***Eph 6:
11 (Your name here: ______________) put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of
righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all
perseverance and supplication for all saints;
***1 Cor 9:
24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye
may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I (Your name here: ______________) therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one
that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
***Jer 12:5 If thou (Your name here: ______________) hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
***Gal 5:
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which
worketh by love.
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
***Phil 3:
12 Not as though I (Your name here: ______________) had already attained, either were already
perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I (Your name here: ______________) press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise
minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the
same thing.
***2 Tim 4:
7 I (Your name here: ______________) have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
***James 1:12 Blessed is the man (Your name here: ______________) that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
***Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou (Your name here: ______________) hast, that no man take thy crown.
***Heb 12:
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds.
4 Ye (Your name here: ______________) have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
***2 Tim 2:
3 Thou (Your name here: ______________) therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who
hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
***1 Tim 6:
12 (Your name here: ______________) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who
before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ:
***(Your name here: ______________) is pressing on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus***
GO FOR IT! RUN WITH THE HORSES! and pray for me as well, lest that by any means, that after all my preaching to others, I myself should be found a castaway without a crown.
The more one truly wants to become "perfect" (Christ-like); as we know we should be and so seek to be for His sake and His glory, the "Closer" we will approach the Light and have a good, long look at ourselves in the mirror of perfected (Perfect) faith! (Ahhh, the blessed Light!)
And the closer we approach the Light and examine ourselves by it, the "More" we will see our sins and our shortcomings (not the less), and abhor them.
And the more we see and admit our sins and our shortcomings, and abhor them, the "Greater" becomes our sorrow and grief over them and because of them and what they do....not so much to us as what they do to our Lord who in the greatest love laid down His life and shed His blood to purchase us as and make us crown jewels for the Father's glory. How are we worthy of Him who is so precious and deserving of our all?
And the greater becomes our sorrow and grief over them, until we cry our eyes out and can take no more, the "More Comforting" becomes our Lord's blessed words to us....
Matt 5:
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
I pray that everyone seeks to be "perfect"... and while we're at it don't forget that one lone "leper" (out of 10) that was healed and who later ran back and returned to bow in reverance at the Lord's feet. That's us baby - and we ain't a movin'!!!
I Jn 4:
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he
is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
To Love Him is to Hear and Obey Him, who said...
Mark 4:30 ...Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
What do we have that we can make a comparison with??? "ABSOUTELY NOTHING!"
Acts 13:25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
AND JOHN WAS LESS THAN THE 'LEAST' IN THE KINGDOM, especially in "having that intimate and personal knowledge of Christ". Yet he KNEW - he KNEW! Bless John!
Rom 8:
18: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Again, what can compare with ANYTHING we care to name??? "NOTHING!"
Had your legs ripped off? arms too? eyes gouged out? tongue, nose ears cut off? heart ripped out? head chopped off for the faith? "Well bless you", and yet... in comparison to the weight of glory that will be ours, and that ALL of creation is waiting to see revealed in us at the coming of Christ (Rom.8:19ff), equals: ZIP!
My wife, Suzanne and I have a saying: "If only the unbeliever knew what we know! If they did they would gladly and quickly tear out their own eyes, hands, arms, legs and anything else that is stopping them from entering into the kingdom, and consider ALL of their sufferings as being absolutely "NOTHING/DUNG" in comparison to the awesome weight of eternal glory that they will receive at the coming of Christ! If they only knew! If they only knew! (Matt.5:29-30) So we preach: "Ya gotta know Him!"
Matt 10:
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is ***NOT*** WORTHY OF ME: and he that loveth
son or daughter more than me is ***NOT*** WORTHY OF ME.
38 And he that taketh NOT his cross, and followeth after me, is ***NOT*** WORTHY OF ME.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: AND HE THAT LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT.
Matt 13:
44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found,
he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and SOLD *ALL* that he had, and bought it.
and that selling *ALL* in order to buy into it all includes buying into the knowledge that he would also have to "suffer" (*mandatory*) in order to be found "worthy" of a glory, a kingdom and a God that he has been given just a mere 'future taste' of, and can barely begin to comprehend what this means even in his wildest dreams (Rom. 8:1 , but has to see it reflected in a mirror, darkly.
1 Cor 2:
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
FAITH: Jn 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
LOVE: Matt 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
God bless you all,
Biff
