The Day of the Lord Is Coming

2 Peter 3:11-13

11 Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living! 12 You should look forward to that day and hurry it along — the day when God will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world where everyone is right with God. (NLT)

The world is closing in on the end days and we are to be living holy and godly lives. We are to be living, not existing. We are to be looking forward to the day Jesus returns, but in the meantime we are to living life, being in prayer, being in the Spirit and living for the Lord Jesus Christ. Live this life because in the future we will live in a new heaven and a new earth which has been promised.

A world where everyone is right with God

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The Day of the Lord Is Coming

2 Peter 3:8-10

8 But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.   (NLT)

Do not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. God is not bound by time as we are, but the Lord wants to give everyone time to repent and turn to Jesus. He will return but only at the proper time. We are to continue sharing the Gospel, the good news or the Mega news. This is what we are to be doing and that is spreading the love and message of Jesus Christ. We are to be living our lives as a reflection of Jesus Christ. Letting Him be our King and surrendering ourselves to Him and His will.

Live each day as though this is the day the Lord Jesus returns.

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The Day of the Lord Is Coming

2 Peter 3:5-7

5 They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water. 6 Then he used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood. 7 And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish. (NLT)

The end is coming, we do not know when but it is coming all the same. Are you ready? The world thinks things will continue, but God says otherwise. The world has forgotten who made earth and all that is in it, they have forgotten that it is God who sustains their life and it is He who loves them. It is God who is in control of all things.

Seek the Lord and He will let you find Him and show you all that He has for you.

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The Day of the Lord Is Coming

1 This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2 I want you to remember and understand what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

3 First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. 4 This will be their argument: "Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created." (NLT)

Peter wants to remind us of the things that the prophets have told us. First they predicted the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His death, burial and resurrection and those things came true. They came true in God’s timing not human timing. Second the prophets predicted that Jesus would return and the world would be judged. Jesus also told us that He would return and He will, not in the human time frame but in God’s timing.

Also scoffers will come and deny who Jesus is and will try to convince even the believers that Jesus is not who He said He is. They will laugh at the truth because their father is the devil and He was a liar from the beginning. They will make up all kinds of things to try to disprove the truth but their day of judgement is coming.

Stand firm in the faith, put on the full armor of Christ and follow Him wherever He leads you. Be ready in season and out of season. Be the Light of Christ everywhere you go. Love as Jesus loves you, do not fear for He is always with you and He will never leave you or forsake you.

The Day of the Lord Jesus Chris is Coming

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2 Peter 2:12-22

12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They revel in deceitfulness while they feast with you. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their lust is never satisfied. They make a game of luring unstable people into sin. They train themselves to be greedy; they are doomed and cursed. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind — promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the right way to live than to know it and then reject the holy commandments that were given to them. 22 They make these proverbs come true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and "A washed pig returns to the mud." (NLT)

Peter gives a pretty good description here of what false teachers really are. The issue is what do you do if confronted with a false teacher or someone proclaiming unbiblical truth or worse removing truth for something else? For those who fall into this trap of believing what they say or doing the things they do they may become worse than they were before. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

This you must do to thwart the false teachers and that is be in the Word, know the Word and live the Word. Abide in Christ as Christ abide in you. Be in the Spirit and let the Spirit guide you and teach you God’s truth. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

Jesus is the truth.

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2 Peter 2:4-11

4 For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day. 5 And God did not spare the ancient world — except for Noah and his family of seven. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. Then God destroyed the whole world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6 Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7 But at the same time, God rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a good man who was sick of all the immorality and wickedness around him. 8 Yes, he was a righteous man who was distressed by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment. 10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own evil, lustful desires and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, even though they are far greater in power and strength than these false teachers, never speak out disrespectfully against the glorious ones.  (NLT)

God is a Holy and Just God. As God warned Noah God has also warned us in His Word that in the end time things will get worse and worse. But do not fear for God is with you and He watches over you. The Word tells us to stand firm and to be ready. Be in the Word and be in the world but not of the world. God is bringing His judgement and the Lord knows how to rescue His godly people from their trials, even when the ungodly are being punished. So do not fear for God is with you always even to the end of the age. Greater is He that is in you then he that is the world. Jesus has conquered all and the victory has been won.

Jesus has done it all and all has been accomplished.

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Psalms of Thanksgiving

Psalms 28:6-7

6 Praise the LORD!

For he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength, my shield from every danger.

I trust in him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. (NLT)

Psalms 69:30-33

30 Then I will praise God's name with singing,

and I will honor him with thanksgiving.

31 For this will please the LORD more than sacrificing an ox

or presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.

32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.

Let all who seek God's help live in joy.

33 For the LORD hears the cries of his needy ones;

he does not despise his people who are oppressed. (NLT)

Psalms 100:1-5

Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!

2 Worship the LORD with gladness.

Come before him, singing with joy.

3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!

He made us, and we are his.

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;

go into his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good.

His unfailing love continues forever,

and his faithfulness continues to each generation. (NLT)

Psalms 117:1-2

Praise the LORD, all you nations.

Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2 For he loves us with unfailing love;

the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. (NLT)

Praise the LORD!

2 Peter 1:1-3

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way. (NLT)

Why is it so important to remain daily in the study of the scriptures? Because God’s word tells us that false teachers will come. You need to know the word so that you can spot them. As the Holy Spirit teaches you and guides you through scripture you will not be fooled by their cleaver words. They want nothing more than to cheat and steal what God has given you but God has condemned them from long ago and their destruction is coming. God tells you in His word that you will know them by their actions and works.

Stand firm in the Word.

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2 Peter 1:16-21

Paying Attention to Scripture

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his majestic splendor with our own eyes. 17 And he received honor and glory from God the Father when God's glorious, majestic voice called down from heaven, "This is my beloved Son; I am fully pleased with him." 18 We ourselves heard the voice when we were there with him on the holy mountain.

19 Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place — until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts.   20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophets themselves   21 or because they wanted to prophesy. It was the Holy Spirit who moved the prophets to speak from God. (NLT)

Why is it so important for you to be in the Word? It’s important because the Word is a shining light that shines into your inner most being. It guides you, it heals you, it teaches you and it illuminates you. Pay close attention to the Word for Scripture was not written by man but men moved by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit shows you that you can be moved and used by Him. Live by the Spirit and let the Spirit of God move you to bring Glory and Honor to His Son Jesus.

Be in the Spirit

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2 Peter 1:112-15

Paying Attention to Scripture

12 I plan to keep on reminding you of these things — even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. 13 Yes, I believe I should keep on reminding you of these things as long as I live. 14 But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered and I am soon to die.   15 So I will work hard to make these things clear to you. I want you to remember them long after I am gone. (NLT)

Words of Encouragement is written to encourage you, to remind you to pay attention to the scriptures and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul says here that he is going to keep right on reminding us of things we may already know. At times you need to be reminded of God’s grace and mercy and to remember that He is always with you each and every day. These reminders are to help you to continue to stand firm in the faith and to know the truth. Therefore be in the scriptures and in prayer daily. Look up to Jesus your author and finisher of your faith.

Keep on keeping on.

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2 Peter 1:10-11

Growing in the Knowledge of Gods

10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. 11 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NLT)

“Work Hard” -- Oh, doesn’t that sound like a lot of hard work. The best things in life are the things you work hard for. God never said life here was going to be easy, but in much labor there is reward. In Proverbs there are verses that speak to the fact that those that are lazy will not receive, but those that work hard receive a reward. God wants you to work hard to prove to others that you are among the children of God that you are one of the called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. As you work hard doing God’s will for your life God will provide everything you need to accomplish His will. And at the end of all your hard work God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Work Hard for your Lord and Savior.

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2 Peter 1:8-9

Growing in the Knowledge of Gods

8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin. (NLT)

Your journey that you are on is about growth, spiritual growth. It is about continual change. Molding and shaping you into the person God created you to be. We are to be partakers in this journey for we are not along for the ride. God has things He wants you to do, places He wants you to go and people He wants you to share with. As you draw near to God, God will draw near to you. This is a journey that you and God are on together, you are not alone. He is with you every step of the way and He is going before you preparing the way.

But, if you fail to develop these virtues from verses 5 through 7 you become shortsighted in your walk with God. You will begin to forget that God has forgiven and cleansed you from your old life of sin. God loves you and will discipline you to get you going back on the right path in the right direction for the right reasons. Follow Him wherever He leads you.

God loves you.

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2 Peter 1:5-7

Growing in the Knowledge of Gods

5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. (NLT)

Living your life for Christ benefits you. These promises to your life build you up and they do not tear you down. Each one builds upon the next one. Christ has already given you these promises -- now it is time for you to start applying them to your life in Christ. Your Faith will produce moral excellence. Faith is the first step in your journey and your walk with God.  Faith produces moral excellence, but it does not stop there. Moral excellence leads to knowing God better. The old life disappears and the new life immerges. Knowing God better and knowing His will for you leads you to self-control. Self-control leads you to patience and as you control yourself you learn to wait patiently for God’s voice and God’s will. Patience leads to godliness. Godly living is a life lived for God and God's word. Godliness then leads you to love, to love God more, to love others as yourself. And finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.

The ultimate goal is Love.

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2 Peter 1:4

Growing in the Knowledge of Gods

4 And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. (NLT)

By Jesus’ power He has given to us a share in His inheritance, His riches and His wonderful promises. Why? Because of His great love for us. He gave of Himself so that we could have so much more than what we had. Sometimes we miss the meaning of what Christ has given to us; it is not about material things or money but about spiritual things. The things of the Spirit are more important than the things of the flesh or of the world. He may give us material things or money to use but they are in last place compared to the spiritual life. It is your place in Christ to share in His divine nature, to become like Him so that others will see Christ in you.

You will share in His divine nature.

Love is our greatest gift and promise ever received from Christ, yet sometimes it is not at the top of our list as it should be. The Greatest Commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all you have” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love. Our life is now to be lived in Christ, to follow Christ and to know Him more and more every day.

Christ is Love.

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2 Peter 1:3

Growing in the Knowledge of Gods

3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness!

Our journey begins with Jesus, we follow Jesus through this life and it ends with Jesus. While we are here it is our calling and our privilege to know Jesus better and better every day. Jesus’ divine power lives within us and it gives us everything we need to live a godly life in Christ Jesus. This divine power is in us because it is in Jesus and through faith in Christ it molds and shapes us to be a reflection of Him. We have been called and to share in the inheritance of His glory and goodness. It is not something we keep to ourselves but it is something that is to flow out of us and to flow to others as well.

Jesus has called us and has given us everything we need to live a godly life.

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2 Peter 1:1-2

This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to all of you who share the same precious faith we have, faith given to us by Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, who makes us right with God.

2 May God bless you with his special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better. (NLT)

 

Peter humbles himself before Christ. He knows his place before Jesus, do you? Peter sees himself as equal among all believers and that we all share the same faith, faith given to us by Jesus. Even though Peter was an apostle in a leadership position he never held it over anyone. As we humble ourselves before God, obey Him and follow Him, He will bless you, give you special favor and wonderful peace. This does not mean life will be smooth sailing but that He will be beside you through all of life’s trials and you can rely on His peace and joy through it all. No matter what, Jesus is right there with you.

Come to know Jesus, our God and our Lord, better and better every day.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

Words of Encouragement

 

John 3:16-17

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  (NLT)

 

Believe. A verb, an action word: to accept that something is true or real, to have trust.

God sent Jesus to give eternal life through His death, burial and resurrection. The reward of belief in Christ is eternal life. God loves you so much that He provided a way to Himself by expressing His love through Jesus Christ. God make it very simple and uncomplicated. There are no hoops to jump through, no money to pay, no merit system to achieve eternal life, just believe. Jesus does not condemn you, He does not point out your sin because you already know your sin and He does not reject you but accepts you just the way you are and right where you are at.

If you have not believed in Christ what are you waiting for? Take action! Today is the day. Believe in Christ, receive eternal life and enjoy the abundant life that Christ has waiting for you.

To believe you must take action.

 

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James 1:26-27

26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. (NLT)

 

Can you control your tongue? Do you choose your words carefully? If we do not control our tongue and the words we use then we are being foolish. Our words should line up with Jesus’ words. Our lives and our speech should reflect the Lord Jesus Christ living in and through us. It should not reflect the world we live in because we have been called to be different from the world. We have been called out of this world and into the light to be a light unto this world for Jesus Christ.

What is pure and lasting religion? It means living a life in the sight of God the Father and the Lord Jesus that is not corrupted by the world. The outward working of that life in Christ is to care for others, orphans, widows and those who have troubles in this life. This life is not an easy life, God never said it was going to be easy but that it is hard, very hard but the end result is very much worth it. We will get to spend eternity in the presence of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be eternity minded.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

Psalm 1:7-1-6

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with scoffers.

2 But they delight in doing everything the LORD wants; day and night they think about his law.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper.

4 But this is not true of the wicked. They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction

(NLT)

 

It is Joy not to follow the wicked, sinners, scoffers or this world. All that they have to offer is temporary and lead to death. Their place has been determined, they are headed to destruction and they have no place among the godly in Christ.

But, the godly in Christ their delight is doing everything God wants them to do. They love his word and are in it day and night. They bear much fruit in its season and they prosper wherever they go and whatever they do for God is their life. The Lord watches over every step of those who have believed and trusted in Him.

Joy is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ wherever He takes you.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

Colossians 3:7-1-4

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. 3 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. (NLT)

Paul tells us here to set your sights on the realities of heaven. Heaven is real and we are to be heavenly minded -- not thinking a lot about things here but the things in heaven. Heaven is our final home and here on this earth it is only temporary. Your new life is in Christ, you died with Him, you were buried with Him, you were raised with Him, He is your inheritance and He is your real life. It is Jesus who you now live for and it is He who is to be the central focus of your life. One day you will be in the presence of Jesus forever and will share in all His glory. Share this life with others and let them know that they too can have this life with Christ.

Let Heaven fill your thoughts.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

Joshua 1:7-9

7 Be strong and very courageous . Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. 9 I command you — be strong and courageous ! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." NLT

 

Be strong and courageous. Do you feel this is you? What was the reason that Joshua could feel that he was strong and courageous? Because God was with him wherever he went. Do you feel sometimes that God is not near? But what does His Word say? I will never leave you or forsake you. Guaranteed. What is required of us to be strong and courageous? First you must believe God’s Word then obey God’s Word and study and mediate of His Word. Do not be afraid or discouraged of this world for something greater lives within you. Jesus Christ lives within you and He has overcome the world. When you obey God’s Word you will succeed.

I Command you to be strong and courageous!

 

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Luke 12:29-32

29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God ; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. KJV

 

Seek first the Kingdom of God. God wants you to seek Him and He wants you to seek the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeking the Lord is a little like putting a puzzle together. You first must search for the pieces that fit together. Then begin putting them together, one piece at a time or one step at a time. As you seek God’s love, grace, peace, patience, mercy, joy -- the pieces begin to form a picture of what God wants for your life. God already knows what you need and when you need it. You may overlook a piece several times before you notice that it is the piece you’ve been looking for. God shows you the piece at the right time that you need it. Trust Him to help you along the way, He knows where every piece fits and He knows just how to help you place the next piece so that you begin to see the bigger picture. God’s will is perfect for you and it is tailor made just for you.

“Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you”

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 13:13

13 There are three things that will endure — faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love. (NLT)

Love is the answer to the question. We were designed and built to love. We were created because God is love. God created us to love Him and to be loved by Him. We were designed to have an intimate relationship with Him. We are to love God with all our heart, with all our strength, with all our soul and with all our mind. It is love that brings us to faith in Christ. We are to put aside the old life and put on the new life in Christ which is a life of loving others as Christ loved them. Christ is the ultimate expression of love. It was because of love that Jesus went to the cross. There are three things that will endure forever, faith, hope, and love — and the greatest of these is love. Our goal in life is to love others.

Jesus is the ultimate expression of Love.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ

 

Words of Encouragement will be taking the summer off, will return in September.

Have a Great Summer

Luke 19:2-5

2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."  (NLT)

 

Mark 10:13-16

13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch them and bless them, but the disciples told them not to bother him. 14 But when Jesus saw what was happening, he was very displeased with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  15 I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God."  16 Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them. (NLT)

 

Jesus was always watching out for others, especially those who people looked down on. In the case of Zacchaeus he was a short small man that people looked down on (no pun intended) and who they despised because he was a tax gatherer for the Romans (the Jews despised the Romans). But what did Jesus do? He invited Zacchaeus to join Him in Heaven forever. Jesus looked at Zacchaeus’ heart not his outward appearance. Jesus did not judge him, but brought salvation to him.

In the case of the children -- Jesus did not believe children should be seen and not heard but He put them in the middle along with everyone else. He used the children to illustrate a very important lesson. We (as adults) are to humble ourselves as children to come to a saving knowledge and an intimate relationship with God the Father. Our faith is to be childlike. And what did Jesus do as the children came to Him in faith? "Then he took the children into his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” That is a beautiful picture of His love and grace.

Jesus looked out for the little guy.

 

Engage the Present – Create the Future – With Jesus Christ