Lead me in your everlasting way! Love!

We need to lead in love. Love is powerful and perfect love drives out fear. Love covers a multitude of sins. This morning’s verse of the day from Psalms 139:23-24 is so powerful and is confronting me right where I am at and with what I am facing and going through when it says:

Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

My heart is focused on loving and doing what is right and yet due to circumstances and situations, I give may anxious thoughts over to God because I know I can cast my cares on Him because He cares for me. So today, I lean into God and His Word in hopes that this feeling, this pressure, this worry, this concern, this frustration can be taken from me but not my will but God’s will so that He can lead me into His everlasting way.

Last night I had a great time at Bible Study last night with the guys who were able to make it and sat at the same table, on 1 and 2 Thessalonians with last night’s message from 2 Thessalonians 2. Today, I am turning to God’s Word and remembering what He is saying about the return of Jesus and how because of it we can live today with a greater sense of hope. So today, don’t be deceived by the tricks and traps of Satan. Don’t be forgetful but instead remember what God’s Word has to say and don’t be afraid. Don’t be ignorant that the time is coming and the Holy Spirit is holding back the antichrist who will perform counterfeit sings and wonders. We need to be living and believing, resist and keep yourself from having a hard heart to the point where God gives you the desires of your heart and you have to deal with the destruction of the evil thoughts. Don’t believe the lies of the devil. It concluded with this one, don’t be insecure! Be secure in that God loves you, you are chosen by God, sanctified by God, and called by God!

So stand firm! Resist the devil and he will flee! Stand firm in faith, respecting the precepts of God and keeping sound doctrine. We need to be standing firm in the Lord!

Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. -- Ephesians 6:13 (AMP)

I give it all up to God. Taking every thought captive! Asking God to search and cleanse my heart! And praying He will remove any anxiety that is shaking up my gut. Mind, body, and soul, I ask God to help me as I look to step into this day.

The analogy of trying to walk in confidence when you feel like you are walking on eggshells is a tough one. The idea of walking in confidence when it feels like whenever you are gaining confidence and ground that something comes a long and takes you out at the kneecap. So today, I grab a hold of the last topic we spoke of as a table last night “Of all the different places you spend time – home, family, work, leisure activity, church – where do you feel the need to enjoy a greater sense of hope? Why is that the case?”

So I give my work up to God today and ask for His help in finding and experiencing a greater send of hope today and going forward.

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Today’s Reading:

• Revelation 10
• Revelation 11
• Revelation 12
• Revelation 13
• Revelation 14

My Notes:

God’s Word is active and alive, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. So don’t just look at or review my notes but read it or have it read to you using the links above for your own benefit! Remember how the Word of God is dynamic and transformative.

1. Life and Power: The scripture highlights that God’s Word is alive and active. It is not merely a historical or static text but possesses the power to bring life, change, and transformation. Believers are encouraged to engage with the Word regularly for spiritual growth and vitality.
2. Sharper than a Double-Edged Sword: The imagery of a double-edged sword underscores the precision and effectiveness of God’s Word. It can discern and address the deepest aspects of our being, separating truth from falsehood. This emphasizes the importance of God’s Word in discerning right and wrong.
3. Dividing Soul and Spirit, Joints and Marrow: This metaphorical language suggests that the Word of God has the ability to penetrate and distinguish between the spiritual and physical aspects of our existence. It goes beyond surface-level understanding and reaches into the innermost depths of our being.
4. Judging Thoughts and Attitudes of the Heart: The Word of God serves as a moral and spiritual compass, evaluating the motives and intentions of the heart. It encourages believers to align their thoughts and attitudes with the principles found in Scripture.

In application, believers are urged to read, meditate on, and apply the teachings of the Bible in their lives. The transformative power of God’s Word can bring about spiritual growth, conviction of sin, and a deeper understanding of God’s will for our lives.

Revelation 10

• The Angel and the Little Scroll

Revelation 11

• The Two Witnesses
• The Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 12

Leading in Love

Revelation 12:11 (NIV) "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

Key Takeaway:

• Love triumphs over evil through the sacrifice of Christ.

Application:

• Lead in love, recognizing the power of Christ’s sacrifice in overcoming challenges.

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• The Woman and the Dragon

Revelation 13

Resisting Evil

Revelation 13:10 (NIV) "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people."

Key Takeaway:

• Patient endurance and faithfulness are required to resist evil.

Application:

• Stand firm against the tricks of Satan, relying on God’s strength for endurance.

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• The Beast out of the Sea
  • 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.
• The Beast out of the Earth
  • 16It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.
  • 18This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Revelation 14

God’s Everlasting Way

Revelation 14:12 (ESV) "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."

Key Takeaway:

• Endurance and faith are essential in following God’s everlasting way.

Application:

• Seek God’s guidance for enduring faith and adherence to His commandments.

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• The Lamb and the 144,000
• The Three Angels
• Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

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Hope in Christ’s Return

Revelation 22:20 (NIV) "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Key Takeaway:

• Find hope in the anticipation of Christ’s return.

Application:

• Anchor your hope in Christ’s promises, especially during challenging times.

Overall Application:

• Embrace a leadership style rooted in love, recognizing the triumph of love over fear and sins.
• Align decisions with God’s everlasting way, seeking endurance and faithfulness in the journey.
• Remain vigilant against the tricks of Satan, standing firm with the complete armor of God.
• Cultivate hope in God’s promises, especially in the anticipation of Christ’s imminent return.
• Continue surrendering thoughts, anxieties, and work to God through prayer, maintaining a humble and dependent posture.

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Today let us make the decision to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Let’s stop waiting for the day and choose today to invite Jesus into our lives as our Lord and Savior. Nobody knows the day or the time when God will call His church home and we do know we don’t want to be left behind. Let’s receive Jesus so that we won’t need to go through the tribulation but can instead be praising God. Let’s praise Him today and for the rest of eternity.

Did you read or hear something today that felt like a new revelation? Would you be willing to leave a comment or question? Are you walking your life with God? Have you made the decision to invite Jesus into your life so that you can have the divide covered? Have you invited Jesus to be Your Lord and Savior, paying the ultimate price to cover the original sin for we have all missed the mark, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and we all need Jesus, our Lord and Savior to help us be forgiven and reconciled back to God! Could today be your day?

Let’s pray: