LIVING A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP & PRAISE

 So, let's bring our study of PREPARING FOR ETERNITY...WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? to a close with this blog as we take a closer examination of Peter's last verses regarding how we are to be living. He says in verse 8, "If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Easy to Read)

And isn't that our purpose on this earth....to be useful to God as we live and produce fruit...as we seek to tell others about Jesus and His sacrifice for us, as we look forward to spending eternity with Him. And all that is ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, if we learn more about who Jesus is, and as we walk with Him in our daily lives, making EVERY effort to be more like Him (godliness) and to show the love of God to those who are living life on their own terms; totally and selfishly without regard for God's great love and sacrifice. I mean, if we can somehow earn our way into God's PERFECT Heaven; then what was the cross for and why did Jesus come to earth just so He could die the most horrible death possible? 

Peter goes on to say in verse 9, "But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins. Yes, we will miss the blessings that God has stored up for us both here on earth as well as in Heaven if we fail to worship Him for all He has done for us...both now and in eternity to come. 

Imagine, if you will, you are in a upcoming dramatic play...what is your first act of getting ready to perform the play...LEARN YOUR LINES, THEN RUN THEM WITH SOMEONE ELSE; THEN PRACTICE YOUR BLOCKING ON STAGE, THEN THE DRESS REHERSAL..NOW YOU ARE READY FOR OPENING NIGHT.

The same is true for your preparation for Heaven....first you picture WORSHIP and then you PRACTICE WORSHIP as laid out in Psalm 119:164, which reads, "Seven times a day and all day long do I praise You because of Your righteous decrees." (AMPC) Yes, the more we visualize our acts of worship, the more we are prepared to practice our acts of worship and receive the blessings that God has ALREADY PREPARED FOR US....He is just waiting for us to do our part so that He may do His part!!!! 

In fact, if you will closely examine the last verses of this Scripture passage in verse 10 & 11, you will find seven blessings that are provided to us as we use the tools we have in our toolbox to do God's work and to worship Him in true honor and praise for all HE HAS DONE AND ALL THAT HE WILL DO TO COME...THEY ARE,

GODLY MATURITY

GROWING PRODUCTIVITY

GREATER CLARITY

GRATEFUL MEMORY

GENUINE STABILITY

GUARANTEED SECURITY

and probably the most important blessing of all....

GLORIOUS ETERNITY!!!!

So, let's crack open our toolbox, knowing we have EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LIVE A SUCCESSFUL AND GLORIOUS LIFE FOR OUR HEAVENLY FATHER....AS WE DO THE GOOD DEEDS SET BEFORE US AND HE RECEIVES THE GLORY, HONOR AND PRAISE HE IS DUE!!!

WORKING FOR JESUS...WAITING ON HEAVEN'S REWARD,

WPQ

Brotherly Affection Gives Way to Agape LOVE

So as we as we wrap up our study of PREPARING FOR ETERNITY, the apostle Peter gives us our last two tools for use in building our toolbox for our earthly gain and our heavenly work that prepares us for our upcoming job titles in God's Heavenly Kingdom. The first is Brotherly Affection; a sincere and active love for our brothers and sisters in Christ! I mean, if we cannot show affection, love and a sincere desire to know and grow with those of our kindred Spirit, how can we ever be expected to show the LOVE of GOD for those still lost in a world of sin and despair? THE SIMPLE ANSWER...WE CAN'T!!!!

In fact, Peter tells again in his first letter, 1 Peter 1:22, which reads, "Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart." ..Or we read in Romans 12:9-10, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor."  In fact, there is no better way to show true brotherly affection for each other than to show respect for those members of the faith who may or may not agree with you in all things; but who are honestly and eagerly seeking to know Jesus more intimately as they continue their walk with Him and grow to show more brotherly affection to others in the Christian faith. 

It is here that Peter tackles the last instrument of use for us all as sojourners in this world...the gift of AGAPE LOVE...God's unselfish love that knows no boundaries and takes us from our comfort zones as we seek to live out the Great Commission given to us by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus has called us to make disciples, but His first command is to "go into all the world"...to GO so that we may SHOW...to show and to demonstrate the true love of the Father, " that whoever would believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that He bled and died on Calvary for our sins; that He was buried in a borrowed tomb, but yet, rose again on the third day...FOR THE ONE THAT HAS SUCH A FAITH HAS FORGIVENESS AND AN ETERNAL HOME WITH THE FATHER AND HIS SON, IN A DAY THAT IS COMING FOR ALL THE CHILDREN OF GOD...that man or woman or child is an extension of the AGAPE LOVE OF GOD...and will one day reign with all of Heaven and with those who belong to the family of  GOD....HALLELUJAH AND AMEN!!!!

And in conclusion, Peter further instructs us in verses 8-11 of 2 Peter 1, when he writes...If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who don’t grow in these blessings are blind. They cannot see clearly what they have. They have forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins. My brothers and sisters, God called you and chose you to be His. Do your best to live in a way that shows you really are God’s called and chosen people. If you do all this, you will never fall. And you will be given a very great welcome into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a kingdom that never ends!!! (Easy to Read Bible)

And to do all of these things, God has given you EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO LIVE FOR HIM...

HOWEVER, ALL THIS COMES TO FRUITION ONLY WHEN YOU BEGIN TO LIVE A LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP AND PRAISE....the last requirement for you to be ALL that God meant for you to be on this earth as you prepare for ALL THAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU IN HIS KINGDOM TO COME...see you again with the rest of God's plan in PREPARING YOU FOR ETERNITY!!!

FILLED MY TOOLBOX...READY TO WORK FOR THE LORD,

WPQ

BUILDING OUR TOOLBOX…READY FOR USE

As we continue in our series of the study of 2Peter 1-11, we find Peter extolling us to add these tools to our growing toolbox…and this one may be hard to use on a regular basis; BUT ONE THAT WILL BE A DIFFERENCE MAKER…IT IS THE TOOL KNOWN AS SELF CONTROL…NOT SELFISH CONTROL!

You see, these tools I just mentioned have similar nomenclatures, but are used in TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS. First, Self Control, pulls in the reins of how we interact with those we may know and love…OUR FAMILY. When we use self-control in dealing with our family, we make our decisions and have our interactions with regard to what is best for our mom, dad, or other siblings…we want what they want, if in is good for them as well as for us. Do we hog the bathroom as we get ready for the new day…or do we make it a point to get in and out so that others have time for doing what they need to do to get ready for school or work? Do we look for opportunities to help around the house…or do we leave a mess and just walk away, dirty dishes in the sink and food left on the kitchen counters?

You see, the opposite of self-control is SELFISH control…a time when we make it ALL ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OR NEED, WITH LITTLE, IF ANY REGARD FOR OUR FAMILY OR OTHERS WITH WHOM WE INTERACT? God’s Word has plenty to say regarding self-control, but one of my favorite's follows: “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)  

So, which tool will you be packing in your toolbox? SELF- CONTROL OR ITS EVIL LOOK ALIKE….SELFISH CONTROL?  IT’S  YOUR CHOICE!!!

The next tool Peter tells us to add is the tool known as STEADFAST…which means to us as believers….UNWAVERING FAITH, PERSEVERANCE TO ENDURE HARDSHIPS WITH A RESOLUTE HEART AND THE ABILITY TO STAND FIRM IN OUR FAITH THROUGH OUR GODLY ACTIONS; especially as we commit ourselves to doing God’s will when LIFE seems to overwhelm us and seeks  to pull us away from being obedient to our Father. The apostle Paul shares this verse with us from Philippians 4:1, which reads, “Therefore, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. So, if you are going to call yourself a true believer in Christ, the tool of STEADFASTNESS will constantly be at use in your walk with Christ!

As we continue to walk with our Lord, Peter extols us to add a few more tools to our toolbox of FAITH as we combat the wiles of the devil as he seeks to devour those who would try to live life on their own terms. And our next tool is one that I feel many Christians fail to use properly…it is the tool known as GODLINESS!

And how might one describe GODLINESS? It is what a believer seeks to do as one aligns their thoughts, actions, feelings and interactions with the world, to display an inward peace by imitating our Lord, Jesus Christ. IN SHORT, OUR ACTIONS REFLECT THE CHARATERISTICS OF GOD….WHAT WOULD JESUS DO? Paul, in his teachings to young Timothy says in Philippians 4:8, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

But, we must be careful that our desire to be a godly Christian does not come off as an affront to others that see our attitude as “holier than thou” or that might give us a lofty perch that allows us to look down on others who might be struggling in their walk with Jesus. So be GODLY in all you say and do…not GRUMPY AND GROUCHY THAT OTHERS ARE NOT AS GODLY AS YOU BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE. So, how’s your toolbox shaping up; and more importantly, are you acquiring these tools…and if you are, HOW ARE YOU USING THEM FOR YOUR GOOD AND GOD’S GLORY?

Come back tomorrow as we add our last tools and examine our need to live a LIFESTYLE OF WORSHIP…BOTH NOW ON EARTH, AS WELL AS IN OUR PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN….

LOADING UP MY TOOLBOX….READY TO WORK FOR THE KINGDOM,

WPQ

AND OUR NEXT TOOLS ARE....

As the apostle Peter begins to share with us in his second book, we find that he behooves us to start adding "tools" to our toolbox. As we read in the next verse of 2 Peter1:5, it says,  For this very reason, applying your diligence to the divine promises, make every effort in exercising your faith to develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding).

We see here that clearly our next tool is moral excellence or in the vernacular of years ago…VIRTURE! So, we must ask ourselves; what is virtue and how do we attain it? For believers in Christ, virtue is best defined in our ability to actively pursue God’s will and display His character in ALL THINGS. In essence, MORAL EXCELLENCE or VIRTURE occurs by living out our faith in all of life, even when it is difficult, in order to bring God, the GLORY He is due!!

We only have to look in God’s Word to find examples of such virtuous, morally excellent followers of the one true God. Examples like Joseph, King David, Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Andrew, or Simon Peter…but one of my favorites; Joseph, the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. Yes, the Holy Scriptures are resplendent with a myriad of examples of those who pursued the will of God with their entire beings.

Our next tool Peter encourages us to add to our “toolbox” for godly living is… KNOWLEDGE….and here we must differentiate between the kinds of knowledge that will draw us closer to God.

First, we have SECULAR knowledge….the knowledge of the ways, the ins and outs, the ebbs and flows of this secular, but universal world. This knowledge allows us to move throughout our world with the understandings of how God uses this world of His Creation to provide His greatest creation to exist and flourish as He provides us the very essences of life on this planet we call, HOME!

Second, and far more importantly, is our SPIRITUAL knowledge that allows us to ascertain the Divine Truths, Personal Faith, Scriptural Insights and Spiritual Experiences that bring us into a close and more intimate walk with our Heavenly Father. This Spiritual knowledge gives us a sense of meaning and purpose (Jeremiah 29:11); it allows us to gain an inner peace and feelings of contentment (Phil. 4:11-13); it provides us with better coping strategies and skills (Hebrew 12:5-8); and probably, most importantly for our interactive lives, the Spiritual Knowledge that increases our compassion and empathetic feelings toward others (Matt.9:36 & 14:14).

Yes, our journey to Heaven will be fraught with many speedbumps, brick walls and insurmountable obstacles that will impend our travels; however, if we use our willingness to remain seekers and does of moral excellence, and spend our time in lofty pursuits to gain more and more spiritual knowledge of the will and way of our Father, we will be ready for what He is preparing for us in our celestial HOME…the home that is known as THE KINGDOM OF GOD!!!

 

PREPPING FOR THE KINGDOM,

WPQ