For I am not

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
As believers in Christ, we should not be ashamed of the Gospel because it is this very Gospel that has snatched us from the pit of hell. This wonderful news is open to anyone who will believe upon Jesus as Christ and Lord. Rejoice in this good news! Take heart in the wonderful mercies of the Lord! Be not ashamed for the sake of your life-giving faith! Proclaim the lovingkindness of the Lord unto all the nations with boldness that we who believe might fruitfully multiply the kingdom of heaven! Persevere in His strength, making disciples of all the world that others might share in the Gospel-joy that we, ourselves, have been granted to embrace!

And our hope

And our hope of you [is] stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall ye be] also of the consolation. (2 Corinthians 1:7)
Christ reigns even now on His heavenly throne, yet the earth is filled with evil men. The adopted brothers and sisters of Christ reign even now by His side, yet their lives are of suffering. How can this be? It is the mystery of the cross of Christ Jesus! Through our weakness, we are strong. Through death, we have life. Through suffering, we are become the victors. And through persecution, we are blessed. Therefore, Christ tells us, rejoice in such troubles till the heavenly consummation, for great will be our apparent reward in that day. So do not fret, O believer, but trust that your suffering will produce hope. Hope in Christ. Hope in Heaven.

O love the LORD,

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. (Psalm 31:23)
His strength is beyond imagining and with it He promises to preserve His children ever in their faith! None may snatch you from His hand, O child of the Lamb, for He is adamant: you are His and His alone! Love Him, therefore, and follow Him all your days!

When Christ, [who is]

When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)
Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God and our Bridegroom shall return! Our true life is hidden in Him and when He appears in clouds of glory, then shall our own true lives be made apparent in Him. His life of obedience is ours (cf. Romans 5:19 and Hebrews 5:8). His death and suffering is ours. So too is His resurrection to new life. And even so, His revelation in robes of splendour at the final day shall be shared with every one of His saints. So put to death the earthly things until His coming and you shall be crowned in His glory.

For the LORD

For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)
My Prayer: Thank You, O God that You delight in us, Your people. Thank You for Your reign of love. Thank You for taking pleasure in Your people, for giving us hearts to serve, for prospering us by Your Spirit, for communing with us by Your means of grace, and for communicating to us Your favour and good pleasure. Thank You for preparing us for Your future glory!

[When] the poor and needy

[When] the poor and needy seek water, and [there is] none, [and] their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (Isaiah 41:17)
Ever is the Lord gracious and ever does He shower mercy unfettered upon the objects of His affection. Because we know that God loves us, we may take pleasure in the great knowledge that He will surely stand by us in our hour of need. Ever is the Lord the provider of our necessities and ever will He quench our thirst with the welcome vials of living water-even the life of Christ.

Now unto him

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)
By the grace and mercy of the Father, the believer is kept from stumbling to destruction during the long journey of life and will be presented blameless and pure before the throne of God. As followers of Christ, we must keep ourselves in the love of God as we anxiously wait for the return of the Messiah. During this time of waiting, we are promised that God will keep us in His hands and we will not stumble away from His great purpose. Instead, nothing will snatch us away (John 10:29) and we will reside with Him for eternity!