From Pity to Praise

The Peace Of God

People everywhere search for peace. We sing songs and travel to try and find it. We even wage war to protect it. Many wealthy and powerful people would trade everything for just a few minutes of peace. But, what they often find is false peace which is a completely different peace that if offered by Jesus,

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” – John 14:27

The peace offered by the world is an empty promise and can only bring temporary comfort. God’s peace is permanent peace offered by the only One who can be trusted to keep His Word and heal our sins.

The world’s peace is fleeting and changes with every circumstance.

During times of prosperity, nations experience temporary peace. But when economies struggle, countries find themselves on the brink of civil war as well as war with their neighbors. The peace of the world is a precarious thing. Conflict erupts when people are hungry, peace disappears when circumstances turn ugly.

Think back to when covid 19 happened. The government told us how we had to live, where we could go, and what he had to wear on our faces, to time spend with family, we had to stay 6 feet away. If your anxiety was high and were afraid and thought you were going to die. You did not have peace with God. The world is good a trying to lead us astray and using our fear as a weapon against us. Don’t get me wrong, covid can make us very sick, but there was medicine to help it, medicine in which America has nearly been banned to keep us from taking it.

“The says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray; for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their mouths, they prepare war against them” – Michah 3:5

The world’s peace is built on the weak foundation of compromise.

In the Old Testament, God warned the Israelites that if they intermarried for political reasons, they would face the temptation to compromise their love for the One true God and end up serving false gods. This compromise, though would create a temporary absence of conflict and would ultimately lead to destruction.

“Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are going to enter, otherwise, there will become a snare amount you” -Exodus z34:12 (NIV)

“Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your won’t, and never speak of peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever” -Ezra 9:12

Now many people intermarry and it’s not a problem unless they share your beliefs in God. In many cases it leads to trouble.

The world’s peace ignores the root of the problem.

When asked “What is wrong with the world today?” many will point out to the volatile stock markets, corrupt governments, climate control, poor diets, lack of healthcare, broken families, poor schools, and more. The world tries to fix these problems by doing good, feeding children, building wells, regulating stock markets, conserving wildlife, funding schools and thereby achieving a type of peace.

Worldly Peace tries to fix the symptoms of sin but fails to see how the root of the problem is the sin disease itself, something that can only be healed by God, not by money, regulation, or reform. Dealing with the symptoms of sin but failing to diagnose the sin itself is not new. In the New Testament, the false prophets treated sin lightly and proclaimed the problem ‘solved’ when it wasn’t.

“They have healed the wound of my people lightly saying, ‘Peace, Peace,’ when there is no peace” -Jeremiah 6:14

“Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying “Peace,” and there is no peace. When one builds up a wall behold, they plaster it with whitewash“ – Ezekiel 13:10

In contrast to the world’s promise of peace, God’s peace is permanent and firmly grounded in His Word. He doesn’t ignore sin -He heals it, making His peace a different kind of peace from what we find in the world.

God’s peace is permanent and secure.

When circumstances are free of conflict, we enjoy momentary peace. But when we face difficult relationships, health problems, and financial crises, the monetary quiet is disrupted and chaos rules the day.

God offers us peace in the midst of the chaos. His peace doesn’t change with the circumstances, it is secure in spite of the circumstances.

“For the mountains may depart and the hills removed, but My steadfast love shall not depart from you, and My covenant of peace shall no bet removed” – Isaiah 54:10

“I have said these things to you, that in my you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” – John 16:33

God’s peace is built on the sure foundation of His Word.

Young or old, male or female, we’ve all experienced the pain of broken promises. No matter how much our families, friends, and coworkers love us, at some point, someone will disappoint us. And despite our best intentions, we are likely to disappoint someone else by saying or doing one thing or another. God’s Word, however, can be trusted. He never contradict Himself or acts in a way that is our of character. He will never disappointed us.

“Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble“ -Psalm 119:165

God’s peace is ours because Jesus heals our root of sin.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You” -Isaiah 26:3

All religions other than Christianity have one thing in common. They try to achieve peace with God by doing works and following rules. Christianity is different.

In Following Jesus, we are offered peace with God because those who “once were far off have been reconciled to God through Jesus’s death and resurrection. (Ephesians 2:13). Jesus’s sacrifice addresses the root of the problem that the world ignores. By His sacrifice, He bridged the gap that sin inserted between us and God. He took the punishment for our sin and in exchange He gives us peace with God.

When we experience eternal peace through reconciliation with God in Jesus, we also receive the Holy Spirit. Because of Him, we enjoy the blessing of peace in our daily lives -even when we find ourselves in the midst of turmoil.

I believe that until we learn hoe to follow God’s commandments, man’s laws will never work.

Security Or Adventure

Are you seeking security or adventure?

I have always been an adventure seeker. I have an insatiable curiosity, always eager to explore new places and new experiences. I am able to adapt to new things very easily. I have a keen awareness of everything around me. I don’t like to give up,

But as I am growing older being adventurous is getting harder to do.

The Consequences Of Sin

When was the last time you thought about the consequences of sin? I’m not talking about the little moral compass you have that tells you what is right or wrong. I’m talking about the personal effect it might have on many different levels.

Scripture tells us over and over that sin leads to death and destruction because there are consequences with going against the grain regarding how God has designed us to live.

Physically –Sin can cause an internal conflict between God and us, leading us to health issues and taking a physical toll on our bodies. Depending on the sin you battle with, it can affect your blood pressure, sleeping patterns, or destruction of your body depending on your lifestyle choices because of sin.

Emotionally –The Bible tells us that walking the wide road or the easy way leads to destruction, interestingly, this goes beyond physical death and results in emptiness, hopelessness, and brokenness. Many people go down this path of sin because they are hoping it will fulfill them emotionally. Unfortunately that is not the case. Many people have experienced guilt, depression and even suicidal thoughts due to emotional consequences of sin.

Spiritually -The most common consequence we understand is spiritual death. You may understand that sin breaks off our relationship with God, which affects us spiritually. On another level, many people at not feel they aren’t “good enough” to be in any relationship with God due to their sins. So, they never attempt to turn to or turn back to God.

Psalm 36:3

“The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and do good.”

Jesus described the wicked man’s character in Matthew 15:19

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.”

With transgression we meet an unusual character in the evil have a voice. This evil voice speaks to the sinner in his heart. The wicked person has no sense that the terror of the Lord will come upon him because of their sinful deeds. There is no anticipation of God’s coming judgment because this voice deludes their sin and flatters them.

Being A Warrior For God

As believers in Messiah, each of us is a warrior of God. There are characteristics of being a warrior for God. There are actions we need to take to grow in that role.

What It Means To Be A Warrior For God

Being a warrior for God we need to realize how important and life changing it is to walk in that role. Matthew 5:9 tells us,

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons (daughters) of God.”

Once we understand what a warrior for God does, we realize that this scripture does not nullify that position. A warrior for God is not a person who seeks conflict, nor do they fight every battle they see. They listen to the Holy Spirit so that they know when they are to fight and when they are not. Spiritual positioning is their center of operations.

Remember when Jesus was tempted in the desert? He resisted the devil, and fought him with the Word of God -the truth and the devil had no way of winning against Him. But it’s important to remember that the devil attempted ti battle Jesus with the Word. Yet, because Jesus is the Word and because He battled as a warrior of God -with Godly wisdom nothing the devil tried to do to twist God’s Word worked. A true warrior has the Holy Spirit inside them, guiding them in His Word, so that they can battle with God’s Word as Jesus did.

“Haven’t I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go“ –Joshua 1:9

When I was a new believer, I was helping a woman get out of a marriage full of domestic violence. The woman’s husband had a friend that he sent to harass and terrorize her. She couldn’t go anywhere with this lady causing her fear. Her relentless harassment was unbelievable. I probably used my new faith in the wrong way, but every time i seen her when I was with the woman she tried to insight fear. She would say something threatening I would come back a her with a Bible verse. Eventually she stopped harassing the woman all together. And the husband

Godly characteristics and behaviors stand deep in the hearts of God’s warriors. A few of the habits and characteristics that warriors of God ought to have include:

A Prayer life
Understanding and use of intercession (praying for others)
Love of Justice, truth, and righteousness
Strengthening your faith through God’s Word
Peace found through God
Worship and praise
Heavenly direction regarding which battles to engage in or ignore
Unity and fellowship with other believers
A relationship with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The full armor of God
Kingdom-based goals

These things are vital, however, the list, while long, should not intimidate you. Each of us is a work in progress. God does not choose us because we are perfect. He chooses ys because He sees something in us,

Jesus is a carpenter selecting wood. He understands not only the process and hours it will take to transform the raw material into something spectacular, but He envisions what is hidden inside the finished work. He sees not only who we are now, but who we will become when He all allowed to take His tools and shape us.

At this time maybe we are great at maintaining a spirit of praise within us. Or perhaps we realize deep within our spirit God is a God of justice and so we love justice, yet other areas may be lacking. We may have a spirit of praise within us, but we do not understand that we are daughters and sons of God. We make love justice but we don’t fellowship with other believers.

We may not be “finished products” yet but God stands ready and willing to shape us.

Following God is a big step. Building a relationship with Him the next. Because as relationship and understanding of He is develops, our character changes. We begin to behave more like Him, because we spend more time with Him.

Galatians 2:20 says, we have been crucified with Christ:

“I have been crucified with Messiah, and it is no longer I that live but Messiah lives in me. That life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”

Being a work in progress doesn’t mean we are not to press onward and upward toward our call to God. It does not mean that we will not have battles or victories because we have not arrived. By the time Jesus was tested in the desert, He was hardly in his prime physical condition. He had been 40 days without food, He was hungry, and He was not at home where He could have a fire at night or shelter in the day…it was in that place where the devil attacked Him, it was there He was tested.

Doubt as David did, going to face the giants in our life when we are led to do so, even if in the natural the weapons we carry and our own size seem inadequate – this us the obedience and faith that leads to victory. It is where God moves with power and receives all the glory.

How To Know Your Battles

Listening to the Holy Spirit is key to achieving victory. It is He who tells us what battles we are to engage in, how we are to fight, and what we need to do.

Battles, even those that happen in the natural, are spiritually driven. We never fight against flesh and blood, and the weapons we typically use need to be chosen accordingly.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” – Ephesians 6;12

The battles we fight can often be accomplished by praying and intercession. But some may require additional weapons, such as praise and worship. Or even taking territory on the mountain of influence that God has put us in.

Yet, in all of these things, we need to remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. We need to seek Him and His will first and foremost. He needs to be the one who chooses what battles we are to face and which weapons we are to use. The Lord is our General, (Our commander in chief), and choosing to follow His commands is the surest way to achieve victory. Remember God sees the whole picture, He has the maps information, and vision to see us safely through any challenge,

When God tells us to face our against, we are going to be like David, stepping out in obedience and faith, trusting God to do the rest. To do the big thing.

It is time for us to stand as warriors of God, to pray, to listen, and to battle as God directs us.

It is time for us to realize that victory comes not through usm but through God. Let’s boast in the Lord because it is He who gives us victory.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust the name of the Lord our God.” -Psalm 20:7

Who Would I Invite To Dinner

If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

If I could invite I would invite my father. I still have many questions to ask him. I would of course have fresh halibut and asparagus for him with Miller Light beer. It was my fathers’s favorite meal, and beer.

My questions would be about the repressed memories I have about childhood trauma’s. I only recall experiences because of dissociating amnesia. I remember a deep fryer being poured on top of me when I was four. I remember being locked in a long hallway with the doors being locked and told to shut up and not make a sound, or I would regret it. I remember having nightmares so bad I would vomit, and my mother coming in and telling me I was disgusting and tearing off my pajamas and blankets and my sleeping naked freezing until morning.. I remember being scalded with water when give a bath. These I have come to grips with and healed from. But I know there’s more, that I have repressed. At times I still get flashbacks of certain experiences but I would like to ask my father about them. Just so I could heal from them and move on.

Things That Get Better With Age

What do you think gets better with age?

There are good things about being old, such as increased confidence, less stress, and deep friendships. You won’t hear this often because people tend to focus on the negatives of aging.

We become wiser. With age comes wisdom because of the trials we’ve gone through and learned through. We also have emotional intelligence because the wealth of experiences we have a better emotional understanding and control. Or friendships get deeper with age. You learn it’s about quality not quantity. A few very good friends is better that a lot of shallow friends.

We have clearer priorities. The more I experience in life, the more I know what I like and don’t like, and what I need and don’t need. When you realize that life is short, and am less likely to waste my time with people or activities that are not worthwhile.

Choosing Your Battles Wisely

“Don’t pick fights!” You can probably hear a parents of teacher echoing this advice in your heads. Don’t be that child who throws the first punch. Choosing your battle is an important life skill.

Battles are inevitable. They are going to come our way whether we like it our not. Our survival depends greatly on how we handle battles and that pesky emotion on anger. Battles make us angry, there’s no doubt about that. Anger though isn’t always a bad thing. The emotion of anger is usually lumped all into one category and labeled as bad. Which is not true. All anger is not bad. Once we learn to manage the emotion of anger correctly, then we can learn the importance of choosing our battles wisely.

Let’s face it, most battles come from the root of anger. Either someone is angry with us or we are angry with someone. No Matter which comes first when battles get going both parties are angry.

Believers often ask is it a sin to be angry, I can answer this with a scripture,

“Be angry, and don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath” –Ephesians 4:26

All emotions are created by God. Even God is often angry throughout the Bible. Where do you think the whole flood came from? Anger is intended to help us fight evil in the world. God wants us to be angry at sin like Jesus was.

Jesus wasn’t walking around with a lamb in His arms all the time. He was fearless and brave. He didn’t tolerate the Pharisee’s hypocrisy and He told them so.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation” – Matthew 23:14

He said it straight to their faces too. He was sinless in His anger, though. Unfortunately, most of us wind up sinning because of our anger.

In Matthew 21:12 Jesus went into the temple in Jerusalem and saw the merchants using it to make money, and He became angry. He turned their tables over and threw them out. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like anger to me. He was not sinning though He chose that battle. He elevated the situation and divided it was worth fighting for.

Angry is a motivator. It should motivate us to speak out against what’s wrong. But what happens to most of us is it motivates us to speak our during the wrong.

Angry is not a sin in itself. Anger is a powerful emotion that God blessed us with. Angry can be used to motivate us into action when injustice is present and when danger is present. There are times when God wants us to fight, not with our fists or weapons, but to speak up and battle against evil.

In Ephesians 6:11 we are told “Put on the whole armor of God,” that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

If we are pitting on the armor then there must be some fighting going on. Anger can give us the courage to stand up against pressure when people want us to do something wrong. It gives us the courage to speak out when others are doing wrong. When believers are protecting against evil in society, they are not their because it’s fun, it’s because they are angry.

I will never be about protests and riots, but I am for smacking satan in the face. Protests and riots are the wrong kind of anger. Our anger can certainly can swell up for stupid reasons.

In the movie Star Wars, there is a character named “Yoda” who speaks the truth. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Of all the God-given emotions, anger is probably the one that is easiest to be misused. Anger can turn a seemingly timid person into a hero or a monster. Every violent criminal sitting in prison today was once an innocent baby but at some point in their life they indulged their anger. That’s the kind of anger when indulged improperly can lead to all kinds of sin.

Being able to identify good anger from bad anger is one of the most important skills we can ever learn in life. What triggers have nothing to do with Godly anger:

Hurt Feelings

Our pride may swell up and tell us otherwise, but hurt feelings are not the basis for Godly anger.

“Great piece have those who love Your law, and nothing caused them to stumble” – Psalm 119:165

If you are offended and you are feelings are often hurt, then you are not dwelling in the peace of God. Jesus was often accused of being filled with demons, blaspheming God, treason against the government and more, but He was not offended, though these things hurt His feelings.

Feeling get hurt when they are in the way. Just like a foot stuck in the way tripping others up as they pass by. Our feelings, when they are out of control and all over the place, will get hurt more often. The trick is to our feelings in their place. Feelings come and go but if we take those feelings to Jesus in prayer we can hand those feelings over to Him.

Misunderstandings

Misunderstandings are a huge contributor to the wrong anger. Misunderstandings can grow into huge problems. Jesus knew this, that is why He gave us a plan for dealing with misunderstandings.

“If your brother (or sister) sins against you, go show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your bother” -Matthew 18:15.

If we would take the first step, which Jesus Himself instructed, then misunderstandings could be figured out very quickly. What we tend to do instead is discuss the problem with everybody else except with the person to who we have the problem lies. So, the misunderstanding grows and grows and gets spread around rather than getting resolved. What looks like a huge problem that makes us angry could just be a misunderstanding. God to the person like Jesus instructed and find out.

Passing Problems

Every day in life there are thousands of little problems that could have the potential to be anger triggers and battle triggers. There is one question to ask yourself before you indulge that anger and take on that battle, “will this matter in a year?”

This is a great way to put those passing problems in perspective. Some problems are a big deal, and will matter down the road, but not all of them. We must evaluate these emotions of anger, and where they are coming from and make wise choices. Take a minute to evaluate the problem. Is it just a little passing problem that no one will remember in a year? If so, then just pass over it. When we act rashly based on our anger we can damage relationships and our reputation and ultimately hinder our relationship with God.

Consequences of Battles

When we head into a battle too quickly, there can be terrible consequences. This is especially true when we are fighting battles that stem from hurtful feelings, misunderstandings, and passing problems. Although the types of consequences that can result from his fought battles can be endless there are negative consequences when we are too quick to jump onto the battle bandwagon.

Damaged Relationships

Some of the most intense feelings of anger we will ever experience will be caused by and aimed toward the people we love the most. The closer the relationship, the more potential there is for anger and fighting. Most people believe this is caused by the fact that anger and love are the emotions of passion. Love can ignite great passion in us, but flip things around a little and that passion turns quickly to anger.

When dealing with people who we are very close to, we must choose our battles carefully. Damaged relationships are often hard to repair. When we jump into every battle or fight that comes our way, we will eventually begin to diminish our relationship with others. If we take a minute to think about it, we can probably think of someone who has a reputation for being short-tempered. Everything sets them off. Every little battle becomes a battle. They have developed a reputation of anger, fighting and struggle. People tend to stay away from them because of it.

If you want to avoid developing a reputation of this kind, and consciously make an effort to choose your battles wisely, fight your battles wisely and deal with your anger wisely.

Dealing With Anger Wisely

The key to Ephesians 4:26 to understanding how to use anger wisely. When we can use our anger wisely, then we can easily choose our battles. To deal with anger wisely we need to pinpoint the different anger triggers that we have personally.

The anger triggers I’ve listed above are some general areas that often ignite anger. You personally may have others. We have to use discernment when anger starts creeping up in us. Discernment enables us to judge critically what is correct and proper, and is united with caution.

When we are evaluating our circumstances correctly, properly and cautiously we delay our anger at the time, and we pass over a transgression. Sometimes when we are really angry we should not react at all. Sometimes we get angry about really silly stuff.

Sometimes is best to not react over something that seems like a really big deal.

I’ve seen people literally get angry over someone taking a parking spot. Some people have gotten shot over this. There is absolutely no way to justify a brutal violent act like that,

Seeing Things With God’s Perspective

Th idea that the Spirit of God works through our circumstances and choices, through the things that happen to us, had given me a helpful perspective from which to view my own lit and the lives of those around me.

Perspective is important. Our decisions and how we live our lives are based on how we see things. In that sense, perspective is more important than reality.

God is continentally teaching me to see with new eyes. The prophet Isaiah tells us the rebellious people have ears that can’t hear and eyes that can’t see, and hearts that don’t understand.

God encourages us to see with the eyes of our hearts. Seeing with God’s perspective is an ongoing challenge for everyone. And learning to see things with God’s eyes is important. God sees our hearts, or souls.

There’s a saying that goes, “When you start looking at people’s hearts instead of their faces, life becomes clear.“

I am continually reminded what shapes my life. In the midst of everything I realize how far from perfect I am and how little I have obtained, but keep pressing on, away from everything in my past that distracts me and move toward everything that gives me life today and in the future. This way of looking at my life keeps me going. Knowing that the Holy Spirit is key.

Our lives are like rivers. They seldom go in a straight line for very long. We adapt to the ongoing changes and circumstances, some of which come at us suddenly, and some gradually. When we look at our lives from this vantage point the truth of Romans 8:28 is seen.

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God for those who are called according to His purpose.”

When times are hard we know why, so we can make sense of our circumstances and move on. Knowing He sees from a far more distant horizon called eternity. Our lives become a beautiful pattern of journeying with God. Nothing is wasted, nothing is unimportant to God. The explanations of what we are going through may be inadequate to the larger spiritual meaning of our journey. God is always charting a new course creating something original with our lives -something of eternal significance that will only be apparent to us at the end.

Isaiah 55 points us to the idea that God’s ways and thoughts are beyond us. He sees things from a higher perspective. From a higher altitude.

Increasing Comfort In Daily Life

What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life?

There are a practices I do everyday for comfort. From that first sip of coffee in the morning to reading my Bible and meditating on God Word. My long baths with a cup of red wine in the evening. These daily practice give me comfort in my daily life.

Living With The Mind Of Christ

One of my greatest revelations of my life is: I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. I don’t have to think about whatever enters my mind.

This was life changing for me. Proverbs 23-7 says,

“For as he thinks in his heart so he is…”

So, where the mind goes, the man follows. God is concerned about what’s in our hearts, which is our inner life. Our inner life is what we think about. The way we think determines how we live and who we are. That’s why we need to think about what we are thinking about.

It’s important for us to understand this because if we don’t learn how to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus, we won’t live the life Jesus died for us to have. Peace with God gives is peace with ourselves. It comes down to choosing to believe what God says as truth more that we believe our feeling, what other people say about us or our circumstances.

The Bible tells us three things we must do to develop a mind that agrees with God.

“Set your minds and keep them set on what is above” – Colossians 3:2 (AMP).

This is the key to resisting temptation. When we make up our minds ahead of time about what we will and won’t do, then when temptation comes, we have laid a foundation to make the right choices and are more likely to successfully overcome those temptations. For instance, before you get into social situations, decide you’re not going to gossip. I’m not going to ruin someone else’s reputation and offend God. Other situations include “I’m not going to eat candy today, or I’m not going to hang out with people who are a bad influence. The point is we won’t want to wait until the temptation arises and then react based on how we feel at the time.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” – Romans 12:2

Renewing the mind is an ongoing process. Every day we need to take the time to study God’s Word so we can purposely think according to what it says. We cannot keep one or two junky areas in our thought lives because it keeps us from being the best that God has for us. We don’t have to be perfect with this, but we need to be a work in progress each day so we can keep our minds renewed and grow in our relationship with God.

“Gird up the lions of your mind…” – 1 Peter 1:13

What the heck is that you’re probably thinking? It’s basically we need to get the junk out of our minds out of our way so we can keep running our race in with Jesus and have the victory God wants us to have. Then we are ready to follow God’s plans for our lives.

We can accomplish these three directions from God to have a thinking session every day. Spend time every day to think about some things on purpose and think about the scriptures that renew your mind with the truth about what God says about Him love for you, His plan for you, and the life He wants you to have.

Look up words you don’t understand and find scriptures that cover areas where you are struggling (Psalms is a good place to start) write them down if you have to and place them in places where you will see them every day.

This is how I changed my thoughts and perspective from being a sad, horrible, selfish person to being a happy, loving person.

If you will commit to set your mind on God’s Word, renewing your mind with truth and get rid of “stinkin thinken” put of your way, then you will experience fullness of new life we all can have with Jesus.

All it takes is a little progress one day at a time.

Biblical Warnings To Take Seriously

People who have undeniable faith in God turn to the wisdom and guidance turn to the Bible. When they study His teachings, memorize scriptures, and strive to follow and obey His commands it leads to improved lives.

However, there are some warnings that everyone tends to ignore, but these warnings can have serious consequences if not heeded. Here are a few:

Don’t Be Deceived

The Bible reminds us to be vigilant of false teachers who try and receive us with their teachings. Jesus warned His disciples, saying,

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” – Matthew 7:15

In 1 John 4;2 we read not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. We need to be discerning and test everything we hear against the truth of God’s Word. Especially today, so many people rely on someone else to tell them things, which deceives them.

Don’t Be Greedy

The Bible warns us against the love of money and the pursuit of wealth. Jesus said to His disciples:

“Watch out and guard yourselves against every form of greed, for even when one has an overflowing abundance does his life consist or not is it derived from his possesses” – Luke 12:15 (AMP)

In 1 Timothy 6:10 Paul said “For the love of money is the root of all evil”

Some people eager for money have wandered from faith and pierced themselves with much grief. We need to be content with what we have and trust in God to provide for our needs.

There’s a saying that goes, “If God is all you have, you have everything you need.”

Avoid Sexual Sin

The Bible reminds us to stay away from sexual immorality and impurity. Paul wrote,

“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” -1 Corinthians 6:18 (AMP

Hebrews 13:4, tells us,

“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”

Control Your Anger

The Bible warns us against anger and the danger of holding grudges. Jesus told His disciples,

“But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother (or sister) without cause will be in danger of judgment. Whoever says to the brother, ‘You good for nothing!’ will be in danger of the council. Whoever says, ‘You fool!‘ will be in danger of the fire of Gehinnom” (Hell) -Matthew 5:22

Paul says in Ephesians 4:26-27, “ In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, do bit give the devil a foothold.”

We need to forgive others as God had forgiven us and not let anger control our lives.

Beware Of Pride

The Bible warns us against pride and the danger of thinking too highly of ourselves. Jesus warned,

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble“ -James 4:6

We need to humble ourselves before God and others and seek to serve others instead of seeking our own glory.

Forgive Others

The Bible warns us against forgiveness and the danger of holding grudges. Jesus warned His disciples saying,

“If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” -Matthew 6:14-15 (AMP)

Worship Only God

The Bible warns us against idolatry and the danger of putting anything before God. The first commandment is,

“You shall have no other gods before me“ – Exodus 20:3

Paul again warns us in 1 Corinthians 10:14, to “ Flee from idolatry.

When we worship only God everything else will fall in place.

Don’t Be Lazy

The Bible warns us against laziness and the danger of wasting our time and talents. Solomon wrote,

“Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise; which having no chief, overseer or ruler, provides her bread in the summer, and gathers het food in the harvest” -Proverbs 6:6-8

Paul also warned,

“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat“ – 2 Thessalonians 3:10

We need to use our time and talents wisely and work hard for the Lord.

Believe In Jesus Christ

The Bible warns us against unbelief and the danger of rejecting God’s truth. Jesus warned,

“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” -John 3:18

Paul wrote,

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” -Hebrews 3:12

Be Genuine In Your Faith

The Bible warns us against hypocrisy and the danger of pretending to be something we are not. Jesus warned His disciples saying,

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” -Matthew 6:1

Paul also warned saying,

“Be careful that you don’t do charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a shofar (trumpet) before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward” – Matthew 6:1-2

When you give -give quietly. And don’t pass judgment on others for their giving.

Mark 12:42-44 tells about the poor widow who put in two coins in the offering plate that had no source of income after her husband’s death. Her offering was much more than the rich men who dropped loose coins that they did not depend on, the widow gave all she had.

It is not the money that is given, but rather the sacrifice made in the offering.

Hope For The Downtrodden

I was noticing today how many people I’ve talked to that said they were tired. But I feel the better word for what they are feeling is downtrodden. Treated very badly by people of power, but do not gave the ability or the energy to do anything about it. Yes, I think that about sums his up.

We are all running a little tired right now. When we buy something for ourselves like a new cell phone or tablet, the feeling is amazing. The device runs fast and the battery seems to last forever. But our old device doesn’t work as well as it used to. You put on the charger at night and the next day it might be charged to 80%, and then it gets worse from there.

That’s a pretty good description of a lot of people right now. The last few years have been difficult for all of us. We’ve been in a burnout.

Along with covid, masks, social distancing, to riots, and the stressful inflation on everything, crime in the streets. These year’s has affected everyone differently.

Let me give you a little hope, in Isaiah 40 God’s people were in exile. It was intended for people who rebelled and had the destruction of God’s land -Isreal. They felt demoralized, exhausted, hopeless, and on the edge of despair. They felt like God had abandoned them, and there was no future left.

Isaiah 40 starts out by saying,

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her.”

God’s people needed comfort at this point. They were tired and discouraged and needed hope. And that’s what God gives them. We end up with one of the more encouraging verses in all of scripture.

God’s people need to start looking at what God is doing and not what’s going on the news, or social media. There is reason for us go hang in there when we feel tired.

Isaiah 40:1-26 tells us that we should not give up because there is nobody who compares in majesty to our God. When you get a glimpse at who God is and what He is willing to do for you, that He comes to you in overwhelming glory to restore what js broken, and conform you.

Our greatest need we have in this broken and discouraging world is to lift our eyes and see God for who He really is. God is our only hope, and the worse the world gets, the more we need Him.

It is in God’s strength that we not only endure what’s going on around us but also advance. To find hope for our tired souls we need only look up and away from our situations. We can rely on His promises with expectancy, confidence, faith, and trust. And “He will lift us up on eagles wings so that we can run and not be weary, walk than not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31).