Holiness

 

Holiness

I Peter 1:13-16

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, be holy, for I am holy.”

To be holy means to be dedicated or devoted to God. Jesus was totally devoted to His Father and is our prime example to follow in our quest for holiness. We as Christians, His children, must be willing to give up our worldly ways and be totally dedicated in following Jesus and in spreading the good news of salvation to those around us. We may not always have the words to speak but we can be a good example of one dedicated to the Lord.

To prepare ourselves we must learn the scriptures, read His words and get to know Him. Talk to Him in prayer, give Him our concerns and lean on Him to help us in time of need and find comfort in our despair. Seek out fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage one another. We are never alone in this world. Jesus is always a breath away. His Holy Spirit dwells within us making it easier to be holy and set aside for God’s purposes. Be holy, for God is holy.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Happiness

 

Happiness

Matthew 5:3-12

The word “Beatitude” means supreme blessedness. Just that alone makes me happy. But knowing whatever circumstances are Jesus blesses us.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” When we mourn, Jesus tells us that we will be comforted. The meek will inherit the earth. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. If we are merciful, we shall receive mercy. If we are pure in heart, we will see God. Happiness abounds! If we are peacemakers, we will be called sons of God. How can we not be happy, knowing these words that Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount. He even went on to say that if we are reviled and persecuted and people say false things against us for His sake, we are still blessed and should be glad because we will receive our reward in heaven.

Happiness creates positive thoughts, and positive thoughts create positive behavior. Let us rejoice and put on a happy face. Let others see Jesus in us.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Godliness

 

Godliness

Titus 2:11-14

“For the grace of God that brings salvation to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14

It is only by the grace of God that we live and breathe today. He has set us apart as His children to do good and to serve Him. To serve others in love and kindness. Some day when Christ returns, we will stand before the throne and give account for all that we have done here on earth. What will be God’s response to our account? Will He say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Or will He say, “I do not know you, because you have not made the effort to get to know Me.”

To live a godly life means to give up all the worldly things of this world. We might be in this world, but we don’t have to be part of this world. We must give up all the things that causes us to sin and strive to be right with God. If you are a child of God, then you are His own special people, and He will someday take you to the place He has prepared for you. If you are not His child, but belong to Satan, then it is time to mend your ways and turn to Christ for redemption. He is waiting for you with open arms.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

 

Fruitfulness

 

Fruitfulness

John 15:1-8

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

John 15:4-7

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:8

When good things happen to us, we must praise the Lord, for all good things come from the Lord. We cannot accomplish anything without God. He is the giver of all and supplies us even with the air we breathe. To live is to bear fruit. To bear fruit is to serve God and respectfully praise Him for all the blessings we have. Let us not be like the branch that withers and dies. Let us go forth and receive the crown of Jewels God has waiting for us in heaven.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

 

Freedom

 

Freedom

John 8:31-36

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31,32

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:35,36

How can we know God’s truth if we don’t know His words? And how can we know if we are sinning if we do not know God’s commandments. We are all sinners but in James 4:17 it says,” Therefore to him that knows to do good and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin.” In John 3:6 it says, “No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.” That person is a slave to sin and will not abide in God’s house.

We must always strive to know what God’s words are and be obedient to them. The more we know, the less we sin, and we are free to live in God’s kingdom forever.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

 

Forgiveness

 

Forgiveness

 

Mark 11:25,26, Ephesians 4:31,32

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against him, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, then neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:25,26

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31,32

When Christ died on the cross, he did it to forgive us our sins. When we don’t forgive others their sins we are discounting what Christ did for us. He didn’t forgive only those who are worthy of forgiveness, He did it for all people. For the rich and the poor, the most sinful and the saintliest and all those in between. If we can’t forgive others, He won’t forgive us. Open your heart, be forgiving and loving one another.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Faithfulness

 

Faithfulness

Matthew 25:23

“His Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

The most precious thing we could hear from our Lord when we die is “well done, good and faithful servant.” Those words I long to hear from the Lord. While I am still on earth though, the rest of the scripture baffles me. I want to be a good and faithful servant and never be weary of doing good. However, there is a time when we might have to ask ourselves if the things we are doing are from God or did we take on the task ourselves. Sometimes we might start out with a ministry from God but somewhere along the road we picked up things that God didn’t give us, things that people have asked us to do. We need to discern what is from God and what is from man. If we don’t, our ministry can soon feel like it is more of a job. Have you ever considered the story about the man with the wheelbarrow? It goes like this..

One day God appeared to this man, and He asked him if he could carry a pebble up the mountain in his wheelbarrow. Sure, the man replied, that will be easy. The man heads up the mountain and a friend stops him and asks him to take a rock up the mountain for him, soon another asks him to carry a stone. Further up the mountain, he acquires a boulder. Nearing the top, the man begins to complain because his load has gotten too heavy to bear. He cries out to the Lord, “why God have you given me such a heavy load?” The Lord answers, “I only gave you a pebble. The rest you took on yourself.

Along the way, we must learn to say no and focus on what God has given us to do. When we feel overwhelmed or overworked, it is time to take stock and set our priorities in order, putting God first in all that we do.

Please read the scriptures listed, study them, apply them to your life and grow in the saving relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior.

For more posts like this, go to: https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.