BE STRONG IN THE LORD!

Who does God want to be strong?

God wants His people to be strong: true, born-again Christians who serve Him faithfully.

Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. II Timothy 2:1

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Psalm 80:17-18

Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed. I Chronicles 22:12-13 (David to Solomon)

What must we do to be strong in the Lord?

We know that good health helps us to be strong; physical exercise helps our body to be strong.

The Apostle Paul said:

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. I Timothy 4:8

Godliness makes us strong, i.e., being God-like, being holy, if you please.

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. I Peter 1:16

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Leviticus 11:44

There are many responsibilities for us as Christians to live up to:

1. First of all, we must be saved and sanctified to be holy and to be strong in the Lord. No unsaved or unsanctified person is going to live holy; it's impossible.

Once we are saved, sanctified and living holy, we must stay separated from the world, i.e., from the people, places and things of the world, that may cause us to forget God.

Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. Ezra 9:12

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. II Corinthians 6:17-18

Being separated unto the Lord makes us strong!

2. God wants our young people to be strong.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. I John 2:14-17

3. God wants us to be exercised

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. Ecclesiastes 1:13

Working out with weights is fine, but exercising ourselves in the things that are Godly is of greater gain or importance to us and makes us stronger.

But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. I Timothy 4:7-9

But godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6:6

Cf. Psalm 119:9-11, I Chronicles 28:9 & 20, I Kings 2:2-3

4. Parents' responsibility to do their part to help their children to be strong.

Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Psalm 112:1-3

Parents must serve God with fear to get this great blessing, and must delight in doing His will.

5. Faithfulness makes us strong

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:33-34

And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Acts 3:16

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. I Corinthians 16:13

Examples of being strong in the Lord!

So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon. II Chronicles 11:17

Cf. II Chronicles 15:7-19

(Also see example in Chapter 14 about Ethiopians)

Being unfaithful or weak will cause us to displease God and bring trouble.

Cf. II Chronicles 16:1-9

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:5-8

IN CONCLUSION: We know we must be strong to overcome the flesh, sin and the devil, and according to the scriptures there are things God has given us to be strong.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:10-18

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength

Throughout the Bible that are many admonitions for us to be strong.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31:6

Those are just a couple. But how do we become strong in the Lord? Several things contribute to our strength, such as our routine spiritual exercises, i.e. prayer, Bible study, and fasting. The main source of our strength, though, is the joy of the Lord.

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. Nehemiah 8:10, 12

That leads to the next question: How do we obtain the joy of the Lord? Where does this joy come from? As usual, the answers are found in the pages of your Holy Bible.

Hearing the Word of God and putting it in our hearts will bring us joy:

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

Separating ourselves from the things of the world, and seeking God will bring us joy:

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11

Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24

Also, in II Chronicles 30:18-27, Hezekiah had the people cleanse themselves from the idolatry they practiced under his father's rule, and they offered sacrifices to God. This brought them great joy!

Walking in the Spirit, and doing the right thing, will bring us joy:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 2:26

Giving our tithes and offerings, with a good attitude, will bring us joy:

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. II Chronicles 29:6-7, 9

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7

Having meekness will bring us joy:

The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 29:19

Keeping God's commandments will bring us joy:

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:10-11

Trusting in the Lord will bring us joy:

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield. Psalm 5:11-12

CONCLUSION

Here, again, are some of the things we can do to increase our joy, which will, in turn, increase our strength:

1 – Hear the Word of God and hide it in our hearts

2 – Separate ourselves from worldly things and seek God

3 – Walk in the Spirit and do the right thing

4 – Cheerfully pay tithes and give offerings

5 – Have meekness

6 – Keep God's commandments

7 – Trust in the Lord

May God, and His Son, Jesus Christ, bless and keep you as you continue in your walk with Him. Amen!

HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE!

Heaven, as we know, is what all Christians are striving for in this life. There is no greater reward for us than to live life everlasting in that place that, according to the scriptures, is far better than anything that we can even imagine.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I Corinthians 2:9

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. Isaiah 64:4

In order for us to make it to Heaven, we know to start with we must be saved!

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. Revelation 21:24

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27

And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? I Peter 4:18

We must strive to live above sin and if we do sin we must repent and go on to perfection.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:1-2

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 3:2

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19

Our sin must be blotted out to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul gave us an illustration about making it to the resurrection of the dead unto eternal life:

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Philippians 3:10-11, 14-15

We must prepare ourselves daily to inherit that heavenly home. (It's a daily quest!)

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. Proverbs 8:34-35 (Everlasting life) This verse is talking about wisdom of God, i.e., Christ, His Word.

Jesus: the wisdom of God

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. I Corinthians 1:24

As a Christian however, there are many things that can keep us from that heavenly home. We do not have carte blanche (a blank check), so to speak, (i.e., eternal security), unless we keep ourselves in the love and grace of God. There are a number of things, we know, that will cause us to stumble and fall, but the single most devastating thing we as Christians can do is to allow pride into our lives. Lucifer, the devil, was one of the most anointed cherubs In the Kingdom of heaven! What was his downfall? Pride!

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Ezekiel 28:16-17

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Isaiah 14:12-15

The same can be our destruction!

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. Proverbs 8:13

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19

Another very subtle type of pride that gets in the church is:

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Isaiah 65:2-6

We know what God will do to us if we become proud. (He will bring us low!)

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Job 40:12

A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 29:23

For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: Isaiah 2:12

Christians must be humble to inherit eternal life!

By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life. Proverbs 22:4

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4

We must keep ourselves in the love of God!

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:21 (In Heaven)

After we do our best (by God's grace), and make it through all the trials, tribulations and temptations , while overcoming the world, the flesh, sin, and the devil, we shall inherit eternal life in heaven. Praise God!

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7

How beautiful Heaven must be!

A description:

Cf. Revelation 21:1-4, 10-25

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5

IN CONCLUSION: Jesus further described more details about Heaven in:

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:2-6

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ fill you with all wisdom of the scriptures and His love, and make it possible by His grace, for us to make it in to those pearly gates, in Jesus' name.