“Do not forget or neglect to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy [of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship], for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” The pleasing sacrifice to God is His children being generous in showing kindness and generosity to others. In so doing, we demonstrate the stability of God’s love working in us. We should not be so overwhelmed with our own issues and problems that we can’t be nice to people. As christians we are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and are expected to go through our own troubles with heads held high, and not having the form of our visage down cast with a bad attitude that goes with it. Jesus prayed that we would live above the evil in this world (John 17:15). We have spiritual rights and privileges to help us stay right with God and man. The kindness of christians is in us, but it must be cultivated by successfully going through trails from storms or crises in our lives. You can’t give kindness if your kindness meter is low. Doing good and sharing with those in need will always keep us in God’s good graces. Lending to the poor is lending to God, and He will repay you for your good deeds (Proverbs 19:17). When you have the opportunity, do good and share with those in need. This is a sacrificial offering to the Lord that will not be in vain and not go unnoticed by Him.

“For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” This verse helps us go toe to toe with getting rid of the thoughts we want out of our heads. While we confess this scripture out loud over and over again, the bad thoughts eventually leave. Two things must be intact, first we must believe the words of God will come to pass when coming out of the faith filled believing mouth. Second, we should remove ourselves from the people or situations that induce those bad thoughts. We are constantly being inundated with controlling forces of agitating spirits and mortal conflicts. Once you’ve chosen a side, meaning giving your whole self to the Lord, because with Him it’s mostly all or nothing at all. If you are lukewarm He will spit you out (Revelation 3:16). There’s no in between, you’re gonna serve something or someone, you just don’t think you are because you’ve been in it for so long, we were created to serve, govern and rule. The issue can be, some people want to use you in this way. And we wonder why we pick up unnecessary bad thoughts which is self inflicted because of your affiliations. If you can find them, but they’re out there, try being affiliated with people that are true, noble, are in right standing with God, are of a pure way about themselves, lovely, and admirable. The struggle is real, but Jesus overcame the struggles of our lives long ago.

“BEHOLD, HOW good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. It’s almost like, a great church service where everyone you speak to is having a great day in their attitudes and their demeanor, so polite. Although Monday morning at work they are acting like the devil. The Peace of God plays a major part in our ability to live in unity together. The Prince of Peace abides in our hearts. We have the opportunity to allow that fruit of peace in our human spirits, to grow and produce a harvest that will enable us to dwell together in unity. Peace in our lives is the main ingredient for living in unity. It is the glue if you will, to connect our hearts and minds to each other in love. When we come together in unity it’s iron sharpening iron with the revelation knowledge, and life experiences of our walk with God, which helps us mature. Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together is a verse of command for us to follow (Hebrews 10:25). We need each other to grow in Christ. The harmony of us coming together and living in unity is the way of the Kingdom of God, and as we continue our earth walk with the Lord, we are developing a spiritual muscle memory of unity mindedness for our life after death with Jesus. If it is possible in this present life, if it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18).

“And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you.” Our bodies are dying daily but our newly recreated human spirits are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). God has promised to revive these death doomed bodies of ours. As long as His Holy Spirit (the power) dwells in you, and this happens at the new birth experience (when you became a christian), our spirits are alive to God, and our spirits can and do affect our bodies. As we become more sensitive to our human spirit, we become more led by the Lord. Jesus lives in the born again hearts of His saints, and His resurrection power is there to assist us in life. The Spirit that raised Christ from the dead abides in us christians. Let that sink in for a moment. Imagine that same power’s ability operating in you to help navigate through the heavy storms of our personal lives. It is available as we submit to the way of the Kingdom of God. You are in God’s army now. We must learn how to stand our ground in this messed up world. God has supplied all we need to live a set apart victorious lifestyle with all kinds of benefits for success. If you’re connected to the Lord, you’re connected to power that will cause your enemies to flee in terror (James 4:7). Learning how to draw that power out at will, comes in time.

“Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].” To be prompted by conceit and empty arrogance is a true sign of exalted flesh in your life. When your motivation is from contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for an unworthy end, that’s a tall sign we will not be putting our brother or sister in Christ first. This text is saying we should prefer our brothers and sisters in Christ before ourselves, a true sign of humility. Trying to impress others speaks to the reality of insecurity, trust issues springing from a possible past hurt, and a lack of knowledge in this area crying out loud, ignorance! To be prompted by conceit along with empty arrogance, is the way of a fool. We should be prompted by the Lord’s will in everything we do. Find His word of promise for your situation in life and use it. Confess that word, that promise from God over your life, confession brings possession. Our stability comes from the Lord, impress Him by being a doer of the word, not a hearer only. People are going to say and think about you what they will, but knowing who you are in Christ Jesus is priceless next to their unbeatable ignorance.

“But let justice run down like waters and righteousness as a mighty and ever-flowing stream.” The Lord was not happy with the Israelites in this text. They were worshipping idols and carrying on without a sense of righteousness on their minds. They were a stiff neck people after God delivered them out of Egypt. He was also giving them a way out of their wrong doings but many died unnecessarily from disobedience. Today we live in the dispensation of Grace. Today God isn’t striking you down for immediate justice but, we will all have to give an account for all we do and say in the end (Matthew 12:36). For justice to roll on like a river today in our lives, we must be God inside minded. Being human means we are not always aware of how we’re doing concerning being right with God. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Aside from the Lord’s help, we could easily be drawn into something that takes us off track. We are justified by faith, and we have peace with God because of Jesus’ finished work at calvary (Romans 5:1). The day of justice is coming for all of us. Make sure your thing with God is tight. He is a God of love, but justice must always be satisfied, sooner or later. It’s not ok to ignore this message concerning your right standing with God. Become the righteousness of God like a never failing stream.

“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” Finding the plan of God that lines up with our individual purpose is priceless. Many are the plans of a man or woman, but only the Lord’s purpose in them will prevail. If our plans aren’t based on our God given purpose, then those plans won’t have enough foundation to prevail and produce a harvest that endures. The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way as we follow those plans. We are inundated with distractions, agitating spirits and moral conflicts. Without pulling away from time to time to get balance back in the picture, we could be going down the wrong road. Quality time with the Lord draws us closer to our purpose, and plans on how to fulfill our purpose. God says, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). If we want our future to be bright, find the plan, and follow it to the T. Stability in this shaken, unpredictable world, is only found in Christ. He overcame the world and its demonic influences. As we follow the teachings and precepts of the gospel, we won’t recognize ourselves after a while. Remember, it ain’t free, your feelings must take a back seat in your decisions. We walk by faith not by sight (2Corunthian 5:7).

“But I will sing of Your mighty strength and power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy and loving-kindness in the morning; for You have been to me a defense (a fortress and a high tower) and a refuge in the day of my distress.” In the days of distress, who is there for you. Who has your back when you’re hanging on by a tread to life itself. No one can hold you together better than the one who put you together. The Lord knows our make-up better than anyone. Some people have known you for a long time, but no one knows us better than the one who created us. Those times in life when we find ourselves in predicaments we cannot easily get out of is when the mercy of God comes in. Because God’s mercies are new every morning, we can ride the train of deliverance and can count on the deliverer to be on time all the time. He is our defender and place of safety in times of trouble, that’s His word of promise. But no matter how much this is explained and broken down, it won’t help you if you don’t believe it. The greatest power on earth is the faith filled words coming out of the mouth of a God fearing christian. Trouble is the one thing we can count on that’s always on its way to us. Knowing our authority in Christ brings us to a whole other level of victorious living. David was singing of the Lord’s mighty strength and power. He was keeping close to his heart the Christ inside mentality, and expecting God’s help of mercy, strength, and the power to get through anything that came his way.

“Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another.” These words may not describe many of us. Strong will people that do more hands on in everything they do, may find it harder to conform to this without the Lord’s intervention. We must come from a broken posture, having tried integrity and depth of character already built in us. Most of God’s commands are based on our conforming to His will, which is His word, the bible. We gain strength, and super ability in time, to accomplish feats not overwise obtainable. To be humble for some of us may well be, just keeping it together not to go off on you, or hurt your feelings in some unwarranted way. Patience is a fruit in our newly recreated human spirits. It must be developed like any other seed that must grow. In nature, storms help strengthen the trees and their roots. Without resistance you can’t develop stability. When the storms of our life hit, we have a choice whether to put our heads in the sand, and hide, or to go through it and become a better person from it. Tried integrity isn’t free nor is depth of character. Without these two we may not fully understand the reasoning or purpose for dealing with people with a lowliness of mind approach. It’s becoming for God’s children to walk in humbleness of mind and meekness. Meekness is, knowing you could go toe to toe in an escalated heated argument, but you choose to deescalate the situation by remaining meek and keeping your peace. Bear with one another, and their shortcomings, because someone has had to bear with you and yours.

“But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred, Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you].” There’s a mouth full here about your enemies. Treating them well by doing good to them, acting nobly toward them even though they detest you, and pursue you with hatred. Can you invoke blessings upon them and pray for their happiness even though they curse you. Most of us will probably say, absolutely not, with attitude. Well, christian (which means little christ), the mature in Christ will be challenged with this command from Almighty God. Yes it’s the words of Jesus to love our enemies because He loved us first, while we were considered God’s enemies because of our former sin nature. The ability to walk in this seemingly tall order from God, lies in our hearts. The seeds of our newly recreated human spirits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, humility, and self-control. As we develope these fruit, by being badly persecuted by our enemies, we grow and our aroma will have the sweet presence of God emanating from us without saying a word. Your becoming the little christ in the earth for the Lord’s highest elevation over the evil in this world. Nothing will move you from your position in Christ. Saints of old have held their ground to the death. Most of us won’t see that level of persecution in this country. God would never give any command unless He already supplied the power for us to carry it out. Love your enemies.