5 Encouraging Truths To Remind Yourself

1. Have struggles? You're not alone, we all need Jesus

There are no “Super Christians”, everyone has struggles and nobody can live a Christian life without being connected to Jesus, The Vine (John 15:5). As we resist the enemy, steadfast in faith, remember “that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world”. (1 Peter 5:8-9). Also, “consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” Hebrews 12:3

2. Your identity isn’t defined by what other people think.

What God thinks is what matters: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11. “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:17-18

3. What other people do is never your fault

You are only responsible for your own actions and not the actions of another. “The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Ezekiel 18:20b. Likewise, it's nobody else’s fault if you don’t continually ask God to refill you with the “oil” of the Holy spirit. (Luke 11:13, Matthew 25:8-9). Nobody else can have a relationship with God for you, so use your God-given free choice to seek God for yourself.

Your main concern should be what God does and wants to do in your life, so don't worry about others do or don't do. As disciples of Jesus, we are to follow Jesus, not other disciples, so mind your own walk with Jesus (John 21:20-22). While we are to encourage others to follow Jesus or to stay faithful in walk they already have with Jesus, we can't walk for them (and nobody can walk for you either). Jesus said that if anyone thirst, let them come and drink (John 7:37). We all must come to Jesus for ourselves.

4. Your worth is not based on your performance

Your worth comes from God who made you and redeemed you: “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.'” Isaiah 43:1. “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The Christian life isn't about what we do, it's about what God has done and wants to do through us. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10. We need God's Spirit in order to love the way He does (Romans 5:5).

5. God can do great things through you

“With God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26b. Remember when Moses was called by God, he was asked “What is in your hand?” (Exodus 4:1-3). God can use the simplest things for His work. Don't compare yourself to others, remember that everyone has different gifts, but the Spirit and the Lord are the same (2 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Corinthians 12:3-4). Since Jesus is Lord over everything and everything we have comes from God, then how does comparing yourself with others make any sense? (1 Corinthians 4:7). How much can we do without Jesus? Nothing. (John 15:5).

Your life may be broken, but when you give life to Jesus, He can use the pieces to bless others. How is that? It's when we find comfort in Him who bore our own suffering and then share that same comfort with others around us. (Isaiah 53:4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). God can turn a mess into a message, a test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph, and a victim into a victory. Call upon God in the day of trouble, He will deliver you from the hand of the enemy and then you will have a testimony to tell that glorifies God for what He has done to help get you through (Psalm 50:15, Psalm 107:2). In order to be powerful witnesses, we need the power of God's Spirit (Acts 1:8, Zechariah 4:6).

There's no thief like fear

The following is a sermon that was done by Dee Casper

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

This implies that fear can rob us of power, the ability to love (God and others) and be loved (by God and others), and to be able to think and make decisions with a sound mind. Fear alters the way that we do the essentials of life.

What is the solution to fear?

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. -1 John 4:16-19

It is not the fear of punishment, or the hope of everlasting reward, that leads the disciples of Christ to follow Him. They behold the Saviour's matchless love, revealed throughout His pilgrimage on earth, from the manger of Bethlehem to Calvary's cross, and the sight of Him attracts, it softens and subdues the soul. Love awakens in the heart of the beholders. They hear His voice, and they follow Him. -Desire of Ages 480.3

Let the youth see the tender love the Father in heaven has manifested toward them, and the dignity and honor to which they are called—even to become the sons of God— and thousands would turn with contempt from selfish aims and pleasures that have hitherto engrossed them. They would learn to hate sin, not merely from hope of reward or fear of punishment, but from a sense of its inherent baseness. -From Eternity Past 436.3

Love is the only pure and true power that should motivate us in our experience and in our decision making. And the only way to find that love is to encounter God’s love for us. “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19. God wants us to experience a “faith that works by love” (Galatians 5:6) not a faith that works by fear.

Fear, again, robs us of love for God, and love for others because we’re afraid of being hurt. What we desperately need is a life-course altering encounter with God’s perfectly selfless love for us. To be fully known and fully loved. It drives out all of our fear, and brings us to a deeper love for Him, and the capacity to be willing to love and be loved ourselves.

Some people become atheists because they fear having hope and getting disappointed, We don't need to fear this, the bible says: "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5. "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13. "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." -Galatians 6:9

So abject fear is not God’s chosen method to reach us, or to motivate us. In fact, fear is in many ways a selfish motivation. It leads us to make decisions to protect ourselves, and to provide for ourselves, instead of relying upon God to protect and to provide for us. Interestingly, in many of the supernatural encounters that the people of God had with Him or with angels they would be greeted with the tender charge to “fear not” or “don’t be afraid”. God doesn’t want our experience with Him to be driven by fear, but by true love. He wants our perspective to shift to something better.

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her; I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her…And it shall be, in that day,” says the LORD, “That you will call Me 'My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master,'” -Hosea 2:14, 16. Encountering the amazing love of God leads us to have a shift in how we view Him, and our standing with Him. When He sees that we’re ready to fall in love He then drops to one knee. “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD.” -Hosea 2:19-20. “Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, “You are my God!” -Hosea 2:23

No longer are we to feel like groveling slaves who fear they’ll never be good enough. But instead we should view ourselves as loving spouses who have come to know that Christ is enough, and that He is standing in our stead.

What about “fear God and give glory to Him”? First of all, that’s not where the sermon begins. It begins with the Everlasting Gospel being preached to the world. “Fear God and give glory to Him” is the appeal of that sermon, and it’s also the logical response to the Everlasting Gospel.

"The love of God ever tends to the fear of God—fear to offend Him. Those who are truly converted will not venture heedlessly upon the borders of any evil, lest they grieve the Spirit of God and are left to their own way, to be filled with their own doings. The Word of God is the Guidebook; turn not from its pages to depend upon the human agent. That Book contains the warnings, the admonitions, from God, the rebuke of every evil, the clear definition of sin as the transgression of the law which is God’s great standard of virtue and holiness.... Not one who will study the Word of God and apply its teachings will miss the way." – The Upward Look 371.7

So abject fear robs us of a clear picture of the love of God, and an absence of a godly fear can rob us of a true perspective of our relation to God and how to follow Him.

What does fear do to us? If we use fear in our approach to this beautiful set of beliefs God has given us, or in the way in which we raise and counsel our children, it causes harm and paralysis. When you mix Biblically conservative principles with a fear based approach (even if it’s done in a gentle, loving fashion), it leads to analysis paralysis and misery in the religious experience.

You may be able to scare someone into a pew, but it won’t keep them there. This is one of the reasons why we as Seventh-day Adventists reject the teaching of eternal torment. A teaching that has brought about abject fear into the hearts of many, along with a hatred of God, and a rejection of Him. Regarding the topic of eternal torment: “If this is sound Bible truth, instead of preventing the salvation of sinners, it will be the means of winning them to Christ. If the love of God will not induce the rebel to yield, the terrors of an eternal hell will not drive him to repentance. Besides, it does not seem a proper way to win souls to Jesus by appealing to one of the lowest attributes of the mind,—abject fear. The love of Jesus attracts; it will subdue the hardest heart.” -Ellen White’s Mother, Life Sketches 49.4

We need to ask God how fear is ruling us and shaping our lives. “Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason…” -Ecclesiastes 7:7 Even people with wisdom can be beat up by fear and in turn make decisions and develop ideas that aren’t reasonable. This is why we need God to open our eyes, and to allow His love to set us free from our fear. Fear can make us create standards and rules that aren’t Biblical to try to save ourselves and protect ourselves. And it also leads to additional shame, because it’s more standards that we fail to measure up to when we mess up.

God’s solution is; "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:1-10.

In every command and in every promise of the word of God is the power, the very life of God, by which the command may be fulfilled and the promise realized. He who by faith receives the word is receiving the very life and character of God. –Christ’s Object Lessons 38.1

One of the reasons we deal with fear is because we are insecure in our connection and dependence upon God. We’ve gotten behind the wheel and feel like we may run off the road. And we are in danger of that if we’re not letting Him drive, and if He’s not sitting in first place in our life. Whatever we are afraid of losing can’t bring us any more security in our identity or freedom or happiness than He can. Only He can give us our identity, acceptance, and purpose.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me. -Psalm 56:3-4. This implies that fear affects our ability to trust God. And I believe this is why many of us have self protective tendencies

What the bible says about overwork and being hasty

Mark 6:31  And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Luke 10:38–42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:  Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.

Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.

Proverbs 19:2 Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet.

Proverbs 4:26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.

Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.

Proverbs 18:13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.

Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Proverbs 25:8 Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame?

James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Also see How to use your time
Also see Swift to hear, slow to speak

Model Prayer With Promises

The following comes from Steps to Personal Revival

Father in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus our Savior. You said: Give me your heart. (Prov. 23:26) I want to do that now by submitting myself to you today with everything I am and have. Thank you that you have already answered this prayer according to Your will, because Your word says that if we pray according to Your will we know that we have already received it (1 John 5:15). And you also said that you would by no means cast anyone out who comes to you (John 6:37).

Jesus said: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:13)

You further said that you would give the Holy Spirit to those, who believe in you (John 7:38-39), who obey you (Acts 5:32), who let themselves be renewed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18) and who walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). This is my desire. Please accomplish this in me. For this reason I sincerely ask you Father to give me the Holy Spirit today. Since it is a request according to Your will, I thank You that have given me the Holy Spirit now (1 John 5:15). Thank You that I have received Your divine love at the same time, because Your word says: “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 5:5; Eph. 3:17) I want to say with the psalmist: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1) Thank you that I can love my fellow human beings with Your love.

Thank You that through the Holy Spirit the power of sin has been broken in me (Rom. 8:13, Gal. 5:16). Please save and protect me today from sin and from the world, give me protection from the fallen angels, save me from temptations and when necessary snatch me and save me from my old corrupt nature. (1. John 5:18)

And please help me to be Your witness in word and deed (Acts 1:8). I praise You and thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.

Also see Conditions to receiving the Holy Spirit
Also see Carnal Christianity: Our Central Problem
Also see The Solution To Our Problems

The Solution To Our Problems

How to be a happy and strong Christian
“These things I have spoken to you, that My Joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11 NKJV) Through these two steps (continually receiving the Holy Spirit and complete surrender) Christ lives in us and it is the way to perfect happiness. The crucial point is that we (as a rule) daily surrender ourselves to God including everything we are and have and that we also daily ask and receive by faith the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Why We Need To Surrender To Jesus Daily
Jesus said in Luke 9:23: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Jesus said that discipleship is a daily matter. To deny oneself means giving Jesus the control over my life.

In order to keep our spiritual life strong and healthy it is also necessary to take care of the inner person daily. “We are to follow Christ day by day. God does not bestow help for tomorrow.” DA 313. “However complete may have been our consecration at conversion, it will avail us nothing unless it be renewed daily … .” RH 1/6/1885. "If you will seek the Lord and be converted every day ... all your murmurings will be stilled, all your difficulties will be moved, all the perplexing problems that now confront you will be solved." MB 101.

We may be certain that: when we consciously surrender ourselves to Jesus every morning, then we are doing what He wishes us to do, because He said: “Come to me…” (Matt. 11:28 NKJV) and: “... the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37 NKJV)

Why we need to daily ask for the Holy Spirit
“To the consecrated worker there is wonderful consolation in the knowledge that even Christ during His life on earth sought His Father daily for fresh supplies of needed grace … His own example is an assurance that earnest, persevering supplication to God in faith – faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved consecration to His work – will avail to bring men the Holy Spirit’s aid in the battle against sin.” AA 56

Our inward man needs to be renewed daily (2 Cor. 4:16). In what way does this daily renewal take place? According to Eph. 3:16-17, 19 NKJV it happens through the Holy Spirit: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, … that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God's word commands us to continually “… be filled with the Spirit.“ Eph. 5:18. This isn’t a one-time experience, but rather something that has to be continually repeated. Notice that the Ephesians had been sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13) and yet it was necessary for them to be: “strengthened with might through His Spirit” and to “be filled with the Spirit” and “let yourselves be consistently and continually filled with the Spirit anew".  “In order that we may have the righteousness of Christ, we need daily to be transformed by the influence of the Spirit, to be a partaker of the divine nature. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to elevate the taste, to sanctify the heart, to ennoble the whole man”. 1SM 374

Rom. 5:5 shows us that God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We find the same thing in Eph. 3:17. The daily baptism with the Holy Spirit (being filled with the Holy Spirit) causes at the same time a daily baptism with love (being filled with God’s agape love). In addition, it says in Gal. 5:16 that as a result the power of sin is broken.

Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean that we quantitatively have more of Him, but rather that the Spirit has more and more of us. That’s why Paul commanded all the believers to be constantly filled with the Spirit. This is a normal condition for a Christian. One baptism, but many fillings.

The Importance of Personal Worship Time
Through daily surrender and through being daily filled with the Holy Spirit our lives will be benefi cially changed. This happens during our personal worship time. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt.6:33 NKJV The kingdom of God is when you have Christ in your heart now. This is why we need daily surrender and to daily ask for the Holy Spirit during our worship time. When we are carnal Christians worship can be just an obligation. When we are spiritual then worship will become more and more a necessity.

Worship in Spirit and Truth
God's last message to the world is about worship (Rev. 14:6-12) and we must worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). To worship in spirit means be filled with the Holy Spirit and to worship in truth means complete surrender to Jesus, the person of truth (John 14:6) and living by God's word which is also truth (John 17:17).

Daily Need to Surrender and Ask for God's Spirit, Even After Baptism
Baptism is definitely a significant decision; this corresponds to God’s will. It has and will keep its great significance. But we shouldn’t look back to an event in the past as proof that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Instead we should know now and experience now that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Just like we constantly need food, water, sleep, exercise, etc after physical birth, even after being born, we constantly need surrender to Jesus and be filled with God's Spirit, even after baptism. Neither the physical nor the spiritual life remains automatically in us. By asking for the Holy Spirit, we're asking for Jesus to come into our hearts. “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” 1 John 3:24

The Effects of the Holy Spirit
When the Holy Spirit is in me, then He accomplishes in me what Christ achieved. Romans 8:2 says: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

“When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven.” DA 173

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you that you want to remain in me through the Holy Spirit. Thank you that through daily surrender our trust and love relationship is growing. Lord, help me to get to know the Holy Spirit and His work better. I long to know what He wants to do for me, my family and my church and how we can have the assurance that we can receive the Holy Spirit when we daily ask Thank you for this. Amen

Carnal Christianity: The Central Problem

God's word uses the terms "natural", "spiritual", and "carnal" to describe a person's relationship to God. (see 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Romans 8:1-17, Galatians 4 and 6)

Natural - No relationship
“does not receive the things of the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Spiritual - Full, real relationship 
Has "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)
In the message to Laodicea, referred to as "hot" (Revelation 3:15)
In the parable of the 10 virgins, referred to as "wise" (Matthew 25:1-13)
Has life “more abundantly” (John 10:10)
"filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:19; Col. 2:9)
See more in Romans 8:1-17 and Galatians 5

Flesh/Carnal - Divided or feigned relationship
"Babes in Christ" 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
“foolish” Matt. 25:1-13,
"Lukewarm" Rev. 3:14-21,
Not "born again" John 3:1-21
"having a form of godliness, but denying its power" 2 Tim. 3:5

The carnal Christian may be either dissatisfied or satisfied with their spiritual condition and may be very enthusiastic about church, but here's the problem: they don't have a real relationship with Jesus (Matt. 7:22-23).

The Importance of Surrender
We need to be completely surrendered (Romans 12:1), born again (John 3:1-21), and keep abiding in Christ (John 15:1-17).

Why it's difficult to recognize our carnal condition
We have the certainty that we believe the truth; that thrills us. We have a lot of good knowledge. We say the right things. That is what makes it so difficult to identify the carnal problem. We can become so "rich" with "religion" that we don't realize our lack of an intimate and saving relationship with Jesus (Revelation 3:17-18). Jesus needs to live in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. If Christ isn’t allowed to govern our whole life, then He is standing in front of the door knocking (Rev. 3:20).

Carnal people try to follow God's will and their own will at the same time, but that doesn't work. That's what James 4:3 is talking about when it says “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss.” (James 4:3 NKJV). Wouldn’t an answer to such a request only boost the ego? Consequently, this church member is living through normal human powers and abilities. In Rev. 3:16 this is called "lukewarm" and in Matt. 25 “foolish”.

Why Jesus calls the carnal church lukewarm
 The believers of Laodicea were called lukewarm because Jesus wasn't in the center of their lives, but outside of it. He isn't invited inside and He cannot force himself inside because He respects our free decision. A lukewarm person can be so busy doing God's work and neglect the Lord of the work.

The Parable of the 10 Virgins
Jesus’ statement, "I do not know you", shows us that our personal relationship with Him has something to do with the Holy Spirit. Whoever doesn’t let himself be led by the Holy Spirit won’t be acknowledged by Jesus. In Rom. 8:8-9 it says: “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. …if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

Actually, we only have a real personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. 1 John 3:24 says: “And by this we know that He [Jesus] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” This means that the assurance I have that I am filled with the Holy Spirit is at the same time the assurance that I am in Jesus and He is in me.

Why there's so little of God's Spirit in church
“The reason why there is so little of the Spirit of God manifested is that ministers learn to do without it.” (E.G. White, Testimonies for the Church, Volume 1, (1868), p. 383.1) As important as a basic education and systematic ongoing training is for a preacher, it is even more important for him that he let himself constantly be refilled by the Holy Spirit.

The Main Problem of Carnal Christianity
The great ethics of the Bible – loving your enemy, forgiving people for everything, overcoming sin, etc. – can only be achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit, not with human effort. This shows us that the main problem in carnal Christianity is that it is a life solely in human strength. We can’t do God’s will alone in our own strength.

Jer. 13:23 NKJV: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 NKJV: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Traveling the path of faith in their own strength is the foremost problem of every carnal Christian. The problem is much more serious than we think. “Half-hearted Christians are worse than infidels; for their deceptive words and noncommittal position lead many astray.”

How to grow spiritually 
“Yet the operations of the Spirit are always in harmony with the written word. As in the natural, so in the spiritual world. The natural life is preserved moment by moment by divine power; yet it is not sustained by a direct miracle, but through the use of blessings placed within our reach. So the spiritual life is sustained by the use of those means that Providence has supplied. If the follower of Christ would grow up ‘unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:13), he must eat of the bread of life and drink of the water of salvation. He must watch and pray and work, in all things giving heed to the instructions of God in His word.” DA 284

A Great Danger
“I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger – a danger not sufficiently understood – in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is.” (1SM 109). What is at the core of sin? “Because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:9) The sign that we really believe and trust Jesus is that we completely surrender ourselves to Him. It has to do with our complete surrender; our willingness to follow Him in everything.

The Crucial Question
The crucial question is if you are filled with the Holy Spirit or not. But when is a person filled with the Holy Spirit? What are the necessary prerequisites? What are the positive results of a life with the Holy Spirit? What happens, when you erroneously think you are filled with the Holy Spirit?

Prayer: Father in heaven, please make me willing to ask myself this question. If I am a carnal Christian, then please help me to realize this right away. Make me willing to be willing for everything you want. Please lead me to a happy Christian life – to the promised life in abundance and to eternal life. Please renew my heart. Thank you for answering my prayer. Amen.

Conditions to Receiving The Holy Spirit

A yearning for God
(“whoever thirsts” John 7:37)

Trust in God 
(“he who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said” John 7:38)

Complete surrender as a result of trusting God 
(placing your whole life at God’s disposal, "as a living sacrifice" Rom. 12:1)

Following God in everything 
(“those who obey Him” Acts 5:32)

Give up their own way, go God’s way and do this according to God’s will 
(“repent and be baptized” Acts 2:38)

Not to plan anything wrong 
(“if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” Ps.66:18)

Realize and admit to your great need 
(“I have nothing” Luke 11:6)

Continually ask for the Holy Spirit
("ask.. seek.. knock" Luke 11:9-13)

We can pray: “Lord Jesus, I completely say yes to all the prerequisites for receiving the Holy Spirit. I sincerely ask that you now – for today – fulfill them in me. Thank you for Jesus’ urgent invitation to ask for the Holy Spirit. I am sorry for the losses I have experienced because of a lack of the Holy Spirit. I need divine assistance so that Jesus can become greater in me. I need His help in every area of my life. Thank you that the Holy Spirit can change my character and can make me fit for God’s kingdom. I completely surrender myself to you with all that I am and have. Thank you for accepting me and giving me your blessings. Help me to grow in knowledge about the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Cognitive Distortions to Avoid

Abide in God's word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:31-32). Sinful actions begin with sinful thoughts (Matthew 15:19). This same principle is understood in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Common errors in thinking

1. All or nothing: 
When you give up on everything good because of a bad thing
2. Overgeneralizing: 
When you think something will always be bad and never change
3. Mental filters: 
When you only see one side of things, usually only the bad
4. Mind reading: 
When you think you know for sure what others are thinking
5. Fortune telling: 
When you think you know for sure what's going to happen
6. Magnification/Minimization: 
When you think something is a big deal or not a big deal
7. Personalization: 
When you blame yourself for something outside of your control
8. Emotional reasoning: 
When you think feelings define how things really are
9. Mislabeling: 
When you call yourself or others names because of something that was done
10. Discounting Positives: 
When you see the good side, but think it doesn't count

If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character. [MYP 92]

Overcoming Stinking Thinking With Agape Love

Love rejoices in truth, it won't use emotional reasoning or faulty mental filtering, nor will it discount the positive. Love doesn't envy or give into self-seeking forms of all or nothing thinking. Love believes in all things, it doesn't "mind-read" or assume others think a certain way. Love hopes in all things, it doesn't "fortune tell" evil or overgeneralize that something or someone will always be a certain way. Love is kind, it doesn't resort to name calling or mislabeling. Love isn't puffed up, so it won't magnify or minimize things out of proportion. Love isn't easily provoked because it doesn't take anything personally.

Relevant quote
Charity “doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Christlike love places the most favorable construction on the motives and acts of others. It does not needlessly expose their faults; it does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but seeks rather to bring to mind the good qualities of others. [AA 319]

Related Posts

Bible Verses On Mental and Emotional Health
Think On These Things
7 Psychological habits to avoid

What the bible says about hell

Does God have any pleasure in the death of the wicked?

Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

How is God's act of punishing described?

Isaiah 28:21 

For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

Comment: God doesn't like to punish, it's a strange act for Him to do, but he will inevitably do it

For whom did God originally prepare eternal fire for?
Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels

When will the wicked be punished?
Job 21:30 For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.
2 Peter 2:9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment

How will the dead present themselves on judgment day?

Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Note: Apparently, the judgment happens while physically present in one's body. Also see study on what happens at death

Where does hell fire come from?

Revelation 20:9
They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Psalms 68:2 As smoke is driven away, So drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

What is God able to do with the soul in hell?
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Comment: Contrary to popular belief, this verse clearly shows souls are not immortal

What is left after lost souls are destroyed?

Malachi 4:1-3 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.

What past example does the bible give of eternal fire?
Jude 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Comment: Is Sodom still burning today? No, because there's nothing left to burn

What will the Lord do with the devil?
Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil
Revelation 20:10

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Who can live in God's fiery presence without harm?

Isaiah 33:14b-15  ...“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil

What promise does God give us to look forward to?
2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

What will the new earth be like?
Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

Will affliction rise up again?
Nahum 1:9 What do you conspire against the Lord? He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.

What the bible says about death

How did God create human beings?
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Note: The same Hebrew word for living soul (Nephesh) is also used in reference to living creatures in Genesis 1 verses 20 and 24, but there is obviously something unique about humans, In Genesis 1:27-28, we read that humans were made in God's image and were given dominion over all living creatures that move about on the earth.

Why do humans die?

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

What happens to the soul at death?
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

What happens when us and our thoughts when we die?
Psalm 146:4
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Job 14:21 His sons come to honor, and he does not know it; They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.

Note: This means supposed "near death experiences" are not true death experiences. If someone were truly dead, all function in the brain would have stopped and consciousnesses would cease. 

What do the dead know?
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.

Can the dead come back to haunt us?

Job 7:9-10 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away, So he who goes down to the grave does not come up. He shall never return to his house, mor shall his place know him anymore.

What did David, Job, Jesus, and Paul compare death to?
Psalm 13:3 

Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death
Job 14:10–12 

But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he reathes his last And where is he? As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.
John 11:11-14 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead."
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

What is the will of the Father for us who believe in in Jesus?
John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

What does God have in heaven to replace our mortal bodies?
2 Corinthians 5:1-4  For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

When will we be given our new bodies?
1 Corinthians 15:52-54 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

What does the bible says about us being in our current bodies?
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

What must happen for us to be always with the Lord?
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Note: Notice how receiving our new bodies and being always present with the Lord both occur after the return of Christ

What did Jesus say He will do before we can be where He is?
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

When are the just rewarded?

Luke 14:13-14 

But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Matthew 16:27  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

What the bible says about the Sabbath

What day does God tell us to remember?
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

What six-day event does the Sabbath point us back to?

Exodus 20:11  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

After those six days, what did God do on the seventh-day?
Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

What are we not do on Sabbath?
Exodus 20:9-10 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

What is lawful to do on the Sabbath?
Matthew 12:12  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.

Who was the Sabbath made for?
Mark 2:27
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

Who does God promise to make joyful in His house of prayer?
Isaiah 56:6-7
“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants— Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—  even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

How do we delight in the Lord?
Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Sabbath is a sign that we may know what?
Exodus 31:13 Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

What remains for the people of God?
Hebrews 4:4, 9-10 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”.. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

What was Jesus' custom on the Sabbath?
Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. and as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

What is the day before Sabbath called?
Mark 15:42-43 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

What day of the week begins after the Sabbath?
Matthew 28:1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.

What was Paul's custom on the Sabbath?
Acts 17:2, 18:4, 13:42, 44
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures...  And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.... So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath... On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

What will we continue to do on the new earth?
Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. and it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.

How the bible promises healing

God promises healing
Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.”
Psalm 103:2-3 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases

Jesus' ministry involved healing
Acts 10:38
..God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

By His stripes we are healed
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

God's Word has healing power
Psalm 107:20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
John 4:50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

God's Word has creative power
Psalm 33:6, 9
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.... For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

God's Word has cleansing power
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

God's Word promises cleansing
2 Peter 1:4 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.

We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving his promises.
[Great Controversy, p. 622]

God is willing to give us health
Matthew 8:1-3 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

We should make up our minds to be well 
There are thousands who can recover health if they will. The Lord does not want them to be sick. He desires them to be well and happy, and they should make up their minds to be well. [Ministry of Healing 246]

Preventing Disease
Exodus 15:26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

Faith and Obedience
John 5:5-9
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Believers can share God's healing with others
Mark 16:17-18
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

James 5:13-16  Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

For those who fear dying:
Psalm. 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

Job 13:15
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

Emotional Healing
If you've been "bitten" by hurt and you feel like you're dying inside, look to Jesus and you'll find new life (Numbers 21:8, John 3:14-15). If people have failed to you in your time of need, don't take it personally because in failing you they were also failing Jesus (Matthew 25:44-45). Haven't we all failed Him at some point? (Romans 3:23) Yet what did Jesus do in spite of our failings? He "bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

Music and Emotional Health
1 Samuel 16:23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

Looking to Jesus prevents discouragement
Hebrews 12:2-4 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Luke 23:33-34 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

A Merry Heart and Wholesome Tongue (Healthy Talk)
Proverbs 17 :22
A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

Healing found in helping others in need
Isaiah 58:6-9 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ (this passage continues on in Isaiah 58:9-12)

A Prayer for Healing
Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.

Generosity in the bible

Deuteronomy 15:7-8 If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.

Psalm 37:21
The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives.

Psalm 41:1
Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

Psalm 112:5
A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.

Proverbs 11:24-25 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.

Proverbs 11:26 The people will curse him who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

Proverbs 14:21
He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Proverbs 19:17
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.

Proverbs 21:13
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard.

Proverbs 22:9
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

Matthew 6:1-4 Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Matthew 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.

Matthew 25:40  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

Matthew 10:8b ...."Freely you have received, freely give"

Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Another relevant verse:
1 Chronicles 29:14b .... For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You.

The Power of God's Word

God's word made the heavens and earth
Psalm 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
The Word is God, He made all things and in Him is life
John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word of His power upholds all things
Hebrews 1:3a
"who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..."

Accomplishes God’s Purpose
Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)  

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God's word gives you faith
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

God's word makes you born again
1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever
James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

God's word gives life
Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

God's word testifies of Jesus

John 5:39 [Jesus said] You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

God's word works effectively in those who believe
1 Thessalonians 2:13
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
God's word gives light and understanding
Psalm 119:130
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
God's word discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
God's word enables you to know the truth and sets you free
John 8:31-32
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.
God's word cleanses
Psalm 119:9
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
God's word heals
Psalm 107:20
He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
God's word revives
Psalm 119:25 My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.

Meditating on God's word leads to spiritual fruit and success
Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
God's word rejoices the heart and enlightens the eyes
Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
God's word converts the soul and makes you wise
Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
God's word keeps you from sin
Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 17:4 Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.
God's word sanctifies you
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
God's word builds you up
Acts 20:32 So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
God's word upholds you
Psalm 119:116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
God's word is able to make you wise unto salvation
2 Timothy 3:15 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.
God's word is able to save your soul
James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

The Five Senses of Faith

Faith is Spiritual Sight

Isaiah 45:22
Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.

Psalm 105:4
Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Faith is Spiritual Hearing

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.

Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.

Faith is Spiritual Smell

Psalm 45:8
All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
 Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.

Song of Solomon 1:3a
Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth....

Faith is Spiritual Touch

1 John 1:1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon,
and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—

Matthew 9:20-22
And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years
 came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.
For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”
But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said,
“Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
And the woman was made well from that hour.

Faith is Spiritual Taste

Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.

Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Earlier we read that, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us". Jesus spoke of Himself as the bread of God "who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33).  He compared believing in Him to working "for the food which endures to everlasting life". The work God has given us to do is to believe in the Word who became flesh and gave His life for the world. (John 6:27-29, 51). Jesus compares coming to Him and believing in Him to satisfying spiritual hunger and thirst (John 6:35). Jesus says, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63

Promises of salvation and deliverance

"Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:31-32, 36. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19. "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." Psalm 50:15. "Even to your old age,... I will carry, and will deliver you." Isaiah 46:4. "Look to Me, and be saved...." Isaiah 45:22a. "I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior." Isaiah 43:11.

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children." Isaiah 49:25  “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border." Jeremiah 31:16-17. "And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." Jeremiah 24:7

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18. "Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation" 2 Corinthians 7:10a. "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." 2 Peter 2:9a. "With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19. "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles." "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him." Psalms 37:39-40.

"The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. " Psalm 34:7. "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." Psalm 34:6.  "Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence." Psalm 34:4. "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31.

"And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved." Acts 2:21. "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21. "Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear." Isaiah 59:1. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12. "Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 124:8

"I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.  He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me." Psalm 55:16-18.  "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance is of the Lord." Proverbs 21:31. "And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom." 2 Timothy 4:18. "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, Says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6. "When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:19.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:1-4. "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, [Christ] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Hebrews 2:14-15

"Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation". 1 Thessalonians 5:8. "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.... Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." Hebrews 6:19-20, 7:25

"It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:26. "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord." Psalm 40:1-3. "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 91:3. "Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand." Psalm 20:6

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:2-9

"Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107:17-21

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." Psalm 103:1-5

"And [Jahaziel] said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s... You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you... Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated." 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, 22.

"[Lord] You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah" Psalm 32:7

Lamentations 3:55-58 I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.

Relevant music playlists on Youtube
Hymns About The Gospel
Songs about the gospel (bluegrass)

Bible verses on time management

Psalm 90:10-12 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Romans 13:10-11 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

Ephesians 5:15-16 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Corinthians 6:2  For He says:  “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Also see Escaping Escapism
Also see Humantech

God's Care and Protection

God won't forget you, we're inscribed in His hands

Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.

God will hold you by your hand

Psalms 73:21-24 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

God will uphold you with His hand
Isaiah 41:10, 13 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand... For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not, I will help you.

Psalm 37:23-24
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

God upholds you and keeps you from falling

Psalm 145:14 The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.

Psalms 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip.

Psalm 94:18 If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 121:3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.

Jude 1:24-25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

God will lead you by His hand
Psalm 139:9-10 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.

Nobody can snatch you from His hand
John 10:27-29 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

God will carry you

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.

Deuteronomy 1:30-31 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

God will cover you with His feathers

Psalm 91:3-6 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

God will keep and preserve you
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Psalm 91:9-11 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Exodus 23:20 Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

Isaiah 42:6 I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles

Proverbs 3:25-26 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.

Psalm 116:6 The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

Proverbs 2:8 He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.

Psalm 31:23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.

Psalm 41:1-3 Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed.

Psalm 97:10 You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 37:28 For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 121 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. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Jude 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy

1 Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

2 Timothy 4:18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

God Will Be Your Rear-Guard

Isaiah 52:11-12
Depart! Depart! Go out from there,
Touch no unclean thing;
Go out from the midst of her,
Be clean,
You who bear the vessels of the Lord.
For you shall not go out with haste,
Nor go by flight;
For the Lord will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:6-8
Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Other Related Verses:

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

 

Psalm 32:7-8 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Zechariah 2:8b ...he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.

Psalm 34:7
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

Related posts

Trials and Temptations

When you feel rejected and alone

Quotes for the tempted

For the Anxious and Depressed

A Higher Experience

Relevant music playlists on Youtube
God's love and care
In His Hands

God's Guidance and Wisdom

Promises of God's Guidance
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

Psalm 27:11
Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

1 Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps

Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Isaiah 42:16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 48:14
For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.

Psalm 25:8-12 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 119:104-105 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Psalm 37:5-6 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 2:8 He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints.

Psalm 73:24 You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Psalm 138:8 (ESV) The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ

Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Promises of wisdom
Psalm 119:99-100 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts.

Deuteronomy 28:13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 28:5 ...those who seek the Lord understand all

Proverbs 2:3-6 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding

1 Kings 3:11-12 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

Isaiah 54:13
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.

Promises of God helping you speak
Exodus 4:11-12 So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.

Luke 21:15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

Luke 12:12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.

Isaiah 50:4 The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.

Also see God's help and guidance
Also see The Will of God

Helpful music playlists on Youtube
God's guidance