Baptism is commanded

Sin came into the world through the very first people created and rapidly got so bad that God destroyed all the peoples of the earth except for one man and his family. 

It didn't take long after the flood before people, once again, sinned against God.

God sent His laws to His people through Moses. And He made a covenant with Abraham that if they obeyed His Law the people would have life with God.

Salvation means to be saved from eternal death that sin brings.

The Law was hard to follow and obey. People turned away often. But once a year would take an unblemished animal to the priest to be a sacrifice/atonement for their sins. The animal was killed and it was the blood of the animal poured out onto the alter that brought atonement.

Prophets spoke of a promise from God, a better way, a Messiah/Savior that would bring an end to The Law and begin a new covenant.

Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of this promise.

Jesus was literally God's Word that came in the flesh. During His time on earth he prepared followers for the New Covenant, the Way that was coming to them. He chose 12 men to teach specifically and spent three years teaching them what to do after His death. 

Jesus came to die, He is the final sacrifice required by God for sin. Through Him everyone after His death/sacrifice could have full access to God's salvation.

Every Hebrew person up to the death of Jesus only had salvation by strictly adhering to The Law of God. No other people could be saved.

Peter, one of the 12 men chosen by Jesus, preached the very first sermon on the day of Pentecost, just 50 days after Passover. He preached to thousands of Hebrew people that were in the city for the event. 

When He was done telling them about Jesus and Him being their sacrifice, many of the people were sorrowful because of the death of Jesus. They asked, "What can we do?" They wanted atonement, they were repentant.

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. 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. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (Acts 2:38-40 KJV)

Salvation now (since the death of Jesus) comes only through Jesus. He was our blood sacrifice. 

Why did Peter say in the very first sermon to be baptized? 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. 

For the removal of your sins and to receive The Holy Spirit!

Over 3000 people believed Peters sermon that day and were baptized. And scripture says, Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41, 42 KJV) this is The Church, the group that became known as The Way and soon known as Christians.

No where in scripture is there recorded any conversions ( people being saved) without baptism being part of it. No where!

People argue that Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Moses and even the thief on the cross were never baptized and they were saved. All of these lived and died under the old covenant of the Law. Jesus had not died yet.

Baptism is not a work done by anyone to attain salvation. However it is a vital and necessary part of salvation. Just as stated in scripture,  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:4-6 KJV)

Salvation only comes when people believe that Jesus is God's Son that came as a sacrifice for their sin. You have to believe that because there is no other way to have eternity with God than through His Son.

A person, like the first hearers of Peter's sermon, must be sorrowful and repentant of their sin and realize that it was because of their sin Jesus sacrificed His life.

A person must gladly receive the truth and not be ashamed to confess to others what Jesus has done for all.  

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:41, 42 KJV)

Then be baptized. Those first 3000 believers didn't balk at being told to be baptized. They ran into the water to have their sins washed away, just as described in Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 6. They were so remorseful that they wanted/needed/ached to be changed and given freedom from the burden of their sin. 

The first century people that followed and believed got it. They knew how hard it was to live under and follow The Law. Many of them had seen or knew of Jesus. They were truly remorseful. They were heartsick in their sin. This is the part of salvation that most of us do not get or accept. 

I am so thankful, so grateful, so very very on my knees thrilled that God gives me a chance at eternity with Him. I know of the blackness of my heart without Him. I want my sins washed away. I want to die to my sin. I want to be free and cleansed. 

I will not seek an easy way. I will not seek a better way, there is no better sacrifice. I will not follow the deception of twisted scripture by those that would like to please the ears of the multitudes. 

I will pattern my life after Jesus. I will follow the church that He loved and gave His life for, the very church that began with Peter's sermon.

Blacksmith

Iron sharpens Iron

Have you ever seen the work of a blacksmith? 

When I drove school us, every year the elementary would go Pioneer Days. There artisans would replicate skills of days gone by. 

I always enjoyed it. But it was the blacksmith that really intrigued me. He would take a piece of iron lay in into the firepit until it glowed red from the heat. Then using heavy gloves and tongs, he would lift it from the fire, take it to the anvil, pound on it for awhile then lay it back into the fire. He repeated this process over and over until finally the object resembled what he intended. Then he would plunge it into cold water to "set" the iron. 

Now if he was crafting a knife blade or sword he would sharpen the blade using a grinding stone. He would peddle the contraption which would turn the grinding wheel then hold the iron blade against the stone, turning and angling until the blade was sharp enough to shave the hair from his arm. 

It was quite a process. The blacksmith is always very muscular.  He worked long and hard and was always very dirty. It was noisy, hot, and always there were sparks flying.

This verse reminds me of the blacksmith.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 NIV)

It is not always pleasant to have good Christian friends. Sometimes they will have to be the iron that sharpens you.

If I get off the pathway in my walk with The Lord, I am counting on those walking with me to get me back on track. 

There are distractions along the way, maybe butterflies, flowers, or maybe another path that looks wider, flatter and easier. Maybe I will get tripped up or have to cross streams. Maybe there will be heavy storms. But I must stay on the path that God has made. It is not straight or wide.

I will need help to stay there, and that help comes from my friends, my blacksmiths. I might need you to be heated with me. I might need hammered into shape. I might need you to leave me cool for awhile. I might need you to grind at me until there are sparks. 

It will be painful. I might not like it. I may hate it. But when it's done. I will be better for it. 

It won't be easy for you either. It will get hot. You will have to get down and dirty. 

But in the end, I will be what I am intended to be and you will have grown stronger too.

Are you up for it. 

Please keep me sharp. Don't shrink back from the task. My soul may depend on it.

God's recipe

One time when my daughter was very small she wanted to surprise us by baking a cake all by herself. So I gave her a recipe and told her to follow it exactly. 

"I can do it, Mommy. Go away." 

I stayed a little longer trying to explain about the oven and being sure to use oven mitts. "Mommy, I can do it."

So I left her to the task.

Hours later for dessert we washed down (with much milk) the flattest, hardest, driest cake ever baked. But we ate it with love knowing that it was baked with love. 

So the next day I asked my daughter to help me bake a cake. We set the oven temp. We lined up all the ingredients. And measured and mixed and baked. It was a beautiful cake.

She admitted that she dumped all ingredients into the bowl and mixed it all up at once then put the pan into the oven without preheating. 

She used all the right ingredients on the recipe, she baked the exact number of minutes, but did not follow the directions. 

Many people do the same with God's word. They want to do it their own way without following exactly. God expects righteousness and obedience. We can only be righteous and obedient by following His "recipe" precisely the way He intended it. 

The Bible is not a buffet, where we can pick and choose the verses that we like and leave the rest.

Mouse traps

Every November my husband and son-in-law go out of state deer hunting. A group of men lease an old farm house and they use it as a hunting cabin. So other than the one month of deer season, the house is unused. Well, unused by humans. 

During the warmer months, the flies invade. And then as cooler weather comes the mice come inside. 

So when the men show up and turn on the heat and stock the cupboards, these critters and pests show up.

Anyway, about a year or so ago my son-in-law took his son. And another one of the men took his son. The boys were about 12 years old. 

The men had hung sticky flypaper to try to capture the flies and also placed several sheets of glue paper mousetraps around the house. During the night a mouse got caught on the glue paper. (Now, in my opinion, I think this stuff is crazy horrible. It traps the critters but then what?)

Anyway the two boys rescued the little mouse from the sticky paper but then they decided to torture it. (I will spare you the details.) but in the end, it was dead!

I was reminded of this when I was sharing with a friend how I overcome bad thoughts and feelings of dread and fear. I shared the verse from 2 Corinthians that says,

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV)

Can you picture it? Thoughts and fears crowd into your mind and then doubt creeps in and your faith starts to waver. But then, you scoop up those thoughts and fears and smash them in your hands. You put a stop to the doubts creeping in by standing up to them. These fears, doubts, worries, what-ifs, are no match to the promises of God. You squash them. 

Take these things captive! You are large and in charge. Doubt and fear come from Satan, the stealer of our joy. He wants us to quiver and shake. Take that power away from him.

Blood on the doorpost

Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste-it is the LORD ' S Passover. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments-I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:1-13 NASB)

The absolute greatest celebration of the Jewish faith is Passover. This day commemorates the night that God spared them from the plague of death that was sent to the Egyptians. It also marks the beginning of their new freedom from slavery.

God was very specific in His details as to how to carry out His instructions for the Passover. Every detail was to be followed to the letter. Suppose someone used a blemished lamb? What if they followed all cooking and eating instructions but didn't put the blood on the door posts? Imagine they smeared the blood with reeds instead of hyssop? Wouldn't their faith alone keep them safe from death?

Why does God expect anyone to go through all these instructions?

What is the significance of the unblemished lamb and the blood? 

God expects us to pay attention to His instructions and details. Yet like Pharaoh, too often, our hearts are hardened.

Building the Kingdom

Building the Kingdom and your part in it

We talked on Earlier about church visitors and how to make them welcome and what to do or not do to keep them coming and eventually become part of the church

Yesterday we talked about 2 builders and how we can be like the wise builder that builds on a Good foundation and remains strong and sturdy.

Today we are going to continue with the building theme and talk about a great example of a builder and how we can learn from his example to be part of building up God's kingdom.

I'm talking about Nehemiah.

The book of Nehemiah is about Nehemiah, and it is broken into 3 parts

A. Nehemiah and his years as The cupbearer- in captivity in the service of the King

B. Nehemiah The builder of the Jerusalem wall

C. Nehemiah The governor- 20 years, governor of Judah

Today we will focus on The Builder --- Nehemiah

Because of disobedience and constant turning away from God, the Israelites became captives of Babylon.

Jerusalem was destroyed and burned. The people were taken into captivity.

After many years Nehemiah was visited by some relatives from Jerusalem.  He heard about Jerusalem and it grieved him.

He became depressed and he prayed to God over his despair of his beloved city. He prayed for more than 4 months, from Chisliv or Kislev,  in the 20th year to Nisan, the 20th year. From winter until spring. 

Before doing anything else,  Nehemiah spent time in solitude and preparation.

How often do we want "it" right now?

Waiting time is never wasted time. 

Chapter 1:1-4 tells of Nehemiah spending 5 months of prayer, 

“All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God.” - Oswald Chambers

Chapter 2 tells about Nehemiah traveling More than 800 miles to Jerusalem to assess the damage and begin repairs.

Nehemiah Got the King's permission and provision.

V.12-time alone with God

V.13-15- examine the damage

Do you pray and examine? Is this how you enter into work for God?

After solitude and preparation came strong motivation

Nehemiah was a very effective motivator. He got people excited to respond because of his infectious enthusiasm.

V17 we-us-together

Ephesians 4:16 reminds us that every joint in this body of Christ is equipped for the work it must do, and doing it properly makes the body grow.

There are 2 types of motivation: external and internal

External comes from outside of you--encouragers, people who inspire you

Internal comes from within you---picking yourself up and going on inner strength and courage.

Winston Churchill during WW2 said,  " I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat and tears" this is external motivation.

At another time while giving a graduation speech all he said was two words, " Never surrender" this is internal motivation.

Matthew 4:19  Jesus said, He would Make them fishers of men.

God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the willing

Are you willing to be used?

V18- let's go

It's not what you don't have, but what you do have to offer, remember how many were fed with a few Fish, and a little bread? And remember the widows mites? She gave ALL, and it wasn't much.

Can I tell you a little secret about one of these builders that may shed some light for us? Did you notice Shallum, in verse 15? He’s just one of the dozens listed, but he repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah. No biggie, right? Well, it is actually a huge deal. It’s one man, sacrificing his time and effort to rebuild his community because of the larger vision at stake. But there’s more to the story there

In John 9, they’re calling this pool “Siloam,” but don’t be confused - it’s the very same one. This time, we’re there hundreds of years later with Jesus - as He heals a blind man, declaring His divinity in miracle form. Then in Acts 3, in the very same place, Peter heals a man who has never walked. THIS is an important place, right?

Could it be that the section of the wall God has given you is important for your sanctification and His Glory today, but that He might also have an eternal plan for the work you’re doing? What if your simple job is the setting for miraculous, Kingdom-size work for generations to come? I’m willing to bet, in one way or another, it absolutely is.

What can you offer? What can you bring? Prayer, money, hands, brains?

After preparation and motivation, there arose opposition

The opposition started out as verbal negativity but then progressed to violent opposition. They worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. Yet they kept working.  They worked all day and guarded all night.

V19- opposition

Nehemiah said, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.” Do we get distracted by opposition? 

Face all opposition this way:

Do your best

Pray

Examine

Do more

V20- God will give success

Leadership is at its best when you bring what YOU HAVE and let God bring the success.

In the end, Nehemiah and the people rebuilt the walls in 52 days!!!! 

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)

We must be compassionate and not be held back by circumstances or distance between us and what is needed.

If we prayerfully undertake a project for God,

If we encourage and inspire each other toward the goal,

If we give each their own work,

If we guard each other's work

We can accomplish great things

Or--- we can be the opposition, which are you?

Two Builders

There Was Two builders

Describe your house in 3 words. What did you choose? Color? Rooms? Garage? Foundation? Huh? Who describes their foundation? 

Yet the foundation should be the number one factor. Building inspectors check it first.

I like watching HGTV. I like  House Hunters, Flip or Flop, Love it or List it, Property Brothers and Fixer Upper. I am fascinated by house remodeling and renovations. They take old houses and totally remake them. 

I have learned that the most important thing is a sturdy foundation.

Scripture text:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27 NASB)

Here Are The Building Similarities of The Two Men

1. They Both HEARD the Word

How many sermons have you heard? 

1 x week = 52

2 x week = 104

10 years = 1040

20 years = 2081

Add in 3, 5, or more for revivals

Add for recorded sermons

Add in Sunday school and other lessons

And then finally daily devotions or studies

Why aren't we better than we are?

Hearing is important, but hearing alone is not enough.

 So that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven." (Mark 4:12 NASB)

2. They Both BUILT 

You can build on your faith (do, serve, come to church) but still not have a foundation. In the scripture text the word Fool in the Greek language is the same as the word moron.

We must choose the correct gate and path, no cannot take cosmetic shortcuts, such as Christian bumper stickers, Tshirts, home decor, jewelry, but yet have no substance in our faith. We need to be studious of God's word. We need good, strong teaching and not just fluff.

One man built with confidence in himself, the other built with confidence in the Lord.

3. They lived in the  Same Neighborhood

They encountered the same storm. (When the storm came) we all face the same temptations.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NASB)

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NASB)

Not if, but when! The storms will come. Will your faith hold you up?

4. They had the Same Model to Build From

Have you ever seen homes that are cookie cutter? They look identical,  but there are a few differences,they come in beige, tan or ecru.

Jesus is our model. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We have a great example to follow and we must follow His blueprints exactly. 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, (James 1:2 NASB)

The word here for Various =many kinds= many colors(Greek)

THERE WERE BUILDING DIFFERENCES

One builder listened to the Word of God and built his life on it.

The other listened to the Word of God but did not build on it.

One built on The a Rock

One built on the sand.

For this is contained in Scripture: "B ehold, I lay in Z ion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, A nd he who believes in H im will not be disappointed." (1 Peter 2:6 NASB)

Remember

All drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4 NASB)

The rock will endure forever. The sand is not secure.

The Rock has a name, and His name is Christ.

Once we determine to build our lives ON the Rock, we must devote ourselves to OBEY the Rock.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24 NASB)

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6 NASB)

To Believe in the Rock and live on the Rock.

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. (Luke 6:48 NASB)

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25 NASB)

When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28, 29 NASB)

Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. (Psalms 127:1 NASB)

Main verse: Proof of Salvation

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6 NASB)

To Believe in the Rock and to live on the Rock is Security.

Rhonda Ryan June 2015

Bring them in, Keep them in

Why do people stop coming to church?

Seen on Facebook

The purpose of gathering on Sunday is to encourage one another. If you go to church but fail to encourage others, you've missed the point. If you don't go to church to bless others, you're not doing it right.

Seen on Facebook

If you are so strong that you don't need the church and don't attend, you are selfish because someone there might need you.

Why do YOU go to church?

*Do not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 ESV)

*For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20 ESV)

*So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV)

*And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 ESV)

*And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (Hebrews 10:24 ESV)

*Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17 ESV)

*But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3:13 ESV)

*For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 ESV)

*For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10 ESV)

Many have gone their whole lives, others have started later on. Those are the ones that I want to talk about: the visitors, the newcomers.

Bill and I are always visitors and much of our "church experience" depends on how we are treated as visitors.

There was a survey posted on the Internet as to why visitors don't return. This is a list of things the visitors didn't like, in order of their dislike.

1. Meet and greet

2. Inadequate info- nicknames and initials

3. Assuming they know how-communion, nursery, order of service, etc.

4.  No one Greets them

5. Sitting in someone's pew or parking in their spot

6.  Service ends abruptly 

7. Childcare,not friendly and clean

8. Music, it was to emphasized or was a downer?

9.  Not very friendly

10. Bad website or answering machine

11. Insincerity from the people

12.  Where is the "rockstar?" (Preacher nowhere to be found after service)

13.  We're not engaged on second visit

14.  Worried of being singled out 

15. No visitor parking

What you can do to help visitors

1 Be a gracious host to the guests. They are guests of God, not strangers

2. Provide parking for visitors

3. Act as if  It's up to you to be welcoming

4. Smile genuinely and offer your hand

5. Take the initiative in conversation

6. Get their name and remember it

7. A handshake or pat on the arm or shoulder will do (no hugs)

8. Learn something about them.

9. Listen attentively to them 

10. Bend to greet kids

11. Invite visitors to do something/anything with the church

12. Never let anyone (visitor or not) to sit alone.

13. Be a tour guide

14. Provide visitor registration and follow up ASAP

15. Talk to them again after service, tell them you're glad they came

We want our visitors to return. We want them to feel accepted. And our goal toward visitors should be, to bring them in and encourage them to become part of the church.

Hebrews 13:2 ESV 

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

1 Peter 4:9 ESV 

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Romans 12:13 ESV

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Leviticus 19:34 ESV 

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lordyour God.

Titus 1:8 ESV 

But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.