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1. To exert much effort or energy; endeavor.

2. To struggle or fight forcefully; contend

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How to exert effort & energy

Example - the Priest of the tribe Levi Deut 18:1-2 The priests the Levites, and all

the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance. 2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.

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Deut 18:3-5 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw (gullet). 4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5 For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.

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Deut 18:6-7 And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose; 7 Then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the Lord.

Today He that appears to have a hearty affection to the Church, and loves dearly to be employed in the service of it, in God's name let him minister; he shall be as welcome to God as the Levites whose course it was to minister back in this day, and will be so to them as he was to the Priest of this dispensation.

God saw to his “Levitical Priesthood” back during this time and still sees after his servants today.

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How to exert effort & energy

The people had a mind to work Neh 4:6 So built we the wall; and all the

wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

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Neh 2:17-18 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

Neh 6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

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Neh 8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

Neh 8:5-6 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, (teer-shaw-thaw- title of Persian Deputy);and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

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Strive – Struggle or fight forceably

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Paul encouraged the Romans Rom 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for

the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me

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Strive – Struggle or fight forcibly

Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Paul encouraged the Romans Rom 15:30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for

the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me

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How we must strive today: We strive lawfully 2 Tim 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet

is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. John 15:6-7 If a man abide not in me, he is cast

forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you

John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

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How we must strive today: We strive without being carried about Heb 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and

strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

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How we must strive today: We strive without bitterness Heb 12:12-15 Wherefore lift up the hands

which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

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How we must strive today: We strive through sickness Phil 2:25-30 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you

Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: 30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

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How we must strive today: We strive with patience / without murmuring Phil 2:12-16 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always

obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

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How we must strive today: We strive with repentance Heb 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator,

or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

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How we must strive today: We strive with brotherly love Heb 13:1-3 Let brotherly love continue. 2

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

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How we must strive today: We strive through difficult times James 1:2-7 My brethren, count it all joy when ye

fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

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How we must strive today: We strive, not to refuse him that speaketh Heb 12:25-27 See that ye refuse not him that

speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

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How we must strive today: We strive with grace Heb 12:28-29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom

which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

How do we receive grace from God for our service? Only one way, we have to be acceptable to God by the

things which we do. We have no other way to create grace, it has to come

from God and only then if he sees our reverence and godly fear in our obedience to him. If not, we will see the consuming fire which comes on the unacceptable.

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Will you be one, like those in the cities and villages with

whom Jesus spoke?

Luke 13:24-25 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the

house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door,

saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: