Category: Blessings

“Put On The Full Armour Of God” (Eph. 6:11)

“Put On The Full Armour Of God”

(Eph. 6:11)

Why do we need God’s armour? Christians are in a real spiritual struggle against supernatural foes – it is life or death, spiritually!

Will you guard your spiritual welfare in the way God has prescribed (Eph. 6:10-17)?

But be assured that we have all we need to win the battle for our souls:

  • 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
  • Jam 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 

Note: Jesus was able to remove Satan’s armour:

  • 11:22 “But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armour on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

The Lord Is My Shepherd

(Psalm 23)

Not all are the Lord’s sheep! This is evident even in the psalm itself

But for those who are the Lord’s sheep, Psalm 23 is a truly wonderful psalm!

An Ideal Audience

What makes an ideal audience?

Some audiences are clearly not ideal:
– Acts 13:44-45  Some are full of jealousy, or have other hidden agendas.
– And are we an ideal audience here this morning?

1. “We are all here”
2. “Present before God”
3. “To hear”
4. “All that you have been commanded by the Lord”

Conclusion
An ideal audience says,
– Acts 10:33, 24
1. Let’s all be here always (barring illness, etc.), on time, and with as many others as we can bring.
2. Let’s know that God sees all that we do and strive to please God.
3. Let’s come to listen carefully and not sleep through the message.
4. Let’s hear only the word of God and hear all of the word of God.

Note: We will also do God’s will:
– Matt. 7:24-27
And Cornelius and his friends also did God’s will:
– Acts 10:48

Wisdom is not found in the land of the living!

Wisdom is not found in the land of the living!

Job 28:1-11 Job describes the exploits of miners over 3½ thousand years ago (probably)

Job 28:12-22 Even though people have been successful in mining precious metals and precious stones from the earth (recall Job 28:1-11), they have not been successful on their own in discovering what according to Job in Job 28:12?

Job 28:23-28 Don’t despair!  How are the questions asked in Job 28:12,20 answered in Job 28:23?

Three Important Bible Periods

  1. The Promises (Christ)
  2. The Law
  3. The Gospel (Christ)

LESSONS

  1. God does not lie!
  2. Rejoice in the Lord always!
  3. Today we live by the gospel / the law of Christ and not by the law of Moses!
  4. Do the deeds of Abraham today!

True Happiness

What is the key to true happiness?

  • Many seek for happiness in wealth, possessions, and pleasure, only to be ultimately disappointed!
  • Many seek happiness in various sins, but any such “pleasure” is of course passing, and leads to hell.

The book of Psalms with its very first Psalm shares with us the key to true happiness

Other parts of the Bible also share with us this same key to true happiness …

  • g., We started this morning with Solomon … let’s go back to his inspired findings:
    • 12:13-14 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
    • Prov. 3:13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding.
    • 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.
  • Also recall Jesus in the beginning of the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5:3-12) …
    • 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Also 1 Tim 4:7-8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

The way to true happiness:

  • Acts 2:36-38 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ– this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  • Acts 2:41-42 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Blessings Chapter

Which new testament chapter of the Bible would you describe as “the Blessings Chapter”??

Ephesians chapter 1 is what I would describe as “the blessings chapter”!
• After the introduction to the letter to the Ephesians (1:1,2),
• Paul lists many of the blessings which (the Ephesian) Christians have in Christ (1:3-14),
• and then prays that they may be enlightened about all these blessings (1:15-23).

What is so great about Christianity? Let us examine ‘the blessings chapter’
    1. Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him
    2. verse 5,6 In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
    3. Eph. 1:7-8 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
    4. Verse 9-10 In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him
    5. Eph. 1:11-12 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance [also we were made a heritage, ASV], having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
    6. v 13-14 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.