PLEASING GOD - NYOBS 55.02

PLEASING GOD

It would certainly seem plausible that even when a corrupt bad evil person does something good,

God would be pleased. – But to the contrary; He rejects it – A man or woman prostitute should not bother to GIVE MONEY to the church; they are both an abomination unto God. - Deut 23:18  

Seek - Reverence - Fear God

·         Today when most people speak of being a Christian, it is essentially synonymous with being an American or a hard worker or being a good person. – It rarely means that you seek God on a daily basis, reverence His Holy Name and stand in Awe of His glory and power.

·          You can’t please God if you don’t know Him. – The first thing you must do is seek His face while there is still time and try to grasp this one and only God who has always existed; to try to comprehend His All Powerful, All knowing, All Present, Inviable Spirit. – NYOBS 01.02 - Who is God?

Isaiah 55:6 – Seek the Lord while He can still be found
⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of God
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (ESV)

Revelation 15:4 – Fear and GLORIFY God - He alone is Holy
⁴ Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (ESV)

Proverbs 24:21 – REVERENCE the Lord
²¹ My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, (ESV)

1 Peter 2:17 – HONOR the God
¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (ESV)

John 4:24 - He is a SPIRIT

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." NIV

Col 1:15 – He is INVISIBLE

15 He is the image of the invisible God, The First Born of all Creation

Rev 19:6 – He is all powerful - OMNIPOTENT

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. KJV

Isa 46: 10 – God is all knowing - OMNISICENCE

10 I make known the end from the beginning, NIV

Jer 23:24 – He is ever present- OMNIPRESENT

24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?"

declares the LORD. NIV

God, the firstborn over all creation.

Isa 43:10 – GOD IS THE ONLY GOD – ALWAYS EXISTED

Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. NIV

Pleasing God - Repent

·         It is important that you understand your fallen nature; repent of your sins and publically share your heart before men; then be baptized, following in the steps of Jesus Christ.

·         Consider yourself dead to sin. – Repenting not only means you are sorry for your past sins; but it also means that you will not do them anymore. – NYOBS 30.16 – SINLESS

·         God hates; A proud or haughty look - A lying tongue - Hands that shed innocent blood - A heart that devises wicked plans and plots - Feet that are swift to run into mischief and evil A deceitful false witness that utters lies - One that sows and spreads discord among the brethren. -  NYOBS 09.12 – THE UNPARDONABLE SIN  

·          God also hates; Immorality – Impurity – Sensuality – Idolatry – Sorcery – Enmities – Strife – Jealousy - Outbursts Of Anger – Disputes – Dissensions – Factions – Envying – Carousing  and Drunkenness. – NYOBS 50.02 - MISTAKES - - NYOBS 43.02 – BAD SIDE OF THE GOOD NEWS

·          There are seven Capital offences; Anger - Envy – Gluttony – Greed – Lust - Pride and Slothfulness. - NYOBS 38.02 – SEVEN DEADLY SINS

·         Not everyone that says “PRAISE THE LORD” is saved. – NYOBS 16:13 – MAYBE SAVED

·          You cannot please God if you do not confess your sins and be baptized; you are just a MAKE-BELIEVER going through the motions. – It’s in the Book - NYOBS 38.20 – MAKE BELIEVER

Matt 7:21 – Not everyone that says “Praise the Lord” is saved.

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. KJV

Revelation 3:15-16 – Don’t be a lukewarm Christian
15 I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (ESV)

Revelation 2:5 - Remember from where you have fallen; repent
⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

(ESV)

Proverbs 6:16-19 – Seven things the Lord hates
¹⁶ There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
¹⁷ Haughty (proud) eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. (NASB)

Galatians 5:19-21 – The sinful deeds of the flesh
¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
²¹ drunkenness, carousing, and those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NASB)

Romans 6:11 - Consider yourselves dead to sin
¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

John 3:7 – You must be born again
⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (ESV)

Romans 10:8-10 - With the mouth one CONFESSES and is saved
⁸ But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the Word of faith that we proclaim);
⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (ESV)

Acts 2:38 – Repent; be BAPTIZED – Receive the Holy Spirit
³⁸ And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (ESV)

Pleasing God with Obedience               

·          Submit yourself to God and commit your work and your soul to Him.

·          He would rather have your obedience than your money; don’t refuse what His Word speaks to you. – Obey God rather than man.

·          Go into the workplace that you find yourself, and share your own testimony of what God is doing in your life.  Share it wherever you go, night and day; let the light of God’s love show through your actions.

·          Although we are FREE in Christ, we must still obey men’s laws unless they conflict with God’s commandments; so pay your taxes and don’t speed. - NYOBS 51.02 – DO THE WORD

·          You cannot please God if you are not submitted in obedience to Him – It’s in the Book -

James 4:7 - Submit yourselves to God
⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(ESV)

Proverbs 16:3 - Commit your work to God your plans will succeed

³ Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. (ESV)

1 Peter 4:19 – Commit the safe keeping of your soul to God
¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

(ESV)

1 Samuel 15:22 – Obedience; better than Sacrifice & Offerings
²² And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. (ESV)

Hebrews 12:25 – Don’t refuse what God is speaking to you
²⁵ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

(ESV)

Acts 5:29 - Obey God rather than men
²⁹ But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. (ESV)

Mark 16:15 - Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel

¹⁵ And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 – Wherever you go, Walk & Talk the Word
¹⁸ You shall therefore lay up these Words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
¹⁹ You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

(ESV)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – Day and Night – Walk and Talk the Word
⁶ And these Words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV)

Matthew 5:13-16 – Let your light shine before others
¹³ You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)

1 Peter 2:13-20 – Be subject to the laws of man
¹³ Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
¹⁸ Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
¹⁹ For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.
²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. (ESV)

Pleasing God with Our Heart

·         Don’t let your heart be troubled or worried about anything, let the peace of Christ dwell and rule in your heart and He will give you perfect peace. - NYOBS 40.02- BEWITCHED – BOTHERED - BEWILDERED

• Count yourself special when you are attacked. – Count it all joy when you fall into various trials for you must be doing something great in God’s plan. 
• This is a test of your Faith and Patience; it is not for God’s benefit, but for yours. 
• You cannot please God if you are stressed out with worry and anxiety. – It’s in the Book 

John 14:27 – Don’t Let your heart be troubled
²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

(ESV)

1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your worries on him
⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

(ESV)

Colossians 3:15 - Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
¹⁵ And let the peace of the Messiah, to which you were also called in one body, control your hearts. Be thankful.

(HCSB)

Colossians 3:16 - Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

(ESV)

Isaiah 26:3 – We have perfect peace with our mind on Christ

³ You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

(ESV)

James 1:2-4 – Count it all as Joy – You are being tested.
² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

(NKJV)

With Our Mind and Thoughts

·         Prepare your mind for action with a sober spirit; your mind can lead you astray with its thoughts. - Don’t be conformed to this world; transform and renew your mind through the reading and obeying of His word.

·         You cannot lean on your own understanding nor the things of man. -  God’s enemies are those that have their mind on earthly things.  - It’s in the Book -     

·         Remember your struggles and troubles when you gave your heart to the Lord and how far you have come - NYOBS 28.08 – THE MIND - - NYOBS 28.02 - IMAGINATION

·         Set your mind on things above and think on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  - You have been given the mind of Christ.

·         You cannot please God if you have impure thoughts – It’s in the Book -

1 Peter 1:13 - Prepare your minds for action
¹³ Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

(NASB)

2 Corinthians 11:3 – What you think can lead you astray.
³ But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your THOUGHTS will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (ESV)

Romans 12:1-2 - Be transformed by renewing your mind
¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

(ESV)

Proverbs 3:5 – Do not lean on your own understanding
⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

(ESV)

Matthew 16:23 – Don’t put your mind on things of man
²³ But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

 (ESV)

Philippians 3:18-19 – God’s Enemies’ Mind is set on earthly things
¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

(ESV)

Colossians 3:2-5 - Set your minds on things that are above
² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (ESV)

Hebrews 10:32 – Remember your struggle & sufferings & endure
³² But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,

(ESV)

Philippians 4:8 - Think on things that are pure, true, just, lovely
⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 (ESV)

Philippians 2:5 – You have been given the mind of Christ
⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (ESV)

1 John 5:13 – It is written; you can KNOW you have eternal life

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. NIV

With Our Spirit

·         The Seal of the Holy Spirit marks OUR SPIRIT with His promise which is a deposit and a guarantee of our redemption. -  NYOBS 20.19 – HOLY SPIRIT

·         When we profess Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become saved and are immediately FILLED with the Holy Spirit; but as time goes by something happens.

·         We leak – While we still have the Holy Spirit, our tank needs to be topped off again. – We are told over and over in scripture to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

·         The Holy Spirit has knowledge of the thoughts of Man and God. -  He reasons and teaches us the things of God and then guides and intercedes for us.

·         He has emotions and through our actions He can be insulted, rebelled against, blasphemed, lied to, grieved and squelched.

·         He knows our feelings and thoughts and hears every word we speak. – He knows when our actions are false, impure or selfish and this grieves Him. -  So the Spirit has sensitivity, feelings, emotions and can be grieved.

·         You cannot please God if you GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. – It’s in the Book -

Eph 1:13 – We are SEALED; MARKED with the PROMISED

13 Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

NIV

Eph 1:14 – We have a DEPOSIT a GURANTEE of Redemption

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory.

NIV

2 Cor 1:22 – Seal of OWNERSHIP; a DEPOSIT on what’s to come

22 He set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

NIV

2 Cor 5:5 – The Spirit is a deposit GUARANTEE our redemption.

5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

NIV

Ephesians 5:18 – Commanded to BE FILLED with the Spirit
¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

(ESV)

1 Cor 2:10-11 – He has KNOWLEDGE of thoughts of man & God

10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

NIV

Rom 8:27 – He REASONS

27 He that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to (the will of) God.

ASV

John 14:26 – He TEACHS us all things

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

NIV

John 16:12-13 – He GUIDES us into all truth

12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

 NIV

Heb 7:25 – He INTERCEDES for us

25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

NIV

1 Thess 5:19 – He can be QUENCHED

19 Do not quench the Spirit. NKJV

Isa 63:10 – He can be REBELLED against

10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.

NIV

Heb 10:29 – He can be INSULTED

29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

NKJV

Matt 12:31-32 – He can be BLASPHEMY against

31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

NKJV

Acts 5:3 – He can be LIED to

3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?

NKJV

Ephesians 4:30 – He can be GRIEVED
³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

(ESV)

With Our Body

·         This is where we WERE as non-believers:

·         Stirring up trouble – Sowing discord - Justifying the Wicked and condemning the Just.

·         Pretense and Arrogance – Wicked thoughts and wicked imaginations –Taking unfair advantage of our neighbors.

·         Addictions – Drunkenness – Gluttony.

·         Wicked ways – Evil plots – Deviousness - Mischief – Lies – False Testimony.

·         Doing Wrong – Cheating people - Stealing – Robbery – Violence – Murder.

·         Sexual immorality - Bitterness - Rage and Anger - Brawling and Slander, along with every form of Malice.

·         God hates it when a man has sex with another man and a woman with another woman. - He hates the actions of prostitutes and Cross Dressers and hates Bestiality; (having sex with animals) - NYOBS 02.02 – HOMOSEXUALITY - -  NYOBS 18.05 - SAME SEX MARRIAGE – - NYOBS 08.18 ADULTRY & FORNIATION  - - NYOBS 35.07 – GOD HATES

• When you think about the name of Jesus Christ – Think of Him as your “Covenant Partner”.

·         You are Abraham’s seed when you belong to Christ. - You are in covenant with the promises made to him till Christ returns and beyond. - NYOBS 05.34 - BLOOD COVENANT

·         God wants you to know that He is in covenant with you – He has already fought the battle and has conquered death and made you more than a conqueror.  You didn’t even fight the battle, but you got the prize.

• When we separate from our old ways we become a new creature, with new actions. – Our body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to glorify God with our bodies.

·         You cannot please God with an immoral body. – It’s in the Book -

Psalm 5:5 – Doing wrong
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; (NIV2011)

Proverbs 12:22 – Lying lips
²² Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. (NKJV)

Ephesians 4:31 – Bitterness – Rage – Anger – Brawling - Malice
³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. (NIV2011)

1 Corinthians 3:3 – Worldly – Carnal - Jealousies - Quarreling
³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? (NIV2011)

Galatians 5:20 – Idolatry – Sorcery – Hatred – Contentions
²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

(NKJV)

Galatians 5:21 – Envy – Murders – Drunkenness - Revelries
²¹  envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(NKJV)

Proverbs 23:2 – A glutton should just cut his throat
² and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. (NIV2011)

Colossians 3:5 – Impurity - Lust – Evil desires - Greed
⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (NIV2011)

Galatians 5:19 – Sexual immorality
¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; (NIV2011)

Galatians 5:19 – Adultery – Fornication – Uncleanness - lewdness
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Leviticus 18:22 - Homosexuality
²² ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. (NIV2011)

Deuteronomy 23:18  - Male and female prostitutes
¹⁸ You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both. (NIV2011)

Leviticus 18:23 – Bestiality
²³ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.  (NIV2011) 

Deuteronomy 22:5 – Cross Dressing
⁵ A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. (NIV2011)

2 Cor 5:17 – You have become a new person

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. KJV

Gal 3:16 – The covenant was to Abraham and his seed.

16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. NIV

Gal 3:29 – If you believe in Christ, you are Abraham’s seed.

29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NIV

Rom 8:37 – We are more than conquerors

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved NIV

1 Corinthians 6:19 – Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
¹⁹ Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (ESV)

Romans 12:1 - Present your bodies as a living sacrifice
¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:20 - Glorify God in your body
²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (ESV)

With Our Body – Our Way – The Math

·         This is how it all ADDS up when we do it OUR WAY;

·         It is obvious what kind of life that develops out of letting our body have its own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex - a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage - frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness - trinket gods - magic-show religion -paranoid loneliness - cutthroat competition - all-consuming yet never-satisfied wants - a brutal temper - an impotence to love or be loved - divided homes and divided lives - small-minded and lopsided pursuits - the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival - uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions - ugly parodies of community.

·         You cannot please God if you use your freedom in this way. - You will not inherit God's kingdom, - I DID NOT SAY ANY OF THIS; “Word for Word” it’s in the Book.  

Galatians 5:19-21 – MY BODY - MY WAY
¹⁹ It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;
²⁰ trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits;
²¹ the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom. (MSG)

With Our Faith

·         We are to diligently seek God with our FAITH and believe that He will reward those that seek Him; and to our faith we are to add Goodness and Knowledge.

·         Christ dwells in our hearts through faith; grounding and rooting us in love, so we may be able to comprehend the width, length, depth and height of the love of Christ so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God.

·         We are to live and walk by Faith, not by what our physical senses are telling us.  We increase our Faith by reading and hearing God’s Word.

·         We are counted as His Righteous children because of our Faith, and without Faith; it is impossible to please Him.

·         Our Faith is judged by our good deeds and when our faith is tested, it produces growth and endurance. – Stand firm in your Faith -

·         You cannot please God with a DEAD FAITH. - It’s in the Book -

Hebrews 11:6 – Diligently seek God with Faith and belief
⁶ 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.

(ESV)

2 Peter 1:5 – Add Goodness and Knowledge to your Faith
⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

(NIV2011)

Ephesians 3:17-19 – Christ dwells in our heart through Faith
¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

(NKJV)

Hebrews 10:38 – We are to LIVE by Faith
³⁸ but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 5:7 – We WALK by Faith not by what we see
⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight.(NKJV)

Romans 10:17 - Faith comes from HEARING the Word of Christ
¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. (ESV)

Genesis 15:6 – We are counted as righteous because of our Faith
⁶ And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.

(NLT)

Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God
⁶ 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. (ESV)

James 2:22 – Faith is completed with ACTIONS
²² You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. (NLT)

Galatians 3:26 – Our Faith in Jesus makes us His children
²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

James 1:2-4 –TESTED Faith produces endurance & growth
² Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

(NLT)

James 2:18 – Your Faith is JUDGED by your GOOD DEEDS
¹⁸ Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

(NLT)

James 2:26 – Faith without WORKS is a DEAD FAITH
²⁶ Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. (NLT)

1 Corinthians 16:13 - Stand firm in the faith
¹³ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (ESV)

With Our Conduct

·         Our method of living, our life speaks volumes of who we are. - The Methodist Denomination embraces not only a specific method of worship, but a specific method of everyday conduct.

·         We are to flee from anything that smacks of idolatry and spend what time we can muster up meditating on God’s Word; taking care that we put into action what God has written.

·         We are to live out every line of instruction that has been written; pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace; we are to fulfill all righteousness; forgiving one another and baring one another’s burdens. - NYOBS 04.02 - BE-ATTITUDES - - NYOBS 50.24 - RELATIONSHIP-FELLOWSHIP

·         The desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life are not from the Father, but are from the world.  - We are not to love the desires of the world.

·         In everything that we do we are to do it as if we were doing it unto the Lord.  That means we do our work with excellence, whether or not the boss is looking.

·         We are to be Patient; to wait on God’s perfect timing.  By our patience, we inherit God’s promise. - We cannot receive the Word into our spirit until we put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness.

·         We have a spirit of power, love and self-control and we are to exercise self-control in all things, particularly our youthful passions and sexual immorality. – Our speech should be gracious and seasoned with salt. – What we speak will come to pass.  

·         He who doesn’t control his tongue is worthless. – God said this; not me.

·         You cannot please God if you do not exercise self-control. – It’s in the Book -

1 Corinthians 10:14 - Flee from idolatry
¹⁴ Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (ESV)

Joshua 1:8 – Meditate on the Word that you may be successful
⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (ESV)

Matthew 4:3-4 – We are to live by every Word of God
³ And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
⁴ But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (ESV)

2 Timothy 2:22 - Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace
²² So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

(ESV)

Matthew 3:13-15 – We are to fulfill all righteousness
¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus IT IS FITTING FOR US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Then he consented.

(ESV)

Colossians 3:13 -  Bear with one another – Forgive each other
¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (ESV)

1 John 2:15-17 – Do not love the desires of the world
¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (ESV)

Colossians 3:23-24 – Do your work as if it is unto the Lord
²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (ESV)

Psalm 27:14 – Wait on the Lord
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (ESV)

Habakkuk 2:3 – Wait for the promise – It will surely come
³ For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (ESV)

Hebrews 6:12 – By faith and patience we inherit the promises
¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (ESV)

James 1:21 - Put away filthiness & wickedness; receive the Word
²¹Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV)

2 Timothy 1:7 – We have a spirit of power, love and self-control
⁷ for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 9:25 - Exercises SELF-CONTROL in all things
²⁵ every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. (ESV)

2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee youthful passions
²² So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flee from sexual immorality
¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (ESV)

Colossians 4:6 - Let your speech always be gracious

⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (ESV)

James 1:26 – He who doesn’t control his tongue is worthless
²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is WORTHLESS. (ESV)

Prov 18:21 – What you speak or confess will come to pass

21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. NIV

With Our Love

·         God’s Love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit so that we can do everything in Love.

·         Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. - Three things will last forever—Faith, Hope, and LOVE—and the greatest of these is Love.

·         Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. -  It does not demand its own way. - It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. -  It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

·         Keep yourselves in the Love of God by loving, being tenderhearted, forgiving and showing honor to one another – Show hospitality to strangers; love, pray and do good for your enemies; thereby repaying evil with good.

·         You cannot please God without Love, you are spiritually bankrupt. -  It’s in the Book -

Romans 5:5 - God’s love has been poured into our hearts
⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 16:14 – Do everything in Love
¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love never gives up or loses faith
⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
⁷ LOVE never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (NLT)

1 Corinthians 13:13 – Faith, Hope and Love will last forever
¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is LOVE. (NLT)

Jude 1:21 - Keep yourselves in the love of God
²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (ESV)

Romans 12:10 – Love one another; show honor
¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Be kind tenderhearted forgiving one another
³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)

Hebrews 13:1-2 – Show Hospitality to strangers in brotherly love
¹ Let brotherly love continue.
² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (ESV)

Matthew 5:44 - Love and pray for your enemies

⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (ESV)

Luke 6:35 – Do good to your enemies
³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (NIV2011)

1 Peter 3:9-10 - Do not repay evil for evil
⁹ Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
¹⁰ For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; (ESV)

1 Corinthians 13:3 – Without Love you are spiritually bankrupt
³ If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. (MSG)

With Our Gifts

·         God does not want us to be uninformed about the spiritual gifts.  They were given to bear witness of Jesus Christ and are distributed as the Holy Spirit decides.

·         There are a variety of gifts that were given for the common good of man.

• The first nine gifts noted are – A word of Wisdom – A word of Knowledge – Special Faith – Gifts of different Healings – Special Powers – Prophecy (foretelling) – The ability to discern between good and evil spirits – Speaking in an unknown language - and the interpretation of an unknown language. -  NYOBS 20.36 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
• It must be pointed out that the gifts were what we call “given in part”, not the whole. - A word of Wisdom, not all wisdom; a word of knowledge, not all knowledge.  In other words the gifts are given as the Spirit “wills” for the purpose “at the time” it is needed; not for ALL time. - It happened ONCE to the 70 Elders of the OT and then they received it no more.
• There are NOT two classes of Christians – Those who speak in tongues and those that don’t. – Nowhere in the Bible does it say that when you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will speak in tongues. – That’s assumptive interpretation – It does say the believer will receive a gift or gifts as the Spirit wills. - Why do we put speaking in tongues at the top of the list?  Perhaps because it’s the easiest one to counterfeit and somehow we feel a little more holy.
• The next nine gifts noted are – Serving – Prophesying (forth telling) – Teaching – Encouraging - Contributing – Leadership – Mercy/Compassion – Evangelizing - and Administration
• All the gifts are given AS THE SPIRIT WILLS and not because we desire them.
• You may have more than one gift – Scripture does not support someone having all the gifts, but all the gifts are found or present in the body of believers. - They are all given for the common good for the building up of the church. –  NYOBS 06.08 – 18 SPIRITUAL GIFTS

·         We are urged to seek the gift of prophecy which is not what you think...  It is not the foretelling of the future, but forth-telling; it is the praise and proclamation of the attributes of God; His Power, His Knowledge and His Presence. – NYOBS 46.02 – TALENTS

• Can we receive spiritual miracle gifts today?  YES, as the HOLY SPIRIT determines. 
• NOTE:  Because we see very little of the gifts displayed, most believe that the gifts ended with the Apostles.  However, I do not find anywhere in scripture that the gifts were recalled; in fact I find that they will not cease until Jesus returns.

·         You cannot please God if you neglect to use your gift. – It’s in the Book -

1 Corinthians 12:1 – We are not uninformed about spiritual gifts
¹ Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be IGNORANT: (NKJV)

Hebrews 2:4 – God bore witness of Jesus with the gifts
⁴ while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (ESV)

Ephesians 4:8 – Jesus gave the Gifts – Holy Spirit distributes
⁸ Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (ESV)

1 Corinthians 12:11 – The Holy Spirit decides your gifts
¹¹ It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. (NLT)
1 Corinthians 12:4-10 - Variety of 9 gifts for the common good
⁴ There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (NKJV)

Rom 12:6-8 – Encouraging, Contributing, Mercy, Leading

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

NIV

Eph 4:11-12 – Gift of Office of Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up NIV

1 Cor 12:28 – Gift of Administration, Helps

28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 – Everyone does not have the same gift
²⁹ Are all apostles? (NO) Are all prophets? (NO) Are all teachers? (NO) Do all work miracles? (NO)
³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? (NO) Do all speak in tongues? (NO) Do all interpret? (NO)  (NIV2011)

1 Corinthians 14:1 - Pursue love - Desire the spiritual gifts
¹ Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 14:12 - Excel in the gifts that build up the church
¹² So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church. (NIV2011)

1 Corinthians 14:1 – Desire the Gift of prophecy
¹ Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. (NIV2011)

Romans 11:29 – The Gifts and Calling of God is irrevocable
²⁹ God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded. (MSG)

1 Timothy 4:14 - Do not neglect your spiritual gift
¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. (ESV)

1 Cor 13:8-10 – When Jesus returns the gifts will cease

8 But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know IN PART and we prophesy IN PART,

10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears NIV

Num 11:24-25 – The 70 Elders – Prophesized once and no more

24 So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent.

25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.  NIV

With Our Works – Fruits

• ALL FRUIT HARVESTED IS NOT ALWAYS FIT TO EAT
• As a kid, I tried to eat the fruit of a persimmon tree before it was ripe.  It was Bad Fruit.
• Good works does not make you a Christian; but because you are a Christian you will do good works. – Fruit does not fall very far from the tree. - The Bible is clear that you will recognize a Christian by his works; his fruitfulness. - NYOBS 28.23 - UN-FRUITFULNESS
• There is a new fruit that is observable in the actions and reactions of the Believer.  In due season people will observe in the Believer’s life the Holy Spirit’s fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. - All of these attributes combined together make up the ONE fruit of the Spirit.

·         Whatever is stored up in a man will eventually come out. - Evil gives birth to bad fruit. The grace of God teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions. 

·         God, through the Holy Spirit has given the best and most specific gift tailored just for you to produce fruit that is to be used for the building up of the body of Christ. – While the gift is just for you; it’s not just to enrich YOU, but to enrich the whole body of Believers in the vineyard of Christ. - You cannot be fruitful apart from God

·         God chose the most specific and “choices of gifts” that will grow best in your fertile soil: then He removed the stones in your life that would impede its growth; He then watered it with his Word, then guarded it and watched over the growth awaiting the harvest.

·         What more can God do to help you to produce a harvest? - Only the one who DOES the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of Heaven – Live is choice driven -

·         You cannot please God if you are unfruitful. – It’s in the Book -

Isa 5:1-4 – What more can God do?

1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

2 He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.  

3 "Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad.

NIV

Matt 13:4-7 – Satan tries EARLY to steal your fruit

4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. NIV

John 15:6 – Unfruitfulness withers the Believer

6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. NIV

James 2:17 - Faith without works is a DEAD FAITH

¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (ESV)

Gal 5:22-23 – Fruit of the Christian - ALL ONE FRUIT

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law

Matt 7: 20 – By their fruit you will recognize them.

20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

NIV

Colossians 3:17 – Do everything in the name of Jesus Christ
¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV)

Hebrews 4:11 – Labor with the Word so that you enter the rest
¹¹ Let us therefore STRIVE to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. (ESV)

Matthew 6:20-21 - Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 16:2 – Bring your offerings every SUNDAY
² On the FIRST DAY of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. (ESV)

Luke 3:10-11 – Share your extra with others
¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”
¹¹ And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - Comfort those who are in any affliction
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (ESV)

James 1:27 - Visit orphans and widows in their affliction
²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV)

John 15:4 – Your gift cannot function apart from God

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. NIV

Matt 7:21 – Only the one who DOES the will of the Father

21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who DOES the will of my Father who is in heaven. NIV

Matt 12:35 – Bad Fruit stored up gives birth to more bad fruit.

35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

With Our Testimony - The Gospel – The Word

·         We are to hold fast to our confession of HOPE, ready and unashamed; sharing the word, with those whose path we are striving to make straight; whether it’s convenient or not.

·         Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

·         My son Mike who is an executive at IBM, has an “online presence” that anyone in the industry wanting to learn more about him and his accomplishments will also get his testimony of “Why I am a Christian”.  NYOBS 29.02 - CASE FOR CHRISTIANITY

·         You cannot please God if you do not have a testimony. – It’s in the Book -

Hebrews 10:23 - Hold fast to the confession of your Hope
²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (ESV)

1 Peter 3:15 – Be ready to share the Gospel of Hope
¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the HOPE that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (ESV)

2 Timothy 1:8 – Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, (ESV)

Hebrews 12:13 - Make the paths straight for those that follow
¹³ and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. (ESV)

2 Timothy 4:2 – Be ready whether it convenient or not
² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (NKJV)

Matthew 28:19 – Go out far and near, train and baptize
¹⁹ Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (MSG)

With Our Prayer Life

·         We are NOT to PRAY to the disciples, the saints, angels or any person living or dead, but to God only. - As Christians we are reminded to NOT CALL any man on earth ”Father”, but only God, our Father in Heaven. – As our Father; our daddy, we can approach Him with boldness. – NYOBS 52.18 - PRAYER

·         In preparation for prayer we are instructed to speak succinctly, avoiding the many word and vain repetitions and get right to the point with conciseness and brevity of speech.

·         Pray for more Believers to join you in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. - Ask God to give you the right words to say. -  We should not only pray privately for ourselves, but also pray openly with others; praying for their needs.  - NYOBS 49.02 – LORD’S PRAYER REVISITED

·         I met a man who had written a book entitled “Are you running with me Jesus”; I thought the title was a little sacrilegious, and told him so. -  He told me that throughout the day, no matter what he was doing, he was in a running conversation with Jesus. – He was Praying without ceasing according to the scriptures.

·         TIME OUT – Let’s talk a minute about Angels; from the Latin angelus means "MESSENGER”; Angels carry out God’s assignments. - Let’s see what happened in the book of Daniel.

·         We find Daniel’s prayer was heard by God and immediately an Angel was dispatched, but Satan fought the Messenger Angel for 21 days in order to stop the answer from getting to him. - When we pray without ceasing, we become part of the fight to receive the answer; what if Daniel had stopped praying? - God hears us before we begin to pray, and sends the answer before we finish. - SELAH – NYOBS 34.17 - ANGELS

·         I feel like I should not pick and choose which scriptures I include in my Word Studies.  Some Believers have received the gift of a Prayer Language while others operate in a different gift.  So praying in the Spirit or in tongues is something that the scriptures address for those who have that gift and I include it here. - Your prayer language is communication between you and God, and no one else.

·         Note: Tongues are the last of the gifts listed and are not given to everyone.

·         Praying in the Spirit - I had a friend that told me once that He was singing and praising God in the shower and all of the sudden he found himself singing strange words along with his words in the understanding, but he thought later that it was not real and would not do that again… He was singing in the spirit; his prayer language. – NYOBS 08.02 - TONGUES

·         Pray in the understanding tongue about the things you understand, then pray in your prayer language about the things you do not understand or do not know how to pray about and The Spirit will make intercession for you.

·         While in public, you may sometimes feel like praying, praising or singing to God in the Spirit; if so, you should ALSO pray, praise and sing in the understanding. -  It’s in the Book -

• Don’t get upset with me now, but in the Gospel of Mark, we find an example of Jesus praying in a tongue when he groaned or sighed and said “Eph-pha-thal”, which was interpreted for us as “be opened”. - As best as I can tell this is not Hebrew nor Greek nor any other known language. 
• You cannot please God if you do not have a prayer life. – It’s in the Book -

Matt 6:6 – Go into your room and shut the door

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV

2 Chronicles 33:12– Humble yourself
¹² And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. (ESV)

Daniel 6:10 - Pray on your knees morning evening and night
¹⁰ …He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (ESV)

Exodus 17:4 – Cry out to God
⁴ So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” (ESV)

Lamentations 2:19 - Pour out your heart
¹⁹ Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint for hunger at the head of every street.” (ESV)

1 Timothy 2:8 - Lift up your hands to God
⁸ I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; (ESV)

Matthew 6:7 – Do not use empty phrases and repetitions
⁷ And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 – Let your words be few.
² Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (ESV)

Matthew 6:8 – God knows what you need before you ask Him
⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (NIV2011)

1 Thessalonians 5:16 - Pray without ceasing; giving thanks
¹⁶ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Isaiah 65:24 - God will hear us before we even begin to pray
²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (KJV)

Ephesians 6:19 – Pray for the right words to boldly speak
¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

(ESV)

Matthew 9:38 – Pray for more workers for the Gospel
³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (ESV)

Jude 1:20 – Pray to Build yourselves up in the Holy Spirit
²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, (ESV)

Ephesians 6:18 – Pray at all times in the Spirit
¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, (tongues) with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

(ESV)

Romans 8:26 - The Spirit Himself intercedes for us
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

(ESV)

1 Corinthians 14:15– Pray and Sing in the Spirit
¹⁵ What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit (in tongues), but I will pray with my mind (in the understanding) also; I will SING praise with my spirit (in tongues), but I will sing with my mind (in the understanding) also. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 14:2 - Your Prayer language is between You & God
² For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. (NIV2011)

Isa 28:11 – God will speak to His people in another language

11 With stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. ASV

1 Cor 14:21 - I will speak in strange tongues; you will not listen

21 In the law it is written, by men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers will I speak unto this people; and not even thus will they hear me, saith the Lord.

ASV

Mark 7:33-35 – Jesus prayed in tongues

34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!").

35 At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

NIV

1 Cor 12:29 – Do all speak in tongues - NO

29 Do all work miracles?  (no) - Do all have gifts of healing? (no) - Do all speak in tongues? (no) - Do all interpret? (no) 

NIV

Daniel 10:12-13 – Satan fought 21 days to hinder the answer
¹² he said unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words' sake.
¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

(ASV)

Matthew 23:9 - CALL NO MAN ON EARTH YOUR FATHER
⁹ And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. (ESV)

With Our Worship, Praise and Thanksgiving

·          We are to worship the Lord God alone who made the heavens, earth, seas and springs of water. - He is worthy; for by Him all things were created.

·          We are to worship him in Spirit and Truth; praising and blessing His name continually.  In thanksgiving we are to rejoice and sing with a joyful noise IN all the circumstances that we find ourselves.  (Not FOR all circumstances.) - NYOBS 20.12 – WORSHIP

·         We are to be found in Church on the Lord’s Day stirring up one another to love and to do good works

·          You cannot please God if your life is void of worship, and praise. - It’s in the Book -

Hebrews 10:24-25 – Don’t neglect going to Church to worship
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. (ESV)

Acts 2:45-47 – We worship at Church and in our own homes.
⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(ESV)

Matthew 4:10 - You shall worship the Lord your God
¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

(ESV)

Revelation 14:7 - Worship Him who made heaven and earth
⁷ And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (ESV)

Revelation 4:11 – He is Worthy - By His will everything created
¹¹ Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

John 4:24 – God must be worshiped in spirit and truth
²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (ESV)

Psalm 34:1 – I will continually BLESS the Lord at all times
¹ I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (ESV)

Psalm 48:1 - Great is the Lord and greatly to be PRAISED
¹ Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, (ESV)

Hebrews 13:15 - Continually offer up a sacrifice of PRAISE
¹⁵ Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.ESV)

Philippians 3:1 - REJOICE in the Lord
¹ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. (ESV)

Psalm 100:1-4 - Make a JOYFUL NOISE with Thanksgiving
¹ Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
² Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (ESV)

James 5:13 – SING praises when you are cheerful
¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – GIVE THANKS IN all circumstances
¹⁸ give thanks IN all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (ESV)

Phil 4:6 – Be THANKFUL - IN all thing – not FOR all things.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but IN everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. N IV

Our Responsibility

·         It is our responsibility to take hold of the Good News that has been entrusted to us and to share it wherever we go; day or night.-  NYOBS 51.02 – DO THE WORD

·         We are to teach it to our children and to our children’s children; generation to generation.

·         You cannot please God if you are NOT teaching your children His Word. – It’s in the Book -

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 – Walk & Talk the Word wherever you go
¹⁸ You shall therefore lay up these Words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
¹⁹ You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

(ESV)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 – Walk and Talk the Word – Day and Night
⁶ And these Words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 4:9 – Teach the Word to your Children and Grands
⁹ Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children

(ESV)

Proverbs 13:22 – Share the Word, Generation to Generation
²² A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous. (ESV)

Our Discipline

·         Sometimes we find ourselves in deep water when we as Christians do not obey the instructions of God.  Sometimes God has to get our attention through chastisement and discipline, but He still provides a way through it all. - NYOBS 03.02 – JONAH & THE WHALE

·         It is God that chastens us.  Chastisement comes that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world, but that we will be partakers of His Holiness.

·         We are not to Hate or resent the trials and discipline from God, because it is our trials that produces our steadfastness in our Faith.  - NYOBS 54.02 – CHASTISMENT

·         When going through trials because of your faith; count yourself as BLESSED because He only disciplines His children.  - If you are not disciplined, then you are not a child of God.

·         You cannot please God if you resent His chastening of your life. - It’s in the Book -

Hebrews 12:5-6 – Receive the Chastisement & Discipline of God
⁵ And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (ESV)

John 15:2 - Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes
² Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (ESV)

James 1:2-3 – Trials produce steadfastness of your Faith
² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

1 Corinthians 11:32 – Disciplined so we may not be condemned
³² But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (ESV)

Hebrews 12:10 – Disciplined so that we may share in His Holiness
¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.)

Job 5:17 – Don’t HATE God’s discipline
¹⁷ Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. (ESV) 

Proverbs 3:11 – Don’t DESPISE or resent the LORD’s discipline
¹¹ My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, (NIV2011)

Revelation 3:19 – The Lord DISCIPLINES the ones He loves
¹⁹ Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. (ESV)

Hebrews 12:6 - The Lord CHASTISES the ones He loves
⁶ For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (ESV)

Psalm 94:12 - BLESSED is the man whom God disciplines
¹² Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, (ESV)

Hebrews 12:8 – If you are not disciplined then you’re not a Son
⁸ If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (ESV)

God Is Pleased

·         Jesus was sent that the world MIGHT be saved through Him.  We as Believers have the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us and that our name has already been written in a book of remembrance that our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west.  – NYOBS 25.21 SECOND COMING – - NYOBS 45.02 – THE RETURN; PRE-MID-POST

·         We are no longer under condemnation, but have passed from death unto life.

·          Having gained eternal life, we press on for the prize of the high calling of God for the reward that awaits us in heaven.  - He is able to perform His promise – NYOBS 12.34 QUALIFICATIONS TO ENTER HEAVEN - -  NYOBS 07.009 - RETURN OF CHRIST

·          Christ preached a Sermon on the Mount called “The Beatitudes”; they do NOT show a man how to be saved, they show the characteristics of someone who IS saved. - They are not promises, but are a Description of the Believer; poor in spirit - those who mourn – meek - hunger and thirst for righteousness - merciful - pure in heart - peacemakers - persecuted for righteousness’ sake. -  NYOBS 04.02 - BE ATTITUDES

John 3:17-18 – Jesus was sent that the world MIGHT be saved
¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (ESV)

Hebrews 13:5 - I will never leave you nor forsake you
⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Malachi 3:16 – Our name is written in a Book of Remembrance
¹⁶ Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who esteemed his name. (ESV)

Psalm 103:10-12 – Our sins removed far as the East from West
¹⁰ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (ESV)

Romans 8:1 - The Believer is no longer under condemnation
¹ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

John 5:24 – The Believer has passed from death to life
²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my Word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (ESV)

John 6:46-47 - Whoever believes has eternal life
⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
⁴⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.(ESV)

1 Timothy 6:12 - Take hold of the eternal life
¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (ESV)

1 John 5:13 – KNOW that you have eternal life
¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (ESV)

2 Peter 3:12 – Look forward to the return of Christ
¹² waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! (ESV)

Romans 4:20-21 - God is able to do what he has promised
²⁰ No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
²¹ fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised ESV

Philippians 3:14 - Press toward the prize of the upward call
¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Matthew 5:10-12 – Great is your reward in Heaven
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(ESV)

Matthew 5:3-12 – Description of the Believer
³ Blessed are the poor in spirit⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, ⁷Blessed are the merciful, ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, ¹¹ (ESV)

Closing Thoughts

·         It pleases God when we confess our sins and are saved. - When we are baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit - When we go to Church and enter into His presence – When we keep His covenants. – When we have a quiet and gentle spirit; content with peace in our life.

·         He is pleased when we study His Word and renew our mind so as to be filled with His understanding, in order that we may teach our family His Word; generations to generation. – It pleases Him when we share His Word with others, speaking words of Faith.

·         We please God when we are forgiving, loving and compassionate – When we have wholesome talk - When we Honor Him with our bodies resisting Satan’s temptations.

·         It pleases Him when we pray full of Faith about everything. – When we seek the Gifts of the Spirit –  When we put our faith into action through good works - NYOBS 08.31 - GOD’S WILL

We can please God. – We just have to want to – It’s in the Book - Life is choice driven -

Mark 2:40 – I WANT TO

40 If you want to, you can make me well

41 and Jesus moved with compassion touched him and said,        I want to.  LB

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Book of Bible Lists – Meredith’s

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

King James Version Bible – KJV

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible - NIV

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Wikipedia -

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney