Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

2 Corinthians 5:17 – ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Probably a top fifty popular scripture and with good reason.  It reminds us that even though He accepts us where we are at when we ask Him in, a change still has been made.  We are new creation because of Him.  Our walk should be slow steady growth as we start our new life we have been given.

It doesn’t mean stagnation doesn’t creep in.  Almost all of us allow that and it’s usually taking one’s eye off the prize that does it.  We need to stay focused on the prize and what’s eternally important.  We we’re made to glorify God.  For some reason people think that if you’re doing that instead of glorifying yourself you can’t enjoy life at all.  That’s a lie that comes from the enemy the devil.  You can glorify God and really enjoy life.  It’s how we are supposed to act and the fall affected that.

Philippians 3:7-11 – ⁷ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul reminds us that the best we can do is concentrate on Jesus and do our best to live like the Lord’s example.  If Jesus wanted us to live in luxury and for ourselves, I believe that would have been His example, but it wasn’t.

Matthew 16:24 – ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

The example was to put the God first, reach out and love others and show them the way so they may find salvation.  

Today’s post is inspired by the daily scripture on Bible Gateway.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 – ¹⁷ But, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

For a bunch of individuals who believe it’s only about us and our preferences, they’re wrong.  We are given a free will, but that is to freely choose to love the Lord and live for Him.  God is the center of the universe not ourselves.  The devil wants you to believe it’s all about you.  He wants you to believe you can be your own master.  Not because he cares about you, but because he knows it’s contrary and against what God wants for His creation.  He rebelled and misery loves company.  Not to mention that since he has a plan and wants to be like the Most High, there will be a day people on earth will be forced to worship him or die.

As it turns out I didn’t speak much on boasting, but more on why people boast on their own behalf.

We’re fallen.  God loves us.  Satan hates you.  Read God’s Word and do the best to follow our Lord.

Proverbs 15:29- ²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked
    but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

God doesn’t make enemies.  People choose to become enemies of God. 

He sits with His hands wide open and the free gift of grace is available.  To Everyone!  Who will accept it?  Since Jesus came and died on the cross, all that accept Him as Lord, now have righteousness.  It’s nothing of our own, but only because of Him.

The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous.

Not only does he hear them, He loves it when we come to Him with a humble loving spirit.  He hears the prayers and if it benefits the Kingdom and His will it seems to happen and then some.  He loves us, we need to love Him back constantly.

Psalm 47:2 – ² For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.

Creator, King, Lord of All!  He has given us a choice.

Self or Him!  Who will you serve?

We read in the Word of God that those who choose to serve Him get rewarded by the Maker of All.  He knows our wants and our joys. 

Satan isn’t just a loser or misery loves company kind of guy.  He hates, murders, steals, kills and destroys.  If he had it his way you would bow to him and he isn’t going to reward you for eternity.  He can’t.  He also can’t love.  When he left God he disconnected himself from that.

The world teaches us to serve ourselves, however, only if it works out for the greater good of all.  Selfishness in an unselfish way.  Make sense?  It can’t, and that’s why things are haywire.  Those who want you to be selfish in an unselfish way want you to do so, because they want to be able to be selfish.  Look at congress or leadership in all countries.  Do they live on the same level or by the same rules that they impose on others?  No.  They never have.

Matthew 23:1-4 – ¹Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Without out our AWESOME GOD, it’s all doomed failure.  We need to fight that sinful nature on a regular basis and do our best to serve our KING!

It’s in every one of us.  Even in those who do wrong want to see justice when something has been done to them.

Our God is love, but he is also just.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 – ⁵ All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷ and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power ¹⁰ on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

Romans 12:19 – ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

We need to remember that God is in charge and that he will ultimately handle the situation.  Just know that the perfect loving ruler of the universe will be just and do so.

We live in such a wishy-washy world today in which this country seems to give more rights to those break the law that it is confusing.  That’s part of the fall.  There are so many leniencies that people after awhile don’t believe there are repercussions for rebellion. 

We read ultimately there will be.  Let’s continue to spread the Good News of grace while people still have a chance.

Psalm 39:5-6 –  ⁵ You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man’s life is but a breath.  Selah
⁶ Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.

It’s a fact.  There’s no disputing it and yet the pull to try and acquire alot on this earth is strong.

We know that life is short.  We know that if we store up wealth won’t be taking it with us.

The rich and celebrities have proven to us is wealth doesn’t satisfy.  There is much divorce, suicide, drug use, and wrong doing amongst this crowd.  We know that wealth doesn’t quench.  There is never enough money to quench those who earnestly seek it.  It consumes but never fulfills.

Examples are there.  Facts are there, yet as sinners, we chase after these things.  Until…..

Psalm 39:7 – ⁷ “But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.

Ah fulfillment.  Win now, win later.  The hard part is until one puts their hope and trust into Him, they don’t see this.  Takes faith.  I’ll vouch that my whole life, I have always had my needs met.  Not my wants, praise the Lord, but always my needs.  Trust in the Lord.  Give of your first fruits to Him.  Put your hope in Him.

The fact of the matter is:  Life is but a breath.  Even at 80 years it’s short and no one is guaranteed even that.