As He usually does for me, the Holy Spirit often informs me of the topic for our weekly meetings with a single word or short phrase dropped into my heart and mind.

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Listen :

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Of the more recent things I heard have been “First Focus”, and “Untouchable Subjects”, and just 4 weeks ago the single word “Hardships”.

These gave me the needed focus to then follow the Lord’s lead in preparing and sharing with you the things on His mind for us as followers of Jesus.

Just over a week ago I could not escape the term as a question: “Up-to-Date?”, and so what I address today is what the Lord asks you through me, “Are you up-to-date in the important matters of your life?” It is important to be and is an important question for you to ponder, and often—at least weekly.

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† 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

What Does It Mean to be "Up-to-Date" ???

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One example: Living in a high-tech society, almost all of us have devices that need to be kept up-to-date in order for them to function at their highest and best efficiency. We have desktop and laptop computers, cell phones, smart TVs, and even some cars have software that must be kept up-to-date. Regular software downloads are needed that can be needed fixes to problems that are discovered, enhancements and improvements, and protections against malicious intrusions, [downloads] in order that the hardware can continue to serve us with the least amount of trouble or frustration.

If we don’t keep up with these things we will have trouble, and sometimes we have to seek the help we need and sometimes were warned about, like dealing with a car’s “recall notice”.

There are other areas of our lives that need to be kept up-to-date as well: Job skills, the needed routine upkeep of our homes and vehicles, our physical health, and our human relationships—or these things will break-down and we will suffer.

As to our relationships, perhaps you should consider each one that is important to you as a garden with flowers and vegetables growing in it—a garden that you wanted. If you do not take the needed time daily to see to that garden with water, the occasional need to fertilize and cultivate it, some pruning of unneeded growth, and to remove any pesky weeds and bugs, that lush garden will fail. The plants will wither, the flower’s petals will fall off and fruit blossoms will shrivel, weeds will take over, and the bugs will eat-on anything with the sap of life still in it.

Neglect happens because of temporary distractions, unexpected changes in one’s former routines and interests, perhaps a sickness or disability or discouragement, or some new interest that causes a growing neglect of that once desired living garden.

Marriages are gardens, as is being part of a family, and close friendships that are important to us. Because of the fallen nature, it is an always-waiting-possibility on our part to easily “move on” to other things or other people when we become distracted by something new or more interesting or exciting that we can involve ourselves with. And when we do, that which we once desired, or before loved a lot, stops mattering and gets left behind. We must guard against such things and take care of our gardens—God expects us to be faithful.

“Marriage” is a daily affair that requires loving care between a husband and wife. If you are, are you watering that garden often and keeping the weeds of distraction, discontent and discouragement out of it?

Are you self-pruning the growth in your life that interferes with your commitment to him or her that can allow feelings to wane and grow cold?   Are you serving him or her and even making that one you loved so much when you married feel secure and special or is that one feeling rejected and aware of a growing, frightening distance?

Marriage partners, parents with their children, and children toward their parents need to stay up-to-date in love and intentional caring. Selah.

The more important question for me to ask and for you to answer this week is this one: Are you up-to-date spiritually? For all I have said so far about a garden and how relationships are like a garden, there is nothing as critical to keep tended-to as is your spiritual life before God.

In fact, if you are green and growing in your relationship with God it will affect all other physical relationships that you have that are also important to you; they, too, will be growing little by little.

As you’ve heard me ask, “Are you green and growing spiritually or are you ripe and rotting in the ways of the world?” I would bet a box of donuts that if you are not in a consistent and healthy relationship with God that your other important human connections are not as good as they should be and in danger of growing weak and some ending badly.

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Staying Up-to-Date Spiritually - What Does That Mean ???

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It means that your lifestyle, behavior, thoughts, words and actions, and the things you no longer do are in line with your call to be holy. There are things that must be kept current and fresh and “up-to-date” in your day-to-day life or your important spiritual “garden” becomes neglected, barely holding on, and in danger of dying; these things:

• You take your spiritual life seriously and do for it what it needs to thrive   • You are no stranger to the personal disciplines that a follower of Jesus needs   • You acknowledge God daily by praise, prayer, and even small talk with Him   • You have a Bible and you read it often, hopefully daily

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† John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

• Sin is abhorrent to you, and you both want and allow God’s help to avoid it

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† Psalm 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

• As to getting help from the Lord, you need the baptism in the Holy Ghost and have received it and stay filled with the Spirit, or you will seek it now

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† Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

† Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

• You examine yourself regularly for the need to repent and do when needed

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† 1 Corinthians 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

† 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.

• You look closely for any unforgiveness toward others and forgive quickly

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† Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

• You do unto others when you can, even if it is inconvenient

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† Luke 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

† Matthew 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

• Possessions are okay if they do not possess you or steal your time with God   • Others know that you are a follower of Jesus by your lifestyle and behavior—called “lifestyle evangelism”

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† 1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

† 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

I Will Finish Today Using Another Metaphor

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I will finish today using another metaphor that might help Christians understand how very important it is to stay up-to-date with the important things of our lives, and chiefly our spiritual life.

We can get a different glimpse about why we must from the perspective of how our born again lives can be likened to a computer and all the software components that are necessary to keep up-to-date, and in tip-top condition in order for the computer to be kept safe and its systems fitted with the latest improvements, protections, and even fixes to older software flaws or vulnerabilities, or in the case of our spiritual life—our wrong beliefs and others’ wrong teachings and doctrines.

For the computer there are two major components - the hardware (the physical parts of the machine) and the software (those many programming instructions that tell the computer what to do and how to do them).

Now if you use a computer (or even an expensive cellular phone) you are probably familiar with terms like these that follow. I list the term and then what it is like for us: Boot-up/start your day, or reboot/be forgiven and restored, operating system/biblical worldview or the world’s, password protection/not letting sin get in, download/receiving guidance, correction and encouragement from God’s Spirit and His Word, update/getting the latest sent help, refresh/praise and worship, memory/what is active in your mind and heart, virus or Trojan horse/wrong thinking & carnal teaching, anti-virus/the Word of God, repentance and forgiveness, email/the Holy Spirit’s voice, SSD/solid state drive or disk drive/your mind and heart, disk error or memory full/serious issues of the mind and heart, USB/connecting with others in good fellowship, defragment/putting things in order, system crash/sin, compromise, backslidden, router & Wi-Fi/receiving the Holy Spirit’s guidance via our human spirit, delete/confess & renounce and be cleansed, corrupt/reprobate, the Escape key/backing out of a problem by turning to Jesus.

The concern of the Lord for His children in these days is for you and me to stay up-to-date first with all needed things spiritual, and to be up-to-date in love, our prayer life, and by the quick forgiveness with all others.

We end this exhortation with how the Lord Jesus taught us to pray—it was in a real sense His wise counsel on how to stay “current” each day between ourselves and our God. Like watering a thirsty garden in the morning, perhaps it is a good way to begin our every day from now forward.

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† Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven [acknowledge and honor God], Hallowed be thy name [worship]. 10 Thy kingdom come [updating hope]. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven [doing our part, too]. 11 Give us this day our daily bread [trust]. 12 And forgive us our debts [repentance], as we forgive our debtors [forgiveness]. 13 And lead us not into temptation [denying the flesh], but deliver us from evil [reliance on the cross]: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory [acknowledging “You-are-God, my God!”], for ever. Amen [I am up-to-date].

† 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night [without notice we can slip from this life into His presence—don’t you want to be up-to-date in holiness?]… the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up [including all the things that were so worldly-important to us]. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness [each day up-to-date]…?

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~ Brother Scott ... With ... The Right Word^© ... For Today~

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