Keep ourselves...

Jud 1:18  How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. 

Jud 1:19  These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. 

Jud 1:20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 

Jud 1:21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 

KEEP OURSELVES!

We can take ourselves OUT of the love of God make NO mistake. If we are told to keep ourselves IN the love of God, surely that means we can keep ourselves out of the love of God.

We have to look for the MERCY of our LORD JESUS CHRIST UNTO ETERNAL LIFE.

Does this mean we have the choice NOT to look for the mercy of our Savior unto eternal life?

We do. We have the choice to keep ourselves out of God's love, to keep ourselves from the mercy of our Savior.

Our Savior wants us to stay in His mercy, but He will never force us.

When Jesus Christ walked the earth people came to Him but many left Him as well.

Joh 6:60  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 

Jesus was imparting truth to people, only truth and many could not bear to hear it. Outwardly they wanted to follow the 'Miracle Man' but inwardly when it came time to truly believe they left rather than stayed with Him. 

Jesus asked the twelve - 'Will ye also go away?' 

We know they didn't- well, all but Judas Iscariot did, but the rest did not.  They heard the words and believed on the One who gave those words to them. Did they fully comprehend it all? I don't believe they did, but they stayed, they trusted, they believed.

We need to choose to stay and if we aren't choosing CONSTANTLY to stay in Christ's mercy then we AREN'T in Christ's mercy. Satan will deceive us if we aren't vigilant-- to believe otherwise is to allow ourselves to get caught up in deception, the greatest deception that will steal eternal life from millions. Being deceived will be no excuse-

Mat 7:21  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. 

Mat 7:22  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 

The many were DECEIVED into believing they were the Lord's.

Please, Lord, please we do NOT want to be deceived! Save us from that deception, let us NOT be numbered among those you don't know!

Please, help us keep ourselves in YOUR LOVE looking for the MERCY of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, now and forever!

Deliver my soul!

Psa 116:1  I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 

Psa 116:2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. 

Psa 116:3  The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 

Psa 116:4  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 

Psa 116:5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 

Psa 116:6  The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 

Psa 116:7  Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. 

Psa 116:8  For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 

Psa 116:9  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living. 

Psa 116:10  I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: 

Psa 116:11  I said in my haste, All men are liars. 

Psa 116:12  What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 

Psa 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 

Psa 116:14  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 

Psa 116:15  Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 

Psa 116:16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. 

Psa 116:17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD. 

Psa 116:18  I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people, 

Psa 116:19  In the courts of the LORD'S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD. 

Thank you, LORD, thank you for all you’ve done for me and continue to do for me.

I cry unto you all the time, LORD. I know there is no hope in myself. I see my vileness over and over again and LORD I only beg you to please, please forgive me, cleanse me, change me! 

You alone LORD, you alone can deliver me from death, from crying, from falling! I need your deliverance! I need help, I am simple, so very simple- please, preserve me!

Satan would afflict me on every side, every single side! Please, LORD, please I am YOURS!

PRAISE THE LORD now and forever!  All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and FOREVER!

Spirit Focused.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Spiritually minded is LIFE and PEACE.

When we get caught outside the spirit, we can only be living in the flesh. We separate ourselves from the spirit, from God. People are deceived if they don't realize that we can do this at any time. We need to wake up in the morning and RENEW our commitment to Christ. We need to don that spiritual armor and pray that it remains upon us throughout the entire day. When our great trials come- and they will come- we need to live in the spirit. Satan wants to drag us into the flesh, Satan wants our carnal minds to be in control of us. As long as Satan has our minds directed to carnal pursuits, we aren't looking to the spiritual.  When we ask God to help us, can we do that in a carnal frame of mind? We can. Many do because it's so easy. We simply say, God help us, and we mean it in that very moment but then a moment later we are caught up in carnal angst. Being carnal, being of the flesh isn't all about sexuality, it's about being outside of the spiritual in all things. We need to make the spirit reality.

Being spiritually MINDED is life and peace and we need peace so desperately!

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The life and peace we need from the Spirit is found only through Jesus Christ our Lord! We need our hearts and minds KEPT by Christ Jesus in the peace of God.

The peace we can get from God through Christ Jesus will pass all our ability to understand.  We will have a peace that defies comprehension, that isn't understandable by the flesh focused, or even the spirit focused- it PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING.  There is so much in life that we don't understand, not understanding the peace of God is a reality. Needing the peace of God is a reality. We have to be worried about NOTHING…. NOTHING…but in EVERYTHING we have to PRAY and SUPPLICATE, THANKING GOD!  If only this could be our reality of living in the SPIRIT and not the flesh!

Help us, LORD, please HELP US! Thank You, Father in heaven! Thank You for ALL You do for us!

All in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ now and forever!

Chastened.

Pro 3:11  My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: 

Pro 3:12  For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 

Weary of correction.

Our lives are filled with correction that God wants to impart to us, and He wants to impart the correction because He loves us. Truly most of us can comprehend chastening someone because you love them, right?  Life isn't all about letting our flesh nature rule without reigning it in. There are some who believe that no discipline, no chastising is better- but that’s not true at all. We need correction, we need chastising, we need teaching and that's what all the correction, all the chastising is for.  We need to learn, we need to be willing to learn.

How does the LORD chasten us?

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. 

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 

Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 

Heb 6:15  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 

Heb 10:32  But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

 We are chastened as we live in these bodies of flesh, flesh that does not want to yield to the spirit but rather reign in us, ruling us. The flesh wars against the spirit.

Rom_8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom_8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom_8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom_8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Rom_13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof

We are chastened through our flesh, may God help us to live in the Spirit and not the flesh! May the chastening and the correction from our Heavenly Father have its way in us so we can learn from Him and belong wholly to Him in all ways, in all things! Please… we would be YOURS! Please.

We should not trust in ourselves.

2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

2Co 1:9  But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

2Co 1:10  Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 

2Co 1:11  Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 

We should NOT TRUST IN OURSELVES.

People tell others all the time to BELIEVE in themselves, but we shouldn't.

2Co 3:4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God

We are NOT SUFFICIENT of ourselves!

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are NOT gods in and of ourselves, we were made by GOD, it was God's power that created us- these earthen vessels.  God is THE power we need, not power of our own.

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 

2Co 12:8  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

We should never exalt ourselves. We should never think we are above anything we are given to endure for reasons beyond our comprehension. We must TRUST in God, not in ourselves and our extremely limited ability to understand.

Psa 22:29  …and none can keep alive his own soul

We do NOT keep ourselves alive, not ever.

Psa 44:6  For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 

Psa 44:7  But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. 

We must TRUST in GOD alone.

Pro 28:26  He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. 

Jer 9:23  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 

Jer 9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 

We must GLORY in knowing and understanding our GOD! We should not glory in anything else.

Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 

Jer 17:6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 

Our whole heart must be the LORD'S.
 

Luk 18:9  And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

We must NOT trust in ourselves!

Do we truly comprehend this? Do we know where our trust must be?  With the LORD. We cannot trust in ourselves for anything! We surely cannot save ourselves, we know we must trust in the LORD for our salvation but even knowing that so many of us try to save ourselves still- believing we can do enough good to counter our bad. We believe on some level that we can work our way to salvation.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast

We are saved and that salvation is a GIFT given to us, not a gift given to us by ourselves.

We have to trust ourselves to God to be saved and for everything truly. As soon as we start to trust in ourselves we will FAIL ourselves. Satan will give us delusions that we still trust in God but all the while we are trusting in ourselves. We must pray to be able to trust in God wholly for all things!

Please, Father God, please we would have YOU be our trust, our hope, our life!

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 

Shine in my Heart!

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

God SHINES in our hearts.

God GIVES us the LIGHT of KNOWLEDGE of the GLORY of GOD in the FACE of JESUS CHRIST.

This TREASURE- the light of knowledge is put into earthen vessels- which we truly are. We are made from dust and to dust we return.  We cannot manufacture the knowledge on our own, it has been given to us as a treasure! The excellent POWER of GOD gives us this knowledge. All glory, praise and honor unto HIM!

Troubled but not distressed… ONLY if we keep Christ first in our lives! Only if we keep the knowledge given to us, keep the light that shines in our hearts!  Satan longs to distress us and He knows every single way to get to us. From our greatest weakness to our smallest weakness, Satan is right there to pick at them, to magnify them until he blocks out our HOPE! When he blocks out our hope we become distressed, perplexed, despairing. Today Satan did this to me, I'm ashamed to admit it, but he did and I beg for forgiveness from my loving Savior!

We need the light to shine in our hearts ALWAYS through all things!

Please Father God, please I would have this light in my heart- the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! Please!

With this light in my heart let me always look to Jesus, always!
 

2Co 4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

2Ti 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him

Please let me be dead with You so I may live with You!

Teach me to be Yours through all suffering no matter what form it takes!

Please!

All through Your amazing LOVE Your mercy, your grace!

Please SHINE in my heart!

Give Diligence.

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 

2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 

2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Give diligence…

Make your calling and election sure…

If ye DO these things…

ACTION on OUR PART!  Being a Christian is NOT PASSIVE! You don’t claim your salvation and box is up and tuck it away in a chest of drawers. Your salvation is ACTIVE.  If we aren't active in our saved state then we truly have forgotten we were purged from our OLD SINS. If we continue to commit the same ol' sins, or even brand new ones- we are forgetting the purging. We can be BLIND and we ARE blind if we lack the following--

Charity, brotherly kindness, godliness, patience, temperance, knowledge, virtue, faith.

Do you lack these things? Take a long hard look at yourself because it won't do any good if you don't, and ask yourself if you lack any of the above. If you can answer yes to any of them then perhaps you've become blind and aren't looking for the BLESSED HOPE.  If we STOP looking for the GREAT EXPECTATION of our SAVIOR'S RETURN, then it is very easy to slip into behavior that reveals the lack of conviction we have in our longing for Christ's return.

Satan would have us all believe that we'll never have the above as we should, but we have to pray that our God shuts Satan up and lets us see ourselves unblinded and without the despair Satan would draw us down into any way he can.

You could very well have the above any your humbleness will keep you from boasting, but I'm not asking you to boast to anyone, this is strictly a self-examination. You truly could not be blind and are living as God would have you, and if you are PRAISE the LORD! OR you may be okay on a few of the above mentioned things but not on all of them and you're a work in progress. However if you are BLIND and lack all the above pray desperately long and hard for sight, for the eyesalve that our Savior can give to us!

Having the above doesn't mean you won't ever be mean, unloving, etc but it means you will recognize when those times come and seek forgiveness for them instantly as soon as the realization hits you. We are works in progress and wretched human beings with flesh temptations. May God deliver us from all of them as He wills!

Please, Father God, we would not be blind, we need to see and we need to have all the attributes of one with the sight given to us by the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!