“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8 KJV)

Same: The one and the very same, identical, not different, equal, changeless, consistent, constant, invariable, unchanging, unfailing, invariable, invariant, regular, steady.

God does not change

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal. 3:16 ESV)

There is no variation or shadow due to change

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Now and for eternity

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” (Jude 1:25 NIV)

God’s Word will stand forever

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Is. 40:8 ESV)

 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

Love never fails

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:4-8 NIV)

Love covers all transgressions

“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” (Prov. 10:12 NASB)

Foster love

“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” (Prov. 17:9 NIV)

Clothe yourself with love

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:14 NLT)

The little yellow bird

I remember sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar when I was a child. Soon after, our cook and housekeeper, Mrs. Cox, pointed her finger at me and said, “I know you took a cookie!” I looked at her in complete surprise and said, “How did you know?” She then said, “A little yellow bird told me.” After that, when I was about to do something I knew I wasn’t supposed to, I looked around to make sure a little yellow bird wasn’t watching. Eventually, I figured out that there wasn’t any such thing as a little yellow bird watching to see if I was doing something wrong. After I became a follower of Christ I learned that God is ever-present and does see everything we do. And someday, all secrets will be revealed.

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” (Luke 8:17 ESV)

All hidden secrets will come to light

“For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.” (Mark 4:22 ESV)

God knows the secrets of the heart

“Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21 ESV)

Every secret thing will be proclaimed

“Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” (Luke 12:3 ESV)

God will bring every secret thing into judgement

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (Eccles. 12:14 ESV)

God judges secrets of men by Jesus

“On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 2:16 ESV)

 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” (1 John 1-1-4 NIV)

Sharing your personal experience

In the above passage the author says, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard.” They tell of their personal experience concerning what they “have seen with their own eyes and what they had personally touched with their own hands”. This approach to sharing ones faith is very effective because it is difficult to argue against someone’s personal experience. In fact, the most powerful witness tool you have as a Christian is your own personal testimony accompanied with God’s Word, as they say above, “concerning the Word of life.”

Be prepared to gently and respectively  give an answer

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15b NIV)

Graciously make the most of opportunities

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Col. 4:5-6 ESV)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

Forgiveness: pardon, absolution, exoneration, remission, dispensation, indulgence, clemency, mercy, reprieve, amnesty.

Keep your heart and mind clear from unforgiveness

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Col. 3:13 ESV)

Forgive others and be forgiven also

“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Forgive over and over and over...

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matt. 18:21-22 ESV)

He is worthy!

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:11 ESV)

To God be blessing, honor, glory and might forever and ever

“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13 ESV)

Honor Him in your heart as holy

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)

Honor Him with your body

“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:20 ESV)

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom 12:1 NIV)

Honor Him with your wealth

“Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce.” (Prov. 3:9 ESV)

Honor Him Forever

“To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17 ESV)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31

 Praise Him in His sanctuary

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary.” (Psalms 150:1a NIV)

Praise Him in His mighty heavens

Praise him in his mighty heavens!” (Psalms 150:1b NIV)

Praise Him for His mighty deeds

“Praise him for his mighty deeds.” (Psalms 150 2a NIV)

Praise Him for His excellent greatness 

“Praise him according to his excellent greatness!” (Psalms 150:2b NIV)

Praise Him with music and dance

“Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!” (Psalms 150:3-5 NIV)

Let everything that has breath praise Him

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” (Psalms 150:6a NIV)

Therefore…

“Praise the Lord.” (Psalms 150:6b NIV)

 “... be sure your sin will find you out.”

(Num. 32:23 KJV)

“Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15 ESV)

Sin defiles a person

“And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 6:29-23 ESV)

God will give you a way of escape

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 ESV)L

Submit yourself to God and resist the devil

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7 ESV)

Do the right thing you know to do

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17 ESV)

He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we confess our sins

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (2 John 1:8-10 ESV)

Walk in the Spirit

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16 ESV)

“Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11 NIV)

Avoid divisive people

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” (Rom. 16:17 ESV)

“A troublemaker plants seeds of strife.” (Prov. 16:28, NLT)

“A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood. (Proverbs 26:21, NLT)

Watch out!

“If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal. 5:15, NIV)

Honor Christ, be prepared, be gentle be respectful

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV)