Subtopic: "Lord Help Me To Keep On Keeping On"

Text: Job 17:9 "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger".

Psalm 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.(vs2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.(vs3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Premise

The Pulpit commentary pages 301-302; a homily excerpt on Job 17:9 "Steady progress in virtue is marked by increasing strength of character and conviction. The righteous man waxes "stronger and stronger". Holy principles gain a firmer hold upon his convictions. His life settles into a definiteness and stability of habit. He has greater power to resist evil; he has greater power over his own heart; he exerts a greater power over others around him. He is not moved from his integrity either by the fierce onslaughts of temptation or by the severities of trial. His life is pledged to a course of obedient living--- to purity ,truth, goodness. More and more he is established in his goings. He rises to greater brightness as the sun to greater strength. He gathers strength even from his afflictions. Deeper and deeper principles of holy living strike their firm roots  into his whole spirit. He pursues his chosen and holy way undeterred by the many forms of temptation that assail him. In his righteousness he can" hold on his way" and with "clean hands" he waxes "stronger and stronger" day by day".-RG

Subtopic: Don't Lose the Opportunity

Text: 2 Kings 7:1-5"Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord, tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.(vs2)Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.(vs3) And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, why sit we here and die.(vs4)If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live: and if they kill us, we shall but die. (vs5) And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold there was no man there."

PREMISE

"Let us not sit we here and die, but rather get up and take action and seize the opportunity for salvation, deliverance and eternal life, as we carry out the great commission of work and ministry of and for the Lord; in view of the great promises and assurances we have from our Lord Jesus Christ." -----Pastor A.H Coleman Sr.

DEFINITIONS

Opportunity  is defined as a good chance ,a favorable time or a convenient occasion.

Text: St. Luke 22:41-44 "And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (vs42) Saying, Father, if thou be willing , remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but let thine be done.(vs43) And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.(vs44) And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground".

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.16, pages224-225, a comment on St. Luke 22:42(latter clause) "Self-Surrender. "Not my will, but thine ,be done." These words are suggestive as well as expressive. They suggest to us---- THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF SIN. Where shall we find the root of sin? Its manifold fruits we see around us in all forms of irreligion, of vice, of violence. But in what shall we find its root? In the preference of our own will to the will of God. If we trace human wrong-doing and wrong-being to its ultimate point, we arrive at that conclusion. It is because men are not willing to be what God created them to be, not willing to do what he desires them to do; it is because they want to pursue those lines of thought and of action which he has forbidden, and to find their pleasure and their portion in things which he has disallowed,--- that they err from the strait path and begin the course which ends in condemnation and in death. The essence of all sin is the assertion of our will against the will of God. We fail to recognize the foundation truth that we are his; that by every sacred tie that can bind one being to another we are bound, and we belong to him from whom we came and in whom we live, and move, and have our being. We assume to be the masters of our own lives and fortunes, the directors of our own selves, of our own will; we say, "My will, not thine, be done." Thus we are radically wrong; and being radically wrong, the issues of our hearts are evil. From this fountain of error and of evil the streams of sin are flowing; to that we trace our origin.

Subtopic: " We Must Continue In The Faith."

Text: Rev. 3:1-2 "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and are dead.(vs2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."

Acts 2: 40,42,44-47 " And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.(vs42)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.(vs44) and all that believed were together, and had all things common;(vs45)And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.(vs46)And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, (vs47) Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Jude verse 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.18 , page 73, a comment on Acts2:43-47 "THE STRENGTH OF THE UNITING BOND in the new society of this early church was spiritual; not mere companionship, or social instinct, or common necessity, or political aim, but brotherly love springing out of faith---- a faith showing itself in self-sacrifice and steadfastness.

"THE SPECIALITY AND DISTINCTNESS of the early church manifested a new Christian life that was characterized by unselfishness, mutual consideration, compassion for the needy, gladness and singleness of heart, devoutness, purity of home life, steadfast continuing in well-doing."