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

A recent time of quarantine magnified my love of comfy clothes!  Stretchy pants, fuzzy sweaters, and warm house shoes showcase the pinnacle of my very favorite things. Sure, there are those rare occasions I enjoy putting on an elegant dress, accessorizing it to the max, and cramming my toes into high-heels promising to produce bunions by the end of the night. But my wrist aches from constantly checking my watch for a respectable escape time.

Due to my obsession for all things comfortable, my tribe of people are those who accept me just as I am. Their hearts welcome and honor all regardless of one’s position, power, and status. (or comfy attire!) They radiate the heart of Jesus, the alpha of unconditional love, who beckons us simply, “Come.”

Throughout scripture, those whose lives were far from perfect and pristine were called into Kingdom work. Jonah found himself in the repulsive belly of a fish when God cleaned him up and used him mightily in His service. The apostle Paul’s life was at its messiest point when Jesus called him and transformed him into a life-long servant of the Gospel. Our Heavenly Father does not demand we clean up our act before coming into His presence. On the contrary, He welcomes us as we are, in the middle of the chaos of our lives, and transforms us into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

So. . .

When our attitudes are ugly, abrasive and negative, Jesus says come “Be made new in the spirit of your mind.” Ephesians 4:24

If we possess hearts rebellious and bitter, our Father still says come, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26

If we find ourselves drowning in the mayhem of life, Jesus beckons us, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

When our actions fail to demonstrate godly faith, Jesus still says come, “Let God transform you into a new person.” Romans 12:2

Our Heavenly Father welcomes all, so what are you waiting for? Come as you are into the presence of the One who desires to transform you into His beautiful image.

Father God, help us put aside our pride and come to you in our present state, trusting in your transforming love.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and preserves, being no hearer but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

>James 1:23-25<

Have you ever stopped to think about the amount of time, money, and energy we put into trying to perfect our image? People look to diets and surgeries or overspend on apparel and cosmetics to change their appearance. Why? Everyone wants to be appealing and attractive. As humans, we want to look in the mirror and like what we see. It gives us confidence, and to a certain extent, it makes us happy when we are content with our outward appearance. To place time and effort into trying to look nice and healthy isn’t wrong. But we need to ask ourselves, “Am I spending more time working on my outward self or on the most important part of myself, my soul?”

Let’s take a moment to think about the reflection that starts from the inside out: our soul’s reflection. Through His word, God shows us a completely new way to work on our image. A way that changes how others see us and how we see ourselves. He tells us to start with the soul, the source of our external actions and appearances. In James 1: 23-25, we read of a new kind of mirror that reveals our hearts, “the perfect law, the law of liberty” (v25). This mirror still exposes imperfections, but it’s not made of glass. It’s forged by God Himself through His divinely inspired words. That’s right. The most powerful mirror in the world is a book, the Bible. God intends for us to look into the word, “the perfect law,” and be a “doer who acts” (v25).

How many of us roll out of bed in the morning, see messy hair, dirty teeth, and sloppy pajamas in the mirror and walk away without at least straightening up a little? Unless, we work from home, chances are we fix every flaw we can before stepping away from the mirror and out into the world. Similarly, God instructs us, as Christians, to take routine looks at our hearts through the mirror of His word and fix what needs fixing. God does not want us to merely be “hearers” who look into the spiritual mirror, see our souls’ flaws, walk away, and immediately forget what we look like (v24). As Christians, our very title implies that we strive to model ourselves after Christ! The truth in God’s mirror is not intended to discourage by showing imperfections, but to encourage by revealing our need for Him in our lives. God has provided us the clearest, most accurate source of reflection and self-improvement, and if we use this incredible gift properly, our souls will be transformed daily to look more like our loving Savior, Jesus.

Thanks for reading!

Emily Moore

True friends are a real gift. Special friendships are rare and precious. Such are some special people in our lives, as well as the essence of encouragement to everyone who knows them.

Bill has been diagnosed with multiple system atrophy. This came after months of symptoms with no diagnosis. He had multiple symptoms: passing out, memory issues, balance problems, and other things that affected his daily life. The doctors gave him six to seven years.

We were overcome with grief at the announcement of our friend’s illness. We have been friends since our children were little. He has been a preacher, a song leader, and a wonderful Bible school teacher.

When he was first diagnosed, he made the decision to preach and lead singing as long as he could do so effectively. After several years, he had to resign as a local minister. We were present at his last sermon. It was full of emotion, but not the kind you would think. He delivered a gospel sermon, not a sermon of regret for what was happening to him.

Not long after his diagnosis, our friend spoke to a group of people struggling with various health issues. The essence of his message was encouragement. Bill described encouragement as giving hope and confidence to others. It is always positive and never negative. Encouragement builds strong families, strong friendships, and strong congregations.

As an example, he talked about an incident that occurred that changed his life. The teacher in Bill’s teenage class asked him to teach the class in his absence. When Bill got up to teach the class, he passed out! Later, the same teacher again asked Bill to teach his class during his absence. Bill agreed, and the rest is history. Without this teacher’s encouragement, Bill said he might never have taught another class, much less become a gospel preacher.
He said it’s the little things: the cards, smiles, and especially words of encouragement that make the difference.

One of Bill’s examples of encouragement is found in Joshua 1. Joshua encouraged the Children of Israel to be strong and have courage so that they would continue in God’s law. He encouraged the people because he knew God was on their side.

Bill used Joshua to give Christians the formula for encouraging others today.

1. We can encourage by our attitude. We should be enthusiastic about our Christianity because we are children of God.

2. We can encourage by our participation. Everyone needs to participate in the work of the church. Two-year-olds want to be involved in everything. We need to go about our daily walk with Christ, desiring to be involved in the work of the church. We need to grow our faith, our energy, and our stamina.

3. We can encourage by our actions. In the parable Jesus told about the Samaritan in Luke 10, Bill pointed out that the priest and the Levite were both godly men, but it took a man of another race to stop and help the wounded man. He saw the need, and he met it.

We need to learn to see a need and do something about it. Our attitude needs to be, “What can I do for you?”

4. We can encourage by our faith. We need to live our lives looking forward to the time we will be with the Father.

Bill had to sit to preach. He had to stop driving. There are other things he can no longer do, but he looks for ways to serve. As his disease progresses, he feels obligated to find ways he can serve God and increase his faith.

The challenge for all of us is to always keep growing in our faith. Never be satisfied with where we are. Teach by the way we live our daily lives. Be the best we can be. Keep our eyes, hearts, and minds open for opportunities to serve.

Bill ended our time together with three of the seven sayings Jesus made from the cross. Two of those sayings were specifically words of encouragement. Jesus encouraged the thief by telling him He would see him in paradise. The Lord encouraged His mother by leaving her in the care of John, making sure she would be secure.

Jesus’ last words were, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” His death encourages us.

I think about Barnabas in Acts 4. His name means son of consolation. Barnabas saw the need of the new Christians, sold his land, and gave the money to the apostles to distribute to those in need.

We don’t have to sell land to encourage. We don’t have to have a serious illness to encourage. We can, every day, look for a way to encourage those around us. A kind word, a smile, a helping hand, a meal, an offer to babysit or clean someone’s house, or any act of kindness encourages and presents us to the world that we are different. We are children of God. We are here to serve.

May we live our lives so that when we are gone from this physical life, many will have been touched by our encouragement.

Sandra Oliver

Illegitimate, and therefore not entitled to inherit his father’s property

Judges 11:1-2

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

Escapes the violence of his half-brothers; lives in the land of Tob

Judges 11:3

3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

Recalled from the land of Tob by the elders of Gilead

Judges 11:5

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

Made captain of the army

Judges 11:5-11

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Made head of the land of Gilead

Judges 11:7-11

7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered

His message to the king of the Ammonites

Judges 11:12-28

12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;

17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

21 And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

23 So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

28 Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah whi

Leads the army of Israel against the Ammonites

Judges 11:29-33

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

His rash vow concerning his daughter

Judges 11:30-31

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

Judges 11:34-40

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Falsely accused by the Ephraimites

Judges 12:1

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

Leads the army of the Gileadites against the Ephraimites

Judges 12:4

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

Leads Israel for six years, dies, and is buried in Gilead

Judges 12:7

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Faith of

Hebrews 11:32-40

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

(Outline is from Nave’s Topical Bible, Electronic Database Copyright © 1990 by Biblesoft, Inc. and TriStar Publishing)

Beth Johnson

Chennai Teacher Training School

Women’s Studies

Muliebral Viewpoint

Articles and Books by Beth Johnson

Mama was wise. She died in 2014 at the age of 102.5 years. She lived a long time. She saw a lot. She learned a lot in those years. She didn’t have to stand over me and try to teach me things. I learned a lot by just watching and listening to Mama. Yep, she taught me a lot.

Mama said, “Everybody needs a church home.” She added if you have a death in the family and you are a member of the church, the church people will stand by you and help you.

Mama said, “You may not have much, but you have your character, and if you keep your character clean you will be all right.” The Bible says it plainly, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”

Mama said, “I’ve made enough money this week (sewing) that I can buy my groceries this week.” Her goal was to make enough money each week to buy her groceries. She never asked us for anything. The Bible says, “If a man will not work neither shall he eat.”

Mama said, “I can eat enough of anything to be satisfied.” She didn’t have to have certain foods at her meals. She often made do with what she had and was thankful for it. Mama said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

Mama worked at a sewing factory until retirement age. She drew around $775 Social Security each month. She lived on that all month and supplemented it with doing alterations on the side. She saved and bought CD’s with what she was able to save from that small income.

Mama said, “I don’t know of a thing I want or need.” Mama didn’t have a lot, but she was content with what she had, and she took care of it. She didn’t spend money carelessly. She was able to help build a house and furnish it by working with her carpenter husband. She bought the materials, and he did the building of the house.

Mama said, “There’s only one church which Jesus built. It is the church of Christ.”

Mama was a wise woman. She was full of wisdom. I think of her often and will forever be grateful God made her mine.

No doubt there are many other mamas out there just like mine. We will be forever indebted to them. –Glenda Williams Williams

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.”

1 Thessalonians 3:1-3

Some months ago, my husband, Carl, taught a Bible class series on the Thessalonian letters. When our study through chapter 3 lead to the above scripture, it immediately inspired some self-examination. In this section of Paul’s letter, he and the other apostles are unable to personally visit the Thessalonian congregation. So, instead, they send Timothy. Let’s take a look at three important thoughts to ponder here.
First, notice Paul’s confidence in Timothy. Paul and the other apostles depend on Timothy to fulfill challenging and important tasks in Thessalonica. Without hesitation, Paul writes, “we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ” (v2). Timothy’s capability and willingness to help fellow Christians is so evident that Paul happily chooses Timothy to visit Thessalonica on his behalf. Knowing that Timothy is up to the task, Paul says they were “willing to be left behind” (v1). Paul even refers to Timothy as “God’s coworker!” If that doesn’t speak for Timothy’s dedication, I don’t know what does.

Second, take a look at the tasks assigned to Timothy for his visit with the Thessalonians. He was sent to “establish and exhort” the church. The word establish here means to “strengthen.” The word for his second task, “exhort,” means to urge/encourage. Timothy is sent to give the Thessalonians a spiritual boost, to remind them of their hope in Christ and to encourage them to keep abounding in the work of the Lord as they have been. The Thessalonians are experiencing trials from all sides through persecution, the prominence of idol worship, and temptation of the immoral culture. Timothy is there to fan the flame of their faithfulness to God and ensure that their faith is still thriving in the midst of trials.

Third, compare yourself to Timothy for a moment. Do you eagerly plunge into opportunities to encourage and strengthen fellow Christians whom you see undergoing trials? Would your name come to Paul’s mind when he’s looking for an uplifter to send on his behalf? Could Paul rightfully describe you as “God’s coworker”? Timothy, although presented with outstanding responsibility, proved himself worthy of the task. Could you do the same? Would you even be willing to do so if called?
Every Christian has low points in his/her journey through this world. The blessing a child of God has is in knowing that we do not walk alone. Are you trying to make the pilgrimage to Heaven alone? God intends for us to travel, not just with Him, but with as many of His children as possible. He has provided us with an incredible support system, and He expects us to actively take part in each others’ lives. Sometimes, we may be the ones who need to be strengthened and exhorted, but we must ALWAYS be making opportunities to offer that same support to our fellow Christians. This week, ask yourself this question: “Would Paul send me?” Be on the lookout for ways to establish and exhort others!

Emily Moore

BUILDING FENCES

I lived in only two houses from first grade until I married. Both of those houses were separated from the other houses with a wire fence. In the first house, there was a fence around the entire yard. In the second house, the fence was around only the backyard. The front, however, was enclosed in a hedge.

One of our neighbors did not like that hedge. She was constantly running into it with her car. One day she decided to chop it off. It took a trip from the local police to calm her down, but she never stopped complaining about it or running into it every chance she had.

Fences are a lot like the Christian life. To understand that, we need to look at the history of the fence.

The word comes from a 14^th century word, “fens,” and was used to describe defense or protection. The ancient Greeks and Romans built fences around land they conquered. The Anglo-Saxons grew hedges as fences. Fences served as barriers. The message was, “Don’t trespass; this belongs to someone else.”

Fences are posts or stakes joined by boards, rails, or wire to surround, separate, keep away, and defend property. They secure limits and may direct movement. They even enhance the appearance of a space. They set aside an area and declare that the space they surround is off limits. It restricts entrance into a particular space.

It is said of fences, that they are a “product of the struggle for control between humans. They allow us to give that extra step towards a limit that we figure dangerous.” Only those with permission are allowed to enter. There are often signs on fences that carrying warnings: “Do not enter,” “Private, keep out,” “Private property.”

So, what do we have in our spiritual lives that should require protection? The answer to that is simple—the Christian life needs protection. Unlike the attitude of many, we cannot become Christians and leave ourselves open to the sinful world. What we have is valuable, and it needs to be protected.

The Bible talks about the physically protected areas of the Israelites. They built walls or hedges, but they also built towers so that someone could watch for the enemy. It wasn’t enough to have the hedge; someone needed to be on guard to warn the people. They did well in the physical but not so well in the spiritual (Isaiah 5:1-7). Because they did not watch their spiritual lives, they lost their relationship with God.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders about this same problem in the first century church. He told them to pay careful attention to themselves and the flock. He warned of fierce wolves, even those from their own number. They would speak twisted things, anything to draw them away from the truth.

So, visualize this. Here is a Christian. He has no protection. No one is checking on him/her. Wolves come knocking at the door. The temptations start, and the Christian falls away. No one remembered to build a fence. The Christian was left open and vulnerable, and the result was exactly what Paul said it would be.

The wolves are stealing our children. They are carrying them off with the lies of evolution, homosexualism, alcohol, drugs, immodesty, false teaching about worship, and many other errors. We have forgotten that we need a protective fence around the most precious thing we own, our souls.

We need to build fences. We need to repair them. We need to build them higher and higher as the wolves jump higher and higher to snatch us from our spiritual security. We need to fortify them with extra worship, Bible study, and constant prayer. We need watchmen: parents, teachers, elders, deacons, preachers, and strong Christians to stand armed with the sword of the spirit to attack the enemy.

Paul told Timothy that the time would come when people would not stand for sound teaching. They would turn to their own passions, no longer listen to the truth, and wander off into myths (Second Timothy 4:3-4). That time came a long time ago, and we are watching the results in our families and in our congregations.

We need to start rebuilding fences. Build new ones. Protect our families. Protect our congregations. Protect our souls.

Sandra Oliver

(johndesmont.com)

We are not to live yielding and sowing to our fleshly desires; we are to live yielding and sowing to a spiritual attitude that minds spiritual things. Such a mindset will cause us to reap an eternal reward.

We are either in the flesh or we are in the spirit. If we are in Christ, we should be in the spirit. Such individuals do not walk after the flesh, minding the things of the flesh. The “flesh” is a carnal mind that is at enmity against God, which not only reaps corruptible things but death itself. The fleshly mind will always be yielding and sowing according to its desires. Those who are in the spirit walk after the spirit, minding the things of the spirit, yielding and sowing according to the spiritual mind, which reaps life and peace – eternal things (Romans 8:4-9).

Colossians 3:1-3 tells us that we are to seek those things above, having our mind on things above rather than on the things of the earth. Our decisions should be made minding spiritual things, with an eye on things above and how our decisions will affect one’s eternal pursuit. We should live and decide to bring increase to the spiritual and eternal rather than to the fleshly and temporal. Here is how the Father inspired Jesus to say it. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV). Either we decide to do the things that bring earthly treasure, or we decide to do the things that bring heavenly treasure.

Galatians 5:17 tells us that the flesh and the spirit are contrary one to another. We will either walk after the spirit or we will walk after the flesh. We cannot do both. We should understand that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13), because either will we live to satisfy our fleshly desires that bring treasure on earth, or we live to sow and to bear the fruit of the spirit and build treasure in Heaven.

We should be those who have put to death the affections and the lusts of the flesh, living and walking in the spirit (Galatians 5:24-25). Our decisions should reflect this. Our daily decisions should not suggest that we are yielding to the affections and the lusts of the flesh, but they should suggest our desire to have eternal treasure in Heaven.

Do we not know and understand that sowing to the flesh to satisfy its lusts, laying up treasure on earth and being a friend of the world makes us an enemy of God? Do we want to make decisions that make us a friend of the world and an enemy of God (James 4:1-4)? Either we love the world or the Heavenly Father, but we can’t love both. Do our decisions suggest a love for the world and the things it offers, or do they show a love for the Father and His things? We need to live for eternal things and not for temporal things (1 John 2:15-17).

What decisions would we make each day as we keep this principle in mind? Let us make the decisions that would bring eternal treasure and not the temporary satisfaction of the fleshly desires.

Living by Faith, Loving
Good & Hating Evil

In order to be just or righteous, we must live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). The Lord’s admonition to us is to walk by faith and not by sight. As we live and walk through life, making decisions along the way, we need to make sure the decisions are made by faith that our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us in every case (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is the substance or confidence of things hoped for, the evidence or conviction of things not seen, being persuaded of the promises of God (Hebrews 11:1, 13). Faith in God, what we believe, can only come by the Word of God. To live and to walk by faith is to live and to walk by God’s direction in His Word. To make decisions in faith is to make decisions based on the Word of God, the Scriptures (Romans 10:17).

We need to remember that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). To be wise, we must turn from the wisdom of this world (walking by sight) and count it foolishness. To walk by our own thoughts, wisdom and experience or by the philosophies of men is to walk by sight and is foolishness with God (1 Corinthians 3:18-19). For an example, the world tells us to sow to the flesh, to live for today and to eat, drink and be merry. However, the Lord says sow to the spirit and live for the reward of everlasting life in eternity (Galatians 6:8).

The rich man walked by sight, using his own wisdom (that of the world) and laying up treasure for himself. Instead, he should have lived by faith, according to God’s direction, being rich in good works toward God and laying up treasure in Heaven (Luke 12:16-21).

Using his own wisdom, King Saul offered a sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:15, 22-23); however, it was done in disobedience. Therefore, the Lord rejected that sacrifice and Saul. To walk according to God’s Word, in faith and in obedience, has always been necessary and important.

Sometimes, walking by faith requires taking the strong meat of God’s Word and exercising our senses to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). We must not use our own judgment to decide. There may be many times when something may seem good to us, but we must use the Word of God as our criteria for evaluation. We are to love righteousness and hate iniquity (evil) like Jesus did (Hebrews 1:8-9). As we make decisions, our choices should be toward good and righteousness, as well as against iniquity or evil. It is only through God’s Word that we can discern what is good and what is evil. We are not to seek evil but hate it; we are to love good and seek it (Amos 5:14-15). What do our decisions say of us? Do we truly want what is good, or are we going after our own fleshly desires? We are to abstain from “every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

The love of money or a desire to be rich is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:9-10). We should especially be careful about this temptation. What does the wisdom of this world tell us? Would the one walking by sight acknowledge this?

Do we want to be one who is of God or one who has not seen God (3 John 11)? As we come to decisions in life, we need to follow that which is good and not that which is evil. If we abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good, which direction will our decisions take us (Romans 12:9)?

We need to realize the whole world lies in wickedness (evil), and we need to be on guard constantly (1 John 5:19). Will we allow ourselves to marry or otherwise be unequally yoked together with the unbelievers or the wicked people of the world? It doesn’t take much to be a partaker of evil deeds; we should be careful where our decisions lead us (2 John 11).

Seeking Good of Others, Not Seeking
Our Own Good – Being a Light

We are not to seek or love the praise of men. We are not to live and make decisions simply to gain man’s approval and honor. Instead, we are to make decisions to gain God’s praise (Romans 2:28-29), even seeking God’s praise. We cannot disregard man even though we are not to seek the praise of man. We are to provide things honest (good) in the sight of all men, living peaceably if possible (Romans 12:17-18).

Peacemakers are among the blessed. In making decisions, we need to consider the impact of our decisions on others (Matthew 5:9). In lowliness of mind, we are to esteem others better than ourselves, looking on the things of others and not on our own. We are to be servants like Jesus was, ministering to others as opposed to expecting others to minister to us (Philippians 2:3-8). We are not to seek our own but the good of others; we are not to insist on doing something (simply because it is our “right” and does not break any law) without regard to its impact on others. We must consider its effect on others, whether it is expedient and whether it edifies (1 Corinthians 10:23-24). We are even to let our liberty be judged of another’s conscience, as we do all to the glory of God. We are not to seek our own profit but the profit of others that they may be saved, and definitely, we must never give any offence (1 Corinthians 10:29-33).

We are not to make any decision that would lead to putting a stumbling block in our brother’s way; we are not to do anything that would make our brother stumble, be offended or become weak. Rather, we are to follow after the ways that make for peace and that edify (Romans 14:13, 19, 21). Just proving something is lawful and or politically correct does not give us the license or the right to do it. To be determined to do such a thing without considering its impact on others is to be puffed up in knowledge without love (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). Love demands that we consider the impact of our decisions and our actions on the lives of others. Love demands we make decisions that edify others. Failing in this is no small matter; such can cause a weak brother to perish by sinning against Christ.

Our decisions need to demonstrate several attitudes and actions toward others (Christian brothers and sisters in this context). We need to demonstrate compassion, love, being pitiful and courteous, rendering blessing and not evil railing in response to railing, refraining the tongue from evil and the lips from guile, and seeking peace (1 Peter 3:8-11).

Consider Romans 12:17-21. Our decisions need to be toward providing things honest or good in the sight of all men. One way we do this is never to repay evil with evil, never avenge ourselves but provide things honest, pursue peace, give place to wrath and overcome evil with good. We are to be as the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). Do our actions and our decisions reflect this? In making any decision, will we be shining forth as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (Philippians 2:15)?

Beth Johnson

I really want to spend each blog post right now promoting Bible study and especially our new COMFORT study, but just a blurb here is warranted about the way women can be drawn into the lies of the world—lies that are issued in the name of spirituality, even placing God in the middle of the promotion of sin.

One blatant example I noticed this morning is something called “The Blessing between my Legs” conference that was held two weeks ago in Huntsville, Alabama at the Westin Conference Center. I know if you take a look here at the website or its attendant you tube videos, etc…, you will be amazed that any woman seeking God could possibly be drawn into such depths of uncleanness in the name of God-centered religion. (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-blessing-between-my-legs-womens-conference-2022-tickets-302014673017)

I hope the event was, as it appears, on the small and inconspicuous side. But, as I looked over this site and watched a youtube video promoting the event, I was reminded of lies with which we may be enticed to a world where sanctification is absent, while God is being “used” as the mouthpiece for promotion.

1. It is blasphemous to say God gave me a womb to solidify my purpose. God gave me a purpose to engulf and consume all of my gifts, including the womb and its fruit. The purpose is His glorification (Is. 43:7). That order (encompassing purpose, first) is eternally important!

2. When I fail to identify my one true purpose (and first!)—His glorification—I can pretend that I am doing His will in any venue or walk of life. In other words, I can “make” my will be a part of His purpose. I can pretend. That’s pretty blatant in this quote from the website: This conference will literally WAKE UP the WOMAN in you that you have been praying for! Dr. Lady Chappell has pinned the BEAUTY, BABIES, BUSINESS, and BIBLE platform where women from ALL walks of life can connect and truly be EMPOWERED to be the modern day PROVERBS 31 woman! From the strip club to the boardroom, THIS is where The Blessing Between Your Legs LITERALLY gives you LIFE!!!! 

3. Sometimes women can do this in more subtle areas. While this ad is “off the charts”  I may decide I can bring him honor in a lifestyle or relationship that is oppositional to his commandments—a marriage that is not approved by His word, a career that takes my focus from my home and family, or a friendship that provides a constant temptation to seek the kingdom second or third.

4. It’s important, always and in all ways (areas of life) to remember that the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44) and that I can attach the name of God to any sin that I want to commit and the devil will deceive some people through my duplicity. The devil quoted scripture in the temptation of our Lord, Himself. Jesus was not deceived, but lesser men would have jumped from that pinnacle (Matthew 4:6). The devil is a master manipulator.

5, We should be careful when we hear someone say, “I’ve been studying and I am now rejecting the old way of viewing this passage. My study has brought me to a new and better place of freedom and clarity and grace.” We should constantly examine the scriptures and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:17-18). But just because someone claims to be smarter and more well-studied does not necessarily mean they have arrived at new truth. In fact, often it could be a sign of arrogance and a fall from steadfastness, as per this passage.

6. It doesn’t take a trip all the way to the strip club to fall to the deceit that comes when we, as His women, forget our purpose!

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him iin glory.

 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming (Col. 3:1-6).

Cindy Colley