What ever Happened to:
Faithfulness – Missing an appointment not returning a phone call; making a promise or commitment of lesser importance without following through are all certainly considered undesirable actions. So when God the Father gives us much greater responsibilities, we must strive at all costs to be true to His dear Word. His faithfulness is our example and the mark which we must strive to achieve. To be unfaithful is to dishonor Him. To be unfaithful to His church, His children, His commandments is to sin against the almighty sovereign Lord of All! Faithful is he who does his Lord’s will.
Psalm 36:5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and your faithfulness reaches unto the clouds.
Proverbs 20:6 Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Nehemiah 7:2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.
1Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
2Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Fear of God Reverence and consequences are different issues. When dealing with such an overwhelming awesome force as the creator of the universe, reverence is expressed when you are living right and fear when you are not. The wicked do not fear God for they are willingly deceived. We know this, that He who made it all, knows it all and cares for it all and will one day destroy and remake it all. Therefore we fear the consequences of not being right with Him. Revel in the joy of being able to reverence Him when you are in right relationship with Him.
Genesis 22:12 And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me.
Psalm 66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Psalm 130:4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that you may be feared.
Ecclesiastes 8:12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days be made longer, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Luke 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Colossians 3:22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
2Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Revelation 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Forsaking Sin Oh to be like him! He who knew no sin and was made sin for us. The very thought of being freed from the weight of the sin which does so easily beset us brings joy beyond words. If only I could truly say, “I would rather lose my eye than have it cause me to sin”. Each day the goal must be to turn from that which is evil and walk in His Holy presence.
2Chronicles 7:14 if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not yourself in any wise to do evil.
Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Proverbs 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Mark 9:47 And if your eye offend you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Forgiveness If the Church is to ever experience the revival we claim to desire, if the Church is to ever be the cleansed loving Bride of Christ, if the Church is to ever know the agape love of our Savior, then we must forgive each other as He has forgiven us and as we desire and need to be forgiven ourselves. Consider first the man in scripture asked to forgive others who had purposed him evil, Jacob’s son Joseph. Forgiveness is a gift we both need to give and receive.
Genesis 50:17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of your brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father. And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.
Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Ephesians 4:32 And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Fasting When the belly is full, the intimate desires of the body are satiated even unto perversion and yet we still wonder how He can be so distant. What shall we give up in order to draw close to the Lord? How can we in spirit draw near when the flesh is so satisfied with the luxuries it knows? How can we know the presence of Him who must be worshipped in Spirit and Truth when we do not deny the flesh?
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Ezra 8:21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
Esther 4:16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, night or day. My maidservants and I will also fast in the same way. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish.
Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.