upon you – Praying Pint

46.s. “Wilderness” – 10.y. “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them”

Num 11:17  And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

2 Kings 2:9    When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

Nehemiah 9:20   You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.

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.

Isaiah 59:20-21    “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

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.

Romans 8:9     You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 Corinthians 2:12    Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Jude 1:19   It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

And I will take of the spirit which is upon thee; the spirit of government, and the spirit of prophecy, the gifts of the spirit qualifying for these things, of which Moses had a large measure. and will put it upon them; that is, gifts of the same kind with his; not that his gifts were diminished, or that properly speaking anything was taken from Moses and given to the seventy elders; but from the same fountain and fulness of the spirit Moses partook of, they were furnished with like gifts and qualifications, he having not at all the less for what was communicated to them. (Gill)

Will put it upon them, i.e. I will give the same Spirit to them which I have given to thee. But as the Spirit was not conveyed to them from or through Moses, but immediately from God, so the Spirit or its gifts were not by this means impaired in Moses. (Poole)

By “taking the spirit of Moses, and putting it upon them,” is not to be understood that the qualities of the great leader were to be in any degree impaired but that the elders would be endowed with a portion of the same gifts. (Brown)

The elders must have the same heart, the same vision, and same Spirit that was on Moses. If not, there would be no agreement among the leadership of the nation and disaster could come to Israel. (Guzik)

There is but one Holy Spirit of God. God gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe and in this gift of the Holy Spirit we are given gifts (attributes) of the Holy Spirit that will edify , teach, guide, inform, cultivate, improve, encourage, instruct, and uplift believers. Not everyone is give the same gift(s). It is not up to us to pick the gift we wish we had or hoped for but rather to trust and rely on God’s sovereignty and perfect plans and purposes.

Why then is their division, grumbling, and unrest in bodies of believers? Is it because the Holy Spirit of God has lead them into these acts? No, it is because there is an overwhelming neglect of God’s Word in the lives of the believers that quenches the Holy Spirit in their lives. How is the Holy Spirit to grow and deepen your understanding of the things of God when there is no desire for the Word of God in your heart and mind?

18.s. ““I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.”

John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

Luke 24:49    And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you

Matthew 13:21    yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

1 Peter 2:8     and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Jesus said; “When the Helper (Holy Spirit) comes.” He did not say “if”, He said, “when”. The gift of and sending of the Holy Spirit was and is promised. Through this gift, those who believe receive truth and display various gifts of this truth; wisdom, power, courage, strength, love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, grace, mercy, unity, harmony, generosity, humbleness, patience…. These gifts all bear witness to the truth of love, grace, and mercy in and through Jesus Christ. If we were left on our own without the helper, certainly we would be void. All of our wisdom would be worldly foolishness. Our power, courage, and strength would be a worldly weakness. All love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, grace, mercy, unity, harmony, generosity, humbleness, and patience would be self-centered, selfish, and self-reliant. Certainly, we would fail and fall short of bringing any honor and glory to Jesus Christ.

We can surrender and yield and seek and desire to be led by the Holy Spirit of truth or we can deny and reject, and harden our hearts and minds making us deaf and blind to the things of the Holy Spirit. Every moment of every day we will make a choice to surrender and yield and seek and desire to be led by the Holy Spirit or not. In this surrender and yielding and seeking and desiring we will glorify and honor Jesus Christ. Without desire and seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit we are surrendering and yielding to self and things of this world. None of which brings honor and glory to Christ.

Make an intentional choice every morning to be led by and through the Holy Spirit. Spend time in His word seeking that which will bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ. Listen for those quiet whispers of the Holy Spirits leading and be obedient.

13.t. “On that day there shall be a fountain opened to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Isaiah 59:19-21   So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives.  “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Joel 2:28-29     “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.

Acts 2:33  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.

Titus 3:5-6    he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Who will turn to Jesus, the pierced One. His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were pierced with nails, and a spear pierced His side. When we see Jesus crucified – understanding why He went to the cross and what He accomplished there – we are drawn to Him in humble repentance. They/we will look on Him whom they pierced. They will realize that they did it or would have done it and that they bear responsibility – not sole responsibility, but responsibility nonetheless – for the crucifixion of their Savior. Sin and sinfulness must be put away. Sin cannot be excused, condoned, or compromised with. We first must look to Jesus, then in the light of His holiness, grace, and mercy we mourn for our sins and repent. It is in this first act of looking to Jesus that our heart becomes tender, our conscience aware, and our sinfulness exposed. A fountain of grace, mercy, and love is overflowing and is never-ending this side of eternity. Now is the time to look to Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Come to the fountain, drink richly from it, and live to honor and glorify the author and finisher of our salvation.

9.d. “The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast”

Joel 1:15 Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes. Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed shrivels under the clods; the storehouses are desolate; the granaries are torn down because the grain has dried up. How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed because there is no pasture for them; even the flocks of sheep suffer.

Psalms 37:13     but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming.

Isaiah 13:6-9     Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come!  Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt.  They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.  Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it.

Ezekiel 7:2-12   “And you, O son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.  Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.  And my eye will not spare you, nor will I have pity, but I will punish you for your ways, while your abominations are in your midst. Then you will know that I am the LORD.  “Thus says the Lord GOD: Disaster after disaster! Behold, it comes.  An end has come; the end has come; it has awakened against you. Behold, it comes.

Zephaniah 1:14-18    The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there.

Revelation 6:17    for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The “Day of the Lord” is in contrast to man’s day or Satan’s day. His “Day” is coming. We see glimpses of what He is able to do and what it will be like throughout scripture. We see some of His judgments executed here in Joel. The locust, drought, and fire, but the “Day of the Lord” coming will not be like anything ever seen before. This day will begin right after the rapture of the believers. This day will come like a thief in the night, unexpected. It will come upon the whole earth and is given a great deal of detail in Revelation. We see prophets throughout scripture warning of this “Day”. And yet, people go about living as though it is not coming. How long has it been since you have heard someone say “that man / woman is a “God Fearing” person? Doesn’t is seem like that “God Fearing” is gone? Living in a soft prosperous culture has a way of getting people to take their eyes off God and more on self and what the world has to offer. The time of salvation is now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not when convenient. Nos is the day of salvation but a time is fast approaching when the “the Day of the Lord” will come. Believers expectantly look for this day for they will be ushered into His presence forever and ever more. When God is not given thought, sin is not given thought, redemption and salvation is not given thought, repentance is not given thought, honoring Jesus Christ is not thought, reliance is not thought, obedience is not thought…… Each day we must deny self and intentionally choose to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, obey, and trust Jesus Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul, and strength. The “Day of the Lord” is coming soon and with it the rapture of believers and wrath, anger, and judgment on those who have rejected His call to repentance and belief in and through Jesus Christ.

115. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false

1 Samuel 26:6 Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab’s brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?” And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.

Isaiah 29:10     For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).

Isaiah 44:18     They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

2 Corinthians 4:4    In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12     The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,  and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Acts 28:26-27     “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed;

We have many examples of God causing the eyes of man to be closed for a heavy sleep or so that they have no perception, understanding, or knowledge. We also have examples of satan sending false delusions and blinds those from seeing the light of the Gospel. In any case, those who are blinded have previously chosen to refuse to believe. In their heart, soul, and mind they have rejected God of heaven and chosen to believe the lies of the god of this world.

Spurgeon – The practice of blinding men is a horrible process, too horrible for us to say another word about it; but there is also spiritual blindness which comes on some men. These are, to begin with, unbelievers. The god of this world does not blind believers, but he blinds the minds of those who do not believe. It is, therefore, a very dangerous thing not to believe in the Son of God. The penalty of unbelief is death and condemnation; and that penalty begins to fall on men when, as a result of their unbelief, their foolish heart is darkened, their intellect loses the power to perceive spiritual objects, and the god of this world blinds their mental vision. Ah, my hearers, how anxious Satan is to secure your destruction, since, rather than that you should see the saving light, he takes the trouble to blind your eyes!

A man may be a very keen politician; he may be a first-rate man of business; he may be an eminent scientist, a profound thinker, and yet he may be blinded concerning spiritual truths. How often is it true, “You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes!” As an old writer says, “Poor, ignorant men often find the door to heaven, and enter in, while the learned are looking for the latch.” Yes, a man may have clear eyes for worldly things; he may be very keen as for his insight into the problems of life, and yet the God of this world may have blinded his eyes.

What is even more remarkable, a man may have much scriptural knowledge; he may understand, in the letter, the things of the kingdom of God; he may be very orthodox in his beliefs, and may be able to give an answer to those who ask him what he believes, and why he believes; but still he may have no spiritual perception of the reality of these things. A person may know something of botany from books, and he may even understand the Linnaean system of classifying plants; but he may never, after all, have seen the primrose by the river’s bank, nor have gathered a single flower out of the garden. He is a poor botanist, is he not? He who has studied natural history in his own room, but has never seen a living animal, knows very little about the subject after all. We have many all around us, who can talk about heaven and hell, and sin and salvation, and Christ and the Holy Spirit, who nevertheless have never had one true perception of the meaning of any of these words. They see, but do not perceive; they hear, but do not understand; they are unbelievers, and the god of this world has blinded their minds.

Calvin – In what sense God is said to blind men, and to “give them up to a reprobate mind,” (Romans 1:28,) is evident from various passages of Scripture; that is, when he takes away the light of his Spirit, and gives a loose rein to the lust of men, so that no reasoning can restrain them. He likewise arms Satan with the efficiency of error, so that they who have refused to obey the truth do not guard against his snares, and are liable to be deceived by his impostures. What then can be left in us but the thickest darkness and gross ignorance, so that this tyrant, the father of lies and of darkness, ravages at his pleasure both within and without? for there will not be found in us any spark of light to dispel the clouds of error, but, impelled by a spirit of giddiness with which God strikes the reprobate, (2 Thessalonians 2:11,) we shall be driven about in a strange manner at the will of Satan.

Establish the work of our hands

“so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

Psalms 102:28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

Psalms 22:30-31 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.

Psalms 45:16-17 In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

Psalms 69:35-36 For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 59:20-21 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Isaiah 65:22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

Psalms 90:16-17 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

“Establish the work of our hands” I think much of the time we think about this and only apply it to our jobs. We ask God to bless us in what we do. We try to find meaning and purpose in what we do. There will be no blessing from God if we are pursing our own path in life. We should not take a job anywhere if we are not confident this is where God wants us. We will find no purpose in life if we go our own way, seeking what ever it is to please us. Purpose in life and blessings in life come from being in God’s will and seeking to honor and glorify Him. Seeking to hear His quiet small voice leading you in family and work will light your path and allow you to see blessing and give you purpose. How can we expect to give our offspring and generations to come anything to hang on to if we are not clinging to, relying on, and trusting in, and proclaiming the mighty glorious power, love, grace, and mercy of God. We don’t have to look very deep into our society / culture to see that our lack of commitment and complacency toward humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying God has terrible results upon our children and the next generation. Our life can be one filled with purpose and blessing if we would seek Him alone with our heart, mind and soul.

The rock of my salvation

Psalms 89:26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

Matthew 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

John 11:41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Hebrews 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

Psalms 18:46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Psalms 62:2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

2 Samuel 22:47 “The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

Isaiah 50:7 But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.

Isaiah 59:21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

The rock of my salvation. We have times we seem to experience being broken and unable to see blessings, joy, peace, and hope. Life happens and is going along fine and then out of the blue it is upside down. The rock of my salvation, my refuge, my strength, my hope, my joy, my peace, my defender, my power, my help, and my guidance are all words used by men who looked to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in times of trouble. These men chose to keep in the presence of God at all times. Keeping close to God and seeking His help is easy in broken and confusing times of our life. Shouldn’t we want to desire to be close to God at all times living to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him? Holding on to God’s hand through life is so much easier than running off into things alone. Listening to His whispers of guidance each day and staying in communion with Him will keep our heart, mind, and soul focused with hope, joy, and peace.

Let Him hear what the Spirit says

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says“

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Psalms 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

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.”

Acts 15:8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to

Acts 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,

Romans 5:5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Psalms 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.

We are not alone in our walk by faith this side of eternity. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to all who believe. The Holy Spirit will guide us, lead us, teach us, bring us to knowledge, instruct us in our knowledge of God, convict us of sin, and bring us joy and peace. Our christian walk is to be led by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of honoring and glorifying God. It is a humble heart that seeks to hear and be led. However there is something to be mindful of – Not listening and resisting this active leading in our life. Filling your heart and mind with His word is food and fuel for our soul. Live humbly desiring and seeking to be led by God. Joy, peace, strength, power, hope, and love result from this desire.

Gentle and lowly of heart

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

John 13:13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Romans 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

1 John 2:6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Psalms 119:1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!

What does it take to live in harmony? We are encouraged and given endurance from God to imitate the example of Jesus Christ, being lowly of heart and gentle in spirit. We ought to walk in His ways being diligent to know, understand, follow and obey His precepts. Because of our sinful nature, this is a battle everyday and culture tries to convince us that being good is good enough, being better than most is good enough, that we are not doing what is legally wrong so we are good enough…… It is not about being good enough but rather being in Christ. Needless to say our battle is not on the outside but on the inside within our souls. Feeding our souls with His word and having a heart deep desire to humbly serve honor, follow and obey Him will have a positive affect against our sinful nature and influence of our culture. Be an example of Christ and a reflective light of His grace, mercy, and love.