STUDIES FROM BRETHREN IN CHRIST

SERMON MENU SELECTIONS

4/7/2019 ~ Ropes


  RopesAM1.mp3 (31m 07s)


  Ropes.pptx

Eerie the silence of darkness. Darkness has no contemplation.
Each of us has had patience stretched to the breaking point.
Suffering in life can draw one to the brink of floundering.


If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. ~ Psalms 94:18

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, ...
~ Philippians 3:12


Life's path can be precarious at best.
Every plateau leads to another mountain. Many search for a
saving rope or life preserver cast. That ladder of salvation has already
descended from heaven’s gates in the form of God’s own given word.



"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you." ~ Matthew 6:33


Seeking His word enlightens all souls who genuinely desire
an honest humble relationship with that which is greater than self.
God’s test is to see if we have the character to rise beyond selfish desires
mired in evil pursuits. Without personally examining the treasures
found in the Bible, one can not hope to know God and His purpose.
His light descends from above and it is what inspires our faith.
                  ┗► The Source of Purity.


Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which
you were also called and have confessed ... ~ 1st Timothy 6:12


Eternal life must be earned by putting away that which
one knows is contrary to His word and submitting to the
goodness and obedience He calls out for, from a pure heart.
God’s ladder is the rope to eternity if we don’t let go.


Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful. ~ Hebrews 10:23


As sure as God is we wait for His promised commitment
revealed in our own steadfast commitment to His ways.


For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast to the end, ... ~ Hebrews 3:14


Once belief in God’s way of goodness has begun, it is
a single path to the light if the darkness of evil is held at bay.
                 God does not condone backsliders. ◄┛


My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go;
My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live. ~ Job 27:6


Job had commitment to God,
no matter his circumstance, for His love of God.


Yet the righteous will hold to his way, And he who has
clean hands will be stronger and stronger. ~ Job 17:9


To be good is hard work and yet it becomes
simpler, if preferred as a matter of choice.


... "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to
bring Christ down from above) or," 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" ...
~ Romans 10:6-7


For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
~ 1st Corinthians 11:31


┏► It is an eternal call to singly return.     
Christ came to show us life, not in that we should judge others as to
whether they are going to heaven or hell. The word tells us to examine
ourselves more so than the micro-scoping we place upon others. His
instructions simply include judging self over others remaining unbiased.
A challenge for all.


... with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ~ Romans 10:8-10


The strength of one’s faith is directly connected to familiarity with
His given glorious word which maintains all higher truth for mankind.
Our faith develops as the word filters in to our hearts. Knowing and
believing upon all that Jesus is establishes a natural confession.


Now faith is the substance of things hoped for;
the evidence of things not seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1


She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her. ~ Proverbs 3:18


Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you
were taught, whether by word or our epistle. ~ 2nd Thessalonians 2:15


The Christian walk in life perceives a draw or an anchor to that which
is to come, promised by what can not be seen, but His presence is felt.
Faith is what reaches out ahead enduring the climb home.
                                                                 ┗► Steadfast open to His light.


... to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith
for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ~ 1st Peter 1:3-5


Our living hope through faith comes by the delivered word of
mercy exposing His unequaled truth, and by no other means
obtainable, His clarity of reality is given. Our rope is our hope.

Heaven waits for each faithful true soul responding to His call.


This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ... ~ Hebrews 6:19


This anchor that pulls a soul to heaven is a construction of hope in
the face of futility. This hope we hold is an attachment extending
well past all the stars to the throne of God Himself.


For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ~ Romans 8:20


Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back
those stumbling to the slaughter. ~ Proverbs 24:11


It is by God, His universal truth brings us to Him, the test of our return.

God’s healing plan has hope as an integral part of this return.
The mortality of a fading earth; just all about us - futility extends upon
the winds of sand. Modern science declares entropy and the eventual
destruction of all matter via proton decay releasing her parabolic
containment to a hyperbolic evaporation. Not much left as time will
run out in a quadzillion or so moments ahead. There are more pressing
issues to concern ourselves with. God does not want us to seek death
but embrace the life we have been given. We are asked to overcome
our miseries and help those that need to obtain life over death.


And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
~ 1st Corinthians 13:13

                                                                     ┏► Connected to true life.
In hope our faith is shown by the love we hold.
To experience the true fullness of God, faith anchored in hope
pails in comparison to the love He holds for each one of us.
Who can hold the bottom of a heart but God Himself.


Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me,
in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. ~ 2nd Timothy 1:13


"Remember therefore how you have received and heard;
hold fast and repent. ... ~ Revelation 3:3


Without His words giving truth to a soul there would be little hope of
salvation. The message remains to be watchful with purpose to be in Him.

Darkness has no shine.
Light splits into darkness.
To hold truth above lies defines the righteous.


  RopesAM2.mp3 (34m 01s)


Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.
~ Proverbs 4:13


It is by knowledge we find wisdom which brings the deepest senses of life.

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, ... ~ 1st Corinthians 2:14


Not all hold to the truth of God but believe man has power over the
fundamental building blocks of nature. Many claim superiority over
His knowledge with visions of their own, declaring powers of creation.

All creation is of God. ◄┓      
Fundamentally, all power emanates from God.
He is the source and it is not of us. As the wind can not be controlled,
so mankind has not the power to blow stars from one place to another.
Great are those who know how little we are.


Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ... ~ James 4:8

In coming closer to God, a single mindedness controls
over the deceptions of indecision. It is through open honest hearts
that we are able to humbly return to God.


... ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave
of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ... ~ James 1:6-8


Without single purpose in His direction, the waves of time
slosh about crashing from one rock to the other pulverizing certainty.
Expecting something from God after He sacrificed Himself, for us to know,
is a fools paradise. Fools inevitably doubt in their own short lived delight.
                 ┗► Fools do not seek the knowledge of salvation.


Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
~ Isaiah 55:6


Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;
Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. ~ Lamentations 3:40-41


We are in a place where He extends His patience waiting for
our simple rise back to Him. To relinquish this opportunity severs one’s
destiny with eternity. God is near each listening (surely everyone of us),
intimately, as the current grace of life prevails upon all, - before judgment.
Consider your heart and the extent it has to humbly open to Him.


... see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
~ Psalms 139:23-24


In rising back to God one must plea for His guidance over human
arrogance. Petitioning God for help in our struggles is part of the hope
we embrace. To be humble is to admit faults requesting this guidance.


Seek good and not evil, That you may live;
So the LORD God of hosts will be with you, ... ~ Amos 5:14


Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
~ 1st Peter 5:6-7


... He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ~ 1st John 4:7-8

Evil is and must be identified for goodness to prosper.
To love is to imitate God. Trust in Him is praise due.


... those who seek the LORD understand all. ~ Proverbs 28:5
                                                                                                    ┗► Knowing eternal spiritual life has begun.

Any moment of time in space has glorious sense for those returning to
what His majesty holds. True gratefulness for His mercy under grace
renders wise sympathetic souls. The wisdom of God has no equal.


And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
~ Jeremiah 29:13


God can be found by all those who genuinely seek Him out.
Most assuredly, God will be found by all those who use
all of their might to know Him.


Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; ... ~ Psalms 70:4

Is love on the horizon of your heart?
As God increases in one’s life, the self is lessened in the light
of His mercy. He magnifies endless power through eternal love.


But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith
and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:5-8


As sons of light we incorporate His ways as our protection from that which
would destroy our single sense of mind. Anything goes is not, and has
never been, the rule of law. He asks that we stay in His light keeping
our wits about us. Darkness is a slide well enough left alone;
Light has no comparison in its’ dark essence.
Darkness sours sweetness in life. ◄┛             


... Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth), finding what is acceptable to the Lord.
~ Ephesians 5:8-10


To fully live in His light we must become alive
to His will and bear those fruits accordingly. Each of us
needs to know what is acceptable to the Lord for our own sake.
His will is for us to stand on goodness filled with righteousness in truth.


In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand;
For you do not know which will prosper, ... ~ Ecclesiastes 11:6


He instructs us to never give up, morning noon or night,
and always remain ready to engage in pursuit of more goodness.
Endurance is a test of God. For the diligent, His will is that they prosper.


Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; ... ~ Ecclesiastes 9:10

┏► Noble integrity is a shield for that which is to come.                         
This test the Lord has us all under will expose the true nature of who we
are. The path we walk declares the destiny we will inherit. With all of our
might is what makes the presence of goodness rise above the darkness.


"Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now
commands all men everywhere to repent, ..." ~ Acts 17:30-31


God’s own judgment will befall upon us all, based on each of our
responses to His offering which exposed eternal sacrifice in love. Jesus
Christ is the standard for life rising from the earth. It is by His revealing
sacrifice, for us, that we now enjoy direct relationship with God.
His life calls us to rise from the death of our sinfulness
to join with Him in the light of His truths.


... Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
~ Colossians 3:1-2


We must never forget to consider the mind of Christ,
nor neglect the meditations from above. For all that is good rises
from the dust of the past. Is His truth tied to the strings of your heart?
                                                 No disguise will hide the heartless. ◄┛


... let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, ... ~ Philippians 1:27

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the
victory that has overcome the world - our faith. ~ 1st John 5:4


Test all things; hold fast what is good. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:21

To overcome the world we must be bathed in His sacrifice.
Never to say goodbye is of an unending faith. The world and all that is
in it can not deliver the vision of eternal life where true life begins.
God looks for individuals to be wise rather than careless.

Have you joined in God’s wave of truth?
To be immersed in Him once and forever is for those that will be saved.
He is the rope that lifts us from drowning in the sin of the world.


Our path to heaven maintains devotion
Take hold of instruction and do not let go
Things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned
If one draws near to God, He will draw near to you
Doubters receive nothing asked for in prayer
Lift our hearts to God in heaven
Let God lead you in the way everlasting
Seek good and not evil
Cast all one’s cares upon the Lord
Love is a prerequisite to know God
Seeking God with one’s all will find Him
Faith, love, and hope lead to salvation
Day or night never give up on good works
Set your mind on things above, not of the earth


Repent
Observe
Pray
Eternal
Salvation

The Scope of our Hope is to Grope for His Rope.

The deepest of all darkness can only hide nothing.
Darkness has no place to endure.


*Note: This sermon was first given September 2014 and is now rendered here.


 

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