Escape – Page 3 – Praying Pint

9.k. Among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

There is so much here that relates to Jesus Christ, salvation, and end times. I think what Peter was led to say in Acts captures the fullness of Joel today. Act 2:17-37 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

6.g. People who have not soiled their garments,

Revelation 3:4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Isaiah 52:1    Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Isaiah 59:6   Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands.

Isaiah 61:10   I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 64:6     We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Jude 1:23    save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Luke 21:36    But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

We read of those who have not soiled their garments. They walk in a way worthy of Jesus Christ and what He has done and is doing. They conquered any fleshly desire to follow others in false teaching. Do you ever wonder if your garments (your works, faith, thoughts, and words) are soiled? Do you wonder if you have adopted what is culturally acceptable and are living in filthy garments before the Lord? Do you think about what is clean and acceptable? Do you think about doing what is worthy of the price that was paid for your sins?

Soft living, comfortable living, self-centered self-reliant living, and neglecting God’s Word are no help in keeping your garments unsoiled. We would do well to be less influenced by the world and what it has to offer and be ever seeking and desiring to walk worthy of Jesus Christ. Who would want your bride to come to the wedding in a dirty and messed up wedding dress? The church (each of us) is the bride and we should want our garments to reflect our love and devotion to Jesus Christ the groom.

3.u. I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God.

Ezra 9:1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

These passages just punch you deep into your heart. Ezra sees what has happened to that which should have been a great new beginning and ended up in being a great embarrassment. Think about this from what Ezra knew. He saw the hand of God change the heart of the King of the nation that had subdued them and kept them prisoners for over 70 years. The Babylonians destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and made many salves. After 70 years God changed the heart of King Cyrus and he gave permission and support for the Israelites to go back to their home country and rebuild their temple. Ezra is told of a great departing from God by the people. They chose to ignore what God had said about keeping themselves separated from the influence of other nations and not to seek their peace or prosperity. They were faithless and the officials and chief men were the ones who had departed from God’s expectations.

We don’t have to look very deep into our culture to see the erosion and departure from living in a way to honor, glorify, worship, follow, trust, and obey God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. This lukewarm complacent act of obedience we call “being a Christian” is not what is expected of us. We so easily take paths that seem right but are not, because we are void of God’s word in our heart, soul, and mind. These paths promise us satisfaction, peace, prosperity, and purpose but in the end, always leave us still wanting and void of purpose and meaning for our life. There is no replacement for God’s word, though many try to fill in their lives with worldly lies of completeness.

It is one thing to follow blindly after worldly things and another to choose to neglect God’s word. We will be held accountable for our life on this side of eternity. We get to choose what fills our heart, mind, and soul. We get to choose how we live and in this choice, we either serve self or follow, trust and obey God. Make an intentional choice and commitment today.

65. How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

Deuteronomy 32:46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

1 Chronicles 22:19    Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God.

Proverbs 3:1-4     My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,  for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.  Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Ezekiel 40:4     And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

Hebrews 2:1     Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Proverbs 4:20-22     My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

Take heart, set your mind and heart, look with your eyes, hear with your ears, pay much closer attention, do not forget, be attentive, incline your ears, keep them within your heart, be careful to do, and seek the Lord your God, are all words to encourages us to keep our faith pure, our walk straight, and our heart, mind, and soul clinging to, relying on and trusting in God. Why?? Because of God’s steadfast love, mercy and grace, atonement, redemption, salvation, and eternity in heaven. To neglect or become complacent in our commitment and walk with Him allows us to drift away from Him and straight into the warnings rightly given. Today is the day to commit. Tomorrow is always too late.

41. We must pay much closer attention

Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.

Proverbs 3:1    My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,

Proverbs 4:20-23     My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 3:3     Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Psalms 119:11    I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Proverbs 3:21    My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion,

Proverbs 7:1     My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you;

Joshua 1:18    Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and courageous.”

Revelation 3:3    Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Proverbs 4:1-13     Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight,  for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching.  When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

  Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

Hebrews 2:3     how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,

Hebrews 2:1    Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees when He said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We choose what goes into and stays in our heart. Our heart reflects the treasures that are held, dear. Our heart treasure is often spoken of. Likewise, that which is not cherished or treasured or chosen will never find a place in our heart and will not be spoken of.

These verses today speak of choice, a choice to be diligent, steadfast, remembering, attentive, guarding, keeping, faithful, storing, receiving, and holding and clinging onto God’s word with the single purpose of honoring, glorifying, and obeying Him. We get to choose what comes into and stays in our heart. What we feed into our heart is what is going to be abiding and directing our thoughts, words, and actions.

Jesus stands at the door to our heart seeking to be invited in forever. I fear the door to many hearts is shut and Jesus is viewed through the peephole. They wrongly assume that viewing Him on the other side of the door is the same as having Him inside. And you know what is so sad about this, they are happy and content to live this way.

Inside their heart, they live for themselves and every now and then when the confusion, chaos, and troubles of this world affect them they run to the door and peep through the hole to make sure Jesus is still out there. They don’t invite Him in but rather speak through the door to Him and ask Him to fix what is on the other side of the door.

Be intentional with your choice to keep in His word, live for His word, cherish His word, honor His word, obey His word, speak His word, remember and meditate on His word. Open the door to your heart and invite Jesus into your heart forever.

25. We must not put Christ to the test

Numbers 14:20 Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.

Malachi 3:15    And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’”

Matthew 4:7    Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

1 Corinthians 10:9     We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,

Hebrews 3:17-18    And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

Deuteronomy 1:31-35    and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’  Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God,  who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.  “And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore,  ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers,

I saw a quote yesterday that said: “You may think you can live fine without Christ, but you can not afford to die without Him.” Tozer had some thoughts on how we become what we love at the expense of following God. “We are all becoming something. We have moved from what we were to what we are, and are now moving to what we will be. Our character is not solid but fluid and always moving toward what we are becoming. The perturbing thought is not that we are becoming, but what we are becoming; not that we are moving but what we are moving toward. We are never moving horizontal, we are either moving ascending or descending. We are either moving toward the worse or the better. Not only are we all in the process of becoming, but we are also becoming what we love, the sum of this love changes, molds, shapes, and transforms us. This Love is prophetic of our future. It tells us what we shall be and predicts accurately our eternal destiny.”

God’s promises mean very little if they are not believed. God’s word will never be active in our life if it is not loved. God’s warnings of complacency and neglect will not lead to repentance if the heart and soul are walking in a different direction away from God and headlong into the way of the world.

Be mindful of your path and direction of your love.

He will wipe away every tear

“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.”

Exodus 1:8  Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”

Psalms 10:2     In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

Psalms 83:3-4     They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.  They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Proverbs 1:11    If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;

Numbers 22:6    Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Job 5:13    He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.

Proverbs 16:25    There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20     Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,  and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

James 3:15-18    This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.  And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

In the change of one King all the benefits of Joseph and the Israelites was forgotten. In a short time, going from being found in favor to being treated ruthlessly, shrewdly, and as slaves. Can you imagine what this change would do to everyday life? A change so fast and dramatic that you can’t even think it possible but yet there it is. You feel as though you are living in the blessings of God and then in a moment it all changes.

When I was 21 I was working as a plumber in a house under construction. At 8:00 that Saturday morning a colleague went to light his torch and there as an explosion and fire due to a gas leak in the house. We were both burned severely. (In a moment my life changed) I was able to return to work after 6 months. Some might say how unfortunate to have this happen, yet I know it was the best thing ever in my life, for within a year and 11 days later it brought me to saving grace knowledge of forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ. It did seem bad but God used it for good.

Another time I lost my job after 20 years. I was so confused, lost, and defeated. (In a moment my life changed) Looking back I can see how good this was for me for God needed to show me that I was not my job. My identity was in being His child not in the title I held. My job was what I did and not who I am. I am a child of the King. He did many things during this time to confirm His loving hand and presence in my life. These and more trials have come and gone.

Did any of these seem good at the time – no.

Was this time easy – no.

Did my current state of normal change – yes.

Do doubts attack my faith – yes

Can I look back and see God’s hand in all of it – yes.

Did God ever leave me alone – no.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that all things work together for good to them called according to His purpose and plans. I don’t understand it but I know it to be true. I have grown in my trust, faith, reliance, worship, obedience, because of what has happened and where He leads me. I find Him opening up understanding to scriptures and knowledge of Him. He allows me to see His hand at work and as well exposes the work of satan in this world.

He feeds my soul and breaths hope that overshadow my doubts and concerns. I do not have to know the reason behind that which I deem bad, untimely, hurting, overwhelming, crushing, traumatic, shattering, terrible and devastating, for God is in control, He loves me, He will never leave me or forsake me, He will guard me, He will lead me, and in Him and His hands I find peace and rest knowing that all things work together for good to them called according to His purpose. A trial or trouble placed in the hands of God will bring rest and peace to the heart and soul and mind.

Remember here will come a time, in a moment and blink of an eye, when Christ will return and this short vapor of life will leave and eternity starts and where every tear will be wiped away and we will be in His presence forever.

How can they call upon God?

“who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.”

Genesis 4:26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 26:17-18 You have declared today that the LORD is your God, and that you will walk in his ways, and keep his statutes and his commandments and his rules, and will obey his voice. And the LORD has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments,

1 Kings 18:24 And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the LORD,

Isaiah 63:19 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.

Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

Those who have called on the name of the Lord and believe and trust in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and have repented of their sin are saved, born again, a new creation, in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit, are called children of God, are promised eternity with God in heaven where there is no more tears, pain, or death. All of this is by faith in the one and only God.

Talk about a life saving decision with an eternal consequence!

Do you remember who it was that spoke to you about God’s love through Christ? Loran Witlash, a truck driver for HyVee food store spoke of Christ to me while unloading his truck when I was 15. My wife’s uncle spoke of Christ to me while taking me fishing when I was 22. My neighbor invited my wife and I to an evangelistic service when I was 23. Joe Schultz the evangelist spoke sin, forgiveness, redemption, and repentance.

I still remember each of these men in my life. I thought Loran was a little different because he spoke of the need for Christ the whole time we were unloading the trucks and he never swore. Harold, my wife’s uncle, was a wise man who was very successful, respected, and spoke of Christ. Rich, our neighbor, I don’t remember him speaking of Christ before he invited us to hear the evangelist, but there was something I saw in how he acted. Our interactions were nothing more than passing moments of hellos, waves, and seeing how he interacted with his wife and children. Rich and his wife then became our friends and almost everyday spent time with us in scripture explaining the new life we had begun.

We never know who is watching our lives and will see light of Christ. When we speak of the love of God and need for Christ we will never know how God will use this to soften a heart. We never know how a life may be changed for eternity through what we say and how we act and the time we invest.

One thing is for certain and true – “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

Peace I give to you

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

“ And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”

Psalms 85:8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Hebrews 12:25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Acts 10:36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)

2 Corinthians 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Acts 3:26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Galatians 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

God gives us a peace that is foreign to the world. This peace is present in both times of blessings and troubles. Having knowledge of this peace and living in it have two different outcomes. A choice is made with the knowledge to either believe and claim it or reject it and it’s power in our life. Many times we seek this peace when we face trials and troubles. We run to God and seek His intervention. Yet in times of blessing it seems as though it is a foreign thing to think of God, His sovereignty, His steadfast love, and His mercy and grace. It is in His hands we find and live in this peace of mind. The world will throw many a sense of false peace. In the end these are nothing more than distractions that lead down paths of false hope and satisfaction. The peace that God gives and is found in Him leads us through times of trials with hope, peace, refuge, courage, strength and power. Through times of blessings it leads us to praise, thankful hearts, contentment, rejoicing, and kindness. Read His word and search it for knowledge of God’s sovereignty, power, promises, peace, hope, joy, kindness, and steadfast love.

We are witnesses

“ how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,”

John 12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”

Psalms 145:6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Acts 5:32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

John 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Proverbs 1:23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem and people were lining the road and waving palm branches saying Hosanna King of Israel the disciples were with Him. It says they did not understand until after He was glorified (raised from the dead), then they remembered that these things were written of Him. It is like this in our lives when the Holy Spirit calls to mind scripture and reveals something new to us. We do well to keep habit of reading scripture and studying it to continue to grow and understand. We hear these whispers of God when our eyes, ears, heart and mind are open with desire to hear and know. The Holy Spirit is a promise to all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ. Yet complacency and neglect are always standing at our door. To busy, to tire, to much other stuff to do clouds our purpose this side of eternity. Keep focus on humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying Him. Be a witness to His saving grace, mercy, and power.