The Testimony - 1 John 5:11

1 John 5:11 ESV 

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

The word of God is manifest in the Son. The testimony of Christ is that He brings eternal life and this life is in this Son. 

This is the truth we must hold and remain steadfast in as we face a world that has little regard for truth. 

Revelation 19:10

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

I Press On - Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14 ESV 

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Every follower of Christ has a past and future. The time in their life before Christ is remembered no more by God in His mercy. We should do the same, for ourselves and others. We are no longer children of men, but children of God. Our future has been guaranteed and awaits. 

Every follower has this goal that requires perseverance. We must press on and run the race until the end. When that journey is complete our upward, heavenly call will end in perfection. 

The Times - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

2 Timothy 3:1-5 

​But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

We are living in the last days. News is full of examples of the above in increasing measure. The last day, the Day of the Lord is close at hand. There is time, but less with each passing hour.

Does everyone know what time it is? These are the times. 

Cannot Be Shaken - Hebrews 12:25-29

JHebrews 12:25-29 ESV 

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. 

The earth shook when God spoke on Mt. Sinai. Something new was coming into creation. The shadow of heavenly things fell upon the earth. The Old Covenant was the shadow of the one to come. 

The New Covenant word has gone out to heaven and earth. This word shakes all creation until nothing shaky remains. The shadow gives way to light that cast the shadow. The refining fire of God melts down the impurities of man, burning away the chaff until all that is left is the grain. 

Like a burnt offering, we are consumed by our God and rise to heaven as a pleasing fragrance to the Lord. He breathes His life into ours and we fill His nostrils with that life given to Him. 

Fear Not - Genesis 15:1

Genesis 15:1 ESV 

​After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

The word of the Lord comes to Abram. This is none other than Christ, who is the word of God. He is our shield and reward, the source of life. 

Jesus would tell His disciples to "fear not." He is our strength and shield. There is no reason for fear. 

He tells us the same thing He told Abram. He is with us and our reward is to come. He will bring it when He comes, for He is our very great reward. We will be like Him. 

No More - Hebrews 10:15-18

Hebrews 10:15-18 ESV 

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,

and write them on their minds,”

then he adds, 

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

It is the Holy Spirit that enables the law to manifest inside our bodies. This same Holy Spirit bears witness of this reality. 

The Greek word for "will remember" is in the future tense. Our sin past, present, and future will not be held against us before the throne of judgment. We can make peace with God. There is a double emphasis in the Greek for "no more". 

Come take His hand this day and walk with Him. Let His peace be yours. 

Under Gloomy Darkness - Jude 1;5-6

Jude 1:5-6 ESV 

Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Matthew 4:16

the people dwelling in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,

on them a light has dawned.”

Where is the darkness, but apart from the light? Is it not the earth, without form and void?

What are the eternal chains, if not those from which Jesus Christ has set His people free? Are we not like stars hung in the sky that continue to shine and give witness to the darkness of that glorious light?

We are children of light that continue to shine in the world. We remain in the world, even as our feet touch the kingdom of heaven. We walk in the land of the shadow of death, but we dine at His table that He has prepared. 

Where is the gloomy darkness, but the dominion of Satan? Fallen angels move around us and demons prey on our weakness, but we follow and are cared for by the Great Shepherd who leads us to the pasture of our salvation. He will bring His people out of this land and into the promised land. He has prepared a place. eath,

on them a light has dawned.”

Apart - James 2:26

James 2:26 ESV 

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James sums up the matter in this sentence. Life is the opposite of death. The spirit animates the body and when removed leaves body dead. Spirit is something on the inside which manifests on the outside. Most can identify and discern between a body that is alive or dead. 

Likewise, faith animates a body into new life. The absence of works reflects faith that is dead. Works are fruit of the Spirit. Faith that has life is evidenced by the presence of the Spirit. That faith is discernible because it is alive. 

Limbs apart from the vine wither and die. 

In The Knowledge - 2 Peter 1:2

2 Peter 1:2 ESV 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

It is not by, through, or because of the knowledge of God and the Lord that grace and peace will multiply in our lives, but when we are in the knowledge. They bring us near the kingdom, but it is still a word away. His word brings salvation to our door. Our word opens the door. He enters our life when we accept His invitation and invite Him to come in. 

It is when we are able to make that leap of faith that we find the freedom to freely partake of the kingdom of heaven, entering the very body of Christ, becoming one with Him. We are then in a place where the grace and peace of God begins to accomplish its purpose as He intended from the beginning. 

Our house becomes the temple of God. 

Very Great Promises - 1 Peter 1:3-4

2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV 

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

His power has been given for life and godliness. He has called us to follow. In following Him we become partakers of His divine nature. It is a journey. At the end of that journey we will receive all He has promised. 

Walk with me and I'll help you and you help me. Together with Him we will get to the end as more than conquerors. 

In Accordance - 1 Timothy 1:8-11

1 Timothy 1:8-11 ESV 

Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

If we are justified by Christ, we are no longer under the law, but live in the gospel of the glory of God. The law was given to make us ready for that gospel and to bring us where we might receive the gift of God. 

Under the gospel of God we are made whole. The law is given to help us diagnose our weakness so that we might be healed with the strength of His gospel. We have been entrusted with this news for ourselves and others. It is given for life. 

A Kind Of Firstfruits - James 1:16-18

James 1:16-18 ESV 

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

That which is good and perfect comes from the Father above. What is that He gives us? The truth. That truth enables us to be like Him. He has made us children of light. 

The firstfruits implies there is a full crop that will later be reaped at harvest time. We are at the beginning of a wondrous thing, like Eve fashioned from Adam's rib, we are fashioned and born in the body of Christ. 

The seed by which we are born is the word of truth. By His word comes forth a creation as He willed.  

If We Hold Fast- Hebrews 3:5-6

Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV 

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

We are more than servants to our Father. We have entered His house as sons. We have become His dwelling place, the temple of His presence. 

He will never let us go if we hold fast. 

Lest We Drift - Hebrews 2:1

Hebrews 2:1 ESV 

​Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

The tides and currents of the sea are always in motion. Waves ever expend themselves on the shore. The wind of the world is never at rest. It would be easy to drift if we take our eyes off Jesus, if we no longer keep our inheritance in view. 

Peter walked on water before he took his eyes away from Jesus. 

Our course is set. The path is before us. We must not lose sight of what is important. 

Your Will - Hebrews 10:5-7

Hebrews 10:5-7 NIV 

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you were not pleased.

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’”

Our ultimate purpose and good is living in the will of God. Jesus provided the perfect example of this in His life on earth. He was given a body like ours to show us how to live. In that same body He put sin to death. We are given the opportunity to do the same through the power of His name. 

This is the will of God for our life, that we are reborn into His life. 

Deliberately - Hebrews 10:26-27

Hebrews 10:26-27 ESV 

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

How can we reconcile these verses were with those preceding? The key to understanding is "sinning deliberately". This goes beyond sinning out of ignorance or weakness. This is willful and intentional in nature. 

Remember Jesus came to save us because in our weakness we are unable to save ourselves. In our ignorance we stumble unaware. If we willingly do wrong and keep doing it without repentance, we are in danger of judgment. There is but one who will rightly decide this matter. Staying close to Him will give us His strength in our weakness. He is stronger than our conscience. His strength is perfected in our weakness. 

Rest in His arms. 

In His Word - Psalms 130:2-5

Psalms 130:2-5 ESV 

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

If not for His mercy, we would not stand a chance of being with the Lord. It is in His mercy He listens to our cries at all. 

Forgiveness only comes when we ask, when we seek Him. A word from us enables the word of God to transform and transfer us into His kingdom. Our soul finds it's peace in the salvation of God. 

We wait on and for Him. He has spoken and His word gives us life. We are new creations, the crowning fruit of all creation. It is in this word we live, hope, and wait. 

Earnestly Desired - Luke 22:14-16

Luke 22:14-16 ESV 

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

The Passover was an event in history which foreshadowed another event, that of His suffering for you and me. It is this second event which fulfills the plan of God established from the beginning. The first Passover helps us to anticipate and understand the coming and purpose of Christ. 

We recline at His table in communion as we share His cup and eat His bread of the kingdom of God. 

He earnestly desires the final fulfillment of His kingdom. So do we. 

The Firstborn - Hebrews 1:6

Hebrews 1:6 ESV 

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, 

“Let all God's angels worship him.”

He is the firstborn of the union between man and God. The seed of the divine entered the earth of humanity. Creation continues as we follow Him into His rest, the peace and life only He can provide. 

Laid On Him - Isaiah 53:6

Isaiah 53:6 ESV 

All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

Man is a fallen creature, but if we fall on Him, the weight of our sin is transferred to Him. Forsaking our own way, we are able to rise and travel the way of life. 

By Their Works - Titus 1:15-16

Titus 1:15-16 ESV 

To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Two people can look at the same thing, but see it in a different way. This is a common phenomenon and the difference can vary widely. Two major factors are experience and the content, or makeup of a person. The eyes of the pure perceive with purity, for that is their essence and life. They do this because that is what they are. 

Works include gentleness, self control, joy, and patience which reflect the fruit of the Spirit. 

We can't help but live as we believe. It is easy to speak of one thing and do another. Our deeds speak more loudly than words. How we live tells the story. 

Let Him Go - John 11:43-44

John 11:25-26 ESV 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:43-44

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

We who believe are in between the life and resurrection that is Jesus Christ. We have, like Lazarus, been called out from the grave, out of the darkness into the light. We live in His light as we await our resurrection when He comes again to gather His people. 

He has called us by name into a personal relationship with Him. We are no longer bound in the grave clothes of darkness, but have exchanged them for linen robes of righteousness made possible by the sacrifice of the Son. Unbound and free, we are no longer deceived by Satan. Satan has been bound by the truth of God for those who trust in the Lord. 

Just as Moses told pharaoh "Let my people go!", Jesus tells His followers to "Unbind him, and let him go". We then wander in the wilderness of the world until at last we enter the promised land of God's presence. 

The New Has Come - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 ESV 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

The believer in Christ is changed in a mighty way, though his appearance is the same. We are brought to life from a state of death that was not apparent to our eyes of flesh. We exchange an old creation for a new and lasting one. 

The new has come and is coming, to be revealed at a time of God's choosing. 

We must no longer regard anyone according to the flesh, but see beyond the surface of the natural with the new spirit eyes opened by the Spirit of God. It's a whole new world. 

My Path - Psalms 119:105

Psalms 119:105 ESV 

Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light to my path.

In the darkness of the world there is a way to overcome the darkness. Light has been given and it shines over the deep. 

To the one seeking out the path, following the word will lead the way. It allows us to walk with the Lord. He alone knows the way to the Father. 

Before The Ages Began - 2 Timothy 1:8-9

2 Timothy 1:8-9 ESV 

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

The sacrifice of Christ Jesus was always God's plan to raise a people to be with Him. It was for His own purpose and grace to harvest a holy people to be His own. Through His word we are created and through His word we are saved. 

We become part of the communion of God.  

Dust You Shall Eat - Genesis 3:14

Genesis 3:14 ESV 

The Lord God said to the serpent, 

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all livestock

and above all beasts of the field;

on your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

We are made from the same dust where the serpent crawls. That is why we have such an affinity for his temptations. We share common ground. It is this ground we must rise above, out of the miry clay. 

The alternative is to be eaten by the snake.

I Press On - Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14 ESV 

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Every follower of Christ has a past and future. The time in their life before Christ is remembered no more by God in His mercy. We should do the same, for ourselves and others. We are no longer children of men, but children of God. Our future has been guaranteed and awaits. 

Every follower has this goal that requires perseverance. We must press on and run the race until the end. When that journey is complete our upward, heavenly call will end in perfection. 

It Is Finished - John 19:30

John 19:30 ESV 

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

From: "Breaking The Code of the Feasts", Perry Stone:

 "One other interesting point concerning this final announcement: on Passover the priest would say, "It is finished" once the final lamb was offered."

This was said by the high priest during the Jewish observance of Passover.

This was said by our high priest after making that last and perfect sacrifice. 

His love endures forever. 

Your Life Appears -Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV 

​If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Christ sits on His throne above. We died with Him if we follow Him. We are still on earth, but we partake in the life of Christ in God. In bodies of flesh, we hide the Holy Spirit which is the life of God hidden in us. 

He is above and we are below. His Spirit remains with us. 

When Christ appears, heaven and earth will be joined. We who have been made alive will receive new bodies, leaving behind these bodies of death. We will appear with Him, no longer hidden, but in a glory visible to all eyes. A new creation will be revealed filled with the light of God.