STUDIES FROM BRETHREN IN CHRIST

6/7/2020 ~ Pursue

🌎   PursueAM.mp3 (29m 08s)   Pursue.pptx Darkness strikes at the heart of fear. Desire is the pressure of want. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. ~ Psalms 34:14 Do we pursue those things called out for, for the best in our spiritual evolvement? The pools of peace are in the depths of heaven’s truth. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. ~ Romans 14:19 It is a challenge with all the adversities in this world to follow the advice of the Bible. However, it instructs us all with a baseline of conduct in appreciative qualities to pursue. Genuinely caring for others has always been paramount for anything really successful. When we help others is where our true strength is found. Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. ~ 1st Corinthians 14:1 As a rose’s fragrance, love must rise in sweet tender tranquility, for it to be real. For "He who would love life And see good days, ... turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it." ~ 1st Peter 3:10-11 There is no misery like the misery of one unable to find love, breaking over filthy language. It is a conscious event to remain more decent than despicable. Doing good and pursuing peace brings the treasures of heaven to heart. To find the definition of good, one has to look to the word of God. ... be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. ~ Titus 3:1-2 Godly people are the strength of any society  ● Be subject to authorities  ● To obey  ● To be ready for every good work    ● To speak evil of no one  ● To be peaceable, gentle  ● Showing humility to all Pondering on the qualities called out for radiate the greatest smiles in the midst of laughter. God sings to us with every breath. ... through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love ..." ~ Galatians 5:13-14 As flowers sway in the wind, our love should reflect His gifts of beauty, and respect and or regard for this freedom to be. It does not say to use freedom of spirit to pursue evil intentions skewing away from God’s purposed word. God’s truth cannot be replaced by the oblivious whims of man. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ~ 2nd Timothy 2:22 Wisdom unites the age of experience with love                               A pure heart                                         ↑              → Peace who call on the Lord                → Love              → Faith              → Righteousness      Pursue        ⭧   Flee youthful lusts Age delivers wisdom for those of careful thoughtfulness. A raving maniac is easily exposed. Many diseases of spirit confront the soul. Arrogance, superiority over others, lauding self, has the value of all that is empty. Weakness in pride holds the unsettling resentments of others, and sears the heart from true peace. Some are never able to recover, mired in the battles of self, and it can take a lifetime to overcome lust, and turn it to unutterable sincerest of deepest love, over its shallow predecessor of youthful reckless wild passions. Instant gratification endures little if not held with pure unconditional commitment of heart. Endless desire spirals a hole with peace so far out of reach. Contentment is closely associated with pure love. Gladness is deeper than the flesh can deliver. What is divine is to be supremely valued where thankfulness lifts us past troubles caused by grief and not having. Prayer is what establishes a clean heart. ... abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable ... ~ 1st Peter 2:11-12 If one merely dwells on the lusts of the flesh, all spiritual gifts will be at best, elusive. The soul is a gift of God and it should be everyone's ambition, and need, to follow where God leads us. ... "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." ~ Matthew 16:24 The message from Jesus is to exercise self-control and to laboriously pursue good works. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." ~ Matthew 10:38 In all the purity that God is, and in delivering His word for man to know, no one should be lost to His true intentions; salvation of His children in the light. While none of us may be worthy, it must be a desire to be more acceptable in His sight, and in service to be true for all. This is accomplished by adhering to, and studying, the word of God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ... ~ 1st Peter 2:21 To step into the life Jesus walked is to know the love that surpasses all understanding. Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." ~ Luke 9:57 One is lucky if the winds of heart lead to feathers of golden truths. Then He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." ~ Luke 9:59 Family is precious when joy of love is shared. When love is so prevalent, it can be obscure to find yet a higher love, for God, but it must take precedence. Thankfulness for His gift to love itself should easily lift our hearts closer to Him. And another also said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house." ~ Luke 9:61 The meal we eat is not just to satisfy cravings of the flesh. If desire for God and His salvation is less than anything else, priorities are misaligned from that sparkle that rises to touch eternity itself. "... 'Come, for all things are now ready.'" ~ Luke 14:16-17 The call from God has always been now, as His presence has never left us, as of yet. "But they all with one accord began to make excuses. ..." ~ Luke 14:18-20 People have lives, and they should be valued accordingly. However, when one puts any of the activities of life above that which gave life, for it to be, true worship is neglected, and even dismissed, when property, business, and or family is the only focus. One either comes to God or not. "... with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain." ~ Ezekiel 33:31 Hypocrites are the snakes in all of our lives. They plot and manipulate to achieve power over others, and take little stock in accountability. Truth is possessing a clear conscience with God as our guide. Selfish people have a perverted inward desire, lacking outward expressions of mercy and truth, welded in patience. "... for those whose hearts follow the desire for their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds ..." ~ Ezekiel 11:21 There will always be, as long as God is disregarded, people that prey upon all others with cold detestable qualities. It is a choice for darkness over the light. These mongers highest achievement is satisfying their own lusts, regardless of consequences to others. Unfortunately, evil often devours what could be good. In dismissing God, one generally dismisses all respect for others as well. What could be beautiful is smothered by the web of misery. God will judge all cold hearts accordingly. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ~ 2nd Peter 2:2 The Bible speaks of the way of truth, and so there is a way of truth. To find truth it can only be done when the truth of God is acknowledged. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ~ 1st Timothy 6:11 General pursuits declare the wholeness of all   O man of God pursue:                                      ● Righteousness                                        ● Godliness                                      ● Faith                                      ● Love                                      ● Patience                                      ● Gentleness God is clear for souls to pursue those things He declares as good, and flee what is defined as evil. Plenty of warnings have been given not to change His word, and deceive the ignorant by calling evil good, and good evil. Hypocrites are not able to hide from the truth God has delivered. All the lot of us fools will be shot down when we bow before His Majesty of grace. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. ~ 1st Thessalonians 5:15 What we pursue is who we are; this is life. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ~ James 4:8 Drawing near to God helps our climb away from those evil practices of the past, or even those that remain in the present. One can never be close enough to God for all He has done for us. God does not seek souls who hide behind walls of deception. Truth is transparent where it forever resides as obvious. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in anything is what we put faith in. Trust in God frees a soul to find contentment above all that is the material realm. ... one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14 Visons best has always been looking forward               ⭩   Forgetting    behind   God in Christ Jesus  ⭧                             It can be hard to choose life over death, optimism verses pessimism, as honest hearts can find it difficult to not look back upon the sins we all bear. It is not original sin, but those actions of selfishness we have all individually pursued. In an ever flowing kaleidoscope of stop and go, what cripples us is lack of belief, in God, and in one another. None of us has attained perfection as we struggle to become better than before, for those with conscience. Regrets are part of that repentance to turn back to God, and regard His ways of being. The fires of truth help understanding as we travel through this wicked world. Let us dream of better days where we lift each other to be more for our children. Assholes die in the piles they create. We must find a way to fertilize the future, and the truth of God has no greater value in this pursuit. Seeking Him reveals the light of life ● Seek peace and pursue it ● Pursue those things that edify each other ● Pursue love & that one may give proper instruction ● Be ready to do good works in subject to authority ● Love is the one word that fulfills all the law ● Pursue righteousness/faith/ love/peace/calling God ● Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against souls ● To be worthy one must bear loads & follow Christ ● Excuses keep one from following God ● Hypocrites lie in pursuit of their own gain ● Pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all ● He directs the path when one trusts God / one’s all ● Pursue the eternal prize found in the upward call The greatest pursuit for all is seeking love’s peace. Darkness' highest point is the bottom.