“What manner of persons ought ye to be?” 2 Peter 3:11

The people of God are expected to be different from the world; they profess to have another Spirit in them, and to be the sons of God. They believe the present frame of things is to be dissolved. They look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. They are strangers and pilgrims here. What manner of persons then ought we to be? Surely we ought to set light by the things of time, and aim at the things which are eternal. We ought to be watchful, prayerful, diligent, holy, patient, thankful, and expectant. We ought to be contented with such things as we have; to give all diligence to prove our title,— and rejoice in our destination. We ought to walk as Jesus walked. To live as Paul lived, dying daily. Let us ask, this morning, Do we habitually believe that present things will soon be dissolved? If so, are we acting according to the same? Are we laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven? Are we doing good, that we may be rich in good works,—- Is the coming of Jesus the object of our desire and hope?

Then let us wait the sound
That shall our souls release;
And labour to be found
Of Him in spotless peace,
In perfect holiness renew’d,
Adorn’d with Christ, and meet for God. — James Smith

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice”–Phil. 4:4
Here is a divine imperative, and it is a present one— meaning that it is to be ongoing, a lifestyle of joy, constant. It is a responsibility, an obligation regardless of circumstances. Joy is a duty— a delightful one. It is a mystery that we could fail in discharging a duty such as this, but we do. There are far too many sad saints.

As Christians we have no excuse for lacking joy. The apostles “departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name”(Acts 5:41). How can we, who live in the lap of luxury, dare do any less? We not only have a responsibility to “rejoice in the Lord” we have numerous reasons to do so. The blessings of the Lord are more than we can number, which should cause us to “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”(1 Pet. 1:8).

Start your day by counting your blessings rejoice and you’ll be able to stand against whatever you are forced to face. That’s not only pleasurable, it is profitable. If “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10), and it is, he who loses his joy is in great peril. Your ability to resist temptation, overcome trials, and witness effectively is lost when joy is absent. You become puny rather than strong.

If that describes you repentance is in order. As a child of God you have the choice to rejoice. However, the choice is not a matter of just deciding to rejoice, but rather to surrender. When you yield yourself to the control of the Holy Spirit the fruit of the Spirit, of which joy is a part, flourishes in your life. So, joy is more than a matter of choosing to feel a certain way, it is a matter of obedience. Repentance results in rejoicing.

After repenting of his sin, David prayed, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation- – “(Ps. 51:12), and that’s exactly what every joyless Christian ought to do. The absence of joy is a sure fire indication that something is wrong in a person’s life. You can ignore it and go on in your misery, or you can pretend all is well, or you can actually deal with the problem and be enjoy life. The most miserable person on earth is a child of God out of the will of God, and the only road to rejoicing is repentance. You either repent or you rebel. It’s your choice!

“But none of these things move me , neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”– Acts 20:24

One of the first books I read as a young preacher was David Brainerd’s Diary. It make a deep and lasting impression on my life. I was reminded of that experience when I read the following by Pastor Jack Graham.

“I love learning about some of the great heroes of the church and their attitudes in the face of so much hardship. One of those great saints is a missionary by the name of David Brainerd, who lived at the beginning of the 18^th century, toiled among the Native American tribes, and died at the young age of 29 from tuberculosis.

Late in his short life, David’s disease had a severe grip on him, so much that he was coughing up blood. Sick and dying, Brainerd wrote in his journal, “I long to be a flame of fire, continually glowing in the divine service in building Christ’s Kingdom to my last and dying moment.”

What passion; what commitment to get excited about Jesus Christ and be aflame with the spirit of God when death is at your doorstep. Yet as I look at the church today, I see many Christians who are too cool and too casual instead of being fervent in serving the Lord!

God wants all of you. He doesn’t want cool and casual Christianity, but radical obedience to Him until your dying breath. Grace is a free gift, but your response to it says everything about the reality of the gift itself. Give your all to Christ until your last breath. When you do, you’ll have no regrets as you enter His presence forever!”

LIVE LIFE SOLD OUT TO CHRIST AND YOU’LL TAKE YOUR LAST BREATH WITH NO REGRETS!

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” – Isaiah 52:7

The late Adrian Rogers said, “I once heard of a pastor who received word from the war department that a young soldier, reported missing in action and assumed dead, was found alive! His mother had already been informed of his death. And now they asked this pastor to be the one to tell her that her son was alive.

Do you think this pastor said, “Well, I’ve got a little vacation I’m going to take first, and I want to play some golf”? Of course not! What a thrill to deliver that a message! I want to tell you, there ought to be that thrill and urgency in my heart and yours every time we tell a poor, sin-sick, lost, and undone sinner there is good news that Christ died for our sins.

If you know the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you’re not interested in sharing it, I sincerely doubt you’ve ever been saved. How could a person know the gospel and not want to share it?”

Such bluntness might upset some folks, but that in itself shows there is a problem. They are more disturbed about that than they are about the lost condition of others. It seems that Andrew Murray was indeed right when he said, “There are two classes of Christians: soul winners and backsliders”. May I ask, Which one describes you? Yeah, I’m more than a little embarrassed also. Let us confess our sin of silence and boldly proclaim the good news.

“My grace is sufficient for thee.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

YOU need look to no other quarter for help, relief, or comfort. Jesus assures you that His grace is sufficient. You are welcome to it. You are exhorted to have it. To be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. It is sufficient to support you under every privation, to help you over every difficulty, to strengthen you for every duty, to mortify every lust, and to fill you with all joy and peace in believing. His grace is almighty, it is free, it is durable, it brings salvation. Look not at difficulties, dangers, or thy own weakness; but look to the free, powerful, and promised grace of Jesus. Go to His throne of grace this morning, on purpose to receive grace for this day; go every day, and whenever you feel weak, timid, or cast down. His grace was found sufficient for Paul, for the martyrs and saints, in the deepest trials, and it will be found sufficient for thee. He says, “I am the Lord thy God; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Come boldly to the throne of grace, that ye may obtain mercy and find grace to help you in time of need. Every one that asketh receiveth.” O Jesus, make good Thy word in me!

Thy strength in weakness is display’d;
My soul this truth can relish now:
A worm upon Thy power is stay’d;
The weaker he, the stronger Thou:
My hope, my joy, is this alone –
My strength is Christ, THE MIGHTY ONE   —–James Smith