MEM

1Pet 3:15 (NKJV unless indicated) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Peter says that if we have set aside the Lord God, in our heart, we should always be ready to give a clear defense of our hope, to those that ask. Are we able to do this with humility, in a convincing effective manner? In an expressive, even eloquent manner?

Paul did - at his defense

Acts 26:6 "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 "To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?"

Acts 26:9 "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12 While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 "at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

Acts 26:15 "So I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

Acts 26:19 " Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. 21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come -- 23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

Acts 26:24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!" 25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.

Acts 26:27 "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." 29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."

What is this ‘Promise" (v-7), the Hope (v-6)?

Genesis 3:15 (NAS) YHVH (The LORD) to the Serpent

Genesis 22:18 (NAS) YHVH to Abraham

Genesis 49:10 (NAS) Jacob to Judah

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NAS) Moses to Israel

2 Samuel 7:12 (NAS) YHVH to King David

Psalms 132:11 (NAS) A Ruling descendant of David

Isaiah 9:6 (NAS) Promised Government

Isaiah 40:10 (NAS) A Just Ruler

Jeremiah 23:5 (NAS) Coming Justice and Righteousness

Daniel 9:24 (NAS) To make and end of sin

Jeremiah 33:14 (NAS) All Israel Together

Ezekiel 34:23-24 (NAS) The Shepherd

Micah 7:20 (NAS) The Promised Hope

So what is the promise? The Seed? The Shepherd? The Prince of Peace? Righteous Branch?

1Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Acts 24:15 "I have hope in God… that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.

1Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

Rom 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Rom 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

1John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

• Yeshua (Jesus) King of kings and Lord of lords
• The way the truth and the life
• The Great ‘I Am’
• The Lamb of God - The Son of God
• The propitiation for sin, our Savior, Shield, High Priest, soon coming King

Rom 14:10 … For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

1Pet 3:15 …sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…

Not to worry if we have set our minds on our Lord

Luke 12:11 "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." Just as Paul was able to do in Acts 26 - Praise God.

Proverbs 10:28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 23:18 For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.

"It is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearance’s men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men."

― Thomas ΰ Kempis, The Imitation of Christ

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view  ... it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!




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DID YOU KNOW?
As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.




DID YOU KNOW?
As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall,
right above where the Supreme Court judges sit,
a display of the Ten Commandments!

DID YOU KNOW?


There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.


DID YOU KNOW?

James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement:

"We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."


DID YOU KNOW?


Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country said:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ".

DID YOU KNOW?
Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.


DID YOU KNOW?

Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies.


DID YOU KNOW?

Thomas Jefferson worried that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law an oligarchy.
The rule of few over many.


DID YOU KNOW?
The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said:

"Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."


How, then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 220 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?

Not all items verified by MEM

(Adopted from a blog post by Dale Cresap)

Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD.

Psalm 33:22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You.

Psalm 38:15 For in You, O LORD, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.

Psalm 119:114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.

Psalm 119:166 LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments.

Psalm 131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 39:7 "And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.

Blessed be YHVH (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High…)