THE CROSS

“‘Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?

Joshua 7:10-12

Intr.:

Israel has sinned;

a.  they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep.

b.  They have taken some of the devoted things;

c.  they have stolen,

d.  they have lied,

e.  they have put them with their own possessions.

End:

That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies.'”

One of the most beautiful things for a retired person is to be without deadlines. – W. D.

THE CROSS

“So do not worry,

Matthew 6:31,32

Intr.:

saying,

A.  ‘What shall we eat?’ or

B.  ‘What shall we drink?’ or

C.  ‘What shall we wear?’

End:

For the pagans run after these things,

and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

At the Beach

“Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.” – Isaiah 52:11

In the Old Covenant Aaron and his sons were carrying the “vessels of the LORD.”

Is this word for us today?

It is for all those who are true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In First Peter 2:9 we read: “But you are a chosen people, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

All those who belong to the New Covenant are carrying “the vessels of the LORD.”

A.  LET US PURIFY OURSELVES FROM THE LOVE OF MONEY.

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil,” it says in First Timothy 6:10.

The Bible tells us also what the destiny of those is whose mind is on earthly things.

We must always remember our heavenly calling.

B.  LET US PURIFY OURSELVES FROM DISPUTES WITH BROTHERS.

We don’t want to have anything to do with lawsuits. We belong to the Prince of Peace and we want to remember the words “Why not rather be wronged?” and “Why not rather be cheated?” (First Corinthians 6:7)

C. LET US PURIFY OURSELVES FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY.

In his first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul says in chapter five verse nine, “I have written you in my letter not to associate with immoral people,” and in verse ten he continues, “not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, …” In verse eleven of the same chapter he says, “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater  or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.”

D.  LET US PURIFY OURSELVES FROM LACK OF LOVE.

We experience the unsearchable Love of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Is it there still possible for us to be without love? John 13:34,35; John 15:24

Pastor Wilhelm Busch, who worked in Essen/Germany many years ago tells the story about two women who were talking about a man in the neighbourhood and the things they said about him were not nice things. At the end of the conversation one of the women said, “And he wants to be a Christian.”

It is sad, when we call ourselves Christians and don’t live like Christians.

Let us ask the Lord to give us strength to purify ourselves.

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Notes taken from “LASS DEIN HEIL UNS SCHAUEN” by Wilhelm Busch, page 292.

KAITAIA & DISTRICT A&P SHOW: Wood Chopping

Reading the quote, “CHOP YOUR OWN WOOD, AND IT WILL WARM YOU TWICE,” by Henry Ford, made me think of the verse in the Bible, where it says, “FOR EVEN WHEN WE WERE WITH YOU, WE GAVE YOU THIS RULE: ‘IF A MAN WILL NOT WORK, HE SHALL NOT EAT.'” – Second Thessalonians 3:10