Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father. John 10:17-18

Our Savior laid down His life for each of us. For every man, woman and child in the entire world.
This is impossible to understand unless you have ears to hear and eyes to see.
It is like a foreign language to some. They find it foolishness and folly.
The gospel is not understood by all.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

I rejected the gospel at first. I didn’t understand why my friend kept talking about Jesus.
I knew Jesus was a good person, but she was sharing that He was God and the Savior of the world.
It took a little time. I resisted, but I kept coming back with more questions. I was trying to understand.
I was trying to find the truth and God knew that.

Some people are not trying to find the truth.
If they are, God will get through to them. He will teach them. That part is out of our hands.
The people were created by God and He knows what is inside their hearts toward Him, whether it be good or evil.

We must not forget the power of God’s word. When it goes forth, that is, when it is spoken,
it will accomplish what God set it forth to do.
Remember the power of God’s word in prayer also.
He opens the doors when we are sharing Christ and speaking to the saved and unsaved.

Learn His word well, so you can sprinkle it and sow it as His Holy Spirit gives occasion.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Never underestimate the power of God’s word who is Jesus. Send it forth as often as you are able.
Not out of season, but in sync with the Holy Spirit and it will accomplish much. A little salt here and there.
Listen, pray and obey. God will work. You will see Him perform His word.

And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Revelation 15:3

Jesus was there. He was always there from the beginning.
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-3

He has always been with God.
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Philippians 2:6

And, thus Jesus was killed by those who did not accept that He was God in the flesh.
Those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus has come in the flesh are of the Antichrist spirit
which was and is in the world, ready to deceive and exalt himself in Jesus’ place.

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God:
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come;
and even now already is it in the world. 1 John 4:3

Love the truth above all your own thoughts.

Maybe we’re being disciplined?
Maybe we’re being molded and remade?
Maybe we’re just learning lessons.
Whatever the problem is, God knows the answer and He is there to direct us.
Maybe it’s just remembering humility: You’re not all that strong in the Lord, you still need Him.
Maybe you are strong in the Lord, but He is teaching you to be stronger, to fortify your walls and hide in Him a little tighter.

Remember Job’s comforters? They thought they had all the answers? Not so.
Job knew he did not have all the answers.
He sought the Lord for the answers and remembered that he was dust and God was insurmountable.

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Job 10:9

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Job 19:25-26

How dare we compare ourselves with the suffering of Job?
That is God’s word and those words are comforting for us sometimes. God loved Job very much.
He did nothing wrong. God does what He does and our lives are in the palm of His hand.
He will see us through. He is our Redeemer and He lives.

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together,
and running over, shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:37-38

Be mindful of the type of fruit you produce and share.
Bad fruit will bring forth bad results.
Shame and sorrow shall accompany bad fruit.
At first, you may not notice it.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians 6:7

Be a good tree. Bear good fruit for Jesus.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James 3:18

Once I asked the Lord how many times will He listen to those who refuse Him. Is it a hundred? A thousand?
How many times?
He answered, If it is an influence, such as demonic, there is no amount. If it is from their heart, I listen once.
We do not know. We have these people in our lives for whatever the reason that we really like and care for.
We must pray for them and cry tears of sadness that they have not yet chosen the Lord.
We also must realize they may not choose to follow the Lord.
Keep preaching the gospel to whoever will listen.
Keep praying for the soil of the heart to be absorbent to God’s word, that it not be stony and unable to accept His word.

It is not easy to be a wheat amongst tares and to grow up together with them.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying,
The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him,
Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him,
Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,
Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:
but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:24-30

So many we know have decided on their own that they are fine with God,
that God loves them and they can live how they want and do whatever they wish.
They are trusting in their own goodness and not Jesus Christ, the Risen Savior.
They are blinded and deceived.
Pray for opportunities to share the gospel of Christ.
The Lord Jesus has to be the One to reveal to them the truth.
We can pray for their hearts to be prepared.
We can pray for opportunities that we can share the truth with them.

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it.
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
And when He had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Luke 8:4-8

He who has ears to hear. Another prayer we can pray for them, to have ears to hear.

I’m going to ask one of my loved ones to pray that she has ears to hear.
God is the One who gives the increase.
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6

There are many things that happen in this world that are evil.
it is detestable to God to call them good. God, in His word, has made righteousness very clear.
He has also made evil very clear.
Those who disregard God’s instructions and commands will find themselves on the side of evil.
It may seem harmless, but it is a choice.
Whenever anyone usurps their opinion over God’s word, they are in great danger.
To decide they know more than God or that what God says does not matter is very dangerous.
It might be something they do not answer for while they are here on Earth, but there will come a day
when they will stand before the Creator of Heaven and Earth and will answer for their choices.

Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him?
When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them;
or, Where is the God of judgment? Malachi 2:17

Whether acts are done in secret as though hidden from God or out in the open, in His face,
either way, He will deal with the offenders. Their time shall come where they will face the Lord for their offenses.

Love, patience, gentleness, self control, obedience to what the Lord Jesus asks of us.,
forgiveness, charity, kindness, love, loving your enemies, blessing those who curse you,
sharing the gospel, praying, worshipping our Creator, letting bygones be bygones,
going the extra mile, taming your tongue, avoiding gossip, believing God’s word,
humility, generosity, hospitality, faith, hope, doing good and not evil,
letting God repay others for their deeds, and many many more too numerous to mention.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Colossians 2:23-24

People still get the works of God confused with work in the kingdom.
They also have a hard time understanding that we do not work our way into heaven.
Paul had much to say about works.. So did James. Both were inspirited by the Holy Spirit.
People then and now have had difficulties grasping the concept.
 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Ephesians 2:17
And
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:9

The scriptures do not contradict each other. It is all about the heart. Why do you work? For others to see?
For others to glorify you? To earn your way into the Kingdom of God? All fleshly reasons are not valid to God.
Ideally, we do what we do out of adoration and love for God.
Ideally, we follow His commandments because He asks us and on a voluntary basis.
We don’t earn our way. Jesus paid it all. It’s quite simple:
Where is your heart? Are your efforts fleshly or spiritual?

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

The treasures of this world fade quickly.
A strand of pearls are lovely and fun to wear.
They can be put away and protected in a safe place.
Maybe a jewelry box.

 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:19-21

The treasures we lay up on Earth will all be destroyed.
The treasures we find in Christ will always be.
The most important treasures in Christ are realizations of Who He is.
Those revelations that permeate our inner person, those treasures about Him that become a part of us.

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Isaiah 55:6

There are several scriptures that show that Jesus truly is the treasure we are searching for:
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:1-6

Find the fear of the Lord first and foremost and then do not let it go.
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23
How do you buy the truth?
You consider it valuable. You do what it takes to acquire it.
If you do not consider it valuable, you will be lost until you do value it. Maybe forever…

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 tells us to love the truth.
It also tells us what will happen to any of us if we reject the truth:
 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There is no playing with God. If we reject His word, the truth, which is Jesus, we are condemned.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

We are earthen vessels. Seek after the hidden treasure that only those with eyes to see and ears to hear understand.

Plenty of people, even Christians, think they are good enough.
That they don’t have to do anything more because “they are saved”.
There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation, however, it is a process.
If your assurance for Salvation comes from Christ and His word, you are in good shape.
Check with Him and make sure that you are not lacking anything. He will let you know.

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10:2-4

Without the fear of God, the reverent fear of Him, who can cast us into Hell,
we might very well choose by our own good conscience.
There is no end until we reach our destination.
The enemy will fool you and cause you to believe that you’re safe.
That is not what Jesus taught.
We cannot in any way earn our salvation. It belongs to our God.
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Psalm 3:8
Salvation is from the Lord and belongs to the Lord.
We cannot get there on our own by our own good works.
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41

Apostasy will happen. While it is hard to understand, the bible has warned us of it.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by our gathering together unto Him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word,
nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;
so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

People can and have fallen away without the antichrist.
Look at King Saul and King Solomon and Judas.
Does anyone think that they are better or stronger than those men?
When Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, they had no fear of God. God corrected them right away.
Pray that if your fear of God is not there, that He will correct you right away.
Do not get too comfortable. The battle is furious for your soul. The deception is strong and overpowering.
Stay close to Jesus, let Him lead you and guide you, stay in His word, pray without ceasing and fast as He directs.
Those who are trusting in their own good works, efforts or devotedness will not see their Lord as Savior, but as their Judge.

Jesus said:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without Me ye can do nothing. John 15:5

For without Him, we can do nothing.

But now, O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter;
and we all are the work of Thy hand. Isaiah 64:8

We are made in the image of God.
Each person whether big or small, rich or poor, intelligent or not,
Each one has the capacity to give their lives over to God.
if they cling to their earthly riches, including the riches within themselves,
their beauty, their personality, their friends, their idols or any other things this world has to offer,
they will not be accepted by Jesus on the last day.
Their riches will lose value, their idols, broken in a million pieces,
their foundations ruined and all that they hoped in or trusted in will be destroyed,
and they will be standing or kneeling before the God of all Creation,
trying to explain how they trusted in other things and not in Him.

The apples of delight that they have eaten and desired will cause them to starve.
Their flesh has been fed, but not their spirit.
The love that they think has been solid will evaporate.
Those things they trusted in will evade them.

Pray and fast for those you love to hear and see.
Plead with the Lord that He will give them one more chance.
If they do not see and hear, that is not because the opportunity was not there for them.
They let it slide. They chose another option. God always looks on the heart. He knows who is seeking Him.

Look at this king. The scripture here tells us why he fell, why he couldn’t make it.
It was his own fault. Read this carefully. Consider your own self.
And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord. 2 Chronicles 12:14

Is this a formula?
Not exactly. However, there are things we do that honor the Lord.
This is more like an unofficial commandment, something you should do that is not so obvious.
It lines up with circumcising your heart, taking up your cross and following Jesus,
rending your heart and not your garment, following hard after the Lord.
Many scriptures reflect this same attribution.

Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God;
arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 12:19

This is what God required of the temple that was built for Him.
Look at each portion and what He expected.
Here, we are reminded that we each are now His temple.
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?
for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 2 Corinthians 6:16

As we follow Jesus, we make choices along the way.
Choose life. Choose Jesus and Choose His ways above your own.
You will not be disappointed in the long run, however, it may be painful to the flesh for the time-being.

Hand it all over to Jesus and do not look back. Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32