Exhortations For The Church: Volume 3

Preface

I am finding more and more I watch less and less TV.

Paul said "redeeming the time because the days are evil."  Eph. 5:16

Often I turn off TV (which does nothing to strengthen me and build me in the faith in God) ... and I switch to reading Bible and godly exhortations. (which build faith in God and transform me from the thinking of this present world)

A few days ago, it was approximately 6 pm ... What would I find to do until bedtime?  How could I pass that time away until it was time for me to go to bed?

I had no idea ... I started reading one of the ministry books we have published on Amazon ... I thought about the scriptures and examined myself to see if I was applying these scriptures to my life, being a "doer" of the Word and not a hearer only.

I read some of the godly exhortations printed on our blog:  Jesus Ministries Exhortations

By these scriptures and exhortations I made some adjustments to my way of life on this earth.

I looked at the clock after doing these things and it was 10:30 pm ... I couldn't believe it!

And I felt strengthened in faith in God and was at peace, not troubled as I often am by TV and the various implications toward sins shown on TV programs ... adultery, fornication, hatred, wrath, strife, quarreling, fighting to win out over others, vengeance and other works of the flesh of man.  

The exhortations presented in this book present the way of life for us on this earth according to God by the scriptures and HIS Spirit.

We have an opportunity to build ourselves up in faith in God.  We can correct ourselves as needed by the Word of God.  And we renew our thinking from the way of this present world which is very corrupt according to the lusts of worldly people and their fleshly opinions which are opposite to the Spirit and thinking of God.

God says:    Isaiah 55 ...

 7 Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
 

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 

10 For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall MY word be that goeth forth out of MY mouth:
it shall not return unto ME void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

 

12 For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace:


the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:

and it shall be to the Lord for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.


Joan Boney

Antidote to the poison of words spread by worldly people

Recently a member of our little church group shared a scripture with her 40-year-old son who is not born again.  It is very appropriate to share scripture (light) this way when we see anyone, believer or non-believer, going a way opposite to the direction we know to be in Bible.

The son reacted to the Word by saying, "That so legalistic."  (poison against the Word)

I took this to God, telling God that this young man's words troubled me.

At first I heard nothing from God.

Later that day, I was reminded of a scripture which I knew to be the antidote to the poison spoken by this young man.

Jesus said ... 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate:for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  Mt. 7

The path to destruction is indeed broad and wide in choices:  adultery, fornication, homosexuals/lesbians, hating, anger, wrath, strife and such (works of our flesh) ... revenge which flesh delights in and which seems very reasonable to worldly people ...

Many go in the way of destruction.

The way of God is "strait" ... restricted ... narrow ... but that way is life and success and goodness in this life and in the next life.

The freedom practiced today is lawlessness against God.  It will lead to the wrath of God which God will bring on the children of disobedience. 

"Few" will go in the way of God ... the way of life ... 

Few church people will go in the way of God for there is a personal cost involved in the way of truth ... 

But this strait way of Bible is the way of life.

The worldly disobedient and the church disobedient don't often stop to consider the bad fruits produced by their way and the grief spread by their way.  They are blinded by the darkness in which they walk.

Also if we share the poison of their words with other people, we also need to share the antidote we have received from God.

We must seek the antidote from God.  You see the way I did this.

I would not have shared this story with you until I had the antidote for the poisonous words against Bible and against God's way.

But because I went to God and got the antidote to the poisonous words, we can all rejoice in the Word God gave for the rebellion against the Word.


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Exhortations For The Church:  Volume 3
Available from amazon.com in paperback and eBook



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