Follow the Right Path

We have a choice; we can follow the good path which leads to peace and happiness or the difficult one which leads to death and destruction.

Proverbs 3:1-8

3:1-2 keeping the commands of God will add to the wisdom, peace and longevity of your life.  

3:3-4 bind H 7194; confine or tie mentally. Understanding H 7922; intelligence, success, sense. Follow the characteristics of a good Christian and you will be blessed. Always keep them close.

3:5 don’t look to yours or a man’s wisdom for help. An incorrect understanding can lead you down a dangerous path; following God will not!

3:6 to God be all the Glory! We can acknowledge Him by prayer and constant communication. This will ensure you are on the right path.

3:7-8 (compare: Romans 11:25/12:16). Marrow H 8250; moisture. Don’t be as those who forsook God and found themselves spiritually dead with dry bones (compare: Ezekiel 37:1-14). The word of God shall give you life and wisdom.

Proverbs 11:1-6

11:1 some may think they get away with cheating others in business and life but God is not fooled.

11:2-3 humility and honesty will guide you down the right path. Pride and wickedness will bring about your destruction; you have a choice to make.

11:4-5 perfect H 8549; entire, complete, sound, without spot. The riches gained from cheating people will do nothing for you when judgment calls. Those that do evil will be judged by it; those that do right will reap those rewards.

11:6 doing what is right will lead you down a good path. Those that do evil will reap that which evil brings. They will be destroyed by their own evil works.

2 Timothy 2:10-15

2:10 the things the times to come may have for us matter very little when you look at eternity. Our eternal salvation should be the goal we all strive for. If you have false scales (cheating people), get rid of them! If you are a manipulator and deceive people, then stop! Keep the word of God close to you and live by it.

2:11 let your desire for the ways die, so that you can live for Christ.

2:12 Christ suffered to bring the Truth; so must we as we live for Him. On the other end of that is to deny Christ which will lead to your certain destruction.

2:13-14 empty words that are intended to prove your greatness profit no one. Words that bring souls to Christ are beneficial to all.

2:15 we show our approval by studying the word of God! If you handle the word of God correctly you will build the right path that leads to eternal life. Those that follow God have a nice straight path free of things that would derail you. Those that do not follow God are destined to follow a path with many pitfalls.

Hebrews 9:1-15

9:1-2 the first covenant was made while God dwelled with man in the Holy of Holies. This place was in the tabernacle. The tent is often referred to as the Mosaic tabernacle.

9:3-4 the ark consisted of: Manna which signifies the word of God. Aaron’s rod showed that the house of Aaron was to be the priests for God. The Ten Commandments give us direction on how to be good Christians.

9:5-8 the High Priest was allowed to enter once a year on the Day of Atonement. Jesus made access to the Holy of Holies available to all. He rent the veil from top to bottom upon His crucifixion. We do not need a pries to go for us as before.

9:9-10 Jesus brought in a new way in which He offered Himself for all. This is the way of forgiveness.

9:11-12 His blood paid the price for our sins. When we accept that gift of salvation we are on the better path toward eternal life.

9:13-14 the old way of doing things is not close to what Christ did for us. We serve the Living God by prayer (talking to Him), telling Him you love Him and studying the word of God.

9:15 Jesus Christ is the path to eternal life.

John 14:3-9

14:3-4 this will cause some confusion with the Disciples. He will soon be leaving them but they should know the path to follow.

14:5 Doubting Thomas is unsure of how to follow Jesus if they don’t know where He is going.

14:6 there is no way you can go to the Father without first going through Jesus.

14:7-9 Jesus paid an awesome price so we can access to God. He showed us the path to follow. It can either be a straight smooth path or a bumpy difficult path; the choice is yours.

Wrestling

We are going to discuss what it means to wrestle. This will be looked at from the spiritual aspect. We are going to start in Genesis with Jacob. Jacob is returning home with his family to the land of Canaan. Esau has threatened Jacob and he is feeling a little fear.

Genesis 32:6-28

32:6 I am sure this would shake anybody up; seeing 400 soldiers coming at you and not knowing if they are friend or foe.

32:7-8 all plans should include God in them. Remember, Jacobs children are the future tribes of Israel. God has plans for them.

32:9 Jacob has nothing to fear, he is following the plan of God!

32:10 (compare 1 Peter 5:10). Mercies H 2617; kindness. Jacob is showing a lack of faith. He split his band into two without God telling him to. Remember God sent him there, he should believe!

32:11-12 God’s promises are never broken. When we are instructed to do something form God, don’t hesitate and do it with boldness.

32:13-15 Jacob is trying to smooth things over with gifts. This never works in the long term.

32:16 Jacob is trying to make it look like he has many gifts to offer. He is not obeying God. God tld him to go there and it would be well with him.

32:17-19 Jacob is wrestling or contending without God. He has left God out of these plans. Usually when man makes up plans that don’t involve God they backfire!

32:20 Jacob is more concerned with pleasing man over God! That is a very scary situation to be in.

32:21-24 God will test those whom He has appointed to do things for Him. Jacob is not passing the test. He is trying to buy the friendship of Esau over doing it God’s way. Purchased friendships don’t come with any loyalty, only” what can you do for me now”. Jacob is wrestling with God; who do you think will win?

32:25-26 Jacob didn’t give up, unfortunately he is fighting against God; this is not a good place to be. Jacob is finally seeking God instead of man’s ways.

32:27-28 Jacob: the name means “contender”. Israel: God commands, orders or rules. This would signify that from this point Jacob would be the prince who prevails with God over men. The lesson we should take form this is to not leave God out of our decisions and plans. God is the one who gives us the victory.

Ephesians 6:10-18

6:10 it is HIS might not ours we are to be plugged into!

6:11 (compare: Ephesians 4:14). We need this strength to overcome the tricks and tactics Satan brings.

6:12 our war is not in the flesh. It is hard to discern this and understand it but it is true. We are in a spiritual war against Satan and when we are in battle with him, we should be plugged into the power God gives.

6:13-14 God’s elect (those that stand for God) will need to be plugged into the power God gives in order to overcome. Truth is the belt that keeps your pants on! In the time of the bible, the belt was used to hike up the skirt men wore to prepare for battle. Let doing what is right guard your heart and motives.

6:15-16 where your feet go, peace will follow you. Faith is powerful! It is what protects us from all the evil that may come our way. It makes us depend on God and His promises for us when things are not going well.

6:17-19 our weapon is the word of God! Know it, use it and fight. Having the gospel armor on allows us to be plugged in to the power of God. This will be needed when we are called to speak before the antichrist.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5

5:1-3 many will be caught off guard as to when the true Christ will return. We will not, for we know that the antichrist will return first in peace claiming to be Jesus.

5:4-5 we are girded with truth! We know what God’s word says about the end times. We are ready to wrestle and prevail against our enemies with the power of God by us.

1 Timothy 6:11-16

6:11-12 we have the shield of faith on, we can overcome.

6:13-14 don’t allow bad things to come in and corrupt the truth. We will make the stand for truth and prevail when all others pervert Gods word.

6:15-16 this is the power we draw from!

Romans 13:11-14

13:11-12 today is the day we should make a stand for God; don’t wait!

13:13 there is no time for these things that would draw us away from God.

13:14 don’t leave God out of your decisions. Be ready to make a stand to contend with the enemies that would seek to take your salvation away from you.

Harden Not Your Heart

We are supposed to be as clay I the hands of God. When we are clay, God can mold us into the person He wants us to be. Unfortunately when we take God out of the equation and look at the things of the world, we can let our hearts become hard. Look to God and stay pliable in His hands.

John 12:37-50

12:37 Jesus had accomplished many miracles (feeding the masses, raising the dead, etc.) yet they believed not because their hearts were hardened.

12:38 Esias is the Greek form for Isaiah. We as believers know the Power of God and believe His report.

12:39-40 hardenend G4456; to petrify, turn to stone. Traditions of men and their lies turn people’s hearts to stone. Once their hearts are turned to stone it is almost impossible for them to hear truth.

12:41-42 stay from the ways of the world. If your heart is hard, you are not pliable as clay. These people believed on Jesus but did not want to confess it because they wanted the things of the world more.

12:43 who’s praise are we seeking? Would you be willing to deny Christianity in order to please men?

12:44-45 one of Messiahs names is Immanuel, which means God with us.

12:46 if the light is in your life, your heart is not hard. You would be able to see and understand the miracles performed.

12:47 He came to save it and then will judge it on His return.

12:48 Jesus is the word (compare: John 1:1). All those things that became “ok” for you to do or watch will be judged eventually. Don’t get off track into perversion and things of this world that would seek to destroy your life.

12:49-50 following His word brings life eternal. If your heart is hardened to that word, then good luck.

Isaiah 6:1-12

6:1 Isaiah stood in the presence of God.

6:2 the seraphims are a type of angel. The wings are a description of their flying device.

6:3-5 Isaiah felt unworthy to be in His presence!

6:6-7 God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). That fire can heal or destroy.

6:8-9 their hearts had already begun to be hardened toward God. They were consumed with the ways of the world they couldn’t see or hear the truth.

6:10-11 when things become good people don’t need God anymore. They become hard to what He would have them do. They will be ripe for the picking when the antichrist comes here to deceive.

6:12 those whose hearts have been hardened will forsake God. They will choose lies over truth.

Ezekiel 11:17-21

11:17 this prophecy concerns the end. The Lord will gather back all the people that reject the ways of the world and seek the truth.

11:18 all things that offend will be taken out. People will no longer look upon perversion as being ok and acceptable.

11:19 our hearts should already be flesh and pliable to God. Those at the end who return to God will see the truth and understand it.

11:20-21 Gods people walk after His word and commands. Those that don’t and are hardened to Him will be no more. Keep your heart and mind on God and His word!