The Abiding Life

Salvation and victory in the Christian life, victory over adversity is for everyone. He offers it to all who are willing to claim it.

God didn't make any false promises. He didn't intend for you to not have peace and joy. But there are many discouraged Christians.

John 15:1--"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

God never intended for you to live the Christian life.

The Christian life is not the product of the fruit, it is a product of the branch.

God wants you to rely on him. He wants you to rest in the vine.

God's Gift

I have all of Him. How much of me does God have of me?

We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Epesians 5:11--Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

At first, things were gong well in your Christian walk, but as time went on, you began to experience defeat. This could be so because you were not taught well. You were not taught that you were not given the strength to live the Christian life.

The Spirit Filled Life is a gift from God.

John 4:13--Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 7:37--On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

JC spoke of the HS as living water (well, river). When HS came down at Pentecost, He came to live inside of us.

John 14:16--And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will beF72 in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:26--But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The fullness fo the Spirit of God is a gift of God. We don't have to wait for HS because He has already come. He lives inside of us. Every believer is indwelt by HS. When God gave you HS, He filled you up with HIm. You've gotten all of the HS you can ever get. We received Him when we were saved.

The issue is how much of me does He have? The Spirit Filled Life is about how much of me does He have.

Why isn't Jesus enough?

How much of you He has is determined by whether you are filled with Him.

Acts 2:4--All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

Acts 4:31--After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

They were filled with HS. They don't pray Him down, HS comes down and fills them. HS fills every single believer.

Paul says we are to be filled BY the Spirit of God. The SFL is a life lived in submission to HS; under the control of HS. The Spirit of God ministers through us as He controls us. This leads to a life of fruitfulness and productivity.

The purpose of the SFL is to enable us to live the live He wants us to live and to do the work that He wants us to do. You cannot live the Christian life. God gave us HS to enable us to do what we cannot do.

A Spirit Filled Christian has a hunger for God.

If I am not living under submission to Him, then I am not living the Spirit Filled Life.

Requirements to be Spirit Filled: Absolute, total conviction that you CAN"T do it.

SFL is a life of control, submission, yeildedness to Him. Any time I reserve a part of me from Him, then I am not living the SFL. We are SF ONLY when we are totally surrendered, submitted, dependent, yeilded. To be SF is to be living in total submission to HS. I have transferred all authority in my life to Him. HS is in control of body, soul, money, job, friends, church, goals, everything. He will empower you. The emphasis is that we are to be dominated by HS.

Give up the right to self.

A Pattern of Powerful Prayer

How do you answer the question, "How can I pray for you?" Often times we want to pray for someone but we don't know what to pray for them. So, we wind up praying general prayers.

Colossians 1:9--For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.

This prayer is a powerful prayer. It has within it, the energy, strength, and authority of God. This based on our relationship with God. it's based on truth. We have the confidence that God will answer this prayer.

1. Knowledge of His will: Knowledge means more than just an idea. it means a fullness of the understanding of the will of God. This is not factual knowledge but experiential knowledge.

2. Walk worthy of the Lord: walking in a fashion that is in keeping with who we are.

3. Bearing fruit in every good work: this is a request for a wise investment for their life. Busy-ness is not good work and all works are not good works.

4. Increase in the knowledge of God: growing in the Lord. This is not just head knowledge. This is an experiential growth in the knowledge of God. As you increase in the knowledge of God, you will experience a new freshness, rejuvenation, energy, excitement about your life. The more you learn about the Lord, the more excited you get about praying. Sometimes pain is God's mechanism to bring you into an understanding of Him.

5. Strengthen with all power according to His might: we could not know who God is without the HS. Don't trust in your own strength. Be humbled and learn to trust in God. Don't do things in your own strength.

6. Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints.

God will answer this prayer. If we make any petition according to his will, he hears us. If we trust God with prayer, He will make a difference in someone's life.

Seeking God's Guidance

How do you make important decisions in your life? Believers start with the premises that There is a God who has a will/plan for our life. He is interested in our life, He has our best interest at heart.

Psalm 16

16:7--I will praise the LORD , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

God will guide and direct us in our life.

1. God has promised to give us Godly guidance. "You have made known to me the path of life."

Psalm 32:8--I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Proverbs 3:5-6--Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 58:11--The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Psalm 16:8--I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

I John 5:14--This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

It is God's will to seek Godly guidance. He promises to direct us. He promises to refresh us.

Genesis 12--God gave Abraham sparse guidance but clear direction. He gives us a sense of direction. As we trust him day by day, His guidance becomes clearer and clearer.

It is the character of God that He would give us very clear guidance in every decision we make. Since it's His will for us to obey and please Him, it's His responsibility to show us want to do. It's not in God's character to make us guess at what we're supposed to do. God will certainly give us Godly guidance if we seek it.

2. We have a pilot in our search for Godly guidance. JC promised to send a Helper/Teacher/Guide. It's HS's responsibility to guide us. HS is living in us to guide/direct us.

Psalm 16:7--I will praise the LORD , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

When we're asleep, the HS has absolute undisturbed control of our mind. Our mind is highly active when we're awake. But when we're asleep, the things that we are seeking guidance for from God, HS will reveal God's guidance to us (often in the middle of the night.) That is the work of the HS.

I Corinthians 2:12--We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Unbelievers can't understand the things of HS because they don't have HS to help them interpret/understand. Believers understand things of HS not because we're smarter, but because we have HS in us, guiding us.

First, you must believe that there is a God. He sent His one and only Son to die and pay for our sins. If you accept His son, Jesus Christ, and confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and accept Christ as your lord and saviour, that is when you become a child of God, and can receive clear guidance from God through HS. Put your faith and trust in God. He is trustworthy and loving. He will give you Godly, which is the best direction you can ever receive.

We must watch out for the pitfalls when seeking God's guidance.

1. Strong fleshly desires. There is nothing wrong with having natural desires. We must assess what is controlling our decision-making powers. We must ask, "what's the will of the Father?"

2. Wrong counsel. Everyone can offer advice. But they don't have to suffer the consequences. But we can go to the decision maker Himself. He wants us to be able to discern His mind so we know His will for our life.

3. Impatience. We must have patience. I will wait here until I get further orders. I refuse to run ahead.

4. Doubt. Some people feel that they are not worthy of hearing from God. Others feel disappointed by past unanswered prayer. Others misinterpret God's guidance, then things didn't go as desired and they conclude that prayer doesn't work.

If we have sincere motives, God will use our experience for good, no matter what.

5. Pressures. There's external pressure (friends, family, etc.). But those people don't know God's will for your life. So we must be careful of the external pressure. There's also time pressure. We are sometimes forced by the circumstances to make a decision. Other times, the pressure of the circumstances themselves will force us to have to make a decision. Internal pressures come from promptings of HS.

How do we find genuine Godly guidance?

1. Cleansing. We must first look at ourselves. What in my life will hinder me from seeing your guidance?

2. Surrendering. If I am going to deal with things, I have to surrender my will to Him. I must bring my will under submission to His.

3. Asking.

1 John 5:14--This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

4. Meditating on the Word of God.

Psalm 119:105--Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

God may use His word to reveal other thing that needs to be cleansed from our lives.

5. Believing.

Mark 11:22--"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

6. Waiting.

Isaiah 64:4--Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

7. Receiving.

If you've done these things, you will know that you've heard from God.

When Facing Challenges

II Chronicles 20

When facing challenges, we pray. We should have afoundation on twhich to base that prayer.

1. God is interesated in what I'm facing. He's interested in every challenge I face in my life.

20:2--Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD , and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

2. God is greater than our challenge.

20:6--"O LORD , God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

Jehoshaphat knew that God was interested in his challenge, God knew his challenge, and God was greater than the challenge.

3. Seek the LORD in prayer.

20:3--Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD , and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

God is the God if heaven. He is the Lord over all nations. The smartest, wisest thing to do is to lie before God in prayer. In our prayers, we should include the attributes of God in them. This will add power to our petition. Fix our eyes on God.

Jehoshaphat included others in his prayer. He humbled himself and told his people, "I can't do it." It is a sign of wisdom, not weakness, to say you can't do it and include others in your prayer. There's strength, power, boldness in that.

God will give you a solution to whatever you're dealing with. Don't shout-out someone through whom God will send that solution.

20:14--Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly. He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' "

Focus your prayers on the attributes of God and your prayers will have more power because they will. What God requires of us will be simply but it will always require faith. God works on our behalf on the basis of our faith in order to increase our faith.

20:20--Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD , for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

God was sending a message: Jehovah God, the God of Israel, is the only true God. Israel didn't even draw a sward. God defeated 3 armies on their behalf. Trust Him and He will bless you, no matter what.

It's Good to Give Thanks to God

Psalm 92:1-5--It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD ; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O LORD , how profound your thoughts!

Leviticus 22--The offer of sacrifice of thanksgiving was important. This kept their attention on the Creator, their guide, their deliverer, their provider. Israel was required to never forget God's deliverance. We are to thank Him because He has delivered us from the bondage of sin. Also, we must thank Him for providing for us.

Psalm 50:23--He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God.

Psalm 105:1-2--Give thanks to the LORD , call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

Psalm 106:1--Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD , for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1--Give thanks to the LORD , for he is good; his love endures forever.

We are continually reminded to give thanks to God. God wants us to be thankful people. Giving thanks to God is absolutely important and essential.

It's good to give thanks is good because 1) it honors Him; 2) it's an act of obedience; 3) it refocuses our attention; 4) it releases us from anxiety; 5) it refreshes our relationship with Him

Philippians 4:6-7--Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God does not want us to live in anxiety. When we give thanks, it is difficult to live in anxiousness. You can thank Him for the past, present, AND future!

Spending time with Him and thanking Him is refreshing.

Why We Believe

Galatians 6:14, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

The cross is the heart of what we believe. It holds a preeminent position in the New Testament. The Gospels are theological treaties. The message of the Gospels is to identify who Jesus Christ is and His death at calvary and His impact on our life. They head in the same direction: the cross. They all deal with events around the cross.

Matthew 16:21, From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Mark 10:45, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Jesus satisfied God's req for the shedding of blood for sin from someone who did not commit sin.

Luke 2:33-35, The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

John 1:28-29, This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

Jesus Christ, in the mind of God, was already a slain lamb before the creation of the world. God's plan for salvation was preordained. He did not wait until after Adam and Eve's disobedience to devise the plan of salvation.

Acts 2:22-23, "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17-19, For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

The Apostle Paul was committed to the message of the cross. He said that that was his reason for his preaching and teaching.

Romans 5:6-10, You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

All this centers around the cross and the death of Jesus. The death of His son brought us back into relationship with God.

Hebrews 9:27-28, Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Christ bore the sins of many. This message is throughout the bible. This was the message of Jesus. That's why Jesus came. Jesus knew that he came to die. To pay for out sins, Jesus had to suffer the consequences of sin.

1 Peter 2:24-25, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus bore our sin. When He died at the cross, He was our substitute. He was seperated from God the Father. This was his penalty fopr our sin.

The cross is a symbol of God's love. The cross is the sign of true liberty. Without the cross, there is no hope. What will you do on your deathbed without the hope of the cross? The cross brings hope, certainty, security. You may be ethical but what about your sinful nature? There is no hope of salvation without the death of Jesus on the cross. That is the testimony and the witness of the word of God.

Why do we make the cross the central focus of our faith? This is how we experience spiritual liberty in our life. It's the heart of of what we believe. It is the liberating power in our life. This is the core of the bible. It's the key to walking in liberty from the power of sin.

Human effort is of no value. Our works are like filthy rags in the eyes of God.

This is God's truth. The basis for our salvation is not what WE did but what HE did on the cross at Calvary. The shedding of Hid blood is what delivered us. We are clensed, redeemed by His blood. We are forgiven through His blood. The cross is the only way to be saved. This is because this is the heart of God. It is His plan.

If forgiveness before God is not through the cross and Jesus' death, then with is it through? What is the basis of what I expect God will let me into heaven. The only other logical explanation is my deeds. God makes it clear that works will not save us. The only way to salvation is through the cross.

The cross permeates scriputure. The cross liberates us.

When we come to the cross and we are saved, the blood of Jesus helps us walk in victory,freedom every day. God will provide everything I need. God will provide every desire of my heart. Every good thing that comes my way comes by the grace of God.

Jesus' death satisfied God's demand for death for sin.

Paul said the world, sin lost its appeal. It's not the driving force. Our personal relationship with Jesus is our driving force. We will begin to blossom because we will becoming what God wanted us to be in the beginning.

The cross is a like a mirror. The cross mirrors our unworthiness. The cross mirrors God's love, mercy, grace, kindness, might, power, etc.

The cross is the means of our salvation.

The cross is like a magnet. When Jesus be lifted up from the earth, He will draw all men unto Him.

The cross is like a model. It is the model of sacrificial love.

Have you ever applied the message of the cross to your life? Have you accepted God's forgiveness given to us through Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary.

Are You On Thin Ice With God?

Some people hear the gospel over and over but never repent. Others are saved but living with willful sin. Deep down inside we don't think that we can get away with sin. Doesn't forget. God doesn't overlook. Is there a limit to God’s patience?

Patience is God's willingness to wait. It's the goodness of God that allows Him to withold punish from those who deserve it.

Exodus 34:4-6, So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD , the LORD , the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

God proclaims Himself as a merciful God.

Psalms, David proclaimed over and over the loving-kindness of God.

2 Peter 3:3-9, First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

This was written to those who wondered how to answer skeptics. It explains how God’s “slowness” in bringing ultimate judgment on sinners demonstrates His patience.

God doesn’t let people get away with sin. The penalty of their sin begins to affect them physically, mentally, or emotionally. There is no such thing as God forgetting it or over looking it. Examples in Scripture:

Adam and Eve were immediately punished for their sin. Therefore, some people think they are getting away with sin. Just because we are not punished immediatel after we sin does not mean we are getting away with it. There is no such thing as getting away with sin.

God took the Israelites from bondage, and brought them to the Promised Land. When they sinned, He made them wander 40 years in the dessert.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the prophets were ignored (about Israel's idolatry). The Israelites figured they had special status with God and were immune to punishment. However, Jerusalem was eventually conquered by Babylon and taken captive. When God's judgement comes, when it's time to pay for our sin, be sure that our sin will find us out.

There is a limit to God's patience. Just as God ran out of patience with the nation of Israel, God runs out of patience with individuals. His chastising hand comes upon His children. Be sure your sin will find you out.

1 Timothy 1:12-16, I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.

What’s God’s purpose in being patient?

Romans 2:4-5, Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

1. He’s giving rebellious people time to think about it, time to be saved.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

It's dangerous to live in rebellion to God and God's word, yoiu are going down a dangerous path. Some say, to justify their lifestyle, that there is no God. That is foolish.

2. He knows we have a fallen nature. We are disobedient by nature. We have to learn obedience.

3. He knows we are sometimes ignorant of His Word. Too frequently believers are not encouraged to read God's word. That's where we learn about HS.

4. He knows we all have weaknesses.

E. What is the application to our lives?

God is willing for people—even Christians—to suffer so that He gets their attention. He wants to put us in a position so He can show us how to live our lives. We abuse His goodness and love and mercy by rejecting what He desires for us. It’s time for God’s people to stand up and live godly lives, or God will judge this nation, just as He did the nations in the Bible.

Ecclesiastes 8:11, When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.
“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil”

If you aren’t saved, you don’t know if you’ll have another chance to repent and accept Christ as your Savior. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

God is a patient God. But His patience is finite. Trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and Master so you don't wear thin God's patience.

Our Trustworthy Guide

Life is an traveled trail that each of us travels. Is there anyone guiding me? All of us need a guide. God wants to be your trustworthy guide.

Psalm 32:8-9: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

God will instruct, teach, guide us on our path. Is there anyone giving me instruction, guidance in my life or am I doing it on my own? God is available to be my guide.

Psalm 31:3--Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalm 48:14--For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end. God will guide us until death.

Psalm 73:23-24--Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. God promises to be my guide. Am I seeking genuine guidance from anybody? We all need a guide. God did not equip us to live our lives on our own understanding. We are inadequate.

Life is a journey. We go up difficult mountains and through valleys. We pass through the desert. We have conflict with other people and times of wonderful relationship. Life is hard because we live in a fallen world. Oftentimes, when people get in trouble, it’s because they ignored God. God is motivated by love. Why would we not want to follow His plan for us? We are inadequate to live without divine guidance.
People who don’t know God may seem to do well in life, but one day they will give an account of themselves

Luke 12:16-21--And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops. "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Many people want to be like this guy. They want to acquire much and "eat drink and be merry." When you choose to live life without God, God says you are living the life of a fool. It is essential to have a guide; a spiritual guide.

Reasons to follow God
1. God knows us perfectly. He knows our strengths, weaknesses, endurance, personality, desires, relationships, etc. He knows everything about us.
2. He’s available to guide us. Are we available to follow him?
3. He has set the best path for us. He already knows our path. He knows the dangers, what we should avoid.

When things become difficult, the wise thing to do is to respond by trusting God to protect you, provide for you, and guide you in every decision. God is our guide, not the world. God will never mislead us. This doesn't mean that I'll never have trials or hardships. But God promises to counsel us with His eye on us.

There are certain things God wants you to accomplish in life. Don’t try to figure it out; leave it up to God. Trust God, guide, supply at every turn. H will never leave, fail you. God will never tell me to give up. He will tell us to surrender. Giving up means defeat. Surrendering means awesome victory.

Psalm 32:8-9--I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.

God warns us not to be like an unbroken horse or a mule that won’t obey.

It's OK to ask friends for advice but it should be "what do you think God would have me to do?" God is trustworthy. He will always tell us the truth.

Sometimes we disobey because we want to choose an exciting and colorful route for ourselves. God knows what we want better than we do. When you hit stormy times, remember that Jesus will guide you through them.

Don’t you think it’d be wise to link your life to the Master Guide? He’s a trustworthy, dependable, unfailing, intimate and personal guide. It begins by asking the Lord Jesus to forgive you of being rebellious and of trying to have your own way.

A Good Conscience

God gave us a conscience for a specific reason.

1 Timothy 1:18--Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Paul prayed that God would discipline these people so they would repent. When you preach false doctrine, that means you're not listening to your conscience. We make decisions that involve our conscience. The

Your conscience is a gift of God. We are uniquely made. Believers and non believers have them.

Genesis 3:7--Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Adam and Eve ignored their conscience, they disobeyed God.

1Samuel 24:5

David's conscience bothered him after he cut off a piece of Solomon's garment in the cave.

Everyone has a conscience.

Romans 1:18--The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

Even lost people know the truth because God made it evident inside them. For instance, every believes assault/murder is wrong. The only explanation is that God put these morals inside of us. We understand that there is a penalty for our wrongdoings. Man's conscience lets us know that these things are wrong.

Once you begin to violate your conscience it, something begins to erode inside of you, your heart is darkened, your conscience is dulled. God gave the rebellious people over to their sins.

Romans 2:14-(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

God has written in unbelievers what is right or wrong. Their conscience bears witness to this. There is no escape from obedience to God. Every person has one and we all have to deal with it. It's a monitor. It monitors what we think, everything we do. It's a gift from God. The word of God sharpens your conscience. It's our moral capacity placed within us to distinguish between right and wrong. It's not there to guide us. People have an advantage to have a conscience.

HS is our helper. HS is equipped to do things for us that we are unable to do for ourselves.

You cannot violate your conscience without consequences.