The Eleven Most Important Things

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It is a wealth of information, but the benefit is transformation.  And of all the instruction that could be overwhelming, it breaks it down to the simple.  It gives you the answer you need in the moment.  It gives you the answer you’re about to need… because it’s living and active.  And it gives you a structure of truth that is completely trustworthy.  It tells us the most important things.  Some people when it comes to God’s Word – can't see the forest through the trees, they get caught up in the minutia, in the trivia, and miss the major.  So what are the eleven most important things?  #1 - Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  #2 Wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit has come upon you.  #3 Fear God. #4 Above all else get wisdom.  #5 Above all else guard your heart.  #6 Tell Others.  #7 Make Disciples  #8 Exhort One Other Daily.  #9 Praise Always  #10  Pray without ceasing.  #11 Live For Eternity.  So what does say about these eleven most important things.  #1  Be Saved – See the PRISM Topic Salvation First.  Admit you’re a sinner, Believe that Jesus died in your place, to pay the penalty for your sin.  Unless you are perfectly sinless, you cannot live with a perfect God forever.  He hates sin.  You need a Savior.  Romans 10:9 – If you commit with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  #2  Be Filled with the Holy Spirit -  See the Relationship Topic – The Filling of the Holy Spirit -  Luke 24:49 – I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in Jerusalem until you have been clothed with power from on high.  He told them, ‘Wait in Jerusalem until the power comes on you – so you can do this, otherwise you won’t be able to!  Paul said – (Now that you have been filled) Walk in the Spirit and you will do what the Holy Spirit wants you to do, instead of what your flesh wants to do.  (Galatians 5:25)  #3 Fear God – It’s the beginning of wisdom, it keeps you from doing evil, it saves your life, and protects your children, See the PRISM Topic – You Are Not Fearing God For Nothing, and the PRISM Topic Packet – The Fear Of The LORD.  #4 Get Wisdom – Above all else – get wisdom.  Ask For It, Pursue It, Obey Immediately, Seek Counsel, and Walk with the Wise.  So you become wise, and wisdom will protect you, it will bring you wealth, honor and life.  #5 Guard Your Heart  -  God said above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.  You first do it with your eyes – Set before your eyes no unclean thing, keep your gaze directly before you.  You then do it with your ears – be careful how you hear.  John 8:47 – Whoever belongs to God hears what God says…  Jesus said my sheep know my voice, another shepherd they will not follow.  John 10:8 – All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep didn’t listen to them.  John 10:4 -… and his sheep follow him because they know his voice, a stranger they will not follow.  Then you guard your heart with your feet – don’t join in with them, don’t walk in the path of the wicked, go on your way.  You guard your heart, by guarding your eyes, your ears, and your feet.  And then guard your mouth, your lips.  Speak life, speak the word of God, it will get into your heart.  It will change your thoughts, your mind, you'll start to think like God thinks!  Above all else, guard your heart.  #6 Tell Somebody -  Share the good News of Jesus – Go into all the world and preach the good news of Jesus.  How with others come to know Jesus if you don’t tell them?  Jesus said that He wants everyone to be saved, that not even one would perish.  He won’t come back until all have heard. (Matthew 24:14) That’s our job.  Matthew 28:19-20 - Go and make disciples of all nations – Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit .  #7 Make Disciples - Most people miss the rest of the great commission – that tells what making disciples really is… teaching them to obey (all the things I command you).  It means make obeyers – followers who hear and obey – hearers and doers of the Word.  So who are you helping to obey?  Obey with what?  Time – so their life is a living sacrifice. Thoughts – so their mind is transformed, Money – so they love God not the world.  Helping them overcome with their testimony, and provoke others to love and obedience.  God says, He who wins souls is wise.   #8 Exhort One Other Daily.  Hebrews 3:13 - Each person encourage another person every day.  It’s God’s playbook to overcome the enemy – with your testimony!  #9 Praise Always – Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.  As long as you have a breath left, you should have a praise left.  Hebrews 13:15 – Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His Name.  He comes and lives in the praises of His people.  From the time you were a child – He ordained praise to silence the enemy!  Praise always!  Psalms 84:4 - Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you.  #10 Pray without ceasing.  Luke 18:1 – Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.  Prayer is important – prayer is how you present your requests to God, and praying in the Spirit enables you to pray the exact will of your Father in Heaven.  God uses prayer to unleash what He wants to do on the earth.  See the Prayer Packet to encourage you to keep praying  – and never give up.  #11 Live with Eternity in mind – Paul said I count all things down here as loss, as garbage, that I might gain Christ.  Hebrews 13:14 – For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.  Hebrews 11:24 – By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharoah’s daughter.  Instead he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  Paul said at the end. I Timothy 4:7 – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.  God wants us to live with eternity in mind!  Our time here on earth is so short, Heaven will be forever.  Praying that that you are looking forward to the reward.     
 
Love you all,
dad