The ending of the story

Verse of the day:  Revelation 7:9-10

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb”

That will be the glorious ending of our life’s story: The joy of the occasion, the company of the throngs around us, and the majesty of Jesus Christ upon the throne! Each of us has written the story of our past in one way or another. Some of that may have included suffering and, certainly, the ugliness of sin. The next chapter tells of our finding Jesus as our Savior and the transformation that took place. We became new creations in Christ. For those who are new believers, only few pages have been written. Many chapters now have been completed for those who have known Christ for many years.

The past pages may, or may not, reveal an obedient and overcoming life, but those chapters have been completed and cannot be rewritten. We must now carefully write, page by page, our present story. How do we want on the ending of our story?

May each chapter speak clearly of His faithfulness through all generations!

Attitude is the Key to Effective Relationships!

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Attitude is the gauge that shows God, others, and you the level and quality of Fruit from the work and ways of God being exhibited in you. Your attitude will be the demonstration for who is Christ is in you, and you may be the only indicator and presenter of our Lord someone will ever get to see.

So, how is your attitude? Attitude is how you approach others with your outlook on life, your manners, your posture, your feelings, your mind-set, your way of thinking, and your way of behaving. It all comes from Christ’s work in you.

Now, ask yourself, “how this is going and coming about in times of uncertainty and stress?” How does your attitude impact your daily life?

When we have a good attitude, He can better use us, and show His creation of a masterpiece in us. Now think about how you grow and show Christ in your life will perhaps be the typical template, the perfect example that others just need to see. You can be the encouragement and motivation someone else needs. Christians have a responsibility to have the best attitude possible, an impacting and contagious approach to doing life well. When we have a bad altitude, we can see the aptitude of our old ways of sin seeking to take over our thoughts, feelings, and outlook on life and thus may dismay how others see His Lordship of you.

Seeking the Kingdom of God

Lighthouse Family Ministries is now on its 3rd week of studying about God’s Kingdom. All men live in a natural kingdom of this world.  They live in a city or village which is a part of a nation (kingdom of this world). In addition there are two spiritual kingdoms which exist. Every person alive is a resident of one of these two kingdoms; The kingdom of satan or the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom of this world set its laws and rules so that resident of this kingdom should follow. In the same way on spiritual kingdoms; a resident of God’s Kingdom after accepting our Lord Jesus Christ as personal savior will follow its rules and principles but the wicked heart according to Mark 7:20-23 are the resident of kingdom of satan.

8 Founding Principles of God’s Kingdom:( Matthew 5: 1-12)

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven“ – The poor in spirit are those who are not self-assertive, self-reliant, self-confident, self-centered, or self-sufficient but who are conscious of their sins and know in their hearts that they are completely unworthy of the grace that a most holy and loving God pours down upon them.

2. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. The person that mourns is the one who recognizes that he is a sinner before God. The mourning is not because of financial loss, terminal sickness, the death of loved ones, loneliness, a divorce, or some rejection being experienced. Christians mourn because they realize that they have sinned against a holy God and have brought dishonor to his name.

3. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth”. A meek person is not a weak man but it is a strong person controlled by God. The one who has put their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ will be meek before God, but mighty and bold before the world and before satan.

4. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for Righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”. Righteousness are those things that are upright, virtuous, noble, morally right, and ethical. You could say that righteousness is a life style that is in complete conformity to the will of God. It is a lifestyle that Jesus not only finds pleasing, but one that he approves of.

5. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”. The merciful are those that are tender hearted and who truly feel in the deepest parts of their beings the pain and the suffering of those who need mercy. But most importantly is the fact that the merciful are those special individuals who go out of their way and make the effort to help. Having compassion on the those that are in any way hurting is only the first part of having mercy. Doing something about it, is the all important second part.

6.”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”. Out of the hearts of men come all kinds of evil things, evil thoughts and greed, to slander and arrogance. The path to a pure heart begins with the realization that we have impure hearts. (Ezekiel 36:26) “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you”)

7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God“. The term “peacemakers” includes all who make peace between men, whether as individuals or as communities. (Romans 14:19) “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another”.

8. “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven“. Christ pronounces a blessing on those who are being persecuted. But the persecution that they are suffering is not for misdeeds or evil acts, their persecution is for doing righteousness.

Each principle is a key to living a godly life. Each brings a blessing from God. They are focused positively on what we should be like rather than on what we should not do. Although they are in perfect agreement with the Ten Commandments, they are different. They do not merely keep us from evil but lead us to truth. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the people of God can have the love and holiness of God dominate their lives.

 

The seeds of comfort

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, and that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. — Isaiah 40:1-2 —

The seeds of comfort may take root in the soil of adversity. When your life seems to be falling apart, ask God to comfort you. You may not escape adversity, but you may find God’s comfort as you face it. Sometimes, however, the only comfort we have is in the knowledge that someday we will be with God. Appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in His word, His presence and His people.

Unjust suffering!

For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. – 1 Peter 2:19

Unjust suffering! Ouch!!!!  even the sound of those words sends a chill up and down my spine. Such a thing doesn’t seem fair or appropriate… and it isn’t. Yet we have many brothers and sisters bearing up under pain and unjust suffering because of their commitment and loyalty to the only True God and to his Son, Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t it be incredible if those of us who are not touched by terrible persecution or hardship would begin each day praying for those in our spiritual family who do face hardship, persecution, suffering, and mistreatment? As they display the grace of Christ to honor God in the face of such difficulty, let’s pray that our Father will not only give them strength to endure, but that he will also deliver them soon!

Beginning of life with Christ

Colossians 2:6-7 - ⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Receiving Christ as Lord of your life is the beginning of life with Christ. But you must continue to follow his leadership by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith. Christ wants to guide you and help you with your daily problems. You can live for Christ by committing your life and submitting your will to him; seeking to learn from him, his life and his teachings; and recognizing the Holy Spirit’s power in you. If you see little progress in your spiritual life, the problem is probably due to an area that you are keeping for yourself. Only in surrendering it to Christ and letting Him be Lord of your entire life will you be enriched beyond measure as He changes your character, perspective, attitudes and behavior.

True Faith

James 2:18-19 

 ¹⁸ 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. ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts. If our lives remain unchanged, we don’t truly believe the truths we claim to believe. We cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God. But such actions show that our commitment to God is real. Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of our faith in Christ. While it is true that our good deeds can never earn salvation (Romans 3:28 — “man is justified by faith apart from observing the law”), true faith always results in a changed life and good deeds. In Romans 3, Paul speaks against those who try to be saved by deeds instead of true faith. James speaks against those who confuse mere intellectual assent with true faith. After all, even the demons know who Jesus is, but they don’t obey him. True faith involves a commitment of your whole self to God.