CHOSEN AND CALLED FOR PURPOSE But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light… Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. —I Peter 2:9, 16 Dear fellow follower of Jesus our King, you were chosen. You did not make the choice, but God made choice to save you. All believers are a royal priesthood of God’s. He has made His priesthood holy. We are God’s special possession. Wow, do you feel like that as…

PRAISE! Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time —I Peter 1:3-5 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Yes, let us sing praises, let us write praises, and let us speak praises to His…

THE SIN OF OMISSION If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. —James 4:17 Oh, yes… the sin of omission. How many times have we known the good God wants us to do and we do not do it? What is the good now the Lord is putting on your heart to do? Will you do it? If you do not, then it is sin. It is very clear. Now there are very many good things God has mentioned to us in His Word to do. Jesus Himself says, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one…

FAITH WORKS But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited…

https://www.readscripture.org/

FAITH ACTS AND IS NOT PASSIVE Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. —James 1:22-25 It is self deception to merely listen to the Word of God without doing what it says. Self deception…

ATTITUDES TOWARD LEADERSHIP Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith… Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. —Hebrews 13:7, 17 Who are those leaders “spoke the Word of God to you?” Have you considered the outcome of their faith? Do you know how faith has impacted their life? Do you know about their relationship with Jesus?…

WE WON’T BE SHAKEN! At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” —Hebrews 12:26-29 We will not be shaken because we believe in God who cannot be shaken and “we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” We…

GOD IS CREATOR By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. —Hebrews 11:3 What do we know by faith (Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1)? We are told that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17) and that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). By…

SPUR EACH OTHER ON! And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. —Hebrews 10:24-25 I have run into those many times who have said that they do not need to attend a local church. Those who say such things do not have an understanding of what God says about the universal and local church, Jesus being the only Head of it. There are professing believers that say they don’t need to attend a local church, but…