Flourishing in Holiness – God Commands It

    Last week we looked at Bible verses that tell us that God is holy and that He called us with a holy calling (through the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) to be holy. When we, who are now Christians, heard God’s call (through Bible reading/study), obeyed the gospel message, and were baptized for the remission of our sins (Mark 16:15-16), God forgave us of all our past offences, washed them away, and gave us a new beginning – if that is not reason enough to do all that is necessary to become holy and set apart from the world, then I would like you to consider the commands found within God’s word:

 

“I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV)

 

    Anyone digging in their heels about having to give up some unwholesome ‘guilty pleasure,’ you may be thinking, “That’s Paul’s plea; it’s not really a command;” please consider that Jesus’s very commission to Paul was “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified (note: that means set apart) by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). Paul’s words were from God (2 Peter 3:15-16, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2:17), so that all who read them would know the Truth and have instruction in how to live properly before God.

 

“”Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 6:17- 7:1 NKJV)

 

“…the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior (“have behavior becoming holiness,” KJV); not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things…” (Titus 2:3 NKJV)

 

    All of God’s commands and instructions, either direct or through inspired men (2 Peter 1:16-21), have always been for our good (Deuteronomy 6:24-25) so that we might be partakers of His holiness (see Hebrews 12:3-11). God tells us to no longer be slaves of sin – Jesus’ sacrifice freed us from that bondage – and just as God raised Jesus from the dead, He raised us from the deadness of sin (Ephesians 2:1-8) to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-4). We now walk in this new life as willing servants, as “slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:15-18), and the benefits arising from righteousness are holiness (or sanctification) in this life, and in the end, everlasting life (Romans 6:22).

 

    Think on these verses today. Take the time today and each day through this week, if the Lord wills, to read and reread Romans 6. We are to be holy – be less like the world as we become more like the Lord – it is a command, and we are without excuse. It is for our good and God has provided all that is needed for us to overcome and succeed in this pursuit; it is now up to us to flourish in our servitude to righteousness so that we may be holy in all our conduct!

 

    Are you ready?

 

You can do it! So can I!!  

Flourish Even More in 2024... in Holiness

    Last month we spent our time together looking at the need to purify ourselves as God is pure – we do this because we hope to see Him one day (1 John 3:1-3), and this month, as the Lord wills, we will study, what I believe to be the sister-attribute that we all need to be flourishing in: holiness, because, like purity, without it we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

“…as He who called you is holy, you also 
be holy in all your conduct, because 
it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”” 
(1 Peter 1:15-16 NKJV)

    Pureness and holiness are similar:

• Pure means clean, untainted by impurities/evil, without fault
• Holy means sacred, set apart (to be exclusively the Lord’s), different (than the world) because you’re like the Lord

    Purity has a lot to do with our inner selves – our hearts, souls, thoughts, and intentions – the things we let in and influence us, whereas holiness is what others can see; it is our example, our actions, and behaviours. We will purify ourselves and do all that is needed to keep ourselves pure because we understand that we, as Christians, are now holy and set apart (from the world) for God’s service (Romans 6:19, 12:1-2). We need pure thoughts and motives to be holy in all our conduct (1 Peter 1:15).

    We must first look to God and acknowledge Him as holy (Leviticus 10:3). It is our regard for Him in this matter that will help us to understand the importance of being holy in all our conduct.  We can then look to Jesus, who is also our example in holiness. Described in Hebrews 7:26 as “…holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…” Jesus died for us so that He could present us “holy, and blameless, and above reproach in [the Father’s] sight” (Colossians 1:22).

“As God has said: ‘I will dwell with them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do no touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 6:16b-7:1 NKJV) 

       God wants us to perfect holiness, He wants us to accomplish it, to see it through to the very end, which is everlasting life (Romans 6:22) – it is there that we will see Him, it is there that we, too, can join in praising Him, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty”!

    Are you ready to flourish even more in 2024 in holiness?

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… in Purity – A Summary

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

What is Pure?

    The text above tells us unequivocally that God is pure, and from other Bible verses we learned that all that comes from Him is pure; God is the very source of purity:

• His words are pure, very pure; every one (Psalm 12:6, 119:140, Proverbs 30:5-6)
• His commandment is pure (Psalm 19:8)
• His instruction is pure concerning baptism (the waters of baptism, Hebrews 10:22, consider Jesus’ words in Matthew 3:15 and Mark 16:15-16, it is part of righteousness and necessary for salvation)
• His wisdom (James 3:17)

 

What Needs to Be Pure?

    We learned that every part of us needs to be pure, because every part is linked – and we with each other – so we must give constant attention to:

• Ourselves (1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 24:3-5, 51:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 1 Timothy 4:12) and our example so we can properly teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5)
• Our souls (1 Peter 1:22-23, also read and consider John 3:1-8, 1 John 1:8-10)
• Our religion (how we put God’s instruction in action, James 1:27, 2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Our conscience (1 Timothy 5:2, 2 Timothy 1:3, Hebrews 10:19-23, 1 John)
• Our hearts (Acts 15:9, and consider Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 5:8, 2 Timothy 2:22)
• Our words (Luke 6:43-45, Proverbs 15:26, Ephesians 4:29-32, Proverbs 25:11-12)
• Our minds (2 Peter 3:1, Proverbs 16:2, 30:11-14, John 8:43-45, Matthew 7:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Galatians 1:6-10, and Philippians 4:8)
• Our eyes (Luke 11:34, read and consider Psalm 101:3-4)
• Our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Romans 12:1-2, consider Matthew 5:27-30, Ephesians 5:1-7, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, also read and consider Colossians 3:1-17 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

 

Why do we purify ourselves?

    We purify ourselves because God is pure and He has told us that we must also be pure, if we hope to see Him (1 John 3:2-3, Matthew 5:8). We purify ourselves because we have come to understand and appreciate that we were purchased with Jesus’ blood; we are not our own, we belong to God, and anything belonging to God is to be pure. Jesus’ sacrifice granted us cleansing and when we are baptized our sins are washed away and our souls became pure and spotless (Acts 22:16). From that point on we do all that is necessary to maintain our purity before God because we look forward to seeing Him and being found by Him without spot and blameless (2 Peter 3:10-14, 1 John 2:28).

…we were purchased with Jesus’ blood;
we are not our own, we belong to God,
and anything belonging to God is to be pure.

     Without Jesus’ sacrifice we would still be held helpless in bondage to sin (Ephesians 2:11-13, Romans 6). Jesus died to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people – Christians – who are zealous for good works ---> people using their purified hearts, minds, eyes, words, and bodies for good (Matthew 25:34-46, Titus 3:1, 8, 14)! God has told us what practices cause impurities (with command to remove them) and has graciously told us what good and pure things we must practice instead – He has provided all we need to maintain our purity – it’s up to us to make proper use of His provision of both time and instruction!      

    Denying self, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24, 1 John 2:3-6) won't always be easy, but it sure will be worth it! When we consider what awaits us, what God holds out for us in both blessings and in hope for eternity, what He asks of us is small (Romans 8:18-19) – it is worth our every effort and our every sacrifice!

    Are you ready to love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind (Matthew 22:37)? Are you preparing yourself to flourish even more in 2024 in purity?

You can do it! So can I!! 

Flourishing Even More in 2024… in Purity – What is Pure?

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NKJV)

    We need to be purifying ourselves because God is pure. This action is ongoing; it is a continual effort put into learning and doing what is necessary to be pure and to maintain purity. Jesus granted us access to purity by His sacrifice (Titus 2:14) and we become pure when we are baptized; having our sins washed away (Acts 22:16, Romans 6:4, 1 Peter 1:22-23), but now what?

    First, let’s learn what is pure:

• God (1 John 3:3)
• God’s words (Psalm 12:6), every word (Proverbs 30:5-6), they are very pure (Psalm 119:40)
• God’s commandment (Psalm 19:8)
• The waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22)
• Wisdom from above (James 3:17)

    As we continue (or begin) our practice of purifying ourselves, we need to learn of God's purity so that we comprehend that He is in every way worthy of our whole faith and trust. We need to learn to keep our eyes on God (Colossians 3:1-2) and imitate Him (Ephesians 5:1) because He is pure. We need to read His words and obey His commands (James 1:21-25) because they are pure. If we have not already, we need to recognize our need and wash in the pure waters of baptism. And we need to ask God for wisdom because He will liberally give us the purest form (James 3:13-17)!

    As the Lord wills, spend time each day this week with God in prayer and in reading His word - think on the hope you have to one day see Him as He is. Determine to put His commands into practice and ask Him, in faith, for wisdom – He won’t be upset if you ask for it daily! Doing these things will develop a desire in your heart and mind to be pure just as He is pure! Are you ready?

You can do it! So can I!!

Three Areas to Develop So We Can Flourish Even More

    In this new month I would like to build on our determination to Flourish Even More in 2024 by exploring a passage that tells us how to live: to be watchful of our tendencies/habits with a ready willingness to change them if they are sinful, the good habits we can put in their place, and where to keep our focus so we can maintain our attention in the first two points.  

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14 NKJV)

    God, through the apostle Paul, packed so much good information into that one sentence and, if the Lord wills, we will use our time this month to dig into it so we can understand it and live it!

Be Watchful of our Tendencies/Habits So We Can Change the Sinful Ones

“…denying ungodliness and worldly lusts…”  (v12)

Good Habits to Put In Place

“…we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age…” (v12)

“…zealous for good works.” (v14)

Where to Keep Our Focus So We Can Maintain Our Attention

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us…” (v11)

“…looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people…” (v14)

    Over the week I would like you to read this passage within its context – the letter to Titus is only 3 chapters long (only 28 sentences!) and well worth your time. Being mindful of these three areas this month will help us to grow and flourish – are you ready?

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… In Righteousness – Part 4

    As we conclude our month-long study of righteousness, I would like you to consider the treasures of truth pertaining to righteousness found within two chapters of Proverbs. I hope this lesson will motivate you in your pursuit of righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22) and encourage you to continue to flourish like a palm planted in the courts of God (Psalm 92:12-15).

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 John 3:7 NKJV)

Truths About The Righteous Found In Proverbs 10 & 11

WE SPEAK ONLY GOOD WORDS:

• “The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.” (10:11)
• “The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, the heart of the wicked is worth little.” (10:20)
• “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.” (10:21)
• “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out.” (10:31)
• “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.” (10:32)

    ~ Consider Ephesians 4:29-32, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, and Romans 12:9-21

WE SEEK ONLY GOOD FOR OTHERS:

• “The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.” (11:23)

    ~ Consider 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Galatians 6:1-3; 9-10, Matthew 5:43-48, and Romans 13:8-10

WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO SEEK & SERVE GOD:

• “Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.” (11:21)

    ~ Posterity means ‘future generations’. Consider Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 4:9, Joshua 4, Psalm 71:17-18, and 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14-17

WE TEACH OTHERS TO SEEK & SERVE GOD:

• “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” (11:30)

    ~ Consider Matthew 28:18-20, John 6:68-69 (how can we keep it to ourselves when we know this?), and James 5:19-20.

GOD'S WORD HELPS US MAKE PROPER CHOICES:

• “The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall from his own wickedness.” (11:5)

    ~Consider Proverbs 3:5-6, and Hebrews 5:12-14

 GOD WILL NOURISH US:

• “The LORD will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.” (10:3)

    ~ Consider Matthew 5:6, John 6:35, and Isaiah 55:1-3

 GOD WILL BLESS US:

• “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.” (10:6)
• “The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.” (10:30)
• “If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner.” (11:31)

    ~ Recompensed means “rewarded”. Consider Matthew 5:5, Psalm 37:11, and Hebrews 11:6

 GOD HEARS OUR PRAYERS:

• “The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted.” (10:24)

    ~ Consider James 1:5, Matthew 7:7-8, John 15:7-8, and James 5:16-18

GOD HELPS US IN OUR TROUBLES:

• “The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.” (11:6)
• “The righteous is delivered from trouble, and it comes to the wicked instead.” (11:8)

    ~ Consider Haman’s actions and his demise in the book of Esther – see Esther 5:9-14 and 7:1-10, also Psalm 34

THE PROFITS OF PURSUING RIGHTEOUSNESS:

• “He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.” (11:28)

    ~ Consider Psalm 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Timothy 6:5-10; 17-19, Matthew 6:19-21, and Ephesians 1:3-14

WE HAVE A CONFIDENT HOPE:

• “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” (10:2)
• “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (11:4)
• “The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.” (10:28)
• “The labour of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin.” (10:16)
• “The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.” (11:18)
• “As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.” (11:19)

    ~ Consider Romans 8:12-17 and 1 Peter 1:3-9

WE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR GOOD:

• “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.” (10:7)

    ~ Consider those noted in Hebrews 11, the woman in Mark 14:3-9, and Dorcas in Acts 9:36-42

It is worth every effort to flourish even more this year in righteousness and God will be with you every step of the way!!

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… In Righteousness – Part 3

    One of the obstacles in pursuing righteousness is not having a good understanding of God’s will and so we are swayed by the pressures of the world. In Acts 5:29 the apostles lived out their bold statement of faith, “We ought to obey God rather than men” when they continuing sharing the good news of Jesus after they were threatened.

    We can unknowingly have our understanding of what is right conformed to the world’s way of thinking when we spend more time with social media than in God’s holy word.

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 NKJV)

    God wants us to look different from the world; obedience to His commands will cause us to look different because His way is different – it is better – in its consistent, never-changed/never-changing truth.

“…the word of God which lives and abides forever… The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:23b, 25a NKJV)

    At every opportunity society will happily tell us WHAT to think, while God teaches us HOW to think. Society’s way is easy, while God’s way takes commitment, time, and effort (consider Matthew 7:13-14). Proper discernment of good and evil only comes from reading, understanding, and applying God’s word and will (Hebrews 5:12-14) and that does take time and daily determination.

    Sometimes though, it’s not society’s influence that slows or even halts our progress… sometimes we need to be told, “We ought to obey God rather than ourselves.”  We can be our biggest obstacle in pursuing righteousness because we feel we know enough and don’t desire to know more. Why? Because change is hard, it can be exhausting! God’s word demands change in us and when we feel that all we are doing is changing or we are the only one changing we just don’t want to keep doing it. We think we know the basics: go to church services, don’t be mean, don’t kill anyone, and we leave it there. We go through our days obeying our own sense of right without honing our discernment through continued learning, obedience, and change. 

    God commands us, through Paul, to flee youthful lusts (2 Timothy 2:22) – pride in our own self-limited knowledge/understanding and slothful servitude are part of the youthful lusts that we are to leave behind (1 Corinthians 13:11) and not return to as we pursue righteousness.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” (Philippians 3:12-15 NKJV)

Are you determined to obey God rather than men? Rather than yourself?

Dig in, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)!

You are not alone, we’re all in this together (1 Peter 5:9)! Change is hard, be patient (James 1:2-4) and trust God, the end result is worth your continued effort!

And no matter what the world tries to tell you, remember that God’s way is and always will be the best way!

“He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honour.” (Proverbs 21:21 NKJV)

Keep your daily determination to flourish even more in righteousness this year!

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… in Righteousness – Part 2

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 NKJV)

    This verse is a part of a familiar passage that we are often taught to memorize when we are children but now, as adults, our minds may tend to rattle past without much thought or concentration – we know the gist of it so we skim over and move on. In our desire to flourish even more this year in righteousness, let’s take the time to pause and consider it.

    The word “hunger” as it is used here, means ‘to pine, to famish, and to crave.' It also means ‘to toil for daily subsistence, to be starving.’ “Thirst” in this passage simply means ‘to thirst for.’   

    We may have at one time or another experienced hunger, even getting hangry (angry because you’re so hungry) because you haven’t eaten for several hours and anyone who has worked outdoors under the summer sun knows how parched the heat can make you feel.

    We understand this on some level in the physical realm, but what about in the spiritual realm? Do you crave righteousness? Do you awake famished for it? Do you work toward it, toil for it, as though your life depends on it? Do you thirst for more and more knowledge of God and His will, so you can obey it?

    God promises that those who crave, toil, and thirst for righteousness (living right before God, according to His will) will be filled.

    “Filled” means ‘to gorge (supply food in abundance), feed, fill, satisfy.’ WOW!!

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money, come, buy and eat… Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance, incline your ear, and come to Me, hear, and your souls shall live.” (Isaiah 55:1a, 2-3 NKJV)

    “…eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.” ABUNDANCE! Unlike our occasional tables of bounty, the abundance God offers to us is available all the time! Every hour of every day!! And the supply will never run dry – eat and drink to your fill, nourish your soul, and keep coming back again, and again, and AGAIN! “…eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.”

    God will fill you with righteousness when you hunger and thirst for it! Taste His word – try His way! Obey His commands and instructions – trust Him!! As you discover God's wisdom and the benefits that come from obeying His will (Psalm 68:19) your desire to learn and to do His will each day will increase and He will continue to satisfy you, He will continue to FILL YOU UP!! 

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man you trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:8 NKJV) 

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024… in Righteousness

    I would like to expand on last week’s post (based on Psalm 92:12-15) in which it said “the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” A Lebanon cedar was truly a flourishing tree, reaching far up into the heavens as they grew to maturity – and we can be like that too as we reach forward to those things which are ahead and press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)!

    This week I would like you to think on this verse:

“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV)

    God never asks us to remove something from our lives without giving us something good to replace it with (take note of Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3 “put off…” followed by “put on…”). In this verse, we are told to run from youthful lusts and instead run toward righteousness, faith, love, and peace. It is important that we understand what we are running toward in order to keep our determination focused on the goal.

Side note: The King James Version uses the word “follow” in 2 Timothy 2:22, but I like how the New King James Version uses the word “pursue”. “Follow” feels to me unintentional without thought, coincidental even (although it does not mean that), you are simply following someone down a hall, for example, but “pursue” is ripe with intention and purpose, you are pursuing someone down a hall, you fully determine to get to them.

    We are to PURSUE righteousness.

    Righteousness is ‘equity of character or act.’ ‘Equity of character’ is to possess all good qualities (of God, His attributes) in perfect balance.

    God is just while still possessing compassion and mercy. God is kind but His disposition toward sin will never be altered. God is love, but His love never undermines His Truth. For example: 2 Peter 3:9 “[God] is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish (His love for us), but that all should come to repentance” – His truth states that we will perish if we do not repent and submit to Him (see Romans 2:2-11). His love offers us hope, but we have a responsibility toward Him in order to have salvation.

    All that God is is in perfect balance! We should always be striving to be like Him in all things (1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 John 3:1-3, Ephesians 5:1), striving to conduct ourselves with that same balance.

    How important is it that we pursue righteousness?

    Consider Matthew 6:33

“…seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (NKJV)

    Seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Above all else, seek Him and His righteousness; it’s THAT important!

    What are the things that will be added to you when you seek first God and His righteousness? See verse 31 – you will have life’s necessities: food, drink, and clothing. With these things you can be content (please read 1 Timothy 6:6-8) and you will not have to worry, God WILL provide. God blesses His children with what we need each day; that is why verse 34 states the command “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for today is its own trouble.”

    When we trust God to provide the necessities of life for us each day as we humbly seek and serve Him, we will soon learn that He also provides us with wisdom and strength to get through our day. When we take hold of those things, we will not worry about tomorrow because we will know that if God grants us a new day, with that new day He will also grant us renewed strength and ability (Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 40:28-31, Lamentations 3:22-26) to take into that day.

    A woman seeking FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, will not worry about tomorrow. She will not borrow trouble from some future day - destroying the peace of her “today” – she will instead trust wholly in God, knowing He will be there in any tomorrow she may be granted. She will bless God and praise Him for the blessings He grants her today, her heart will overflow with thanksgiving and her mind will be guarded with peace (Philippians 4:6-7).

    God loves us! He is full of lovingkindness. He asks us to seek Him first. With each day we are given, let us do just that! Let’s determine to flourish even more in 2024! And at the end of each day, let our hearts praise Him for the strength, wisdom, and ability He gave us to get through the day – He is forever faithful! Let us be forever faithful in our pursuit of being like Him, in our pursuit of being found right in His sight, in our pursuit of righteousness!

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.” (Psalm 92:1-2 NKJV)

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024

Happy New Year!!

    I hope that as you look back on the past year you find that you have grown in some areas and as we enter a new year together I encourage you to continue in your growth and Flourish Even More in 2024

    To prepare yourself for this daily resolute determination, consider this passage:

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and there is now unrighteousness in Him.” (Psalm 92:12-15 NKJV)

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree…”

    If you would like to flourish like a palm this year you must be righteous. How can you be righteous? By putting off your former conduct and being renewed in the spirit of your mind so you can put on the new man created according to God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:20-24) – following God’s way will provide all with you need to know to be right in His sight and holy in all your conduct (1 Peter 1:15-16) – but please note, that knowing what is right is not enough, you must put it into practice and do what is right (James 1:21-25)

    You must practice righteousness (1 John 3:7). To practice means to continually do, to keep trying, to build up your ability and consistency to do properly to the best of your ability. Through reading and study you will find out what is acceptable to Him (Ephesians 5:8-10) and when you ask for wisdom (James 1:5) you can, in wisdom, understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17), which should lead you to do His will.

    It is in the knowing and the doing that you will discover wonderful blessings (Psalm 34:8, Matthew 6:44, Ephesians 1:3-14) and realize that His guidelines (the freedoms and the prohibitions) are all for our good, and you will prove, to yourself and to others, that His will is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

    Just as the extraordinary cedars of Lebanon, renowned for their longevity and characteristic strength, begin by anchoring themselves in the earth and then spend their lifespan actively growing toward the sun, if you begin by rooting yourself deeply in the truth and anchoring yourself in it, you will flourish; in your lifetime you will reach untold heights, become known for your stick-to-it-ive-ness, and strength of character as you actively grow closer to the Son!

“Those planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God”

    What is the house of the LORD? Consider Hebrews 3:6 where it states that Christs is over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. We could now consider this “house” as the church, which is Christ’s body – and God adds to it (or plants in it) those who are being saved (Acts 2:47).

Side note: Consider how one becomes part of the body of Christ by reading Romans 6:1-3, Galatians 3:27, and 1 Corinthians 12:13

    Once you are planted by God in His wondrous courts the root of the righteous cannot be moved (Proverbs 12:3, Psalm 62:5-7 – nothing and nobody can remove you unless you choose to uproot yourself, Romans 8:31-39). You can flourish in the courts of our God because He provides all we need to do exactly that (Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:20, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)!

“They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing…”

    Throughout your lifetime, at every stage of life, you can bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as you continue your daily practice of righteousness. Consider 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” Whatever age you are at, there is SO much you can do!

Do not give up! Keep going! Keep growing!!

Be determined to flourish even more in 2024!!

You can do it! So can I!!

"God of... Hosts"

    I would like to take some time now to better understand God, so our faith can flourish, by looking at bible verses that declare/describe God to be the “God of” something. What that something is, or rather what those somethings are, as there are many, is what this study will help you come to know. I hope it will draw attention to aspects of God that you may not have known or focused on and also refresh your heart’s appreciation for the ones you may already be familiar with.

    Let’s begin with “God of hosts” as it is the most used “God of…” phrase in the Bible, appearing 40 times in the Old Testament, 9 of which are found in Amos. It is often written as “LORD God of hosts,” “Lord GOD of hosts,” a few times as “the LORD, the God of hosts,” and twice as “O God of hosts” (in Psalm 80:7, 14).  

Side notes: The term “LORD of hosts” is used 245 times in the Old Testament, but we will limit our study to only the mentions of “God of…” in the Bible. Also, both “God of hosts” and “LORD of hosts” are phrases only found in the Old Testament.

    God declared Himself to be “the LORD, whose name is the God of hosts” (Amos 5:27), so what exactly does it mean? Who are the “hosts”?

    Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance/Hebrew Dictionary shows “hosts” (in every instance we are looking at) to be the Hebrew word: tseba’ah (H6635) This word, tseba’ah, is from the primitive word ‘tsaba’ (H6633*) and means ‘a mass of persons (or figurative things), especially regularly organized for war (an army); by implication a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically hardship, worship): - appointed time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war (-fare).’

*tsaba (H6633) to mass (an army or servants) assemble, fight, perform, muster, wait upon, war

    This term draws our attention to God’s power and authority. He is able to do what He has said. He has a host at His command and servants ready and waiting to obey His command. He is almighty and He will accomplish all that He has declared!

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” (Psalm 89:7-8 NKJV)

    We can see the term “God of hosts” and leave it at that, just a term, but let your mind dwell on that for a moment. Considering it is like looking up into the night sky. You look up and see maybe a handful of stars at first, but then as you continue to look and your eyes adjust, more stars seem to come out of nowhere, tiny points of light suddenly fill what was moments ago simply a canopy of darkness and your mind fills with wonder as more and more stars continue to come into view.  

    Grab your Bible and turn to 2 Kings 6:14-17 where the King of Syria was making war against Israel. The prophet, Elisha, had a servant who was quite anxious about the enemy’s army surrounding them and so Elisha prayed that the LORD might open the young man’s eyes to the truth of the matter, then told him, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who with them” (v16). What did he see when the LORD opened his eyes? “…behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v17).

    This is our God, the very God we serve. He is the LORD God of hosts! ‘With God you are the majority’ is not a platitude, but the plain truth. He is the God of hosts. You can trust that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20)! We have no need to fear any person, for with our God, the God of hosts, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-37, be sure to read this reference – it is SO good!)!!

    God is able. He is the God of hosts, a description of ultimate power, ability, and capability – vast, untold resources and might – this is the God you serve! Do you trust Him? Are your eyes opening to His magnitude? Pray that they might be so that you can confidently put on His armour each day and stand strong in Him and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10-18), knowing without doubt that the very God of hosts surrounds you!

You can do it! So can I!!