THE GOOD NEWS— OUR LIVING HOPE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-1fwZtKJSM Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. —I Peter 1:3-5 “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word…

BE STEADFAST… EVEN IN SUFFERING As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. —James 5:10-11             Suffering?  Our Lord is “compassionate and merciful.”  Wait on Him!  Trust Him!  Did Job ever know why He suffered?  We are not told that he was told or ever knew the answer to his “why?”  The prophets and Job remain steadfast when under trials.  Oh, that does not mean that they did…

ONLY IF IT IS GOD’S WILL! Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. —James 4:13-17                Where is…

NOT JUST WORDS SAID, BUT EVIDENCED BY A LIFE LIVED Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. —James 3:13             Who do you know that fits this description?  Who are the wise that you know?  Who are those that have understanding that you know?  Who that you know bears evidence of possessing these characteristics by the “good life” they are living?  Are they, through wisdom, being humble?  These are the people to be around and learn from.  They are the examples to follow.             People can say they are wise.  They can…

FAITH WORKS AND WORKS GIVE EVIDENCE TO FAITH What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? —James 2:14 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. —James 2:17 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. —James 2:26             Fellow follower of Jesus, “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).  So, a person who says they have faith in Jesus should also be active in…

BE STEADFAST! Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable…

GOD HAS NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED! Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? —Ezekiel 18:23 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. —Ezekiel 18:27-28 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live. —Ezekiel 18:32 Jesus Christ is the…

CONSIDER JESUS AND DON’T GROW WEARY OR BE FAINTHEARTED! Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. —Hebrews 12:3             How is it that we can keep from growing “weary or fainthearted?”  It is by looking to Jesus “who endured from sinners such hostility against himself.”  Consider all that He went through from those who hated Him.  If He went through all that for us, don’t be surprised when you experience hostility against you for Him.  “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary” (Revelation 2:3).  When we keep our eyes “fixed…

BEWARE OF LIARS By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live. —Ezekiel 13:19  Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives, therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” —Ezekiel 13:22-23             Lies kill people.  People that should not have died.  Lies spare people.  People that should…

FAITH IS NOT BLIND! Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. —Hebrews 11:6 Do you have faith?  Are you assured of the things we hope for as spoken by our Lord?  Are you firmly convicted of those things He has told us but we presently do not see?  Are you certain with the evidence of the things spoken of, but are not seen? Do you have faith?  Without it you cannot…