Deception is defined as: the act of causing someone to believe something that is not true, typically to gain some personal advantage.

The father of lies:

The enemy of our soul, the devil, is a liar, a deceiver. He tries to get people to believe things about themselves and others that are not true, for the purpose of hurting them, destroying their lives, and limiting their opportunities for success or just moving forward in their lives. Jesus said, “He is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Everything he says and does is deceiving — the thoughts he tries to put into our brains only to steal, kill, and destroy.

Study to show yourself approved unto God:

It’s the truth that sets us free. We need to be bombarded with the truth — constantly meditating on it. The Bible says, day and night. Joshua 1:8 (NLT) — Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. To be successful in life, we need to study God’s word constantly.

Be a doer of the word:

When we know the truth, when we are a doer of the truth, when we walk in the truth, it will expose the lies and deception in our lives — the thoughts we believe, even about ourselves, that are not true. Why? So we can walk in true freedom, that God will open the eyes of our understanding, so we can be strong and courageous.

Know the truth so you can be truly free.

Just a thought,

PSS

Loyal is defined as: faithful and devoted to someone or something; giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution; faithful to one’s oath, commitments, or obligations.

Loyal to whom?

We need to learn to be more loyal to God and His word, to our friends and coworkers, to our bosses and the companies we work for. It doesn’t mean we allow others to do wrong, and cover it up because of a sense of loyalty. It means we honor our commitments; we purpose to honor our word.

Loyal to God:

Some people demand loyalty but don’t give it. I believe we need to be loyal to God and doing His will. We tend to be loyal to people more than to God Himself. If we want the blessing of God, we must be loyal to our word. The Bible says that God honors those who keep an oath even when it hurts. It doesn’t mean to lie or cheat for someone or something. It means when we give our word, we keep it. So many are loyal only to themselves, and to no other.

Think about it:

We really do need to think about where our loyalties lie. Sometimes we are loyal to family, even when what they are doing is wrong. As we grow in our relationships with God, let’s not have divided loyalties. If we do, we will hate the one and love the other. No one can serve two masters — no one!

Let’s be loyal to our commitment to serve and honor God and His word, and see how loyal He is to us.

Just a thought,

PSS

As Christians, we need to be more heavenly-minded than earthly-minded. Too many of us are so consumed with our lives here on earth that we don’t give much thought to what happens after we die.

Bodily exercise:

The apostle Paul writes, For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8 ESV). Today, we are consumed with our physical bodies; in fact, as we enter this new year, one of the top resolutions is to get in shape, to work out more, join a gym. (Studies say that approximately 97% of New Year’s resolutions aren’t kept.) We are consumed with our physical appearance, what we look like.

Spiritual exercise:

Now we should take care of our bodies. The Bible says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. And it does profit us some. But godliness profits us way more — here on earth and in the life to come. We should spend more time on our spiritual life: growing, getting more and more connected with God. Our spiritual gym is church. We think nothing of going to the gym, working out for 2 hours, 4 or 5 times a week; but we have great issues with coming to church at least once a week for an hour and a half. It’s no wonder we aren’t stronger, aren’t growing, still have the same issues each and every year. We need to exercise spiritually every day — making church a priority, reading the Bible daily — it profits us more.

What we will discover is that our lives will be better, and we will be stronger and truly make the changes that we desire and know we need to make in our lives. We will possess the strength to overcome.

Just a thought,

PSS

Cause and effect — every effect is connected to a cause. If you don’t have a cause, you won’t have an effect. You become ineffective when you don’t have a cause.

Have a purpose:

The moment we don’t have a cause, purpose, we become ineffective in our lives, Purpose is defined as: the reason for which something is done or created, or for which something exists. In order for our lives to thrive, we need a purpose, a cause. Thank God He gives us all a purpose: to serve Him and to help and serve others. God’s purpose for our lives will last a lifetime.

Make a difference:

We can all make a difference in this world. “There are two types of people who tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try, and those who are afraid you will succeed” (Ray Goforth).

Do all for God’s glory:

We must be committed to God’s cause — to share the gospel, to be a witness to others. 1 Corinthians 10:31 — So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. That means whatever, everything in our lives. The purpose of the believer is to serve the Lord with our time, talent, and treasure. How we spend our treasure is a reflection of what we love.

We must put in the effort to learn His ways, His will. The difference between mediocrity and excellence is often a matter of effort.

Happy New Year. May 2019 be filled with great purpose to your life.

Just a thought,

PSS

We live in a world where there seems to be a great sense of urgency, especially during the Christmas season.

Hustle and bustle:

The season is marked by all the hustle and bustle from Christmas parties to end-of-the-year deadlines at work, to endless family gatherings, to last-minute shopping for the perfect gift. Marketers don’t make it any easier. Have you ever heard, “Hurry while supplies last,” or “limited time only”? None of us want to be left out or made to feel as if we missed something good. So, there is this push to hurry, hurry, hurry.

Sharing the gospel:

The word urgency means: importance requiring swift action, giving us a sense that we need to do something, go somewhere. But, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we should have a sense of urgency when it comes to sharing the gospel. Mark 16:15 (ESV) — And he [God] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Going into all the world:

The word go means: as you are going, or as you’re living — as you’re golfing; as you’re working out; as you are at work, living, buying a new home; as you’re going to college or school; or as you’re just hanging out. In other words, as you’re living life, there should be this sense of urgency to share the gospel — the good news — to tell others what God has done for you.

Write your testimony in a hundred words or less, and be prepared to share the gospel with others as you are living your life. Make a difference!

Just a thought and merry Christmas,

PSS