• Philippians 4:11 – Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
  

 
The Apostle Paul understood a very important truth. We were created with freedom of choice, and God does not force us to be happy. On the contrary, we are the ones who must learn to be happy, to "train ourselves"—that is, to teach ourselves and get used to being content in whatever state we find ourselves in. The Apostle continues, saying:

• Philippians 4:12-13  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 
The verse Philippians 4:13 is very often used, but not always correctly. Many Christians believe that based on this verse, Jesus is obligated to strengthen us to do whatever we desire. But when we study the verse in context, just as any verse should be studied, we see that it is about being able to do what God calls us to do, so that we may fulfill His plan for our lives, not our own plan. Paul says that he learned how to manage both with much and with little, and that the Lord strengthened him in every situation he had to go through.
 
Perhaps you think that we do not need the Lord's help when we have more than we need, because we can take care of ourselves. Is that really so? When a person leads an abundant life, three great dangers lie in wait: pride, greed, and self-sufficiency. All of these put man on the throne instead of God. Only through the power that the Lord gives us can we remain humble, temperate, and totally dependent on God.

• Proverbs 15:15 – All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

 
How much wisdom and how much truth are in this verse! The original Hebrew word translated here as "afflicted" is “'aniy,” and in this verse, it is used in the sense of "poor, needy" (according to the “Brown-Driver-Briggs” dictionary).
 
Therefore, the poor or needy person would seemingly have no reason for joy; yet, if they choose to have a content heart, they live as if they have everything in abundance and enjoy "a continual feast." At any feast, people have only one care: to laugh and have a good time. No one can have a "continual feast"—meaning continuous, uninterrupted, and unceasing—without a thankful heart that trusts totally in the Lord.
 
Where did Paul's strength come from? It came from his close relationship with Jesus, the Lord of his life. In Philippians 1:21, Paul wrote: “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” His life was not merely centered on Jesus, nor was it just led by Jesus; for Paul, life itself was Jesus. When we come to love the Lord of our life the way Paul loved Him, with body and soul, and we understand that our relationship with Jesus is enough, this world we live in, loses its importance. Our desires stop being selfish and look more like what the Lord wants us to desire. And when we want what the Lord wants, we are thankful for who He is in our lives and who we are in Him.
 
Who are we in Jesus?

• We are children of God (Romans 8:16 – “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”).

 

• We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”). 

 

• We are overcomers and will reign in life (Romans 5:17 – “...much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”).

 

• We are set free from the bondage of sin (Romans 8:1-2 – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus... For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”).

 

• We are rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom of God (James 2:5 – “...Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?”).

 

• We are loved with a sacrificial love by our Heavenly Father who gave His Son for our salvation (1 John 4:9 – “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”).

 

• We 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;” (1 Peter 2:9).

 
God's power through Jesus has given us everything we need to have eternal life and to live in humility and obedience to the Lord. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of Jesus and receive the most valuable promises, through which we become more like the Lord, as we no longer follow the lusts of the flesh but instead flee from everything that is sin.

• 2 Peter 1:3-4 As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 
In conclusion, we have every reason to choose to train ourselves to have a thankful heart for what we have in Jesus Christ, regardless of what we must go through. The Lord has provided everything we need to have eternal life while living according to His pleasure. We can be thankful when we manage to understand this truth:

• 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 
When we choose to focus on the wonder of being God's children, on the Lord's love, and on what awaits us in heaven after we leave these bodies, we have every reason to be thankful and happy. Living this way, we can have a "continual feast," a continuous joy, and help those around us find Jesus. How much things would change for the better in our communities if more of us chose to be thankful and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, living to please our Heavenly Father!
 
Additional Bible verses to consider:

• Matthew 15:36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

 

• Ephesians 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

• Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

 

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

• Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Carmen Pușcaș

It seems like many of us and those around us, are facing tremendous challenges. Many are facing serious financial challenges, political, family type challenges such as issues with troubled children, aging parents, marital issues such as infidelity or spouses with troubling issues, addictions and more. Most of these issues stem from godlessness and rebellion. If Jesus was the true Lord of the troubled situations, all of them would level out for the good. But people rejecting the Lord and His ways, lack the discernment for a good life.
 
What can we do as believers? We can keep pressing on, we can keep praying and keep praying Scripture over the situations. We can even fast and pray, doing spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is not prayer but rebuking and hindering the enemy so that our prayers can be answered. God does not force His will on anyone, but many are blinded or bound by the enemy and need help getting free to be able to choose God and His ways.
 
The first thing we all need to do is so logical and easy but for some reason, oftentimes it takes us a while to do it, and that is: look up, to look up to the Lord who has the answers.

• Psalms 121:1-2 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

 
If we keep staring at the problems, they can look bigger and bigger. Why not go to the One who has the best solution? We need to look up. He sees and knows the entire situation each of us is facing, He sees the seen and unseen. Why try to solve anything without His help, without His wisdom and direction when He is here to be our God, our Father and help us through this troublesome world.
 
Anyone who has read the New Testament has read of the Apostle Paul’s trials and I doubt that any of us in our right mind would choose such suffering as Paul endured. Let us consider what he wrote in his second letter to the Corinthians.

• 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

 
He had even more to say in chapter four, about the great trials and stresses he was under.

• 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

 
We have a treasure working in us, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We were never meant to handle life’s challenges alone. Consider the Lord Jesus when He was here. He was human and yet God in the flesh. And did He pray? Yes, He prayed all the time and stayed in constant communion with the Father and Holy Spirit. How much more do we need to do the same?

• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

 
Life is not challenging just to be challenging. God uses the troubles of this world for multiple reasons. He uses them to draw us to Him. He uses them to teach us and He uses them to refine us. We may not realize that we are in the lifetime process of refinement, but we are. Each time or each situation brings about another opportunity to discover something in us that needs to be dealt with. If it were not for the heat of the fire, we would not have known it was there. And for each time we get some more of the “dross” out, we become closer to the Lord. And we become stronger in Him and more of an encouragement to those around us to also call upon the Lord and rely on Him.
 
Look at the life of King David. Had it not been written, who would know how human he was but also how God-dependent he lived his life. The Psalms have brought more encouragement to people for close to 3000 years than any of us could know. Did David have faults? Of course and so do we. But David kept the faith. When he failed, he repented and got back on track. Lord help us to do the same. Help us to call on You, to rely on You, to listen when You speak and stay close to You today and always. We love and need You Lord.

​

Every Christian starts out at the same place, as a new believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and their personal Savior and Lord, repenting of themselves as self-lordship and sin. Jesus said that we must come to Him as little children. And when we become born-again, that is the beginning of the process. We become baby Christians and we grow in our new life in Christ. For some today, they are not even sure if they were ever born-again, or if they were, they never grew in their faith. But one must have a turning point. Even if a person is not sure of the date and time, there had to be one. A person must go from darkness into the light. From self-lordship to God as Lord. And as we grow in Christ, from their very beginning, our new life is now being built on the Rock and no longer sand. Jesus is the firm foundation for every true believer. My question is about another type of foundation. How firm is the foundation of our faith? Is the Word of God (the Bible) operating in us? As we go through the day and challenges of life, is the Word of God in us enough to be a light for our paths?
 
It is not enough to just choose Jesus as Lord and Savior. We must grow in Him, and in His Word. Recently, I learned of a new doctrine going around. As an older believer, I have seen a lot of this in my lifetime. Sometimes, people do make wonderful discoveries in God’s Word and it is so refreshing and edifying. But sadly, this one is another one of those that does not line up with the rest of God’s Word. This belief tries to say that there was a heavenly council that ruled over the Garden of Eden, which they also say was a temple. And Satan who was a member of the council, either he or one of the others, they cannot say, was responsible for the deception and disobedience of Adam and Eve. Which then leads to when God said, let us make man in our own image, that it was God and the council, not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And if you go down this path, it only gets more off-course.
 
If I did not have the firm foundation in God’s Word about the Trinity, which is that there is one God who is also God in Three Persons, it would have made it easier to fall prey to such a false belief. Jesus said the devil is the father of lies. It was Satan telling those lies that fateful day to Eve. They also go on to say in the false doctrine, that the people who Cain was afraid of being killed by, were not family, that there were “other people” outside of the Garden. Once again, just trust God’s Word. In Genesis 3, Adam named Eve, “the mother of all living.” There were no other humans on earth (and never will be) where Eve was not the progenitor. She was, and still is, the mother of all living human beings. And furthermore, Adam and Eve had already been cast outside of the Garden. They did not even start their family, until they were outside of it.
 
It is so important that the Bible is our plumb-line. This is an old-fashioned saying, and some may wonder what a plumb-line is. A plumb-line is what people used before some of our modern tools, to make sure something was straight. A plumb-line is a string with a weight on the end of it. It will always hang straight and if your wall, does not line up with it, be prepared for a crooked room as everything else involved with that wall will be crooked, including the ceiling and other walls that cannot match straightly with it. How can the Bible help us, if it is not received and taught to us by the Holy Spirit, and then used as the filter of our lives? There may come a day in your country or mine, that the Word of God may not even be allowed. It is illegal in many countries already. We desperately need the Bible to face the enemy daily and be victorious, and we truly need to have it in us, in case the day comes that we could be separated from it. And whether it is for good times or severe trials, the Bible is not only our plumb-line, but it is our lifeline.

• 2 Timothy 3:14-17 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 
 
Some of the reference verses for this blog.
 
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."
 
Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
 
John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
 
Luke 18:16-17 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
 
Genesis 3:14-15 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel."
 
Revelation 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

It is often said in the body of Christ, and even in the secular world, that “knowing the truth will set you free.” Secularly it is often used to say, “knowledge will set you free” for educational purposes, while in the church, for the sake of believers to study and know the Scripture, to be set free from falsehoods, but is that the original meaning in the context of Jesus when He said it? Let’s take a deeper look, and the truth about it will unfold.
 
John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
 
Note that this was said by Jesus to those who believed in Him, and that He said it with a requirement. First He said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” Followed with “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” So this was not said for unbelievers. This was said for those who “believe” and “abide in His word and are His disciples indeed” – not for those who don’t. This is specifically an intrinsic part of what Jesus was saying. Consider the very next verses of the conversation.
 
John 8:33-36 “They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”
 
Those that responded to Jesus in vs. 33, lied when they said that they had never been in bondage to anyone. Not only had their forefathers been in bondage in Egypt and Babylon, but even as they spoke, they were not free as they were under the dominion of Rome. And in fact, they were not free spiritually or physically.
 
Jesus’ answer to their lying response and their question of how they could be made free, specifically had to do with being in bondage to sin. He replied, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” Jesus was sent from the Father to set us free from the bondage of sin. We still sin as believers, but sinning is no longer the way of life. The old way of sin led to eternal death and the new life in obedience to God, leads to righteousness and eternal life. Just as Paul wrote in Romans 6:16, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”
 
Jesus also said in verse 36, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” If we come to believe and know the Son, He makes us free indeed. Sin will no longer be our master. We become free from the bondage of sin (and the devil) when Jesus becomes our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus is the Truth He was referring to, just as in John 14:6, when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
 
Going back to verse 32, “And you shall “know” the truth and the truth shall make you free,” the “know” referred to is much more than intellectual knowledge. Jesus was not speaking about education. He was speaking about deliverance from the bondage of sin, that is found in Him and Him alone. The original word used, “ginōskō” (Strong's G1097), is a Greek verb meaning "to know," frequently implying an active, relational, or experiential knowledge rather than mere intellectual awareness. Used over 200 times in the New Testament, it denotes learning, perceiving, understanding, or recognizing, often in the context of intimate, personal knowledge. And in verse 31, when it says, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” The language tense of “abide” is “continual.” So this knowing of the truth, is in knowing Jesus Christ. And in an active, relational way of personal experience. This is not a one-time experience, it is a continual relationship.
 
There is truly an illumination that comes from knowing various truths in life and these illuminations can be quite revelatory, especially the illuminations found in God’s Word, and that we apply to our lives, but we must know that the truth of John 8:32 and John 8:36, is about Jesus Christ.
 
In conclusion, if we believe in the Lord and if we abide (continually) in His Word, then we are His disciples indeed. And as we come into an intimate personal relationship with Jesus as the Truth, we are truly made free from sin and the bondage of it.

Jesus loved everyone with the same unconditional and perfect love to the very end. Not for a single moment did He turn away from those for whom He came into the world. Only the Son of God could remain so loving and free from any desire for revenge after all the evil and injustice He endured. Jesus knew exactly the purpose for which He came into the world:

• John 12:46–47 “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”

The purpose of Jesus was very clear from the beginning, and He fulfilled it perfectly! He did everything to show us His love and the love of the Heavenly Father, overturned the value system of the world, and brought us the Kingdom of His love. He came and accomplished the most wonderful plan for the salvation of humanity despite the rebellion and stubbornness of human nature.

John, the apostle of love, presented most clearly throughout his Gospel how much Jesus was rejected by God's own chosen people. Here is just one very conclusive verse:

• John 1:10–11 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

The world easily recognizes those who are like it, and it would seem that this alone should have made everyone in Jesus’ time realize that He was different. He was not like them—He did not behave like them, think like them, boast, or act pridefully. He did nothing for His own benefit, harmed no one, did not chase money or fame. On the contrary, He listened to everyone, healed all who came to Him, made only righteous judgments, always spoke what the Heavenly Father gave Him to speak, and made time for anyone—whether a royal official or a beggar, woman, man or child. Anyone had access to the Son of God. He never said He was too tired or too busy.

And because, as we read in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” we know that He receives us into His presence whenever we need Him and helps us when we cry out to Him. He has the same perfect, complete love for each of us and will never change.

The Jews rejected Jesus and fought against Him because He disrupted their plans, and they were losing their privileges and power. They did everything they could to remove Him from their path. But only when “His hour had come” were they able to take His life. Even then, they did not understand that Jesus came into the world precisely to die for humanity! The religious leaders did what their father led them to do, as Jesus said in the following verse:

• John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

Jesus had at His disposal legions of angels. He could have destroyed all those who mocked Him, insulted Him, and ultimately tortured and killed Him in the most painful way—by crucifixion. But He loved them to the end. And on the cross He prayed for His executioners: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

We see no trace of evil or desire for revenge in Jesus. He behaved perfectly, without sin, to the very end. If it had not been so, the devil would have found something of his nature in Jesus, and He could not have risen to give us His righteousness and eternal life. Because the sins He died for were not His own, death could not hold Him.

• Acts 2:24 Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Precisely because even the most terrible suffering could not change Him, we could be redeemed! The plan of salvation for humanity succeeded perfectly! Through Jesus, man can be restored to the image and likeness of God through the new birth and be with the Lord forever.

If we live with the purpose of becoming more like Jesus and pleasing the Heavenly Father, we can remain strong in faith and full of the Lord’s love regardless of what we go through. Why? Because the purpose of our lives is not to have everything go well, to fulfill the desires of the flesh, or to gain success, wealth, and fame. Our purpose is heavenly—it is about what the Lord desires for us and fulfilling His will as best as we can. And when we have this purpose, God strengthens us and gives us the power to stand firm in faith and be filled with His love.

And to see even more clearly how completely and perfectly Jesus fulfilled the purpose for which He came to Earth—namely, the salvation of humanity—let us look at the final words He spoke on the cross:

• John 19:28, 30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ […] So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”

The original Greek word translated “It is finished” is tetelestai, from the verb teleó, meaning: “to finish, to complete, to accomplish, to carry out a mission or purpose.” Its root, telos, also means “to bring to a close, to finish, to end” (according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

This word was used in Jesus’ time when a transaction was completed—when a debt was fully paid. In a legal context, it was used by judges when a sentence had been fully served, once and for all, and the person was set free. In a military context, it signified triumph and victory after winning a battle.

Considering all this, we can conclude that Jesus was, in essence, declaring on the cross:

“The debt for your sins has been fully paid. The punishment for your sins has been completely satisfied once and for all. The victory has been won over death, sin, and the devil.”

Jesus finished the work of salvation, redemption, and reconciliation with God the Father for all who believe in Him and follow Him. Through His death on the cross, everything has been secured for every single one of us. He made new birth possible for every believer and a new life filled with the power of the Lord and heavenly blessings.

Thank You, Lord Jesus!


Carmen Pușcaș

There is a saying, and even a song, that says that the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley. The God we praise and trust when everything seems good and “going right” is still God when everything seems upside down and hope is hard to find.
 
When hard times come or we face dilemmas that seem unfixable, we sometimes get the “why’s.” We say things to the Lord such as, “I don’t understand God” “Why did You let this happen?” “Why is this happening to my loved one?” “Why is this happening to me?” If you never wondered why or never asked or blamed God with any of the “why talk,” you might be a robot or an angel. For the rest of us, we are human and it is a natural response. But we must stop and question the tone of our “why’s.” And then how do we handle it?
 
As human beings, the need to blame someone is intrinsic. It is a deep part of the fleshly nature, the carnal nature that we are all born with. From our very beginning, Adam and Eve did it in the Garden of Eden. Firstly, Adam blamed God and Eve for his sin.

• Genesis 3:11-12 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"  Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

 
We see that he was blaming God when he said that. And then Eve. And finally, Adam admitted that he did eat it. And then it was Eve’s turn.

• Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

 
Eve admitted that she ate it too, but after blaming the devil and his deception. It is our nature to blame and make excuses. And when things go wrong, this can really take root. For those of us who believe that God is real and that He is in control, it is easy to blame Him, or to want to know why, when things seem hard or terrible. No matter how tough the going gets, we must not lose our “fear of the Lord.” This means reverential respect. We can wonder or ask the Lord questions, but we better do it respectfully. To disrespect the Lord is sinful and wrong, and as Christians we should never do it. And blaming Him is the wrong way to go about it. We must remember that He gave us all free will. We are free to mess up, and the rest of mankind is too. If we weren’t, it would be different. Free will is expensive for us, individually and corporately, and our mistakes and sins hurt God too. Even human parents hurt over seeing their children make mistakes. We cannot even fathom how God feels. He is not like us in the way that we had to learn for ourselves, and now our children have to learn too. But Hallelujah, He is God and Creator who turns all of it for as much good as possible. He is the Redeemer.

• Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 
When things are rough, we must trust the Lord even more. We must trust that He has a plan. We can know that just as it was for Joseph, who was beaten and sold into slavery by his brothers, and even falsely accused and imprisoned, that God will turn the wrongs for good. Joseph hung in there. If he ever got depressed or weary, it is not recorded. But it is recorded by his actions, that his faith stood and carried him through. Most of the time, we have limited vision about our circumstances. Thankfully, God has the bigger vision and plans.

• Genesis 50:20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

 
It is okay to not understand things, or feel hurt or frustrated. The thing is, what do we do next?  The easiest thing to do is sin. We could choose to have a pity party, be angry or frustrated with others or ourselves, blame God or many other unhelpful or sinful choices. The thing to do is to take the hurts and frustrations and give them to the Lord. Humbly cry out. Seek Him and His direction. He faithfully helps those who do. There have been times that situations looked so bleak and I was trying to persevere and things got even bleaker. But I kept crying out to the Lord for help and He turned the darts of the enemy back on them, and He helped my hurts as only He could do. Sometimes, things are way past the brain. When the heart travails, it can be deepest kind of pain. And God understands and cares and wants to help us if we would only let Him.
 
As Christians, we have the greatest resource, our Father. And instead of losing our composition, we must move past the troubles and trust the Lord and His wisdom. He never said that there would not be fires or floods but He did say He would be with us in those times, Isaiah 43:2. We can wholeheartedly trust the Word of God.

• Psalms 34:17-19 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

 
Much is also said in the New Testament about such matters. The disciples and the early church lived through some of the hardest times in history.

• 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

 
We could have the greatest education and equipment, but without a good attitude, how far would we get? Many say, attitude is half the battle. So if you are going through a little pressure testing, or time of what would be despair but for the Lord, let us take a deep breath and give (or re-give) our situations to the Lord, forgive ourselves or others, and leave the judgment to the Lord and law enforcement and press on through or past the circumstances. I will close with the verses that Paul wrote after the ones above.

• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Eli Cockrell

When Jesus came, what was He seeking? What was His mission? Certainly it was not politics, or reaching a certain height in the eyes of the religious establishment. We all know that Jesus came to lay down His life for all of us, so that we could be saved, but He didn’t come just for that, He came to save us and so much more.
 
Jesus came so that we could not only be saved from the eternal punishment of sin, but to bring us into relationship with the Father. Becoming a believer is not just believing that Jesus exists, even as the Son of God and that He died on the cross for the sins of the world. It is believing it personally, repenting and accepting His Lordship. When we go from spiritual darkness to being spiritually born-again into His light, everything changes. It may be that someone is reading this and has had only faith. Faith is good but until one is truly born-again, one is not there yet. We must turn from self-lordship, receive the pardon that God offers through Jesus and then live for Him.
 
At this point, Jesus comes into our heart by the Holy Spirit.

• John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

 
Every day with Jesus is a day in the abundant life of being a true Christian. Father God sent Jesus to us, to be God with us.

• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel (which means, “God with us”).

 
From the Garden with Adam and Eve, to today and forevermore, God wants relationship with us! Throughout the entire Bible, there are verses stating how God wants to be our God and for us to be His people. This is the true heart of God. Following this blog, there is a list of some of these verses.
 
In order to be our God and for us to be God’s people, when we start this new life in Christ, He comes to live in our heart. God is spirit and so are we, even though we live in a physical body. Our inner man, or our spirit, is often referred to as the heart. And it is a spiritual relationship, it is a heart relationship.

• John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

 

• Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

 
Father God, with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, want to be intimate with us. God wants to live in our heart and provide for us, spiritually and also for whatever we need in this life. It is a joy and not a burden. We are not a burden to God. It is His pleasure and the purpose we were created for! And one does not have to be worthy of God’s love and grace. Jesus is worthy and His grace is all we need. The devil comes to many and tries to discourage with condemnation and unworthiness lies. We were condemned in our sins and never worthy. It is a fact. So send him away. God’s love and grace are all we need! With Jesus as our Lord and the strength and direction of the Holy Spirit, we can live victorious lives. We can have the abundant life God wants for us. Can we do it right 100% of the time? No, but, we never give up and the Lord keeps molding and shaping us!
 
As we grow in our walk with the Lord, the fleshly nature loses out more and more and the godly nature, wins more and more. This is the life of a believer. It is so important to live in grace and not in bondage. We choose not to sin, not out of fear and torment, but for reasons such as pleasing the Lord and wanting to do better. While sin and the flesh steal true life and are costly, choosing right brings the abundant life and joy. Consider the following verse about King David.

• Acts 13:22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'

 
Many know that God spoke of David having a heart after His, but how many see the rest of this verse? David’s heart was to do God’s will.  And so does the heart of a born-again believer. As believers, our focus is no longer self-oriented, but Christ-oriented. We go from being in tune with and trying to satisfy fleshly desires, to being online with the Holy Spirit and seeking to hear and please the Lord. Everything changes.
 
It is a joy to live in cooperation with the Holy Spirit! Every day is a new day in our walk with the Lord. All the challenges that come in a day, are met with the Holy Spirit as our guide. Hallelujah, we are not alone and we have the best Help to meet life’s challenges. The Holy Spirit is all-knowing, unlike us who only see in part. By seeking His help, we have supernatural help. He knows where the enemy lurks and keeps us from his tricks. He helps us with everything from difficult decisions to picking the right vegetables at the market. All this is available for those who draw close to the Lord and seek His guidance.
 
The joy and peace that is available for the believer who prays and worships is beyond the comprehension of the lost. When we live “in” the Lord and not just “for” Him, the life flow that comes from Him is in us. The Word of God becomes a lifeline for a believer. The Bible is not revealed to everyone. For the true Christian that is hungry for His Word, the Lord does not disappoint. He reveals His Word as we feed on it and it sustains us. It guides and the truth of it exposes the lies of the enemy and this world.
 
Praise the Lord that He did not create us as angels or robots! Praise the Lord that He created us as humans for fellowship with Him forever. Praise the Lord that we are His! He blessed us with a beautiful world and tons of blessings. It is up to us to choose the Lord and follow Him with all our hearts. We have so much to be thankful for. A true sign of a believer is thankfulness. Well, kindness and gentleness are too. And love. The fruit of the Spirit sustains us and is also a blessing to others. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and guide us, the more His fruit manifests through us, the happier we are and more of a blessing to those around us. This is the abundant life and a life lived in intimacy with God.
 
 
 
“Our God and His people” verses:
 
Genesis 17:7-8, Exodus 29:45-46, Leviticus 26:11-12, Isaiah 7:14, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 32:38, Ezekiel 37:27, Ezekiel 43:7, Zechariah 8:8, Zechariah 2:10-11, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 1:3, John 1:4, John 14:23, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Hebrews 8:10, Revelation 7:15, Revelation 21:7
 
Revelation 21:3,7 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. […] He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. - Lamentations 3:22-23

The man Jeremiah, as God’s prophet, went through the fire. His assignment was not one that many would like to have been given. But he was obedient. He lived through the judgment and fall of Jerusalem and the Hebrew nation. He spoke the truth as the Lord commanded, and it was not wanted to be heard by most. Even of the righteous ones, they preferred to flee to Egypt than obey the Lord. And they still suffered in their choice.
 
The Book of Lamentations is attributed to Jeremiah by most. It is an expression of utter grief and mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem inflicted by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. The holy city and temple were the last of the fall of Israel in the north and Judah in the south. This book laments over the loss of the city, temple, and people, and their devastation, famine, and exile, while struggling with the judgment of their sins. And despite the despair, it emphasizes hope and trust in God's enduring mercy and faithfulness, showing that even through suffering there can be repentance and eventual restoration.
 
God’s mercies are new every day. No matter what happens in life by our own demise or by the effects of others’ choices, there are always new beginnings, new seasons. Life is not the sum of the secular world’s idea of success. A successful life is one that is lived with Jesus as Lord and lived with continued growth in Him. There will always be ups and downs. But as Christians, we get back up and follow after the Lord again. The more we are renewed in His Word and grow in life’s circumstances, the better. And as we love Him and love others, being His light in this world so that others may join in His family too, this is successful living. The eternal outlook is the one that lasts. A million years from now, no one will remember how perfectly appointed our homes were or how much money we made and all the comforts we had. But for every soul that makes it to heaven, that God used us to help them find the way or stay on the path that led there, it will matter for all eternity. Every cup of water given in Jesus’ Name and even the smallest acts of kindness done for the right reasons, matter to the Lord.
 
It is so wonderful that we can always pick ourselves up and repent if needed, and the Lord will help us. God never needs a plan B, C, or any other, “next” plan of “what to do now.” He knows the end from the beginning, and He knew it all when He called you and I out of this world. He chose us, and He is faithful. His love is pure, and nothing can compare to His provision when we are His and rely on Him.
 
Jeremiah endured the loss of his home and his country, and he endured hateful persecution of his ministry, to the point that he has been known as “the weeping prophet” by many. He was falsely accused by the religious establishment of being a false prophet, when he was truly being obedient to the Lord and desperately telling the truth, trying to warn them of impending doom. To many, Jeremiah’s ministry might seem like a loss. But their blood was not on Jeremiah’s hands. He was obedient to the Lord. And Jeremiah’s hope was in the Lord to the end. He knew the Lord’s mercy was without fail.
 
When going through difficult times, as many of us are, Lamentations 3:21-40 is very encouraging. There is hope even in the hardest and worst of times. Be encouraged. No matter what happens next in this life, it will be no surprise to the King of kings and Lord of lords who is our provider and savior. Be encouraged child of God, His love and mercy are ours forever. Our strength may fail but His never does, and His strength is always available for those who rely on Him.
 
Eli Cockrell

Have you ever wondered why the devil has worked so hard to distort the meaning of Christmas? How Santa Claus, decorations, foods, parties, and gift-giving have taken the place of celebrating Jesus’ birth in the secular world? The most common theory is that it started as a Roman pagan festival called, “Saturnalia or Mirthas,” worshiping the agriculture god Saturn. The festival was first celebrated for one day and eventually grew to seven days, during which people would party, gamble and give gifts to each other.  The gift-giving custom continued in celebrating Christmas and while it was nice, it has become a huge source of profit for stores, as their commercials have made Santa Claus, Christmas trees and decorations more important than Jesus. The enemy succeeded in moving the public focus from the birth of Jesus to buying, giving and receiving gifts, and parties with traditional, expensive foods and drinks. Maybe you too were thinking that secular advertising erased Christ from the name of the celebration, when they started calling it X-mas. Well actually in Greek, the letter “Chi,” that looks like Latin letter “X,” has been used for centuries as a Christian symbol and starts the name of our Savior, Χριστός (Christos). But I still do not consider it right to replace the name of Christ with a Greek letter and for sure many non-believers prefer it for seeming to remove the name of Christ.
 
Many historians say that the first documents mentioning celebrating Christmas, date from the 4th century, when the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine declared Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire and decided that the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ needed to be a major yearly celebration.
 
The Calculation hypothesis, first proposed by the French priest and historian Louis Duchesne in 1889, says that December 25th was chosen for Jesus’ birth date because it was nine months after a date chosen as Jesus's conception by the Catholic church, March 25th, the Roman date of the spring equinox, according to “Wikipedia.” Other historians are saying that Emperor Constantine decided Christians should celebrate Christmas while pagans were celebrating their pagan god Saturn, so that it would unite in the same feast, around the winter solstice, so 25th of December seemed the right date for it. But was Jesus born on the 25th of December?

• Luke 1:26-27 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

 
Based on what the Bible says about time of the birth of Jesus, we know that the 25th of December could not be the right date. Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah was from the order of Abijah, which was the 8th priestly division according to 1 Chronicles 24:6-19, and served in the Temple of God during the tenth week of the priestly cycle. That week starts on the second Sabbath in the Jewish month of Sivan, which in our calendar is approximately from mid-May to mid-June. Soon after Zechariah returned from his Temple duties Elizabeth became pregnant with John the Baptist. And since six months later, the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive Jesus, that had to be in the month of Kislev (December). With the nine months that are needed for a normal pregnancy, since December leads to the conclusion that Jesus was born around the month of Tishri, which is mid to late September.
 
Besides all this, in the early days of United States, the Puritans banned celebrating Christmas, believing that celebrating birthdays would offend God. They considered that all martyrs, including Jesus should be celebrated only for their death. Celebrating Christmas has also been banned in various places and times throughout the earth, for many different reasons.
 
So, what should we do as Christians? Should we celebrate Christmas? The Bible urges us to praise the Lord at all times. In considering that, should we not praise our Savior and celebrate His birth?

• Psalms 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

 

• Psalms 30:11-12 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

 
This is a personal choice that each person must make. Certainly, even if the date is wrong, how could it be wrong to celebrate the arrival of the Savior of all mankind?

In conclusion, Satan tried to steal God’s glory and get mankind to worship him instead of God, since he rebelled in heaven and he has never stopped. By getting people to focus on Santa Claus and even the Easter Bunny, and all kinds of distractions, he tries to exclude Jesus from Christmas, as well as Easter. But as long as we love our Lord and we do our part in telling the truth and worship the only true God, the Creator of the whole universe and Father of our Savior Jesus Christ, we can make a difference and help as many people as possible to find and follow the only real God that deserves all our worship, love and adoration! Only Jesus died for every single one of us, paying the penalty for our sins! Hallelujah, thank You Lord Jesus!

Carmen Pușcaș

So many of us, born-again Christians do not realize that our Lord wants to strengthen us in the midst of trouble, empower us when we are weak, and give us the courage to move further when we feel like we cannot take another step. Most of us are taught that a good Christian has a firm faith, is always on top of things and is never overwhelmed by problems or pain. But everyday life has its ups and downs and whoever says they always live on the top of the mountain is not telling the whole truth. It may seem that it is true for a while, but deep inside every single believer is a human being that has their own set of fears, pains and failures.
 
Can you name one person from the Bible (excluding Jesus), that was always victorious, never suffered or wasn’t mistreated by others? Maybe you might say that everyone recorded in the Bible sinned, so they had to suffer for their sins. Yes, and this is also true about us. Jesus was the only one who never sinned and fulfilled His Father’s will. But even Jesus had His share of pain caused by fellow men, even before the supreme suffering at the cross.
 
So, if in the Bible we do not find super-believers that always lived being strong and victorious, why do we think we should? Why do we think that when we struggle and go through hard times, that it is because we do not have enough faith, are not as strong us we should be or that God abandoned us? Let’s look at the apostle Paul. From the time he became a Christian, life was not easy, as we can see from what he wrote about his tribulations in the following verses:

• 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

 
Certainly Paul understood pain and suffering, and many might say he was not always on top of things. But from God’s perspective, Paul’s life was successful, as he was doing what God called him to do, and he was trusting God in all his troubles. Paul never seemed to doubt God’s love, even when he went through so much. In the next chapter, Paul said that “fourteen years ago I was caught up to the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2) where he received an abundance of revelation, and he understood that all the troubles he had to face helped keep him humble. First Paul did what we would all do, he prayed. And he did not pray just once, but three times for the Lord to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” which he called “a messenger of Satan.”

• 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 
 
Paul prayed three times for deliverance from the thorn, and the answer was not what he had believed for, but it teaches us an amazing truth! Paul, as all of us would, asked for the pain and suffering to stop, but the Lord’s answer changed everything! God actually said that even when we go through very hard times, His grace is there for us, and we are not alone as our Heavenly Father is always with us! And then, He continued saying, “for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So if we want to mature spiritually, to truly benefit from God’s power, we have to go through times when we are weak. While all goes well, and we seem to have it all together, and consider ourselves strong and powerful, we tend to think that we do not need God’s help. But when we are weak and hurting, everything changes. Suddenly we become very needy, and we cry out to the Lord to deliver us from trouble. Paul was no different. And then God told him he was not alone in the trial. And the Lord wants us to recognize that His presence is with us always, including in hard times, whether we feel it or not, He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6). The Lord is always with us, so we better allow Him to manifest His presence while we hurt, and we truly need His strength.
 
This does not mean that we should not pray for the Lord to take away our trouble, or fix the cause of our pain, while we go through hard times! Our Lord is a loving Father and He hears us. But there are times when His answer does not come as we want, like it happened with Paul, and we need to remember that what God told Paul, is also true for us! God has a certain measure of glory prepared for His children according to what they are facing. How can we know that? Let us read again what Paul wrote next: “… Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9b). And at the end of verse 10, Paul wrote, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” The apostle learned this firsthand. He experienced the power of God in His life and that strengthened him to face all the imprisonments, beatings, starvation, and all that he went through during his ministry, and we can read about in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28.
 
We can all experience the power of Jesus in our lives while facing hard times, if we do not simply pray for deliverance from what hurts us, but we pray something like, “Nevertheless Lord, please be with me in this trial, strengthen me to handle it as You will, help me grow in loving and trusting You in this situation, because in weakness Your power is made perfect in me! Please help me see the good You do for me in this hardship and the strength I have in You in this weakness so that the coming victory will be way more precious! Help me become whatever You planned for me to be and live my life fully dependent on You!” When we truly surrender it all unto our Lord, His power and glory will manifest in our lives. By submission we get out of the way and make room for what God wants to do.

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.   But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

 
God does not look for mighty Christians to use, He uses the weak so He can shine through them! Whenever we feel like we are at the end of our strength, if we continue in faith, we can experience God’s miracle. The enemy would do anything to make us believe we are defeated, abandoned by God, for sure that God does not love us anymore, that’s why He did not deliver us from the trial and so on. But it is not true! This is not the end, we are not defeated, even if we feel like giving up. If we will then call on the Lord, He can then say, “It is alright My child, I’ll take over from here, and you will make it, because My power is made perfect in weakness.” When we come to the end of ourselves, we know for sure that we can continue on, only because of God’s grace and strength! The Lord deserves all of the glory! Then we can boast more gladly as Paul did, about our weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on us! This is the path to success and spiritual growth as we become stronger with every trial we face.
 
Our Lord wants us strong in Him, able to move and act based on His empowerment and not in ourselves, so that we give Him all the glory. But living based on who He is in us and following His direction fully, pride has no place in our hearts. And we all know that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5b). Let us not be afraid of anything, because our Lord is our strength and as long as we follow Him and want to fulfill His will, we will never be alone or defeated by our weaknesses.
 

Carmen Pușcaș