Friends,
Our Bible study group recently began the Revelation. It is a surprising and amazing opportunity to see what the Lord has revealed. After all, it is the Revelation of Christ Jesus.
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We hope these studies bless you.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
When the time comes for the Lord to bring judgment against the world, everyone will be affected ... even the Believers. He will pour out His wrath over the entire earth, and no one will be exempt from its effects.
Revelation 16:1 [NKJV]
Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels,
“Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
All will interpret the events that represent God's wrath. Some will interpret them through the eyes of ignorance, unable to fathom what good is being done. Others will interpret these events through eyes filled with rage, deception and envy. They will accuse God of being less than perfect.
We, who are followers of Christ, have His promise as a guide. We can see what is happening through the filter of Jesus' faithfulness, justice and wisdom. Fear will not rule our hearts. Courage, Love and Joy will reign, even in the darkest of days.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
In the book of Proverbs, we see the many characteristics of Christ Jesus. And as we are to imitate Him ... to be holy as He is holy ... we see the admonitions that our good and perfect Father has for us.
Proverbs 31:8-9 [NKJV]
Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
This is a command, brothers and sisters. We are to pray for those who cannot - and will not - pray. We are to intercede. We are to truthfully discern what is contrary to God's will, and describe it accurately as sin.
This is not for the faint of heart. It is a battle, meant only for the courageous.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
We have all seen relationships fall apart. At times, we're dumbfounded, because the relationship seemed rock-solid - a godly man and a godly woman, seemingly devoted to one another, enduring through hardships. But even in those circumstances, we may be disappointed. But the LORD does not disappoint.
Isaiah 46:4 [NKJV]
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.
It is easy to be carried away by the emotions of a moment. Our challenge, brothers and sisters, is to remain focused, to purposefully remember that our God is faithful and everlasting. And His love and faithfulness is never-ending.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
We can stand strong in the face of attack, for we can cry out to the victorious LORD of Hosts.
Psalm 22:11 [NKJV]
Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
Truly, there is no one else that can fight for us. Our worldly "friends" will abandon us when we are persecuted for believing on Christ. We already see how governments will be an instrument of affliction. And our own courage simply cannot outlast the relentless assault of doubt, envy, and fear.
But the LORD has won greater battles. He will come through and bring us through. Stay faithful, brothers and sisters. Stay strong.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
The day is coming. It is a day when the the Lord will judge. Be assured ... Every man is subject to His perfect justice.
Ecclesiastes 3:17 [NKJV]
I said in my heart,
“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked,
For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”
Notice a subtlety here. The righteous are listed first. The LORD will judge all men, but He starts with His own people first. He holds us all to the same standard of holiness, and therefore cannot exempt the believers from justice.
Of course, the believer's sins are judged, and the sentence has been carried out by Christ. But that does not give us license to ignore the laws of God. So, we must live lives of holiness, proving our love of Jesus.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
Please remember to visit Bible Study Audio to download the latest lessons from the book of Proverbs. This book not only gives us God's teachings for living a good, prosperous and moral life, but they reveal the character of Christ in a unique way.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
The sons of God have been given a unique gift. We have a blessed assurance that ...
Mark 4:37-38a [NKJV]
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.
Christ Jesus lived the life of complete submission to the Father's will. He had no doubts ... none whatsoever ... that LORD God Almighty is in complete control and is perfectly good. Therefore, even though His physical life seemed in jeopardy, Jesus was at peace, knowing that what was happening would be good.
For you and I to live this way is a tremendous challenge. It cannot be done outside of the grace and power of Christ. Seek that power, friends, and live a life of perfect peace.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
The world seeks to satisfy us. It is the enemy's most effective weapon. For when we are discontent with what the LORD has provided, we chase after the things of the flesh. And when we chase after the things of the flesh, we are no longer pursuing Christ, we are no longer seeking the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.
Proverbs 27:7 [NKJV]
A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.
The honeycomb represents the temporary pleasures of sin. It is fleeting, and it always leaves you wanting more.
When we are satisfied with what God has provided, those temporary pleasures do not tempt us ... indeed we look at them with contempt. But when we despise the life that Almighty God has chosen for us, then even the most horrendous sin seems wonderful and enticing.
Satisfaction and contentment are choices that we make. We are no longer in bondage to lust. We are free to love holiness, to love the law, and the be completely satisfied with the life of Christ.
Be encouraged, Jose
The Lord will remove these from us, so that we will ... finally ... turn back to Him.Lamentations 1:19 (NKJV)
I called for my lovers,
But they deceived me;
My priests and my elders
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.
Friends,
What the LORD has given to you, is yours.
What the LORD has not given to you, is not.
This seems so simple, so basic. Yet, we know that ignoring this fundamental principle has resulted in so much pain, so much destruction and so much strife. So let us be reminded:
Exodus 20:17 [NKJV]
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
To covet is to to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. Notice that desire, in and of itself, is not a sin. But when desire is unrestrained by the acknowledge that we have no right to the object of our desire, it is clearly forbidden.
Has the LORD called another to a ministry you had your set upon?
Has God blessed another with wealth while you toil for what seems like a pittance?
Has your neighbor found the godly husband you have been dreaming of and praying for?
Do not covet these things. Recognize the blessing you have.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
What we encounter here is not a preview. This world is filled with hate and rage that is intentionally directed at Christ and His followers. We see more and more evidence of what has been the case since the moment the enemy stood ready to devour the Child of God (Rev 12:4).
Jesus knew that we might question the point of all this suffering and persecution. And, because He is a wise leader, He answers this fundamental question ...
Matthew 19:27-28 [NKJV]
Then Peter answered and said to Him, See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?
So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
What we encounter in this world will not last. It is passing. It is difficult, painful, and frustrating. But it is not eternal.
Our place, seated in the throne of Christ, is eternal. It has no end. And it is glorious.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
Things go wrong in every man's life. But where do you turn? Do you retreat to the comfortable confines of the natural man? Or do you have the courage to go the family of Christ?
Proverbs 27:10 [NKJV]
Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
The family of Christ, in its current form, is yet being perfected. But it is headed by the Perfect Man.
The Lord Jesus has never erred in judgment, has only loved completely, and has never failed to comfort, strengthen and encourage. And if we place ourselves in the company of believers, then the love that Christ delivers is never far away.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
The prayers of the brethren are timeless. The stretch into the future, and echo through the past.
Ephesians 3:17 [NKJV]
... that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the apostle Paul - our brother in Christ - declares his prayer that our lives, our walk and our every act grow out of the love of Christ. He prayed for the church nearly 2,000 years ago. And his prayer is being answered still today.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
We have several friends who minister in what one might call an official capacity to the Body of believers. Over time, each has wrestled with the big questions of ministry... Is the ministry effective? Am I doing the best I can?
But these are not the most important questions. The most critical issue every believer must confront is this:
Am I doing what God wants me to do?
Ephesians 3:6b-7 [NKJV] ... emphasis added
His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
No ministry belongs to man. All belong to the LORD. Whether the work is done under the auspices of a recognized organization - like a church or a mission - or not, the work is assigned according to the will of God.
Every believer must ... daily ... pray that the LORD direct his steps (He promises to do so) in the path the advances the Kingdom of God. Then we will recognize that His will is being done.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
I have noticed in my life that it's easy to lose sight of God's word.
Family issues.
Work issues.
Taking care of the home.
They creep in and steal time from the Word. "Busyness" is one of the chief tools of the enemy, and we must actively guard against its impact.
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
Hebrews 2:1 [NKJV]
We have heard the Gospel. We can quote the promises of salvation. But we must ... must ... heed them. Obey them. Attend to them.
Only then are securely moored to Almighty King of kings!
Be encouraged, Jose
Proverbs 23:23 (NKJV)
Buy the truth, and do not sell it,
Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
The Lord commands you and me to pursue His truth, and to value it highly. He desires us to have a deep knowledge and understanding of ... more than His words, but His character.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
We live in an age of self-promotion, don't we? It is a gross understatement to say that self-aggrandizement is encouraged. An entire industry has formed around man's desire to talk about himself. Politicians & celebrities have reached the pinnacles of their professions with no accomplishments except for the ability to take credit for the work of others. It's nothing new.
Proverbs 20:6 [NKJV]
Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?
Indeed.
Are there no faithful men?
There is one. We have found Him, for He promises to reveal Himself to those who truly seek Him. Put your faith in Him.
Be encouraged, Jose
Friends,
The world will never give you permission to pursue righteousness. Among the enemy's greatest desires is to make following Christ hard ... really hard. What is "easy" is to focus on the challenges and obstacles ... and then give them the power to stop us from seeking the Kingdom of God, from digging into His Word, and from joining forces with fellow believers int the fight against evil.
Proverbs 20:4 [NKJV]
The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.
The LORD admonishes His people - you and me - to prepare for the harvest by persevering in adversity. Let no act of the enemy deny you the opportunity to be in God's word. Overcome the flesh's desire for the easy path.
There will come a time when we reap the rewards of those actions. That will be a time of great joy and abundance. A time of unchallenged intimacy with Christ the King.
Be encouraged, Jose
