Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

Philippians 1:12-14 – ¹² Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

Times are coming on where the world doesn’t want anyone to speak freely, courageously, or fearlessly.  The reason is, you can’t control people unless only your message is getting through.

With the times ahead we need to speak more courageously and fearlessly for Christ. 

We need to continue to keep encouraging one another to do so.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – ¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! ¹³ No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

He never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.

Our Lord gives us the power to say no to our sinful nature.  However, he still knows there are some areas that we would struggle if faced.

If your downfall is squandering money, I don’t believe the Lord is going to put a lot of it in your lap.  Now you might chase after it and bring it in yourself, but I believe we will be held accountable for what kind of stewards we are in all areas.  So would the Lord set you up for failure if He knew you couldn’t handle it and had to hold you accountable later?  I don’t think so.

I think He protects us from ourselves a lot in many different areas.  Yet many times we still frantically try to get ourselves out from under His umbrella in certain areas and then Bam!

Resisting temptation builds strength.  Hardships build strength and character in our lives and He knows which ones will and which ones would be too much for us.  He loves us.

There’s a way out and the first step is to quit making excuses.  Start realizing you have the power in God that you need and turn away.

The reason we are going to be rewarded and held accountable is because there is a right way.  It’s His way.  The only way to know His way is to know His Word.

Proverbs 8:17 –  ¹⁷ I love those who love me,
   and those who seek me find me.

It speaks alot.

I don’t know about you, but everday I see less and less people seeking the Lord.

Seek the Lord and you will find Him.  With that comes wisdom of life, because the Lord is Wisdom.

I have only one for everybody.

Matthew 22:37-³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

I’m not sticking my neck out on this one am I?

I pretty much can go on record that we ALL need to do it.  This isn’t a Patrick opinion.

How do I know that?  The next verse –

Matthew 22:38 – ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.

One hundred percent guaranteed you will not ever feel like you have wasted your time, by making the Lord number one and putting your first and most important energy into it.  You’ll have no regrets.

However, if you waste your time like I have in the past doing pettily little things that have no significance, we’ll regret those.  How do we know what they are?  Bang, you’re dead.  You’re leaving everything behind when it comes to this earth.  Your love and what you did in the name of the Lord and for the Lord is what is waiting for you in the future.

Today is a new day.  Your resolution even if you’re already doing it?  Jesus first!

Happy New Year!

God is good!  Nobody else is outside of Him.

Luke 18:19 – ¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

When God made everything in the beginning, it was good.

Genesis 1:31 – ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

After Satan in the form of the serpent deceived Adam and Eve, the earth, human race, animals, all became cursed.  It’s not good in the sense that it was when God had control of it in the beginning.

God entrusted man to rule the earth and the animals, etc, after He made them.  They fell and handed it over to Satan.  Satan is NOT good.  He was before he decided to be proud and took the fall.

To be saved, you have to be good.

Romans 3:12 – ¹² All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

So since man isn’t good, who can be saved?

Matthew 19:25-26- ²⁵ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”   ²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Romans 5:12-21- ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— ¹³ for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.

 ¹⁵ But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶ Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

 ¹⁸ Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. ¹⁹ For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

 ²⁰ The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹ so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It takes someone who is good, dying and paying the penalty for those who are not good.

Second it takes those who are not good to receive willingly, while turning from their old sinful nature.  Perfection isn’t part of the transformation on this earth in how we still will act.  When it comes to turning from your old sinful nature it is in the effort, seeking, fighting the best you can.

Once you receive Christ and make Him Lord, He now sees you as perfect.  That’s some pretty powerful blood.  God’s blood to be exact.

You can’t ever be good enough.  The One who is good enough has you covered if you are willing to come back and follow Him.