Following the LORD - June 13, 2014

Scriptures: Luke 21-22
17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.[d] 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls.
36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

Message:
Following the LORD is not just believing, it's a way of life. A constant thing.

Observation:
So many of us believe in the Son of Man called Jesus, Yeshua the son of GOD. But we don't know the cost of what it's really like to be following GOD. The Bible says the world will hate us because we follow the LORD. Why such strong feelings? We are hated when we chose to do what is right and the world is comfortable with doing what is wrong.

Application:

We ought to stand firm no matter how much the world will hate us for our allegiance to GOD. In order to stand firm, we have never stop praying. And we will win our souls when we do not give up, when we keep praying, we do not lose our ground or firm footing. When we depend on the LORD by making Him our security, He will make sure to secure us at all time. 

Prayer:
Lord Help me to stand firm at all times. The craziness of life and the worries of it all are making me wave along back and forth but I want to stand firm because it's not about me at all. It's all about you. Remind me every second of the day that I should not stop praying no matter what I'm doing and that I should offer to you in prayers everything that ever concerns me. Help me to stand firm no matter what the cost.

DO's for everyday godly living

11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 
- 1 Thessalonians 4
5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5


To live a quiet life is to not make a fuss, a thought, a mess out of other people's lives because GOD has an assignment for each of us, we have work to do for His Kingdom. We cannot compare ourselves with others or be mindful of what others are doing or whatever struggles they are going through because we are all in a battle and fighting for GOD to reign and be victorious in our lives. If we keep on watching others lives, we cannot win our own battles, because we are distracted. Taking time to even talk about others that is unnecessary to you because it does not affect or relate to you is already mind the business of others. This is a distraction from the devil. We lose our own battles when we are not focused on GOD and what He wants us to do.

Since we have been called to live for GOD, our lives should be striking difference from the lives of the ungodly or rebellious. Be alert at all times spiritually, it is easy to fall asleep because of boredom. If you are truly engaged in the spiritual war, there's no time to sleep, every soldier assigned on his post are in an alert mode. We have to be like this at all times and be clear minded because one of the enemies tactics to distract us is confusion and doubt. Let the word of GOD rid us of any confusion and cleanse our hearts from doubts. That is why GOD has called us to always rejoice, and pray endlessly being thankful no matter what happens in life because this is how we win the battle, when we are on guard so that when the enemy strikes, we are protected by GOD's armor of faith and love. These are the Do's for everyday godly living for every follower of Yeshua.

Friends of GOD

6 “Every leader in Israel who lives within your walls is bent on murder. 7 Fathers and mothers are treated with contempt. Foreigners are forced to pay for protection. Orphans and widows are wronged and oppressed among you. 

30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
- Ezekiel 22

GOD looks for intercessors, people who know GOD and who pray for their land. Friends of GOD are people who follow and love GOD and pray in behalf of their countrymen. A nation has it's own weaknesses and strength. But a wicked nation GOD will surely punish because GOD is a GOD of righteousness. Therefore He searches for someone who can intercede for HIM the things which HE feels for a certain nation. Just like a friend, GOD looks for a friend of His that truly understands how He feels about whatever concerns HE has for a people. Ezekiel was GOD's friend, but Ezekiel could not do anything to appease the anger of GOD for the Nation of Israel because they have become hard headed with calloused hearts.

Are you praying for someone to be saved? Are you praying for others to know GOD? Then you are an intercessor. Do you understand the things of GOD? Do you feel how HE feels and empathize with GOD? If so, then you are called to pray and stand in behalf of those you are praying for. You are bridging the gap between GOD and in your family or church, everyone of us can pray for the group of people where we belong. We can be an intercessor at our school, our workplace, and most especially our families. GOD always has something against us because we are not perfect and we sin even when we do not know of it. But through the power of Christ blood and His grace, through our faith in Him, we have the power to change GOD's heart toward a certain matter, just as Moses and Abraham were friends of GOD, so can you be as well.