Consider Your Ways

Title: Consider Your Ways

Today’s Bible Verse: [Haggai 1:7 ESV] 7 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

When I showed him my latest mask, which contained an unkind statement about the president, a friend asked me several questions. I don’t remember all of them but the two that stuck were: is it true and is it kind. The statement on the mask was true but it was not kind.

Jesus says:

[Matthew 5:44-45 ESV] 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Currently the church is being persecuted by the governing officials due to the pandemic. In Canada churches are being locked up or fenced in to keep people from meeting all in the name of “public health”.

[Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV] 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

The not neglecting part is a command to meet. The apostle is being inspired by God to tell us to meet together. This is a command from God. The bottom line is that the governing officials are telling the church not to do what God has commanded to do and they are not being kind about it.

We, on the other hand, can set the example.

OK, so what about when Jesus threw out the money changers or called the Pharisees hypocrites? Was He being kind to them? Actually, He was. What they were doing was leading to sin and telling them was not unkind. Making the whips when he threw out the money changers was simply to get them to back out; He did not hit any of them.

[Matthew 10:14 ESV] 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.

[1 Corinthians 5:4-5 ESV] 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

We can be kind in our words to others regarding God’s word and if they don’t accept it then we can walk away. If you must deal with this person in a work or social situation then you simply state that you agree to disagree and never bring up the subject again; that is, deliver them to the adversary.

Faith is given to His elect by God. Faith is the overwhelming belief in God; it is not head knowledge, it is a deep down in your soul belief that God is your creator and your means of salvation from His wrath due to the fall. This faith was given to His elect from before creation. We have it for His glory.

Through our faith we know that Jesus died for us, and we have justification through Him. This justification means that our sin is covered with the blood of Jesus and, though we may die physically, we are not dead spiritually and will be resurrected into everlasting life when Jesus returns.

It is the elect that have salvation and it is my prayer that you are among the elect and that this serves as your catalyst for awakening.

This is the gospel:

[1 Corinthians 15:1-6 NLT] 1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you--unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died.

[Acts 2:22-24 NLT] 22 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

[1 John 2:2 NLT] 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins--and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

This is penal substitution; that is, our sins were transferred to Jesus and His righteous transferred to us.

We all have a job.

[Matthew 28:18-20 NLT] 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

All of the disciples of Jesus are to spread His word and the gospel.

Go forth and spread this good news.

I pray that God has revealed Himself to you and that you have salvation.

Remember, God is sovereign. That means that he controls everything.

I hope this has been a blessing to you. May the rest of your day be blessed. Peace.