The SUPERIOR VALUE Of A SANCTIFIED HEART-III—1Peter 3:13-17
Attention:
Mistaken Mugger:
When a would-be thief saw 26-year-old Polyana Viana waiting for a taxi on Saturday outside her Rio de Janeiro apartment, he apparently concluded she was easy prey.
He asked her what time it was, she reportedly said, before trying to bully her into giving him her cellphone. He also told her he had a gun.
She quickly sized up the situation
"He was really close to me. So I thought, 'If it's a gun, he won't have time to draw it,'" "So I stood up. I threw two punches & a kick. He fell, then I caught him in a rear-naked choke. Then I sat him down in the same place we were before & said, 'Now we'll wait for the police.'"
Polyana’s actions were second nature for the UFC straw-weight, who has won 10 of her 12 professional fights.
Photos posted on social media of the mugger show his bloodied, bruised & swollen face. The supposed gun, it turns out, was actually a cardboard cutout.
The mugger was taken to a hospital before he was transported to a police station. Viana did not suffer any injuries.
Viana said, “I was fine. I was fine because he didn't even react after. Since he took the punches very quickly, I think he was scared. So he didn't react anymore."
"He told me to let him go...because he saw I was very angry. I said I wouldn't let go & that I was going to call the police … He said, 'Call the police, then' because he was scared I was going to beat him up more."
Viana has had to teach other thugs lessons in the past.
By: Elizabeth Llorente is Senior Reporter for FoxNews.com, & can be reached at elizabeth.Llorente@Foxnews.com. ©2019 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.
Polyana’s ‘would-be mugger’ discovered the surprising superiority of Polyana’s training!
When your heart is set apart(‘sanctified’) to discovering & living out God’s will, then others, who have never heard or have merely ‘heard of’ God’s truth, will hear it from & thru you & thru the ministries in which you are involved.
Need:
Our society must realize that the Church does not gather to be entertained, nor to celebrate their own achievements, nor to merely socialize with their friends—Which are all too common misperceptions & misconceptions.
Rather the Church gathers together regularly & repeatedly in order to prepare themselves & their world for the return of Jesus & for the final judgment of God upon the earth...In that, we experience personal growth in holiness by the Holy Spirit, & due to that growth we also share the good news of salvation by grace thru faith in Christ alone.
Peter brings his audience to examine the superior value of a sanctified heart.
The superior value of a sanctified heart is exposed.
How is the superior value of a sanctified heart evaluated/measured/determined?
5 means/ways of evaluating the (superior)value of a sanctified heart:
We’ve found previously that, The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru Your Relationship With...
1. HARM(:13)
2. BLESSING(:14)
3—The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru...?
Your Relationship With READINESS(:15)
Explanation:(:15)
:15—“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, & always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness & fear;”
“But sanctify[agiazw] the Lord God in your hearts”
Fear from & of man is overcome thru “sanctifying the Lord God in your hearts.”
From the very center of a blood-bought Christian—from their “heart”...in that part from which everything flows, God must be constantly “sanctified.” So that everything which flows from it—every aspect of your life—will, first & foremost, be given to Him. It is the imperative charge upon & responsibility of every Christian to make God holy in one’s own heart. God must be ‘holified’(actively ascribed holiness) in the depth of your Christian “heart.”
Likewise, upon answering that charge to sanctify God, our actions will readily & appropriately comply. That is, our holy(“sanctified”) actions will be fully in accord with our holy(“sanctified”) heart. Or rather, a holy(“sanctified”) heart produces holy(“sanctified”) actions!
“Sanctify”—agiazw—1Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Plural—1) To render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow; 2) To separate from profane things & dedicate to God—2a) Consecrate things to God, 2b) Dedicate people to Go; 3) To purify—3a) To cleanse externally, 3b) To purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin, 3c) To purify internally by renewing of the soul. Strong—from agiov; To make holy, i.e. ceremonially--Purify or consecrate; mentally--To venerate.
“Lord”—kuriov—Noun Masc.—1) He to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord. Kuriov has a wider meaning[than despothv], applicable to the various ranks & relations of life & not suggestive of either property or of absolutism. Strong—from kurov(supremacy); Supreme in authority, i.e. as noun--Controller; by implication--Mr.(as a respectful title).
“God”—yeov—Noun Masc.—1) A god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities; 2) The Godhead, trinity; 3) Spoken of the only & true God—3a) Refers to the things of God, 3b) His counsels, interests, things due to him; 4) Whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way—4a) God's representative or vice-regent—4a1) Of magistrates & judges. Strong—of uncertain affinity; A deity, especially(with o, h, to)--The supreme Divinity; figuratively--A magistrate; by Hebraism--Very.
“In”2X—en—
“Hearts”—kardia—Noun Fem. Dative Plural—1) The heart—1a) That organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, & hence was regarded as the seat of physical life, 1b) Denotes the center of all physical & spiritual life—1b1) The vigor & sense of physical life, 1b2) The centre & seat of spiritual life—1b2a) The soul or mind, as it is the fountain & seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors, 1b2b) Of the understanding, the faculty & seat of the intelligence, 1b2c) Of the will & character, 1b2d) Of the soul so far as it is affected & stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions, 1c) Of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate. Strong—prolonged from a primary kar(Latin, cor, "heart"); The heart, i.e. figuratively--The thoughts or feelings(mind); also by analogy--The middle.
“And always be ready to give a defense”
By being correctly “sanctified” to “the Lord God”, you have every tool of equipping in your possession so that you will “always be ready” with “a defense” of the Good News of the Christ!
*If you see no sense in “defending” your belief, then that belief which you hold to is not worthy of your “defense”!...And therefore it is not worthy of belief at all!
And if your/my ‘belief system’ is unworthy of defense, then we must be honest with ourselves as to ‘Why’ it is unworthy. If your personal belief is unworthy of “defense” then what you hold to is always relegated to at least a secondary position in comparison to some other primary belief.
*And so it would be crucial for, or it would behoove you, to seek out that primary belief which is obviously true.
“Always”—aei—Adverb—1) Perpetually, incessantly; 2) Invariably, at any & every time: when according to the circumstances something is or ought to be done again. Strong—“Ever,” by qualification--Regularly; by implication--Earnestly. Used 8X.
“Ready”—etoimov—Adj.—1) Prepare ready—1a) of things—1a1) Ready at hand, 1a2) Opportune, seasonable, 1b) of persons—1b1) Ready prepared—1b1a) To do something, 1b1b) To receive one coming. Strong—from an old noun eteov(fitness); adjusted, i.e. Ready. Used 17X.
“Defense/Answer”—apologia—Noun Fem.—Lit=‘from (your)word’—1) Verbal defense, speech in defense; 2) A reasoned statement or argument. Strong—from the same as apologeomai; A plea(“apology”). Used 8X.?From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—logia—A contribution or word.
“to everyone who asks you”
Through their seeing the Christian’s commitment to God thru Christ(“sanctify the Lord God in your hearts”), others will be compelled to “ask” the rationale(“reason” or rather the ‘word’ logov) behind that settled “hope.” My/Your/Our witness should be so compelling that others are compelled to inquire(“ask”) as to “the reason for” that “hope.” Others want to know the validity of your personal ‘words’ which surround your personal “hope”?
Thus everyone—not of Christ, as well as those in Christ—should witness “the hope” which drives you & me.
We can easily answer “everyone”, since all paople are in need of Jesus’ Good News!
“Everyone/Every Man”—pav—Adj.—1) individually—1a) Each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything; 2) collectively—2a) Some of all types. Strong—apparently a primary word; All, any, every, the whole.
“Asks”—aitew—Verb—1) To ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. Aitew denotes a request of the will. “Aitew signifies to ask for something to be given, not done, giving prominence to the thing asked for rather than the person, & hence is rarely used in exhortation.” Strong—of uncertain derivation; To ask(in genitive case).
“You”—umav—Pronoun 2nd Accusative Plural—1) You. Strong—accusative case of umeiv; You(as the objective of a verb or preposition).
“a reason for the hope that is in you”
There must be a ‘valid’ “reason for the hope that is in” the Christian. Anything that is ‘valid’ survives the tests of reality’s scrutiny.
The valid defendable “hope that is in you” is obviously intended to be shared with others. It is to be “defended” before anyone & for the sake of anyone, who would desire to grasp a valid “reason” for your trust.
This is not an—‘I go to church here because our family has always gone here’, defense...which is merely a statement of personal preference. Or possibly ‘I’m part of this church because they take care of me’, which is only a somewhat better defense, in that it is a declaration that that church is committed to one another for whatever/unnamed reasons.
Such “hope” is that in which the Christian puts absolute trust. The Christian’s “hope” is very simply, ever in Christ. “Hope” in Christ is ‘know so’ hope. It is not ‘hope so’ “hope”!
My/Your/Our sin nature brought Christ into the world. And my/your/our sin brought about Christ’s unique one-time payment for the sin. Christ’s resurrection secures that overcoming payment for all eternity.
Rom. 4:22-5:2—[Abraham’s faith was...]“And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, & was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
“Reason/Account”—logov—Noun Masc.—1) of speech—1a) A word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea, 1b) What someone has said, 1c) Discourse, 1d) Doctrine, teaching, 1e) Anything reported in speech; a narration, narrative, 1f) Matter under discussion, thing spoken of, affair, a matter in dispute, case, suit at law, 1g) The thing spoken of or talked about; event, deed; 2) Its use as respect to the MIND alone—2a) Reason, the mental faculty of thinking, meditating, reasoning, calculating, 2b) Account, i.e. regard, consideration, 2c) Account, i.e. Reckoning, score, 2d) Account, i.e. Answer or explanation in reference to judgment, 2e) Relation, i.e. with whom as judge we stand in relation, 2f) Reason, cause, ground; 3) In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom & power in union with God, his minister in creation & government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical & ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, & shone forth conspicuously from His words & deeds. Strong—from legw[a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate(in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; ; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean]; Something said(including the thought); by implication--A topic(subject of discourse), also--Reasoning(the mental faculty) or motive; by extension--A computation; specifically(with the article in John)--The Divine Expression(i.e. Christ).
“For/Of/Concerning”—peri—Preposition—1) About, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near. Strong—from the base of peran[(pierce)through]; properly--Through(all over), i.e. Around; figuratively--With respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case--denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case--the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period).
“Hope”—elpiv—Noun Fem.—1) Expectation of evil, fear; 2) Expectation of good, hope—2a) in the Christian sense—2a1) Joyful & confident expectation of eternal salvation; 3) On hope, in hope, having hope—3a) The author of hope, or he who is its foundation, 3b) The thing hoped for. Strong—from a primary elpw(to anticipate, usually with pleasure); Expectation(abstractly or concretely) or confidence.
“In”—en—Preposition—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).
“You”—umin—Pronoun Dative 2nd Person Plural—1) You. Strong—irregular dative case of umeiv[irregular plural of su; you(as subjective of verb)]; To(with or by) you.
“With meekness & fear;”
The context or manner in which that “hope” is made practical in & to a lost world, is intended by God to be one of “meekness & fear.”
“Meekness” is ‘gentleness’(KJV). It is an ‘attitude’ or ‘disposition’ that is born of humble-mindedness...It is a “defense” that is couched in having a contrite(broken/crushed) heart, that recognizes & admits personal guilt before God.
Verse :16 informs us that the “meekness & fear” are realities & not feigned or pretended, because they are lived out thru the conduit of “a good conscience.”
There should & is to be a true ‘gentleness of spirit & disposition’ by which the Christian evangelizes or shares the Good News that is in Jesus.
His/Her “conscience” will be clear of the ravages of sin & thus free of self-protective, self-aggrandizing, & thus compromising measures(:16). Such a person is humbled before God & so honors Him in his/her dealings with others(cf.-Php. 2:1-5).
Php. 2:1-5—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”
‘Deception’ will NEVER characterize a God-ordained “defense” of the “reason” for your “hope” in Him.
“Meekness” in a “fear” of God should & is to be apparent in Christian sharing. Such is what it means to exhibit God’s ‘governance’ over the Christian’s mind, heart & actions!
Christians are expected to exude, live out, & project Christ in the midst of a world that is desperately in need of Christ!
Mat. 28:18-20—“And Jesus came & spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven & on earth. Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Mat. 9:35-38—“Then Jesus went about all the cities & villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, & healing every sickness & every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary & scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
The ‘manner’ or ‘attitude’—the context—in which something is ‘dished out’ to others is crucial to it’s being accepted in the ‘context’, ‘manner’, & ‘attitude’ that God intends.
Example:
IF you serve me a meal on a dirty toilet seat, I will receive it very differently than if it is served on a clean plate with clean eating utensils.
Likewise if my child wants ice cream from the ice cream truck, & the one serving the ice cream is scratching his rear-end & picking his nose, I won’t let my child eat that ice cream.
“With”—meta—Preposition—1) With, after, behind. Strong—a primary preposition(often used adverbially); properly--Denoting accompaniment; “Amid”(local or causal); modified variously according to the case(genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between apo[Off, away from] or ek, ex[from, out] & eiv[to, into] or prov[toward, near to]; less intimate than en[in] & less close than sun[with, together]).
“Meekness/Gentleness”—prauthv—Noun Fem.—1) Mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. Strong—Mildness, i.e. by implication--Humility. Used 3X.?From—prauv—1) Mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit, meekness. Gentleness or meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness & self-interest. The gentle person is not occupied with self at all. Strong—Apparently a primary word; Mild, i.e. by implication--Humble.
“Fear/Reverence/Respect”(See :14—“Threats/Terror/Intimidation”)—fobov—Noun Masc.—1) Fear, dread, terror—1a) That which strikes terror; 2) Reverence for one's husband. Strong—from a primary febomai(to be put in fear); Alarm or fright.
Argumentation:
Isa. 5:16—“But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.”
Dan. 3:14-18—“Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, & psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, & you fall down & worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-Nego answered & said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, & He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.””
God’s people must be ready to face-the-music of their making as it were.
Amos 7:10-17—“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said: ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, And Israel shall surely be led away captive From their own land.’” Then Amaziah said to Amos: “Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, And there prophesy. But never again prophesy at Bethel, For it is the king’s sanctuary, And it is the royal residence.” Then Amos answered, & said to Amaziah: “I was no prophet, Nor was I a son of a prophet, But I was a sheepbreeder And a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, And the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ Now therefore, hear the word of the LORD: You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ “Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Your wife shall be a harlot in the city; Your sons & daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by survey line; You shall die in a defiled land; And Israel shall surely be led away captive From his own land.’”
Mat. 10:17-20—“But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils & scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors & kings for My[Jesus] sake, as a testimony to them & to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; “for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
Lk. 21:9-19—“But when you hear of wars & commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, & kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, & famines & pestilences; & there will be fearful sights & great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you & persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues & prisons. You will be brought before kings & rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth & wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents & brothers, relatives & friends; & they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.”
Jn. 16:12-15—“I[Jesus] still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine & declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine & declare it to you.”
Col. 4:5-6—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
2Tim. 2:22-26—“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish & ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, & that they may come to their senses & escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
1Sam. 12:7—“Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you & your fathers:”
Isa. 1:16-20—“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. “Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing & obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse & rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Isa. 41:14-24—“Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,” says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. “Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains & beat them small, And make the hills like chaff. You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the LORD, And glory in the Holy One of Israel. The poor & needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar & the acacia tree, The myrtle & the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree & the pine And the box tree together, That they may see & know, And consider & understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it. Present your case,” says the LORD. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob. Let them bring forth & show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, That we may consider them, And know the latter end of them; Or declare to us things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods; Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed & see it together. Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.”
Acts 24:22-27—“But when Felix[the governor] heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings & said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.” So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul & to let him have liberty, & told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul & heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, & the judgment to come, Felix was afraid & answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often & conversed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; & Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.”
Mat. 24:36-46—“But of that day & hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating & drinking, marrying & giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, & did not know until the flood came & took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken & the other left. “Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken & the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched & not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful & wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.”
Titus 3:1-2—“Remind them to be subject to rulers & authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.”
Mk. 14:38—Jesus told his disciples—“Watch & pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
2Tim. 4:1-5—“I charge you therefore before God & the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living & the dead at His appearing & His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season & out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering & teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; & they will turn their ears away from the truth, & be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Rev. 19:1-8—“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation & glory & honor & power belong to the Lord our God! For true & righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; & He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever & ever!” And the twenty-four elders & the four living creatures fell down & worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants & those who fear Him, both small & great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters & as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad & rejoice & give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, & His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean & bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Illustration:
I ‘weed-eat’ the entire pastorium yard & empty lot/Because that is somewhat odd, I occasionally get asked ‘Why do you mow with a weed-eater of all things?’/I do not do what I do for no reason!:
1)I do not have to concern myself with maintaining a riding lawnmower.
1a)I do not have to impose upon anyone else when my mower is in the shop & I can’t afford to fix it.
2)I do not have to sharpen blades 5+ times before I finish(due to sand). It is cheaper over time to buy ‘string.’
3)I do not hurt my back by trying to push the lawnmower thru soft sand.
4)I can precisely pick & choose which native plants to save or to mow down during which season.
Your Relationship With READINESS
Our water-hose, sprinkler, & fertilizer spreader is always hooked up & ready to use/Why?—when the rainfall is minimal, our plants suffer horribly because the water readily drains thru the sandy soil/The sandy soil has very little organic matter so it needs more food than other soils/I’ve found out that once a plant is planted in our soil that it will thrive only for about 2 years before it needs to be re-planted with fresh food-rich soil/Your Relationship With READINESS
Nearly all newer cars(2017-19) have the same or similar safety & entertainment technologies onboard/By having what all others offer, each manufacturer is ensuring their viability/Your Relationship With READINESS
OR--
Most newer cars have nearly the same flat outside fender shape/
Application:
?What is Your Relationship With God’s READINESS?...
...?Does it limit or enhance your ministry potential?
?What Value do You place upon a Sanctified Heart?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The ‘surprising’ superiority of Poliana Viana’s training over that of her ‘would be mugger.’
Action:
The (superior)value of a sanctified heart is evaluated thru
Your Relationship With...
3. READINESS(:15)
1. HARM(:13)
2. BLESSING(:14)
Pt# 3 only! Presented 02/17/2019am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SW(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
