Monday Sermon for LJUSC, as of October 8, 2012
“THE IDENTIFICATION OF A TYPICAL ATTITUDE OF THE TRUE BELIEVERS TO GO TO HEAVEN”, (Phillipians 4: 4-8)
Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your
moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on
these things”. (Philippians 4:4-8)
THE POWER OF ATTITUDE
In knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, nothing is more
important than having a good positive attitude. Your attitude can:
1. MAKE OR BREAK YOU
2. HEAL OR HURT YOU
3 .MAKE YOU FRIENDS OR MAKE YOU ENEMIES
4. ;MAKE YOU HAPPY OR MAKE YOU MISERABLE
5. MAKE YOU A SUCCESS OR MAKE YOU A FAILURE
We may understand that we don’t have an attitude just because we had a
bad day (all that a bad day can ever do is shake our jar). The reason
you have a bad attitude is because you have a bad attitude inside of
you/inside of your jar.
FACT #1 : YOUR ATTITUDE REVEALS THE REAL YOU.
Understand we don’t have an attitude just because we had a bad day (all
that a bad day can ever do is shake our jar). The reason you have a bad
attitude is because you have a bad attitude inside of you/inside of
your jar.
FACT #2 : YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF EVERY RELATIONSHIP IN YOUR LIFE.
What a difference your attitude makes! Your attitude affects every
relationship in your life. And sometimes relationships will never get
started in the first place -- because many times your attitude has built
up walls... making it difficult for people to be around you.
Bad attitudes effect your marriage relationships/your relationship with your kids/at work/at church/friends
And the thing that makes a bad attitude so destructive is that like the
jar of water with the loose lid on it, a bad attitude is eventually
going to spill out into some negative actions - destructive words and
deeds.
YOU CAN NEVER TRUST PEOPLE WITH A BAD ATTITUTE BECAUSE THEY WILL DO THINGS THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD DO.
FACT#3 : YOUR ATTITUDE IS ALWAYS YOUR CHOICE
Without a doubt, the human mind is the most awesome creation of God.
With it, God has given us the ability to think, to, reason and to choose
whether we will focus on positive thoughts or negative thoughts. In
every one of our lives there is the positive and the negative. The
choice as to which one we will focus on and feed, nurture is up to us.
Understand You can’t choose what will happen to you today (it’s beyond
your control) -- but you can choose your own attitude - we each have the
power to decide how we will respond to what happens to us.
CHOOSING TO LOOK ON THE POSITIVE SIDE
The devil likes to paint a gloomy picture when things do not go as you
have planned. When this happens, you need to take them to the Lord in
prayer. Letting things discourage you is very easy. If you are not
careful, you can get a bad attitude about different circumstances that
happen and let those things depress you. Most have heard the saying,
"Every cloud has a silver lining." You need to look at the positive side
of things rather than the negative side. The devil would have you to
look at the negative side of things.
The Word of God says to be
thankful for the little things. You need to look for the positive in
every situation you face. You should not sit around and feel sorry for
yourself; then you will become depressed. Look at all the good things
you have. When you start thinking about the good things God has done, it
gets your mind off the negative and on the positive.
The attitudes
you take in situations of life have a great bearing on whether or not
you will make it to Heaven. Often you have no control over many
situations you face in life, but you do have complete control over how
you react to situations. If you have the right attitude and live right,
the Lord will work things out. You can spend all day looking at the
negative side of things or you can choose to look at the positive.
One songwriter wrote, "Little is much when God is in it." You may have
little, but it is much when you give it to God to use. He would rather
have quality than quantity. God would rather have perfect unity among
the saints of God than to have strife and division working. God loves
His church so much that He allowed His only Son to come and shed His
blood. Do not think He does not care when people work division and
strife. He knows, and He is concerned. The Bible says that few are going
to make it through; therefore, you should not be surprised if few are
willing to press on. I thank God for those who are willing to keep
pressing on.
God is going to bless His people. Habakkuk 3:17-18
says: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall
yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall
be no herd in the stalls: [That sounds bad, doesn't it? But what does
the next verse say?] Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the
God of my salvation."
You cannot control what people do around you
or when people work against you, but you can control how you react. You
can say, "No matter what happens around me or what others choose to do, I
will rejoice in the Lord." Too many times, people look at the negative
side of life. God wants you to look on the positive side.
If your
heart is not right, you cannot uphold the standard of God's Word. You
may try in the flesh, but if you do not have the Word and the Spirit
working together, though you have understanding, you cannot uphold it.
It will quickly fade away. I thank God for men who preach the Truth, and
I thank God for the Truth. Also, I thank God that we each can have a
pure heart. If you keep your heart pure, God will honor that.
Friends, to be honest, none of us knows how much time we have left on
this earth before the Rapture of the Church will take place. The way
things are looking causes us to think it will not be long. However, we
cannot just sit around and wait for the Lord to come back. We need to
continue to work for God according to our calling individually.
I
once read a story about a king and his kingdom. The king called in two
servants. He told the first servant, "I want you to go throughout the
kingdom and gather weeds of all different varieties and bring them back
to me." Then the king told the other servant, "I want you to go around
the kingdom and gather flowers of all different kinds and bring them
back to me." He told them that they each had one week, and then the two
servants went out. The first servant came back after a week with armfuls
of all different kinds of weeds. He said, "I never knew there were so
many weeds. I am convinced that all we have in this kingdom is weeds."
Soon the other servant returned and said, "Look at all these flowers. I
didn't realize we had so many flowers. We have flowers of every variety
imaginable. The way I see it, all we have in this kingdom is flowers."
One servant saw only weeds; the other one saw only flowers. Why was
that? That was what they were looking for. The man who was looking for
weeds found weeds, and the man who was looking for flowers found
flowers.
Likewise, if you look for negative things, that is what you
are going to see. On the other hand, if you look for positive things
and look to help others, you will be lifted. You find what you look for.
God is faithful to His people. If you seek Him for help and divine
direction, He will give you what you need.
"BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING”
Paul said in our Scripture text in Philippians 4:4-6: "Rejoice in the
Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto
all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God." Paul said, "Be careful for nothing." We need to pray
about everything. It is easier to pray about big things, such as a
house, a new car, a good job, or the right companion. Most people pray
about those things, but how about the little things? Sometimes people
forget to pray about the little things.
The Bible tells us in Song
of Solomon 2:15, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the
vines: for our vines have tender grapes." We must be careful to take
care of the little things. Paul said, "Be careful for nothing; but in
every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known unto God." He said "in every thing" so that your
heart and mind might be kept.
The Word of God says to be prayerful
in everything, with thanksgiving. You need to be very careful. Instead
of saying, "Oh, that is so bad," you should praise the Lord. For
example, you would not say, "Praise the Lord, I have a flat tire," but
you could say, "Thank the Lord, I have a jack and a spare and can change
it." The Lord tells us to pray with thanksgiving. So, you could look at
a situation and say, "Lord, help me to keep my spirit right and to be
thankful." You need to be careful of how you view things. Remember,
circumstances could be worse. Also, you need to remember that people are
watching how you react, and so is God. When adversity comes, how is
your attitude? Do you look on the bright side?
MAINTAINING A GOOD ATTITUDE
People are watching how you react to adversity. A successful person is
one who can adapt in adversity. In the military they take the men who go
through basic training and are the most easily adaptable to harsh
conditions and make them elite soldiers, such as the Navy Seals. The
most successful people are those who react to adversity in the proper
way.
Do not think on the negative things in life. You need to think
on the positive. If you react in the wrong way, there are consequences.
People are watching your life. If you allow your temper to get out of
control, people will see. If you are sad and depressed all the time,
people notice that, and it will leave a mark on their lives. The little
boy who pounded the nails in the fence pulled them out, but they still
left marks. Friend, you can go back and tell people, "I'm sorry that I
lost my temper," and they can forgive you, but it will leave a mark.
Some people will hold you for the things you do. Thank God, you can get
right with God, and He does forget, but your reactions still leave marks
on people's lives.
Again, you can go back and apologize for losing
your temper or for being grumpy or sad all the time, but the scar will
still be there. That will make it difficult for people to get help in
their souls. You could go to work and witness to people day after day,
but if you were to lose your temper because you could not have the next
Friday off, you would leave a bad impression on those who saw you. Then,
the next time you ask, "Will you come to church with me?" they would
probably say, "No, definitely not. I don't want what you have."
Your
personal attitude is truly very important. At times it takes much
effort to maintain a good attitude. I work very hard to remain upbeat on
the job. My goal is to smile and think on good things. You might have a
really bad day and have to work late, but think on the positive side
and keep an upbeat attitude. Often people have asked me, "Why do you
smile all the time?" What an opportunity to let them know that it is
because I have the Lord. On the other hand, if someone were to ask you,
"Why are you so sad all the time?" that person would not want what you
have.
The attitude that you show in your daily living is a witness
to others on this earth. You can slowly plant seeds in people's lives. I
try to enjoy life and enjoy my job. Even when things are not going
well, if you keep the joy of the Lord in your life, you will show people
something that they will want.
THINK ON GOOD THINGS
The
Apostle Paul did not say, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
false, whatsoever things are a lie, whatsoever things are unfair,
whatsoever things are despicable, whatsoever things are of a negative
report; think on these things." This is the attitude that many people
take. They only think about the lies that people have told about them.
They think about all the times they have been wronged, all the times
people have not acted lovely to them, and all the negative reports. What
about the positive reports?
Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true [if something is not true, do not
think about it], whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things." Many people are so quick to
look at the negative side of everything. We live in a very critical
world. People are more critical of the church than they have ever been.
Certainly at times you have a legitimate reason to be upset about
things. Undoubtedly there will be times when someone will do you wrong
or when someone will cheat you. Those things happen. Someone may do
something against Truth or against you; someone may lie about you.
Nevertheless, you have no right to hold them for it. The Word of God
says in Hebrews 13:1, "Let brotherly love continue." Many people are not
willing to do that. They think on the negative things, but that is not
what God has commanded us to do.
Even during the times when you feel
that you have a legitimate reason to be upset, you should not think on
those things. If you catch yourself thinking on those things, remember
what God's Word says. It has a list of good things to think on, and none
of those things is negative or bad. God wants you to think on godly,
holy, pure, honest things.
A wrong or a negative attitude will drain
you emotionally and spiritually. If you think on negative things all
week, you will go to church on Sunday spiritually drained. Remember, the
attitudes that you have go a long way in determining whether or not you
will make it to Heaven.
SHINING FORTH IN ADVERSITY
Acts
16:19-24 reads: "And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains
was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace
unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These
men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs,
which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being
Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the
magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when
they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison,
charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a
charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in
the stocks."
That was not a good day for Paul and Silas. It was a
horrible day. If anyone had reason to complain, they did. They could
have said, "Let's think about what has happened to us. Those people told
lies about us and whipped us for nothing. That is unfair! What about
the despicable way they ripped off our clothes in public and beat us?
That was so unfair of them to cast us into prison and put our feet in
stocks." However, Paul and Silas did not do that. They did not think on
their negative circumstances.
What did Paul and Silas do? Verses
25-28 tell us: "And at midnight [at the darkest hour] Paul and Silas
[they did not complain and grumble] prayed, and sang praises unto God
[no doubt people were watching them, wondering how they were going to
react]: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and
immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were
loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and
seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have
killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul
cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all
here." All the prisoners were right there; no one had escaped.
The
Bible says at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, sang songs, and praised
the Lord, and all the prisoners heard them. What happened next? There
was a great earthquake, the prison doors were opened, and everyone's
shackles fell off. You would have thought that most of them would have
gotten up and said, "This is our chance to escape! Let's get out of
here!" However, that is not what they did. They wanted to see who Paul
and Silas were. They were not worried about getting free from prison. No
doubt, they wanted to see what Paul and Silas had to offer. Christian
friend, people are watching your life.
Verses 28-30 say: "But Paul
cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all
here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and
fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved?" How you react in adversity and the
attitudes you take have a great impact on winning souls for God. Paul
and Silas could have sat in that prison and felt sorry for themselves,
cried over their open wounds, and complained about how they had been
wrongly imprisoned and unjustly beaten. Yet, they chose to praise God,
and it reaped great rewards.
Friends in Chrsit, as people watch your
life, are they drawn to Christ or pushed away because of how you react
in adversity? The men in the prison were drawn to Paul and Silas, and
the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Life is not always fair,
and the sooner you realize it, the better you can cope with adversity.
People are going to wrong you and do things against you. Some may try to
do everything they can to destroy you. You might as well be ready to
look on the positive side. People may tell lies about you, cheat you,
and bring negative reports about you. Nevertheless, you should not dwell
on those things. Life may not seem fair, but you must think on good
things. Take the trial or the persecution that you are going through and
turn it around for the betterment of souls.
Paul and Silas suffered
persecution. If you have spent any time in the Word of God, you know
that the righteous suffer persecution. Therefore, you need to prepare
yourself to be ready to react in a positive way, just as Paul and Silas
did. Paul and Silas did not see their trial as a place to become
discouraged. They saw it as an opportunity to reach out to souls. Are
you reacting in a way that draws souls to Christ? Friend, attitude is
everything. People cannot see what is in your heart, but they can see
how you react to things. They can see whether you are really happy in
the life that you are living.
LOOKING TO GOD’S WORD FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
You may think, "This situation is impossible," but you can look to the
Bible. Jesus said in Luke 18:27, "The things which are impossible with
men are possible with God." You may say, "I'm too tired." Jesus said in
Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." You may say, "No one really loves me," but
you can read in John, Chapter 3, that God loves you. You may say, "I
can't go on," but 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, 'My grace is sufficient for
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." You may say, "I
can't do it," but Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me."
You may say, "I'm not able," but 2
Corinthians 9:8 says "God is able." You may say, "I can't forgive
myself," but in 1 John 1:9 God says, "If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." You may say, "I can't manage," but God says in
Philippians 4:19, "God shall supply all your need." You can say, "I am
afraid," but 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God hath not given us the spirit of
fear." You may say, "I am always worried and frustrated," but God says
in 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
You may say, "I don't have enough faith," but Romans 12:3 says, "God
hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." You may say, "I am not
smart enough," but in James 1:5 God says, "If any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him." You may say, "I feel all alone," but in
Hebrews 13:5 God says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
You can think of many negatives, but God wants you to look on the
positive side. Notice that all those negatives were not found in the
Bible; however, to find the positive side of all those things, all you
have to do is look to God's Word. He has a silver lining to every dark
cloud you face. In everything you go through in life, when you feel that
you cannot make it or when you feel that you do not understand,
remember that God has a silver lining.
God wants you to lean heavily
upon Him and look to His Word. He wants you to look to Him to see what
to do and how to react. Sometimes you may not know what to do and all
you can do is say, "Help me, Lord." Often when you read the Bible, the
Lord will direct you to the promise you need to help you make it through
the situation. God has promised that He will never leave you nor
forsake you.
Again, our text says in verse 8, "Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things."
TRUE BELIEVER MUST NOW AND DESIRE HOW TO HAVE BEST ATTITUDE OF THE HEART
The attitudes of your heart shape your character. In all things, your
heart's condition creates the appeal of your personality. Attitudes are a
purposeful mindset.
Veterans of knowledge have this understanding
and recognize what is behind every motive. Every choice you make defines
your true self.
The heart expresses itself through the determined
spirit, establishing the values and conditions, which drive your choices
in life. Live with a purpose and maintain a healthy heart. Strive to
have a heart that obeys God.
There are 12 attitudes of the heart
will strengthen your walk by cultivating the right attitude to
acknowledge your role, and the part you play in life.
1. Love God
will all your heart, soul, and mind. Make this your first priority in
life. Everything else falls into place with this strong condition of the
heart.
2. Be understanding and in all things use wise discernment. Practice patience with perseverance.
3. Guard your mouth against any gossip. Be the friend that keeps others’ secrets locked safe and never compromise your values.
4. Be forgiving and trust God for true vindication.
5. Remove all pride for it eliminates the justification for forgiveness.
6. Love your enemies for love holds no wrongs. For an ounce of heart is worth a vessel of soul.
7. Stretch your faith and pledge a life to be born again. This is a personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
8. Let go of fears and don't let them stand in your way to the life you deserve.
9. Serve Others out of a heart of gratitude and love.
10. Be a peacemaker for theirs lay the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:9)
11. Keep your commitments and be committed to a standard of values in your own heart, between you and God.
12. Love unconditionally and be devoted to each other as in brotherly
love. For love is a choice and expressing brotherly love is the same
type of love you would find in a healthy family. Jesus is a great
example of brotherly love.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
LET ME MAKE A CONCLUSION OF THE CHARACTER WHICH WILL HELP US TO GO TO
HEAVEN IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD QUALIFIES HIS ACTIVITY OF ULTIMATE GOOD
APPLIES TO EVERY CHRISTIAN TO
WORK GOOD IS TO CAUSE US TO ACT LIKE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
ULTIMATE GOOD MAY COME AT THE GOOD USE OF BAD THINGS
ACCEPTING OF GOD’S ULTIMATE GOOD IS AN ACT OF KNOWING, NOT NECESSARILY
AND ACT OF FEELING. THROUGH OUR ATTITUDE, THE PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH MAY
COME TO KNOW GOD BECAUSE OUR ATTITUTE IS JUST THE SAME BEHAVIOUR LIKE
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WHICH IS PART OF OUR CALLING IN GENERAL TO BE THE
SALT AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A M E N .
To God Be All The Glory And Honor,
Daniel Pasaribu
“THE IDENTIFICATION OF A TYPICAL ATTITUDE OF THE TRUE BELIEVERS TO GO TO HEAVEN”, (Phillipians 4: 4-8) Dear Precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”. (Philippians 4:4-8) THE POWER OF ATTITUDE In knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, nothing is more important than having a good positive attitude. Your attitude can: 1. MAKE OR BREAK YOU 2. HEAL OR HURT YOU 3 .MAKE YOU FRIENDS OR MAKE YOU ENEMIES 4. ;MAKE YOU HAPPY OR MAKE YOU MISERABLE 5. MAKE YOU A SUCCESS OR MAKE YOU A FAILURE We may understand that we don’t have an attitude just because we had a bad day (all that a bad day can ever do is shake our jar). The reason you have a bad attitude is because you have a bad attitude inside of you/inside of your jar. FACT #1 : YOUR ATTITUDE REVEALS THE REAL YOU. Understand we don’t have an attitude just because we had a bad day (all that a bad day can ever do is shake our jar). The reason you have a bad attitude is because you have a bad attitude inside of you/inside of your jar. FACT #2 : YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES THE SUCCESS AND FAILURE OF EVERY RELATIONSHIP IN YOUR LIFE. What a difference your attitude makes! Your attitude affects every relationship in your life. And sometimes relationships will never get started in the first place -- because many times your attitude has built up walls... making it difficult for people to be around you. Bad attitudes effect your marriage relationships/your relationship with your kids/at work/at church/friends And the thing that makes a bad attitude so destructive is that like the jar of water with the loose lid on it, a bad attitude is eventually going to spill out into some negative actions - destructive words and deeds. YOU CAN NEVER TRUST PEOPLE WITH A BAD ATTITUTE BECAUSE THEY WILL DO THINGS THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT THEY COULD DO. FACT#3 : YOUR ATTITUDE IS ALWAYS YOUR CHOICE Without a doubt, the human mind is the most awesome creation of God. With it, God has given us the ability to think, to, reason and to choose whether we will focus on positive thoughts or negative thoughts. In every one of our lives there is the positive and the negative. The choice as to which one we will focus on and feed, nurture is up to us. Understand You can’t choose what will happen to you today (it’s beyond your control) -- but you can choose your own attitude - we each have the power to decide how we will respond to what happens to us. CHOOSING TO LOOK ON THE POSITIVE SIDE The devil likes to paint a gloomy picture when things do not go as you have planned. When this happens, you need to take them to the Lord in prayer. Letting things discourage you is very easy. If you are not careful, you can get a bad attitude about different circumstances that happen and let those things depress you. Most have heard the saying, "Every cloud has a silver lining." You need to look at the positive side of things rather than the negative side. The devil would have you to look at the negative side of things. The Word of God says to be thankful for the little things. You need to look for the positive in every situation you face. You should not sit around and feel sorry for yourself; then you will become depressed. Look at all the good things you have. When you start thinking about the good things God has done, it gets your mind off the negative and on the positive. The attitudes you take in situations of life have a great bearing on whether or not you will make it to Heaven. Often you have no control over many situations you face in life, but you do have complete control over how you react to situations. If you have the right attitude and live right, the Lord will work things out. You can spend all day looking at the negative side of things or you can choose to look at the positive. One songwriter wrote, "Little is much when God is in it." You may have little, but it is much when you give it to God to use. He would rather have quality than quantity. God would rather have perfect unity among the saints of God than to have strife and division working. God loves His church so much that He allowed His only Son to come and shed His blood. Do not think He does not care when people work division and strife. He knows, and He is concerned. The Bible says that few are going to make it through; therefore, you should not be surprised if few are willing to press on. I thank God for those who are willing to keep pressing on. God is going to bless His people. Habakkuk 3:17-18 says: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: [That sounds bad, doesn't it? But what does the next verse say?] Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." You cannot control what people do around you or when people work against you, but you can control how you react. You can say, "No matter what happens around me or what others choose to do, I will rejoice in the Lord." Too many times, people look at the negative side of life. God wants you to look on the positive side. If your heart is not right, you cannot uphold the standard of God's Word. You may try in the flesh, but if you do not have the Word and the Spirit working together, though you have understanding, you cannot uphold it. It will quickly fade away. I thank God for men who preach the Truth, and I thank God for the Truth. Also, I thank God that we each can have a pure heart. If you keep your heart pure, God will honor that. Friends, to be honest, none of us knows how much time we have left on this earth before the Rapture of the Church will take place. The way things are looking causes us to think it will not be long. However, we cannot just sit around and wait for the Lord to come back. We need to continue to work for God according to our calling individually. I once read a story about a king and his kingdom. The king called in two servants. He told the first servant, "I want you to go throughout the kingdom and gather weeds of all different varieties and bring them back to me." Then the king told the other servant, "I want you to go around the kingdom and gather flowers of all different kinds and bring them back to me." He told them that they each had one week, and then the two servants went out. The first servant came back after a week with armfuls of all different kinds of weeds. He said, "I never knew there were so many weeds. I am convinced that all we have in this kingdom is weeds." Soon the other servant returned and said, "Look at all these flowers. I didn't realize we had so many flowers. We have flowers of every variety imaginable. The way I see it, all we have in this kingdom is flowers." One servant saw only weeds; the other one saw only flowers. Why was that? That was what they were looking for. The man who was looking for weeds found weeds, and the man who was looking for flowers found flowers. Likewise, if you look for negative things, that is what you are going to see. On the other hand, if you look for positive things and look to help others, you will be lifted. You find what you look for. God is faithful to His people. If you seek Him for help and divine direction, He will give you what you need. "BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING” Paul said in our Scripture text in Philippians 4:4-6: "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Paul said, "Be careful for nothing." We need to pray about everything. It is easier to pray about big things, such as a house, a new car, a good job, or the right companion. Most people pray about those things, but how about the little things? Sometimes people forget to pray about the little things. The Bible tells us in Song of Solomon 2:15, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." We must be careful to take care of the little things. Paul said, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." He said "in every thing" so that your heart and mind might be kept. The Word of God says to be prayerful in everything, with thanksgiving. You need to be very careful. Instead of saying, "Oh, that is so bad," you should praise the Lord. For example, you would not say, "Praise the Lord, I have a flat tire," but you could say, "Thank the Lord, I have a jack and a spare and can change it." The Lord tells us to pray with thanksgiving. So, you could look at a situation and say, "Lord, help me to keep my spirit right and to be thankful." You need to be careful of how you view things. Remember, circumstances could be worse. Also, you need to remember that people are watching how you react, and so is God. When adversity comes, how is your attitude? Do you look on the bright side? MAINTAINING A GOOD ATTITUDE People are watching how you react to adversity. A successful person is one who can adapt in adversity. In the military they take the men who go through basic training and are the most easily adaptable to harsh conditions and make them elite soldiers, such as the Navy Seals. The most successful people are those who react to adversity in the proper way. Do not think on the negative things in life. You need to think on the positive. If you react in the wrong way, there are consequences. People are watching your life. If you allow your temper to get out of control, people will see. If you are sad and depressed all the time, people notice that, and it will leave a mark on their lives. The little boy who pounded the nails in the fence pulled them out, but they still left marks. Friend, you can go back and tell people, "I'm sorry that I lost my temper," and they can forgive you, but it will leave a mark. Some people will hold you for the things you do. Thank God, you can get right with God, and He does forget, but your reactions still leave marks on people's lives. Again, you can go back and apologize for losing your temper or for being grumpy or sad all the time, but the scar will still be there. That will make it difficult for people to get help in their souls. You could go to work and witness to people day after day, but if you were to lose your temper because you could not have the next Friday off, you would leave a bad impression on those who saw you. Then, the next time you ask, "Will you come to church with me?" they would probably say, "No, definitely not. I don't want what you have." Your personal attitude is truly very important. At times it takes much effort to maintain a good attitude. I work very hard to remain upbeat on the job. My goal is to smile and think on good things. You might have a really bad day and have to work late, but think on the positive side and keep an upbeat attitude. Often people have asked me, "Why do you smile all the time?" What an opportunity to let them know that it is because I have the Lord. On the other hand, if someone were to ask you, "Why are you so sad all the time?" that person would not want what you have. The attitude that you show in your daily living is a witness to others on this earth. You can slowly plant seeds in people's lives. I try to enjoy life and enjoy my job. Even when things are not going well, if you keep the joy of the Lord in your life, you will show people something that they will want. THINK ON GOOD THINGS The Apostle Paul did not say, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are false, whatsoever things are a lie, whatsoever things are unfair, whatsoever things are despicable, whatsoever things are of a negative report; think on these things." This is the attitude that many people take. They only think about the lies that people have told about them. They think about all the times they have been wronged, all the times people have not acted lovely to them, and all the negative reports. What about the positive reports? Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true [if something is not true, do not think about it], whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Many people are so quick to look at the negative side of everything. We live in a very critical world. People are more critical of the church than they have ever been. Certainly at times you have a legitimate reason to be upset about things. Undoubtedly there will be times when someone will do you wrong or when someone will cheat you. Those things happen. Someone may do something against Truth or against you; someone may lie about you. Nevertheless, you have no right to hold them for it. The Word of God says in Hebrews 13:1, "Let brotherly love continue." Many people are not willing to do that. They think on the negative things, but that is not what God has commanded us to do. Even during the times when you feel that you have a legitimate reason to be upset, you should not think on those things. If you catch yourself thinking on those things, remember what God's Word says. It has a list of good things to think on, and none of those things is negative or bad. God wants you to think on godly, holy, pure, honest things. A wrong or a negative attitude will drain you emotionally and spiritually. If you think on negative things all week, you will go to church on Sunday spiritually drained. Remember, the attitudes that you have go a long way in determining whether or not you will make it to Heaven. SHINING FORTH IN ADVERSITY Acts 16:19-24 reads: "And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks." That was not a good day for Paul and Silas. It was a horrible day. If anyone had reason to complain, they did. They could have said, "Let's think about what has happened to us. Those people told lies about us and whipped us for nothing. That is unfair! What about the despicable way they ripped off our clothes in public and beat us? That was so unfair of them to cast us into prison and put our feet in stocks." However, Paul and Silas did not do that. They did not think on their negative circumstances. What did Paul and Silas do? Verses 25-28 tell us: "And at midnight [at the darkest hour] Paul and Silas [they did not complain and grumble] prayed, and sang praises unto God [no doubt people were watching them, wondering how they were going to react]: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here." All the prisoners were right there; no one had escaped. The Bible says at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, sang songs, and praised the Lord, and all the prisoners heard them. What happened next? There was a great earthquake, the prison doors were opened, and everyone's shackles fell off. You would have thought that most of them would have gotten up and said, "This is our chance to escape! Let's get out of here!" However, that is not what they did. They wanted to see who Paul and Silas were. They were not worried about getting free from prison. No doubt, they wanted to see what Paul and Silas had to offer. Christian friend, people are watching your life. Verses 28-30 say: "But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" How you react in adversity and the attitudes you take have a great impact on winning souls for God. Paul and Silas could have sat in that prison and felt sorry for themselves, cried over their open wounds, and complained about how they had been wrongly imprisoned and unjustly beaten. Yet, they chose to praise God, and it reaped great rewards. Friends in Chrsit, as people watch your life, are they drawn to Christ or pushed away because of how you react in adversity? The men in the prison were drawn to Paul and Silas, and the jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Life is not always fair, and the sooner you realize it, the better you can cope with adversity. People are going to wrong you and do things against you. Some may try to do everything they can to destroy you. You might as well be ready to look on the positive side. People may tell lies about you, cheat you, and bring negative reports about you. Nevertheless, you should not dwell on those things. Life may not seem fair, but you must think on good things. Take the trial or the persecution that you are going through and turn it around for the betterment of souls. Paul and Silas suffered persecution. If you have spent any time in the Word of God, you know that the righteous suffer persecution. Therefore, you need to prepare yourself to be ready to react in a positive way, just as Paul and Silas did. Paul and Silas did not see their trial as a place to become discouraged. They saw it as an opportunity to reach out to souls. Are you reacting in a way that draws souls to Christ? Friend, attitude is everything. People cannot see what is in your heart, but they can see how you react to things. They can see whether you are really happy in the life that you are living. LOOKING TO GOD’S WORD FOR ENCOURAGEMENT You may think, "This situation is impossible," but you can look to the Bible. Jesus said in Luke 18:27, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." You may say, "I'm too tired." Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." You may say, "No one really loves me," but you can read in John, Chapter 3, that God loves you. You may say, "I can't go on," but 2 Corinthians 12:9 states, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." You may say, "I can't do it," but Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." You may say, "I'm not able," but 2 Corinthians 9:8 says "God is able." You may say, "I can't forgive myself," but in 1 John 1:9 God says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." You may say, "I can't manage," but God says in Philippians 4:19, "God shall supply all your need." You can say, "I am afraid," but 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear." You may say, "I am always worried and frustrated," but God says in 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." You may say, "I don't have enough faith," but Romans 12:3 says, "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." You may say, "I am not smart enough," but in James 1:5 God says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." You may say, "I feel all alone," but in Hebrews 13:5 God says, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You can think of many negatives, but God wants you to look on the positive side. Notice that all those negatives were not found in the Bible; however, to find the positive side of all those things, all you have to do is look to God's Word. He has a silver lining to every dark cloud you face. In everything you go through in life, when you feel that you cannot make it or when you feel that you do not understand, remember that God has a silver lining. God wants you to lean heavily upon Him and look to His Word. He wants you to look to Him to see what to do and how to react. Sometimes you may not know what to do and all you can do is say, "Help me, Lord." Often when you read the Bible, the Lord will direct you to the promise you need to help you make it through the situation. God has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Again, our text says in verse 8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." TRUE BELIEVER MUST NOW AND DESIRE HOW TO HAVE BEST ATTITUDE OF THE HEART The attitudes of your heart shape your character. In all things, your heart's condition creates the appeal of your personality. Attitudes are a purposeful mindset. Veterans of knowledge have this understanding and recognize what is behind every motive. Every choice you make defines your true self. The heart expresses itself through the determined spirit, establishing the values and conditions, which drive your choices in life. Live with a purpose and maintain a healthy heart. Strive to have a heart that obeys God. There are 12 attitudes of the heart will strengthen your walk by cultivating the right attitude to acknowledge your role, and the part you play in life. 1. Love God will all your heart, soul, and mind. Make this your first priority in life. Everything else falls into place with this strong condition of the heart. 2. Be understanding and in all things use wise discernment. Practice patience with perseverance. 3. Guard your mouth against any gossip. Be the friend that keeps others’ secrets locked safe and never compromise your values. 4. Be forgiving and trust God for true vindication. 5. Remove all pride for it eliminates the justification for forgiveness. 6. Love your enemies for love holds no wrongs. For an ounce of heart is worth a vessel of soul. 7. Stretch your faith and pledge a life to be born again. This is a personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ. 8. Let go of fears and don't let them stand in your way to the life you deserve. 9. Serve Others out of a heart of gratitude and love. 10. Be a peacemaker for theirs lay the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:9) 11. Keep your commitments and be committed to a standard of values in your own heart, between you and God. 12. Love unconditionally and be devoted to each other as in brotherly love. For love is a choice and expressing brotherly love is the same type of love you would find in a healthy family. Jesus is a great example of brotherly love. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, LET ME MAKE A CONCLUSION OF THE CHARACTER WHICH WILL HELP US TO GO TO HEAVEN IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD QUALIFIES HIS ACTIVITY OF ULTIMATE GOOD APPLIES TO EVERY CHRISTIAN TO WORK GOOD IS TO CAUSE US TO ACT LIKE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. ULTIMATE GOOD MAY COME AT THE GOOD USE OF BAD THINGS ACCEPTING OF GOD’S ULTIMATE GOOD IS AN ACT OF KNOWING, NOT NECESSARILY AND ACT OF FEELING. THROUGH OUR ATTITUDE, THE PEOPLE ON THIS EARTH MAY COME TO KNOW GOD BECAUSE OUR ATTITUTE IS JUST THE SAME BEHAVIOUR LIKE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WHICH IS PART OF OUR CALLING IN GENERAL TO BE THE SALT AND THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A M E N . To God Be All The Glory And Honor, Daniel Pasaribu |
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