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The End Times According To Isaiah, Part 1 - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley - https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/the-end-times-according-to-isaiah-part-1/
Although he wrote during the period of 740 to 700 BC, Isaiah is the prophet most often quoted in the New Testament. He was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom at the same time as Hosea, Amos and Micah. Isaiah was of the tribe of Judah, and according to Rabbinic tradition was closely related to several Kings. He was part of the aristocratic class and may have been raised in the King's palace in Jerusalem. Often called the greatest of Israel's writing prophets, Isaiah's book is exceeded in length only by the Psalms and (just barely) Jeremiah. As the Bible has 66 books Isaiah has 66 chapters, The first 39 of them, equal to the books of the Old Testament, speak of judgment. The last 27, the number of New Testament books, focus on reconciliation and redemption. It's true that chapter breaks didn't come along until much later but it's interesting that even in its form, the Book of Isaiah is a model of God's word in total. The sudden change in theme has caused some liberal theologians to ascribe the last 27 chapters, sometimes called the Book of Comfort, to an unknown author they call Deutero-Isaiah. The fact that the last part of the book contains much more in the way of specific prophecy helps them justify this dual authorship, at least to themselves. This is because liberal theology pre-supposes the impossibility of predictive prophecy, and therefore Isaiah couldn't have known the future. But the Lord Jesus was under the impression that Isaiah wrote the entire book. In John 12:38-41 he quoted from both parts of Isaiah ( 53:1 first and then 6:10) attributing them to the same author. If you need confirming opinions, the Jewish historian Josephus thought so too, and evangelical Christianity overwhelmingly supports the book's single authorship. The funny thing is, not only did Isaiah write the whole book, but many scholars believe that a number of his prophetic passages had a dual fulfillment in mind. The first would culminate in the Babylonian captivity, which came 100 years later, while the second was for the end of the age. Tradition has it that after a long career as one of Israel's prophets, Isaiah so upset King Manasseh, to whom he was related, that the wicked king had him sawed in half. This is hinted at in Hebrews 11:36-38, part of a passage that speaks of the danger one faced in being a man of God. It reads: Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them. The last time I did a Bible study on Isaiah we met once a week for 2 hours and it took a year to complete it. In this study we're only going to look at those parts of the Book of Isaiah that clearly relate to the End Times, which will include the most descriptive passages of Israel's Kingdom Age to be found anywhere in Scripture. Perhaps this way it will require less time. Let's get started. After beginning with a 17 verse litany of Israel's sins, the Lord had Isaiah plead with the people for a rational discussion of their alternatives. "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 as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 1:18-20) The choice is clear. Willingly obey and be blessed, or resist and rebel and be devoured. This choice was offered them in advance of the Babylonian conquest and it is being offered now. In Old Covenant times, two goats were brought before the High Priest on Yom Kippur. One was a peace offering and the other was the scape goat. As the High Priest symbolically transferred the sins of the people to the scape goat, a scarlet ribbon was tied from the goat's horn to a door of the Temple. When the High Priest was finished the ribbon was snipped and the scape goat was led outside the city into the wilderness where it was pushed off a cliff. At the moment of the goat's death the portion of the ribbon that remained tied to the Temple door turned from scarlet to white in fulfillment of Isaiah 1:18 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." This was the sign that the Lord had accepted the sin offering and the peace offering could be made. The nation would be at peace with God for another year. After the crucifixion, the Yom Kippur ceremony was repeated every year until the Temple was destroyed, but the ribbon never changed color again. The Lord was both our scape goat and our peace offering and had fulfilled the Yom Kippur prophecy in His death. He has taken away our sins (John 1:29) and He is our peace (Ephes. 2:14). The shadow had given way to the reality (Hebrews 10:1) and was no longer effective. See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her- but now murderers! Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them. (Isaiah 1:21-23) These verses could have been ripped from current headlines, since Israel's Prime minister is being forced from office due to his corruption. He's accused of stealing money, accepting bribes, and improperly receiving gifts. Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness. (Isaiah 1:24-27) The Great Tribulation is compared to a refiner's fire in Zechariah 13:9 where all Israel's impurities will be removed and the remnant made pure. In a refinery, silver and gold are heated by fire to their melting point. The impurities, called dross, float to the top and are skimmed off leaving only the purest form of the precious metal. "But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the LORD will perish. "You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire." (Isaiah 1:28-31) Here's one of the many places where the Lord makes clear that it's not our works that will save us, no matter how mighty. Works not done in the strength of the Lord, are like the dross that floats to the top, revealed by the fire. Paul described our works burning in the fire in 1 Cor. 3:10-15, but because of the cross our salvation will not be in danger, as it was in the Old Testament. So while our works may burn, we ourselves will escape. In Isaiah's day the pagan religions were practiced in groves and gardens. One difference today is that there's often a beautiful building in the setting. As is often the case in Isaiah the prophecies of judgment contain a glimpse of restoration. And so chapter 2 begins with the following: This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. (Isaiah 2:1-5) The word mountain is used symbolically here referring to governments, as in Daniel 2:35. As the Kingdom Age begins, Israel will be the single super power on Earth. All other national governments will be subordinate, creating a one world government, headquartered in Israel, with King Jesus at its head. All the world will be subject to God's laws and the Messiah King will be the final authority on their administration. Psalm 2:9 says that He'll rule with an iron scepter, and will tolerate no dissent. In a reversal of Joel's call to war (Joel 3:9-11) in his prophecy of the Great Tribulation, Isaiah issued a call to peace during the Millennium, saying the Messiah will settle disputes between nations making war unnecessary. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. This verse is carved over the entrance to the UN building in New York. When the Messiah comes the UN will disappear, but God's promise will remain and will finally come true. The temple Isaiah mentioned here is the one so carefully described in Ezekiel 40-46. From Ezekiel we learn that the Temple itself will be situated a few miles north of Jerusalem, and from Zechariah 14:4 we see that the current Temple Mount will disappear in an Earthquake that divides the Mt. Of Olives in half. The gorge created by the earthquake will extend from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea. Fresh water will emerge from under the Temple to fill the gorge, bringing life to a region that's been an arid wasteland since the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Ezekiel 47) But before those days can come, the world must first endure the worst time of tribulation ever witnessed on Earth. (Matt. 24:21) Isaiah's first description begins in chapter 2 verse 6 and extends through the end of chapter 3. We'll begin there next time and before we're through, you'll agree that we can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. Iran creating more Hezbollah's across the Middle East - by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror - https://www.israelhayom.com/2019/09/29/iran-creating-more-hezbollahs-across-the-middle-east/ Escalating tensions with Iran should be a warning that Tehran's strategy of training and arming proxy terror groups throughout the Middle East is not being countered aggressively enough. Over the past several weeks, Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist group have been at daggers drawn in the Middle East. Israeli aircraft recently struck Iranian-backed forces in Syria that were plotting a major drone attack in Israel. Hezbollah responded by firing advanced anti-tank missiles into Israel, with the leader of the group pledging a "new phase" in which Hezbollah would no longer observe past "red lines." Meanwhile, Israel disclosed sites in Lebanon where Iran and Hezbollah are working together to build precision-guided missiles that could hit sites throughout Israel during a war. This dramatic escalation in tensions with Iran and its proxies is dangerous but unsurprising. It should be understood as a warning that Iran's strategy of training and arming proxy terror groups throughout the Middle East is not being countered aggressively enough. In the summer of 2006, at the conclusion of the Second Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah, few expected that the quiet between Israel and Lebanon would have lasted this long. But it is a deceptive quiet because the Israel-Hezbollah battlefield has moved to Syria and other locales. The Israeli Air Force has carried out many airstrikes on Iranian-backed targets in recent years. That war was a missed opportunity since it ended without a clear victory over Hezbollah, which at the time was a far less intimidating enemy. Since then, Hezbollah has grown in manpower and firepower to the extent that Israel is careful not to attack it inside of Lebanon. Today, there is mutual deterrence, which is a strategic accomplishment for Hezbollah, a terrorist group opposing one of the most capable militaries in the world. Thanks to massive Iranian investment, Hezbollah has now developed into a "hybrid organization," a terror organization with strong military components. Significantly, this success has made the frightening model on which Iran is basing its promotion of new terrorist militias in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Hezbollah has some 30,000 troops and an equivalent number in militia positions held in parallel to civilian occupations. The group has gained valuable combat experience in Syria (at a high cost), and now holds a diverse arsenal of weaponry of a quantity and quality befitting a modern army. No terror organization in history has had as powerful an armament as the one Hezbollah currently stockpiles. It is no wonder, then, that the Iranians are very happy with their success and are attempting to replicate this model in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria. What remains a wonder is why these attempts by Iran are not being fought more aggressively. Iran is pursuing this effort with adaptations that take into account the different conditions in each place, but the principle is the same: set up a local organization aided by foreigners and supplied by Iran in order to create a militia that serves Iranian interests, but also benefits the local population. Iran's successful joint operations with its proxy forces often increase local support for foreign involvement. This was not supposed to happen. UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was passed at the end of the 2006 conflict to prevent precisely this situation. Western countries reinforced UN forces in Lebanon with troops that had a clear mandate to monitor and report on Hezbollah's activities. The resolution included a categorical statement banning the transfer of weaponry to Lebanon. These measures were supposed to ensure Lebanese sovereignty and prevent Hezbollah from growing stronger. But the reality has been completely different. Lebanon today is completely dominated politically and militarily by Hezbollah, not by the Lebanese government or army - so much so that Iran is moving to a new stage focused less on increasing the quantity of arms than on improving their quality. A sufficient quantity of precision-guided missiles could be a tiebreaker in the current stalemate, as they would allow Hezbollah to paralyze sensitive infrastructure and strike at strategically important targets in Israel, both military and civilian. Israel's cautious approach to Lebanon has allowed Hezbollah and Iran to realize their vision there. Israel's more aggressive approach to Syria has so far prevented Iran from freely entrenching. Because Iran's military buildup in Lebanon is already too far advanced, eventually there is likely to be a terrible war between Israel and Hezbollah. World powers should take heed. What Iran has accomplished in Lebanon with Hezbollah offers a clear vision of the future. The same thing will happen in the coming years in other parts of the region if the international community fails to stop Iran's development of proxy militaries across the Middle East. A Lamp Shining in a Dark Place - By Jan Markell - www.olivetreeviews.org We are just off our 23rd conference we call "Understanding the Times." I began these in the spring of 2002. I had no idea what to expect! I had introduced some interesting people on my weekly radio program that began in 2001, but back then it did not have the reach it does today. Would people turn out to hear about current events and end-time issues spoken of by men like Chuck Missler and Bill Koenig, who I featured in 2002? The short answer is yes! The first year, 1,500 people showed up and they were eager to learn! I could not believe I was looking out at an overly-packed church sanctuary. That began a new emphasis in my life and ministry servicing what I call today "remnant believers." On Saturday, September 21 of this year, our "Understanding the Times" conference event drew almost 4,000 onsite attendees, over 12,000 live streamers, and a YouTube audience that in two separate postings will soon hit 300,000 viewers. We had attendees from 45 states, six Canadian Provinces, and foreign countries including Austria, the UK, Guatemala, New Zealand, and more. Here are my take-away thoughts with which I think you will identify: * Because many remnant believers feel alone, they will travel across the country and across oceans to be with the like-minded. They sense that what they believe isn't odd as suggested by friends, family, and their church. In fact, what they believe is biblical. * They have not left traditional, mainstream theology and a biblical, eschatological perspective on the world. The church has left the building. They have not. * Too many today are focusing on their best life now! Remnant believers, and particularly those who attend these events, are looking to their Heavenly home, to reunions with loved ones, and to leaving earthly cares and heartaches behind. For this they are put down. * Meeting others who have an eternal perspective reassures people that they are not off-base as many have suggested. In fact, being Rapture-ready is the wise thing to do, not a foolish endeavor! Being with like-minded reinforces that. * Meeting the like-minded assures people that they are not the only ones who are are shut down, put down, scolded and ostracized, even by loved ones, just for believing the truth. * All are comforted when they realize that others are also put down, even though they have the truth and the naysayers are clueless! Others are dealing with hostility to the truth -- even from fellow believers. * Frustrations can be shared: Tuned-in people have the truth, know we are in critical times, know time is running out, yet few will listen. They are not alone. * Most realize that as recently as a decade ago, their church was solid, talked about important issues of the day, and considered end-time issues relevant. Now, few will listen, and response is even hostile. What a comfort to find out at such events that they are not alone. Friendships for life are formed. * It is NOT just your church that is focusing on seekers, believing that making people Rapture-ready will result in fear, division, and members fleeing. The church right BEFORE the Rapture will be Laodicean. This is an around-the-world phenomenon. * There are others who believe this is our only hope in hopeless times! We have the ultimate victory and are not destined for wrath. View 2019 Understanding The Times Conference 2019 on YouTube One post-conference e-mailer wrote, "It is so wonderful to know that I am not alone in awaiting the blessed hope. Yet I have not one believing friend with whom I can rejoice and wait. Were it not for YouTube, I would not have access to all the like-minded truth teachers. Thanks for all you do, Jan." The Bible says Bible prophecy is a lamp shining in a dark place (II Peter 1:19). That light should not be extinguished! It gives hope, encouragement, and helps us fight the good fight. It reminds us God is in control, that He has a special plan, and that He keeps His promises. It helps us live holy in an unholy age. This is hardly controversial. In fact, it is our hope in hopeless times. We have the ultimate victory. We are not destined for wrath! We are living in the most significant time in history and the most prophecy fulfilling days -- with the least amount of interest in them. Our assignment is to be "watchmen" (Ezekiel 33). We're to be sounding an alarm whether anyone listens or not. Trouble is ahead. Time is short. The nations of the world seem to be moving by a hidden hand into exactly the right positions on a global chess board. Amazing things are happening right before our eyes. Because of that, we must not be silent. And don't be discouraged. In Jesus' day, a remnant changed the world. Nearing Midnight: Gathering Evidence Against God - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ It doesn't surprise, nor should it, that every news cycle brings into greater focus where this generation stands on God's prophetic timeline. Anti-God forces are in a never-ending building project, constructing a world laid out by their master architect-and their father, the devil. Satan's blueprint for moving the bulk of humanity into an earth of his own grand design is on track. The march back to Babel as in the days of Nimrod and the tower meant to reach symbolically into Heaven (Genesis 11) is observably being engineered at an accelerating pace. We have looked many times at the madness being fomented by these forces that are directed by wickedness in high places. The activity has not abated. It seems to me that, lately, that evil has been concentrated in laser fashion on the young-in some cases, the very young. It's as if the chief power and principality in those high places has determined that this current crop of youth must be inculcated to best carry out his master blueprint. I offer as primary evidence just a few examples. These involve issues and events of recent days and illustrate Satan's humanistic minions' attempts to build a case against the God of Heaven. The first example is the attempt to bring the youngest children under the tutelage of transvestites. Transvestites, of course, are almost exclusively men who have fetishes for dressing in women's clothing. They, in the past, were considered mentally ill. They were kept away from children. A high percentage of these have been involved in pedophilia. Now, these men "in drag," as the term has it, are invited into libraries to "teach" youngsters about the joys and adventures of thinking and acting apart from what was formerly considered normal. As has been reported by my friend Daymond Duck and others, through articles posted by Rapture Ready, these transvestites have been invited by churches to act as goodwill ambassadors in greeting people who enter for services. Anyone who dares to criticize these formerly considered aberrant individuals are marked for ridicule as hatemongers. Some jurisdictions even prosecute those who publicly criticize such men. God creating men as men and women as women is unacceptable in these jurisdictions. The powers that be-those ruled by the grand master architect of the coming world order-are dead set on tearing down truth set in God's order of things. They are obviously concentrating on this process at the most basic foundation of mankind. They are attacking the very young, those who represent the future of planet Earth. The human minions, whether knowingly or unwittingly, are working within the luciferian scheme to do away with any influence by the God who created called man. A second example blatantly in our faces is the drive by these same minions in the same high places of wickedness to indoctrinate children with the "climate change" religion. Make no mistake: It is a religious zealotry and fervor the devil is using to ramp up rage against the Almighty. Children at the most elementary levels are being taught that man, not God, controls the environment. They don't yet use the term "Mother Earth worship," but they do intend to make children understand that it is Mother Earth, not Father God, that is the source of their future security and happiness. The only time God is mentioned by the climate-change/global warming minions is to accuse the Lord with the term "act of God." This, they readily use when there is a weather, volcanic, or earthquake tragedy anywhere in the world. A week or so ago there was this, as we consider this case the minions are building against the God of Heaven. Children who attend New York City public schools will be allowed to cut classes on Friday to join Swedish climate change activist Greta Thunberg for a protest at the United Nations. "@NYCschools will excuse absences of students participating in the #ClimateStrike on Friday 9/20. Students will need parental consent. Younger students can only leave school with a parent," the school district tweeted along with a tweet from Mayor Bill de Blasio saying the students would be allowed to take part in the protest. ("NYC Schools Allowing Students to Skip Class to Join Greta Thunberg for U.N.," Daily Plug, September 20, 2019) The minions carrying out this inculcation under the master architect's direction are choosing the youngest among us to woo the children in Pied-piper fashion. A sixteen-year old girl from Sweden has been chosen for that role. The report further explains: [Greta] Thunberg started Fridays for Future school walkouts in her hometown of Stockholm a year ago, a movement that has spread around the world and, according to the Fridays for Future website, 2,400 events will be taking place around the world from September 20 through September 27: The week's crescendo of events will bracket the UN Climate Action Summit taking place in New York on September 23rd. We'll be sending global leaders the message that our #house is on fire and that we're calling on them to do what the science clearly tells us must be done. All eyes are on the United States which already has 145 cities signed up, with participation that is expected to be tenfold when compared with the first two global strikes in March and May of this year. New York is expecting a huge turnout, as is Montreal (Canada) which saw 150,000 take to the streets to demand climate action in the largest strike so far without the presence of Greta Thunberg. (Ibid) If space permitted, we could look in considerable depth at the madness in California to back up the premise of this commentary. I'm referring to the legislature blaming "religious groups" who hold to biblical understandings of sex and gender as responsible for "disproportionately high rates" of suicide among homosexuals and transgenders. In Sacramento, the state assembly declared through concurrent Resolution 99 that homosexuality and transgenderism are "part of natural variations that occur in sexual orientation and gender identity" and condemns counseling services that help people resolve unwanted gender confusion or same-sex attraction. Suffice it to say that the master architect continues to present his lying narrative through satanically specious evidence that God has no business in the business of mankind. But we are thankful Bible prophecy assures that the same God who is presently so reviled by the wicked minions will one day forever put an end to the madness. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Daily Jot: Clinton's, Biden's and the DNC's Ukraine fingerprints - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is making another round of media appearances, drawing speculation that she may run again for president. About President Trump, Clinton told Jane Pauley on CBS News' Sunday Morning that. "I believe he knows he's an illegitimate president...So of course he's obsessed with me. And I believe it's a guilty conscience, in so much as he has." It seems, however, that Clinton and her Democratic Party leadership is actually obsessed with Trump and wanting to remove him from office by accusing him of dirty shenanigans with Ukraine. As it turns out, Clinton also used Ukraine to dig up dirt on Trump during the 2016 election. The plot thickens. Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ron Johnson (R-WS) have asked Attorney General William Barr to investigate Clinton's and the Democratic National Committee's role in asking Ukraine's government to "collect evidence that Trump, his organization and [campaign manager Paul] Manafort were Russian assets, working to hurt the US and working with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin against US interests." Grassley and Johnson quoted from The Hill's May 2, 2019 story that the Ukrainian Embassy confirmed that a DNC contractor solicited Trump dirt in 2016. The senators' letter to Barr also points out that Ukraine government officials have said they have been trying unsuccessfully to provide the Justice Department with more information available on presidential candidate Joe Biden's attempts to influence Ukraine regarding investigations into his son's business dealings. Additionally, they stated that representatives from Hunter Biden's company met with the new Ukraine prosecutor to apologize for US representatives disseminating false information about the investigation into the owner of Burisma Holdings (Hunter Biden's company). The senators asked Barr to provide documentation on these matters, and the Clinton-Ukraine connection by October 14. This is an example of the common stratagem of the Clintons and the DNC of doing dirty deeds, and trying to cover them up by accusing someone else of doing the same thing. Interesting that Ukraine is the common ground of accusations about Russian influence and digging for dirt on candidates. It is exposing just how far reaching the corruption is within US political parties and the government itself. It reminds me of Ezekiel 8:8-9, "Then he said unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here." The more we dig, the more abominations we find. I had written in 2016 that Clinton was boss of an organized crime cartel. Hopefully, this impeachment fervor will expose it all. Daily Devotion: The Importance of a Good Example - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.-Matthew 5:16 Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider developed a close relationship with Johnny Cash and his wife June during filming of the movie Stagecoach, and was especially impressed and inspired by their strong Christian faith. "I lived with Johnny Cash for a year, and if somebody as rough around the edges as Johnny could say that Jesus was his Savior, there had to be something to it," Schneider told writer Tammy Leigh Maxey of Pivot Point Magazine in 2011. "If Johnny Cash felt the need to keep a Bible in the trunk of his Mercedes next to his fishing pole, there had to be something to it." Neither Johnny nor June ever preached to Schneider, but the way they conducted themselves, interacted with each other, and made God a daily part of and partner in their lives led him to follow suit. "It was Johnny who led me to Christ," Schneider said. "He was so different from many of the other Christians I'd seen, and he didn't fit the stereotypes I had of guys in argyle sweaters happily dancing through the flowers with big smiles on their faces because life was so perfect. I just watched as Johnny's and June's lives were held together by the love of Christ. "Johnny and I would be fishing, and suddenly he'd look at his watch and start heading back to the house, saying something about needing to spend some time with the Lord. It intrigued me that this rough man's man would have these priorities, and pretty soon I was asking questions, wanting what he had. Johnny and June kept circling and trying to talk sense into me, without being sappy. And it worked. They understood that I had to be ready; so they waited patiently. That was very different from anything I'd seen before." Johnny understood the importance of being a good example. Scripture Reading: 1. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. (Titus 2:7-8 NLT) Has your example ever sparked the interest of others? Are people curious about God because of what they see in your conduct and priorities? 2. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV) What is the ultimate goal of your good example and witness for Christ? 3. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35 NKJV) Love is a key component of your conduct if you want to be a good example for Jesus. Is God's love apparent in your life? FROM THE HEART
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