Safetypinlove

In this Scripture, Jesus is announcing His Second Coming in all its glory to judge the Nations…note that it’s not a matter of if, but the emphatic word when that He uses. Again, in Luke 17:30 Jesus uses the words, “When the Son of Man is revealed” to show that His return will not only be unmistakable and visible to all but will also be sudden, without any opportunity for any last-minute repentance. When Jesus spoke these words, He wanted to clearly highlight His authority and power over all of creation as He triumphantly returned…not as just a preacher, teacher, or healer…but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

It’s quite simple, if you don’t fill your mind with the Word of God, the enemy will fill it with fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and temptation. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “Famine may starve, or bloody war devour, earthquake may overturn and tempest may smite, but amid all, the man who has sought the mercy seat and is sheltered beneath the wings which overshadow it, shall abide in perfect peace.” When our mind is void of God’s promises to fall back on, the enemy can assail us with his lies and half-truths… causing great confusion and a jumbled mind that can’t make good decisions. I John 4:18 tells us that the perfected love of God casts out fear…which for us is a progressive rather than an instantaneous work as we learn to fill our mind with His Word and trust in it. And as we gain more Godly knowledge, we can more easily discern when the enemy is attempting to steal our peace.

There will come times in our life when we are forced to have “those discussions” with our spouse, parents, or even ourselves. They’re awkward and difficult conversations about health and our wishes. And believe me, these talks are hard, but the time to have them is in the quiet comfort of your home and not in the chaos of the Emergency Department. When we can sit down with our loved one in a stress-free environment asking open ended questions with sensitivity and understanding…wise decisions & loving insight will emerge.

The Writer of Hebrews is urging us to recall all the religious leaders, ministers, teachers, and pastors that have positively influenced our Christian Walk. There’s been Pastors that have spoken God’s Word from the pulpit without excuse… blessing you as a baby Christian. There’s been Bible Study Teachers that have carefully and patiently answered all your questions…always pointing you back to Jesus. Finally, there’s been Church Leaders who have valiantly led the flock through difficult times with integrity and Godly focus. We are then to imitate them as they imitate Christ for us…so that we may pass on God’s Word and His promises to the next generation.

Every daybreak is a chance to start a new…every sunrise, an opportunity to begin a fresh. Therefore, don’t start the day with the broken pieces of yesterday. In Isaiah 65:17 The Lord tells us that He will not remember the former things, nor will they come to mind…(these “things” being the adversities and disgraces of our sin.)…so we shouldn’t start the day in shame either. Instead, every morning we are to recall God’s many acts of steadfast & divine love for us…and remember that His mercy & compassion cannot ever end towards His people. Thus, every morning can dawn new and full of joy for us. (Psalm 30:5)

Psalm 80 is a prayer for restoration of God’s favor… asking for guidance and provision. It stems from the Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, where God gave Moses a threefold blessing for Aaron and his sons to recite to the people. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Thus, the Writer of this Psalm is reminding God of what He has promised in the past to His people in this current time of desperate need.

In I Peter 3:3-4 we see a warning against the preoccupation with outward appearances…of having “head knowledge” but no compassion. Or as II Timothy 3:1-5 speaks to having a “form of godliness but denying its power.” For when we’re lovers of ourselves, proud, and boastful…we become more godless than godly. In I Timothy 2:9-10, Paul wasn’t concerned at all with the clothing or jewelry someone wore, but rather with the attitude of the one wearing them. That’s because true beauty comes from within, and it’s how we should live in light of what Jesus has done for us.

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As we look through the Scriptures, we can see that it never ended well for those who tried to usurp God’s glory and place themselves on the throne of their lives. Examples would be Lucifer (Isaiah 14:14), Adam and Eve (Genesis 3: 1-7), and King Herald (Acts 12:21-23) God declared in Isaiah that, “I give My glory to no other.” (Isaiah 42:8) and He means it. There is only one God (I Corinthians 8:4) and we are not Him…and will never be Him. And the sooner we acknowledge our pitiful wretchedness and allow God to work in our lives the better it will be for us.

In the Gospels we see many times Jesus seeking out desolate & deserted places to pray. For this is where He fought His spiritual battles. In Mark 1:12 we read where the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness…the meaning of “drove” here that of Divine and Scriptural necessity. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was by Himself, away from others as He struggled in prayer. So why is secluded prayer important? To start, it’s a way of shutting out the noise of the world and all its distractions…and that includes our phones. It’s a chance to really focus on God and allow Him to speak to you through Scripture and prayer. And finally, like Jesus, it’s an opportunity to take important issues to God…asking for wisdom, direction, and Divine insight.

The crux of this Scripture from John can be found in Romans 12:9, “Love must be sincere.” With the Greek word for “sincere” referencing back to Classical Greek drama, where the actor wore a mask and wasn’t genuine. So here, John is urging his readers to not just think about it, or make promises that they will never keep, or make grandiose speeches with no integrity…but to put their love in action with authenticity…modeling the love of Jesus for all to see.