Life of consecration - looking for a deeper closer life to Him
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (vs. 2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Indoctrination to the point of understanding- Able to withstand every wind of doctrine
Eph 4:11 And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers;
4:12 For the perfecting of
the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body
of Christ:
4:13 Till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
4:14 That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every
wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
4:15 But speaking the truth
in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ:
Inspiration from an awesome source - Warmed to the heart with His joy
Neh
8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet,
and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day
is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the
LORD is your strength.
Comfort for each and everyone of us, from Him to us
1 Th 4:14 For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you
by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one
another with these words.
Strengthening - available for those who will work out
Col 1:7 As ye also learned
of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister
of Christ;
8 Who also declared unto us
your love in the Spirit.
9 For this cause we also,
since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom
and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing
in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all
might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light:
Conviction on Godly matters
Acts 4:1 And as they spake
unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees,
came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they
taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the
dead.
3 And they laid hands on them,
and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which
heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the
morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest,
and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred
of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
4 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the
Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined
of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all,
and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth
this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which
was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant
men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been
with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which
was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded
them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do
to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them
is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny
it.
17 But that it spread no further
among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth
to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and
commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered
and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken
unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak
the things which we have seen and heard.
21So when they had further
threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish
them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that
which was done.
Action instead of idleness
James
1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren,
let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all
filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the
engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer
of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural
face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth
himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man
he was.
25 But whoso looketh into
the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not
a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in
his deed.
26 If any man among you seem
to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart,
this man's religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in
their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Gary Marcum - East 38th Street FWB 112397am