Good morning family of God!
1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) declares,
• Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does the will of God will live forever.
This is a very strong and serious declaration; one that should not be taken lightly. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are comforted by Him with these world from John 15:19,
• If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
And again, Jesus said in John 17:14,
• I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Family, we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Because we belong to a new kingdom, our lives should look very different than the people of the world.
1 John 1:6 declares,
• If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
I want to encourage you today because Hebrews 2:1 says,
• Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard (spoken by the Lord Jesus), lest we drift away.
We are exhorted in Romans 12:2 (NLT),
• Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The way we can do this is by meditating on the Word of God day and night, like Joshua 1:8 tells us to do. Then, as we speak it out of our mouths, we are coming into agreement with God’s Word and will be speaking WORDS OF LIFE, which will make us just like Jesus.
I pray every day that I would be transformed into the image and likeness of God and that I would be an imitator of God as a dear child.
Le us not forget that 1 Peter 1:23-25 (NKJV) says,
• Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flowers fall away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.”
Also, I want to put you in remembrance that Jesus said in Luke 12:15 (TLB),
• Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.
Psalm 49:16-20 (NKJV) gives us some real insight as to a man’s wealth and possessions:
• Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, when the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him, though while he lives he blesses himself (for men will praise you when you do well for yourself). He shall go to the generation of his father’s; they shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.
Whew, our Lord and Savior seems to have a lot to say about NOT LOVING THE WORLD! As a matter of fact, Hebrews 12:1-2 exhorts us in this way,
• Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…
Lastly, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 (AMPC) admonishes us in this way,
• As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches, but on God, Who richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for [our] enjoyment. [Charge them] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal and generous of heart, ready to share [with others]. In this way laying up for themselves [the riches that endure forever as] a good foundation for the future, so that they may grasp that which is life indeed.
Be blessed and remember: DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD’S SYSTEM! LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH!
Loving the Word of God,
Lisa Gordon
Gordon Ministries and Jesus City Church
PS God bless you guys! If you were encouraged today and would like to donate to our ministry, simply go onto GordonMinistries.org and click donate! Thank you!