Lay hold on Eternal LIFE."

Brethren,

Knowing that 1st Timothy 6:12 admonishes each of us, by saying: "Fight the good fight of FAITH, lay hold on Eternal LIFE, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

[What do you suppose, "is the good confession?"

Isn't it that JESUS CHRIST - The WORD of The LIVING GOD, is LORD?" Yes, it is!" And of this TRUTH, Romans 10:8-9 makes absolutely clear, by saying: But what does it say? "The WORD is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, The WORD of FAITH which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth The LORD JESUS, and Believe in your heart that GOD raised HIM from the dead , you will be SAVED.

[Brethren,

JESUS, is LORD of everyone who Believes in HIM, and in HIS death on The Cross, HIS burial, and RESURRECTION on the third day, that took our sins away!" Thus, we seek to honor HIM, by obedience everyday." Yes, and to call HIM, LORD, in that way!"

With that said,

How do you think that you're doing in fighting the good fight of FAITH, and on laying on hold on Eternal LIFE?"

And in regards to Eternal LIFE;

Have you considered how we've been called to make for ourselves Treasure in HEAVEN, and not here on earth? Have you?"

And have you considered, why we've been called to this?"

Consider 1st John 2:15-17 where The LORD gives us this explanation, saying: Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the LOVE of The FATHER is not in him.

For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye's, and the pride of LIFE - is not of The FATHER but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of GOD abides forever.

[With that read, "Do we wish to abide forever?"

Yes? Then, please consider these WORDS from Mark 8:35, that read:

"Whoever wishes to "SAVE" his LIFE will lose it," but whoever loses his LIFE for MY sake and The GOSPEL'S will SAVE it."

[Brethren,

Have we lost the LIFE that walked in the ways of darkness, in order to Take up our Cross, and walk in obedience to CHRIST? Yes?

Then consider Luke 14:27-29

that reads:

And whoever does not bear his Cross and come after ME, cannot be MY disciple.

For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him.

[Brethren,

Are you a disciple that has counted the cost to serve JESUS, and are now fully aware of what it will take to finish the race, even as the apostle Paul, did?"

Are you?

If so, surely you've concluded that a disciple of The LORD, is one, who is as a soldier,

who knows to do the will of HIM Who enlisted him!"

For every follower of The LORD must be willing to lay down his very LIFE, in order to please, JESUS." And to one day, become HIS wife."

Consider this WORD and admonition from 2nd Timothy 2:4, that reads: No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this LIFE, that he may please HIM Who enlisted him as a soldier.

[And knowing that we've been enlisted by CHRIST," we are to walk in the ways of The LORD.

For this reason, 2nd Timothy 4:5 continues the admonition by saying: And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

[ I know that many people despise GOD'S rules, and hate HIS commandments."

But if we are to please JESUS, Who enlisted us; We must be willing to humble ourselves as children, and obey The WORD of HIM, Who said in John 14:9

He who has seen ME, has seen The FATHER."

[For if we wish to be counted among the wise, and Believing, son's of GOD;

We must be willing to lose it all, including our very LIFE, in order to become JESUS' wife!"

How do I know?" Well, consider this conversation in Mark 10:17-21 between a rich man who approached The LORD, calling HIM, "Good Teacher."

It reads like this: Now as HE was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before HIM, and asked HIM, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit Eternal LIFE?"

So JESUS said to him, "Why do you call ME Good?

No one is good but One, that is, GOD.

You know the commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,'

'Honor your Father and Mother.' "

And he answered and said to HIM,

"Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth. Then JESUS looking at him, LOVED him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in HEAVEN; and come, take up The Cross, and follow ME."

[With that read,

"What do you suppose, "taking up The Cross implies? "Comfort? Luxury? Relaxation?"

Hardly!"

Thus, Philippians 1:29 assures us, saying: For to you it has been granted on behalf of CHRIST, not only to Believe in HIM, but also to suffer for HIS sake.

[And Brethren,

We've been called by GOD to lay down our very LIFE, if need be." And by our obedience to preach The GOSPEL of CHRIST, say to our 'LORD,

I bring all GLORY to THEE!"

Because when it's all said and done,

what will matters most in regards to our LIFE,

is not how comfortable we lived it, or how pleasant and well." No!

But how well we embraced The WORD of GOD, and share The GOSPEL story of HIS Son., without finding it odd"

For this is extremely important to GOD, because through 2nd Peter 3:8-9 The LORD, says: But, Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with The LORD one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The LORD is not slack concerning HIS promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

[Beloved

The LORD is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance of walking in darkness; and to embrace The LIGHT of GOD'S WORD, " that is our RIGHTEOUSNESS!"

For The LORD is adamant through Hosea 4:6, saying: "MY people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being Priest for ME;

Because you have forgotten the law of your GOD, I also will forget your children.

[Brethren,

The latter part of that passage of SCRIPTURE, clearly speaks to them that reject the knowledge of CHRIST, and do not like to retain HIM in their thoughts.

Thus, Romans 1:28 speaks of them, saying: And even as they did not like to retain GOD in their knowledge, GOD gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.

[And do you know anyone who has forgotten GOD, and despise HIS WORD that gave us HIS Law? "The Ten commandments?"

Because we Believe GOD, and haven't forgotten HIS Law; 1st Thessalonians 2:4 speaks to us, saying: But as we have been approved by GOD to be entrusted with The GOSPEL, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but GOD Who tests our hearts.

[Yes, because we Believe GOD, and are willing to "Take up our Cross," in order serve HIS cause.

We are not afraid to suffer for HIM, Who first suffered for us, "while hanging and dying," on The Cross."

For this reason, we live for HIS GLORY, without seeking a pause!

For what would it benefit us, to live long healthy lives, and to have done absolutely nothing for The GLORY of GOD!"

Nothing!"

So I pray, Beloved, that our lives be filled with LOVE for GOD, and of our fellow man,." Sharing The GOSPEL of CHRIST, with as many as we can."

For GOD, through John 3:16, reminds us of the importance of this, by saying: For GOD so LOVED the world that HE gave HIS only begotten SON, that whoever Believes in HIM should not perish but have Everlasting LIFE.

[Right - that whoever Believes in The WORD of The LIVING GOD - JESUS CHRIST; "would not "perish in a lake of fire," and lose - our LIFE."

So knowing that we have been approved by GOD,

we are to influence others in the knowledge of CHRIST, by telling them, that Titus 2:11 tells us that GOD says: For The GRACE of GOD that brings SALVATION has appeared to all men.

[Yes, to all men, and is offering a gift 🎁

of Everlasting LIFE."

[And because GOD tells us; through Mathew 10:8

"Freely you have recieved, Freely give!

Through Philippians 2:4

HE admonishes us, and gives us this instruction, by saying: Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

[And isn't it true, that from this SCRIPTURE, we can each understand that The LORD, our GOD, demands that we care about the SALVATION of others, and not just our own?

We need to do as we're instructed to, because without the knowledge of CHRIST, and of HIS coming KINGDOM; people greatly concern themselves with their stay here on earth, and disregard GOD'S WORD and admonition, that all need a second birth."

So tragically, they do very little to seek The TRUTH of the afterlife."

They fail to consider that Hebrews 9:27-28 assures us all of this reality, saying: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement.

So CHRIST was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for HIM

HE will appear a second time, apart from sin, for SALVATION.

[Brethren,

Surely you might agree with me, that it's not the quantity of LIFE we live here on earth; but the quality of the afterlife, now that we've partaken of the second birth?" Yes?

So Beloved, let's now seek to make for ourselves Treasure in HEAVEN, and not here on earth!

Now that we are "BORN AGAIN," and know of the second birth."

"Lay hold on Eternal LIFE, to which we also have been called.

JESUS

OK