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“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” – 1 John 5:13

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” – John 6:47

From the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt entombing things for the afterlife into the pyramids, to Ponce de Leon searching the New World for the fountain of youth, there is a quest for eternal life.  

How is your quest for eternal life going? The scripture teaches that you can know you have eternal life.

Many seek to earn eternal life, to deserve it, to merit it. The Bible teaches that there can never be enough good works to earn eternal life. The bar is too high. The cost is too great. Only God can reach the bar. Only God can pay the price. Only God can provide a path to heaven. He did through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary as he paid for the sins of the world. He paid for you sins. He paid the price to give you the gift of eternal life. You accept this gift through the simple act of faith – believing that Christ died for your sins and accepting His tremendous gift.

Whether you just believed, or have believed for many years, rejoice today in His love, His great goodness and mercy, and in His gift of eternal life.

“And ye shall know the truth and the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – Jesus, in John 8:32

There are so many aspects to truth.

Oftentimes when people talk about truth, what they mean is ‘I’m so full of truth that I need to set you straight’. Today let’s explore truth in our own hearts.

It’s so acceptable to not be truthful in our hearts that we might not even  think about it.  If someone disagrees with our world / political viewpoint, then they are immediately labeled as some derogatory category. It’s almost a sport to make ourselves feel morally superior to some other groups of people. That is not loving your neighbor.

It is sometimes expedient to exaggerate to try to make our point – and of course dimmish the other person’s point…and maybe even try to dimmish the other person. Again, that’s not loving your neighbor. It might be tempting to take a little bit of truth and add to it. Statements like ‘everybody thinks…’.  

Being truthful doesn’t mean you have to set other people straight. On the contrary, it means you have to be honest in your heart and receive and accept truth, even when it’s not what you to be. Maybe those people you disagree with do have some valid points.

Can an evil person have good in them? Can a good person have evil in them? Our minds don’t like ambiguity, takes a lot of mental and emotional work to admit it.

Let’s make sure we keep our hearts and minds open to truth.

“Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6

God created us to enjoy life. There is nothing wrong with seeking to enjoy life.

Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10

What do you think of when you think of abundant life? Good health, wealth, people who love you, achievement, success.

None of this is bad, but it can become bad if we pursue it in a way that hurts others – or hurts ourselves. Or doesn’t seek to obtain God’s best and highest for us.

God desires for us to have our highest and best. Our greatest enjoyment in life will come through a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God loves all, so when we love God we will also love our neighbor and seek good for our neighbor.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 14:17

Sometimes we serve God and our fellow man through the work we do. Maybe loving and serving your family. Maybe a job where we provide services or products. Working is a high calling from God, that we should recognize the service in and recognize the joy in it. Yes, work can be hard, bad bosses, bad co-workings, bad customers, bad environment, people who don’t appreciate you. No matter the circumstance you find yourself in, see it as service to God. Dedicate yourself to service to God

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24

Heartily – willingly; have you ever thanked anyone for doing something, or asked them to do something for you and they responded “My pleasure”? That seems like they are doing it heartily!

As unto the Lord – whether people appreciate you or not, be assured that God does.

Of the Lord ye shall receive the reward… I’m thinking that the Lord can give the greatest reward. Salary and benefits are good, but the Lord’s reward is even better.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” – Ephesians 3:20

God wants you to feel free to enjoy your life.

Good and bad pride.

Most often the Bible and Christians talk about pride as a sin.

Indeed, there is an abundance of scripture that condemns pride!

Is there a good pride? It seems so. That’s because the English language (maybe all languages?) have limitations on the meanings of words.

Sometimes we use the word proud when we are grateful, thankful, joyful, glad, pleased, or happy. Some examples: I’m so proud of your achievement! I’m so proud that I survived. I’m so proud I’m strong. These are a good kind of ‘pride’.

Are there any examples like that in the scriptures? Maybe. Maybe we could think of these as examples of being good ‘proud’. Twice God said of Jesus: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased…” This is Matt. 13:17 and Matt. 17:5, at Jesus’ baptism and at the transfiguration. In 2 Cor. 7:4, Paul wrote of boasting, not in the context of it being sinful: “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” It seems there are things we can boast about and be proud of!

Of course, there is also that bad pride. This is that pride when we think we are so much better than others, that we have contempt for them. Sometimes that kind of pride is very obvious. Sometimes it’s very subtle, as in, ‘I would never do that!’ That might be a disguised way of saying, ‘I’m so much better than them!”

It could be that we think we are too good for the circumstances. ‘That should never happen to me!’

Too good to have to deal with it
Too good to have to do that work
Too good
Above others
Above God

As we examine our hearts about good pride and bad pride, here’s a surprising scripture about pride. What was the sin of Sodom? Here’s what the scripture says: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness…neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”

May the Lord help us to know our hearts. Give all of our heart to Him.

A little book of just five chapters in the Old Testament is Lamentations. It’s the lamentations (meaning sorrow, or mourning) of Jeremiah the prophet as he mourning over the destruction that is coming to his people. He mourns because they brought the destruction upon themselves because of their sins and refusal to follow God.

In Chapter 3, Jeremiah describes the most devastating circumstances. He says that God has brought wrath upon him, brought him into darkness and not light, broken his bones, put a hedge around him so he can’t get out, made his chain heavy, left him desolate, made him a laughing stock to everyone, filled him with bitterness. He says he forgot prosperity. In verse 18, he says “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord”.

But then he had a realization in 3:21-25:

 ²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

²² It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

²⁴ The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

²⁵ The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It reminds us that no matter how bad the circumstances (even if we caused the circumstances), God still shows his mercies.

God is good to them that wait for him, to them that seek him.

Persistence toward a worthy goal will always pay off. Even if the goal is not reached, there will be benefits realized.

The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says that persistence is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.

When we try to do something and don’t see results, it’s easy to get discouraged and to give up. There is a time and a place for that, and you can ask God for wisdom to know the difference. But many times, the best thing to do is not give up, but to keep working toward the goal, slowly and diligently. Results often come over time, one little success built on top of another little success, until it becomes a significant success.

Aesop’s story of the Tortoise and the Hare makes the point. Can you imagine how hopeless it might have felt at times plodding along as a turtle when the rabbit could run so fast and so easily? Yet the turtle was successful.  

When giving advice to beginning writers or playwrights, the comedian Wood Allen said “80 percent of success is showing up”. He meant that if you are going to success at something you have to do it. The quote has been widely repeated, maybe because there’s a grain of truth in it.

What are some of the things you know are good and that would like to achieve? Are you being persistent in them? How can you train yourself in being more persistent?

Maybe you can break a large goal into small goals, or set a time when you will work on it. An example might be if you want to exercise more, set a small goal. Instead of working out an hour ever day, may try working out 10 minutes ever day. You can try that on any goal or work you have, try breaking it into small pieces so you can see that you are having some success.

In many cases, persistence is more important than intelligence, strength, or looks. That’s great news! You have a great deal of control over your persistence!

The Bible in Galatians 6:9 says: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

In due season we shall reap!

A spirit of dissatisfaction can torment you. It can cause you to have anxiety, even depression. Not good enough, not strong enough, not attractive enough, not smart enough, not wealthy enough, not healthy enough, not this enough, not that enough.

Relax. Take a deep breath. You don’t have to be everything. Reflect on what God has given you. Enjoy who you are. You are not perfect. You don’t have to be. You are not this and not that. That’s ok. Accept who you are, where you are, and what you have. It’s ok.

Your relationship with God doesn’t depend on what you don’t have, on what you can’t do. Simply trust Him and strive to obey Him.

Does that mean you should not try to get better? No! Embrace the life you have, which means you can be free to work toward making the most of the life you have.

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” – Hebrews 13:5

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.- Psalms 91:2

How good to know that we can trust in God to be our refuge and fortress. This is in good times and in bad times.

A refuge is a place of safety, a shelter, protection from danger. A place where you can enjoy life, prosper, thrive, serve God and your fellow man.

A fortress protects you when the evil comes to get you. It may be outside raging to destroy you. But you are safe inside the fortress.

Trust God in all conditions – just starting life, or nearing the end of life; in peace or in turmoil; in poverty or in prosperity; and all the conditions in between all of those.

Your life is in His hands. You can trust God with your past, with your present, and with your future. You can trust Him with the people you love the most. You can trust Him with the affairs of the whole world.

God has it under control.

Lean into God today as your sure refuge and fortress.

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (KJV)

We were created to seek pleasure. This is not sin. When man was created sinless in the Garden of Eden, he sought pleasure. That’s how God created him.

God wants us to have pleasure. He knows that our highest and best pleasure will be found in our fellowship with Him, our relationship with Him.

Some may see this view of being hedonistic, i.e. devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. Such as a statement like ‘he lives such a hedonistic lifestyle’. But it depends on our definition of pleasure. If we know that our greatest pleasure will be found in God, then our pursuit of God is the pursuit of pleasure.

It’s only sin when we seek pleasure in the wrong ways, outside of God’s ways.

Let’s seek God – let’s seek joy.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

It’s easy to speak unkind, angry, self-centered words. Maybe it’s the frustrations of life, disappointments, unexpected set back, hurry, stress, tiredness, or just not feeling well.

You have a choice. You don’t have to speak those words.

The Bible says: “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious.” Ecclesiastes 10:12

The word ‘man’ as used here means all people, man, woman, boy, girl.

And you are wise, aren’t you? Of course, you are. God has given you a measure of wisdom, and you can exercise it.

So what does it mean to say gracious words? It’s kindness, generosity of spirit. Not exact revenge, not give out what it deserved. When some one says or does something that deserves harshness – instead show them grace, refuse to be that harsh person. Instead if rationalizing and justifying a harsh response that a person may well deserve, instead show kindness, speak graciously.

You can do this. You are wise. Yes, you really are.