I am writing this article with the hope that I can prevent at least one brother or sister from making the mistakes I have. I have grown up in a world where it was “acceptable” to not be truthful on many subjects such as job applications, tax returns, age, education level, school tests etc. The affected people were usually people I love, people at work. It was so natural. So easy. So very very sinful. As a result, I find my self still lying out of pure habit. This is not a proclamation but a confession. It has been so ingrained in me from an early age that for the most part I have found it to be an acceptable practice. And herein lies the problem. ( no pun intended ). Any non-truth is a lie. The bible is very clear on this subject. Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 6:19 A false witness that speakers lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. What is a lie? As defined by Websters Dictionary: 1. To make a statement that one knows is false, especially with the intent to deceive. 2. To give a false impression or action or false statement, especially with the intent to deceive. 3. To make a false statement in order to evade the truth. 4. The invention of a false story or excuse in order to deceive. When is the last time you told someone, “I’ll get back to you on that” knowing full well you weren’t. “Tell them I’m not here” you say to your spouse to avoid a phone conversation. I had a clear message from the Holy Spirit, but I had to get a letter out, and I didn’t bother correcting a known lie written in the letter. “It’s not going to hurt anyone” I convinced myself as I sent the letter on. What about little white lies? “Oh I complemented her outfit because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.” But it was still a lie, wasn’t it? I have committed many sins in my life and broken several of the commandments including this one; “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” This means do not tell a lie. Any lie. Do not tell stories that are untrue about people. When you tell a lie, you hurt yourself as well as others. Soon people will not trust what you say. It is just easier to tell the truth so you don’t have to remember what lie you told. I wanted to remind you that these little lies are a sin, and a lie is a lie period. I have spent a lot of time praying and begging for forgiveness. I am working on correcting the lying once and for all. I will work on it for the rest of my life. I will continue to pray and beg for forgiveness. I am so thankful that Jesus gave his life on a cross to pay for mine and the worlds sins. To wash away my sins with his blood. I am blessed to have God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life when I make dumb mistakes like this. I love you God, Jesus and the Holy Spirt. Amen.
Am I living my life as Jesus and God intended? As a born again Christian and walking my life through faith and not by site, I thought about a checklist to ensure I am continually walking as I am supposed to after being saved. I can say that I pray often daily, read the Bible daily, meditate on God’s word daily, but is that enough? Enough to ensure that I am walking the path that Jesus walked on his time on earth? Where could I obtain such a checklist? the Bible of course. II Peter 1.5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your; 1. Faith. Are you walking by Faith and not by sight. Can you truly say you are letting God and Jesus guide you, or are you still be led by earthly pleasures? Pray that you will be lead by God’s will. In my life, I feel I am walking by faith, but when things go wrong, it temporarily slow’s my faith mindset, never to the point where I lose my faith, just slow’s down my normal enthusiasm a bit. I obviously need to work on that. 2. Virtue. Love and morality. Do you love God? Do you love Jesus. Is your love on the spiritual side and not on the earthly side. It is said if you are in love with earthly pleasures you can’t have love for God. Many times throughout my day, I have an overwhelming sense to just stop and thank God for all of my blessings and tell him that I love him and his son Jesus. 3. Knowledge. Are you hungry and thirsty to know God. To know Jesus. To get closer to them by obtaining knowledge about them? Jesus explained why he uses parables when teaching lessons. He said that he is not looking for passive followers. He wants followers that want to know him and his Father, and will “look” for him and his messages within his parables. I recently published an article titled “The Lost Book of Thomas” and I broke down one of Jesus’ parables. Trust me, it took some time, but I felt closer to Jesus by taking the time to really understand what he was trying to teach us. 4. Temperance. Emotional restraint or self control. Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly. (folly is someone who does not respect God). I am working on this. I have improved quite a bit, but I am still quick to lose my temper and I ask for forgiveness from God immediately after my outburst. 5. Patience. Implies suffering, enduring or waiting, as a determination of the will and not simply under necessity. Many times when we pray we are asking God for something. A job, a spouse, a house, some money, whatever we are asking we have an immediate need. But God knows what is best for you at what stage of life and belief you are at. Sometimes we are just not ready for what we are asking for and God delays or redirects our request. My prayer requests have been granted to me faster and faster as my faith and belief grow. But I am not expecting anything, and then one day, my prayer request has arrived. 6. Godliness. The quality or state of being spiritually pure or virtuous. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. To be devout and morally upright. Godliness must have these 3 elements. The fear of God must be present. Knowing that God is a loving and forgiving God, but we must also be in fear as we know Gods’s reaction to worldly sin was flooding the earth, or decimating Sodom and Gomorrah. The love of God must be present. Showing God that you love him through actions of kindness to others, showing him that you love others such as your neighbors or your parents, brothers and sisters. The third element is the desire for God, to live for God’s will and direction. I am not sure I am strong in all 3 elements yet, but I am well on my way. 7. Brotherly Kindness. This is best described in John 13:34; Jesus said, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another”. I am working on this more now than ever. I am going out of my way to speak to people and start up conversations about God, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am seeking through prayer more and more Brotherly Kindness. 8. Charity. Here are some verses about Charity. Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Isaias 58:7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? This is my weakness. And I need to improve. I have done some acts of charity, but I need to be out and about with God’s children, not in a hurry to be somewhere, but to take the time to talk to people. Not necessarily people already in Jesus flock, but the lost sheep, the sheep that needs help to get back to the flock. That is who I need to speak to and be more charitable. I am planning to print this list out and keep it with me as a constant reminder and checklist, of the things I must do to walk and live as God and Jesus intended. I pray that if you are reading this article you will also use this checklist a guide to measure where you are at in your Christian journey. I pray for all to have great Peace, Joy and Love in your life. In Jesus precious name I pray, AMEN.
What is the Lost book of Thomas? I have done some research on this lost book, written by the Apostle Thomas and found it a fascinating read. You can pick up a copy online for free. It is a short book but was not published in the Bible. The Gospel of Thomas is an extra-canonical sayings gospel. It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars speculate that the works were buried in response to a letter from Bishop Athanasius declaring a strict canon of Christian scripture. Wikipedia There was a fascinating exchange recorded by Thomas between Jesus and his disciples. According to the book of Thomas 18:
18. The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us, how will our end come?”
Jesus said, “Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is.
Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”
19. Jesus said, “Congratulations to the one who came into being before coming into being.
Wow! Do you see what I mean? There is a lot to unpack here. I am not a trained professional or scholar on this subject, but the answer given by Jesus has so much depth and breadth I had to meditate on his answers to find out what it meant to me. As we know, when Jesus speaks, he mostly speaks in parables when teaching. Jesus has explained the parables as a language that can be understood by some but not by others. Jesus wants to make sure his followers are committed and will go to great depths to understand the meanings of the parables. So I have gone to some depths to figure out what Jesus response to the question might be; ” Tell us, how will our end come.” Jesus replies; Have you found the beginning? So let’s start at the beginning.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. From the book of Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words are eternal. Is this what Jesus meant? That his words are eternal even beyond the times when Heaven and Earth will pass away. Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Is this the beginning that Jesus was speaking about? The beginning of man on earth? A Man and a Woman who were created pure and innocent, with no concept of sin, shame, embarrassment until they ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, tricked by satan to eat the fruit. After Adam and Eve ate the apple, God said, Genesis 3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim’s, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. God’s plan was for Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree of wisdom, so that God could teach them what good and bad was. By eating the apple from the tree they started a chain of events leading them to be exiled from the garden of Eden, and banned from eating fruit of the tree of life. Life on earth had begun with people and eternal life would not be an option for them. The people also had to make their own decisions about good and bad without learning the word of God. Wasn’t one of Jesus’s actions on earth to teach the word of God? Jesus also did something that Adam and Eve couldn’t do. He followed his fathers instructions perfectly and he didn’t question God’s intent. He had to pass the test of Satan himself and again, Jesus did what Adam and Eve couldn’t do, he was not tricked by Satan’s words. Jesus was not a sinner. I believe this was the beginning that Jesus was talking about in his parable. An understanding that mankind was destined for a life full of sin and eventual death with no chance of everlasting life. The tree of life was everlasting life. The tree of life was gone. “then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is.” So does the tree of life hold the key to Jesus parable? Possibly. Let’s dig a little further. The tree is mentioned a few times relative to the cross in the New Testament. 1 Peter 2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. I believe this relates the tree of life to the cross that Jesus was crucified on. John 3:16: For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I could almost say this is the meaning of the parable. Jesus referred to the beginning as the Garden of Eden with the tree of knowledge and the tree of life being central. Eternal life would be a given if we followed God’s word and we would never partake in any sinful acts as we only knew the righteous path. However it was not to be and we were on a sinful path without the chance to get God’s word into our hearts and another chance at eternal life. Jesus short life on earth changed all of that. He re-stated the word of God and spread the word to continue across the world. He died on the cross (reference tree) to pay for our sins and offer us eternal life. Is that the end Jesus was referring to in his parable? “You see, the end will be where the beginning is.” Jesus said. After we are saved and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, we are born again. And thus we start over at the beginning. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit. Is that the end, being put to death in the flesh, but reborn in the spirit? Or did Jesus mean the end, as in end of days and Jesus prophesized return to earth. Let’s dive into that.
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat off the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. There are quite a few ways to interpret what Jesus was thinking in his answer; “You see the end will be where the beginning is.” But for this article I am interpreting Jesus to mean, if you understand the beginning, the tree of life was removed from humanity after the Adam and Eve sin. Jesus returned to earth and died on a cross (the tree) to pay for our sins and offer eternal salvation. During our end of times described in revelations, Jesus once again refers to eating from the tree of life if you have followed God’s commandments, which would have been Gods plan all along in the garden of eden were it not for Satan tricking Adam and Eve to eat the apple from the tree of knowledge. The breakdown of the parable is Jesus wants the apostles to know, the ending is from the beginning, it is a circular multilevel answer that simply means, Follow the commandments, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior, walk the world as righteous and caring as he did and you too will have eternal salvation. If anyone has any other thoughts, please leave a comment or shoot me an email to carry on the discussion. Read the lost book of Thomas. It is a very educational and inspirational read. I pray for each of us to gain insight into our Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Read a little of the Bible each day, draw inspiration and meditate on what you have read. Use the words as your food, to fuel your walk with Jesus Christ. Amen.
I read an interesting comment on the christian tech nerd blog today, (thechristiannerd.tech.blog) from a troubled reader regarding government corruption and including something called “religious right”. I assume this is meant to mean that the Government and this religious right act is meant as some co-op to oppress certain groups such as LGBTQ, People of Color, Immigrants etc. I have to honestly say I don’t read a lot of news and propaganda and I am not up on this subject. The reader goes on to say, “I have to wonder what Jesus would say about the way religion treats the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the elderly?” Jesus was very clear on what he thought and said during his speech to the multitudes up on the mountain. Matthew 5.2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 5:6 Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteous-ness: for they shall be filled. 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted the prophets which were before you. Hopefully the reader who asked these questions can find some peace in these teachings from Jesus. The multitudes and makeup of the audience that Jesus spoke to were the the same people the reader asked what Jesus would say to them: the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the elderly. Jesus was tried and crucified by the Roman Government and the religious sections who were afraid of what Jesus represented; Faith in God, Love, Peace, Joy. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, to offer us a way home through repentance and faith. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. This is what Christianity is about, this is what we believe and live for each and every day.
Fear, worry and anxiety are all weapons of Satan to keep us from experiencing the full life that God has for us. These emotions can overwhelm us and keep us paralyzed. Learn how to live free from worry and anxiety by meditating on the Word of God and casting your cares upon Jesus! He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. I am the head and not the tail. I walk by faith and not by sight. Let’s get rid of fear and anxiety right now with these prayers. “Dear Lord Almighty, I thank you that I can come to You always for any reason. I’m grateful that when I pray to You, You answer me. Help me to come to You at the beginning of my fears and anxieties instead of waiting until I can’t stand them anymore. The quicker I come to You the better. You want to free me from ALL my fears. Help me look to You for help more often so that I can be radiant with Your joy. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, Amen.” Another prayer. Dear Lord Jesus. I thank you for all of my gifts and miracles you have given me. I thank you for giving me the gift of life on earth another day. Please Lord, remove the fear and anxiety I am feeling, I know this is Satan’s attempt at removing my focus from you Lord, please help eliminate this feeling today and everyday so I can spend my time focused on you Lord. Glory to you my God. I love you. I pray to you and praise you Lord almighty. In Jesus name. Amen. Some additional Bible verses for eliminating fear and stress. 1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats ; do not be frightened.” 2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. Isaiah 35:4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Remember God does not intend for us to be fearful or anxious. He wants us to experience his Love, Joy, Peace. Pray and meditate to remove the stress now. Pray and mediate until you feel the warmth come over you, and the fear leave your thoughts. It is great to be loved by God and Jesus. Amen.
Many verses in the Bible refer to praying to God our Father. The act of daily prayer and worship is essential if we want to draw ourselves closer to God. But if we are going to pray daily, or hopefully multiple times daily, where and when should we pray? What should we say? Does God get tired of our requests? Let’s see what the Bible says: Where and when should we pray? Jesus would excuse himself any time of the day or night, when he felt it necessary to speak to his father. After his baptism he went to the mountains to pray and fast for 40 days before his exhausting encounter with Satan. So the easy answer to when we should pray is always. We can pray in the car, at work, at home, at the store, on the beach, whenever you have a desire and a need to speak to God, pray. Pray with your eyes open or closed, kneeling, standing, sitting there is no right or wrong way to pray. There is a time when prayer in solitude, meditation and silence is needed. Matthew 6:5 And when thou prays, thou shalt not be as hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. Matthew 6:6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Jesus was giving these directions to his Apostles how to help others pray. It is clear in these passages that our prayers are a personal discussion between you and God the Father. Prayer is not a loud outburst but a silent conversation. We pray to draw near to our Father, we pray to ask forgiveness for our sins, we pray for God to keep us away from temptation, we pray for God to help us when we are in need, we pray for peace, rest, joy, grace and wisdom. We pray for health, finances, a roof over our head and food on our table. Jesus also recited a prayer to the Apostles for teaching others how to pray. Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 6:10 The Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. If you are struggling to find the words to pray, memorize this short prayer that Jesus taught his Apostles. Spend time with God in prayer. As much as you can. Pray in the good times. Pray in the bad times. Pray when it is quiet. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
It has been a long Winter season for the children of God. In reading the Song of Solomon verse 2.11 this morning before starting my day, this particular verse resonated for me.
Song of Solomon 2.11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 2.12 The flowers appear on earth; the time of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 2:13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
My wife and I went on a hike this past weekend and enjoyed the smells, the sights, the touch of fresh water in a small stream, the joy in other hikers faces as they were seeing and feeling the power of God’s nature. It was a revitalizing hike and helped us re-charge for the coming weeks and months in this ever changing world. It is a reminder of God’s grace and forgiveness when you spend time in nature, there is a one to one feeling that you can feel God’s greatness just by touching a tree, or smelling the freshness of your surroundings after a rain shower.
I have noticed the positive effect of that hike days after our adventure. I am much more at peace and very calm with the stormy atmosphere we are surrounded with here on earth. It is very reassuring that God is with us always, all we have to do is get out in nature a bit and find him.
I came across a TV series the other day on you tube called “The Chosen”. I randomly came across this show when a short film of a “David” movie was shown. The production company, Angel Studios were looking for crowd funding and I became interested. I watched the short film and the narrator said something like, “If you loved the Chosen you will love “David”. I embarrassingly admit, I knew nothing about “The Chosen”. The Chosen was released in 2017 and I found the you tube world premiere which was hosted by the creator of the show, Dallas Jenkins. Before watching my first episode, Season 1 Episode 1 , Dallas was hosting the live event and although a bit wordy, his true passion, vulnerability, insight, and mission for the series became immediately apparent. I felt Dallas’ emotions and enthusiasm drawing me in. I felt he was on the same journey I have been on and was immediately connected to him. From what I could tell, Dallas had no script and he was just speaking from the heart. I could relate. The Chosen is a crowd funded sponsor only, with no corporate oversight and involvement which gives the show a genuine feel, and a big movie view. The scenes are shot seamlessly, transitions from backward and forward times move the story along and provide needed background. Although I have read the New Testament several times in the last few months, in particular Jesus time on earth with the 12 apostles until his crucifixion and resurrection, I found myself often referring to the Bible while watching season 1 and making notes for my study and prayer.
The first episode of the Chosen season 1 had me on the edge of my seat. Even though the characters weren’t exactly as I imagined them looking or speaking, I had no problem identifying who they were at least as the apostle names they would soon grow in to. We are introduced to Simon (Peter) his brother Andrew, Simon’s brother in laws Jehoshaphat and Abraham who engage Simon in a fistfight ( a weekly tradition ) and they are all fisherman. The episode circles around Simon and his brothers tax payment problems and a troubled solution Simon plots that will expose his Jewish fishing friends and brother in law’s. We also meet a troubled Mary Magdalene who has demonic spirits and a troubled past which may very well be related. We meet Nicodemus who is the head of Pharisee from Jerusalem and his struggles between keeping religious commitments and bending for Roman Government rule. One of the most interesting characters had to be the tax collector named Matthew. Matthew appears to be a bit extravagant and doesn’t fit in the mainstream Jewish community, not only because of his position as tax collector, but maybe he is a little bit autistic causing him to be extremely good with numbers but not so much with people. Matthew has a large character arc and I can’t wait to see him develop. Of course a show about Jesus would not be complete if Jesus does not make an appearance, which he thankfully does at the end of the 1st episode. Jesus appears as Mary had been contemplating suicide and was going to drink her way out of her troubles. Jesus performs his first miracle on the show and casts out the demons from Mary. I find this show very easy to watch and also very inspiring and educational. The story follows scripture and the bible is quoted often in the story lines. But the show also allows character development and allows each character to grow into their role, as in the Bible, each character will transform far beyond where they each started. The first episode ended where it started, this verse was read to Mary from her dying father at the beginning of the episode, Jesus repeated this verse at the end of the episode prior to removing her demons. Isiah 43:1 But now this saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
If you haven’t had a chance to see the Chosen, I would highly recommend you head over to You Tube and watch for free. Have a blessed and peaceful day. Amen.
When discussing Jesus short time on earth, we know that God sent him to earth to teach, and preach the word of God. Teach us to Learn and study the scripture, the Bible. To walk by faith and not by sight. And Jesus did that and much much more. Jesus was the light. People were drawn to him, drawn to his purity and innocence, drawn to his vast knowledge of the word of God, spoken through parables. Performing miracles, curing leprosy, blindness, the crippled, walking on water, making wine from water, casting demons out of people, raising the dead, and many more miracles such as transforming the church to houses of God and standing up to Roman government rules and regulations on controlling the word of God. Jesus was known as the Messiah, Teacher, Rabbi, Son of Man, Son of God, Lord, Master, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice, dying on a cross, a crucifixion, being resurrected and solidifying believers and faithful followers of God that there would be everlasting life in heaven with God and Jesus. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. An ultimate sacrifice that paid for all of our sins. We were given an opportunity to seek repentance, forgiveness, and retribution. We were given a chance to transform from our own sinful past and start anew with a new presence, a chance to be the light that Jesus was. It all starts with a new beginning for us. An act of faith, of belief. Pray and Pray often. Beg the Lord for forgiveness for your sins. Repent. When I started repenting, I tried to imagine every sin that I ever did, and it was mind numbing. I thought who could forgive me for all of these sins that I have committed in my life? But the truth is, Jesus can and will if you believe. If you truly believe and accept him in your heart, Jesus can. My transformation although far from complete has changed my life. The old me has died, and the new me can only see God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. My priorities changed. Gone is the drinking, sinful lusting, lying, boasting, and many other sins. Present is Peace, Love, Joy, Faith and Belief. My studies are now the Bible, Meditation and lots and lots of Prayer and Thankfulness. My Love for God and Jesus grows each day. My prayer for anyone reading this article is you will find the reason that Jesus came to earth and that he died on a cross to pay for our sins and offer us a chance to find and believe in him, so that we can go home to our Father one day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
A very thought provoking verse from the book of 1 Timothy. While it is true that we came into this world with nothing physical, we were born into this world as children of God. As children we learn from our parents and teachers about the ways of the world through large lenses and not much substance. We may even go to Church or Sunday school and learn something about God. As each one of us journeys’ through life on earth, we generally get jobs, start a family, work on saving money, buying a house, buy things, acquire objects etc. All of these things should be viewed as necessary as long as we do not forget about the fact we were all born as children of God, and therefore, we should never forget that our Holy Father takes priority over the acquiring of things. We certainly can’t carry it out with us when our life on earth expires. And it will expire. The one true fact of life is that we will all surely die one day. The verse is not intended to say that acquiring wealth on earth is bad, however, in some cases wealth can lead to temptations, sinful acts and steer you farther away from God, and Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:6 But Godliness with contentment is great gain. There are many examples in the Bible of how God will provide for us. One example is the birds. While birds have no known homes or possessions, God sees to it that they are fed and protected from the elements. Are we not thought of more highly than birds? Of course we are. Are the riches from God that we receive enough? Is food and shelter enough? Yes it is!!! When Jesus walked on earth, he did not have a house. He did not have a car. He did not have a refrigerator full of food. Jesus walked on earth being fed by the word of God. Yes Jesus ate, and he had shelter. But it was provided to him by strangers, people who welcomed him into their house, because they knew he was there to preach the word of God, perform miracles, and provide spiritual comfort.
1 Timothy 6:6 But Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. So let us be content with what God provides us. Food and Raiment. Jesus was content. “But Godliness with contentment is great gain”. Our great gain, something we can take with us after death is truly Godliness. Don’t get caught up in someone else’s contentment. Don’t compete to try to meet their level of contentment. Be happy and content with what God provided for you. It is my understanding we are here on earth for spiritual knowledge and growth, not materialistic gain. We are here to prepare for eternal life. For an eternal life in God’s Kingdom alongside God and his Son Jesus Christ. As we are born God’s children so will we die God’s children. Hopefully we will die accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and your eternal belief that Jesus died on a cross to pay for our sins and our eternal salvation. Accept the Holy Spirit in to your heart and listen to his knowledge through reading the Bible, meditation and prayer. In summary, we do come in this world with nothing and leave with nothing, unless we have Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in our Heart and Soul. We will leave with our spiritual not materialistic gains. Godliness and Jesus Christ. Amen
Daily Bread 
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