regardless of what/who comes or goes our Father is in control of our seemingly chaotic situation. He uses every circumstance/situation to help us fulfill His purpose and plan, which is to be conformed into the Image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28).

Predetermined Course

Job 14:1-5

Job emphasized God's sovereign power and wisdom in predetermining the length of our lives and we can see through the testimony of scripture our course has been predetermined as well (I Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:12-16; II Timothy 4:6-8). Now it is up to us to humble and offer ourselves to God daily for His Praise, Honor and Glory (James 4:7-10). Regardless of the plans we come up with or the decisions we make the ultimate plan and decision has already been made.

"Whoever desires to come after Me let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's sake will save it."
Mark 8:34-38

So the steps that God has already laid out for us to walk in are the Steps of Christ. God has purposed everything and everyone in our lives to help us to mature into the Image of Christ. Our actions on the other hand are choices that we have to make on a daily bases (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). We have to choose to separate ourselves daily for God's use, we have to choose to live a life of sacrificial love that is pleasing to God and we have to choose to present our lives, daily to God which is the only rational reaction to all the good gifts God has showered on us (Romans 12:1).

Measuring Transformation

As stated before, God's ultimate purpose and plan for us on earth and in Heaven is for us to be conformed into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29), and remember Paul stated we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. If we are to be effective in fulfilling God's will and walk in His way, we cannot allow the world to mold and shape our values and character. We have to know and understand that our complete spiritual transformation starts in our mind and heart (Romans 8:5, 6).

When we focus on the concerns of the world we are tossed back and forth by the waves of change, but when we focus on God's truth, which is found in His Word, we are able to stand firm in God and who we are in Him (Philippians 4:8, 9). "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edge sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:11, 12

God's Word is the measuring stick He uses to determine whether we are conforming to the world or being transformed into the likeness of Christ. God's Word is alive and active and the more we meditate on His Word the more it is able to transform our character to be like Christ. God's Word distinguishes what we produced from our old nature and that which we produced from our new nature and by His Spirit He helps us with our weakness (Romans 8:26, 27).

Destined for Greatness

"Blessed is the man...who delights is in the Word of the Lord, and in His Word he meditates day and night."
Psalms 1:1-3

The Psalmist states that instead of finding purpose in the entanglements of this world, a believer finds his or her purpose in the things of God, especially the Word of God. For it is in His Word that God directs and orders our steps in fellowship with Him.

It is God's Word that brings light and life to our dark and dead existence and helps us to accomplish the purification of our souls (I Peter 1:22). Christ is the Word of God (John 1:1-14), so the more we think about His Life (Relationship with others), Death (Sacrifice for others) and Resurrection (New Life for others), the more Christ like we become.

God's Word and Spirit are both essential for our Spiritual Transformation, for it is the studying of scripture that makes us complete and capable of fulfilling God's will and walk in His way. But it is not enough to know God's Word, it is essential that we apply God's Word to our daily lives, by the power of His Spirit (II Timothy 3:14-16). Remember, thoughts influence actions, actions produce habits, habits determine character and character will determine one's destiny. YOU ARE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS IN CHRIST!!!

The Mind of Christ

Philippians 2:5

In learning to Think Like Christ, the scriptures encourage us on how to Think about Christ in Philippians 4:8. Those are the very characteristics of Christ, after all He is the Truth, He is Lovely, He is Pure, He is Honest, and He is full of all Virtue and all Praise.

Thinking on these things help us think more like Christ and less like our own carnal (worldly) minds. The more we learn to Think About Christ the more we will begin to Think Like Christ because all of His attributes will become a part of who we are. As Proverbs 23:7 states, as a man Thinks so is he.

If we are what we Think, when we learn to Think Like Christ, the more we Become Like Christ and others will begin to see the Christ In Us. They will see Christ in our conversations, not just what we say, but more so in what we do. They will see Christ in the Spirit of Peace we walk in toward all mankind and they will see it in the Love that we have for one another (John 13:31-35).

We are encouraged to put on the Mind of Christ, which is to Love God more than self, which is seen when we Unconditionally Love Others. Christ loves the Father so much that He endured the pain and shame of the cross to reclaim the world for God. In turn Christ left us behind, with the Power of His Spirit and Word, with the Ministry of Reconciliation, to be Witnesses of God's Love (II Corinthians 5:16:21).

Our Greatest Witness

I can say, by the grace of God, most of my witnessing for Christ was not through knocking on someone's door or passing out tracks. My greatest opportunities to be a witness of the Love of God were when someone saw something in me that was different from the rest (Matthew 5:13-16).

Our Greatest Witness is not in what we say, although others should hear Christ in what we say; our greatest witness should be the Life of Love we live. In II Corinthians 3: 1-3, Paul said we are Living Epistles or Letters Written by the Spirit of God, known and read by men.

Again if we are what we think, when we learn to keep our minds Stayed on Christ, then we learn to Put on the Mind of Christ and thus learn to Think Like Christ. The bible states we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which comes by hearing and reading God's Word (Romans 10:17).

Since Christ is the Word of God and He lives in us by His Word, we can't help but Think about Christ, which will influences us to Think Like Christ, then and only then are we empowered to Live Like Christ, which is a Life of Unconditional Love for the World, to include the earth and her inhabitants (Mark 10:45).

Part Five

Run, Rest & Receive

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, mount up on wings as eagles, run and not get weary, walk and not faint"
Isaiah 40:31

"Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"
Matthew 11:28-29

"We have confidence in God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him"
I John 3:21-22

The Righteousness of God

Not only are we to prepare ourselves, today, for our eternal tomorrow, but help bring to past God's will for sending Christ in the earth...to prepare the Body of Christ to spend eternity with God and to Reconcile & Restore the world back to God (II Corinthians 5:18-19). The only way for us to effectively accomplish this is to Think about Christ, which influences us to Think Like Christ, which in turn empowers to Live Like Christ. We are to imitate the life of Christ, which was a Life of Unconditional Love for the World, to include the earth and her inhabitants (Ephesians 5:1).

The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 4:20-24, compared Living Like Christ to stripping off the dirty clothes of a sinful past and putting on the snowy white robes of Christ Righteousness. The Old Testament concept of righteousness speaks of a proper relationship between God and His people. Righteousness is an attribute of God; He alone is truly righteous, for He remains faithful to His promises, His covenants and His Word.

In turn He has left us behind with the responsibility of exemplifying His righteousness in the earth. Now Jesus is the only one who can truly stand before the Father, Righteous and Holy, but by placing our faith and trust in Christ's death, burial and resurrection, God declares us to be His Righteousness in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:20-21). We have this righteousness that has nothing to do with our own works but relies on Jesus' sinless life and His sacrificial death for our sins (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Putting on Christ

By faith in Christ we are to put on God's righteousness, realizing that we have already died to our old nature and by the Power and Presence of God's Word and Spirit we are able to walk in Newness of Life (Romans 6:3-13). The Righteousness of God is about our relationship with Him and others.

In the Old Testament to be Righteous meant obeying God's Word (Exodus 20:1-17) and in the New Testament Jesus said the Law of God can be summed up in Two Commandments, Love God with all that we have and Love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40).

Putting on Christ is to live a life dedicated to Presenting the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the world (Matthew 5:23), which is Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). We have to know and understand that spiritually our flesh and old nature have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), but it is up to us to die daily to the passions (affections) and desires (lusts) of our old self (Galatians 5:24).

It is only when we learn to keep our focus on God that we will learn to lay aside everything that hinders us from Putting on Christ and Living a Life of Sacrificial Love, to help prepare the world for our soon coming King (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

He Understands

"O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will."
Matthew 26:36-44

Have you ever hoped and prayed, to the point of despair, that God would remove you from a situation, relationship or maybe a job??? Maybe it was a prayer for deliverance from a sickness, a temptation or sinful habit and regardless of how long or how earnest you may have prayed things did not change, but remained the same??? Maybe you are like me and feel bad when you get to the place of "Having taken all that you can take" and feel as if you have failed in your faith or let God down. But, I just want to encourage you on today..."Be encourage and know that we have a High Priest, in Jesus, that is able to understand our weaknesses, for He was tempted in everyway that we are" (Hebrews 4:15, 16).

As we can see in the above scripture, as Jesus prepared for His betrayal and crucifixion, He admitted that His soul was very sorrowful even to the point of death. He not only ask God once, but three times to remove the cup of the cross from Him. Jesus is our example of faith toward God. He is our example of obedience toward God (I Peter 2:21), for in the midst of His heart being troubled about going to the cross, He looked past His immediate circumstances and saw that His sacrifice would bring eternal life to others (Hebrews 12:2).

Endure Hardship

Notice, if you will, what the Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 12:1-3: "Seeing that we are surrounded by so many witnesses (in the Bible & in this life) whose lives tell us what faith means. We should get rid of everything that gets in the way and holds us back from running the race that is set before us with patience."

In order for us to endure hardship as Good Soldiers of the Lord, it becomes important for us to look into the lives of witnesses in the Bible and those around us and how they held on regardless of how difficult things may have gotten. It becomes important for us to look to the example of Jesus and how He overcame the temptation not to endure the cross by focusing on the plan and purpose of His Father (Luke 22:41). The hesitation on the part of His humanity was overcome by the compassion of His divinity and that compassion made it easier for Him to bear the sins of the world on the cross as opposed to bearing the thought of our hopelessness without His sacrifice (Colossians 1:24-29)

My prayer is that you will be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might, that after you have been tried you will in turn be a source of strength and encouragement for someone else (Ephesians 6:10; Luke 22:31,32).

Strength in Times of Weakness

In Deuteronomy 3:23-26 we see Moses begging God to allow him to enter the Promise Land, but because of Moses rebellion in Numbers 20, he was excluded from entering Canaan. God told Moses to speak unto a rock and water would flow from it to provide the Children of Israel with something to drink in the desert. Instead of Moses doing exactly what the Lord told him to do, which was to speak unto the rock, he hit it with his rod, but Moses happily submitted unto God's will for him not to enter the Promise Land and God allowed him to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look out over the land.

In II Corinthians 12:8 (read verse 7-11) Paul says he begged the Lord three times to take a problem away. The problem Paul's spoke of was a "Throne in his flesh", which he stated was a messenger from satan, sent to beat him and keep him from being prideful about all the visions and revelations he was receiving from God.

He goes on to say that, since God's Power becomes great in him when he is weak, he is happy during insults, hard times, sufferings and any kind of troubles, because He realized that whenever he was weak, that's when he was truly strong. Most times God's answer to our prayers of deliverance is not to eliminate the trouble but strengthen us to endure and overcome it (Luke 22:31-32).

Rest in Peace

We all have our own cross to bear (Matthew 16:24, 25), but we can take courage in knowing that God will never place more on us than we can bear and with every temptation He will provide us with a way to escape (I Corinthians 10:11-13). Know and understand that when you get tired from laboring physically, emotionally, and spiritually the Lord said you can come unto Him and find rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-30).

God's kind of Rest is found In His Peace and we are encouraged to Rest In the Peace of God (R.I.P.). How do you do that with a cross on your back, a cross on your emotions, a cross on your job, a cross on your finances, a cross on your relationships???

We heed Paul's exhortation to the Church at Philippi, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and supplications let your request be made known unto God and the Peace of God, which is beyond your understanding, shall guard your heart and mind against the tricks of the enemy (Philippians 4:6, 7).

Now that's rest to help you sleep through the night and wake up renewed. Paul exhorts us to be diligent to enter into God's rest, which tells us God's kind of rest is not automatic, but takes determination on our part (Hebrews 4:1-11). We have to be determined to laying aside everything that keeps us from Resting In Peace.

Your Hour of Need

Psalm 46:1

Finally my friends, know and understand that God knows your every need and promises to provide for them and when you bring your request to Him He will give you the strength to endure through every struggle, challenge and hardship (Philippians 3:19).

Regardless of where you may find yourself, God is only a prayer away. He is your strong tower that you can run into and find shelter from the storms that rage in your lives. Rest assured that God is faithful to His Word and answers the prayers of His people (Numbers 23:19).

His answer may be yes, it may be no, or it may be wait. When you pray for help in trouble or for healing in sickness, or for deliverance in persecution or temptation, God may not give you the answer you are looking for because it may not be His wise and loving will for you (Psalm 143:1-2).

He will answer your prayers in His own way and in His own time, but He will not let you down in your hour of need, for He promised to never leave nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)!!!

Epilogue

Celebrate Our Hope in Christ

Colossians 1:27

As we journey through life and this walk of faith, let us never forget the Hope we share in Christ. Let us never forget He came that we might have Life and have it more abundantly. May we never forget He lived that we might have an example to live by. And may we never forget He was born only to die, that we might be delivered from the Penalty, the Power and the Presence of sin and shame.

In all we may hope for, all believers have One Hope in common, that is the Hope of Salvation through Faith in Christ. When we accept Jesus into our heart & life it is at that point "We Are Saved from the Penalty of Sin" and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Our spirit is delivered from the judgment of sin) Eph. 1:13,14. Once we are sealed it is then that through Faith and the Word, "We Are Being Saved from the Power of Sin" (Our will, emotions and unresolved issues are being sanctified and transformed through Gods Word and our Works) John 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 15:9. The third level is "We Are Going to be Saved from the Presence of Sin" (Our bodies will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible) when Jesus returns, I Corinthians 15:51-58.

The responsibility of the first and third level of our salvation belongs to God, but it is the second one that the responsibility falls on us. We are born with a purpose and plan to fulfill here in the earth and it becomes up to us to present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice for Him to use for the saving of souls (Rom. 12:1,2) and study to be an approved workman that needs not be ashamed of being unprepared for service (II Tim. 2:15, 21). There is yet some purging that needs to take place within our heart, mind and life and this purging/cleansing/sanctifying comes through our Faith, which comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17) and through our Works/Service, because faith without works is dead (James 2:20-26).

So it is through the process of Working, by Faith, with Hope that which God placed in us (our Gifts, Calling and Ministry) that we are transformed into Jesus' likeness with ever-increasing glory (II Corinthians 3:18). Finally as you walk in your gifts, calling and ministry you are being set apart for greater works, you are being delivered from the power of sin, you are being cleansed from the effects of past sins and purged of any unresolved issues.

This is the Hope we have in Christ..."The Good Work He Begun in Us...He is continuing to perform and will do so until He returns and when He returns we will be just like Him!!!" (Philippians 1:6) May God bless you and yours with much peace and many blessing as you Patiently Pursue Perfection in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Brother Caleb & Lady Drake

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