EVEN IN A WORLD ALREADY REJECTED BY GOD ! [2PT.3;1-18] 🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥🚥 *NEVERTHELESS,* HE MADE PROVISIONS FOR HIS OWN !(2TM.2:19) 💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌💌 *NEVERTHELESS* the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2Ti 2: 19) Oh yes,we are living in the last days, even if we don't know the actual date of our Lord and Saviour's return... God's Word termed the last days as terrible,and of course, we are seeing with our eyes and hearing with our ears. Even the deaf and dumb can perceive it. Yet,in all these imbroglios, the Bible specifically recognizes His Own and made provisions for them, according to His assignment for them. For instance,if a true believer in God's Own Eyes(not even man) is suffering or dies, God knows why HE allowed it. In the same vein,if a true believer is excelling in his mandate, it is yet the same God making the provisions. Being the Omniscient,He alone knows best what's excellent for us. Our own part is just to surrender our will TO HIS WILL FOR US. In the Bible a single word has changed, in a multitude of ways, entire dialogues, entire situations and even an entire world. That powerful and simple word is *NEVERTHELESS.* However, this simple yet delicate word can turn a positive story into a negative one and vice versa. For instance , in Numbers 13:23-33, *NEVERTHELESS* changed a positive to a negative. In this story of the 12 spies, you discover that every one of them experienced the wonder of Canaan. However, to 10 of the spies, there was a "Nevertheless" that changed the entire picture. They witnessed God’s promises, but couldn’t or wouldn’t trust His protection. God did not lead them to this point just to leave or forsake them. By their disobedience, the power of nevertheless changed the positive “we saw" into a negative “we can’t.” “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there” (Numbers 13:28). Their attitude was, agreed there’s plenty of promise in the land that we spied out, but *in spite of" all that, *NEVERTHELESS * became “an end, a ceasing, a finality” because it stopped what God wanted to do for Israel. But in Luke 5:1-11, *NEVERTHELESS * changed a negative to a positive. Christ Jesus was in Simon Peter’s boat and told him to put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch, but Peter really didn’t want to throw his nets out again. He’d just spent the morning cleaning them (vs. 2). A fisherman by trade, he told the Lord that “We’ve already tried” (vs. 5). However, Peter used the power of NEVERTHELESS to change a negative to a positive testimony. The power of *NEVERTHELESS* has the ability to change everything; to change us as individuals and as a church. It depends on our connotation of it. This is found in part B of our main test; And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2Tm.19 b) Christ Jesus has set for us the criteria: we are to depart from INIQUITY. It is good that we name the NAME of the LORD. However, operating in iniquity brings that NAME into disrepute before men. We all know that iniquity is every manner of sin... which must be put away from our lives, EVEN IN OUR CURRENT TIMES, that we may have no *BUTS* blocking God's provisions for us in a DEVIL RULED WORLD. We have an example in David here; 6. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the BLIND and the LAME, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. 7. NEVERTHELESS David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David. (2Sa 5: 6-7) The blind and the lame stands for sin,which causes weakness and failure in the life of a believer. The Jebusites know Israel's God abhors sin. David understood the God he serves; 3. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4. But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. (Psa 130: 3-4) When we surrender our weaknesses to God and throw away pride and self-righteousness, no *BUTS* can stand in our way, rather NEVERTHELESS will take over. Some examples; Namaan had a but, Nevertheless he was made clean when surrendered his weakness to God. Peter had a but, Nevertheless he became the leader of the early church,when he surrendered his weakness. The list is endless, from Joseph and mouth(prisoner to prime minister),to David, the least,and thought to be a weakling slaying Goliath and becoming a king...to Rahab,a professional harlot,appearing in the lineage of Christ Jesus... to the Samaritan woman with her *buts* of many husbands to becoming the first lady evangelist. Above all, Christ Jesus, with the many *buts* of being born in a stable,laid in a manger, poor,flogged, killed and buried. Nevertheless He resurrected on the third day, and given a Name that's higher above every other name on earth. Now, anytime you are praying, and the devil reminds you of the "but" in your life, you answer,*YES, NEVERTHELESS, CHRIST JESUS HAS WATCHED MY SINS AWAY BY HIS BLOOD. So,no matter how hard and frustrating, things are in our lives as faithful believers of God's Word in a sin broken world, NEVERTHELESS,GOD MADE A PROVISION FOR HIS OWN BY GIVING US THE NAME THAT'S ABOVE EVERY OTHER NAME; 9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2: 9-11) That's why we can boldly say; 29. When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30. He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands. (Job 22: 29-30) Amen🙇🙏🙌!