THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT  <br><br>  

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 4-22-18  <br><br> 

  <br><br> 

LESSON TITLE: “WE HAVE BECOME PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE”  <br><br> 

  <br><br> 

WELCOME  <br><br> 

      THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. IT IS ALWAYS A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE YOU WITH US FOR THIS TIME OF OFFERING TO GOD. WE WELCOME YOU TO THIS SERVICE FOR OUR CREATOR.   <br><br> 

      TODAY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TOGETHER TO WORSHIP AND PRAISE OUR GOD. THIS MORNING WE WILL GLORIFY OUR LORD THROUGH SONGS OF PRAISE AND THROUGH THE STUDY OF HIS PERFECT WORD. WON’T YOU DO YOUR PART TO MAKE THIS TIME TOGETHER ACCEPTABLE IN HIS SIGHT. NOW, LET’S APPROACH OUR FATHER’S THRONE IN PRAYER.  <br><br> 

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND THE GREAT BLESSINGS OF LIFE. THE GREAT PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE YOUR OWN AND YOUR CHILDREN AND THE GREAT KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US TO DO AND TO OBEY THAT AS WELL AS THE GREAT REWARDS THAT ARE OURS WHEN WE DO THOSE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ASKED. HELP US THIS DAY, FATHER, ON THE LORD'S DAY TO WORSHIP YOU IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH AND TO GIVE YOU OUR VERY BEST KNOWING THAT CERTAINLY FATHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO, NOT ONLY GIVE YOU THE GLORY THAT YOU DESERVE, BUT THAT WE MIGHT BE THE LIGHT TO THOSE AROUND US THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW YOU, BELIEVE IN YOU,  AND OBEY YOU AS WELL. FATHER, MAY WE ALL HAVE THAT REWARD OF ETERNAL LIFE IN THE END. FOR FATHER, WE KNOW YOU HAVE RESERVED SUCH FOR THOSE WHO LOVE YOU AND THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.   <br><br> 

	IT’S TIME TO START OUR PRAISE THROUGH SONG. WON’T YOU JOIN IN THE FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING, AS WE FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT OUR GOD TRULY IS ALIVE AND WELL!  LET’S SING TOGETHER, “BLUE SKIES AND RAINBOWS!”  <br><br> 

  <br><br> 





DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS  <br><br> 

	WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD SOMEONE SAY, “I DON’T CARE WHAT THEY THINK,” OR, “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ME.”  THE FACT IS, WE ALL HAVE PROBABLY SAID THIS FROM TIME TO TIME, NOT REALLY CONSIDERING THAT IT IS IN CONTRADICTION WITH WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!    <br><br> 

	THE TRUTH IS IT DOES MATTER WHAT WE SAY AND HOW PEOPLE PERCEIVE US IN THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE. OUR NAME IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE ARE EITHER SEEN AS GODLY AND RIGHTEOUS BY THOSE AROUND US, OR RUDE AND UNLIKABLE. I LIKE THE WAY SOLOMON PUT IT IN PROVERBS 22:1, THERE WE READ, “A GOOD NAME IS TO BE CHOSEN RATHER THAN GREAT RICHES,” THERE WE HAVE IT FROM THE WISEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE IS THAT WE LIVE IN SUCH A WAY TO EXEMPLIFY CHRIST IN ALL THAT WE DO, SO THAT THOSE WE COME IN CONTACT WITH WILL WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR JESUS.    <br><br> 

	THE NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS ALSO HAD A CLEAR HANDLE ON OUR TOPIC THIS MORNING. YOU MIGHT RECALL WHAT PAUL TOLD TIMOTHY IN 1 TIMOTHY 4:12, THERE WE READ, “…BUT BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE BELIEVERS IN WORD, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN SPIRIT, IN FAITH, IN PURITY.” NOTICE THE MANY AREAS PAUL ENCOURAGED TIMOTHY TO BE A GOOD EXAMPLE IN. IN FACT, IF YOU CONSIDER THE MANY AREAS WHICH ARE MENTIONED HE REALLY COVERS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF LIFE: WHAT WE SAY, WHAT WE DO, HOW WE TREAT OTHERS, HOW OUR ATTITUDE IS. FURTHERMORE, HE MENTIONS THAT FAITH AND PURITY ARE A PART OF WHAT ALL MUST SEE IN US AS CHRISTIANS.    <br><br>  

	I ALSO LIKE THE WAY PAUL INSTRUCTED THE CORINTHIANS IN 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1. THERE HE TOLD THEM, “IMITATE ME, JUST AS I ALSO IMITATE CHRIST.” AGAIN, IN A NUT SHELL, WE ARE TO BE CHRIST-LIKE. THOSE OF THIS WORLD MUST SEE CHRIST IN EVERYTHING WE DO.    <br><br> 

	A FINAL VERSE I MIGHT MENTION IS FOUND IN 1 PETER 2:21. THERE IT SAYS, “FOR TO THIS YOU WERE CALLED, BECAUSE CHRIST ALSO SUFFERED FOR US, LEAVING US AN EXAMPLE, THAT YOU SHOULD FOLLOW HIS STEPS.” YOU SEE WE ARE TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE WHICH CHRIST LEFT. IF THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT WE ARE TO BE CHRIST-LIKE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE WOULD!    <br><br> 

	SO LET ME ENCOURAGE US ALL TO REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT OUR NAMES SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO DIED FOR US. SO THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED AND HIS WILL MAY BE DONE.  <br><br> 

      OUR TOPIC TODAY WILL AGAIN FOCUS ON OUR SERIES CALLED “WE HAVE BECOME PARTAKERS OF…!” OUR SPECIFIC STUDY THIS MORNING CONCERNS, “HIS DIVINE NATURE!” SO STAY WITH US AND IN A FEW MINUTES I WILL RETURN AND LEAD US IN OUR THOUGHTS OF THE DAY. NOW IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE MORNING, THE NAME OF THE SONG, “I LOVE THY KINGDOM LORD.”   <br><br> 

    <br><br>     

      LESSON  <br><br> 

      RAY SULLINS  <br><br> 

      ISN'T IT GREAT TO CONTINUE TOGETHER TODAY AS WE GO TO GOD'S WORD AND WE LOOK AT ANOTHER LESSON IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SERIES WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING ABOUT THOSE THINGS WE PARTAKE IN AS CHRISTIANS. AND MANY OF YOU RECALL THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT NOW THE IDEA THAT WE ARE PARTAKERS OF CHRIST. WE ALSO ARE PARTAKERS OF HIS HOLINESS, WE ARE SPECIFICALLY PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HEAVENLY CALLING, THE PROMISES OF GOD. AND SO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND THE WAY THAT IT'S WORDED WITHIN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHALLENGES US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I DO NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN OR THAT I NEED TO DO. THINGS THAT I NEED TO SAY OR HOW I NEED TO SPEAK THAT IT CAN AFFECT WHETHER IT IS THAT I AM REALLY REPRESENTING GOD OR CHRIST AS I SHOULD. AND SO I MUST PARTAKE OF THE RIGHTOUS, THE HOLY, THE GODLY THINGS IF I'M REALLY GOING TO EXEMPLIFY THAT.   <br><br> 

      OUR DISCUSSION THIS DAY THEN WILL BE FOUND THERE IN SECOND PETER CHAPTER 1. AND SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THIS CONTEXT RIGHT AFTER PETER HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US EVERYTHING WE NEED. IN FACT, IT ACTUALLY SAYS "BY HIS DIVINE POWER" HE'S GIVEN US ALL THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEED SO THAT WE MIGHT KNOW EVERYTHING PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A VIRTUOUS WAY WHICH MEANS A MORALLY EXCELLENT WAY. AND THAT'S WHAT HE IS REALLY SAYING IN VERSE THREE. HE THEN SAYS THIS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT WE SHOULD STRIVE FOR THAT MORAL EXCELLENCE OR THAT VIRTUE. HE SAYS BY WHICH HE HAS GIVEN US EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES THAT THROUGH THESE YOU MAY BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE HAVING ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST. AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO BEGIN TO DISSECT THIS VERSE AND THIS CONTEXT JUST A LITTLE BIT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT HERE. THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE. IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE GOD OR THAT WE CAN BE GOD! WE KNOW THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. BUT WHAT IT IS SAYING IS THAT WE CAN PARTAKE OR THAT WE AT LEAST CAN HAVE PART IN THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD.   <br><br> 

      NOW TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEN LET'S GO SPECIFICALLY TO THIS TEXT AND BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT SAYS. FIRST OF ALL, THE IDEA CERTAINLY OF DIVINE IS USED TWICE IN THE OVERALL CONTEXT. AND REALLY WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT IS DIVINITY ITSELF OR GOD, THE CONCEPT OF HIS NATURE AND GOD HIMSELF BEING THE ONE THAT IS REALLY THE STANDARD BECAUSE HE IS GOD. AND SO SOMETHING THAT IS DIVINE IS GODLIKE OR GODLY. BUT THE NEXT WORD THERE IS THE DIVINE NATURE. AND THE IDEA OF NATURE HERE ACTUALLY CAN REFER TO THE CONCEPT OF ORIGIN OR BIRTH. BUT IF YOU WERE TO LOOK UP IN STRONG'S IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT IT IS THAT IS RECORDED THERE CONCERNING THE ORIGINAL WORD, IT SAYS THAT IT REALLY IS THE NATURAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ONE. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF THAT WHICH IS GOD OR GODLIKE AND THE NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD, WE ARE PARTAKERS OF GOD'S NATURE ITSELF. THE NATURE OF GOD. AND SO IN A MINUTE WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SAY OKAY, SO WHAT IS THE NATURE OF GOD?   <br><br> 

      BUT FIRST I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME HOW WE BECOME PARTAKERS OF SUCH. LOOK AT THE END OF VERSE FOUR. IT SAYS THERE WE HAVE ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD THROUGH LUST. NOTICE THAT WE ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION OR THE SIN OF THIS WORLD, THE LUST OF THIS WORLD. HOW DO WE DO THAT? OBEDIENCE TO GOD. ACTUALLY IT IS IN THE OBEDIENCE TO THE GOSPEL. THE PLAN OF SALVATION WHICH IS WHEN ONE CONFESSES THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, DETERMINES TO REPENT OF ALL SIN AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN, AND IS BURIED WITHIN THE WATERY GRAVE OF BAPTISM THEREFORE CONFORMING TO THE DEATH OF JESUS AS WELL AS HIS RESURRECTION, THERE IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6. SO THE ONE WHO HAS ACTED UPON THEIR BELIEF IN JESUS AND DEMONSTRATED THEIR FAITH UNTO GOSPEL OBEDIENCE IS THE ONE WHO HAS WHAT? ESCAPED, THEREFORE WHAT IS BEHIND THE WORLD, THE SIN, THE LUST THEREOF, AND IS A PARTAKER. IT KIND OF REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THE OTHER VERSES THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE THAT TALK ABOUT BECAUSE WE ARE CHRISTIANS WHAT WE SHARE IN. WHAT WE DEMONSTRATE AS. HOW WE ARE SEEN BY NOT ONLY GOD AS THIS WORLD AND WHAT WE ARE TO SHOW OURSELVES FORWARD IN LIGHT OF THE THINGS OF GOD. AND SO ALL THESE IDEAS CERTAINLY WILL HELP US TO BEGIN TO SEE THE CONCEPT THAT WE OURSELVES ARE THOSE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE BECAUSE WHEN WE BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD WE BECOME ROYALTY! WE BECOME A PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD. WE ARE ADOPTED INTO HIS PRESENCE AND THEREFORE WE ARE STRIVING TO BE IMITATORS OF GOD AS HIS DEAR CHILDREN, EPHESIANS CHAPTER 5, THAT WE MIGHT SHOW FORTH OUR GODLINESS, OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, OUR HOLINESS AS WE SAW LAST WEEK. AS GOD IS HOLY, AS GOD IS RIGHTEOUS, AS GOD IS PERFECT, THAT WE ARE STRIVING FOR THOSE THINGS AGAIN AND TO PARTAKE IN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GODLIKE, THE NATURE OF GOD, THE CHARACTER OF GOD ITSELF THAT WE MIGHT ENJOY IN SUCH THINGS, THE SAME THINGS.   <br><br> 

      SO TO THINK ABOUT THEN, WHAT IS THE CHARACTER OF GOD? WE COULD EVEN LOOK IN THIS CONTEXT AND WE CAN SEE SOME OF IT DEMONSTRATED WHAT WE SOMETIMES CALL THE CHRISTIAN GRACES, THE IDEA THERE OF BEING THOSE WHO CERTAINLY HAVE A CHARACTER THAT IS RIGHTEOUS. BUT WE CAN SEE IT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS, WE CAN SEE IT THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE SEE THAT GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE. GOD IS A GOD WHO IS RIGHTEOUS, AS WE'VE SAID. GOD IS A GOD WHO IS HOLY. GOD IS A GOD WHO IS ABLE TO SHOW FORTH HIS COMPASSION FOR OTHERS. GOD IS A GOD WHO FORGIVES, IS A GOD WHO LOVES, THE BIG ONES. HE IS A GOD OF GRACE. HE IS A GOD OF MERCY WE MIGHT ALSO SAY. YOU SEE THERE, WE KNOW WHAT GOD IS, WHO GOD IS. WE KNOW THE NATURE OF GOD AND WE KNOW THAT THE DIVINE NATURE MEANS THAT GOD NOT ONLY HAS THESE CHARACTERISTICS BUT THAT HE IS PERFECT IN THESE CHARACTERISTICS OR COMPLETE. HE'S GOD, HE DOESN'T MAKE MISTAKES! HE IS PERFECT IN THEM! NOW, WE CAN'T BE PERFECT NECESSARILY IN THEM BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN AND WE ARE FLAWED BECAUSE OF OURSELVES AND WE AT TIMES DO LET GOD DOWN AND WE PARTICIPATE OR DO THINGS THAT ARE CONTRARY TO HIS WILL. SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE PERFECT OR COMPLETE IN THAT SENSE BUT WE CAN BE PERFECT OR COMPLETE IN THE SENSE THAT THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS WE ARE DOING OUR VERY, VERY BEST TO REPRESENT THOSE CHARACTERISTICS THAT GOD HAS ASKED. WE'RE DOING OUR VERY BEST TO SHOW GRACE TO OTHERS AS GOD HAS SHOWN GRACE; TO SHOW MERCY TO OTHERS AS GOD HAS SHOWN MERCY. TO SHOW LOVE TO OTHERS AS GOD SHOWS LOVE. AND THEREFORE IN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE LEFT THE WORLD AND BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD ARE WE NOT PARTAKERS OF THAT DIVINE NATURE. DO WE NOT SHARE BY SHARING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD AND TRYING TO IMITATE GOD IN THAT VERY NATURE OF GOD? AND THERE IN THE CASE OF ARE THERE NOT THINGS ATTACHED TO THAT BECAUSE OF MY FAITHFULNESS? BECAUSE OF MY COMMITMENT? BECAUSE OF MY LOVE FOR HIM AND MY OBEDIENCE TO PROVE MY LOVE TO HIM? AS JESUS SAID AM I NOT ALSO THAT AS A PARTAKER ABLE TO FIND GREATER MOTIVATION BECAUSE OF WHAT GOD PROMISES TO THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL PARTAKERS.  <br><br>  

      AND REALLY THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD GO NEXT WITHIN OUR SAME DISCUSSION BECAUSE IF YOU'LL DROP THERE INTO THE SAME TEXT AND CONTEXT AS HE SAID THAT GOD HAS DONE ALL THESE THINGS FOR US AND HAS GIVEN US THIS PATTERN AND HAS HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MORAL EXCELLENCE IS AND TO KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE THE FAITH, VIRTUE, VIRTUE KNOWLEDGE, THE KNOWLEDGE, SELF-CONTROL TO SELF-CONTROL, PERSEVERANCE, ALL THE CONCEPTS OF THE CHRISTIAN GRACES AND IF WE LEFT THE WORLD WE BECOME A PARTAKER OF THE DIVINE NATURE, WHAT IS IN IT FOR US? WHAT'S THE MOTIVATION? WHAT IS IT THAT REALLY OVERALL HELPS US TO SEE THAT I WANT TO PARTAKE OF GOD TODAY IN THE NATURE AND THE CHARACTER OF GOD TODAY AS WELL AS IN THE FUTURE? WELL, IF YOU'LL LOOK WITH ME THERE WHAT DOES HE SAY AT THE FIRST PART OF VERSE FOUR? AGAIN AFTER SAYING WE'VE BEEN CALLED BY GLORY AND THAT MORAL EXCELLENCE HE SAYS, “BY WHICH HAVE BEEN GIVEN US EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES.” DO YOU SEE WHAT A PARTAKER REALLY BENEFITS IN? WE WILL KNOW, AS CHRISTIANS, THAT WE ARE PROMISED BY GOD THAT WE WILL BE BLESSED IN THIS LIFE. GOD WILL GIVE US, NOT ONLY WHAT WE NEED, BUT CERTAINLY AS YOU LOOK AROUND AND YOU CONSIDER WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE GOD HAS GIVEN US A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WANT. HE HAS SPOILED US IN MANY WAYS AS OUR FATHER AND SO CERTAINLY WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THAT WE OUGHT TO KNOW THAT GOD IS REAL AND THAT GOD CARES ABOUT US AND GOD WANTS US TO HAVE HAPPINESS AND JOY AND GOD HAS GIVEN ME THINGS THAT I PROBABLY DON'T NEED BUT YET HE'S GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO WORK OR TO DO THE THINGS TO HAVE THE THINGS SOMETIMES THAT I WANT. I NEED TO KNOW THAT MY FATHER, MY GOD, HE LOVES ME AND HE'S GIVEN TO ME GREAT THINGS.   <br><br> 

      BUT WE THINK ABOUT THE IDEA OF REALLY THE SPIRITUAL CONCEPT OF THE PROMISES OF GOD. ISN'T THAT BEAUTIFUL? AND I LOVE THE WAY THAT HE REALLY PRESENTS IT HERE BECAUSE HE DOESN'T JUST SAY, ‘OH, THAT WE HAVE THE PROMISES OF GOD AS PARTAKERS OF HIS DIVINE NATURE BECAUSE WE HAVE LEFT THE WORLD. HE DOESN'T SAY THAT. HE SAYS WE HAVE EXCEEDINGLY GREAT, AND NOT JUST GREAT PROMISE, EXCEEDINGLY GREAT, FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE CAN COMPREHEND OR EVEN IMAGINE. WE HAVE EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND EVEN PRECIOUS, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE DEAR TO US AND THAT WE HOLD NEAR TO US. FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE WORD OF GOD! ISN'T THIS A GREAT PROMISE? A GREAT FULFILLMENT OF PROMISE? A GREAT BLESSING FROM GOD THAT GIVES US, NOT ONLY THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW AND UNDERSTAND NOW AND LIVE NOW, AS WELL AS THINGS PERTAINING TO HEAVEN AND HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN. THAT'S WHAT THE WORD OF GOD DOES! THAT'S WHAT THE CONTEXT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS DATE TALKS ABOUT. THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US BY KNOWLEDGE THROUGH HIS DIVINE NATURE ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS. THAT I MIGHT BEGIN TO LIVE AS A PARTAKER OF THAT DIVINE NATURE HAVING LEFT THE WORLD AS ONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE BENEFITS OF GOD. THE MOTIVATION AS TO WHY I SHOULD KEEP ON KEEPING ON AND WHY I SHOULD BE WILLING TO LEAD THE WORLD AND FOCUS ON GOD DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOMETIMES MY FLESH IS DRAWN TO THE WORLD. YOU SEE AGAIN, EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES. EXCEEDINGLY GREAT IN THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE GREAT PROMISES OF HIS WORD AND THROUGH HIS WORD BUT THEN THE REALIZATION OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE, WHAT HE CONTINUES TO DO, AND WHAT HE WILL ETERNALLY DO FOR US. WHAT IT IS THAT THE FATHER AGAIN IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SAME HAS DONE.  <br><br>  

      BUT THEN ULTIMATELY WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, I THINK WE SEE THE GREATEST OF ALL THINGS MENTIONED. AND IF YOU WILL DROP ALL THE WAY DOWN TO VERSE 11 GUESS WHAT HE MENTIONS? HE SAYS, “AND SO AN ENTRANCE WILL BE SUPPLIED TO YOU ABUNDANTLY IN THE EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.” WHAT IS IT THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOR US? A MANSION. AS THE OLD BEAUTIFUL SONG SAYS, A MANSION OVER THE HILLTOP. THOSE MANSIONS AWAITING THE FAITHFUL. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT GOD'S PROMISES ARE NOT JUST GOOD BUT THEY'RE GREAT, THEY ARE EXCEEDINGLY GREAT, AND THEY ARE THINGS THAT ARE PRECIOUS AND DEAR TO THE ONE WHO FOLLOWS HIM. BECAUSE WE KNOW HE IS GOD AND THAT HE HAS THE ABILITY AS THE DIVINE ONE AND THE POWER TO FULFILL WHAT HE HAS SAID. AND THEREFORE, WHAT ARE WE ABLE TO KNOW? THAT OUR GOD IS GOING TO GIVE US NOT ONLY IN THIS LIFE ALL WE NEED, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL, BUT GOD IS GOING TO GIVE US EVERYTHING AND MORE IN THE LIFE TO COME! OH, HOW BEAUTIFUL HEAVEN MUST BE THINKING ABOUT THERE THE GREAT PROMISES, THE FULFILLMENT OF THOSE PROMISES FROM GOD, THAT AS WE ARE PARTAKERS OF THAT DIVINE NATURE, WE MIGHT ALWAYS SHOW FORTH HIS GLORY.   <br><br> 

      NOW WITH THAT IN MIND WE MIGHT THINK ABOUT EVEN WHAT WAS SAID BACK IN GENESIS CHAPTER 1. THAT WHEN GOD WAS DISCUSSING HIS CREATION AND MAKING MAN, WHAT DID HE SAY? LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR OWN IMAGE. HE ALSO SAID TO MAKE MAN IN HIS OWN LIKENESS. AND WE KNOW THAT GOD IS A SPIRIT SO WE'RE NOT FLESH AND BLOOD, SO WHAT IS THAT LIKENESS? WHAT IS THAT IMAGE? IT'S THAT CHARACTER OF GOD. IT'S THAT GOD THAT WE KNOW THAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US IN AND THROUGH THE WORD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CLEARLY SEE AND KNOW AND BELIEVE AND FOLLOW. BUT IT'S THAT GOD WHO WE BECOME PARTAKERS OF AND THE DIVINE NATURE OF HIM SO THAT WE MIGHT ALSO SHOW FORTH THAT CHARACTER THAT HE SHOWS FORTH. THAT CHARACTER THAT JESUS SHOWED FORTH AS HE LIVED ON THE EARTH AND LEFT US THE EXAMPLE.   <br><br> 

      SO THE QUESTION FOR ALL OF US TODAY IS: ARE WE REALLY PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE? IF YOU'RE A CHILD OF GOD YOU ARE. BUT AS A CHILD OF GOD, ARE YOU CONTINUING TO SHOW FORTH THE CHARACTER OF JESUS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE IN THE END?  <br><br> 

  <br><br> 	

CLOSING COMMENTS  <br><br> 

	LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD’S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.   <br><br>   

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      CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? WE ARE ACTUALLY PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF GOD HIMSELF AS WE STRIVE TO KNOW HIM AND DO ALL OF HIS WILL. PRAISE BE TO GOD THAT WE ARE HIS ROYAL CHILDREN AND THUS ABLE TO BE LIGHTS TO THIS WORLD!  <br><br>