In this coming year, let us put on Christ and humble ourselves as He showed us by His example. It is as simple as choosing to put Christ and others before our own preferences (and even perceived needs). Will you go deeper in Christ, or will you slide further toward the world? There is no neutral.
As evil waxes great in our society, we think we are strong, but few are. We must be humble to be strong; and we must have faith to be humble. "If the footmen have wearied you, how will you contend with the horsemen?"
Isaiah gives us a list of the attributes of the coming Messiah. He brings all that people seek, such as joy, peace, security, and purpose, yet they reject Him because they will not give up control of their disastrous lives. Yet we who know His salvation have these blessings but are afraid or ashamed to tell them the way to have we were given.
As the society around us does all it can to ignore the Gift of Christ this Christmas, let us not become distracted by the wrapping and the trappings. Let us stir up our awe and amazement at the great things God has done.
God's plan is perfect because He knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, you can trust Him to work His plan in you. You can make it harder on yourself, but you cannot thwart His plan. Let's walk in confidence and victory, knowing that God is on our side.
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Love for God demands the hatred of evil. You can tell how much you love God by how much you hate evil and everything God hates. When we do not hate sin, we show that we don't truly love God, but love only ourselves and the pleasures of the world.
The fear of God is rare in today's society. The old hymns, full of doctrine and awe of the majesty of God, have been replaced by ditties speaking of how much God has done for us. God is faithful to those who follow Him with the whole heart, and fear nothing more than the One who will judge all men at His coming. We serve an awesome God; let's truly be in awe of Him.
Modern Christians have lost the fear of God. We have tried to make God so accessible to people that we have demeaned Him. But those who have been in His presence fall on their faces before Him; if you don't fear Him, then you have not been there. Let's believe God to instill awe and fear of Him into us as we commit to spend the time it takes to truly enter into His presence.
You may not worship God as you like. He has proscribed how He is to be worshiped, and that begins with sanctifying yourself. God is not mocked. You will not swagger into His presence. Let's give Him the honor and the glory He is due.
Our God is a holy God, who demands to be worshiped in His way, and not according to our own preference. Worship is not showing up and singing songs but exalting the Almighty God and entering into His presence with the sacrifice of praise and the full commitment of our lives to His will. Don't think that God will accept the blind and lame worship you offer to Him.
We are commanded to fear the Lord: not "reverence" the Lord but walk in terror of displeasing and disappointing Him who sacrificed so much for you. If you become content with your level of spiritual growth, or you begin to excuse putting yourself first, then you have lost the fear of the Lord. Let's remember who the Almighty God is, and act like we are not our own.
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all people. We need to clearly bring the truth of sin and salvation to those who are held captive to the lies of Satan, and think they are good people rather than the depraved sons of Adam they are.
Humanism teaches that man is basically good. People have built idols in their hearts after their own images, so most believe that they are good people; but that lie is easily debunked by the Bible. Christians should have the compassion of God for them in their deceived state and bring the Gospel to them. Are you too busy seeking your own comfort and ease to care about the lost?
God is beyond time and space. He exists outside the cosmos. Therefore, He is not bound by the limitations of the finite, so He knows the end from the beginning and is able to save to the uttermost those who call upon Him. But many no longer believe in the eternal Triune God; we need to be full of the Holy Spirit in order to reach their souls because their minds have been corrupted.
