Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Take Hold" by Harold Wedel for Friday, 22 July 2016 with Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11-21

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Take Hold" by Harold Wedel for Friday, 22 July 2016 with Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11-21
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"Take Hold" by Harold Wedel
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you testified so well to your faith before many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before the Messiah Yeshua, who in his witness to Pontius Pilate gave the same good testimony, 14 to obey your commission spotlessly and irreproachably until our Lord Yeshua the Messiah appears. 15 His appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see — to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
17 As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 18 Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. 19 In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life.
20 Oh, Timothy! Keep safe what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from the ungodly babblings and the argumentative opposition of what is falsely called “knowledge.” 21 For many who promise this “knowledge” have missed the mark, as far as the faith is concerned. Grace be with you.
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Hymn for Today: "Onward Christian Soldier" by Sabine Baring-Gould
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, 
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
Christ, the royal Master,
leads again the foe;
Forward into battle,
see his banner go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
2. At the sign of triumph
Satan's host doth flee;
On, then, Christian soldiers,
on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver
at the shout of praise;
Brothers, lift your voices,
loud your anthems raise!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
3. Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
where the saints have trod;
We are not divided;
all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
one in charity.
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before!
4. Onward, then, ye people,
join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor,
unto Christ the King;
This thro' countless ages
men and angels sing.
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
going on before! 
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The Christian life is not easy. The word Paul uses is a picture of competing in athletic games or engaging in military battle. The thought is to have superior weapons that will out maneuver the weapons of the enemy.
What then is the good fight of faith? Paul reminds us that “we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3b-5). The devil has been defeated already. He was defeated when Christ came to save and rescue us from the power of sin with His blood. The enemy puts on an appearance of power, but in reality he has none.
The Word of God is the Will of God. To fight the good fight of faith, we must take hold of the Word of God that gives us eternal life. Then we can march forward, united together to eternal life.
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Thought of the Day: Isaiah 26:3 “A person whose desire rests on you
you preserve in perfect peace,
because he trusts in you.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Nigert.
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