Patience and Hope

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.  Romans 15:4

Do you spend time in the scriptures and allow them to teach you?  They are there for our learning, that we may have hope.  But this hope only comes when we study with patience and then receive the comfort that is given to us by God's word.  Many study and learn, but never find comfort or rest.  When you read the word of God do you receive comfort?

Comfort- To strengthen the mind when depressed or enfeebled; to console; to give new vigor to the spirits; to cheer, or relieve from depression, or trouble.

Many today, when depressed or troubled, turn to drugs or alcohol to find comfort and relief of mind, but this only temporary.  

Patience- Perseverance; constancy in labor or exertion.

Are you digging into the scripture? 

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 

John 5:39

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.  Proverbs 2:3-5

Do you spend enough time in the scriptures for the Lord to teach and reveal things to you?

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 
John 14:26  

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

John 16:13

It's only when we read the scriptures and allow them to teach us patience and comfort, that we then receive the hope that is contained therein.

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Titus 2:13

 

Are You Righteous Before God?

The word of God (Authorized King James Bible) states in Romans 10:1-4,

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

My fear is that to many today are trying to establish their own righteousness before God.  Just as Israel had a zeal of God, yet not according to knowledge, so to many that call themselves "christians" have a zeal for the things of God, but not according to God's word!  They have never submitted themselves to the righteousness of God, found in the Lord Jesus Christ.  What are you resting in?  Do you rest in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ or are you trying to justify yourself before God?  Do you make excuses on why you can't understand God's word the King James Bible and need a "easier" bible to read?  Could it be that you have never been born again?  I pray that you seriously consider where you stand with God.

Romans 9:31-33 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Why did not Israel attain to the law of righteousness?  Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.  Are you basing and resting on your good works to bring you into a right relationship with God?  If you are you will never be saved!  The word of God says that:

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:  for by the law is the knowledge of sin.  Romans 3:20

To many today have a head knowledge of salvation, but there heart and life have never been changed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!  Why don't so many today come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ?  Because they fall short, just as Israel does, in that the Lord is a rock of offence and a stumblingstone.  They have never been broken before God!  A stubborn and rebellious people are we as a nation!  We never do anything wrong, always have an excuse, and it is always the fault of somebody else!  Quit trying to justify yourself!  Fall down and get broken before God!

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:  on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if the continue in his goodness:  otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.  Romans 11:22

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  Isaiah 57:15

 

Are you following the spirit of antichrist?

Below is a video that was sent to me from another Bible Believer and I thought I would post it to my blog. We are in a sad state as Bible Believers today!  Be careful you are not following the spirit of antichrist!  I'm afraid that many of the so called "bible believing crowd" are following the ways of the world and have lost sight of what the word of God says! 

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Here is some of what the Mormons believe:

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.  http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.   http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.  http://mormon.org/articles-of-faith

Jesus

1. "Therefore we know that both the Father and the Son are in form and stature perfect men; each of them possesses a tangible body . . . of flesh and bones," (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 38).
2. "The birth of the Saviour was as natural as are the births of our children; it was the result of natural action. He partook of flesh and blood - was begotten of his Father, as we were of our fathers," (Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 115).
3. "Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed His mission in the flesh ..." (First Presidency and Council of the Twelve, 1916, God the Father, compiled by Gordon Allred, p. 150)

1. The first spirit to be born in heaven was Jesus (Mormon Doctrine, p. 129).
2. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 192).

1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

Some of the other beliefs of the Mormon Church:

God, becoming a god

1. After you become a good Mormon, you have the potential of becoming a god (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345-347, 354).
2. "Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them," (DC 132:20).

God, mother goddess

1. There is a mother god (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443).
2. God is married to his goddess wife and has spirit children (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516)

Devil, the

1. The Devil was born as a spirit after Jesus "in the morning of pre-existence," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 192.)
2. Jesus and Satan are spirit brothers and we were all born as siblings in heaven to them both, (Mormon Doctrine, p. 163.)

Book of Mormon

1. The book of Mormon is more correct than the Bible, (History of the Church, vol. 4, p. 461.)

God

1. God used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321; Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, vol. 5, p. 613-614; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 345; Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 333).
2. "The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as mans..." (D&C 130:22).

Salvation

1. "One of the most fallacious doctrines originated by Satan and propounded by man is that man is saved alone by the grace of God; that belief in Jesus Christ alone is all that is needed for salvation," (Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, p. 206).
2. A plan of salvation was needed for the people of earth so Jesus offered a plan to the Father and Satan offered a plan to the father but Jesus' plan was accepted. In effect the Devil wanted to be the Savior of all Mankind and to "deny men their agency and to dethrone god," (Mormon Doctrine, p. 193; Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p. 8).
3. Jesus' sacrifice was not able to cleanse us from all our sins, (murder and repeated adultery are exceptions), (Journal of Discourses, vol. 3, 1856, p. 247).
4. Good works are necessary for salvation (Articles of Faith, p. 92).
5. There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 188).
6. "The first effect [of the atonement] is to secure to all mankind alike, exemption from the penalty of the fall, thus providing a plan of General Salvation. The second effect is to open a way for Individual Salvation whereby mankind may secure remission of personal sins (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 78-79).
7. "As these sins are the result of individual acts it is just that forgiveness for them should be conditioned on individual compliance with prescribed requirements -- 'obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel,'" (Articles of Faith, p. 79).
8. "This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts," (LDS Bible Dictionary, p. 697).
9. "We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do," (2 Nephi 25:23).

The Present Or The Eternal?

The bible says in  Colossians 3:1-3:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

May the Lord help us to set our sights today on eternity and not on the temporal.  I was reading in a book today and I came across this quote by an Oxford University professor back in the 1800's and here is what he had to say to his students "Beware of having an earthly future."

May we today "Beware of having an earthly future."  

The bible says in 1 John 2:15-17:

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

Let us set our sights on the eternal and live for the LORD today!

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

From The Word Of God...

#1.  The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.  Proverbs 27:7

Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6) or are you filling your self with the things and spirit of this world (1 Corinthians 2:12)?

#2.  As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.  Proverbs 27:8

Be careful how much time you spend wandering around on the internet, for you may get caught in a trap.  Stay close to the Lord Jesus Christ and his word and don't wander away from the counsels of God.

#3.  Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof:  so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.  Proverbs 27:18

Are we waiting on the master or are we demanding and wanting the master to wait on us?  To many of so called "Christians" today demand of God, though they would never say this, and expect God to move at their every whim.  God help us to be a yielded vessel fit for the masters use.

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

#4.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  for you are like unto whited sepluchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleaness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  Matthew 23:27-28

Are you a hypocrite?  Do you look all beautiful and nice on the outside, yet are filled with dead men's bones on the inside.  Do you hide your iniquities behind your nice christian appearance?  Repent and turn from you wicked ways and be washed in the blood of the Lamb of God.

Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Acts 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

What Is Your Desire?

What are you desiring today?  Is it the things of God or the world?

The bible says in Matthew 4:4:

"It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

How important then is God's word?  How much time are you spending in your bible?  The devil tried to get the Lord to satisfy his flesh by tempting him to turn the stones into bread.  What is the devil trying to get you to be satisfied with today?  Trying to be satisfied with anything but the word of God and salvation in the Lord  Jesus Christ will leave you empty, lost and hopeless!

Don't fall prey to the enemies tactics!  You can never be satisfied with anything this world has to offer to you.

Ecclesiastes 1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

The world is always putting out a new movie, T.V. show, website, music, beautiful woman or handsome man, magazine, car, and house to try and make you think that you can be satisfied with these things, but it is not so my friend!

Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

No matter how much money you have or will make, it will never satisfy!

Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

Our desire should be towards God's word and His righteousness!

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Lords Benefits Towards Us

Psalms 116:12-13 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

Have you taken of the cup of salvation and called upon the Lord to save you from your sins and I'm not talking about the Catholic mass?  All that the mass and Catholic system will do for you is damn your soul to hell.  What I'm talking about is being truly born again through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Can you truly say that you once were lost, but now your found?  Does the Holy Ghost of God live within you and bears witness to the truth contained in the King James Bible (AV1611)?  Does He teach you and bear witness with your spirit that you are a child of God?

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

What we can render to the Lord for all his benefits towards us is a holy and righteous life.  To soak our heart, soul, and mind in the word of God and prayer.  The sad thing though is that most of us only find a little time to spend in the reading of God's word and prayer.  This world has us so busy, that we so often miss God to make the next appointment or to gain an extra 1/2 hour of sleep.  May the Lord help me this coming week to have a closer walk with him!