Dear Saints,
Many people might tell you that the best thing to do in these last minutes is prepare! Buy emergency food and water, medical supplies, etc. Because tough times are coming! But I'm here to tell you that is not what the Lord wants you to do.
After the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter talk about end times and the return of Jesus, they both give us a list of instructions to follow. I felt led by the Lord to list them below and expound a bit as needed. I don't know about you, but lists are often easier for me to remember and process than reading paragraphs. What I found interesting is that I wasn't numbering them as I typed them out. Only after I finished the list did I press the button to number them. Interesting that there ended up being 26 of them.
So, here goes.
What Should We Be Doing
- Comfort other believers (Comfort those who mourn, who are going through trials, who are suffering)
- Edify other believers (Edify means to instruct or uplift, to build their faith)
- Respect and Esteem your pastors, Bible teachers, and others who lead the flock (Of course we are only talking about the ones who truly follow and love Jesus and teach the truth)
- Be at Peace ( If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. Romans 12:18)
- Warn those who are unruly (Unruly is the Greek Word ataktos which refers to a soldier who doesn't follow orders, who is out of ranks, and who participates in immoderate pleasures)
- Comfort the fainthearted (oligopsychos, which means feebleminded... weak minded, timid, afraid)
- Uphold the weak (those who are physically sick, but also those whose faith is weak)
- Be Patient with all (Yes, even that annoying family member or person who drives you insane)
- Do not return evil for evil (do not seek revenge for anything, no matter how small or big. Let God sort it out. Romans 12:19)
- Pursue what is good for yourself and for everyone around you. (Yes, even people who mistreat you. Go out of your way to be kind)
- Rejoice Always (Even when you don't feel like it)
- Pray without ceasing (Talk to Jesus all day long and even when you wake up at night)
- Give thanks for everything (good or bad)
- Do not quench the Spirit (We grieve or quench the Spirit by sin, by disobedience, by turning away from Jesus)
- Do not despise prophecies (Prophecies are not just words about the future, but in-depth understanding of Biblical truths. Don't despise the Word of God! )
- Test ALL things and keep what is truth. Toss out the rest
- Abstain from every form of Evil. (Not just evil, but every form or appearance of evil)
- Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless (Peace means peace with God. You are not living in willful sin or disobedience and you continually repent of all your sins)
- Have Faith (Faith is not just a belief in your mind, but a submission to Jesus and a trust in your heart in Him and His faithfulness and love)
- Add Virtue to Faith (Integrity, Character, Purity)
- Add Knowledge (Study and know the Bible!)
- Add Self-Control (Discipline. Dying to the Flesh, Denying yourself to follow Jesus)
- Add Perseverance (Patience under trials. Don't quit!)
- Add Godliness (Holiness. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14)
- Add Brotherly Kindness (Greek word, philadelphia, means a brotherly type of love)
- Love (This is agape love... the ultimate expression of God's love and the highest type of love we can achieve. It is that unconditional love that is willing to die for someone else)
Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Ephesians 5:15
Please do not take this list and become anxious, thinking you don't measure up! We are saved by God's Grace alone. Maybe you are good at comforting others and you have great patience, but you struggle a little with always being thankful and being kind to those who are mean to you. We are all Works in Progress! We are all on different places on that narrow road. The only thing that matters is that you love Jesus and walk with Him every day. That means you have a relationship with Him and you want to please and obey Him. Your heart is to become more like Him and you are moving in that direction. (Some of us are moving slower than others 😏) And that's okay. The following verse is a good way to stay on that path!
But I say, walk and live habitually in the Holy] Spirit, responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh . Galatians 5:16
Here are the Scriptures I took all these from:
I will also add to this list that we are commanded to watch for the Lord's return, especially as we see the day approaching. Watch and Pray! Pray for the Lost... in our family, among our friends, and even those we see at work or in the store. You will only know once you get to Heaven how powerful your prayers were!
No comments:
Post a Comment