53.u. Genesis 33:8-9

 

Then Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “These are to find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” (Genesis 33:8-9)

When Jacob was last in the presence of his brother Esau, he heard his twin vow to kill him at his earliest opportunity. That was more than enough to make Jacob run as far as he could to the east, until he met and married into his mother’s family.

Now, after 20 years, Jacob was returning to Canaan and knew he would meet Esau. Jacob was terrified, remembering Esau’s threats and knowing his brother was the kind of rough man who could fulfill every violent promise.

Jacob hoped to calm Esau’s temper with gifts. According to Genesis 32:13-20, Jacob’s gift included 220 goats, 60 camels, 40 cows, 10 bulls, and 30 donkeys. After receiving the gift, Esau finally met Jacob and first said to him, What do you mean by all this company which I met? Jacob’s generous gifts confused Esau. He did not expect them, showing that he had no sense of superiority over Jacob or did not have a strong sense that Jacob owed him.

The true beauty of Esau’s character is found in the phrase he used to reply to Jacob: I have enough. He initially refused his brother’s generous gift because was content with what he had. Esau wasn’t dominated by the itch to have more and more. He had enough.

It’s a great thing for every believer to say: I have enough. It communicates the heart of what Paul described in 1 Timothy 6:6: Godliness with contentment is great gain. This godly contentment is essential, yet difficult for many reasons.

– Saying I have enough is only truly possible when the heart is rooted in eternal things; and contentment is essential because it shows we are living with an eternal perspective, not only trying to feather an earthly nest.

– Saying I have enough is difficult, because modern consumer culture feeds our lack of contentment, by rewarding us when we are discontent, and with advertising that tries to make us feel discontent without buying a certain item or experience.

– Saying I have enough is difficult, because we almost always desire far more than we need.

It’s easy for many Christians to say they have this contentment; but whether they have it or not is often more truthfully known by looking at their spending and shopping habits. How much of a place does shopping and buying have in your life? How does the loss of material things affect your happiness? How happy do you get from having some material thing?

Esau’s peace and contentment showed him to be a remarkably blessed man, though he did not receive the promise of the Abrahamic covenant as he had hoped.

There is one area in our life we should never be content with, our growth, maturity, knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment of the Word of God and its application in our lives so that our thoughts are taken captive, our words are full of grace, mercy, and love, and our actions are Holy Spirit led for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

53.t. Philippians 1:9-10

 

 

Philippians 1:9-10.  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

 1 Corinthians 14:20     Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

 Ephesians 5:17    Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 Colossians 1:9    And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

 2 Peter 1:5-6   For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

 2 Peter 3:18   But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 Hebrews 5:14   But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

 1 Thessalonians 5:21    but test everything; hold fast what is good.

So it is with the higher doctrines of Christianity. They can be understood and appreciated only by those who are advanced in Christian experience. The meaning is, that by long use and habit they had arrived to that state in which they could appreciate the more elevated doctrines of Christianity. Experience will thus enable one to discern what is suited to the soul of man; what elevates and purifies the affections, and what tends to draw the heart near to God. To discern both good and evil – That is, in doctrine. They will appreciate and understand what is true; they will reject what is false. (Barnes)

Discern both good and evil—as a child no longer an infant (Isa 7:16): so able to distinguish between sound and unsound doctrine. The mere child puts into its mouth things hurtful and things nutritious, without discrimination: but not so the adult. (Brown)

Even those who by reason of use; even those who by a gracious habit of wisdom and knowledge infused and perfected by long study, practice, and exercise of themselves in the word of righteousness, by which they are able to apprehend and improve the highest doctrines of the mystery of Christ. To discern both good and evil: for the discerning and differencing things, so as the mind discerns what doctrine is true and what is false by the word of righteousness, and the will chooseth what is good and refuseth what is evil

This does not intend a perfection of justification; for though some have a greater degree of faith than others, and a clearer discovery of their justification, yet babes in Christ are as perfectly justified as more grown and experienced believers; nor a perfection of sanctification, for there is no perfection of holiness but in Christ; and though the work of sanctification may be in greater perfection in one saint than in another, yet all are imperfect in this life; and as to a perfection of parts, babes have this as well as adult persons: but it designs a perfection of knowledge; for though none are entirely perfect, yet some have arrived to a greater degree of the knowledge of Gospel mysteries than others, and to these the strong meat of the Gospel belongs; they are capable of understanding the more mysterious parts of the Gospel; of searching into the deep things of God; and of receiving and digesting the more sublime truths. (Gill)

53.s. John 3:20-21

 

 

John 3:20-21   Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Its presence makes manifest and reproves his works, which he would hide even from himself. It illumines the dark and secret chambers of the heart, and reveals thoughts and deeds which conscience, seeing in this light, trembles at, and turns away to darkness that it may hide itself from its own gaze. (Ellicott)

 “Be it therefore known to you all, I faithfully warn you, that if you reject it, it is at the peril of your souls.” (Benson)

“Hates the light” – This is true of all wicked men. They choose to practice their deeds of wickedness in darkness.

His deeds should be reproved – To “reprove” here means not only to “detect” or make manifest, but also includes the idea of “condemnation” when his deeds are detected. The gospel would make his wickedness manifest, and his conscience would condemn him.   God’s Word convicts them of sin in order that it may afford consolation. The reason why the gospel, is hated is that men are sinners. “Christ is hated because sin is loved.” The sinner must be convicted or convinced of sin. If it be not in this world, it will be in the next. There is no escape for him; and the only way to avoid condemnation in the world to come is to come humbly and acknowledge sin here, and seek for pardon. (Barnes)

Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, cause they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them: neither cometh to the light; to hear Christ preach, or preached; to attend on the Gospel ministration and means of grace: lest his deeds should be reproved; or discovered, and made manifest, and he be brought to shame, and laid under blame, and advised to part with them, which he cares not to do (Gill)

When I read this passage it indicates that a person chooses to conduct sin in the dark. In the past, the culture of the United States would be a continual reminder of what is, for the most part, considered morally right, true, and good. There would be repeated warnings, howbeit ever so softly, of things that are wrong in the sight of God and man. This would be in a time when God was acknowledged as the true judge of right and wrong so they would choose to deny it and conduct their sinful acts in the dark and be unknown by others which would, if seen or known, would convict their conscience of their acts. Their conscience would also need to be shut down because they would know what they are doing is wrong. Great revivals took place when God’s Word was loosed afresh and proclaimed. Hearts and minds were convicted, not by society, but by the living Word of God who sees all and will judge all of what is done in the flesh. 

Let’s jump forward to the present day of the United States. Acts that would only be conducted in the dark are proudly, boastfully, and without shame conducted in the light. These acts give rise to a total disregard toward God, the Word of God, and the Light of the Gospel. There was a time not too far ago in the past when pornography was considered perverted. Abortion was considered the killing of a life. LGBTQ was considered vile and only a deviant person would think it is alright. 

See 2 Timothy 3:1-5  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

It does not take much foresight to understand this verse in context with today’s culture. “In the last days” tells us what to expect, what will be seen, what people will be like, and what ushers in the return of Jesus Christ. 

Pornography is considered “Adult Entertainment”. 

Abortion is considered “Women’s Rights”.

LGBQT is considered an “Alternative Lifestyle”.

Lawlessness is considered “Justified”.

History is considered “Offensive”.

God is considered a “Myth”.

There are other signs too! 

 Mark 13:7-8    And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

 Ezekiel 7:24-26   I will bring the worst of the nations to take possession of their houses. I will put an end to the pride of the strong, and their holy places shall be profaned.  When anguish comes, they will seek peace, but there shall be none.  Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders.

 Jeremiah 8:15-16    We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror.

 Jeremiah 4:19-22     My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

 Ezekiel 21:27     A ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it. This also shall not be, until he comes, the one to whom judgment belongs, and I will give it to him.

 Zechariah 14:2-3   For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 Isaiah 24:19-23   The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken.  The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.

 Luke 21:25-26    “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves,  people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

 Jeremiah 47:6   Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet?

 1 Peter 4:17-18  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

 1 Thessalonians 5:3    While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

It does not take much discernment to see the signs of the times we are living in. When our eyes should be focused on Jesus Christ and anticipation of His return the busyness of life is consuming us, the next sporting event, the next movie, the next election, the next news report, the next TV series, the next internet post, the next raise, the next job, the next vacation, the next new thing or activity, the next…….. 

There is much to take our focus away from Jesus if we neglect His Word, become complacent, have an undiscerned love of this world and what it has to offer and live lukewarmly towards our purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions.

Look up, Jesus is coming.

53.r. 1 Corinthians 2:14

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:14    The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit

We have to deal with the material world, so there is nothing inherently sinful in “natural” life. God is not displeased when you have to eat and sleep and work. But life on this level is without spiritual insight: the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. Spiritual things seem foolishness to the natural man. Why waste time on “spiritual” things when you could be making money or having fun? The natural man doesn’t want the things of God because he regards them as foolishness. What is more, he can’t understand the things of God (even if he wanted to) because they are spiritually discerned. It would be wrong to expect the natural man to see and value spiritual things. Too many Christians still think like natural men, refusing to spiritually discern things. When our only concern is for “what works” or the “bottom line,” we are not spiritually discerning, and we are thinking like the natural man, even though we might be saved. (Guzik)

It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives. (Henry)

The things of the Spirit of God – The doctrines which are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the things which pertain to his influence on the heart and life. The things of the Spirit of God here denote all the things which the Holy Spirit produces. They are spiritually discerned – That is, they are perceived by the aid of the Holy Spirit enlightening the mind and influencing the heart. (Barnes)

Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; neither can any man, no otherwise taught and instructed, so comprehend them, as to give a firm and fixed assent to them, or in heart approve them, because they are only to be seen and discerned in a spiritual light, the Holy Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, enlightening their understandings, that they may know the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to them that believe, according to the working of his mighty power, & c., Ephesians 1:17-19. Thus the apostle gives a reason of what he had said, 1 Corinthians 2:8, that none of the princes of the world knew the wisdom of God. (Poole)

As a natural man, and whilst he is such, nor by the help and mere light of nature only; his understanding, which is shut unto them, must be opened by a divine power, and a superior spiritual light must be thrown into it; at most he can only know the literal and grammatical sense of them, or only in the theory, notionally and speculatively, not experimentally, spiritually, and savingly, because they are spiritually discerned; in a spiritual manner, by a spiritual light, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God. There must be a natural visive discerning faculty, suited to the object; as there must be a natural visive faculty to see and discern natural things, so there must be a spiritual one, to see, discern, judge, and approve of spiritual things; and which only a spiritual, and not a natural man has. (Gill)

Natural vs. Spiritual in the mind of every single Christian will be a lifelong process of discernment. It is so hard for me to watch the foolishness that is being proclaimed and adopted. Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity are being tied to LGBQT, women’s rights are tied to killing babies (abortion), unable to define what a woman is,  and all of the personal pronoun garbage all lacks caution, foresight, and sense. There is no spiritual discernment. 

To those who are led by the Holy Spirit and are given discernment of the natural and worldly wisdom in light of the Holiness of God revealed in His Word, it all seems like there is a blindness and total eclipse of the minds of the unsaved. This is true. The natural man (unsaved) can not and will not discern the things of God and yet it is hard to watch it play out and people buy into it.  Even some Christians buy into it. The craftiness of worldly wisdom will sway babes in Christ and those who never seem to grow spiritually. It will seem right, but it is so wrong. The ultimate example of spiritual blindness was displayed in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God’s Son, who displayed the fullness of God and was not discerned as the Son of God even though He performed miracles, signs, and wonders that only God could do, and spoke of things only God could reveal. 

We can’t expect an unregenerate heart and mind to understand the spiritual things of God. They are unable to discern it. 

What we can do is proclaim the gospel, live a life that is Holy Spirit led as an example (light), pray for the Holy Spirit to open their minds to things of God, and display love, grace, and mercy for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ.

 Turning Point – Devotion

 

He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:6

Try asking God to make your every deed a seed. Even our smallest actions can witness for Christ in these last days. The swift appearing of Jesus Christ has deepened the urgency of our times.

It was a farmer whistling hymns that prompted Jane Guinness to seek and find Christ. Another farmer offered to let a teenager named Billy Graham drive his truck if he’d attend the Mordecai Ham crusade, and Billy was saved. Ham himself felt God’s hand fall on him when he watched his grandfather on his death bed pointing upward as if seeing Jesus. An unknown saint donated a few dollars to provide the Gideon Bible that brought baseball player Orel Hershiser to Christ. Charles Spurgeon was converted when a layman quoted Isaiah 45:22: “Look to Me, and be saved.”

As we prepare for Christ’s return, we’re not all far-famed preachers, but God has many kinds of pulpits. Ask Him to bless everything you do and every word you say toward the progress of the Kingdom.

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

53.q. Heb 10:30-31  

 

Heb 10:30-31  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

 Isaiah 33:14     The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: “Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?”

 Luke 21:11   There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

 Psalms 50:22   “Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

 Psalms 76:7   But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?

 Hebrews 12:29    for our God is a consuming fire.

 Luke 12:5   But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

 Matthew 10:28   And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 Psalms 90:11   Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?

I will recompense — Recompense is the actual exercise of vengeance, and vengeance is the actual execution of judgment on sinners, according to their desert, without mitigation by mercy. He however oftentimes exercises great patience and forbearance even then, when vengeance might justly be expected. And this commonly adds to the security of wicked men, who take occasion from it to despise all the threatenings of the divine judgments which they have deserved; concluding from it, that either vengeance doth not belong to God, or that it shall be executed when and where they are not concerned. And the Lord will judge his people — If they rebel against him; and that far more rigorously than he will judge the heathen. It is a fearful thing — A thing above all others the most to be dreaded; to fall into the hands — To be exposed to the avenging justice; of the living God — Who, living for ever, can for ever punish, in what degree he pleases, the wretched creatures who have made themselves the objects of his final displeasure. (Benson)

“To fall into the hands of the Living God is, therefore, to have resisted His love, refused His salvation, despised the warnings of His Spirit, and to have persisted thus past the point where God can consistently show further grace.” (Newell)

I recently heard a sermon where the Pastor spoke of the “old way – fire and brimstone – preaching” and how it was a tactic or shallow means by which to be converted. His thought was that it is better to come to Him because of His love than out of fear. I can see his point but fear the lack of understanding of the vileness of sin and the sinfulness of it in light of the Holiness of God. 

Do you want to understand the vileness of sin – Look at the judgment carried out upon Jesus Christ, beaten, whipped, mocked, scourged, and nailed to a cross. This is the penalty of sin (my sin, your sin) that Jesus bore in our place. This and eternal torment in Hell is our just reward for our sins. There is nothing we can or could do to make restitution for our sins. Nothing. We stand guilty and convicted before God. However, In His grace, mercy, and love He sent His Son to redeem us by bearing our sins, becoming our savior and eternal hope of salvation and everlasting life. 

How can I fully appreciate the pain and suffering of Jesus Christ and the great work of salvation if I do not understand the fullness of what I deserve? I deserve God’s judgment, wrath, and eternity in Hell. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.  I must know what I deserve to appreciate the gift of salvation. To often I think the Gospel is presented as a gift (present) that may be opened and it is our choice to open it. Though this is true, the cost of the gift offered and why it was offered (my sin, judgment, eternal torment, hell, God’s wrath), is only presented as (God’s grace, mercy, and love) without thought of the sinfulness of sin and what awaits a person without Christ. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. 

We can not and should not preach the Love of God apart from the wrath of God. Any preaching of the gospel must have both to understand either. 

Turing Point – Devotion

 

The world decided to party it up in the 1920s. The Great War was over, and everyone was caught up in flappers, talkies, gangsters, speakeasies, bootleggers, jazz, new-fangled radios, and novel dances. But the mood didn’t last. The Roaring Twenties ran right into the Great Depression.

One hundred years later in the 2020s, it’s still hard to predict the twists and turns of the times. But the Lord has given us insights into the future. Much of the Bible is predictive prophecy. When we study these passages, it contributes to our Christian growth and godliness. We look around at the times, we look ahead at the prophecies, and we ask ourselves, “How should I then live?”

The apostle Peter said, “And so since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives we should be living! You should look forward to that day and hurry it along…. Looking forward to God’s promise of new heavens and a new earth”

I wonder what our lives would be like if we truly believed and lived every day with the knowledge and understanding that every single thing this world has to offer and the influences it has on our lives will be melted away, burned up, and dissolved like worthless waste.

Would we; be more kind, gracious, merciful, repentant, loving, generous, joyful, etc…. I think so.

Would we; despise worry, anger, hate, greed, pride, arrogance, neglect, complacency, boastfulness, gossiping, fear, etc…. I think so.

Would we; spend more time in prayer, studying God’s Word, meditating on it, growing in our understanding of God, His holiness, and our sinfulness, etc…. I think so.

This refrain is so thoughtful;

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Various Quotes

 

We need to confront the lies of Satan with the truth of God’s Word. In Ephesians 6:14, Paul said, “Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth.” In Paul’s day, if a Roman soldier wore a free-flowing tunic into battle, the enemy could grab hold of it and gain an advantage. So the soldier would tuck his tunic into his belt. In the same way, if you have all these what-ifs and if-onlys floating freely in your mind, Satan is going to seize hold of them and gain an advantage in your life. So confront your fears with truth by dealing decisively with whatever is causing anxiety in your life.

I am convinced that to be filled with the Spirit is not an option, but a necessity. It is indispensable for the abundant life and for fruitful service.

We must come to good works by faith, and not to faith by good works.

Satan is the embodiment of evil, so much so that he comes to us as an angel of light and makes wrong seem right, wickedness seem righteous, and evil seem good. He places a veil over our eyes, whispers soothing words into our deepest depravities, and makes a lie sound like the greatest version of our own personal truth.

Putting Christ first in your life means transforming your actions, attitudes, and affections to those of Jesus Christ

God’s purposes always have God’s provision.

“Anger, like fire, finally dies out–after leaving a path of destruction.” 

Learn to ignore petty disagreements. Resolve disagreements with others immediately. Ask forgiveness from those you offend with your anger.

Jesus “I Am” statements; I am the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the True Vine.

You may be wondering how you can accept yourself since you know how much you blow it and sin. The answer is this: if God accepts you, who are you to reject yourself?

Happy New Year

 

Many New Year’s Resolutions are worthy of changing our life, commitment, and devotion to God:

Faith, Trust, and Reliance – In God for all things present and future

Repentance – A purposeful turning away from sin

Obedience – To the written Word of God and leading of the Holy Spirit

Growth and Maturing – In knowledge, understanding, and wisdom of God’s Holiness, Grace, Mercy, and Love

Application – Of grace, mercy, and love towards others

Generosity – Eyes more open to those in need

Joy and Rejoicing – Our God is in control of all things

Worship and Praise – God is worthy of all worship and Praise

Hope – Keeping our eyes focused on the redemption, salvation, and complete forgiveness of Jesus Christ

Kindness – Being kind to those around us who might never see kindness otherwise

Thankfulness – Having a heart of thankfulness toward God for what He has done, is doing, and will do

Commitment – Reading God’s Word with hunger and thirst and denouncing neglect and complacency of it.

Light – Being a light that shines the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ in a lost and dark world

Prayer – Staying in communion with God, always

Remembering – God is Ever-Present, All-Knowing, and All-Powerful

Goal – Always remember that in all your thoughts, words, and actions, Jesus Christ is to be honored and glorified.

May God richly bless you with all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding this year!

Various Quotes

 

God chooses according to His divine wisdom, love, and goodness. We may not be able to understand God’s reasons for choosing, and they are reasons He alone knows and answers to, but God’s choices are not random or capricious.

Eternal life does not begin with death; it begins with faith.

The resurrection (Of Jesus Christ)…is not a doctrine to be pondered but an invitation to experience the living Christ in your life.

The evil one fires these temptations from a distance. They seem harmless at first – even alluring. “Satan attacks by indirection – through good things from which no evil is expected,” When good things like beauty, comfort, and morality enter our line of sight, we often embrace them in self-centered and satanically inspired ways. Then, beauty catches fire and becomes lust; comfort bursts into greed; and morality morphs into self-righteousness. 

Satan hurls a seemingly endless volley of temptations at us: thoughts of pride, selfishness, fear, doubt, disappointment, greed, anger, vengeance, lust, and judgmentalism. They strike at different times and in different ways, but they all are deadly in their intent. 

Our pieces of armor are to be worn night and day; we must walk, work and sleep in them

Satan hurls a seemingly endless volley of temptations at us: thoughts of pride, selfishness, fear, doubt, disappointment, greed, anger, vengeance, lust, and judgmentalism. They strike at different times and in different ways, but they all are deadly in their intent. 

Jesus showed compassion when people expected rejection, gentleness when people expected anger, and love when people expected hate, be imitators of Christ.

If we’re honest, we have to admit that most of our anger isn’t righteous; it’s selfish

The branch of the vine does not worry, toil, and rush here and there to seek for sunshine and rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine.

Generally speaking, it’s our duty to get on our way according to what God has revealed and trust He will guide us. It’s hard to steer a parked car. Get on your way, and let God lead you.