Weekly Bible Study – March 28, 2022; The Importance of a Positive Attitude.

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Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, only if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.

1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary: God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

“Prophecy Is Another Divine Stamp Of Authenticity”

Grace Bible Church Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary: God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

The Importance of a Positive Attitude.

Week Ending 12-8-2019

Jn 15:1-8, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither {can} you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so} prove to be My disciples.

Now, Friday evening we began to see the importance of the first prepositional phrase in Jn 15:2, when our LORD says: “Every branch in me”

This is the Greek prepositional phrase “en emoi” correctly translated “in me” which refers to our union with our LORD Jesus Christ and it is also used to identify “our oneness” with HIM. That is something that the disciples did not understand at the time our LORD taught them. The sad thing is that even today, the average believer still has no idea what positional truth is and how it can affect believers in such a positive way.

And, what is that positive way?

The positive way is simply believing what GOD’s word says and then (and here is the real key) apply it when needed. In fact, recently researchers have found positive thinkers live longer, healthier, have more energy, more successful careers, make better decisions, are more productive, are less stressed, have healthier relationships, and (not surprisingly) are much happier than pessimists.

It’s important to recognize that positive thinking is NOT the idea that you’ll never encounter any obstacles as long as you stay positive. Instead, being believers who think positive is all about how we respond and not react to the obstacles, the trials, the unjust and unfair treatment which eventually we all go through one way or another. It’s whether you respond to adversity positively or negatively that makes the difference in life.

In 2Co 4, the apostle Paul begins to bring some answers to the questions that many believers have as they continue to go forward in the PPOG (Predesigned Plan of GOD), fulfilling their own PSD (personal sense of destiny), which has been tailored perfectly just for all of us. Therefore, after dealing with some of the false doctrines and divisions in the Corinthian Church, the apostle Paul had to come back to the city of Corinth to reconcile the two different categories of believers who were fighting and bickering among each other.

Basically, there were two opposite points of view that one could take or receive, both of which emphasized the personal tastes of the individuals which was wrong and causing divisions in the local church or assembly.

The two opposite points of views are as follows:

1. The arrogance of morality = the thinking of the individual who thinks that his or her little system of being good and moral and following the Ten Commandments is living the spiritual life. So much for religion, legalism, and self-righteousness.

2. The second category is called lasciviousness which refers to those individuals, believers or religious unbelievers, who fail to put into action that which they you claim to be.

Notice this – don’t take it lightly.

Beginning in 2Co 4:7 notice what the apostle Paul says to the believers in Corinth: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of GOD and not from ourselves; {we are} afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.

And this principle is just as much alive right now as it was back then.

So, in 2Co 4:15-18, For all things {are} for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of GOD.

Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Continuing; remember no chapter breaks in the original. 2Co 5:1, added to the motivation that you have so far, we can also remind ourselves of this: For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from GOD, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Once we stay focused, we have no idea WHAT the LORD is going to do, nor do we know “WHERE” HE is leading us to, or “WHEN” HE will do it.

There are quite a few doctrinal principles that you can apply to living the spiritual life, but I believe that there is nothing better for us then what our LORD already provided for us, billions and billions of years ago. This is another reason why we should hang in there when we are going through something, etc.

In fact, one of the most helpful manifestations of the divine blessings of GOD is when the Holy Spirit teaches us and provides for us the Fruit of the Spirit; Gal 5:22-23. One of the nine-fold expressions of the Fruit of the Spirit.

Gal 5:22-23, But the fruit [singular of karpos = fruit, not fruits] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law.

What I want you to see is that when we are patient and waiting upon the LORD or the timing of GOD, we will have the fruit of the Spirit available for all of us. Many times, as we wait upon the LORD, the exact fruit of the Spirit will be manifested to us along with the peace and serenity that our RMA gives to believers as we rest in the LORD.

Things have a way of working themselves out if we just remain positive. Most believers cannot do that because they constantly stick their nose into other people’s business instead of MYOB (minding their own business). For those believers who endure and refuse to quit they will eventually discover that one of their own strengths is their ability to keep negative thoughts out of their mind; 2Co 10:3-6.

2Co 10:3-6, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. {We are} destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of GOD, and {we are} taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

Be positive because your mind is more powerful than you think. What is down in the well comes up in the bucket. Fill yourself with positive things not negative things.

Optimism is hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. Pessimism is the tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; a lack of hope or confidence in the future. Pessimism is a negative or depressed mental attitude in which an undesirable outcome is anticipated from a given situation.

Pessimists tend to focus on the negatives of life in general. A common question asked to test for pessimism is “Is the glass half empty or half full?”; in this situation a pessimist is said to see the glass as half empty, while an optimist is said to see the glass as half full.

It’s interesting that throughout human history, the pessimistic disposition has had effects on all major areas of thinking. There’s always been groups in every generation who do nothing but murmur and complain. If you fill your mind with negativity, you shouldn’t be surprised when you experience a negative outlook on life.

Mt 15:11 says, “Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Be very careful about the type of news, music, books, movies, and opinions you fill your mind with. No matter who you are, what you do, or how you think, life will throw negative situations at you especially those sudden shocks. Optimists recognize that they have the power to turn those obstacles into opportunities.

Those believers who are positive toward life and are optimists recognize that they have the power to turn those obstacles into opportunities. They find the good in whatever negative situation they encounter and attack the problem with a can-do, find-a-way mentality. Optimism is like a magnet. If you stay positive, good things and good people will be drawn to you.

Positive thinkers remind themselves that every problem is temporary. By staying positive, good things will eventually come your way.

Vince Lombardi once said: “Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.”

Perhaps Lombardi got that from King Solomon: Ecc 9:11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise, nor wealth to the discerning, nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all.

This means there’s always a chance, no matter what the odds. Don’t put a limit on GOD, and do not put GOD in a box. You will also be amazed by the fact that positive people and positive results are drawn to enthusiastic, upbeat people. No one likes to be around negative people – they drain life out of GOD’s people and wear them down. Listen, it doesn’t matter whether you are soft or loud, but what does matter is that you stay positive.

It would be delusional to never expect any adversity. Optimists don’t pretend they can avoid all adversity; instead, they believe they have the power to overcome whatever adversity comes their way. When that power is the LORD’s power, well you truly can overcome. You know that ultimately all things will turn out for the glory of GOD.

While there are many things you can’t control in life, you have Let’s begin with the Titles of the Seven Ministries of GOD the Holy Spirit followed by a short description and definition of the ministry that is mentioned.

First a description then a definition that follows.

1. We have as a description called Efficacious grace – which enables the believer to have an effective faith in Christ; Heb 9:14.

In Heb 9:14, we are told that our LORD relied on the ministry of GOD the Holy Spirit when He offered up Himself without blemish to GOD.

And, you will note that when GOD the Holy Spirit works with the humanity of our LORD Jesus Christ, there is the tremendous blessing also of having our hearts cleansed from guilt and condemnation.

Why?

Well, because in Jn 8:32 “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

However, it doesn’t stop there.

Why?

Because in Jn 8:36, our LORD reinforces the freedom that He mentioned in Jn 8:32, but this time our LORD switches from “the truth setting us free” to “the Son setting us free” which is why we read “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”

By the way, this principle of doctrine is given to “whosoever” desires to be cleansed in their conscience especially those who try and serve GOD with dead works.

2. Regeneration – Born Again; Tit 3:5; 1Pe 1:23.

1Pe 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

1Pe 1:23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of GOD.

Tit 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit

3. The Baptism of the Spirit; — Union with Christ; 1Co 12:13; Gal 3:26-28; Eph 4:5.

Most of you are familiar with 1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, In Gal 3:26-28, all of us were baptized into Christ and all of us are in union with Christ. And probably one of the most important passage on the Baptism of the Spirit is the passage in Eph 4:5 which says that there is one LORD, one faith, one baptism. And probably the least known reference on the Baptism of the Spirit is the passage in Eph 4:5, that says that there is one Baptism, not 2, or 3, but one —. and that one baptism is without a doubt, not water; Not a second blessing; Not liquid waves of love running down my spine, Not some idiot putting his hand around my throat and trying to move my vocal cords and pressure me so that I could receive the Holy Ghost. Unbelievable.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the churches in Ephesus were all apostate churches, because we know that’s not true about them. In fact, in Rev 2:4 our LORD says; “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Anyway, the last passage that says all of these things and even more.

Eph 4:1-6, I, therefore, the prisoner of the LORD, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one LORD, one faith, one baptism, one GOD and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

4. Indwelling of the Spirit; 1Co 3:16, 6:19-20; 2Co 6:16.

1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of GOD, and that the Spirit of GOD dwells in you?

1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from GOD, and that you are not your own?

1Co 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify GOD in your body.

2Co 6:16-18, Or what agreement has the temple of GOD with idols? For we are the temple of the living GOD; just as GOD said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their GOD, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the LORD. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the LORD Almighty.”

5. Filling of the Holy Spirit; Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16.

Eph 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

6. Sealing of the Holy Spirit; Eph 1:13-14, 4:30.

Eph 1:13-14, In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of GOD’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

7. The Sovereign Distribution of Spiritual Gifts to each Believer by the believer; 1Co 12:4-31.

All of these principles are just the beginning of what our LORD has been preparing us for complete control of the most important thing: your attitude.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – March 27, 2022; Christian Soldier, Part 44. Meet Elijah. A Forward Fallen Christian Soldier.

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD – WITH NOTES

Internet Church Service – March 27, 2022; Christian Soldier, Part 44. Meet Elijah. A Forward Fallen Christian Soldier.

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name, and Praise the Lord Our God in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, only if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.

1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus, The Christ alone for eternal life [salvation] and you will be saved [receive Eternal Life] the very micro second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness [Num 21:4-9], even so must the Son of Man be lifted up [the cross], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

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Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

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Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references;” if just hover doesn’t work, do a “control-left-click,” if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

Christian Soldier, Part 44. Meet Elijah. A Forward Fallen Christian Soldier.

The difference between falling forward and falling backward.

What godly virtues do we live by when we don’t give up and fall forward and not backward?

There is a danger in people testing when it comes to having no confidence in the flesh and not shrinking back into destruction; Heb 10:35-39.

Having confidence in ourselves and in our abilities that we can achieve our goals is a very dangerous place to be.

Confidence in self rather than God is the issue when you are fallen back.

Psa 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in man. (That is the normal man).

Psa 118:9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord Than to trust in princes. (Even those who are successful in life).

When we fall forward, we are better able to continue in the face of setbacks, and to do the hard work necessary to succeed; Col 3:23.

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;

Falling back on something is only good when it’s your faith that you’re falling back upon.

When we fall forward with that attitude, Satan loses any hold he may have had upon us.

In 2Ti 2:24-26, we are told to come to our senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

When you fall, always remember to fall forward no matter what you see coming your way.

Learn to take your failures captive and don’t share your thoughts about them with others by going backward.

Go forward by taking those failures captive and not keeping letting them alive; 2Co 10:5.

2Co 10:5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

2Co 2:11 that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

It can be really scary to go into a situation that we might fail at, but fear should never stop us from trying.

When we fail, we need to be able to brush off any hurt feelings, keep our “eyes on the prize” of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus; Php 3:14.

Php 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Failure can actually make us better by giving us “thick skin”, so that the next time we fail, we will get back up even faster.

Everyone has some area that they have been trained in and whether it is something natural or spiritual, we all love to succeed.

Gn 39:2 And the Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

As a part of the indwelling of the OSN, we all have areas of strength and areas of weaknesses.

There is a conflict going on between the Holy Spirit and the Old Sin Nature; Gal 5:17.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

“Do you have the guts to fail and to keep going forward after you do?”

When most believers fail, they fall backward into guilt, condemnation, fear and misery rather than falling forward looking for things that are coming your way that are positive and negative.

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes.

The worst thing you can do as a progressing, advancing believer is to get into a personality conflict with anyone.

This is why it is extremely important that you pass people testing and make godly decisions from a position of strength.

In the first place, Common sense ought to tell you that life is too short.

“We would not think that life is so short and that there was not enough time in the day, if we stopped watching T.V.”

“Some people would not waste any part of today if they knew that by this time tomorrow they will be dead.”

This is what caused Elijah to run away from the plan of God for his life when Jezebel gave him 24 hours to get out of town.

This was right after he killed 450 prophets of the Jewish king Ahab who were really prophets of Jezebel and her foreign gods.

Elijah also killed the offspring of Jezebel as well as Jezebel herself.

Elijah received a death threat from the wicked queen Jezebel which caused him in a time of weakness to run “for his life” in 1Ki 19:3.

When the nation of Israel forsook the Lord and worshiped Baal under king Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, the result was that they lost God ’s protection and experienced three years of drought.

It was a lot for Elijah to accept especially after his victories over the 450 prophets of Ba’al.

The Bible describes Elijah him as a lonely figure with no real home to live in as he was roaming the countryside appearing and vanishing unexpectedly.

Notice please that John the Baptist was said to be indwelt by the reincarnation of Elijah.

Mk 6:15 But others were saying, "He is Elijah."

Elijah is also mentioned in more detail at what we call biblically the Mount of Transfiguration; Mat 17.

In Mk 6:14-15, People were saying, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him but others were saying, "He is Elijah."

Elijah was also a prophet who became confused at times concerning the Jews and the Gentiles in Rm 1:2-5.

There were times that he did reveal the power of prayer for the nation of Israel; Jm 5:17-18.

Jm 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

Jm 5:18 And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

1. There is no mention of Elijah in God’s Hall of Fame; Heb 11.

Elijah’s name means “Jehovah is my God.”

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel;

Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch;

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah;

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham;

Heb 11:11 By faith even Sarah.

Heb 11:20 By faith Isaac;

Heb 11:21 By faith Jacob;

Heb 11:22 By faith Joseph;

Heb 11:23 By faith Moses,

Heb 11:31 By faith Rahab

Note that Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, Samuel and the prophets are all mentioned in Heb 11:32.

Gideon and the men who are selected are quite fascinating because they do not come from prominent tribes, they all come from low-class and useless areas.

Barak means lightning flash, and he was slow, cowardly, and a “momma’s boy.”

Barak was one of those areas where the Lord’s sense of humor and His grace meet and a hero emerges who was also from one of the weaker tribes

.

The next one is Jephthah who follows the exact same pattern. He was born a bastard son on the east bank of the Jordan.

He was ridiculed out of town, moved to Syria, and became very angry and resentful at the ridicule.

Samuel is the last of the judges mentioned along with David, a great supergrace king who has to be mentioned.

“and the prophets” which refers to the many of the prophets from the Old Testament.

The prophets refer to believers of the OT who under the inspiration of God the H.S. communicated to the Jews the will of God, the plan of God, the future of Israel, in both written and verbal form.

Excluded from the text in this verse are prophets who existed before David, such as Moses and Samuel.

However, this category of prophets includes Elijah and Elisha who were also verbal communicators.

There was also Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah and Jeremiah.

Just because they are mentioned does not mean that they automatically made God’s Hall of fame because what is mentioned may not qualify the prophet for God’s Hall of fame.

The word “prophets” also includes those who were in exile when the Jews were under discipline as a nation like Daniel and Ezekiel were.

It also includes the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, all of whom many scholars believe made God’s Hall of Fame.

In Heb 11:33-40, we have the last part of this chapter with the exploits of Old Testament supergrace heroes, not a roster.

We depart from the benefits not on the blessings but on how they met pressures, how they could face crisis after crisis, adversity, tragedy, trial, heartache, frustration.

How did they handle these things and become confident in prosperity or adversity?

In Heb 11:24-32, we have a very simple construction of nine separate clauses designed to present the importance of Bible doctrine in the soul in time of adversity and in historical crisis.

In verses Heb 11:33-38 we have the actual exploits and in verses Heb 11:39-40 we have the completion of the supergrace dissertation.

The result of occupation with Christ was found in the prophet Daniel when he stopped the mouths of lions; Dn 3:26-30.

Heb 11:33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions.

It is obvious that Daniel is now listed officially as one of the supergrace heroes mentioned by his famous deeds.

God promotes supergrace believers like Daniel which is a clear-cut case of promotion.

Supergrace prosperity causes reaction from others.

First of all, note that there was a personality conflict between 300 princes and Daniel.

People testing and the only solution, which is the divine solution, Occupation with Christ.

It has everything to do with his profile because I want you to see that in the midst of apostasy Daniel excelled as a prophet whereas Elijah did not.

The reaction in Daniel’s case was jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability from over 300 magicians and conjurers who were all against Daniel.

Daniel fought back like Elijah did when he defeated 450 prophets of Baal but then, unlike Daniel, he ran away.

The supergrace believer is not petty and does not stoop to retaliation.

Daniel simply left everything in the Lord’s hands and the Lord vindicated him which is called “all things working together for good.”

Here is a prophet who is alluded to in God’s Hall of Fame of Heb 11.

Heb 11:34 tells us that some of these prophets “Quenched” or extinguished and neutralized fire, just like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednigo; DAN 3.

Shadrach, Meschach and Abednigo did not know or suggest that God would or should deliver them from the furnace of fire, they simply took their stand on the basis of maximum doctrine resident in their souls.

Supergrace believers always recognize the true issue of God’s sovereignty as well as their own human freedom.

Whether God delivered them or not they refused to compromise doctrine by worshipping a golden image.

The three men did not try to bribe God for deliverance but instead they lived by doctrine and left the rest to the Lord.

Because of Bible doctrine resident in the soul mean like David, Caleb, Jehoshaphat were delivered in time of disaster.

Principle: Maximum doctrine in the soul preserves the supergrace believer from desperate and hopeless situations in combat.

Every believer inevitably faces circumstances where he is hopeless, helpless, and useless and “were made strong.”

Maximum doctrine resided in the soul of the prophet Isaiah and he came to the front in the Sennacherib invasion and encouraged the people of God to go forward and not backward.

On behalf of one man, one of the greatest armies that ever existed was destroyed.

Isaiah, just like Noah, turned the course of history at that time because he had maximum doctrine resident in his soul converting hopeless situations into victories.

Whenever God is glorified through maximum doctrine resident in the believer’s soul the believer himself becomes the recipient of great blessing.

This also means that they became highly proficient in their profession and they advanced following the colors to the high ground of supergrace.

Under Occupation with Christ, they had the inner doctrine to meet the problems of life as they shared the happiness of God and also received promotion, success, prosperity of various types.

Supergrace believers have maximum doctrine in the soul and therefore, regardless of their rank, maximum doctrine means maximum courage and the ability to face every disaster in life.

It’s interesting because the invading army in this case is the army in action of the aliens.

The word for “foreign armies” is ‎allotrios meaning aliens.

“escaped from the mouths of the sword”; “from weakness were made strong”; “became courageous in battle”; “put to flight the invading aliens called the enemy.”

Hymn #3

Weekly Bible Study – March 21, 2022; Emotions cannot see, hear or think; only truth can set us free.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try right clicking the link then open in new tab or window; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens.

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, only if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.

1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive Eternal Life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life." NKJV

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary: God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Emotions cannot see, hear or think; only truth can set us free.

Week Ending 12-1-2019

1Pe 3:15 which dogmatically teaches us that one of the most important doctrines that a believer must learn and apply. This is a subject that basically deals with all believers who must perceive and apply the appropriate doctrine to the details of life.

Believe it or not, the main reason that I would like to bring out this evening has to do with being prepared in time with the result that you can also be prepared in eternity.

Under the principle of equal privilege and equal opportunity, every believer has been given an inheritance which was created perfectly just for them personally; Eph 1:3-4; 1Pe 1:3-5.

Eph 1:3-4, ….He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly {places} in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,

1P3 1:4-5, we are to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven just for you (and me), who are protected by the power of GOD through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

hope is that those of us who have been faithful students of the Word of GOD throughout the years finally realize the seriousness of the disobedience that is before them. Be careful of the emotions of the soul because they have been created by our LORD Jesus Christ to respond to GOD the Father and to be thankful for His plan.

When your emotions are in charge, there is always the danger of making decisions based upon “how” one feels rather than “what one knows.” Be careful of the emotions of the soul making decisions because the old sin nature will seek for dominance of the flesh rather than fellowship with the Spirit. Here in Gal 5:1+, the Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Galatia concerning this battle going on within every single one of us, as GOD’s children.

Let’s note the passage first;

Gal 5:13-18, For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the {statement}, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

The churches of Galatia were known for a particular game in the ancient world that was called or known as a “Debater’s Technique” which was a popular game in the ancient world. In fact, you would bet a certain wager on who could win a debate or an argument.

Now, it’s interesting, that the Galatians were known as a Celtic people who were part Irish and loved to argue; Gal 5:13-18.

Gal 5:13-18, For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the {statement}, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

Never make an important decision in life that you cannot see.

Emotions cannot see; Emotions cannot hear; Emotions cannot function, especially; only truth can set us free.

Now, this principle concerning the emotions is really a doctrine that causes many, both believers and unbelievers, to realize their place and their responsibilities both in the natural realm and the spiritual realm.

When the emotions start to overpower us, it may be something so simple that the wisdom of man is even fooled because man thinks he knows something when he really knows NOTHING!

When the emotions start to overpower us, it may be something so simple that the wisdom of man is even fooled because man thinks he knows something when he really knows NOTHING!

Under Divine Inspiration, and using the principle of I.C.E., we are able to come to the wisdom bestowed upon us by our Mentor, GOD the Holy Spirit.

Remember that in Php 3:1, the apostle Paul writes to us and says the following; “to be writing the same doctrines to you is not troublesome to me, while on the other hand, it is a safeguard or a basis of security for you.”

Now, like a lot of the passages in the Bible, there’s usually a pro and a con, something for, or something against – it all depends upon the means of interpretation, especially what most of you have and know about the acronym I.C.E...

Top of Form

Bible doctrine must be taught based on three principles:

1. Isagogics – refers to the historical setting behind the passage.

2. Categories – systematic theology developed from comparing Scripture with Scripture.

3. Exegesis – is the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages.

Thinking you have something, when in reality you have nothing, is a manifestation of arrogance especially, the type of arrogance that the apostle John warns us about in the lukewarm passage on the Laodicean church. This same attitude that says “I am in need of NOTHING” is the very same attitude that the Bible says will be prevalent in the last generation, just before the Rapture. And, you can mark it down, and get prepared for the Lukewarm Churches and the Lukewarm believers, and lukewarm Pastors, all of which live for themselves in these last days.

Let’s look at the passage on the Lukewarm Churches or the lukewarm believers before our LORD vomits them all out of His mouth. If you don’t believe me – then believe the apostle John who also wrote the book of Revelation and he also warns the believers in Laodicea who had become “lukewarm.”

However, I want you to note a principle that we are about to study which has to do with the policy of our GOD and that is the fact that before judgment, Grace is always given. Now, here’s where it really gets interesting for any believer whose desire is to worship Jehovah, Jehovah the Father, Jehovah the Son, the LORD Jesus Christ, and Jehovah the Holy Spirit.

This is according to what the Word of GOD has to say because there are some passages especially in the book of Isaiah where all three Jehovah’s are mentioned together. In fact, this is a great passage from the OT where Jehovah issued for all the members of the Trinity as brought out in Isa 48:16 “Come near to Me; listen to this. From the first, I have not spoken in secret. From the time it took place, I was there. And now the LORD GOD [GOD the Father] has sent Me [GOD the Son], and His Spirit [GOD the Holy Spirit].”

The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible. It is a technical theological word coined in the fourth century A.D. to describe a theological concept. Distinctions are made between the members of the Trinity, as described in 2Co 13:14, The grace of the LORD Jesus Christ, and the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. The doctrine of the trinity was confirmed by the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – March 20, 2022; CHRISTIAN SOLDIER, Part 43. Christian Soldier, Part 43. Falling Forward Not Backward. Occupation With Christ.

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD – WITH NOTES

Internet Church Service – March 20, 2022; CHRISTIAN SOLDIER, Part 43. Christian Soldier, Part 43. Falling Forward Not Backward. Occupation With Christ.

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name, and Praise the Lord Our God in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin, only if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life) John 3:16, John 6:47 as a few examples; it is very important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so the Holy Spirit can teach you as to what your reading or hearing is true or false. To be taught by the Holy Spirit you must be filled with the Holy Spirit which means abiding in Christ. To place yourself in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit [also called abiding in the Christ], take a moment to simply name, cite or acknowledge [confess] your known unconfessed sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father). Why? Because you cannot grow spiritually if you’re not abiding in Christ [in fellowship with Him] when you take in bible truth.

1 John 1:9, says: “If we confess [meaning to simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known unconfessed sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins];” NKJV (New King James Version); we call this REBOUND; read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. Left click the following link to learn more and fully understand the doctrine of Rebound; which answers the question, why do I need to keep confessing my sins all the time? REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus, The Christ alone for eternal life [salvation] and you will be saved [receive Eternal Life] the very micro second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness [Num 21:4-9], even so must the Son of Man be lifted up [the cross], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to teaching the Word of God from the original languages and making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references;” if just hover doesn’t work, do a “control-left-click,” if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

Falling Forward Not Backward. Occupation With Christ.

PSD #10. Occupation with Christ and how it relates to the Christian soldier passing certain tests that brings glory to God.

The fifth test that occupation with Christ will cause the believer to be able to handle and bring glory to God is people testing.

(a) In personal love or admiration, the object of

your love often controls your life and provides for you misery and unhappiness.

You have attained occupation with Christ and then you will be able to handle people testing.

(b) Personal hatred or animosity where the object of your antagonism or irritation often has control of your life unless you have advanced to Occupation with Christ.

You’re going to fall and when you do fall forward.

Realize that dreams are achieved by setting goals, and goals are achieved through discipline and consistency.

When you do fail and fall, and you will, just ask me, but when you do fall, learn to fall forward.

Appreciate the value of failure because success comes from perseverance and consistency, especially when the believer is committed enough to keep trying despite their failures.

Be thankful for all that has been given to you and for the many gifts you are able to offer to others.

Live with a sense of purpose in helping others, which for me and many of you is one of the greatest feelings in the world.

We actually become very selfish at times when we help others because it make us feel good about ourselves.

Ac 20:35 “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

The giver is the one who is blessed not the receiver of the blessing.

We must have a complete commitment to achieving any goals or dreams we may have but we must be “discipled” or literally disciplined when training spiritually to achieve those goals or dreams.

Keep trying hard and continuously in spite of the obstacles and difficulties that you will be able to see coming when you fall forward.

One of the great definitions of courage is the capacity to meet danger and difficult situations without giving way to fear while the courage of one’s convictions reveal the willingness to put one’s opinions into practice.

Be generous and give freely of your own possessions, your own time, and your own talent, showing appreciation for the kindness of others, whether family, friends, or enemies.

“Dreams without goals are just dreams.

You’ve got to give it everything you got, whether it’s your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures.

Whatever your gift is, what are you going to do with what you have?”

Don’t just strive to make a living, strive to make a difference.

You and I will fail at some point in our life, and when we do, and we will, just accept it, and keep on keep on going forward.

Every one of you have available to you the training and the talent to succeed But do you have the guts to fail?”

It means taking chances and going all in for something good even when we fail in striving for a dream, we can learn from our failure.

When we get up again, we are even stronger than before because we have been trained spiritually not to be afraid of failure.

What does it mean that to succeed?

It means we have the guts to fail?

Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.

“There is no passion to be found, playing small and settling for a life that’s less than the one you’re capable of living.”

“Make sure you have something to fall back on.

If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything except my faith. I want to fall forward.

I’ll see what I’m going to hit.

Php 3:13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

I know blessing is coming because my God promises to bless me when I continue to go forward in His plan.

Rm 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

Thomas Edison conducted 1000 failed experiments.

Because the 1001st was the light bulb.

You will fail at some point in your life.

When you do, do not stop and fall backward because guilt will be waiting for you.

Please notice that not only have all of your sins been paid for and you are forgiven, but also the guilt that sin produces must also be dealt with.

Pr 24:16 For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in {time of} calamity.

Notice the righteous individual falls seven times, the number of completion, but he gets up seven times or ten times or twenty times.

He “rises again” experientially and continues going forward.

You have all had spiritual training and the talent to succeed. but do you have the guts to fail?

If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

Prin: Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.

Every area of your life has some form of people testing that only PSD # 10, Occupation with Christ can handle.

God always provides for the believer everything that we need no matter which way we fall, whether backward or forward.

We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.

Concerning PSD#10, Occupation with Christ will give you when it comes to people testing and you very own determination.

Determination means that you are living with a sense of absolute commitment to working toward and achieving your very own dreams and goals.

Despite any obstacles or failures, continuing to work hard is what winner believers work really work hard at.

When we don’t give up, despite our failures, we can achieve something good for ourselves or for others.

“True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you, sent beforehand, to indicate that it’s yours already.”

‘Say thank you in advance for what’s already yours.’

Did you think of something that you now realize you should be more grateful for or someone that you haven’t thought of enough?

“Imagine you’re on your deathbed and standing around your bed are the ghosts of the past representing your unfilled potentials.”

“How many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes?”

There’s nothing with sorrow providing it is according to 2Co 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret.

Col 3:23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;

You got to give it everything you got, whether it’s your time, your talent, your prayers, or your treasures.

You will never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.

What are you going to do with what you have?

Your life will never be a straight path.

We need to live with courage in moving beyond our natural fear of failure so that we will strive for larger goals.

We will never achieve all that we are capable of if we don’t stretch to our limits, which means at times we will fail.

1. In 1831, he failed miserably in business but apparently, he fell forward.

We know that he kept going forward because in 1832, he was defeated for legislature.

In 1833, he failed again in business.

In 1831, he failed miserably in business.

In 1832, he was defeated for legislature.

In 1833, he failed again in business.

In 1834, he was elected to legislature.

In 1835, his sweetheart died.

In 1836, he had a nervous breakdown;

In 1838, he was defeated for speaker of the house.

In 1840, he was defeated for elector.

In 1843, he was defeated in congress.

In 1846, he was defeated for senate.

In 1848, he was defeated for congress.

In 1855 he was defeated for senate.

In 1856, he was defeated for vice-president.

In 1858 he was defeated for senate.

In 1860 he was elected president.

“I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep doing so”

President Abraham Lincoln learned the lesson of when you fail, fall forward and not backward.

You have learned the lesson of when you fail, fall forward and not backward.

Php 4:9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

Don’t quit.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill.

When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.

When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is a mystery with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns.

And many a failure turns about, When we might have won if we stuck it out.

Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow. You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man.

Often the struggler has given up, when he might have captured the victor’s cup.

And he learned too late when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out– The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.

And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far.

So, stick to the fight when your hardest hit– It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good-news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about of their eternal future.