GUIDELINES FROM THE LORD FOR LIVING IN THESE LAST DAYS
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OUTLINE
1. PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE AND THE HOPE OF SALVATION
2. HONOUR THOSE MINISTER TO YOU AND BE BLESSED THROUGH THEIR MINISTRY
3. LIVE A COMPLETELY SANCTIFIED LIFE AND AVOID ALL EVIL
4. LIVE IN THE JOY OF THE LORD AND PRAY CONSTANTLY AND BE GRATEFUL
5. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
6. UPHOLD THE SERVANTS OF GOD WITH YOUR PRAYERS AND INTERCESSIONS
7. BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR SHIELD.
THE MESSAGE
GUIDELINES FROM THE LORD FOR LIVING IN THESE LAST DAYS
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1. PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE AND THE HOPE OF SALVATION
We are living in the last days and the Lord wants us to follow the guidelines that He has given us in His Word in order to face the challenges of these days. We must be alert and self controlled and put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation as a helmet. The enemy wants to attack our faith and love. He wants us to lose our faith and confidence and cause our heart to become cold and hard. But we must not allow the enemy to destroy our life. We must be strong in faith fully trusting in the promises of God and the faithfulness of God. We must continue to be rooted in our love towards God and our fellowmen which is the greatest commandment that God has given to us. We must encourage one another and edify one another to be strong in the Lord. We must warn those who fail to walk in commandments of God.We must be compassionate towards the timid and the weak and help them in this hour of need.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11, 14
Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.
You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
LUKE 18:8
I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
MATTHEW 24:12
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
2. HONOUR THOSE MINISTER TO YOU AND BE BLESSED THROUGH THEIR MINISTRY
We must honour those who minister to us and lead us in the ways of the Lord. When we honour the servants of God who minister to us , the Lord will use them to bless us . He will use them to speak to us and He will answer the prayers that they offer on our behalf. When the Lord Jesus was despised in His hometown He could not perform many mighty miracles there. But wherever He was received with faith and honour , He performed mighty miracles of deliverance for the people.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-13
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
MARK 6:1-6 ,53-56
Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."
He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.
As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus.
They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
3. LIVE A COMPLETELY SANCTIFIED LIFE AND AVOID ALL EVIL
We must be careful not get involved in evil activities even when we are wronged. The last days would be full of evil and evil people. There would be many opportunities for us to be provoked into retaliation .But we must guard our hearts from all evil. We must allow the Lord to sancify us entirely in our soul , spirit and body in order to be kept blameless for the coming of the Lord. The signs of the last are clearly being fulfilled in these days. Wars , earthquakes , famines , diseases , turbulent seas , terrors are on the increase. We must be careful not to allow our hearts to be weighed down by the pressures and the pleasures of this world . Otherwise we would be unprepared to meet the Lord when He returns.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:15, 22-23
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Avoid every kind of evil.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
LUKE 21:9-11, 25-26, 34-35
When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.
For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
4. LIVE IN THE JOY OF THE LORD AND PRAY CONSTANTLY AND BE GRATEFUL
We must continue to live in the joy of the Lord even in these challenging times. We should be a living testimony of the joy that the Lord gives to His children which cannot be affected by the circumstances. We must be in a continuous state of prayer and communion with God in these last days. We must always remain in the secret place of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty which is our only security. We must maintain a grateful attitude and always offer praises and thanksgiving unto the Lord for all His benefits. This is the will of God for us who live in these last days.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18
Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
5. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We must walk in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The fire of the Spirit of God must always be burning in our heart. We must honour the revelations that the Lord gives us through His prophets. We must be cautious to prove everything and hold on to that which is good. The Lord is calling us and we must listen to His voice as He is a faithful God who will fulfill what He has promised. We must have current relationship with God and hear His voice now and not just depend on what we have heard in the past. Abraham heard God ask him to sacrifice his son Isaac . But he also heard the voice of God when the Lord told him not to slay his son. If he had depended only on what he had heard in the past he would have needlessly slayed his son. We must be sensitive to what the Lord is saying to us now and not just act on what we have heard in the past . It is an absolute necessity in our lives to face these challenging times.
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SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:19-21 , 24
Do not put out the Spirit’s fire;
do not treat prophecies with contempt.
Test everything. Hold on to the good.
The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
GENESIS 22:1-2 , 10-12
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
6. UPHOLD THE SERVANTS OF GOD WITH YOUR PRAYERS AND INTERCESSIONS
We must uphold the servants of God in our prayers and intercessions in these last days. The enemy wants to strike the shepherds in order to scatter the sheep. Our spiritual leaders need all the prayer support possible as they face intense attacks in their life and ministry.Jesus foresaw the attack of satan on Peter which would cause him to stumble and deny the Lord Jesus. But the Lord Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith should not fail. The intercession of Jesus saved Peter from destruction and ensured his restoration to the ministry.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:25-27
Brothers, pray for us.
Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.
I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.
MATTHEW 26:31
Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " ’I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered
LUKE 22:31-34
"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.
But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."
Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."
7. BE STRONG IN THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR SHIELD.
We must be strong in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in these last days. The grace of the Lord would be a shield of protection around us in these dangerous times. The grace of the Lord will enable us to rise and shine for the Lord and be an effective and powerful vessel in the hands of the Lord. The grace of the Lord will be sufficient for us and reveal the power of God in our weakness.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:28
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
2 TIMOTHY 2:1
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
PSALM 5:12
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
1 CORINTHIANS 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
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