“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” II Timothy 3:14

I recently read, “When Benjamin Franklin wished to interest the people of Philadelphia in street lighting, he didn’t try to persuade them by talking about it; instead, he hung a beautiful lantern on a long bracket before his own door.   Then he kept the glass brightly polished, and carefully and religiously lit the wick every evening at the approach of dusk.   It wasn’t long before Franklin’s neighbors began placing lights in brackets before their homes, and soon the entire city awoke to the value of street lighting and took up the matter with interest and enthusiasm.”

I want you to be encouraged to, “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of.”  The path you continue down in Christ Jesus and His Word, which you have been taught, will be a powerful example for those around you.   As a Christian, you are being watched.   The lost watch to see how sincere you are about that which you have spoken to them about.  The saints watch to see how serious you are about Christ as not only Saviour, but as Lord of your life.   As we desire to be more Christ like and live Holy Spirit filled lives, we are presenting a pattern for others, and when that pattern is based on the Lord Jesus and the Word of God that we have been taught by many along the way it will shine like those lanterns up and down those streets in Philadelphia, so many years ago. 

Our faithfulness to God will speak mightily and it will have an effect on many today and tomorrow.  We may never know here on this earth what impact we have had upon those around us.  It is first and foremost about being faithful to God and not about putting on a show for man.   By setting a godly example, you will present a pattern for the young and old alike.  Consider that when you set such an example, you will be a steppingstone for the next generation to witness today and an example for them to emulate in the future.

The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied. Proverbs 14:14
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Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Men are affected by the course which they pursue; for good or bad, their own conduct comes home to them.  The backslider and the good man are very different, but in each of them the same rule is exemplified- they are both filled by the result of their lives.”
The choices that we make will bring to fruition the road we will travel.  It is and always will be about the choices that we make. I believe the most miserable man or woman on earth is those who are born again but are living far from God and deeply in the things of this world.  The world and its ways are both enticing and inviting but, in the end, the world promises much but has no real return to speak of.  Sin is a lot like quicksand, the more active one is in it the further they will sink.  The backslider is filled with his own ways and desires, which are not the Lord’s ways and are far from what the Lord desires for him or her and therein lays the source of the very real problem.

The Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).  At the very moment that one is saved they are under new management.  The Holy Spirit takes up residence within the believer.  What a wonderful promise and provision He is from the Heavenly Father.  The Lord Jesus says in John 7:38-39 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)  The Holy Spirit has been indeed sent.  Christ Jesus was glorified in His redeeming death and burial and His glorious resurrection.  He has ascended to the right-hand side of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2.)  The saved are a new creation indeed and are the temple of God. The believer will not know peace while grieving the Holy Spirit with their back-slidden choices.

The one who hungers for the things of God will be satisfied by the things of God.  The Word of God is heavenly nourishment for this earthly journey that the Christian is on.  Satisfaction in the here and now will be plentiful as we feed on God’s Word and as we desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. True satisfaction will be found in a deep abiding desire to fellowship with the Lord. We must make it a want and a desire to do so.

What we sow is what will grow.  If you have back-slidden away from Christ, come back to Him. There is no fellowship in this world that compares to the fellowship that the believer can have with Christ Jesus.  

Obstacles are opportunities to watch God move mightily in the life of every believer. Our faith is built in the stream of everyday life and not on the waves of emotion. The Bible says, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10.) We surrender ourselves to the fact that God is in control and that He cares for us and has a plan and purpose for our lives. We move forward by faith as we allow Him full control to guide us moment by moment and day by day- It will be a life lived and not just time endured. That is real living! That is living, at its best. It is all about the choices that we make.
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 With the time Almighty God has given us we have the opportunities:
1. To Praise God for His mercy and goodness.
2. To Please God by trusting God.
3. To Pray without ceasing.
4. To Proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:5
 
Andrew Murray wrote, “Are you leaving your mark for eternity on those around you?  It is not your preaching or your teaching, your strength of will or power to influence that will secure this.  All this depends on having your life full of God and His power.  And that, again, depends on your living the truly branchlike life of abiding in very close and unbroken fellowship with Christ.  It is the branch that brings forth much fruit, fruit will abide.”

The amount of God’s power in our lives depends on the degree that we abide in Christ.  What does the thermostat read when it comes to your fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ?  We often times pray for fruit while living knee deep in the world and waste deep in rebellion.  We can’t expect God to bless what He does not approve.  God’s power is not meant for rebels.

Let us examine ourselves and take inventory of our spiritual temperature.  We pray for revival in our churches, communities and country and that is what is needed, but we often speak words that don’t match up with the position and condition of our hearts.  Are you abiding in the true vine, the Lord Jesus or are you connected with the wild root of this world?  This question is for the born again believers.  What mark are you making with the life, time and talents you have been given?  Start right now by seeking the Lord in a fervent manner in your prayer time and allow the Holy Spirit complete access to your heart!

I pray that this sets a fire a blaze in many hearts to get into the Word of God!!

“For the word of God is quick and powerful sharper than any twoedged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit and the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
Hebrews 4:12 

“Without God, there could be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first- the most basic- expression of Americanism. Thus the Founding Fathers saw it, and thus, with God’s help it will continue to be.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower

As my mom has grown older, she reflects back more and more on a way of life that has become a memory in her mind and in the mind of many others who recall how life once was in the United States of America. She recalls a time in the 1950’s when a Christmas program in a public school spoke of the birth of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ without stutter and no one would dare come against the word of God that was shared in those programs in that little town where she grew up in Indiana so long ago. My friend, the old way is still the right way.
The further that we, as a Nation, step out on our own and away from God, the sooner we will find ourselves at a destination that no individual or nation should ever want to find themselves- at odds with Almighty God. The philosopher will smirk as he or she bathes in the glow of their own self-worth and toxic, ungodly doctrine of a Christ-less Christmas while spewing out countless words that fall like dead weight before the all-knowing God of the universe. The power hungry movers and shakers will complete another deal while motivated by greed and the constant lust for more. A good name and an honest way, built upon the foundation of an honest word, have been thrown out for fear of failure. Many leave the table of greed, success and lust, starving while the All Powerful God of the universe offers them the bread of life. These people need to be saved!

We have fallen so far from the living God that no one seems to notice. Those of us who call America home, are blessed beyond measure, but we have forgotten Jehovah Jireh- yes we have forgotten that God is the provider. Our land has the distinct odor of Sodom when we should be taking the humble stance of Nineveh after Jonah the evangelist came with a message from God, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4b.) After the man of God preached the message of God, the people of Nineveh (including the king) believed God. They fasted and they turned from their evil ways and God saw it. The Bible tells us that God, “Repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not" (Jonah3:10b.)
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Oh, we need prayer warriors. We need old fashion, Daniel like praying men, women, boys and girls. We need to sound the horn and spread the word. We need to put on the whole armour of God and get down to business- on our face and our knees in our prayer closet and in the churches. This time of the year is a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel and to be a true light in the darkness- Because, Jesus is the reason for the season and the old way is still the right way.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Dear believer, your peace depends on trust and your trust is derived from the truth, thus the truth of God’s Word is the foundation and ingredients of your peace. You must trust God or both heart and mind will not be kept they will become a fragmented playground for the devil to terrorize and torment you every step of the way. The enemy looks to divide and debilitate and he will use our lack of faith as a door to enter in and cause calamity. The Bible says, “Great peace have they which love thy love law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165). Those are thirteen simple, yet powerful words that can act as a mighty sword in the hands of every believer.

The sweet peace that passeth all understanding is awaiting you at this very moment. If you will trust the Lord in the midst of the storm your steps will be firm as you fix your eyes upon the one you can trust. What choice will you make at this very moment? It is your choice to make. Write these verses down and keep them with you throughout your day taking time to wash them over and through your heart again and again.