JESUS: "You’re BLESSED when your commitment to GOD provokes PERSECUTION. The PERSECUTION drives you even deeper into GOD’s Kingdom. Not only that—count yourselves BLESSED every time people put you down or throw you out or speak LIES about you to discredit Me. What it means is that The TRUTH is too close for comfort and they are UNcomfortable. You can be GLAD when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I DO! And ALL heaven applauds. And KNOW that you are in GOOD company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble." (Matthew 5:10-12)
“Why do you call Me GOOD? ” JESUS asked him. "No one is good but One— GOD." (Luke 18:19) EVERY GOOD Gift and EVERY PERFECT Gift is from Above, and comes down from the FATHER of Lights, with whom there is NO variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17) And we know that ALL things work together for GOOD to those who LOVE GOD, to those who are The CALLED according to His Purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Here’s how we can be sure that we know GOD in the right way: KEEP His commandments. If someone claims, “I KNOW Him well!” but does NOT keep His commandments, he’s obviously a LIAR. His life doesn’t match his words. But the one who KEEPs GOD’s word is the person in whom we see GOD’s mature LOVE. This is the ONLY way to be sure we’re IN GOD. Anyone who claims to be intimate with GOD ought to LIVE the SAME kind of life JESUS lived. (1 John 2:2-3)
We also have the message of the prophets, which has been confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to this Message, as to a LAMP shining in a DARK place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your HEARTS. (2 Peter 1:19) For the Commandment is a LAMP and the Teaching is LIGHT; and REPROOFS for DISCIPLINE are the Way of LIFE. (Proverbs 6:23)
DRAW NEAR to GOD, and He will draw near to you. CLEANSE your hands, you sinners, and PURIFY your HEARTs, you double-minded. (James 4:8)
You are my Shelter and my Shield; I put my Hope in Your WORD. SUSTAIN me as You promised, and I will LIVE; do not let me be ashamed of my Hope. SUSTAIN me so that I can be SAFE and always be concerned about Your statutes. You REJECT all who stray from Your statutes, for their DECEIT is a LIE. I tremble in AWE of You; I FEAR Your judgments. (Psalm 119:114,116-118,120)
They are MORE desirable than gold, yes, than MUCH fine gold; SWEETER also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:10) And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, which I LOVE; and I will MEDITATE on Your statutes. The Law of Your mouth is BETTER to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. I shall DELIGHT in Your commandments, which I LOVE. (Psalm 119:47-48,72) HAPPY is the man that finds Wisdom, and the man that gets Understanding. (Proverbs 3:13)
OPEN my eyes, that I may behold WONDERFUL things from Your law. Take away reproach and contempt from me, for I observe Your testimonies. My SOUL KEEPS Your testimonies, and I LOVE them EXCEEDINGLY. (Psalm 119:18,22,167) SUCH knowledge is TOO WONDERFUL for me; It is TOO high, I cannot attain to it. (Psalm 139:6)
O, the DEPTH of the RICHES of the WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE of GOD! How UNsearchable His Judgments, and UNtraceable His Ways! (Romans 11:33)
The Fear of the LORD is CLEAN, enduring forEVER; the Judgments of the LORD are TRUE; they are RIGHTEOUS altogether. (Psalm 19:9) SPLENDID and MAJESTIC is His work, and His RIGHTEOUSNESS endures forEVER. (Psalm 111:3) You are near, O LORD, and ALL Your commandments are TRUTH. The sum of Your word is TRUTH, and EVERY one of Your RIGHTEOUS ordinances is EVERlasting. (Psalm 119:151,160)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will NEVER pass away. (Luke 21:33) ForEVER, O LORD, Your WORD is settled in Heaven. (Psalm 119:89) I know that ALL GOD does will LAST forEVER; there is NO adding to it or taking from it. GOD works so that people will be in AWE of Him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14)
The Law of the LORD is PERFECT, restoring the soul; the Testimony of the LORD is SURE, making WISE the simple. (Psalm 19:7)
From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY. Therefore I esteem right ALL Your precepts concerning EVERYthing, I HATE EVERY FALSE WAY. (Psalm 119:104,128) A RIGHTeous man HATES FALSEhood, but a wicked man acts disgustingly and shamefully. (Proverbs 13:5)
Your testimonies are righteous forever; Give me understanding that I may live. O LORD, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. (Psalm 119:144,169)
My son, IF you accept my words and store up my commands withIN you, listening closely to Wisdom and directing your HEART to Understanding; furthermore, IF you call out to Insight and lift your voice to Understanding, if you SEEK it like silver and SEARCH for it like hidden Treasure, then you will understand the Fear of the LORD and discover the Knowledge of GOD. For the LORD gives Wisdom; from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding. He stores up SUCCESS for the UPright; He is a Shield for those who live with INTEGRITY so that He may GUARD the paths of JUSTICE and PROTECT the way of His LOYAL followers.
Then you will understand Righteousness, Justice, and Integrity — EVERY GOOD PATH. For Wisdom will enter your MIND, and Knowledge will DELIGHT your HEART. DISCRETION will watch over you, and Understanding will guard you, rescuing you from the way of EVIL —from the one who says PERVERSE things, from those who ABANDON the right paths to WALK in ways of DARKNESS, from those who ENJOY DOING EVIL and CELEBRATE PERVERSION, whose paths are CROOKED, and whose ways are DEVIOUS.
So FOLLOW the way of GOOD people, and KEEP to the paths of the RIGHTEOUS. For the UPright will inhabit the land, and those of INTEGRITY will remain in it; BUT the WICKED will be cut off from the land, and the TREACHEROUS uprooted from it. (Psalm 1:1-15,20-22)