Quiet time 61-70

Honestly, I have been having a massive struggle.. I wanted to do something I knew was not right.. and I tried to do it.. but I couldn't... yah God wouldn't let me.. after a good night of sleep and some home cooking.. :P Yes I cooked, I see things a little more clearly. I need to be a witness as a Christian. Some people I have come in contact with could say that I have not acted as a Christian. That's a shame.

Romans 13: 1Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Honestly I don't trust our leadership. I tend to trust only the people I know. I don't trust those in leadership I don't know them and I don't trust them to take care of me when they are so crooked. Cops, politicians and everyone thrown in. I don't and have a hard time to put my trust in them.
I have to be subject to them though. I need to respec them. I do respect the cops and the president and those in authority but I don't trutst them.. I may not be doing what is right.. but I don't like the system. It's hard to see that they are the ministers of God.

10Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. 16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. 23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
This is my Mom. She isn't the prettiest lady out there but her heart. I have seen her show compassion to people at the grocery store that she barely knows. She takes time to cook, clean, and care. She has run alot of our dog business. She is going to be married to my dad for 25 years and people do envy my dad. SHe sews, and does alot with her hands. My mom is this.
New years Resolutions.. the things we all make.. and all don't do them.. so I'm going to make some and keep them. This year I want to eat.. sleep and do some workouts...
Ha, no I want to do something more.. I want to do pt every day.. better get on it... ughn :P I want to live holily and justly and unblameably b4 man and God. I want to get PTx twice this next semester. so on and so forth.
The thing is that you can make all kinds of resolves and decide to make new choices.. but unless you really deeply throw out the things that pull you away and make a heart change, you aren't changing.. so don't make superficial changes.. they won't last trust me.. It's like ALERT.. we learn all these disciplines... and we look like the best thing since buttered bread.. now look at us 5 years later.. the only ones who look the same are the ones who took them to heart. Let us take God to heart and do His will this year. Pray for your loved ones and friends that they will do the same.
1O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Let us Praise Him... go outside and take some time to worship the Creator.
Psalms 11:1In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
When all around my soul gives way then he is my hope and stay. it seems that there are those out there who would want me to stumble and fall. I need to put my trust in God and live for him... How will you live? I think I live more trying to please others than living my life in God's will.
Psalms 16:1Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 6The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 8I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Who is our focus? Do you make God your focus? At any part of the day... or even at all? Or do you set aside a little "God time" and the rest is yours? You pray some... read some, talk some, maybe witness some... but do you live Him? When you do, others can tell it. Think of your friends.. is there one who seems to always be God focused? Not that they sit home and fold their hands in their life.. but that they have more to thme, that you can see the passion. I can think of several. Honestly I think I set aside "God time" Let us live all For Him..

Psalms17: 6I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 7Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. 8Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Do you have problems? Like.. serious problems...... that you can't seem to shake.. Well good news! I'm selling something that fixes all your problems.. you can reach me.. it's only 75.99.... plus 15$ for S&H..

Well haha, don't really buy it... When you have problems, what do you do? Do you turn to yourself? or others.. maybe you tell people, we should all at the first sign of trouble turn to God. He happens to be a good fixerupper.


Psalm 19:

9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

This is it. Oh I want to keep away from sims, I want that badly.. if i didn't sin I wouldn't have any problems at all. But I need to focus on God and seek his will. I want to move on from my faults both public and my secret ones. Even though I do like them for a little bit.

Romans13:11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Here's one of the most important passages I think in the new testament. Knowing the time it's time to WAKE UP, the day of His return is near! Our leisure time is nearing the end, throw off our sins, our comfortable, little sins. Let us not live as sinners, worldy people.but as men and women living anew.... not wasting our time away but making the most of it. Let us put on God and crucify our flesh.

God bless you all and may you live for the morning.
Psalsm 22:1My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. 11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. 29All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

It really looks like David had his hands full. He had all these people out ot kill him yet you see his response. Lord I am weak, my enemies are many but you are strong. Lord Help me. No problem, we all pray when we are in trouble eh? However, David does something extraordinary. He praises God for all he has done and will do. God has saved us before,God will save us, let us declare His name. If we let our problems dictate what we think about God. Our smal problems, we have a small God. David had a big God. His problems were in GOd;s hands. When we say we can fix our problems or we worry and don;t trust God with our problems we have a small God. How big is your God?

Psalms 23:1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Is your God big or little? My God is big enough, He loves me, satisfies my needs, gives me rest in abundance, keeps me physically safe, spiritually sound, leads me in His path. When death is near, God is nearer. You give me sucess over those who try to destroy me, you bless me beyond words. As Long as i stay in Your will and your ways, true peace is with me.

Proverbs 5: 1My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. 3For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 5Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. 6Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 7Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. 8Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: 9Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:10Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; 11And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, 12And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; 13And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! 14I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. 15Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. 18Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. 20And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 22His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. 23He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Back in the day.. oh 1945 or so even as late as 1970, when you said strange woman, every knew you ment a certian type of person.the distinction is not so clear now.Who is a strange woman? who is the seductress portrayed here? Those of you who are girls.. I got bad news. It could be you. I am by no means saying you actually say or do these things portrayed here in Proverbs. But you don't have to say anything to lure men aside. I bet most of you when you read this are thinking.. Oh no..is he actually going to give advice to girls on clothes? Yes I am. It's very important how you dress. A picture says a thousand words, what you do and wear says more than your words. I am not saying that if a guy has problems that it is just the girls faults. We as men are responsible for what we say, do, and think. You could make it easier for us though.


Romans 13: 8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
This is very key. Why does God say do this do that? In the OT there are so may rules you can't swing a dead cat. Literally. What is the point of all these laws? We hear alot, oh that's OT, I'm living NT. No, it shouldn't be that way. We need to be the whole bible. It is important to obey the spirit of the Bible. The spirit of the law is the same as the spirit Jesus was talking about... it's about love.
May you love oneanother as we love ourselves. God bless
Today is a milestone. Today something changed and I started something new. What am I going to do that is different this time. What can I do differently. So like any other time I need direction I look to the map.

Romans 14: 1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. 2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. 3Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. 4Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

You've seen him.. we all know him, the brother who is so sensitive. He shrinks at what most of us are comfortable with. what do we do? Often we continue doing what we want w/o thought of others. I need to focus on loving others more than I love myself. then as Christians do we point and judge our weaker brethren? Or do we help others?

Psalms 31: 22For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. 23O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. 24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Be of Good courage, God rewardeth the faithful and the proud doer.Too often I give up easily. May we stay the course.

Psalms 32:1Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 3When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. 4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. 7Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 9Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. 10Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. 11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

The strength of sin is in its secrecy. You can move on from your sin in your past.. but only after you confess it and repent.You can't ask God's pardon if you don't admit you did it in the first place and that it needs pardon.

Psalms 34:12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Let us seek peace with our mouths.. It's too easy to stumble in that area for me. Well maybe most of yu don't have any problem with your mouth but I do... it says the stupidest things sometimes.. almost all my problems have come from my mouth.
Hebrews 2: 1Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; Hebrews:4: 8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

I've done this b4... I have neglected what I know is right because I like to do other things.. prayer for example. It's easy to let it slip aside in search of more entertaining things. However if we neglect the most important things.. such as belief, your faith, your salvation, you stand to lose so much. Live For God, trust Him, learn to depend on Him day by day. Don't harden your hearts when trials arise.. get on your knees, let us learn from the Israelites. God is so merciful to us.. we live with so many blessings, ;et us look past the stuff to Him.

Psalms 38: 1O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. 3There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. 4For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. 6I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. 9Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee. 10My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. 11My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off. 12They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. 13But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth. 14Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. 15For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. 16For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me. 17For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. 18For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. 19But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied. 20They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is. 21Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. 22Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.

I heard a preacher on the radio.. what is repentance? What is remorse? Remorse is loving your sin and hating yourself for doing it. Repentance is hating your sin cause you love your Saviour. David hates his sin. I need to hate it too. The only way I can start to hate my sin is to grow closer to God. As I grow closer to god I hate what He hates, love what he loves. Part of that is to Focus on Him. talk about Him, read his word, meditate on it, Listen to it. I want to be a Christian 24/7. Not just on Sunday and Wednesday night and when I am sleeping. Let me be a light on a hill.. May you all be a light on a hill, I sure can see it.

Psalms40:1I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

What do you do when you get in a fix? I tend to try and fix it my way.. to pull myself out by my bootstraps.. part of being a man is being capable and wanting to fix stuff. One of the downsides is that i am impatient and I rush off halfcocked. Wait on the Lord and he will renew your strength, you will run and not be tired... you will soar on wings like eagles. God is better able to pull us out of our fixes than we are.. he establishes out paths and all we have to do is follow his guide like a sheep follows his shepherd. I have been memorizing 1 Thessolonians. As I go through it alot stands out.

I Thess:1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; 4Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. 5For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 6And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. 7So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 2:1For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. 3For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 15Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 16Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. 17But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. 18Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us. 19For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 20For ye are our glory and joy.
As I go over this I see the love that the believers have for each other. They long for each other, they are encouraging each other. Despite the persecution, they stand strong and remind each other of the Faith and example of Jesus.
All around us people are needing aid. They are weak.. suffering and need much aid. What is sad is that they are our brothers and sisters. To often we forget that they need s or we ignore them. Can you encourage those around you? Can you say that other Christians are your glory and your joy? I can't. I'm trying.. but I am not.
Let us lift up our brothers and sisters and stand triumphant. We may lose some battles.. but we have won the war!
DO I have character? I am afraid I have far less than I should. I do not do the right thing because it is the right thing, I do what I do because I want to do it. I do not Love God and Hate evil. I truly need to seek God and grow close to Him. Proverbs 9: 9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Do I fear God? DO I even love Him? Or is he soem vague entity that has insured my eternal salvation... Psalm 42:1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? Do I seek Him? Do I want him? Is knowing and being with God a need?
What do I put first in my life? What do I spend the most time doing?

Hebrews 4:1Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

I may be wrong.. but what I think this is saying is that God didn't take away his salvation from the Jews.. but that he has opened it up to all of us. But it's not a punishment to the Jews, they are still his beloved. Therefore we have an eternal hope! THis is truly awesome. God is never going to take away our rest. I sure need one