Obedience in Righteousness

 

    Everyday is full of choices.  Will I follow Jesus or personal desires?  Will I make time for my relationship with God or will I fill it with stuff?  Will I walk in faith or the flesh?  Even if you are a Christian, you can act like the world at times.  You get distracted or disoriented, but that is why you need invest in time with God.  Obedience comes from righteousness to win spiritual battles, not trying to be good enough.

    Start your day confessing anything that is weighing on your heart, evil desires, wrong attitudes, or sins that you may need to confess to God.  Make room for the Holy Spirit to be able to work before facing your day.  Slow down long enough to really get what you need for the day.  Enjoy your time with God because it produces life into your life.  Embrace your justification and sanctification to become more like Jesus every day.

    Allow the Holy Spirit to empower and transform you into a person that desire obedience so that you can fulfill your purpose in this world in love.  The choices you make today matter.  Allow the Holy Spirit to help you remove sin from your life.  

    Your choices lead you toward obedience or away from it.  What does your heart truly desire?  Will you endure for righteousness or give into seemingly harmless indulgences?  Will you become strong in your faith or be a puppet to your sin.  It is not called spiritual warfare for nothing.  It can tear you apart from the inside or you can surrender it to God to allow Him to fight the majority of the battles.

Romans 5:18-19, 6:15-23, 7:14-17, Galatians 5:1-18, & Colossians 3:5-11

Obedience Process

 

    You will never be able to make God happy until you build a strong foundation in the way that He has instructed it to be built.  You have to make the time to learn God's expectations, love, and instructions to be able to live the life meant for you.  If you neglect to learn, then you will never be able to please God and life will feel like something is missing.  

    True foundation is built on faith in Jesus.  He is the foundation for security, righteousness, and strength.  It takes a long time to build a proper foundation.  Once it is constructed, then everything else moves fairly quickly.  You have to understand who you are in relation to Jesus.  You have to know what you believe and why.  You have to be able to glorify God in all situations.  You need this to be ready to follow no matter what the world throws at you.

    Faith is a commitment to walk with God in obedience.  You don't have to be a scholar to obey God.  At the same time you should not be content with salvation with no growth.  God knows you thoroughly.  He wants you to get to know Him in a similar way.  If you journal, then you can see your growth over time.  You should not be where you were 5 years ago. 

    As you grow in your relationship with God your life should reflect the truth found in God's Word.  Test your life to His Word to see where adjustments need to be made. Is your lifestyle meeting God's approval?  Do you even think about Jesus at all in your day?  How can you have fellowship with God if you don't even think about Him in your day?

Matthew 6:34-35 & Colossians 3:1-4

Obedience Utilized

 

    Salvation is something only those that know, know.  It is a spiritual rebirth that changes something in you that you can't explain.  It gives you freedom to start fresh.  Nothing physically changes.  Your scars are still there.  You look the same.  However, you are different.  The primal part of you died and the Holy Spirit brings forth life in the places that were void.  You know the parts of you that make you feel empty or that you are missing something.  

    Your salvation is the catalyst to true obedience to God.  You will never really be able to make God happy if you don't truly believe.  Obedience is your choice.  He will never force you, but He also will not spare you the consequences if you reject Him.  Obedience to God is faith.  It starts with salvation, then Baptism, maturing, and then being a disciple.  Many people stop at salvation or baptism.  They have no idea what they are missing out on.

    Utilizing obedience is embracing it to please God.  You get a freedom that the world will never be able to provide.  Everything the world gives you is a counterfeit to what God is trying to give you.  You personally utilize obedience by spending time with God.  This is part of the maturing process.  If you are truly invested, then it never gets boring.  Today there are so many ways to help you study too: bible apps, bible dictionaries, commentaries, bible studies, books on culture and history, and more.

    Start utilizing the resources that you have.  As the Holy Spirit makes you hungry for certain avenues of study, then you can spread out.  The point is to seek the truth, closeness to God, and your identity in Him.  Focus on the passage(s) that you are reading today.  What are they telling you?  

    What are you willing to let die or give up for your relationship with Jesus?  He freed you from sin.  Will you still act like it has the control or will you release yourself from the chains he unlocked?  He is clearing the path for you.  Will you follow?  It is okay that the journey is not perfect.  It reveals things to you.  The point is to learn, get up, and keep following Jesus.  You will face temptation, but you don't have to fall for it.  If you stay on your path, then the Holy Spirit will give you an escape from sin even when there are none.

Romans 6:1-7:6, Colossians 3:1-4, & 1 Peter 2:21-25

Obedience Clarified

 

    Obedience is needed in life for several reasons: society, function, order, and sometimes protection.  As a Christian you need to learn God's voice.  It is not audible, but it is there.  You need to know the Holy Spirit's whisper among the chaos in your mind.  You need to know it is different than the whispers of Satan or you will be vulnerable to all types of manipulation.

    You learn God's voice in the Bible.  He will never lead astray.  If you are hearing something that goes against what you find in the Bible, then you know it is not God's voice.  When you know God's voice you can start being obedient.  You can really trust your citizenship in Heaven.  Christians, you are in the family of God.  You never have to doubt that or feel insecure in His love.

    When you feel secure in your relationship with God you are able to love better.  If you are able to love purely, then you are able to be obedient.  True obedience stems from real love.  The more you invest into your relationship with God, the more clear this becomes.

    How do you know what is true?  When doing your Bible study take some time throughout your life to learn the original context of the Bible: language, dialect, how it was translated, culture, and more.    Certain words could just be a part of a passage.  Finding the roots will give them deeper meaning.  It will help you dig in to discover the truth for yourself.  The truth gives what you do in life meaning.

    As you embrace obedience to God it will help you embrace obedience to people.  People are flawed, so there will always be a struggle being obedient to those whom do not align with your beliefs.  Just remember that God put them where they are for a reason and a season.  You may never understand why, but do not allow people to deter your obedience to God.  

    God gave you mercy, so try to love and give other people mercy too.  It is better to love than go through the motions of being obedient.  It is better to be obedient than to sacrifice.  The motivation and heart matter.  Your heart will be revealed in time for all to see.

John 10:25-30, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Philippians 3:17-21, Colossians 3:1-4, & 1 Peter 1:3-5

Observed Obedience

 

    Sin is a natural state for humans.  You inherited the desire to sin.  However, God calls you to be obedient.  It is an internal battle that will drain you until you learn how to submit and change your desires.  With sin comes death.  Death is one of the only certainties of life.  How you spend your life is your choice.  You can allow sin and death to consume you like cancer to the point where you spend eternity in torment.  Or you can choose obedience that starts with salvation and have eternal paradise.

    Learning how to be obedient is not as simple as it sounds.  It starts with salvation.  Then you learn how to submit by learning who God is.  As you understand His character the more you are drawn toward obedience.  The truth has a way of putting things into perspective that makes life simpler.  Building your salvation on the foundation of truth gives you the strength to follow Jesus.

    You discover the truth about everything that matters in God's Word.  You discover a love that you have never experienced anywhere else.  Salvation brings immediate justification, but it is only the beginning of the purification process.  You have to change the way you think and view life to become more pure in time.  Salvation gives you sanctification, but you have to maintain it.  It is not a one time prayer and expect to be perfect in God's eyes.  It is the beginning on learning on how to be obedient.

    Salvation gives you glorification because you have defeated death.  Now you have to defeat your desires that lead you toward death.  It takes spending time in God's Word, prayer, meditation, fasting, and worship.  The alternative to salvation is eternal separation from God.  Salvation links you to Jesus to the point you know that when your time comes you will be resurrected like he was, but in Heaven.  

    Jesus changed everything.  He is still changing lives today.  Believer, declare your faith, and follow him into righteousness.  You become a new creation where the Holy Spirit can dwell.  He helps you become blameless.  He teaches you how to be obedient in a way that pleases God.  

Psalm 103:7-18, Romans 6:20-23, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Galatians 2:17-21, Ephesians 2:4-7, Philippians 3:7-11, & Colossians 1:21-22, 3:1-4

Obedience Foundation

 

        Building a strong foundation in your faith is wise.  Part of a strong foundation is learning obedience.  It works hand in hand with self-discipline.  It is taking ownership and responsibility over your decisions, actions, and words.  It is easier to do with a clear conscience when you know who you are in Jesus.  It helps you make better life decisions, choices, and relationships that glorify him.

    A foundation built on truth is strong.  It drives you to have relationships with fellowship and pushes you to live boldly.  A foundation built on truth accepts encouragement to do good, correction with you mess up, and exhortation. It helps you identify the lies easier.  Life is very confusing when you can't tell the truth from the lie.  

    What you believe directly influences your actions and attitude.  Base what you believe on the truth and it will cut out so much confusion in life.  It builds confidence and assurance.  Take the time to really build a strong foundation.  It means you can't build for a longer period of time, but the foundation will not crumble under pressure, shaky ground, or anything else.  You will be able to stand firm.  You will have understanding.  You will be able to enjoy the process better.  Do not rush growth.

    Building a strong foundation takes time.  It take patience.  You have to be willing to ask the hard questions.  You have to be willing to be wrong and change your viewpoint.  It is an opportunity to have an incredible life, but you have to be willing to do things differently.  

    Your foundation is your theology.  It will result in a strong spiritual life, neutral, indifferent, or non-existent.  Your theology matters.  It all starts with your mind and heart.  Actions (obedience or disobedience) are the result of your theology.  It is based on your relationship with God and getting closer to him instead of being right.

Psalm 90:1-2, Daniel 2:17-23, Matthew 15:3-9, John 14:6, Romans 11:6-7, & Colossians 1:9-10, 3:1-17

Responding Obedience

 

    No matter how good you think you are you cannot save yourself.  Comparing yourself to other people may make you feel better about yourself, but it doesn't change the fact that you need faith in God's mercy displayed in Jesus to have salvation.  There is no other way.  Your path to this truth will not look like anyone else's path, but it has to lead to Jesus.  It is personal and it is real.  You see his sacrifice for you and you respond through faith to commit the rest of your life to him.

    You compare your life to Jesus' to see how much you really need him.  His obedience led to your freedom.  He was tempted, but never sinned.  You sinned before you even knew what sin was.  Jesus came into this world to live it exactly how he did in obedience to God.  He never lost focus of his purpose.  He is the only one truly good enough to make it to Heaven.  His obedience made it where you are able to be righteous through faith.

    As a Christian you choose to be obedient to God because you are responding to His grace.  Take the time to evaluate your life and pray over it.  Listen to the Holy Spirit to see what He is trying to tell you today.  Is there anything you need to change, repent, or do to be obedient to God's will.  How is what you are learning about God affecting your life today?  Do you respond to God's grace or do you ignore it?  Do you see the truth?

    Give up the control.  Allow God to take over.  Your stress levels will go down and your peace will go up.  You will never be able to control other people or circumstances.  All you can control is how you respond.  Do not feel like you have to prove yourself.  God already knows who you are.  He has already paid the dept.  You only have to accept it.  In response to His love, grace, and mercy comes obedience.  

Judges 2:16-17, 1 Samuel 15:20-23, John 14:15-21, Philippians 2:6-8, & Hebrews 5:7-10

Obedience in Grace

 

    Salvation has nothing to do with how good you are.  You will never be able to earn your way into Heaven.  Salvation is an act of grace that motivates you to change.  Change is not a requirement.  It is a biproduct of you becoming something new. To follow Jesus you focus on grace and loving like him, not being perfect or checking off a list that makes you feel good.

    Instead of trying to be perfect focus on your relationship with God.  The Holy Spirit will work in you to make the changes that make you obedient.  It doesn't mean life is a chore or boring.  It means you can find delight in the small things and see the benefits of becoming obedient.  You will start to desire to want to do what pleases God naturally without being forced.

    Obedience in grace is working out your salvation.  You spend time in God's Word and prayer to figure out what you believe and why.  God's grace is what saved you through faith.  You are obedient in your faith, so grace is continuing it's work in you.  You learn how to incorporate grace into your life where it becomes a part of who you are.  It is between you and God, but the world gets to see how it changes you over time.

Romans 15:14-19, 1 Corinthians 15:10-11, Philippians 1:3-6, 2:12-13, Colossians 3:18-25, & Titus 2:11-15

Obedience as Worship

 

    Obedience to God is a calling.  If you are a Christian, then it is not something you should question.  You have been called and it is expected that you will obey through listening and responding, living a holy lifestyle, study God's Word, prayer life, submission to authority, and God centered mindset.  One way to live out your obedience is through having worship in your heart.

    God understands what you are going through.  He is there in it with you.  All He is asking is that you be obedient.  If you are obedient, then you may just get through things faster.  However you may just get stronger and more responsibility is laid upon you.  It is not punishment.  It is a blessing.  When you need rest, then ask for rest.  God is eager to give you what you need and want when you are obedient as long as it serves you and your purpose best.

    Christians are called to be set apart.  That takes strength, endurance, and faith.  It is displayed in your obedience.  Obedience in worship is how you show your acknowledgment and appreciation for God's mercy and grace given to you.  It is true obedience because you are intune to God and made Him the center of your world.  It gives you confidence and self-worth.  It is not to get attention, but to point attention to Jesus. 

Matthew 5:13-16, Romans 1:1-5, 12:1-2, & 2 Corinthians 5:11-15

Obedience to the Holy Spirit

 

    Salvation gives you a new life.  It is a spiritual rebirth to a sinless state.  However, we live in a fallen world.  We tend to still find sin our lives.  We have to follow the Holy Spirit to really understand sin and turn away from it.  It is in the time you walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit that you start to change in the world around you.

    Salvation allows you to stand righteous before God because of Jesus' sacrifice and God's grace.  You have one spiritual rebirth.  After that, it is about maintenance.  It not asking God's forgiveness once.  It is finding out what your hidden sins that have deep roots and continuing to repent.  It takes obedience to the nudging of the Holy Spirit to be able to dig the roots out and burn them where they will never have control over you again.

    When you become a Christian the Holy Spirit comes in subtly and starts cleaning house.  If you are obedient to Him, then he has a nice warm and thriving home to live in.   If you don't, then you will grieve him.  That will cost you not your salvation, but your piece and blessings.  To follow Jesus means you have to allow the Holy Spirit to saturate your emotions, thoughts, and actions.  

    The Holy Spirit wants to be a part of every aspect of your life.  That means he wants to be included in all decisions from what to wear to who you allow into your life, marriage, work, meals, health, finances, and everything in between.  

    Here is the part no one likes to talk about.  Obedience is hard.  It means willingly giving up what you want to do to do something that you may not want to do.  This is why people fail sometimes.  Everyone gets in their own head sometimes and make bad decisions.  No one remembers to look at the end game or long term all the time.  Sometimes you get caught up in the moment.  That is when you need to repent.  The sooner you do the easier it becomes.  

    The Holy Spirit is what fills all the voids you have in your life or soul.  He makes you complete without anyone else.  Other people are meant to be a gift, blessing, or learning experience.  He can fill your mouth with words of life.  He can purify your mind.  He can help your control your feelings.  He is your comforter, counselor, advocate, and life navigator.  All you have to do is be open and obedient.  

    The Holy Spirit empowers your life to do the impossible.   You can not walk away from your sinful nature without him.  You cannot live the life you were put on this earth to live without Him.  He is the biggest blessing of your life.  You are obedient because you trust and rely on His power.  It opens your eyes to things that were hidden before.  Like it or not you need him.  

John 14:15-26, Romans 8:26-30, 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, 6:18-20, 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, Galatians 3:1-4, & 2 Peter 1:3-4

Obedience as a Response to God

 

    God is pursuing you.  He wants a relationship with you.  He knows all your flaws and he still wants you.  You will never reach perfection in life.  You will never be good enough.  That is why you have to accept His invitation to be a part of His family just as you are.  You will change over time, but it starts today if you are willing to follow Jesus in faith.

    Obedience is not complicated.  You can make it harder than it needs to be, but it is simple.  If you choose obedience out of response to God's love and grace given to you, then that is good.  Do not overthink it.  Do not put yourself through hoops that you were never asked to do.  Simply be still and God will make His direction for you clear in time.

    When you start your Bible study pray over what you will read.  Maybe journal what you are getting out of the study.  If God is giving you direction, then you are likely to find it there.  The point is to be open and willing to respond.  End your time with God in prayer of thanksgiving and try to apply what you learned into your life today.  

    Obedience is not a list of rules or a check off list of specific things that have to be done every day.  It is not something that takes away the fun in life.  It is an act of worship and can be exciting.  You can find  enjoyment in obedience.  It is understanding all that God has done for you and responding in love and devotion.  What could be wrong with that?

    Do not compare your life to anyone else. Your personality, education, life situations, history, and more are yours and no one else's.  Your life will never look like anyone else's life nor should it.  You have your own path to live.  You are not on anyone's time table, but yourself and God.  You can do this.

Zechariah 6:15, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 3:23-26, 4:4-17, 5:12-19, 6:20-23, 11:5-6, Ephesians 2:8-10, & Titus 3:3-7

How to Focus

 

    When you are reading the Bible with purpose and focus it is not about speed.  It is about impact and comprehension.  You focus on quality of time spent with God instead of going through a routine or checking it off your daily to do list.  

    You can go back to the same scripture everyday for a while until you are able to get a well rounded perspective over it.  It is focusing on a certain area to search for hidden truth.  If you want to do it this way, then have a question in mind.  Find an area that has something to do with that question and read it prayerfully until you get what you are looking for.  It will probably lead you to other scripture over time, but start small so it is not too overwhelming.

    When studying God's Word start with the foundation.  What is the root meaning of this passage?  Does it reference any other scripture?  If so, then what is the context of that scripture?  Ask yourself questions like that when reading.  That is why it is smart to start with a short passage or a few scriptures.  

    Next Look over the details.  What are they telling you?  How does it apply to the culture back then?  How can it apply now?  Next comes clarification.  If it is unclear, then you can spend a lot of time here to uncover the original meaning.  Learning about the cultures, mindset, religions, and politics of that time can take years.  Do not rush it, but seek enough to allow yourself to understand the general context.

    The fourth step is utilization.  How does the scripture connect to your life now or in the past?  What can you learn from it to do better in the future?  How does it make you feel and why?  The last step is summation.  How are you going to respond to what you are studying?  Are you going to allow God to heal you, reprimand you, comfort you?  Will you turn toward Him and lean in or will your reject it and walk away?

    This is why your Bible study does not need to be superficial.  It doesn't have to take hours either.  Invest a set portion of time a day and it will accumulate over time.  If you only do 15 minutes, then you can grow into an hour in time.  If you have hours, then that is great, but it is not the expectation.  It is something you work through with God.  

    I look at it like tithing my time.  If I am up for 15 hours a day, then I can give God my attention 1.5 hours throughout that day, but that is not where I started.  I started with 5 to 15 minutes every couple of days or so.  The point is to grow deeper in your relationship with God.  Your time table is personal, so no one else gets to tell you how to do it.  Only the Holy Spirit can convict you in how you spend your time, energy, and focus.  

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 & Colossians 3:1-17

Start Focused Obedience

 

    Obedience is something you learn over time.  How can you be obedient if you don't know what is expected?  You need to understand boundaries, rules, and consequences.  God's Word takes obedience to a deeper level.  

    It is important to make time to spend in God's Word.  It is great to have a desire, but unless you prioritize it it will never happen on a regular basis.  You need to spend time in God's Word to understand what is required of you and why.  The world will always try to pull you away from accomplishing that, but it is the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself.

    Obedience requires focus.  You have to train your mind to be present for the amount of time you have to be one on one with God.  You will train your eye to see life-changing truths in scriptures.  Start with 15 minutes in a quiet place to give God your undivided attention.  In time, like at the gym, you can extend the time and keep it beneficial. 

    If you are a true believer, then your passion for God's Word will grow and change over the years.  You will use it to look at yourself and make changes.  You will learn how to focus, pray, meditate, and wait.  God's truth will transform your heart over time.  Next, your relationship with change and grow so that you can know God in a more meaningful way.  

    The most important thing about who you are is what you believe about God.  Use your prayer life to understand His truth better.  Study His love letter to know Him better.  He has given you boundaries, rules, and laid out consequences because He loves you.  This relationship will forever change you in the best way possible.  

    If you want to see your growth or how you are changing, then a journal the best way.  If you have a prayer journal, then you can go back and see how God answers your prayers over the year.  If you don't have a physical Bible, then do not let that stop you.  There are several different Bible apps you can get on your phone and most are free.  You can also go to a local church.  They typically are happy to give you a free Bible, but it may be the King James version (old English).  A Bible app can offer different versions for you to find one that is easiest for you to read the Bible and understand God is saying.

    When studying the Bible you can use reference, Bible dictionary, and online commentaries.  You probably don't need it, but as you grow it can help you get more meaning.  Just remember God's Word tells you all you need to know.  Other people's perspectives and ideas can challenge you, but you should always go back to the source.  People can help you grow, but be careful on who you listen to.  If a person does not point back to the Bible, then it is best not to allow them to be your mentor.

1 Samuel 15:20-23, John 14:15-21, & James 1:22-25

Focused Obedience

 

    Focus is hard.  That is why so many people struggle with reading books.  We live in an instant world, so things that take time seem inconvenient when in reality it could be building something life changing in you.  Focused obedience is about taking the time to focus on your relationship with God.  It is pushing aside the distractions of life for a set amount of time, so you can learn, seek, or grow.  Investing a little bit of your time with God everyday will transform your entire world.

    Focus is a still set that you can use in every aspect of your life.  It helps your make decisions.  It makes certain things clear.  It helps you not waste time or energy.  It is like a muscle that has to be worked.  Your first time trying to do a daily devotional will probably not go too well.  You have to learn and be patient as you grow.  The point is that you don't stop trying.

    When you start focused study on God's Word it may feel like a waste of time.  True change takes time.  The transformation is unlikely to be immediate.  You are not going to know how to be a true Christian over night.  It is a life long journey.  The more you practice focus in reading God's Word the quicker you will be able to find what you are looking for.  

    Focus will help you develop a trained eye through memorization, fasting, prayer, and wisdom.  It will help you identify your temptations.  It will help you fill that void that only God can fill.  Obedience is not a check list.  It is not something you can just go to and declare right and wrong.  It is developed in your heart through reading scripture and figuring out how to obey God's commandments on a personal level.

    As you learn how to focus on God you will have ups and downs.  You will not do it perfectly, but as long as you submit your heart to God to develop then He will be pleased.  Never allow yourself to get tired of pursuing Him and doing His good works.  

1 Samuel 15:20-23, Mark 12:32-33, Luke 11:28, & John 14:15-21

Obedience

 

    Obedience is love in action.  It is when you voluntarily submit to God's authority and commands.  It is an act of faith and trust.  It comes from the heart rather than duty.  You hear and respond to God's Word.  Obedience is proof of your love for God.  It is the result of faith that becomes the foundation for your life.  It is not about the rules.  It is about your relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit.

    You will never be able to overcome sin or remove it from your life on your own.  It takes having faith in Jesus to have it removed.  Then you start to live your life like him to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to change your heart desires.  It is not about the rules.  It is about wanting to be closer to God.

    Jesus is perfection.  He has already been the sacrifice for your imperfection.  The Holy Spirit enables your heart to change, but you have to choose obedience to able to change.  You will never be perfect in life, but you do change and know more often when you are not obedient.

    Jesus is righteousness.  If you choose to follow him in faith, then you become righteous.  He is truth that feeds life into your life.  You are never without hope.  Don't give up.  Keep pursuing God because He never stops seeking a close relationship with you.  The more you pursue Jesus the more you will become like him.  

    The more you try to be perfect the more disappointed you will be in life.  You will burnout and want to give up.  You will experience frustration and independence that isolates you from God.  Do not try to do it on your own.  It is not worth it.  Don't focus on the dos and don'ts.  Instead focus on where you are with Jesus today.  He is calling to you.  All you have to do is respond and follow.  

    In reality obedience is choosing Jesus everyday.  It is real moments in life, not just one or two choices that make you better than who you were or other people.  It is personal and doesn't involve anyone other than you and God.  Understanding the truth will transform you from the inside out.  The love that drives obedience sets you free.

Deuteronomy 5:32-33, 1 Samuel 15:22-23, Luke 11:28, John 14:15-21, Acts 5:29-32, Colossians 3:1-17, & James 1:22-25

Eternal Restoration

 

    If you are a Christian, then you are going to have a happy ending.  You will spend eternity in grandeur, love, peace, and perfection.  All the issues of this world will disappear.  The Holy Spirit sealed your soul to guarantee that you will not end up with Satan in eternal torment.  Your death in this world is the doorway you go through to enter eternity.  Once it closes behind you there is no turning back.  

    When Jesus returns the world will be destroyed so that eternity can be restored to the way it was always meant to be.  You will never have to think about sin or death again.  The original curses will be broken.  You will have peace unlike anything you have experienced before.  All that is broke and sick will be healed.  The eternal body can never be injured, broken, or destroyed.  

    Eternal restoration comes with beauty and God's presence everywhere you are.  It is beyond your imagination because God is the original artist.  Nothing will ever be dirty again.  You will never need to clean again.  You will never labor again.  You will be the best version of yourself.  You will know love without hate, manipulation, or perversion.  

    Heaven is the place of worship.  It will not be forced.  It will not be boring.  It will be wonderful, so worship will naturally spill out of you.  You will never experience temptation, difficulties, mental issues, or frustration again.  Work will not be hard, exhausting in any way, or corrupted.  

    Heaven is beautiful.  God's light will illuminate all of it, so there will be no need for a sun, moon, or stars.  There will be no street lights or lights in homes.  You will not need sleep because your new body doesn't need daily care or restoration.  It will be a one time thing when you become one with your new body.  Try to imagine the joy that it will bring to have no more troubles or concerns.  You will never be afraid again.

    This will be a reality for those that chose to follow Jesus.  Repent now and reap the rewards later.  Live for yourself now and have nothing but pain and suffering for eternity.  God is patient, but He will only be patient for so long.  Do not test Him.  He always does what He says He will do.  Now is the time to decide what you believe and what path you are going to take.  

Ephesians 2:8-10 & Revelations 21-22

Final Judgment

 

    No one knows or understands everything about the end.  What is known is that there will be a day that God's family will be sifted.  His people will permanently be separated from those who are not His.  There will be a day that each person stands before Him to account for the time He gave in life.  

    One day you will face God sitting on His throne and give an account for your faith, all hidden secrets, and opportunities.  If you are not a Christians, then your fate has already been decided.  You will face your second death to spend eternity in torment with Satan.  If you are a Christian, then you will be judged according to your works.  

    Christians judgment may be uncomfortable, but you are a part of God's family.  You will still enter Heaven to live in eternal peace.  Your judgment is based on faith.  You will not face God's judgment like unbelievers.  It will reveal your good works and the trails and tribulations you endured to follow Jesus.  If you endure the fires of purifying faith now, then you will never see them in judgment.  

    Your judgment day will go according to how you live your life.  You are making that decision today.  It doesn't have to go badly, but you do have to choose a little discomfort now to avoid a lot in the future.  You have to have an eternal mindset to see beyond your today.  Don't be motivated by fear, but instead love.  Final judgment judges the heart and mind and faith, not actual deeds.  Your works are a biproduct of your faith.

    Sin matters.  Sin will not be entering Heaven.  Sin is the root of everything that divides you from God.  It empowers Satan giving him small victories that will not give him any real foot hold but makes him believe he has more power than he does.  Do not give him power in your life.  Repent for any sin and turn away from your habitual sin to honor God while you are alive.  God doesn't need you for power.  

    God chooses you.  He is not using you.  Satan is the one that uses people.  God give s you purpose and allows you to have a part in the bigger picture.  Satan wants to destroy you and relish in your pain.  Eternity is a long time.  Try not to get distracted.  Focus on what really matters.

Matthew 25:31-46, Luke 16:19-31, Acts 17:30-31, Romans 8:1-4, 1 Corinthians 3:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, Hebrews 9:27-28, & Revelations 20:11-15

Your Resurrection

 

    You know that one day you will die.  Did you know that right now you get to choose where you spend eternity?  Do not fear your physical death.  It is short in the grand scheme of eternity.  Fear your eternal death because that is where you will be forever more.  You can choose to follow Jesus now and spend eternity glorifying God in peace and beauty or you can reject Jesus and spend eternity in torment forever separated from God with no hope to change things.

    If you follow Jesus now, then one day you will be resurrected like Jesus.  Jesus will come for his people. When he calls you will resurrect if you know his voice, but you have to follow him while alive for that to happen.  Your resurrection means you will be restored eternally.  No more scars, pain, or bad days.  There will be no more sin.

    Your resurrection is guaranteed because Jesus resurrected and made the promise through him if you follow him in faith.  The resurrection is essential for faith.  It is what broke deaths power over you.  It is what broke the chains of sin that controlled all your movements.  Jesus breaks the chains, but you have to remove them or the world will not see the difference between you and itself.  They will not see the Holy Spirit's power in your life.  If you are forgiven by God, then why would you not live like it?

    Jesus may have resurrected people before himself, but it was through his power that he resurrected himself.  No one else can ever claim that.  He rose to never die again unlike Lazarus and the widows son.  If you are a Christian, then one day your soul will resurrect into your eternal body to spend eternity with him.  

    Being a Christian comes with accountability.  You can't claim to believe something and not live it.  It is time to live with integrity.  You may have to sacrifice some personal desires, comfort, or habits to live like Jesus reigns over you, but it is worth it.  Don't forget what you will be getting one day.  Don't rob your eternity for what you want in the moment.  Don't expect to understand everything now.  That is why it is called faith.  

John 11:1-44 & 1 Corinthians 15

Jesus Promised to Return

 

    One day Jesus will return because he promised that he would,  When he returns magnificent miracles and scary events will return with him.  His glory and power will not be held back this time.  He will come for his people and to unleash God's wrath on the world.  It will be the end of the world.

    Not every event predicted will wait until Jesus' actual return.  The first nine events happened before AD70.  It was promised to be like birthing pains.  It will ebb and flow.  The events will happen more often and become more painful the closer it gets to time, but no one will know the day or time until it happens.  Jesus promised that his return would be unexpected, but his people are to be ready and alert.

    Christians were never promised to have it easy.  It was actually promised that the church would be persecuted until Jesus returns, but the church is called to remain faithful.  Salvation is not a get out of hell free card.  It is meant to be lived in honor of God.  God is in charge.  The world is not spinning out of control, so you can maintain self-control to honor Him.  

    The world may feel unbearably evil sometimes, but the Holy Spirit is with you to help you endure.  Remember Jesus' promises.  Your eternity is secure even if your right now is not.  Jesus has victory over death and Satan.  It will be seen by all soon enough.  God is being kind and patient, so the whole world has an opportunity to chose to have a real relationship with Him.  Until that time Jesus will work out the details.  

Matthew 24:1-31, Luke 12:39-40, Acts 1:9-11, 2 Peter 3:8-9, & Revelations 22:20-21

After Death

 

    After your body dies your soul lives on.  It will go into an eternal body that can never be destroyed to live eternally in the location you chose when you were alive.  It is natural to want a happy ending, but life is just the beginning.  If you do not choose to follow Jesus now, then your eternity will be without him in a place you do not want to be.

    You may try not to think about death.  It may be scary because it is the unknown.  At the same time you know that it will happen.  Everything that lives dies.  It is just a matter of when, where, and how.  The only thing you have control over is where your are going and if you will give your family peace in knowing that they will see you again.  

    Death is the consequences for each person living outside of God's design for them.  Rebellion equals death.  Rebellion without submission against God equals eternal separation from God.  However, it doesn't have to be that way.  Death can be celebrated after a good life when you know you are joining God.  You can glorify God now and eternally.

    If you choose to follow Jesus in faith, not tradition or duty, then you body will die but your soul will be resurrected like Jesus was physically.  You may suffer some in life, but your eternal body will never suffer if you are with Jesus.  Your eternal body will be perfection.  Death means victory, peace, and hope.

    If you reject Jesus now then your eternity will be very different.  You will have an eternal body that will never be consumed by the flames.  You will live eternally in an inferno with no escape or hope.  You will never have the opportunity again to have a relationship with God.  You don't have to chose this path.

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:14-19, Luke 16:19-31, 23:39-43, John 11:25-29, Romans 8:15-17, & 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10