The LORD's Day October 21, 2007

Better and Better

Proverbs 4.18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

When Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee they said, “You have saved the best to last.” That is a way of God. Life can be a crescendo of glory He always saves the best for last.

This verse describes the walk of the Christian as he journeys to heaven.

This is not trouble free living. Jesus told us we would have trouble in this world but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. Not will overcome but HAS overcome. Living for Jesus brings fellowship with Him until we see Him face to face and all the troubles of life are over.

1. The Path of the Righteous
Path= way, road,

Life happens. We cannot stop the passing of life. We choose each day whom we are serving. It is not a matter of saying I’ll consider Jesus and obey Him tomorrow. Putting off a decision is making one not to follow and obey. The paths of life must be walked upon- you cannot freeze them or pause them like a DVD.

If you have chosen to follow Christ Jesus you have made the wisest choice any man could make.

The Path is a way of living. It is a lifestyle It is not just something we do. It is what we are Character matters. It is not just doing what is right but it is doing what is right from pure motives. It is right in the heart and actions.

Righteous means just. We do what is right. Micah 6.8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Acting justly means to do what is proper and fitting according to God’s character. Doing what is right before God in conduct.

Righteous means doing what is lawful. Give to Caesar what is Caesars. In other words obey the law of the land. We live in a country where the basis of many of our laws are the ten commandments. For years blue laws made it easier to worship on Sunday but that is no longer the case. What about countries where it is illegal to worship the LORD? Then a higher law comes in- God’s law. We must obey God not man. But for the most part at least right now here in America our faith is protected.
Romans 13.1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

We are made righteous. We are justified and vindicated by God. Jesus paid the ransom for our sins on the cross. We are to live righteously now that we have been redeemed and transformed. We are to put to death the misdeeds of the body.

It is called a path. This refers to the traveler or wayfarer-One who travels, especially on foot, a traveler going on a trip. We are on a journey. Heaven is where we are headed. It is a way on which we make progress- more about that in a minute.

This is the way Jesus spoke about in Matthew 7. 13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

2. The Dawn’s Early Light
He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness (Col 1.13) and brought us into His Glorious light.

We are children of the light. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. I Thessalonians 5.5

Dawn= light of day I am by nature an early riser. I like getting up around 5am. I can watch the sunrise each day. It is like the first gleam of dawn, not the first gleam of dawn. We are like stars... Philippians 2.14-16 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the Word of Life...

Day-break, dawn, morning light all speak of the beginning of life in those who believe. If you do not believe you are dead in your trespasses and sins and you are walking around in darkness. Life coming to a soul.

One of my favorite Christmas passages has become Isaiah 9.1 Nevertheless, there
will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Jesus is that Light and the light of salvation is He a light has dawned... The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn... The entry point on the path of the righteous is being born again. Jesus told Nicodemus as he searched for truth, “You must be born again.” That is when the light dawns. That is when your eyes are opened.

It is spiritual daylight. It is like lightning. You are born again in a moment. The vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives In a flash your sins are washed all away and you are as white as snow inside.

You believe God’s Word and His Word becomes a light for your path and a lamp for your feet You see where the next step is and you avoid things that can make you stumble. We all have probably tried to navigate through a dark room. Ouch Oops Oh It is not easy. You can hurt yourself. The lamp shows us the things we need to step over or around. That is what God’s Word does for us

Jesus is the light of life. John 8.2 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” All life apart from Him is not life at all. It is darkness.

In Him there is the prosperity of the soul. We grow to reflect God That reflection comes out as the light of face . There is a spiritual glow that increases as people spend time with Jesus. This is recorded in the Old and New Testaments: Moses in Exodus 34.33-35 and Stephen in Acts 6.15

Light of instruction- We learn about Him as we walk in the light. It is a fellowship.

Jehovah as Israel's light- Let there be light... Pillar of cloud by day, Pillar of Fire by night... The LORD is my Light... Jesus: I am the Light of the world.

3. The Pilgrim’s Progress
shining ever brighter
It is the will of God that you continue to grow and mature and develop spiritually. It is His will that this is a continual thing. If you take in His Word each day, feed on it and pray you will develop. You will getting closer to the LORD. God is Light. You will shine ever brighter inside and out.

You are a pilgrim here. A pilgrim is a person who journeys, esp. a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: pilgrims to the Holy Land, a traveler or wanderer, esp. in a foreign place.

The thought here is that life can be a crescendo of glory. As we live the LORD develops in us the fruit of His Spirit so that all these things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Until finally there is...

4. The Day of the LORD
till the full ( to be firm, be stable, be established) light of day

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone is immortal and Who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see- I Timothy 6.15-16

When Jesus comes again this is known as the Day of the LORD. Day- we are told that in Revelation there will be no night there - in heaven. Revelation 21.24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

This is what we are living for. This is our life This is when death is swallowed up in victory

Right now the world is unstable. Concerns of terror are here on our shores and in our heartland. The cost of living continues to rise. Dangerous things are taking place with nations such as Iran. Danger such as this new thing called home invasions. Jesus told us to be of good cheer. He HAS overcome all of this!

So we look forward and even long for the Day of the LORD. We don’t lose heart. Even though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

We are looking for that city of gold we sang about this morning, whose builder and maker is God.

It keeps getting better and better until we arrive at the best

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The LORD’s Day
October 21, 2007

We Worship In Singing
We Worship In Prayer
We Worship In Hearing the Word of God
Better and Better Proverbs 4.18

*Tithes and Offerings can be placed in the box at the rear of the sanctuary*
Please join us for coffee and bagels downstairs if you are visiting today.

V
This Week
Bible Reading Proverbs 5
Monday Men’s Prayer Meeting 6:30am in the church basement
Wednesday Bible Study- 7:30pm at the Parsonage, 1312 Pine Acres Blvd.
Thursday Bible Study 10:30am at the church
Next Lord’s Day
Morning Prayer- 10am in the church basement
Morning Worship- 10:30am(Sunday School for Children)
Spanish Service- 4pm
Prayer Meeting -6pm

In Your Prayers For All of God’s People

Remember the men serving in the armed forces: Bradley, Julia Bujold’s grandson with Special Forces in Afghanistan, home on leave right now, Ken Brown, Pastor’s friend’s son on his third tour of Iraq- He is due home Tuesday. His parents are heading to Topeka where he will return to greet him. Billy Knapp, Jr. in Iraq with the Marines (neighbor of the church and Pastor- Billy’s sister graduated from Good Shepherd). He is due home at Thanksgiving. Matthew Klaus, brother of Good Shepherd parent in Iraq as a firefighter for Haliburton. Pastor’s nephews’ and niece’s cousin Kim’s husband, Jay, in Iraq. Pray for them and the others away from their families. Praise God for keeping David Louis, Jake Morgan and Tom Hindelang safe during their times in Iraq. Please pray for Johnathan Kruzner (friend’s son of Rudy Migliore) who lost his arm from a roadside bomb in Iraq last month. Katharina’s Family in the death of her daughter... Remember Robert, her husband and her sons, Norman, Raymond &Jonathan anf their families. Kathy, Ziggy and Margot’s daughter-in-law, under the doctor’s care for fibromyalgia. Thank God for answers to prayer for her. Pray for Eloise Brooks’ Family in their loss and sorrow... Remember Jean Louis on dialysis. Grace Martin, Edie Raevis’ daughter, recovering from surgery on her back and uindergoing Physical Therapy. Edie’s daughter’s mother-in-law, Millie Espisito in serious condition. Reginald Mooney, friend of Terri and John Garry, with a tumor in his kidney. Please remember Pastor’s friend Kim Richardson’s daughter, Kelly recovering from a mastectomy. Please remember this whole family in prayer. Two lymph came back showing cancer in them.... undergoing chemo therapy. Leah May’s cousin, Joan, respiratory problems now home... Lucy Mancini under Orthopedic Specialist’s care and physical therapy for pain and injuries resulting from the accident. Pastor’s Dad, Larry Mancini, Sr. was released from the hospital and moved to an intermediary care facility on Thursday. There is a blog for him: www.papa2all.blogspot.com Stephen Huges, brother of a Good Shepherd Nursery School Mom, their parents home in Hewlett was destroyed in a fire.. Please remember Dr. And Mrs. Mucci in your prayers as well as Judy’s daughter Tatum. Alice Gordon’s brother, Everette, in Illinois, two blood infections along with another serious medical condition... Anka’s family in their time of loss and grief. Joey Reda (Charlie and Diane Davison’s Grandson) experiencing some heart arrhythmia and had been wearing an event monitor for this past week to record them. Pastor’s friend, Rudy Migliore, received a very good report from the doctors .Romans 12.15


*If you are would like to put together a shoe box for a needy child this Christmas see Margot for information.*

Notes on Our Time in God’s Word This Morning...

Better and Better

Proverbs 4.18

Pastor’s messages are now available online:
http://thesundaymorningmessage.blogspot.com/
Church e-mail: bayshorenaz@rock.com
(Church Phone: 631-969-1730
*1314 Pine Acres Boulevard, Bay Shore, Long Island, NY 11706-5436