Pazienza

They say that patience is a virtue. They say that you can get more honey instead of vinegar… but what does one do when there’s nothing else to do?

If you know anything about me, you know that I get irritated very, very easily. I don’t know why I do, but I know it’s something I need to work on. (With the Lord’s help of course)  Lately, however, things have been getting on my nerves left and right. Given, some things are annoying and would get on pretty much anybody’s nerves, but some of it is uncalled for. I often find myself snapping on people that don’t deserve it, and then apologizing for it later. It’s absurd really.

Sometimes I wonder how I even have a relationship. I think that I treat him so unfairly sometimes, but he’s always willing and quick to forgive. He’s such a good Christian man, and I am very lucky to have him in my life. I’m afraid that all of my impatience is going to push him away. He says it won’t and that he loves me, (which I know he does) but how much can one person put up with?

Baby, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that I am sorry. I really intend on trying harder to make this better.  Thank you for forgiving me and loving me despite all of the ridiculousness that you sometimes have to put up with. You really are amazing.

To everyone else reading this, thanks for your support. I know I’m not the only one that struggles with impatience…and if you do, or have…. what are some ways that you’ve calmed yourself down in the midst of all of the heat?

Universal Pain.

We’ve all done it; we’ve held on to something that we know we probably shouldn’t. We’ve done things that we regret later. We’ve said things that we wish we could take back… we’ve ALL made mistakes.

Guilt is a scary beast. You never know the power that guilt has over you until you’ve climbed yourself out of the hole you’re in.

But, when you’re down and out, how do you climb out of that hole? It’s not easy, but it can be done. 

David told on himself and his kingdom was destroyed. Do you know the story of David and Goliath? Here ya go! Turn over to 1 Samuel 17.

“The Philistine army had gathered for war against Israel. The two armies faced each other, camped for battle on opposite sides of a steep valley. A Philistine giant measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor came out each day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight. His name was Goliath. Saul, the King of Israel, and the whole army were terrified of Goliath.

One day David, the youngest son of Jesse, was sent to the battle lines by his father to bring back news of his brothers. David was probably just a young teenager at the time. While there, David heard Goliath shouting his daily defiance and he saw the great fear stirred within the men of Israel. David responded, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of God?"

So David volunteered to fight Goliath. It took some persuasion, but King Saul finally agreed to let David fight against the giant. Dressed in his simple tunic, carrying his shepherd's staff, slingshot and a pouch full of stones, David approached Goliath. The giant cursed at him, hurling threats and insults.

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied ... today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel ... it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

As Goliath moved in for the kill, David reached into his bag and slung one of his stones at Goliath's head. Finding a hole in the armor, the stone sank into the giant's forehead and he fell face down on the ground. David then took Goliath's sword, killed him and then cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. So the Israelites pursued, chasing and killing them and plundering their camp.” (Taken from http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestorysummaries/p/davidandgoliath.htm)

David committed adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite and got her pregnant. Then he tells Uriah to have sex with Bathsheba so that they child’s father is not publically found to be David.  But, Uriah refused. So, David married Bathsheba and she bore his child, "but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord."[9] The prophet Nathan confronted David, saying: "Why have you despised the word of God, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife." Nathan presented three punishments from God for this sin. First, that the "sword shall never depart from your house" (2 Samuel 12:10) second, that "Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel. (2 Samuel 12:12) and finally, that "the son born to you will die" (2 Samuel 12:14). David repented, yet God "struck the [David's] child ... and it became sick ... [And] on the seventh day the child died." David leaves his lamentations, dresses himself, and eats. His servants ask why he wept when the baby was alive, but ends his mourning when the child dies. David replies: "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:22-23. (NIV)

Can you imagine David’s remorse? He sinned and sinned against God and God showed him his displease.

Let’s go back to Paul. Paul was a great man, but he made some mistakes. Okay, he made a ton of mistakes. He persecuted Christians, those who loved God. He killed holy people, and thought he was doing the will of God. 

Paul was present at the stoning of Stephen, and though he did not participate, he encouraged the violent act that destroyed the first of the martyrs. He then participated in a general persecution including, "going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women and threw them into jail."

Paul referred to himself as the “chiefest of sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15) He knew he had messed up and hurt God.  In Ephesians 3:8, Paul said that he was the least of the least of the saints. “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;” (KJV) But, he was still able to do the work of God. He overcame hardships, and glorified God! How awesome? He said “but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.” (NIV)

Paul commanded us to please God, because God is the one that knows our hearts and judges us.

 Think you can’t live with your guilt? Paul was imprisoned, he was a murderer, and he was broken. How do you think he felt while standing in a church next to the baby of the man he killed? Or the husband of a wife that he threw in jail for loving God? How do you think he felt knowing that he changed those lives? I bet it hurt him. I bet he lamented over that for a while. He wept. But, he was able to lean on God.  ”Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (NIV) How amazing is that? He delighted in weakness and was able to be glad in his soul, because he knew that God would forgive him.  

Psalm 130 says:

“Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; 


 2 Lord, hear my voice. 
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

 3 If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?


4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

 5 I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 


6 I wait for the Lord 
more than watchmen wait for the morning, 
 more than watchmen wait for the morning.

 7 Israel, put your hope in the LORD, 
 for with the LORD is unfailing love 
 and with him is full redemption. 


8 He himself will redeem Israel 
from all their sins.”

When we ask the Lord for forgiveness (and mean it), he forgives our sins and remembers them no more.  Hebrews 8:11-12 says:  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more”

So, if I’ve got this right, God puts them out of his mind. Isn’t that what this verse says?  Sometimes when we’re caught up in the guilt of sin, we like to go on and on to God about what we’ve done, even after we’ve repented. I’d imagine God’s looking at us saying, “My child, what’re you speaking of? These things you’ve not done.” 

Makes sense, doesn’t it? I bet you’ve done this before… maybe you’re doing it right now. Stop it! Send up a broken hallelujah and move on. You have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb! Continue to lament no longer, this too shall pass. God loves you and wants you to be happy in Him. Now, pick yourself up, and do great things with the rest of your days. Don’t forget to turn back praises for all of the wonderful things God has given us!!!

Way to go!

In keeping with our study on 1 Samuel, scroll down to “Hey! I was Only Looking for Donkeys…” to catch up.

Saul returned home and when his uncle had inquired about his journey, he replied: “he told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel has said, (10:16) Then It goes on to say “Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah and said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans’. (NIV)

All of the tribes assembled and when it came for Saul’s turn, he was nowhere to be found. So they asked the LORD if he has come yet and the LORD said “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.” (10:22, NIV)  How dumb do you think Saul felt when the LORD called him out? “Hey! He’s over there hiding… the king that you wanted is hiding…” I can only imagine the look on Saul’s face when he emerged from the supplies to address his people.

Samuel said to them, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? So all the people shouted and said “Long live the king!” (24)

Almost immediately, a group of rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him on presents, but Saul held his peace. (27)

… It never fails, and those who have been put into a leadership position know what I’m talking about. Almost instantaneously, there’s a group of people (or maybe just one) that tries to tear you down. They can’t stand you and will go behind you every chance they get. Even though King Saul made poor, poor choices, I look up to the fact that he held his peace. It takes a special kind of man to be silent in the face of adversity.

Then in chapter 11, Nahash the Ammonite came up and surrounded Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.” and Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “ On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.” (Yeah… Don’t worry, I just wanna pluck your eye out and defame your entire country, no biggie.) >.> (1-2)

So, the elders of Jabesh stalled and told them to hold off for seven days so they could send messengers to Israel. If no one came to save them, they said they’d surrender. So the messengers told all the people and the people lifted up all their voices and wept. (Here’s your chance, Saul. Do it right.) (3-4)

Saul came down and said, “What troubles the people that they weep?” And they told him the word of the men of Jabesh. Then the spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused. So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent the throughout all the territory of Israel; by the hands of the messengers saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. (5-7)

Way to go, Saul. You showed them who’s king and you put Samuel’s name with it. Basically, Saul was saying, “You mess with me, you mess with Samuel.”  Why? Because Samuel was one of (if not the) most powerful man in Israel, he knew what he was doing.

God could’ve told Samuel to move on and accept the fact that they’ve been shot down and rejected by the people, but He doesn’t. God let Samuel make his peace. Chapter 12 says: “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

 “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

 Samuel said to them, “The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.”

   “He is witness,” they said.

 Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the LORD as to all the righteous acts performed by the LORD for you and your ancestors.

 “After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the LORD for help, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

 “But they forgot the LORD their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. They cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ Then the LORD sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

 “But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you. If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good! But if you do not obey the LORD, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

 “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.”

 Then Samuel called on the LORD, and that same day the LORD sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the LORD and of Samuel.

The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Poor, poor Samuel. Can’t you just feel his heartbreak, and his tears as he pleads with the people? “What have I done? Tell me so I can make it right.” “You have done nothing.”  The people have said, “Make us like all the other people, we want a king. Yeah, we know God helped us through, but oh well. We want to be like all the others.” They turned their backs on God.

Then, after Saul had reigned two years, he chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and one thousand were with his son Jonathon in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest away and every man to his tent. Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

   Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. (13:4-10)

Wait a minute, Saul. Didn’t Samuel tell you he’d be back to do it? Isn’t is Samuel’s job to make the offering anyway? What. were. you. thinking? I mean, really? All you had to do was listen to Samuel, but no, you went and defied God—again. Saul. Saul. Saul.

Samuel said, “What have you done?” (feel the panic and distain in Samuel’s voice.) Then Saul went on a rant. “…I just had to do it. I saw that everyone was leaving. I panicked. I felt like I HAD to do it…” Basically he was saying that he did it because he’s king and he could. Shame on him. Had he waited, God would’ve accepted the offering, but Saul gave his people a false sense of hope.

How many times have we been impatient with our lives and said I will do it. I will make the move. I will make my own decisions. I will, I will. The whole time, God the Father, our Redeemer, is asking “Where am I?” Where is He in your life? Do you feel far away from Him? Are things not going like you wanted them to? Do you feel like you’re lost and sinking?

God never left Saul. God has never left us. We’ve turned our backs on God and He’s tapping us on the shoulder patiently waiting for us to recognize that we couldn’t do it without Him. After all, He did say: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Stop thinking you can do things on your own! God has provided for you your entire life and just because things are going well, you think you can deny HIM? If you’ve been error-ing or straying, send up a broken hallelujah and turn around to God. See His beautiful face looking at you, and talk with Him. Give Him your heart and leave it there. Don’t be like Saul and let the power go to your head. Don’t worry about things that don’t need to be worried about, and make the offering yourself. God will provide, but only if you let Him. 

The Lion Roars.

Sex. Lies. Food. Porn. Caffeine. Cocaine. Marijuana. Methamphetamine. Cutting. Gambling. Shopping.  Alcohol.

Have you or a loved one been struggling with addiction? If so, then you know the grip that the disease can have on you and the person struggling. Families are broken up, lives are taken, babies are left without parents, skin in maimed, and all is sin.

According to http://www.aboutrecovery.com, Substance abuse affects an estimated 25 million Americans directly and 40 million indirectly. Additionally, 15 million Americans struggle with sex addiction and 5.5 million with gambling problems, accumulating to an estimated 19 percent of the population.

In total, 54.3 million Americans suffer from addiction. Of that, an estimated 10 million are affected by co-occurring addictions and emotional problems.

Now, I bet you’re asking me how a sickness is sin… well, let’s ponder this for a few moments. The Devil tempts us with things that will get out attention. Things that we subconsciously (or not) want will be what we’re tempted with… Seriously. Don’t believe me? Well here, do you like licorice? No? Do you ever find yourself craving licorice? Like, you just have to have it? I doubt it. That just doesn’t make any sense. Now, do you like soda? What about razor blades? Or food? Yep, I’m sure you like some of these things, too. When does a like for something turn into an addiction?

Webster’s dictionary defines addiction as: “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”

With all addiction, a process occurs. As aforementioned, the Devil gets our Attention. He lures us in with things that we like, things we love even. People like the sensation that they get from alcohol, cocaine, sex, food, caffeine, razor blades, etc.

Then Seduction occurs. This is when you shift gears from an innocent attention getting to really thinking about it. Maybe even thinking about it makes you happy, or excited.

After that, it’s time to make a Decision… will you let yourself succumb to these awful thoughts or will you tell Satan to get behind you and move on in the Light? Jesus did tell us to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:7)

If we’ve decided to cling to Jesus, then we’re fine. The Devil will depart from you for a season but beware, he will return. (Luke 4:13)

But, if you’ve fallen to the Devil, next comes Transgression. This is where we start to give reign to those bad behaviors and if we don’t stop them while they’re small, then we get into Condemnation.

1.    We often talk of God’s providence, but we seldom discuss Satan’s providence. Like the Almighty, Satan is everywhere all the time, too.  A professor of mine once said: “This is why alcoholics fall off the wagon. This is why drug addicts go to rehab and shoot up again. “

I charge you to be on the lookout, Beelzebub will come like a snake in the grass, ready to deceive you and bring you to his lair. Also, don’t be discouraged and think that you can’t resist this trial. The Son of Man was tested, too. Our own Lord and Savior was tested just like we are at this very moment. Don’t believe me? Let’s look it up. Matthew 4:1-11 reads: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Here we read of Jesus being tempted 3 times in succession. And again, the Devil tempted Jesus with things that he wanted and desired. “… All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Do you not think Jesus wanted to jump? Wouldn’t you want control over man and those who would eventually bring you to your death? I mean, if you just jump, or turn these stones into bread, everyone would see and believe what you’ve been saying all along. It’s a simple choice right? Jump and avoid death. But, our wonderful Guide quoted our Father and said “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” The things Satan was tempting Jesus with weren’t even his to give… Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, our God, our Redeemer, was tempted.

Powerful stuff. In James 4:7 we read:  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We need to realize that the Devil is always looking for the point that we are at our lowest, then he strikes.

He was tempted in the exact and same manner that we are tempted, but He remained. without. sin. Amazing. Read Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” We are to have Christ’s mindset. If we keep His mindset and way, we will not become a stumbling block for others. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…”

How LUCKY are we that we can have that perfect and holy example set before us? Even if we are struggling with something as severe as addiction, God understands because His SON went through what we do, he talked with prostitutes and those that others wouldn’t. He fed the hungry and clothed the naked. God is strength, and love, and shelter. “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Psalm 19:14 says: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
 Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Now, I’ve said all of this to say, that we can come back to God. We, as Christians, can come back. How? Repent in your heart. Make the decision to do what you know is right. Pray and plead to God for your forgiveness. He said in Ephesians 1:7-8 that  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself…” We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Maybe you’re reading this and you’ve not yet decided to follow Jesus… wanna know how? Well, here. Now you can know.

·       First you must hear the Word of God. (Acts 15:7) “And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

·       Believe the Gospel. (Mark 16:15-16) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

·       Repent of sins. (Acts 17:30) “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

·       Confess Christ to be the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

·       Be Baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

·       Be faithful unto death. (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

I hope you listen to my pleas and take this to heart. God loves you and so do I. <3 Have a great day!