One of a Christian’s goals is to have a heart that is sensitive to God's voice, His desires, His requirements, to what He teaches and His directions, and especially to His plans for each of us. Unfortunately, we are not always sensitive, and it is possible that in certain areas of our lives, we may become insensitive or even hardened.
 
We can be zealous for the Lord and yet be amazed when God does something for us that we never thought He would do. You may have thought that only a person who lives in sin, who has nothing to do with God, and does not love Jesus, could have a hardened heart. And indeed, we have the example of Pharaoh of Egypt while keeping the people of Israel in slavery. Most of us know about the ten plagues that were struck on the Egyptians, because Pharaoh would not let the people go. The plagues that God sent upon the Egyptians, were the result of Pharaoh’s hardened heart, and God used the situation to show His power and be recognized by the Egyptians and set His people free from Egyptian bondage to be able to leave and worship their God.
 
We often fail to understand that a hardened heart is the result of profoundly not knowing the truth of God's Word. The heart loses its sensitivity when we do not understand how wonderful God is, how deeply He works in our lives, and how great and unlimited His power is to help, transform, grow, and strengthen us.
 
On the other hand, the sensitive heart rejoices in the presence of the Lord, hears clearly and quickly what the Lord has to say, and is ready to respond obediently to whatever God asks of it.
 
In chapter 6 of the Gospel of Mark, we read about the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish that fed five thousand men, plus women and children. The Lord Jesus looked up to heaven, prayed, blessed, and broke the loaves and fish, put it all in baskets for the disciples to distribute to the hungry multitude. And not only was there enough for each person, but they were all satisfied “and they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish” (Mark 6:43). It was an extraordinary miracle, and God does not waste anything. The Lord wanted these crumbs to be gathered precisely to demonstrate His power and show how great this miracle was. The miracle of multiplication took place before the eyes of the disciples, because from those baskets each disciple had to feed hundreds of people (each one had to feed at least 500, if there were only a thousand women and children in addition to the men), and each disciple had only one basket that he carried in his arms. There must have been a great multiplication that took place after Jesus divided the 5 loaves and 2 fish into the first baskets and filled them, and it had to be that the Lord continued to multiply the food as the disciples kept distributing it to the people, because there was food enough for everyone to eat and be full. Afterward, as the Lord had them pick up the leftovers, the original baskets were still full!
 
Later when the apostle Mark relates the miracle of Jesus walking on the sea, the Holy Spirit led him to write that the disciples did not understand the miracle of the loaves, because their hearts were hardened.

• Mark 6:51-52 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

 
The disciples did not understand the miracle of Jesus and even Peter walking on the sea (Matthew 14:29). They struggled for hours with the strong wind that was against them and the waves that filled their boat with water, and when Jesus came to them walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and were afraid. Peter had the courage to get out of the boat and walk with Jesus on the water, but it was enough for him to realize what he was doing to start sinking. However, because he reacted correctly and cried out to Jesus, the Lord saved him immediately! And from the apostle John's account we learn something extraordinary:

• John 6:20-21 But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

 
It was enough for Jesus to get into the boat for the disciples' torment to end. Through their effort in fighting the wind and waves they covered only half the distance in many hours, but when Jesus joined them, they immediately arrived at their destination! This is a wonderful lesson for all of us!
 
However, even after the second multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord told the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples did not understand the spiritual meaning of the warning and thought that it referred to the fact that they had forgotten to buy bread. Jesus was actually showing them that their hearts were hardened:

• Matthew 16:9-10 “Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?”

 
It took several warnings from the Lord for the disciples to understand the meaning of the Lord's words. When they reviewed the miracles of the multiplication of the loaves in their minds, their hearts began to be more sensitive to understanding the Lord's messages and the miracles He could perform.
 
To become sensitive to the works of the Holy Spirit, we need to meditate on the miracles performed by the Lord and ask Him to reveal His power to us. By doing so, the Word we read becomes our personal truth, alive and working in us, which helps us become more and more like our Lord. To benefit from all the blessings that the heavenly Father has prepared for us, we must be one with Him, seek Him with all our hearts and desire to know Him more. How could we have fellowship with someone we do not know? Fellowship is bilateral, we give and receive, and have something in common. According to “Strong’s Lexicon,” the original Greek word frequently translated “fellowship” is “koinonia” which “refers to the deep, intimate fellowship and communal participation among believers, as well as their shared relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It encompasses the idea of sharing in spiritual blessings, mutual support, and active partnership in the faith.” 
 
This connection, communion, and fellowship in which we praise the Lord, seek to know Him more intimately, and share with Him our most intimate feelings, desires, anxieties, burdens, traumas, disappointments, frustrations, offenses, resentments, and all that concern us, transforms our hearts. Whether we have this fellowship through the study of Scripture, through praise and worship, or through prayer and conversation, the result will be a sensitive, malleable heart that the Lord can mold to be pleasing to Him and for our greatest good.
 
Carmen Pușcaș

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalms 18:2

There is a song that says, “on Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” And surely it is the truth. No matter where one lives, the political seas are in turmoil. And life is fleeting. One minute your life is just beginning, and before you know it, you are much closer to the finish line than where you started. It seems to happen so fast.
 
The most important choice any of us can make in life is choosing to follow Jesus. And continue faithfully until our life is done. In so doing, not only will we live a blessed life, even during times of stormy seas, but it will be a witness to those around us, pointing those who will see to Christ, and for those heaven-bound, they will be encouraged and strengthened. It is not that we as believers live perfect lives, it is that believers do their best to please and honor the Lord and when we fail, we repent and get back up. This is the testimony of God living in us and us in Him.
 
To be moral is a nice lesson most people learn in life or even in church. But Jesus changes us from the inside out. We do not want to sin from our innermost beings. If there is only mental morality, then the heart has not been born-again, which is 100% necessary to make it to heaven and also needed to start the true relationship with the Lord.

• John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

 
We must choose Jesus and accept His pardon for our sins. There is no other way. And then we must continue our lives with Him as our Lord. We must grow in His Word, in faith, in our prayer life, in keeping a heart of intimate gratitude and worship. To live the true Christian life means to be anchored in the Lord. Jesus taught with a parable about a wise man and a foolish one, the foolish one built his house on the sand and the wise one built on the rock. And Jesus said that when the rain, floods and wind came, the wise one’s house built on the rock stood and the foolish one’s fell greatly.

• Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

 
If the world would have its way, we would have no time for the Lord. We must make the time and keep our thoughts and actions centered on Him daily, filtering all the challenges through His Word as we have learned it and with prayer. When times are great and fun, as well as when times are pressured and difficult, we must stay centered on the Lord. I cannot do it for you, and you cannot do it for your loved one. Each of us must do it ourselves. By being anchored in the Lord, we can face the stormy seas and when the ones in the other boats are watching, they will see us not being blown around recklessly and see the hand of the Lord in our lives. It is critical for the young ones around us to see this, so that when it happens for them, they will know how to be victorious too.
 
There are so many bad examples in this world. Educational systems that lead children away from the Lord, teaching them to doubt the Bible, creation, and any truth that God has ordained. Leaders that commit crimes and get away with it. Social media with all kinds of input, gaming and wasting life away, and all manners of addictions. But! If they see Christians living good lives and repenting when we err, receiving God’s grace and sharing it with others and holding fast to our faith, it will make a difference. Some will get it and some won’t because of the conditions of their hearts, but we must live in a manner where Christ and His principles are seen.
 
Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit. He is the voice of the Lord inside of us and the provider of the power we need to live the Christian life. Without Him we can do nothing. The fleshly nature is inherently evil and the only good it brings is by force and with selfish motives. But thanks to being able to be born-again by repenting of our sins, and receiving the pardon Jesus paid for with His blood and then giving our life to the Lord, we can have the lordship of the evil, stony heart removed and Jesus can reign on the throne of our new hearts. This is life and life more abundantly and the place for the wise person to anchor. Thank You Jesus.

​E. Cockrell

 

• Colossians 1:9b … do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 

 
The prayer of the apostle Paul for the “the saints and faithful brethren in Christ” who were in the city of Colosse is perfect for all of us who love God. Christians who are filled with the knowledge of God’s will no longer have room in their hearts and minds for their own will or the will of someone else. They no longer seek to do what the desires of the flesh dictate, what those around them demand of them, or what the devil likes. It is not just about fully knowing God’s will as an abstract notion, but “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” When we know what God wants in everything we think, in every reasoning or decision we make, we can live without regret, remorse, guilt, or condemnation. This is the recipe for victory over temptations and everything that can harm us, as well as for the happiness that comes from living an abundant life. And the next verse shows where this filling with the knowledge of the will of the heavenly Father leads to.

• Colossians 1:10-12 That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;  strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;  giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

 
Only when the way we think is centered on the will of God, is our behavior worthy of the name of children of God and can we be pleasing to the Lord in everything we think, feel, say and do. Such behavior produces the most wonderful fruits, which are all good and help us to know the Lord of our lives more intimately.
 
Getting closer to God transforms us into becoming more like the One we follow. The strength that comes from knowing our Creator and spending time in His presence equips us with patience and in time, even with long-suffering. Our transformation can be so radical that we may even rejoice while waiting for the fulfillment of our requests, because we know the One we trust in and we believe that He will do everything we have asked according to His will. Because we know our heavenly Father, we truly know that He loves us unconditionally, and we are grateful that He has given us the same inheritance that He has given to all His children, as we are sanctified through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, the Light of the world.

• Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

 
Let us not forget that through Jesus Christ we have been freed from the power of sin, because He died for the sins of all mankind once for all, and when we received the new birth, through faith in Jesus we also died to sin that we might live for righteousness (Romans 6:5-10,18). We no longer belong to the kingdom of darkness, sin no longer reigns over us, therefore we can choose not to sin. God has brought us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. This perfect love that the Lord has for us is not based on our performances but on the eternal truth that God is love. Precisely because He has such a great love for people, Jesus paid the price for our sins. He redeemed us, so that we can be the children of God and sin no longer be a wall of separation between us and Him. The blood shed by Jesus on the cross forgave our sins and reconciled us with God, because He was the perfect sacrificial lamb for all the sins of mankind.
 
Let us never forget how great God’s love is and how much sin cost Him. The Lord has prepared everything we need so that we can overcome the evil of this world and rejoice that we are His. It is up to us to know and believe what belongs to us through Jesus so that we can benefit from the blessings of the Lord’s promises. Let us focus our attention on the truth of Scripture, on what pleases the heavenly Father, and as we know the truth, we become truly free. Christians who are free from the fears, condemnations, and lies that come from the evil one are strong in faith and the more they do the will of the heavenly Father, the happier they are.
 
The most common causes of sadness and anger are caused by what we think, feel, or say contrary to Biblical truth, by the lack of confidence that God loves us no matter what we go through, and by false feelings of guilt. Sometimes we suffer because of the decisions, words, or actions of those around us, and since we cannot change these situations, we must learn to change the way we relate to them. If we learn to take every thought a slave into obedience to Christ, we can more easily overcome the consequences of the wrong actions of others. When we think only about the negative aspects of the situation we are going through and especially how we think it affects our loved ones, we cannot have the firm faith that the Lord is working for us and will use all things together for our good. No matter what we are going through, in the Word of God we find the perfect guidance to know how to react to overcome evil with good, to find peace and balance in faith in our Lord and not give in to the pressures of the evil one. The Word of God has the power to calm our minds, take away our pain, and restore our peace. When we come before the Lord in prayer and honestly acknowledge before Him how we feel, what we struggle with and need, the Holy Spirit enlightens us and reminds us of the verses that give us the solution or puts in our mind what we have to do. By knowing the Word of God, which shows us what His will is, we can live to please our heavenly Father, doing deeds that make us worthy of the name of children of God. And this is the path to victory and true happiness!

• Romans 6:4-7,18 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. […] And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 

Carmen Pușcaș

Have you ever wondered how King Solomon could be such a wise man and yet finish so poorly? Most of us know the story. David passed the throne to his son through Bathsheba named Solomon. He really was not very old when he began his reign. And as most of us know, the Lord gave Solomon the gift of wisdom and knowledge. And further blessed him with riches, wealth and honor because of his humble request.

• 2 Chronicles 1:11-12  And God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life--but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king-- wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like."

 

• 1 Kings 4:29-34 And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men--than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were one thousand and five. Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

 
Solomon was renowned in his lifetime for his great wisdom and is still highly regarded as such to this day. But Solomon's disobedience in regard to marrying wrong and choosing their gods, hence forsaking the Lord, has also been recorded on the pages of history.

• 1 Kings 11:1-2 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites-- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.

 

• 1 Kings 11:3-4 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. 

 

• 1 Kings 11:5-8 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.  Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

 
King Solomon had such great wisdom and yet had at least 700 forbidden marriages with daughters of foreign kings and numerous illicit concubines. One might say, well that is how it was back then. But God expressly forbid such marriages and relationships.
 
How could someone be the wisest man in the whole world, and forsake God in such a way? It is written in verse 4, “his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.” In Ecclesiastes chapter 2, Solomon wrote of what his heart went after.

• Ecclesiastes 2:4-9 I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds. So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.

 

• Ecclesiastes 2:11a Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.

 
Even with all of Solomon’s wisdom, wealth and achievements, it happened just as the Lord said in 1Kings 11:2, if you intermarry with them, surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.

• 1 Kings 11:9-10 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.

 
Solomon forsook the Lord to serve his fleshly nature and the gods of his wives. And toward the end, he said it was all vanity (Ecclesiastes 2:11). He could have led his people to serve God with a reverent fear of the Lord. Instead, even with all his wisdom, he led the people in evil ways.
 
And sin is expensive.

• 1 Kings 11:11-13 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

 
In 1 Kings 11:7, it says that, “he built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.” The worshipers of Molech would sacrifice their babies by burning them alive. We are to serve one God and one God alone. It is a dangerous thing to keep people in our inner circle who do not fear the Lord or worship other gods, for in time we may become like them.
 
Fame, international recognition, power, wealth and great possessions, professional success and the greatest wisdom and knowledge have no real value if the one who possesses them does not have a heart totally surrendered to the Lord. In chapter 2 of Ecclesiastes, Solomon confessed his discouragement after realizing he had had everything. There was nothing left for him to desire, because he had focused only on himself, everything was for him, and he was even bothered by the thought that his descendants would inherit the fruit of his efforts.
 
Jesus was the perfect model of selflessness, and lived a life in total obedience and love for the Father and for people. Jesus' life is the greatest example of success, because He fulfilled the Father’s plan for Him. And Solomon, even though he had great achievements, confirmed in his writings that everything a person does for selfish reasons does not bring lasting joy or real satisfaction. In Matthew 6 it says that if we seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, that all our needs will be taken care of. We must choose the Lord and remain in Him. Only then do we have true life now and a secure eternity with the Lord. There is nothing in this world worth forsaking the Lord for.

Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas. Jesus Christ is God’s gift to mankind. Many today have no idea what Christmas is really about and of those who know, some do not even care. The truth is that Jesus is the reason for the season: literally. It is more than social events, lights, parties, trees and ornaments, time off, food and gifts. One can have that anytime if wanted. Or take a winter holiday. But Christmas is about Jesus Christ. We celebrate our Savior, who was born humbly as one of us, who never sinned and gave His life so that we can live. He sacrificed Himself so that we could be born-again and be free from the dominion of the carnal nature, so that we can have true communion with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
 
Jesus left the splendor of heaven and brought the light to us. Let’s take a moment to appreciate how valuable and important light is.
 
Light draws us. There are certain things in life that just draw us. A sweet baby cooing, beautiful water like a stream, lake or ocean and light, as in a fire. How many people can just sit and watch a fire burn? If you are in the dark, and you even see a shimmer of light, you will head for the light. Light compels us to it. We did not choose the Lord, He chose us and drew us to Him.

• John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

 
Light brings warmth. There is nothing like warmth when you need it. It is currently winter, and I put a heat lamp in our well-house to protect it from freezing temperatures. How wonderful is a sunny day with warm sunshine in the middle of winter? Or the warmth of the sunshine bringing the water temperature up so we can swim in a pool or at the beach?

• 2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 
Light dispels darkness. It is a fact. Depending on the strength of the light, darkness has to flee from it. Much of what is evil in the world, waits until the sun goes down to come out. Things really do creep in the night. But God. When His light enters a situation, no darkness can prevail against it.

• Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned."

 
Light illuminates. Who wants to stumble in the dark? Hallelujah for the illumination that light brings, whether it is physical light, mental light or spiritual light, light illuminates. Thank You Lord for Your light that shines in the darkness and keeps us safe. And how Your light, teaches us how to walk on the right path and shows us what agape love is and how to receive it and pass it on.

• John 12:35b “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.”

 
Without light, there is no life. This world could not go one second without light. The light of the sun is responsible for more than I could write in a book, how much more than I could put here. Everything on earth needs light to exist and live. Without the Lord, people just exist. But with the Lord, light and life come and the glory of the Lord comes upon us as His children.

• Job 33:28 “He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, and his life shall see the light.”

 
Light is life. Darkness cannot produce life, and true life is only found in the light. Jesus is the light, and He is life. He came to deliver us from all darkness and bring us into His marvelous light. Truly.

• John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

 
The Light of the world is a person. And His Name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of man, Emmanuel, Jehovah, Yahweh, Adonais, Lord God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jirah, Creator and Keeper of all life and without Him there is no life.

• John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

 
From the Garden of Eden until today, for all of us, God has provided. We were bound in sin, lost and in dire need of a Savior. And Father God saw our need and made the way by sending His own Son, to become the Lamb that was able to take away the sins of the world. There was no other way, for none of us could ever be totally righteous on our own. We all fall short of the holiness required of the Lord and deserve the consequences of sin. But Jesus came as Redeemer and brought His glorious light into a dark world.
 
Jesus, we celebrate Your birth and delivering us from darkness. You are the Light of Life and Light of the World. Outside of You, there is no light or life. Thank You for being our Light and our life. Lord Jesus, we adore You.

No matter what we are going through or how long we have been struggling with serious problems, the truth of the Bible never changes, and God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His goodness does not vary depending on our circumstances. God showed us His perfect love on the cross when He gave His Son to die for us, so that we could be His. For all of us who love Jesus and are “called according to His purpose,” He causes everything that happens to us, good or bad, to work together for our good (Romans 8:28). In the Bible we find countless evidence of the goodness, faithfulness, mercy, and compassion of our heavenly Father for all of us.

• Psalms 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

 
The psalmist David wrote that the Lord’s goodness and mercy are always available to us, because “all the days of our life” means that every day is included. The goodness that God has for us represents everything that God wants us to experience. And mercy is, “kindness, compassion, piety.” But do we manage to enjoy what the Lord has for us every day? These terms have been so distorted by the world we live in that we have come to believe that they can rarely be part of our lives. But if we believe that the truth of God’s Word is absolute, this verse says that our heavenly Father has done everything in His power for us to enjoy His goodness and mercy. This means it is up to us to make the right choices and benefit from all that the Lord has for us. God has made His blessings available to us, and when we take possession of them by faith, we dwell in the presence of the Lord forever.
 
Much of the time we are sad and unhappy because we worry about something that may never happen, or we feel offended by things that have no real importance. The more often we choose to feed ourselves with verses that speak of God's goodness and faithfulness, the sooner we may give Him our worries, problems and pains, and choose to be fully satisfied because the goodness, mercy and patience of our heavenly Father accompany us every step of the way. If we know the truth, we will no longer believe the lies of the enemy that he tries to slip into our minds through thoughts that seem to be ours. The Lord wants us to focus our attention on Him and on everything He tells us in His Word, while the devil wants us to look at everything that happens to us in this world and fear everything that is bad.

• Psalms 5:12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

 
God made His Son, “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (1 Corinthians 5:21). We are the righteous ones who by coming to the Lord have received the righteousness of Jesus. God's favor for us surrounds us like a shield, but the Lord does not force us to receive His protection. If we believe the lies of the enemy or continue to think according to the thought patterns of the evil one, because we have not renewed our minds through the Word of God, we give him power to harm us and thus we leave our Father God’s ​protection. The apostle James wrote very clearly that God cannot do anything evil, nor can he be tempted to do evil.

• James 1:13,17 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. […] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

 
God is good. He is also love, and every good and perfect thing we receive comes from Him. And if verse 13 didn't convince us of what our heavenly Father does for us, verse 17 tells us that the Lord does not change over time. He is the same at every moment in time, just as Jesus is.

• Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 
We can be sure that God does what He promises, He never changes, and He loves us unconditionally, no matter our performances.

• Psalms 112:1-9 Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be exalted with honor.

 
Let us meditate on what the Bible says about us, so that we may understand how great God's goodness is and be sure that He wants the best for us. It is important that we visualize the Lord’s promises fulfilled in our lives. Let us see ourselves joyful, healthy, and fulfilled, so that we truly know and trust how good our Lord is so that we “may reign in life through the One and Only, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17b).
 
Carmen Pușcaș

• “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” – Luke 6:45

Our spoken words show what is in our hearts. When we use beautiful words that build and encourage, from pure and grateful hearts, we bless others and glorify God. On the other hand, dirty words, curses, insults and criticisms certainly do not come from the Lord and are evidence of unclean hearts. God is not the source of evil. We must fight to keep our clean hearts clean and ask the Holy Spirit to help us.
 
Everything we think, say or do has eternal implications. This statement may seem exaggerated, but if we think about it for a moment, we will realize how true it is. Our words and reactions to everything that surrounds us are based upon what we think. If we allow the thoughts from the enemy to develop in our minds and produce negative feelings in our hearts, then when we are taken by surprise, or caught off-guard, we will find ourselves saying things that we should not say, because “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” By stopping all negative thoughts such as criticism, judgment, or condemnation we can avoid many problems and hurts.
 
If we want to think and speak in a manner that pleases the Lord, we must change our worldly way of thinking with the biblical one and get used to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) and to declare its opposite, according to the Bible.
 
The words we speak have the power to create good or evil, life or death, as the next verse shows.

• “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:21

 
This is a most valuable truth pertaining to speech that we find in the book of Proverbs. People who love their tongue, talk a lot, and their words may produce life or death for themselves, as well as for those who hear them. The more we talk, the more we reveal what is really in our hearts to those who hear us. Quiet people are the most mysterious and difficult to classify. Those who speak a lot may cause themselves many problems. Even if they unintentionally say bad things, or what they say is good, it may still seem offensive to the person who hears them, because of their own problems or thoughts.
 
Have you noticed that when we have pleasant conversations on biblical subjects, with other Christians full of the Holy Spirit, who love the Lord, we feel much better not only emotionally but also physically? This is because godly talk produces life.
 
On the other hand, any conversation with critical, unhappy or evil people who have nothing good to say, leave us with a bitter taste and many other unpleasant effects that produce death instead of life.
 
If we ask the Lord to help us be careful about what we say, we can control our speech. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can speak wisely so that those around us may be encouraged and learn something good from us. The more time we spend studying and meditating on God's Word, the more biblically correct our speech will be. In conclusion, we can be happier if we say what is right to edify and uplift those who listen to us, because we please God and avoid many problems and frustrations.


Carmen Pușcaș

For any true believer, the fact that light and darkness do not mix could hardly be more evident than today. Every day as believers, we are forced to deal with an influx of evil around us in our lives. What does the Bible have to say about it and how do we deal with it in our personal situations on a daily basis?

• 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

 
The Bible may be over 2000 years old, but it is still totally relevant today. Dealing with the push of evil is not a new thing. Noah had to deal with it over 4000 years ago. And not only did Noah have to deal with it before the Flood, but he was alive when his descendants had the rebellion at the Tower of Babel. We learn from that era, that man, after the fall in the Garden, became inherently evil.

• Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

 
Noah was mocked but he held on to his faith. Thankfully, he was spared of God’s wrath, even if those around him thought he was crazy. Over and over throughout history, God’s people have had to deal with times where evil was in power or the righteous outnumbered. That is why we need to understand what the root of evil is and how to overcome the situations when people hurt us directly, or indirectly by their decisions.
 
Knowingly or unknowingly, evil people are directed by the father of lies, the deceiver, who motivates and manipulates unbelievers into doing his will.

• Ephesians 6:12 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.

 
The kingdom of darkness has a hierarchy, and they use the people who do not have Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We were all born as sinners and only by the new birth through Jesus Christ can we be reconciled with God. Every human being has to deal with the lies and deception of the enemy but for unbelievers without godly discernment, they usually do not even realize where those thoughts and impulses come from. And even when they do, they may fight against it for a while, but eventually they give in, because they do not have the authority that comes from the lordship of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit within them, to overcome sin. It takes the transformation of the inner-man to become a good, loving person. There are unbelievers that seem to be moral and nice people, but only they know how many things they keep secret, because they could not overcome and fell into sin. True victory comes only from the Lord living in us and ruling our lives. This is why unbelievers’ decisions, words and actions can be so evil and hurt us so deeply. But when we realize that the devil and his demonic forces are behind people, it is easier to forgive them and pray for their salvation.
 
Realizing that we have an unseen enemy and how he works, can help us deal with others daily, by seeing the bigger picture. There is no real communion with light and darkness. We interact with each other because of work, school, family and many reasons, but who we serve truly determines how we handle life’s issues. When possible, Christians should choose other believers to marry, do business or work with, etc. because sooner or later, conflict will arise and there will be no real unity. Sadly, many churches do not bring this subject up, but it is of the most utter importance.

• 2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

 
 
Scripture for consideration regarding this subject.
 
Acts 26:18 ‘to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
 
1 John 1:5-7 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” - Matthew 24:3-6

The disciples asked Jesus about His return and the end of the age. The answers and exhortation that Jesus gave them are helpful to us too. And today, almost 2000 years later, many of us believe we are on the threshold of the coming of the Lord.

• Luke 21:9-11 “But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately." Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.”

 
As Christians, living in the age we are in, we cannot do it being lackadaisical or half-hearted. This is a time in history like no other. This is a time where the enemy knows his days are numbered.

• Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time."

 
To be victorious over an “unseen enemy,” who uses demons and manipulates people under his direction, that has great wrath, requires diligence of us.

• Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

 
Those who will overcome and endure victoriously to the end, will do so by, 1) the blood of the Lamb 2) the word of their testimony and 3) not loving their lives unto death. Many overlook the third part of the verse. Jesus said that those who try to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for His sake and the Gospel’s, will gain it (Mark 8:35). We have to lay our lives down to the Lord to be saved and also when enduring through the worst of circumstances. Those who think only about physical preservation, will not save their souls (Galatians 6:8). Also, remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it (Luke 17:32-33).

Is it enough just to be saved by the blood of the Lamb? Is that what the first part means? The blood of the Lamb is all powerful. The devil cannot even handle one drop of Jesus’ blood. We must be cleansed by it and covered by it and live in the power of it. That blood has bought us kingdom authority. Many misunderstand what it means, but in studying God’s Word, we can see the authority Jesus has given us over the enemy. Does it mean that we never suffer because we have such authority? Look to Jesus, who had all authority. There were times He did not let the enemy do as desired and there were other times, when He did. We need the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us and show us about such things.

They will have been victorious through the word of their testimony, not their parents or grandparents testimony. It will have to have been their own personal testimony. This means that they were able to speak victoriously and not back down. There is a huge factor needed to make this possible, and that is to have the Word of God working in them, and spoken by them without fail. This is not done by shallow believers or Christians in name only. This is the result of strong faith by determined believers, knowing their God and knowing His Word, and having it applied and working in their hearts and lives. The testimony of the Word of God in us will save us. And there is nothing else that can. Our bodies can be killed, but the eternal us will never die. And those who stay true to His Word, do not have to fear.

And they did not love their lives unto death. As mentioned before, remember Lot’s wife. How deep is your commitment unto the Lord? Do you love Him even if it costs you your physical life? There are many in the world today, in the Middle East and China for example, that becoming a true believer can cost them their livelihood and even their life. And yet they come to the Lord wholeheartedly. History shows that people were fed by the Romans to hungry lions and other beasts, for not backing down and denying Jesus Christ. What gave them the strength? Why not just give them lip service and still claim the Lord in their hearts? Because that is not how it works.

• Matthew 10:32-33 "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

 
It is only “wishful thinking” that a person would think they could deny the Lord and still make it to heaven. It says that he who endures to the end shall be saved. Never deny the Lord, not by works or speech. In our daily walk and entire life, Jesus must be our Lord.

• Mark 8:34-38 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

 
In conclusion, as we see and hear of wars and rumors of wars more often, and the other signs spoken of happening before Jesus comes to take His bride away, we must be determined believers, living the kind of life Jesus died for us to have. Let us not just be casually good people who randomly read the Bible as a duty, but the kind of diligent believers who study the Word of God and apply it, having the truth of it set us free and keep us free, sharing our faith with others by word and deed and not being entangled by the cares of this world, but rather being eternally and prayerfully minded, living life to the fullest under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In so doing, we will endure to the end, and we will make it!!
 

E Cockrell

Happiness is the state of mind that many people desire to have all the time. How many times have we started the day happily, but how long did it last? Until we remembered something unpleasant, or what a hard day was ahead of us, or it was enough to see or hear something unpleasant and our happiness was replaced with frustration, annoyance, disappointment or even anger. The Oxford dictionary defines happiness as “the state of pleasurable contentment of mind; deep pleasure in or contentment with one's circumstances." Deep contentment is very difficult to achieve, and looking back we remember having such moments. But how many of us can say that we have had long periods of intense and complete contentment, without dissatisfaction or other negative feelings? Without the Lord and continuously choosing to be happy, no one can have the abundant life that we have through faith in Jesus.

• James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

 
We are urged to consider it all joy while going through various trials. These verses do not tell us to rejoice because we are suffering, but because of what the results will be. No person with a right mind can rejoice in suffering, nor does James 1:2 tell us to do so. The original Greek adjective translated "all," is "pas" and means even more than all, “it signifies the highest degree, the maximum, of the thing which the noun denotes" (according to "Strong" Dictionary). While happiness is a more fleeting emotion, joy is a more long-lasting state of being, characterized by contentment and satisfaction with life overall. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and when we have a deep relationship with Jesus, we fully trust in the Lord's help and the fruit of the Holy Spirit manifests freely in our daily lives. Joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit is constant, it does not depend on circumstances, nor fluctuates according to the successes or failures we have nor because of what those around us do. But we have to choose to allow the joy that we have all the time in our spirit united with the Holy Spirit to manifest in our soul. When we are happy, we smile, we forgive easier, we seek peace and through our words and actions we positively influence those around us.
 
When we have a positive attitude and we sincerely trust our Lord, the trouble does not seem so big or without solution anymore. The original word translated “testing” is "dokimion" and means "that by which something is tried or proved, a test." In other words, when we decide to grow in faith, to live according to the Lord, to trust in His love and help, the devil does not believe that we are sincere, and he tests our faith through trials. Unfortunately, many Christians begin to doubt God's love when they go through suffering of any kind. Even though we've reacted this way in the past, it doesn't mean things can't change. As many times as the enemy provokes us with various troubles, if we know that they are only tests and we trust that the Lord is on our side, we will not only pass the test, but we will also experience spiritual growth. Whatever the enemy intends for our harm, through firm faith in Jesus, we can change it for our good.
 
The verse goes on to say that the testing of our faith works patience. Actually the original word "hupomoné" means more than being patient. "Strong" dictionary explains it by "steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the New Testament the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings." So when the source of our joy is the relationship with our Lord and we choose to set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth,” because we know we died and our lives are hidden "with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2-3), we pass the tests and experience spiritual growth.

• James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

 
We already know that the word translated “patience” is more complex and so are the words for "perfect, complete and lacking nothing." By explaining the words in more detail, we can see how wonderful and profound verse 4 is, which we can paraphrase as follows:
 
But steadfastness, and ability to endure and not be diverted from the purpose and loyalty to faith and piety even by the greatest trials and sufferings, must do its work completely, totally, perfectly, that we may be perfect, whole, free from sin, as man was created before the Adamic sin, and to lack nothing, to have everything complete, being as God created us to be.
 
So why should we consider going through various trials as great joy? This is valid for various attempts, of many kinds, so not of a certain type. This means that all trials we are going through meet the conditions of this verse. No matter what the cause of our suffering, if we keep our hearts pure, choose to trust in the Lord, and keep our peace instead of despairing, we will overcome. When we have thankful hearts and choose to rejoice in Jesus and in what perseverance and firmness of faith work in us, we change and become more like Jesus. We are in a continual process of change while we live in these bodies. Therefore, let us choose to spend as much time as possible in the presence of the Lord, to seek His face, and to want to change what He shows us that He does not like in us, so that we can become as our heavenly Father created us to be. Living in this way, the joy that faith gives can be a constant, and gives us the strength to overcome trials more easily.
 
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13


Carmen Pușcaș