Turn from evil and do good

1 Peter 3: 10 – 12

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Another tall order from the voice of God.

Keep our tongue from evil, and our lips from deceitful speech.

Maybe someone should tell that to our politicians!

Do you love life? Do you love life with God?

Then we must turn from evil and do good. We must seek peace and pursue it.

Can you imagine if everyone one of us sought peace? I believe the world would look so much different than it does today.

This verse of scripture also tells us that God’s see’s the righteous, and that He listens to our prayers.

Do you have a sense that God is hearing your prayers?

If not, the first question I would ask, is if I was among the righteous.

Being among the righteous looks much different than what’s going on in the world.

Being among the righteous, means that God is at work, and answering our prayers.

Must keep his tongue—Must turn from evil—Must seek peace….

I think God is serious

Confess your sins

1 John 1: 8 – 9

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I had breakfast the other day with a friend, and the subject came up about how so many people make excuses for their sin.

We blame events and circumstances—we blame other people—we blame our past.

When we deflect the attention of our sin in another direction, essentially we’re saying we’re without sin.

Maybe we should take another look in the mirror this morning?

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just will forgive us our sins. What could be better than that?

When I did something wrong as a little boy at home, (which was fairly often) I remember how good it felt to be back in the good graces of my Mom & Dad.

Maybe today you need purification? Go to the Father and talk to Him.

Tell Him every detail, and allow His love to wash over you.

Is the truth in you this day?

Marked in a certain way!

Colossians 3: 7 – 8

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Before Christ, there were ways in which I used to walk, that I don’t walk anymore.

Paul gives us a charge of things we’re supposed to get rid of.

Look at the list this morning. Is there anything that still needs to go?

I’m amazed at the number of people who call themselves followers of Jesus, who still post some pretty filthy language on Facebook for instance.

I’m pretty sure the Word of God says that has to go too.

A follower of Jesus will be marked in a certain way. None of what Paul identifies in this passage, should be a part of our lives anymore.

There was a way that we all used to live. The command is that we shouldn’t live that way any longer.

Make it a goal today, to pray over the one thing you still hang on to, and ask God to help you get rid of it.

That’s the way we should walk, and that the way we should talk………

Identify the good you ought to do

James 4: 17

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Isn’t that just like us. We know the good we should do today, and because we’re too preoccupied with satisfying ourselves, we forget to do it.

That’s sin? James, the half brother of Jesus says it is.

Does that mean that if we know we should pray or study God’s Word today, and we fail to do so, that’s sin?

Will reading the bible and praying bring good? If God tells us in His Word that we should—then we know it’s for our good—right?

What will you omit in your life today, that God means for good, but since we’re running in ten different directions, it will actually bring sin into our life.

How about the phone call to the lonely person down the street. How about sending that note in the mail, that you’ve been thinking about for weeks.

Identify the good you ought to do, and do it TODAY………

God inhabits the praises of His people

Psalm 34: 1

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

To Give God praise at all times really takes a concerted effort on our part.

As I visit with believers, I don’t often hear constant praise. Sometimes I hear constant complaining.

When we understand that God inhabits the praises of His people—that He actually draws near when He hears highest praise, we might praise Him more.

We sang this song at adult bible study on Wednesday evening;

God is so good—God is so good—God is so good—He’s so good to me………

You could feel God’s spirit being drawn into that place, as we extolled His name on high.

Will you praise Him today? Will you tell Him that He has all of you love?

Watch what happens to your life, when you stop whining, and start extolling/praising.

The change in your overall attitude, could be dramatic………..

Enduring Hardship

2 Timothy 4: 5

·         But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Paul essentially was saying to Timothy…. “I don’t care what anyone else does, but you keep your head!”

What a tall task—to keep our head in all situations.

Enduring hardship seems to be a plate full these days as we walk this walk of faith.

When something goes wrong, I often seen believers throw in the towel.

That doesn’t seem to me, the thing that God called us to.

Endure: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune….

We’ll be talking more about this subject during Sunday’s sermon.

How are you doing, at enduring hardship?

When things don’t go right in the church, often the knee jerk reaction is to leave that work, and find some other place that understands us.

Maybe the issue, is us? There’s something to ponder……….

Pray without Ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18 (NKJV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Pray without ceasing……

Do you pray without ceasing?
Another version of the bible says “pray continually”.

Someone sent me an e-mail yesterday, and reported attacks within the spirit realm.

Seems to be the common thread these days among died in the wool believers.

Maybe that’s why God’s Word says we shouldn’t stop praying.

Do you get the feeling that prayer is important?

There are ladies in our church who pray while they walk.

There are ladies who meet every Monday morning, and part of what they do is pray.

There is a group who meets every Sunday morning before church to do what? PRAY!

There’s a small group of women in Omro this morning who are joined by the heart in prayer to their Heavenly Father.

Most American people surveyed, only pray the Lord’s prayer once a week at church—that is when they attend.

Today, stop what you’re doing and beg the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for His mercy, strength, grace, favor and power.

That doesn’t mean the attacks will stop, but we do know that God answers prayer……..