“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” (3 John 1:2 ESV)

Good health takes self control

As a youth, I never gave my health a thought. I could eat a mountain of food and not gain an ounce. Now, it seems like I gain weight just by looking at food. I have to watch what I eat, how much I eat and make time for exercise. Good health doesn’t just happen without some personal effort. The Bible says your body is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit and you must take care it. And, when you think about it, it does make sense to take care of the body God has given us, so we can adequately do the assignment He has created us for. The Bible says we are like runners in a race and we must discipline our bodies and keep them under control in order to win the imperishable prize set before us. 

It’s about discipline 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

You are not your own

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” (1 Cor. 6:19 ESV)

“If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:17 ESV)

Therefore…

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

 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Rom. 12:1 ESV)

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6 ESV)

The Bible has a lot to say about Jerusalem. In the above passage We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

God will bless those who bless Jerusalem and curse those who dishonors Jerusalem 

“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen. 12:3 ESV)

“And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zach. 12:9 ESV)

Jerusalem - the throne of the Lord

“Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.” (Psalms 122:3-5 ESV)

“At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.” (Jer. 3:17 ESV)

“You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isa. 62:3 ESV)

Therefore…

“For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch.” (Isa. 62:1 ESV)

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)

Pain defined: a localized or generalized unpleasant bodily sensation or complex of sensations that causes mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress and typically results from bodily disorder.

Pain is a part of life

Everyone experiences some pain at one time or another. Last week, for instance, Susan was reaching for something on a shelf in the garage and put her hand into a rat trap. Instantly she was in a lot of pain! After some tears and having her hand in a bowl of ice, the pain subsided and eventually went away. The good news is that she had no broken bones and the pain was temporary. 

Someday, pain will be no more

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…” ( 2 Cor. 4:17 ESV)

Therefore…

“Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” (1 Peter 4:19 ESV)

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5 ESV)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom. 8:18 ESV)

“And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:26 ESV)

Who will be in hell?

“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8 ESV)

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:13-15)

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matt. 25:41 ESV)

“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Rev. 20:10)

Therefore…

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28 ESV)

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” (Matt. 7:13)

Saved from hell by Jesus

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23 ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16-17 ESV)

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thess. 4:16-17 NIV)

Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for you 

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2 NIV)

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18 NIV)

Therefore…

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:19-20 NIV)

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20 NIV)

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:2 NIV)

“Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matt. 19:21 NIV)

“Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Eph. 5:16 ESV)

There is a time for every matter

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” (Eccles. 3:1 ESV)

Work while there is time 

“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” (James 8:4 ESV)

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” (Col. 4:5 ESV)

Therefore…

“My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” (Psalm 31:15 ESV)

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13 ESV)

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 7:12 ESV)

Quote: 

“I have so much to do today, I’ll have to spend another hour on my knees.” – Martin Luther

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, …” (Col. 3:12 NLT)

You must clothe yourself with these 6 things

... you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Col. 3:12 NLT)

You must forgive others 

 “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” (Col. 3:13 NLT)

You must clothe yourself with love

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

You must let the piece of Christ rule in your heart

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.” (Col. 3:15 NLT)

You must be thankful, always

“And always be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 NLT)

Therefore…

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Col. 3:16-17 NLT)

“… and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” (Phi. 1:6)

Most Christians do not share their faith

You could righty say that most believers are in the “secret service”. Maybe they don’t know how to share their faith. Or, they “don’t want to impose” their religion on others. Or, they fear rejection, just to name a few reasons. But, Jesus said to do it. The literal definition of gospel is good news. Sharing your faith is simply telling people the good news! Someone said sharing your faith is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find free bread. 

Sharing the gospel is the great commission of Jesus 

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16). 

Be prepared to share

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 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, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Pet. 3:15-16)

Therefore…

“Sing to the LORD; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! …” (Psalm 96:2-4)

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” (2 Tim. 1:7-8)

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” (Gen. 12:2 ESV)

 “To bless" means to speak well of, to pronounce favor, and to declare good things. A blessing is a statement of good will and happiness that is said about another, as well as the condition that fulfills those good words.

Trust in the Lord and be blessed 

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8 ESV)

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…” (Eph. 1:3 ESV)

God’s blessing makes rich

“The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (Prov. 10:22 ESV)

Bless those who persecute you

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Therefore…

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12 ESV)

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,” (Psalm 146:5 ESV)