Philippians 3:1, 7-20

Sorry, the cooks have been out of the kitchen due to some health issues. After a short respite, a couple of weeks, Breakfast with Dad will continue. God bless you guys. For the next couple of weeks you will need to personally rummage around in the kitchen of God's Word to find the marvelous daily manna that strengthens the inner soul. I know you will. Today, Jacqueline was very blessed by these verses. God feeds, heals, and leads through his presence, his still small voice, and the Word. Abide in him as He abides in you. Love, Dad

Philippians 3:1, 7-20

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Think on these things dear ones. Jesus is our everything, my everything and yours: our hope, our healer, our best friend, and most trusted confidante. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and his light shines upon every dark or crooked pathway, making us safe and our path straight as we trust in him.

Lovingly and prayerfully,

Mom

John 6:14-15

John 6:14-15 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

People often seek a king: a ruler with special powers to miraculously take care of all their needs, bringing peace and prosperity to their land. Jesus came not to restore God's righteous reign by defeating Israel's enemies, not to rule over them with worldly authority and the consensus of the people. He came to reveal the Father, by serving and walking among the people, letting his light shine in a dark world. He ushered in the year of the Lord's favor: salvation came to Earth in human form. Christ lived to die that all might live eternally with God. He revealed the Father by touching lives and multiplying food to feed hungry crowds; yet his primary purpose was not to supply an abundance of food or to ensure believers would never sicken or die. He knew Lazarus would eventually die. Every generation before, during, and since Christ's earthly visitation has passed away, their bodies turning to dust. God sent not an earthly king. He sent his plan for victory over sin: resurrection life now and forever through Jesus Messiah, Lord of All! As Paul wrote: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:53-55 KJV)

Christians often confuse Christ's divine assignment to purchase our freedom. We want to believe He came to secure carefree days or perfect rest every night or enough money to meet our needs with leftovers for all our wants: a new car, a nice vacation, attractive clothes--our lists grow ever larger. Instead of believing scripture, we are surprised at the painful trial we suffer, as though something strange were happening to us. (1 Peter 4:12) As the media church has become more wealthy and prosperous over the last 20 to 30 years, some ministers and teachers have validated their expensive lifestyles: designer clothes, luxury automobiles, and lavish estates. Tele-evangelists openly boast of their material wealth, proclaiming since we are the King's Kids, God will likewise prosper all who give to their ministries. These "ministries" usually refuse to open their books to scrutiny; a number have been exposed as charlatans, preaching the false gospel of gain as godliness the Bible warns against. This ostentatious show of earthly wealth and excess in God's name must wound the Father's heart when He paid such a price that we might take up the cross and follow Jesus, when He asks us to serve as Christ served with no thought except doing God's will on Earth as it is in Heaven.

We should cast all our cares on him, knowing He cares for us as He cares about the sparrows and lilies. We should rejoice in daily answers to prayer and signs of God's abiding presence and loving kindness. But remember the birds of the air and the flowers in the field face sunshine and rain, raging storms and balmy weather. Yet they arise to grow and fly, prospering under God's care. Jesus brought us abundant life, joy unspeakable and full of glory. We give him everything in return. He gave us grace, peace, and mercy we could not merit or earn ourselves--the peaceable fruits of righteousness. As we accept his lordship and the Spirit's guidance, we come alive with an explosion of resurrection life as He changes us, empowers us, and makes us a mighty force for truth. With Christ in us and the cross before us, we do not turn back. Paul urged the church to walk in faith in all his writings. Words of hope and faith cause us to stand in the midst of all situations: in famine or in plenty, in the spring or the dead of winter. This is the mystery that we hold dear: Christ in us and we in him. Nothing matters more to God's people than to Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. People throughout the ages have fixed their eyes on Jesus and pursued him with a holy passion. This is our privilege and our responsibility by faith. Believe and Live!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

John 6:12-13

John 6:12-13 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Daniel 5:26-28 “This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Jesus said, "Let nothing be wasted,” a far different approach from the wasteful attitude of most Americans who waste everything, filling our landfills with still useable items we think out of style, ugly, obsolete, or just in the way. In a country blessed with abundant resources and manufactured goods, waste management engineers seek creative solutions for trash, such as plans to ship our leavings into space--a fresh frontier to fill. This pernicious mindset corrupts the thinking of believers as we handle God's abundance with reckless disregard for his generous supply and a selfish desire for more because we are not satisfied. In our rush to follow our own agendas, many fail to thank God for his bounteous gifts, forsaking even a quick prayer at mealtime. In a world where people sweep desert floors, looking for bits and pieces to sell or trade, where little children sort through mounds of trash for a valuable scrap of cloth or morsel of food, we not only take our abundance for granted, we complain about our daily bread: discard what does not please us, refuse what does not tickle our palate, order more than we could or should eat, and categorically reject entire sub-groups of food. "I don't eat vegetables, I don't like any fruit except mangos and figs, I do not eat soup or anything mixed together, and no leftovers touch these lips."

If there were ever a new Babylon, such behaviors surely qualify us for candidacy. Squandering God's blessings, we glorify man rather than God; we extoll capitalism rather than the Creator of all things; we give credit for our "success" to the great "American work ethic" instead of heeding the Spirit. Give thanks appears 34 times in the NIV translation of the Bible, if we ignore all the other forms of the word, such as in Paul's instruction: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6-7) We even take credit for our gift of freedom, attributing our liberty to the diligence and perseverance of the our skilled and heroic leaders and forefathers. In some ways we shake our fist in God's face as did the people in Babel or Adam and Eve in the garden: "We can do anything: we can become like God."

Yet even as God reveals our weaknesses, our inclination to waste and to destroy, our moral depravity and wretched state of selfishness and greed: Jesus says, Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19) We fall so far so quickly into fleshly patterns, yet the call of God resounds through the ages. The Old Testament prophets spoke for God: You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without men or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, “Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” (Jeremiah 33:10-11) John sees Christ high and lifted up and shares his vision of God's grace: And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign." (Revelation 11:16-17) May we join the multitudes around the throne, singing praises and giving thanks for the riches of God's mercy and grace poured over the heart of man continually! Jesus said, "Let nothing be wasted.” May we waste not his mercy and grace.

John 6:1-11

John 6:1-11 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near. When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Jesus extends himself--his mercy, kindness, and grace--into every area of our lives. In today's account, a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed, yet at this event Jesus reveals his concern and regard for people is not limited to great miracles such as healing the sick or raising the dead. On that day on the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus already had in mind what he was going to do. He wanted to show people that He is the Good Shepherd who cares for his sheep. The same holds true today as the Spirit reminds us to turn to Jesus the Lord of all, who watches over his beloved body, caring for our daily needs for food, clothing, and shelter--the little things in life. We often limit our relationship with God to the trials and vicissitudes of living. We forget Jesus set the example for constant communion with and trust in God when He taught us to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. . . " (Matthew 6:9-11)

The people in this crowd hungered for a meal, yet they would not have died without the bounteous feast of loaves and fishes. Jesus confirmed his concern for their welfare, their immediate need. If we consider all Christ's acts and all his words, we see a loving, committed servant saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Isaiah's prophecies concerning Jesus as the Shepherd of the sheep should be taken literally as well as figuratively. We can expect Christ to abide in us forever and to walk with us in and through every situation. His deliverance and supply does not mean we will escape all distresses, but the Word confirms Christ provides: He is our meat and drink, our Way through the wilderness of this earthly existence. He will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. (Isaiah 44:3)

As Jesus hears our anxious thoughts, our worried cries over the uncertainties of our walking about lives, He says: Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you. . . (Luke 12:27-28) As Jesus covers us, enveloping us in his loving kindness and tender mercies, He includes the mundane things of life: which coat to wear, what food to prepare, the types of activities we embrace. He is that concerned about our welfare: so much so that He goes on to say our trust is in him should be so natural and automatic that we will stop thinking about what we will do, what we will eat, what we will wear, and where we will go because He has it covered. We are free to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, knowing He takes care of the rest.

In life's many ups and downs, Jesus never leaves or forsakes his sheep. A good shepherd camps near the sheep, ever watchful and diligent. Jesus extends himself--all that He is--into every moment we yield to him. As we give every financial, physical, and emotional need to him, He is there! When Jesus mentioned buying food for the hungry, Philip rightly observed: “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Andrew noted a boy with a small lunch, but he knew so little would not go far among so many. Ignoring their protests, Jesus orders: Have the people sit down. Just as He did that day by the sea, Jesus speaks hope to us today, miraculously supplying food and water when we have none. He says, "Come sit with me in green pastures, recline in my arms by still waters, lean on me in unending sorrow and strife. I will give you rest: I WILL EXTEND MYSELF IN YOUR BEHALF. I will supply your needs beyond your imagination, for I shepherd my sheep." If you lack resources or the abilities, if you face difficulties or seemly insurmountable problems: Jesus is nigh you. Sit at his feet, learn of him, trust in his provision. When Paul was persecuted, shipwrecked, beaten and left for dead, Jesus was his portion, enough for Paul to arise and to persevere by faith. Paul shined as a star in a dark world, revealing CHRIST IS ENOUGH. Consequently, we pray without ceasing--free from anxiety, doubt, and fear--knowing Christ will provide, with sufficient leftovers for the hungry crowd. Let it be, Lord!

John 5:41-47

John 5:41-47 “I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

John 3:31-36 “The one [Jesus] who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Breakfast today courtesy of Mom with a few bits and pieces left on the counter by Dad as he left for an early appointment.

In a commercial for chicken nuggets some years ago, two little old ladies compared the difference between whole chucks of chicken and pieces compressed into pieces. Their conclusion resonated: Pieces are pieces. We might say, "People are people." Every human is unique in personality, style, and abilities; yet similar worldly distractions, circumstances of life, fleshly inclinations, and inappropriate choices plague us all. Prior to the Genesis account of the flood, we read: The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Genesis 6:5) While extolling God's greatness, Moses declared: He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. They [God's people] have acted corruptly toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked generation. (Deuteronomy 32:4-5) Jesus made similar indictments, especially regarding the religious elite with their stubborn and unregenerate mindset in rejecting God's plan through the Son. Had Jesus come in in his own name as an insightful teacher or passionate leader of men, they would have listened. Coming in the Father's name as Messiah, speaking only God's words, Christ faced abuse and total rejection. He rightly concluded: I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.

Our world also elevates people rather than God, even in the "Christian" realm. Followers of Christ ignore scripture while proclaiming the wisdom and insights of mere humans over the wisdom of God expressed through the mouths of his prophets and servants who often faced death for their faith. In the flesh, humans hold onto their rights. We elevate our wants and needs over others: our spouses, children, friends, and strangers in need. We fail to love, cherish, and prefer others over ourselves. We prefer human wisdom when it confirms our own selfish desires and our false view that our terrible tragedies and circumstances validate our lack of faith and trust. Of course, as earthly beings, we falter, temporarily wander astray; yet God constantly calls us back to the sheepfold: to hearing his voice, receive his wisdom, follow his will, and accept his mercy and grace as sufficient for anything and everything.

What breaks the heart of God and brings confusion and chaos to the church is when believers perseverate in their stubborn belief that they are different and special compared with all of creation. Other Christians are more than conquerors through Christ; others find peace like a river in the desert and joy unspeakable in the midst of any situation; others believe faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; others have crooked places made straight and rough places made smooth through the great power and glory of our resurrected Lord. "God does that for others," we say, "but as for me, my pain is too great, my hurt is too deep, my situation is too impossible, and my struggle to intense for me to make it by faith." These are all wicked lies of the enemy to keep God's beloved children from rising out of the ashes of sin into the glorious light and love of God, into the kingdom of the blood-bought children of God who walk in the light as He is in the light: shining for him, speaking for him, loving for him, REGARDLESS!

I offer this profound bit of wisdom gleaned from the defunct comic strip, "Pogo": WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY, AND IT IS US! If you think your troubles are so bad today that you might not make it, you are listening to a voice other than God's voice of triumph, hope, freedom, and victory through Christ's shed blood. When Jesus said, It is finished, He announced: the battle was over; there will be no more war! We have victory over all sin, death, dysfunction, pain, and sorrow. Read Romans 8: NOTHING can separate us from the love of God. All things are possible to those who believe; and nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible for God. Stop saying, "I know the Word says Jesus is the answer, BUT. . ." Eliminate the word "but" from all those statements of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Do not elevate yourself and your problems over the grace revealed through Christ our Lord. Do not frustrate the grace of God. He will keep loving you, seeking you, and speaking to you through the Spirit and the Word, but only YOU can enter into his rest by faith in his finished work. Today, Is it finished? Shout, YES: the victory is yours now and forever. Amen!

John 5:31-40

John 5:31-40 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Scriptures denote Jesus as the Son of Man, for He came in the flesh to live as a human person, and also as the Son of God. Jesus walked this earth in fleshly form, but was led by the Spirit and completely God-like in his actions as He healed, loved, cared, rescued, and judged righteously. As a man in the flesh, He fulfilled all the Old Testament requirements for the anticipated Messiah. Jesus is also known in scripture as the Son of God. Even though He walked in the flesh, He obeyed his Father and walked as God wants his adopted children to live in the Spirit. Engulfed by the Holy Spirit, He became the first fruit of God's salvation plan for new life to mankind while we still remain in our earthly bodies and environment. Literally, Christ became the first child of God in the flesh, a new creature born of the Spirit. As the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus brought the true light of God into this dark world for everyone who would put their trust and faith in God through Christ and his works. Holy scriptures, Christ's miraculous actions, and his unconditional love for people all testify that only Jesus could bear the names: SON OF MAN, SON OF GOD.

When John came to prepare the way for Christ's ministry, he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his earliest days and chosen by God for his mission as a forerunner to the main event. John knew by divine inspiration that he was not Messiah, and he accepted that he would usher in Christ's earthy ministry. As he cried out as a voice in the wilderness and baptized people into repentance, John knew that in Jesus was life; and the life was the light of men. John accepted his role as a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him [Jesus] might believe. (John 1:4 & 7) Like Jesus, John walked among men, preparing them to see God's salvation plan for a fallen people through the only begotten Son. The light of the Holy Spirit shined in John with great brightness for a while, but wicked people led him to court where Harod ordered his beheading. Even such a terrible act could not quench the fire God would unleash through his Son, the power of the Holy Spirit that would lead Christ to the cross to defeat death and the grave. John said he had to decrease that Christ might increase, so Christ's light would never end. Now we who believe IN THE SON OF GOD, the Light of the World, walk in triumphant victory over all things through Christ who loves us. He paid the full price for our redemption, restoration, and authority through the Spirit of God. Truly, we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1John 1:7) We live now and forever because Christ arose and lives eternally in us.

All things are made possible to the believer through faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. He is new life: the voice of God, the truth, the way to the Father. As new creatures in Christ, the same Spirit that used John and raised Christ from the dead lives in and through us. In today's scripture passage, Jesus declares his audience void of God's presence in them because of their unbelief, their unwillingness to hear God and to see him in The Son. They would not believe God sent Jesus as Messiah no matter how many miracles and good works He performed. They would not accept him even though He completely fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies concerning his coming. Their hard hearts and sinful inclinations kept them from seeing the Light and from entering the kingdom of God. As we sit at this table basking in the Light with resurrection life within us, God empowers us to believe in the One He sent, to believe in the scriptures that testify of him. Praise God today. Arise and shine, for the light has come to you and to me. Amen!

John 5:24-30

John 5:24-30 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 6:28-29 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

When God sent the Son as a sacrifice for sin, He made the amazing choice for all people to hear his voice and to accept his divine favor in and through Christ our Lord. Many who hear the Spirit's call refuse God's gifts, choosing life in the flesh over freedom in the Spirit. They reject Jesus Christ as Savior: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) They reject God's perfect plan for them

to believe in the one He has sent. Eternal life rests in Christ alone: outside of him, we find no life; IN HIM, we find everlasting life with God. As we read earlier in John:

Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (John 1:3-5)

The Spirit and the Word bear witness in our hearts of God's promises:

Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:10-12)

Today's scriptures might seem to infer that good works can bring life. Nonbelievers hope their good deeds elevate their standing with God, especially as they compare themselves favorably with others. The alcoholic or the drug addict, maintaining a semblance of normalcy in life, might say, "I am not so bad. Look at that bum staggering down the street, begging for money. I'm not as bad as he is. Surely God will accept me because I try hard and do a pretty good job of holding my life together." However, we must consider the full counsel of God. God's prophet Isaiah declared:

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him (Messiah) the iniquity of us all. . .

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

(Isaiah 53:6 & 64:6) Numerous New Testament passages confirm:

The just shall live by faith. (Romans 12:18, Galatians 3:11, & Hebrews 10:30) When describing

the struggle between flesh and the Spirit or law versus grace, Paul concluded: I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do

— this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:18-19)

When we walk according to our fleshly nature, we are lost in sin. Our deeds, whether good or evil, cannot redeem us or bring us to God. As new creatures in Christ, good works follow us as the Spirit teaches and leads us to do the works of the Father: forgiving, loving, encouraging, and serving others in the name of Christ--our Savior, Friend, and Elder Brother. The Spirit testifies of God's love for us by revealing Christ in us. Paul describes this mystery:

the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27)

Before Christ, good works brought the faithful to Sheol to await redemption through Messiah. Bad acts landed a person in Hades, to face the final judgment. The former people lived, the latter faced death. From the beginning of time, God revealed his plan: Trusting in God's work through Jesus at the cross makes us new creatures, forever alive unto God. Rejection of God's Son as Redeemer and Lord leaves no other option than eternal separation in a place of torment. Jesus said:

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

(John 10:27-30) Today, dear ones, LISTEN AND LIVE!