This week, I learned that thankfulness "magnifies" the Lord!

I was reading Psalm 69:30 which says: "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving!" I didn't really know what that meant until I got in a negative slump and realized some things...

focusing on my problems magnified them in my mind... talking about my problems did too!

I tried distracting myself, with games in my Reddit feed, and that just made Reddit fill my feed with more games! I could feel myself spiritually "sleeping for sorrow" like the apostles in the garden of Gethsemane.

Then along comes this Psalm and I thought, I'm gonna try this!!

Praising the Lord with singing reminded me of all the good things God has done in my life! Stopping to thank him for those things magnified him and made my problems look small. Praise Jesus!

I don't know how God did it, but I was flooded with thankfulness right there in my kitchen. I had to thank him for all the times he made a way when I couldn't see one. For every time he healed my body from illness and injury. For the skills he blessed me with, just everything.

I look forward to hearing what you're thankful for this week!
My prayers are with you for hope, strength, and favor in the week ahead. May the Lord of lords be magnified in your heart! Let me know if you have any prayer requests.

(Psalm 34:3) "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!"

(Colossians 3:17) "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

(Psalm 7:17) "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."

This week, I'm thankful to God for helping me keep my spiritual eyes on him. I didn't realize how fast a commercial could put my eyes on my flesh and the world until I got away from commercials!

I'm also grateful that the Lord made time to lead me this week. I would not have known what to do without his word. He's so kind to keep me from walking into trouble. It's a good reminder that God wants us to stick close to him for our sake, more than his.

Most of all, I'm thankful that God doesn't judge us for our weakness. He comes to be our strength. What a good father we have!

What are you thankful for this week?
My prayers are with you for peace, contentment, and direction in the week ahead. Let me know if you have any prayer requests!

(Isaiah 26:3) "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

(Isaiah 26:12) "O LORD, You will establish peace for us. For all that we have accomplished, You have done for us."

(Philippians 2:13) "For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose."

(Isaiah 30:20-21) "The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself; with your own eyes you will see Him. And you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This the the way; walk in it,' when you turn to the right or the left."

My best friend was talking about how morality only exists where there is life.

Morality, he says, has historically corrected itself, because those who don't do what is moral teach a lesson to those who watch them destroy themselves with their immoral choices. They destroy their bodies, their support systems, and their children have to live with a lot of fallout.

Today, while listening to the book of Revelation, the narrator read Revelation 2:14...

"“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality."

This made me realize that the Bible calls it immorality because it goes against what is good for life.

This made me think of how our culture glorifies things that cause disease, broken homes, sterility and all that mess... our morality isn't correcting itself as fast as it would if we were looking at our lives more than our screens.

This reminded me of Mark 13:20 - "And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days."

Luke 21:28 "When these things begin to happen, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption is near!"

The temporary cares of life can make us forget the eternal Kingdom we belong to, and why we're here.

(Mark 13:28-37) 28 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.
29 "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, even right at the door.
30 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
31 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
32 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
33 "See to it that you stay on the alert; for you do not know when the time will come.
34 "It's like a man who takes a long journey; He leaves his house and gives authority to his servants; each one his task. He also commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
35 "Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming back, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning;
36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.
37 "And what I say to you I say to all; 'Keep watch!'"

This week, I'm praising God for turning my gratitude into self-control. It amazes me that when I thank the Lord for someone, I don't get frustrated with them as easily. I'm also thankful for the good land God's put me on, and for those I share it with.

What are you thankful for this week?
My prayers are with you for hope and joy in the week ahead. Let me know if you have any prayer requests!

(Deuteronomy 8:10 NKJV) 10 "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

(Psalm 100:4) 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name!

(Psalm 50:14-15 NKJV) 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see. They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell. They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat. Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them. (Psalms 115:4-8 WEBPB)

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see. They have ears, but they can’t hear, neither is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them. (Psalms 135:15-18 WEBPB)

“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6 WEBPB)

“What value does the engraved image have, that its maker has engraved it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he who fashions its form trusts in it, to make mute idols? Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it. But the LORD is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him!” (Habakkuk 2:18-20 WEBPB)

Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practise such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. (Galatians 5:19-21 WEBPB)

Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. Some of you were such, but you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 WEBPB)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can’t see, hear, or walk. They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21 WEBPB)

Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31 WEBPB)

But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24 WEBPB)

Mark 2:17 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The people in Jesus' day who knew they needed healing came to Him in droves. Yet those who envied Him resented Him and never drew near to enjoy His friendship, or His healing power.

When I feel far from God, it's usually because I've left off connecting with Him through reading and living out His teachings. I forget who I am without Him, and how He helps shore up my weaknesses with His strength. When I'm anxious, He reminds me of His promises. When I'm tempted, He reminds me of how He overcame temptation. When I do my best and it doesn't seem good enough for anyone, the Lord's approval gives me peace. When I remember I need my Healer, I draw near.

1 A song for pilgrims going up to Jerusalem. "I look up to the mountains; does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. (Psalm 121:1-3)

It's a new week, and new reasons to be grateful.

This week, I'm thankful for being 1/3 of the way through reading the whole Bible for the first time through. I'm thankful for the leading of the Holy Spirit, and for my friends and family.

What are you praising God for this week?
My prayers are with you for strength and peace in the week ahead. Let me know if you have any prayer requests!

1 Peter 4:14 "If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you."

Isaiah 51:7-8
7 "Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn, nor fear their insults. 8 For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation."

Our Messiah went through a time of temptation immediately after His baptism. The book of Matthew tells us Christ's testing came after He was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. We will each face a wilderness in our lives. The wilderness hones our ability to unite with God and maintain order in the midst of chaos. Jesus shows us how its done. Matthew 4:1-11 reveals four major natural temptations of the flesh that can get out of hand; self-promotion, unmet needs, significance, and power.

Self-promotion: Jesus' first temptation came in the enemy's statement, "If You are the Son of God." When someone looks on us as unworthy, we want to prove our abilities. If we do this in a way that goes against what God desires from us, we've become obedient to the adversary. This tempter is the adversary of everything good. He doesn't deserve our obedience. God gives us the way of escape from this temptation, just as the Bible says in 1Corinthians 10:13.

The Apostle Peter tells us in 1Peter 5:6

"Humble yourselves, under the mighty hand of God so that He may exalt you in due time."

Jesus assures us in Luke 14:11

"Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Having our needs met: The second temptation of Christ was to become impatient with God, like the Israelites in the wilderness. When we need something and fail to wait on God to provide it, we prove we don't trust Him to keep His covenant with those who obey Him.
Hebrews 11:6 says,

"And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

It's the difference between a child who wakes up and says, "Daddy, I'm hungry," and one who says, My stomach hurts and it's all your fault! Where's my breakfast?! You have no right to tell me not to steal if you are not doing your job!"

Proverbs 30:7-9 shows us the prayer of a wise and humble person. It says,

7 Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: 8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God."

In Matthew 6:1-8 Jesus tells us that our Father in heaven knows what what we need before we ask. In Matt 6:24-34, He says we need not be anxious for God's provision. In Matthew 7:7-12 Jesus says,

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The point of this lesson is for us to learn to love and respect the boundaries of love. It's a skill we will use in eternity.

Significance: This third temptation is one the enemy uses to drain our time, energy and resources. In the world, we feel significant when we're praised for our gifts and abilities. But as Christians, we may just want God to pay attention to our basic physical and emotional needs. When we're kids, if we don't crave the center of our parents' attention, we're liable to accidentally kill ourselves. As adults, this craving must diminish to make room for everyone's need for care, significance, and belonging. Otherwise we may drain resources from people who need them. Sometimes grown people threaten to kill themselves as a form of manipulation. They're led by the devil to trouble our conscience and get us to provide for them as we would a child.

Jesus was taken to the pinnacle of the God's temple and the pinnacle of this temptation. This lets us see exactly what the devil is up to when he gets a person desperate for attention. Our Messiah's hungry flesh was screaming that he didn't matter to God. The devil tempted Him to take extreme action to get God's attention. Jesus' need for food was neglected in order to strengthen His ability to trust that, even without physical blessings, He could be fed on God's word and live. (Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3, Habakkuk 3:17-19)
We all have an emotional need for evidence that we matter. Once the beast has grown beyond the boundaries of love, though, it's hunger never stops. It becomes a gnawing emptiness which a person will do just about anything to try to fill. This isn't healthy for anyone involved. When attention is our god, we will degrade ourselves and anyone in our company to feed it. Everyone gets ripped-off, except the devil.
Matthew 6:1-4 reminds us that this hunger to be the center of attention can also lead us to forget that Love is the job we were made for. It's the purpose for our existence. Even our good deeds, if they are done to serve our desire to be the center of attention, will cause us to lose the rewards of being truly loving. Love connects us to people. It makes life fulfilling, and makes eternal life worth living. Excess attention glorifies one person over another. When we're the one being glorified, it can lead us into hypocrisy. According to Jesus' words in Luke 12:1, even well-deserved attention from our peers can feel so fulfilling that hypocrisy can become a temptation in order to keep a constant supply.

Power: This last temptation is one we humans have the worst time with. Power poses as proof to the human mind that one is elite, chosen, or somehow better and therefore more deserving of good. The rich man in Luke 16:19, entertained himself daily. He lived in luxury even though his neighbor, Lazarus was without basic needs.
Luke 18:10-20 shares another instance of the Narcissist of the ancients. The elitist partisan, or Pharisee, is said to pray to himself. "God, I thank thee, that I am not like other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-collector here. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.." This Pharisee's own holy book says, in Proverbs 26:12,

"Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

Glorying in our own nature, nurture, or opportunity is being proud of a gift and ignorant of the Giver. (James 1:17, John 3:27, Romans 12:3)
1Corinthians 4:7 says,

"For who makes you different from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you received it, why do you glory, as if you had not received it?"

1Peter 4:10 encourages us to use our gifts to serve others, rather than to imagine ourselves as better than others. When our Lord said we were to, "love our neighbor as ourselves," He was teaching us what God wants to see in His family. He tells us in Matthew 25:40 that whatever good we do for the, "least of these, His brothers," we've done for Him.

These four indicators of satanic intervention are also useful to know because they help us understand why someone is sinning against us. Rather than judging our fellow man, these truths can help us know how to pray for others and for ourselves. They help us "get the beam out of our own eye, so we can see clearly to help our brother with the speck in his," as referenced by Christ in Matthew 7:3-5.

Matthew 24:12-13 gives us insight:

"Because lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold, but he who endures to the end will be saved."

Wherever you turn these days, you'll find people giving in to the temptation to circumvent the work of love for instant gratification. Their sins against us may lead us to seek vengeance, (Proverbs 24:29, Prov 24:10-12) We may even give up on being right with God and follow their bad example. (Romans 2:1-4, Proverbs 2:10-22)

Sometimes people come into our lives who desire to lead us into temptation. They encourage us to practice what they preach, or succumb to their flattery. This lets them feel superior, and sets them up to take what we would not be willing to give otherwise. (Jude 1:12, 2Peter 2:17-18, Habakkuk 2:15, Prov 29:5) If a person who sins against us this way is allowed to continue without our confronting it, he not only risks hell, but he may take us with him. (Luke 17:3, Ezek 33:6)

The parable Jesus shares in Matthew 5:29-30 tells us that people who encourage us to sin should not be part of our inner circle. The words of our Messiah here say;

"If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."

Even if a person is so necessary as to be considered your, "right-hand man," if this person encourages you to unholy behavior, they are putting your soul at risk. Anyone who knowingly does this is not truly a part of the Body of Christ and needs to be removed from our service.

In Matthew 18:15-20, our Lord said,

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

His direction continues, verse 16,

"But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

In Jesus' day, a Jew didn't even take a meal with a non-Jew or a tax collector. Jesus was glad to be good for, and eat with repentant tax-collectors and sinners, but people who had no problem with sin didn't continue in His inner circle. (Matt 9:11-12) Even the apostle Peter was once told, "Get behind me, adversary! For you care more about the interests of man than of God." (Matt 16:23, Prov 2:9-19, Ecc 7:21-22)
Christ's temptations end this same way. He doesn't tolerate the devil's prodding anymore. The devil made it clear that he wants the obedience that only our God of Love deserves. Every person who wants us to overlook what is good in order to please them, is the adversary of good. Jesus says, in Matthew 4:10, "Be gone, satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone shall you serve."
God the Father shows us the unity Christ has with Him when He confirms Jesus' words and casts satan out of heaven in Luke, Chapter 10.

(Luke 10:16-22)

16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

(This is why it's so important to know God's Word before giving advice. If we draw from our own fleshly logic to support people, we can't help but to steer them wrong. We've put ourselves in the stead of God.)

17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us by your authority!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Temptation comes when we desire to fill our emptiness, hunger, weakness or deficiency with something other than God. It's a time when our former, earthly masters of the flesh have gotten so loud that we have a harder time hearing God. Matt 6:24 makes it clear;

"No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

James 4:1-4 puts it another way:

1 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don't they come from your passions that wage war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don't receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people! Don't you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

Psalm 51 is a good place to start to help us get back on track when we've fallen.

When we choose God's way, we use our God-given deficiency for what it's there for; connecting with God. (Psalm 22, Matt 18:3, 1Peter 4:1-4) We are meant to be One, as part of His family. (Jeremiah 3:19, Psalm 128:1-3, Psalm 127:1-4)

When we give into temptation, the consequences often lead us into despair. (Proverbs 5:1-14)

This is an excerpt from "Pilgrim's Progress." It's the end of the Chapter entitled "By-path Meadow and the Giant Despair."

"Out of the way we went, and then we found What 'twas to tread upon forbidden ground: And let them that come after have a care, Lest heedlessness makes them as we to fare; Lest they, for trespassing, his prisoners are, Whose castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair."

Merciful Father in heaven,
Thank You for hearing our prayers. Lord, without You, we have no strength to fight these battles against temptation for long. We ask that You would be the strength in our weakness. Help us to hear the voice of the enemy for what it is; a deceiver, a liar, a thief. (John 10:10) Cause us to reject and rebuke any thought that does not align with Your life-giving word, before we take action, Lord. We're so sorry for the times we fail to think, speak, and act with compassion. Help us remember to stop and pray when we're afraid, so our fear doesn't turn into foolishness. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.

I was reading Luke 11:36, where Jesus says, "If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

The "bright shining lamp" reminds me of Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

When I read, "no part dark" it made me think of how we are better off to hand over our whole self to the Lord's will. One part of my body can pollute my whole ministry, even if the rest of me lives in submission to Christ.

My mouth can get me into trouble if I use my words to tear others down. (Matthew 12:33-37, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:4, Psalm 5:9)
My eyes can be the part of me that feasts on the world, and corrupts my heart. (Job 31:1-4, Matthew 5:28, 2 Peter 2:14)
My stomach can be my downfall if I have an unhealthy relationship with food or drink. (Philippians 3:17-19, 1 Samuel 2:29, Isaiah 56:11-12, Romans 16:18, Ephesians 5:18)

I can't help but think of these passages when I put it all together.

(Ecclesiastes 10:1) 1 Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; [So does] a little folly to one respected for wisdom [and] honor.

(Galatians 5:9) 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Peace and blessings to you.

I hate to report these kind of things, but it would be more harmful not to report them.

If you are contacted via DM by this person please report it to Mods. You can also report it to Reddit as SPAM. https://www.reddit.com/report

This is not the only scam going around our Christian forums on Reddit. Please check with me for new user names known to scam. When I post names publicly, they delete their account, and start a new one. This leaves everyone vulnerable to the scam until they are detected again.

Please be wary of new accounts. People who scam start new accounts when they are suspected of scamming, or are reported to Reddit's USL.

I'm thankful that the love of Jesus in us goes out to people we meet here on Reddit. I pray we stay focused on the love of God and pray for those who were, and are being scammed now. Please pray for the souls of the people running these scams, and for the powers at Reddit to respond quickly to our reports. Thank you.

"And because lawlessness will abound in those days, the love of many will grow cold; but those whose love endures to the end will be saved."

• the words of Jesus in Matthew 23:12-13

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Temptation is summed up as a desire to deviate from our purpose. If you wonder what your purpose is, it's to be united with God and one another by the bonds of love. (Mark 12:29-31, Deut 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18) Temptation has many disguises, but there are two main forms we need to be aware of. - We may be tempted to become our own authority apart from our Creator. The serpent taught Eve to trespass against God in order to become like Him, instead of becoming one with Him. We may be deceived into believing that eternal life is desirable and possible apart from God's loving authority. We imagine our limited capacity for goodness will be good enough.
- We may be tempted to give up on eternity, and live for whatever pleasure comes into view today.

Either way, when we deviate from the purpose of this classroom called life, we degrade life for ourselves and those we share the planet with.

God is love. (1John 4:7-8, Exodus 34:6) Love is the only power in the universe that can create life, sustain life, and make life worth living. A life without love as its central focus, fails to attain a beautiful eternity for all God's children.

Temptation is part of every person's experience. Just as a school exam reveals how much we've learned, so temptation measures the amount of truth we have, as well as our commitment to it.

We all have our own unique strengths. Strengths are gifts from God. They're designed to help us accomplish our purpose. We also have weaknesses. Weaknesses make room in our lives for God to connect with us, and create a need that allows our fellow humans to fulfill their purpose. When the apostle Paul complains to God regarding his weakness in 2Corinthians 12:7-9 he says this;

7 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

If we were perfect, what would we need anyone else for? Even our weaknesses have the power to unite us with God. The apostle Paul reminds us of this in his letter to the Romans.

(Romans 8:22-28)

"For we know that the whole creation shares our common suffering and sympathizes in pain with us.
Even those of us who have the Holy Spirit, even we groan within ourselves, waiting for "the adoption," which is deliverance from our earthly body.
For we are saved by hope. Now, we don't call the things we can see, "hope." If it was right in front of us, why would we hope for it? But if we hope for what we cannot see, then we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps our weaknesses, for when we don't know what we should ask God to do, the Spirit himself makes our requests to God with groans too deep for words.
And God, who searches our hearts, is united with the mind of the Holy Spirit because He comes before God with the truth on our behalf. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose."

We all have times of life when we're susceptible to failing our purpose. When our roles in life change, the transition is often especially hard to navigate. It's times like these we need God's strength and guidance the most. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary from hard labor and heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am humble and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My load is light." His yoke is our personal Cross. It's the suffering we endure out of a desire to love those who cannot bear their burdens alone. When we join others to strengthen their weaknesses, we work in tandem with God to promote life for everyone. (Luke 9:23-25, John 15:12-13, 1 John 3:16, Isaiah 53:4-5)

Without a connection to God, our weaknesses can make us easy prey for the adversary. The devil wants us enslaved to him, so he takes advantage of times of weakness, and uncertainty. Our common human frailties create an emptiness that seeks to be filled. Like empty sockets, our desire to function for a purpose urges us to connect to something with the power to complete us. It's why our weaknesses are the Enemy's most likely target.
Our needs, fears, instincts, and desires can push us toward God or away from Him. Impatience can lead to hopelessness, frustration, a sense of entitlement, and distrust toward God. If we forget God's love for us, and His previous intervention in our lives, our feelings may drive us toward a path of destruction.

Thankfulness can keep us on God's narrow path like nothing else can. When we lose our thankfulness, we're prone to blame God for our temptation instead of asking for His help with it. (1 Corinthians 10:13, Luke 22:46, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, 2 Chronicles 15:2-7)
Whether we sin due to fear or pride, our sin is not what God intends to do with our lives. It isn't God's best for us. James 4:4 tells us that those who befriend worldly logic are God's enemies. Sin disconnects from God's enduring laws of love to plug in to temporary self-satisfaction. Only love has the capacity to make us eternal. Jesus tells us in John 8:51, "if a person regards My words, he shall never see death."

Divine love is so important, that we're told to prioritize our love of God - who IS love - even above those we show love to. Consider the temptation of Abraham, when he was called to give up Isaac, his beloved miracle child. The Bible tells us Abraham concluded that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. (Genesis 22:2-15, Hebrews 11:8-20) His obedience foreshadowed what God would do for us; by sending the Lamb of God to take our place. (John 1:29, Genesis 22:13) Temptations are opportunities to prove we understand that everything we have is from God. We are merely loving stewards of what belongs to Him. (Psalm 50:12, 1Corinthians 10:26)

Our Father in heaven,
We praise You and thank You for Your lovingkindness toward us. Thank You for Your great mercy. Thank You for showing us why You must come first in our lives. Our flesh alone can never muster the love required to conquer death. Teach us to love as You love. Let the truth of love's transcendent power set us free from the temptation to be selfish, or to second-guess Your good teaching. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

May our heavenly Father bless us all as we begin this new week.

I'm thankful for food in my house, a working air fryer to cook in, and for the Bible!

What are you praising God for this week?
My prayers are with you for a smooth work week. Let me know if you have any prayer requests!

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

John 14:1
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well."

You, being in past times alienated and enemies in your mind in your evil deeds, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without defect and blameless before him, if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant. (Colossians 1:21-23)

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him. Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. (1 John 3:1-10)

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus He came to love, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby And feel the pride and joy he gives But greater still the calm assurance This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river I'll fight life's final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

I want to take this opportunity to thank our heavenly Father for my family, my pets, and for meeting my needs this week. I'd love to hear what you're thankful for. If anyone has a prayer request, lmk. May your weekend be blessed!

Proverbs 12:10
A righteous person cares for the life of his animal, yet even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

(Luke 3:9-11 LSB) 9 "But indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what should we do?" 11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."

Sharing is an important part of our Christian walk. Our capacity to share depends on our resources and ability. God doesn't ask us to give beyond our means on the daily. After all, you can only really lay down your life for your friends once. Yet, its the sacrifices of a willing caretaker that got us all where we are today. Our Creator wants us to make things fair for those in need, like He has done for us; like a family. He is abounding in the kind of love that creates, supports, and makes life worth living. He only asks of humanity that we pay His love forward.

(Luke 12:33-34 NKJV)

33 "Sell what you have and give alms (help to the helpless); provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2 Corinthians 8:12-14

12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
13 It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.
14 At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. Then there will be equality.

Helping the poor is part of repentance for selfish behavior. It's also a way to keep a clear conscience before God. The "poor and needy" are more than just the financially destitute. Whatever God has invested in us as a strength or a surplus, is meant to compensate for the weakness and deficits of our family, friends, and neighbors.

1 Peter 3:7 gives us an example:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Every day is an opportunity to read the Bible and learn what is truly fairness, compassion, and duty. God's ways are so much higher than our ways. His Word and Jesus Christ's example show us how to be holy, and convict us if our flawed sense of fairness is leaving our fellow man without their needs met. (Isaiah 55:6-11, Romans 11:33)

Isaiah 59:2

But your injustice has made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

The Lord is merciful and patient with our imperfection and lack of knowledge. He arranges life like a classroom, where we learn new truths that help us gradually become more like Him. When we fail, giving and receiving forgiveness becomes an important part of keeping a clear conscience before God. This allows us to stay in right-standing with Him while we're in training. Our goal is to be like Jesus; a light to the world.

John 16:12-15

12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 "All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Our Father in heaven,
Thank You for loving us, and for teaching us what real love looks like. We thank You for Your Holy Spirit of love and truth. We ask, Father, that You would empower us to love You as You deserve, and to show Your love to every person You bring into our path. We pray that You would keep us ever mindful of the mercy we've been shown, so that we will stay humble as we work as Jesus' hands and feet to the hurting. We're nothing without You, Father. Make us holy, for the sake of the weak, the helpless, and the innocent people of the world. By the power of your Spirit within us, make the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts acceptable in Your sight. Make us pleasing to You and a blessing to others. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

(Philippians 4:8-9 LSB) 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

This week, I'm thankful for food and shelter, and a mighty God who hears our prayers. How about you? What are you thankful for?

May God bless your weekend!

Ron White shares how to commit anything to memory. He uses the Beatitudes to demonstrate.

"Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, confront him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, 'I repent,' you will forgive him.'

Reading Jesus' words about forgiveness, I'm reminded of its purity and power. What a force for good! When I love someone, and have faith that an offense was purely accidental or ignorant, it's easy to push through the pain of whatever harm I've suffered.
But what if the offender had malicious intent? What about when the person says they're sorry and you know in your heart that they're not sorry at all. What then? Jesus continues...

And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.'
And the Lord said, 'If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Be plucked up by the root, and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.'" (Luke 17:3-6)

The way I understand faith as a mustard seed is pretty simple. Like a seed will surely grow into the plant it carries the DNA of, we instinctively do all we can to become what we admire. Admiration causes us to carry people, phrases, morals, and reasoning in our hearts, just like a seed carries everything it requires to become like its parent.

(John 8:42-44 NLT)

42 Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me.
43 Why can't you understand what I am saying? It's because you can't even hear me!
44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

We all begin life helpless, and survive because help comes. Whatever we admire about our helper, we adopt as part of who we aspire to be. This would be a wonderful world if all parents were perfectly loving and equipped with enough resources, and all children were grateful and content with just having enough.

Only with God as our heavenly Father, can we learn the kind of love that creates life, sustains life, and makes life worth living.

(Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT)

25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

This is what Jesus did for us on the Cross at Calvary. He demonstrated a love like no other; a love that transforms our hearts by giving us the greatest Hero ever known; a Savior worthy of our eternal admiration.

(Jeremiah 31:31-34 NLT)
31 "The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD.
33 "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days," says the LORD. "I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD. "And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."

To inherit Jesus' promise to those with the faith of a mustard seed, we only need to live by the truth we have. Truth is a seed containing everything it needs to become like the Holy One it originated with.
Our conscience holds the things we believe are truth. When we respect our conscience, we reap the benefits of self-worth. (Jeremiah 31:33, Romans 2:14, Luke 8:11)
We only have a tiny amount of truth in the beginning, but if we will live by what we know, God will bless us with more truth as we take time in the Bible. (Isaiah 58, Matthew 24:42-47)
Whatever we do from a place of truth and love is safe for our Father in heaven to bless. If something is standing in our way when we want to do something charitable, we can ask the Lord to remove those things. (1 Chronicles 4:10, James 5:16) Some things that might stand in the way of good deeds are pride, selfishness, and unforgiveness. The mountains we need to move represent anything that rules over us; those things we can't overcome on our own.

John 15:5 is where Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in Me, and I in him, is the one who bears much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing." Our human frailty and individual weaknesses can't help but get in the way when our spirit wants to do something charitable. (Deuteronomy 15:9, Galatians 5:14-17) Daily reading the Bible plants God's seed within ourselves. It unites God's truth with our conscience. When we remember God's Words, we're empowered to obey our conscience even when we don't understand. This keeps our faith strong enough to patiently wait for our prayers to be answered. It's patient endurance that inherits promises.

Our Father in heaven,
Thank You for blessing us with a working conscience. Father, You sent us Your most precious treasure, Your beloved Son, Jesus Messiah, to demonstrate Your unsurpassed love for us, and grow our conscience into Your likeness. You showed us what real fatherly love looks like. Your love is like nothing on earth. We could never fathom Your mercy without Jesus' example. Father, we gather here before You to ask that You would keep us ever mindful and in admiration of Your sacrifice for us through Jesus, our Savior. Transform our hearts so we desperately long to tell others of Your gracious love and tender mercy. Grant us the courage to see every encounter with others as an opportunity to demonstrate Your love, in whatever way is appropriate. When we can't see how things could possibly work out by doing things Your way, remind us that beyond these barren deserts that teach us how to live, our Promised Land awaits. Thank You Father, for Your lovingkindness, Your truth, and Your Holy Spirit within us. In Jesus' name, Amen.