Simple Thoughts On Promises

Simple Thoughts On Promises-252

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. (2 Chronicles 20:17)

The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord. Jehoshaphat praised God for his sfrength and might and recounted the great deliverances God had wrought for his people and then he confessed: We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.

As they fasted, prayed and praised God, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel. 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....."
(2 Chronicles 20:15,16)
And then came the promise that we read in the title verse.
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.
2 Chronicles 20:17)

The next morning, 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.

God gave a great victory to king Jehoshaphat and to the people of Judah because they trusted in him despite the odds being against them. They followed God's plan as given by Jahaziel and their fastings, prayers and praise paid off.
God loves the praises of his people. If you are in a situation like what king Jehoshaphat found himself in, start praising God. He is able to perform yet another miracle to save you. God bless you.
 
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Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)

The Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians says,
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

Paul here comments regarding the love of Christ and says that this love surpasses knowledge. The question that we can ask ourselves is...have we grasped how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ?
Truly it is immeasurable. He chose to die so that we could live eternally with him in heaven. He gave away all the glory that he had so that we could share in his glory.

Paul writing to the Philippians sums up the sacrifice of Jesus for our sake:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

made himself nothing...humbled himself....became obedient to death...

That love cannot be measured, but it can be amply experienced by those who put their trust in him. And because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness. Praise the Lord.
 
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I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark - you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. (Genesis 6:17,18)

In a whole generation, God found one righteous man and made a covenant with him.
The Bible says,
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:8,9)
Notable here is that 7 others escaped the great flood because of this 1 man finding favor in God's eyes. God cares for the family. He could have just saved Noah because of his righteous nature and blamelessness, but he didn't do that. He had compassion on the others in Noah's family. None of them are mentioned to be having Noah's great qualities yet they escaped the wrath of God because God didn't want this righteous man to be without them after the flood.

What would have been Noah's condition if his wife and children perished in the flood and he alone escaped? It would have been something like Naomi returning from Moab without her husband and 2 sons. She asked others to call her "Mara" instead of calling her Naomi, because of all the bitter experiences that she had to go through.
Of course she found restoration through Ruth and Boaz, but that took some time.

Are you in a family? Love each other because God loves you despite your short comings. Are you the only one saved? God will have mercy on the others when you pray for them. Are you all saved? Live as children of the light and glorify God. Praise the Lord.
 
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And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

What a simple yet great promise! For those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul says that God the Father will meet all their needs. Sometimes things happen fast. Prayers are answered promptly. Needs are met without any delay. But sometimes one has to wait after praying, but God fulfills his promise.

For some who wait for a long time for their prayers to be answered, depression and despair set in. But as they meditate on the Word, God strengthens them and keeps their hope alive.

To those who obey God's Word and believe in his promises, the Bible has another wonderful promise regarding God fulfilling their needs.
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. (Isaiah 58:11)

God cares for you and he will meet your needs because you have put your trust in his son Jesus Christ who is the Savior of the world. May God bless you and answer your prayers today.
 
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"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" - (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul quotes the above verse from the book of Isaiah. The verse with a slight difference reads as follows:
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. (Isaiah 64:4)

2 things are of note here:
God has wonderful things in store for- 1. those who love him & 2. those who wait for him.

If you love the Lord, pray to him and then wait patiently, he will reward you at his wonderful time.
In his old age, Abraham had but one desire- that his son Isaac got a good life partner. So he prayed and sent his servant Eleazer to find a bride for Isaac from among his own people.
Abraham loved God and waited patiently in prayer while his servant went searching for a suitable woman for Isaac.
How true the above promise is as we find God already having selected the right woman and sending her to the place where Abraham's servant stood waiting.

Abraham's daughter-in-law was chosen by God according to his divine purposes. In the fullness of time, she met Isaac and they got married.

If you love the Lord and have been praying for something in particular, God will answer you because of his abundant mercies. Remember, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
God bless you.
 
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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

This verse is not an echo from the past, but an invitation that still holds good today. And those who come to Jesus, heeding his call, truly find rest for their weary souls.

The gospels are replete with examples of many who found rest in this wonderful Savior. There are so many problems that we as believer's face day in and day out, but at the end of the day, we can assure ourselves that the Lord is in control because he has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

Sleepless nights, nights where we have cried our hearts out wondering whether the Lord cares after all. Yet the doubts fly as we see redemption come at the break of a new dawn.

Jesus says, "I care for you son/daughter. I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Let us believe his words this day. God bless you.
 
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In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Ephesians 1:7)

The Apostle Peter writes,
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18,19)

God redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
When we confessed, our offenses have been swept away like a cloud, our sins like the morning mist by the Lord Almighty.

But have we acheived our goal and can we be carefree with the precious faith that has been given to us?
The Apostle Paul had this to say,
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-14)

And Paul has some good advice for all of us. He says,
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. Why? one may ask....

(Because)...our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20, 21)

How wonderful. Praise the Lord!
 
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Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Genesis 18:14)

God keeps appointments and we read the rest of the story in Genesis Chap.21.
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. (Genesis 21:1,2)

To the question, Is anything too hard for the Lord? we can answer positively and say,
"No, nothing is too hard for the Lord!

At age 99, God spoke to Abraham and said,
"As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." (Genesis 17:15,16)

When Abraham heard that he was perplexed and a bit amused too. We read in Genesis 17,
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" (Genesis 17:17,18)

But God had decided and he said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. (Genesis 17:19)

Isaac was born at God's appointed time.

So what's your issue? Do you feel that the time for your miracle has passed?
This day the Lord asks you the question he asked Abraham long ago...Is anything too hard for the Lord?
 
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And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Have you thought about this particular verse? It says that we as believer's are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus with ever-increasing glory.
Maybe we don't take time to think about such things because of the hectic pace of life that most of us live. There are so many things to be dealt with and some of us have become wonderful multi-taskers.

But we are changing day after day as the Lord works on us and in us. Not only for us to become better human beings but mainly to prepare us for our eternal homes.

Graying, perhaps losing the sharp memory that we used to have, yet maturing spiritually to a level that we once thought we would never acheive.

We are being transformed as we pass through various life situations, good and bad, and God is renewing our spirit and soul for a home that would be ours in the fullness of time.

Look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? Physical changes every now and then.
Do you see the spiritual transformation? the ever increasing glory?
Food for thought these days! God bless.
 
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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31,32)

Jesus emphasized on "Truth" and this is very evident in the gospel of John. There are a great many verses that begin with Jesus saying, "I tell you the truth". In the promise given above, Jesus stresses the fact that if one has to be his disciple, one has to hold on to his teaching and when one does that he/she will know the truth and the truth will set them free.

Some people are so bound by traditions and error filled human doctrines that they fail to see the truth that is presented in the Word of God. They were like some of the Jews of Jesus' times. When Jesus told them about 'truth' setting them free, they retaliated by saying,""We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" (John 8:33)

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed". (John 8:34-36)

If we humble ourselves and accept and obey the Word of Truth, it will set us free. The Son of God, Jesus wants to set us free and that he will do if we hold on to his teaching. Praise the Lord.
 
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How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues. (Psalm 31:19,20)

If you have reverence for the Lord and have taken refuge in him, the above promises are for you. There are several blessings promised. One blessing is that God has stored goodness for you and he will bestow it openly. The other blessing is that God will hide you from the intrigues of men and keep you safe from accusing tongues.

David, the great psalmist king of Israel sang these because he had experienced it first hand in his own life.

King Saul tried to kill him 21 times, yet God protected David and he was crowned king of Judah and Israel. None would have thought about this when David was being chased around by Saul who was jealous of him. But God had goodness stored for David and he bestowed it upon him in the sight of men.

When he did not find deliverance immediately, he despaired and said,
"I am cut off from your sight!" .....but when the Lord answered his prayers, he sang....Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. (Psalm 31:22)

God is good and he loves you. If you have "fear of the Lord" and have taken refuge in him, he will be with you always and deliver you from evil. Remember, he is the one who...stores goodness for you and delivers you from the intrigues of men and from accusing tongues. God bless you.
 
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And the LORD said to Joshua, Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. (Joshua 3:7)

That "Today" came after a long wait for Joshua, but it did come. Has your "Today" of exaltation come from the Lord? It will, if it has not, but you have to persist in doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord and also be faithful in the calling that you have from the Lord. Are you in a secular work place? God has a purpose for you there? Are you working under superiors? No need to fret; the Lord will reward you for being faithful.

Even if your start is simple as it was in the lives of several people that we read of in the Word of God, if you are faithful and maintain your integrity, God will surely bless you in due time. Of course, there may be many who run ahead of you using crooked means, but they will eventually fall. Their greed and pride will bring their downfall.

Joshua was honored by God for his faithfulness. He was not only faithful to God but also to his immediate superior..Moses. Finally one day God told Joshua:
Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them - to the Israelites. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. (Joshua 1:2,6)

He did not fight for leadership. It was given to him by God. His faithfulness was rewarded. And so will yours be...Praise the Lord.
 
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"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7)

Did you tell someone today that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back? Maybe not today, perhaps last week? or the week before that?? If you haven't, you are perhaps not expecting him to come very soon.

Well, this is one thing that you need to remind yourself of everyday so that you gear up for the event.

There are debates and arguments about whether the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation or after or midway. Whenever it happens, we must be ready for the event.

Jesus said,
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man". (Matthew 24:36-39)

He also said, "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man". (Luke 21:36)

If the Lord returns today...Are you ready?
 
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But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:4)

After the exile of 70 years, when the Israelites returned to their own land, instead of building the temple of the Lord and worshipping him there, the people built their houses and didn't care about the temple.
Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD." (Haggai 1:2-6,8)

Then Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord and the message of the prophet Haggai and decided to do as the Lord had commanded.

When they decided to obey the Lord's command, he gave them the promise that we read in the title verse. "Be strong, I am with you" was what the Lord promised them. With the help of God, they again built the temple.

Every believer must have this attitude (obedience) for God's blessings to come upon him/her. Jesus said,
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
God bless you.
 
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For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance. (Psalm 94:14)

Rejection is destructive both to the body and soul and those who have gone through it know how painful it is, especially when one has been rejected by one's own. The Lord Jesus Christ was rejected by all save a few when he lived and ministered here on earth. So he understands the pain that goes along with it. The Apostle Peter writes,
As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him.(1 Peter 2:4)
It's the same with you and me. Though we are often rejected by men, we must remember that we as believers are chosen by God and precious to him.
Because we do not indulge in worldly ways, sometimes we are ridiculed, but God loves us because we are obeying his Word to keep ourselves holy and undefiled.

The Lord will not reject us who have made him our refuge.
If you are going through an experience of rejection these days, here are a couple of promises for you from Jesus.
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:21)
"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23)

And may the Lord strengthen you with these verses. God bless you.
 
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As you have been an object of cursing among the nations, O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong." (Zechariah 8:13)

A promise for a nation who sinned and angered the Lord God who had redeemed them from their enemies and established them as a nation. The Lord said,
"Just as I had determined to bring disaster upon you and showed no pity when your fathers angered me," says the LORD Almighty, "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid". (Zechariah 8:14,15)

Sin resulted in their downfall. They had only themselves to blame. Despite all that the Lord had done for them, they committed spiritual adultery and angered him. He showed no pity and brought disaster upon them handing them over to wicked kings. When they suffered, they repented of their misdeeds and turned their hearts again to their Redeemer.

We read the following verses in the book of Joel. Here, God is promising great restorative promises to his people who will repent.
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm - my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. (Joel 2:25,26)

When we repent of our sins and misdeeds, God who is always compassionate, heals us, delivers us and restores us. Great is his love and compassion. Praise the Lord.
 
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Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them. (Psalm 119:140)

The giant among the Psalms- Psalm 119 with 176 verses has so many decision making words, yet among these, here we find the Psalmist speaking of his experience regarding the promises of God.

Thoroughly tested are God's promises and the Psalmist just loved them.
Is that your experience too?

God has a good track record in keeping the promises that he makes to his children. Even in Old Testament times, he was perfect in keeping his promises to the people he had chosen for himself. Regarding this Joshua writes:
Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)

Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14)

100% faithfulness. That's how our God is.
If he has promised you something and you have not seen it's fulfillment this year, he will fulfill it in the coming year.
The Bible says,
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:3)

God bless you, this day and always.
 
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The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. (Psalm 85:12)

A lovely verse to meditate on and also something to hope for in the coming year.
Many are the things that the Lord has given us in this year which is to be history very soon, perhaps in a matter of hours.
Looking back, there are many things that the Lord gave us as answers to our prayers and there are others which the Lord gave us because he simply loves us as we are his children.

Of course there maybe several prayers for which we still have received no answers.
But we have hope that the Lord will give us our righteous desires as we delight in him. Do you believe that?

Remember what Jesus told Martha, the sister of Lazarus, before he raised him up from the dead...
"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40)

And she did see the glory of God. So will you...in the coming year...So praise the Lord as this year bids you goodbye and the new year comes into your life. All best wishes. God bless you.
 
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He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." (Revelation 21:5)

The term "Everything new" is kind of "exciting", especially at the beginning of a new year. So what's in store for you and for me in the next 365 days? Not many of us can see that far I guess, but whatever it be, let it be good and let there be ample things that bring peace and joy.

John the Apostle, heard God saying that he was making all things new. And then the Lord said, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6,7)

We have been chosen by God Almighty to inherit great things. But what he wants of us has been clearly written in his Word..The Bible.
Here are a couple of verses that gives the picture....
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1,2)

Written by Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome, the above verses are as good for our lives now as it was for the believers then.

So shall we renew our committment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this first day of the new year?
Remember that you have been chosen to inherit heaven and its blessings, so let your walk be worthy of it. God bless you.
 
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