Absolute truth is the only truth from God.
Shades of gray have nothing to do with God.
Jesus put it this way…
“Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil.” MATTHEW 5:37 ESV
God First!
Page 18 of 20
I wish Satan were lazy, but unfortunately, he’s not. The Bible says he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. If only everyone who calls themselves Christian had Satan’s determination, only for good, rather than evil. Seeking ways to show others the love of God through our actions, as the Bible tells us to do by loving God first, and our neighbors as Jesus loved us.
If we truly love God, we want to please God and keep His Commandments. As Christians, we cannot afford to be lazy. A Lazy Christian is like the one talent servant, and that only pleases Satan.
Jesus gave us an assignment:
“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
mARK 16:15-16
- 1st Peter 5:8 (Devil prowls)
- Matthew 25:14-30 (parable)
- 1st John 5:3 (Keep Commandments)
- Mark 16:15 (share the gospel)
- Matthew 22:37-39 (greatest command)
God First!
Joy is in our hearts; it is unwavering and unscathed by the winds of happiness or sadness as our trust is NOT, In Ourselves, Our Emotions or Others.
Our Faith Is In The Lord!
May others always see the joy in our hearts through our actions and reactions. Not as fleeting emotions, but as resident parts of our very being. (Joyful souls)
Share the joy!
God First !
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1st Peter 1:8-9
The first day of the week comes every week, and it’s called Sunday. On this day, because we love God and are grateful for the love we have received, we set aside time to communion with fellow Christians and Christ. (Matthew 18:20)
We partake of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine as a remembrance of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His body, and His blood, which was shed that we might have eternal life in heaven.
We do so because of the example we find in Acts 20:7, here we see his disciples gathered on the first day of the week to remember Jesus’s sacrifice the way Jesus instituted it.
Before His death and resurrection, Jesus taught the concept of eternal life through His body and blood in John 6:22-71. Jesus also set forth this remembrance in the accounts we find in: Matthew 26:26-30 and Luke 22:14-21
After Jesus’s resurrection, Paul addresses the Church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 11: 17-34 They were guilty of abusing this time of communion.
It’s fair to surmise from Scripture that this should be a solemn time when we seriously examine ourselves, judge ourselves, and reflect on the cross. A time when we reflect on the love and sacrifice Jesus extended to us. Making it possible for us to have eternal life in Heaven. 1 Corinthians 11:26-29
God First!
Why would you want to cheat yourself like that?
As I pondered this question, I realized that not taking advantage of Bible classes and Worship at every opportunity is cheating myself. This question prompted a positive change in my life. It led me, to pursue a stronger conviction of my priorities to truly, put God First. Not just through words but action.
God’s word is so powerful, we have so much to gain by hearing it, studying it, adopting it, and applying it to our lives and we cheat ourselves when we don’t.
It’s my hope you will also ponder this question because it’s not just you that’s affected. It’s those who know you and see your example. Your family and friends. It’s all who hear the truth you learned rather than recollections and speculation of things you’ve heard but don’t fully grasp.
When we engage in understanding the whole truth that is spoken in “God-breathed” scripture, when we actualu study and apply what we learn from our Heavenly Father we stop cheating ourselves and we stop cheating others. We became part of a grand solution.
Don’t cheat yourself!
Take advantage of every opportunity you can to learn more of what God, wants for us.
God First
When our foundation is genuinely rooted in God’s Holy Word, Our roots will weave in and out of every word absorbing living water that never ends. Our lives will glorify God by our every action. The closer we draw to God, the closer he draws to us, and if God is with us, who can be against us?
”But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
(Matthew 6:33)
- John 4:13-15 (living water)
- James 4:8 (God draws closer)
- Romans 8:31(God with us)
- Matthew 16:13-20(upon this rock)
- 1 Peter 2:1-10
God First!
So good that he can not be tempted with evil.
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
James 1:13
“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.“
1 JOHN 4:16
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
PSALMS 107:1
for his steadfast love endures forever!“
God First!
(Yes, it’s spelled right)
After a life-threatening huge push at the beginning of 2019, I embarked on the challenge of eating better so I could live longer, so I could do my part to be here for my wife and family as a contributor. I was 60lbs overweight, with sugar levels of 465 and an A1C of 11.6 (the chart ends at 12)
I realized that my life as a glutton must end, so I made two critical changes immediately.
1. Portion control
While in the hospital, I was given one scoop of three different items, and this is where I took my cue. (It looked like a snack). Once home, no matter how much was made, these small portions were all I ate. In the beginning, I had no snacks between meals.
2. Eliminate most sugar
a) I stopped all soft drinks. I drink water, unsweet tea, unsweetened hot tea, and black coffee.
b) I stopped all white bread. ( it turns to sugar quickly) if I had bread at all, it was not more than 1 piece for the day.
c) If I fix pasta it was whole wheat.
In 6 months, I lost 60 pounds.
In the evenings, while watching TV, I would get urges to eat something, so I took one cinnamon graham cracker, added more cinnamon, and probably took 20 minutes to eat it, trying to savor and extend the moment.
I learned to be glutton-free, and It’s an ongoing battle.
To reach my goals, I replaced many habits with new, better habits. It’s much easier to replace habits than to break habits. It’s now 2021. It’s been a little over 2 years since this all started. The struggle not to overeat or eat sweets continues to be a challenge.
I have also found there’s an eerie similarity between sinful actions and bad eating choices. Just like with wrongdoing, the more I give into glutton temptations, the less guilty I feel the next time the temptation arises.
Over the last 18 months, I have found myself little by little loosening the self-imposed restrictions. Telling myself that larger portions of healthy foods with occasional sweet treats are ok. While there is some truth to this thought, I don’t think I want to lose those feelings of guilt when I break my own rules because the farther I get from my original commitments, the closer I get to those old bad habits. So, I embrace the feelings of guilt that help me stay true to my commitment.
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
1 cORINTHIANS 6:12
Doing what’s right is not always the easiest thing to do, but it’s always the best thing to do. If you’re not certain if something is right or wrong, you have your answer!
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself!
Choose wisely to avoids regrets.
God First!
When we carry the weight of sin in our minds, are we not allowing Satan to dwell there? For example, We lie or deceive a loved one over an important matter (maybe a spouse).
We then carry the burden of that lie with us, and it haunts us from time to time. Conversations arise that remind us of our lie or cause us to repeat or expand the lie to avoid revealing the truth. Yet still, rather than confess, we tell ourselves things like ”no real harm done,” “it’s better if they don’t know.” ”Why hurt them with the truth”?
As a result, we may carry the unnecessary weight of that guilt (that God knows) in our hearts and minds for years, maybe even, to our death.
By doing so, are we not offering Satan permanent residence in that part of our mind?
Are we not limiting our relationship with that person from being all it can be?
However, if we fess up to God, that person, ask forgiveness, and repent, are we not simultaneously kicking Satan to the curb? Kicking him out of that permanent home that we’ve furnished him in our mind. Are we not mending our hearts and minds by removing that permanent dwelling of sin?
The above thoughts bring to my mind the following scripture.
1. James 5:16 – confess
2. Matthew 12:43-45 unclean spirits
3. Philippians 4:8-9 rethink
4. Romans 1:28-32
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