Farmville community is reeling with the horrific murders of four people found dead in their home. This is a little too close for comfort and the reality of evil makes it easy to be afraid. After a restless night, I turned on the news, and then switched to a religious program. An old man was sitting on his chair, reading from Romans 12. As he read, my fear turned into determination. The simple powerful words that became life to me were these-"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." We can do that. We can overcome this evil by doing good things and thinking good things.
I am always amazed at the creative and redemptive vengeance of God. Since He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, I am just going to say here, that I think that God's greatest vengeance on the enemy of our souls would be to bring the murderer to Himself. It is the sick He came to save. None of us can deny the sickness of this young man. Jesus came for him. Jesus came for you. Jesus came for me. He died the same death for all of us. Even so, Lord Jesus, show your power. Avenge the work of the enemy and turn even this horror into a wonder so that all we can say is, "Holy, Holy, Holy. Holy is Your name. " This is my hope, and He is able to do more than I can possibly hope for. Holy, Holy God.
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Hab. 2:1,2-"I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it."
God is raising up a people to stand guard over this evil society who can hear His voice and discern His ways.
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If we are thirsty for water, we are already dehydrated.
In our Christian experience, we allow ourselves to get dehydrated.
Get prepared. Drink before you are thirsty.
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The heart of man naturally becomes worse and worse.
Notice how it is the bad news that gets the most attention.
The grace and mercy of God is unspeakable.
It is supernatural. He pulls us out of the natural and brings us into the supernatural
to fulfill His calling in our lives.
But for the grace of God keeping us,
we are capable of doing any and every evil thing.
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In Matt. 22, Jesus gave a new commandment-not a suggestion.
We are to love Him and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
We show how we love Jesus by how we love each other.
If we cannot show the love of God to each other,
then we should not say that we love Jesus.
We need to be intentional in our commitment to love one another.
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#1-Commandment
#2-Commission
Jesus says to go. Go do it. Go share.
It used to be 'doing' something just by going to church.
We have talents and giftings that He's given us.
He should get a return on what He's invested in us.
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#3-Restoration of hope
Faith, hope, and love abide. It has to stay there.
Hope is the energy behind your faith.
Hope is the energy behind your love.
Hope is the glue that holds your faith and love together.
We endure to the end by our hope.
Jer. 29:11-He gives us a future and a hope.
Heb. 6:19-This hope we have as an anchor to our souls...
1 Cor. 9:10-The plowman plows in hope...the thresher threshes in the hope of sharing his crops.
Hope is when this thing is going to come to pass.
Faith gets us started. We believe in the promises of God.
But sometimes our faith gets discouraged.
But God has given us this blessed hope.
There is coming a day...
Faith can be discouraged by our emotions
but hope is steadfast.
Sometimes we sit back and wait for our faith to do something.
Faith..hope...love...they abide.
If you have no hope, you are in trouble.
You end today.
Restore our hope. Some have said that there is no hope for America,...for my family,...for our finances. But my faith tells me that there will always be hope for America, my family and my finances.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness...
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name/
Don't lose hope.
Watch for the little things that erode away your hope
just as a little water can erode away a big rock.
Guard your homes from the little things that erode.
The big things, you won't miss.
Watch out for the little things.
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Hope maketh not ashamed.
Hope keeps you from shame.
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