God's Providence

"Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe as a whole (Psalm 103:19), the physical world (Matthew 5:45), the affairs of nations (Psalm 66:7), human destiny (Galatians 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Psalm 4:8). This doctrine stands in direct opposition to the idea that the universe is governed by chance or fate.

Through divine providence God accomplishes His will. To ensure that His purposes are fulfilled, God governs the affairs of men and works through the natural order of things. The laws of nature are nothing more than God’s work in the universe. The laws of nature have no inherent power; rather, they are the principles that God set in place to govern how things normally work. They are only “laws” because God decreed them.

There are some who say that the concept of God directly or indirectly orchestrating all things destroys any possibility of free will. If God is in complete control, how can we be truly free in the decisions we make? In other words, for free will to be meaningful, there must be some things that lie outside of God’s sovereign control—e.g., the contingency of human choice. Let us assume for the sake of argument that this is true. What then? If God is not in complete control of all contingencies, then how could He guarantee our salvation? Paul says in Philippians 1:6 that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” If God is not in control of all things, then this promise, and all other divine promises, is in doubt. If the future does not belong completely to God, we do not have complete security that our salvation will be made complete.

Furthermore, if God is not in control of all things, then He is not sovereign, and if He is not sovereign, then He is not God. So, the price of maintaining contingencies outside of God’s control results in a belief that God is not really God. And if our free will can trump divine providence, then who ultimately is God? We are. That conclusion is unacceptable to anyone with a biblical worldview. Divine providence does not destroy our freedom. Rather, divine providence takes our freedom into account and, in the infinite wisdom of God, sets a course to fulfill God’s will."

https://www.gotquestions.org/divine-providence.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dr-michael-d-evans/8633589850/

attribution: Dr Michael D Evans and flickr

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God's grace

 "No aspect of God's dealing with his creation does not involve His grace. A gracious God cannot fail to demonstrate grace in all He does.

That I exist is through his grace. That the sun shines and the rain falls is due to his grace. My salvation, standing with God, and eternal future with Him. It is all because of His grace.

Even God's justice and the eternal punishment of unbelievers reflect his grace. God gives every opportunity for repentance. But, in His grace, He does not force himself on anyone.

Praise God for his all-encompassing grace. His grace that reached even one like me. And His grace keeps me safe and secure in him, both now and through eternity. It's all about God's overwhelming grace."

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/god/what-is-gods-grace.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/14430052851

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr

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WWJD

"The WWJD movement started in 1989 when the youth group at Calvary Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan, studied Charles Sheldon's 1896 novel, In His Steps. In the novel, parishioners preface every thought and action with "What would Jesus do?" and begin to see the difference it makes. Calvary's youth took Sheldon's model to heart and made up colorful woven bracelets to wear as a tangible reminder of that powerful question. Soon people throughout their community were wearing the bracelets, and it mushroomed from there. By the late '90s, the letters wwjd could be found on a multitude of books, T-shirts, and other Christian merchandise. To date, an estimated 14 million bracelets have been sold.

So what would Jesus do? He would seek the Father for the strength and wisdom to embrace, restore, confront, teach, serve, and equip the people around him.

These seven priorities should drive us back to the gospels to take a fresh look at how Jesus lived. The fad phase of WWJD may be over, but we need to hold on to those bracelets and keep asking ourselves—What would Jesus do? It's a great question. But remember: If you're not sure what Jesus actually did in his life, then you're just guessing at what he might do in yours."

https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/theology/7-priorities-that-guided-jesus-decisions.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/b4b2/3985654111/

attribution: Ben R and flickr

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Armageddon

"Bible prophecy peaks our curiosity and it makes us spend much time in watching world events and trying to tie them into what the prophecies say. The problem with getting too entangled into prophecy is that it takes our eyes off of Christ. It makes us more a student of prophecy than a disciple of Christ. Jesus wants us to keep our eyes on Him and keep looking up. There is nothing for anyone to be concerned about in the world news or in Bible prophecy if they have placed their trust in Christ. Who can separate us from our Saving God? Short answer: No one or no thing! As Paul wrote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:35, 37). Paul was “convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). That about covers it all! If you haven’t put your trust in Christ, you will be separated from God for all eternity. My prayer for all of those who are reading this is that they will trust in Christ. Then nothing “will able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen!"

https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/what-is-the-battle-of-armageddon-a-bible-study/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/11061716505

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon

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Have you ever been arrested?

He was a celebrity.

Huge crowds followed Him.

He was praying when He was arrested (John 18: 1-14).

It was chaos. 

He was tried by religious and civil authorities,

was sentenced to die,

and was executed.

Christians can sometimes find themselves in chaotic situations. They may be on their way to work in early morning darkness. Maybe they're focused on their work that day. Maybe they're tired. Maybe they're hungry. Maybe they're praying.

We, fellow Christians, may be able to sympathize with Scottie Scheffler. Please pray for him and others who may find themselves in similar situations.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/82032880@N00/50182142926

attribution: Stephen Zucker, Smarthistory and flickr

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the final test

 13 and do not subject us to the final test,

but deliver us from the evil one. 

Matthew chapter 6, NAB

explanatory note to verse 13: 

"Jewish apocalyptic writings speak of a period of severe trial before the end of the age, sometimes called the “messianic woes.” This petition asks that the disciples be spared that final test." 

from another source:

"...praying to be delivered from the "final test" is the same as praying to be delivered from personal temptations when we understand that Jesus' victory on the cross was the final victory over ALL sin and evil. When we pray to be delivered from temptation, we are asking God to help us apply the finished work of Jesus' universal victory over evil, to our personal struggles with evil. Praise God that His victory through Jesus IS ENOUGH!!

And what we gain by today's study is that Jesus, as the good Shepherd, goes ahead of His sheep to face the wolves, to face the danger, and He doesn't desire that we should have to face a monster that we cannot handle. That is why we can say with the Psalmist: "even 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." (Psalm 23). This doesn't mean that we will never suffer for our faith. Actually, Jesus assured us that we would suffer persecution. But it does mean that Jesus will never allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear and He will never allow us to go through a test which He hasn't already passed and made a way through for the rest of us. "Where I go now," Jesus told His followers, "you cannot come. But afterwards, you will."

https://www.karlgessler.com/post/2018-04-10-the-final-test

https://www.flickr.com/photos/turatti/19610166041

attribution: jaci XIII and flickr

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lead us not into temptation

"Although the Greek of this sixth petition of the Lord’s Prayer is unambiguous, its meaning is certainly elusive and has exercised the minds of Christians for centuries. The key word is peirasmos, which may mean “temptation” in the sense of “enticement to do wrong.” But against this possible meaning, James 1:13 states a truth that admits of no exceptions: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘I am being tempted by God.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.” Consequently, it is impossible for God actively to lead people into wrongdoing; he cannot contradict his nature.

This prompts the interpreter to consider the other, more common meaning of peirasmos—“trial,” “test,” or “testing.” Thus the NAB translates the verse, “Do not subject us to the final test,” the trials or tribulations destined to occur at the end of the age (compare Rev 3:10). But the difficulty here is that the noun peirasmos lacks the definite article, which would be expected if the meaning were “the (well-known) final test.”

So what does “lead us not into temptation” mean? It means asking God to keep our faith strong and avoiding the kind of temptation that ends in turning our backs on God and dishonoring him."

https://www.logos.com/grow/what-does-the-bible-mean-by-lead-us-not-into-temptation/ 

The Lord’s Prayer

9 “This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread;

12 and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;

13 and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one.

14 If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

Matthew 6: 9 - 15, NAB

https://flickr.com/photos/titobalangue/5428454309

attribution: Tito & Eva Marie Balangue

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deliver us from evil

The Lord’s Prayer

9 “This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

11 Give us today our daily bread;

12 and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;

13 and do not subject us to the final test,
but deliver us from the evil one."

Matthew 6: 9 - 13

"... deliver us from the evil one."

"Pray, “deliver us” from evil done to us

Rabbi Judah ben Tema is said to have prayed, “Let it be thy good pleasure to deliver us from impudent men, and from impudence: from an evil man and an evil chance; from an evil affection, an evil companion, and an evil neighbor: from Satan the destroyer, from a hard judgment, and a hard adversary.” So, when you pray “deliver us from evil,” it’s a prayer to be delivered from armed robbery, from debt and bankruptcy, from crop failure, from liars, gossips and thieves, from evil affections, evil companions and evil neighbors. From every trick and technique of your enemy, the devil, who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).

It’s a simple prayer, but one that is rich in purpose and power. Pray it daily, fervently, for yourself and for others. Pray it in faith, believing that Jesus would not have taught His followers to pray it if it were not a prayer that would be answered."

https://guideposts.org/prayer/how-to-pray/what-it-really-means-to-pray-deliver-us-from-evil/ 

7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

8 Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.

9 Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.

10 The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.

1 Peter 5: 7 - 10

https://flickr.com/photos/titobalangue/5978127430

attribution: Tito & Eva Marie Balangue

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faith over fear

"One of the most incredible and inspiring passages in Scripture for believers is the story of when the Apostle Peter walked on the surface of the sea toward Jesus during a storm in Matthew 14. In some ways, it is the "scary story" of the gospels because (at least in my mind) it seems like it could have started with the classic introduction, "It was a dark and stormy night." The writer records the events like this:

"And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:25-27).

Today, one of the most wonderful opportunities that we have to exercise our faith over fear as Christians is to "draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith" even though God is the fearful, holy judge who will not even look on our sin because "our hearts [are] sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:22). Because of Jesus Christ, we can have our faith move aside our fear.

So let us not be people who “shrink back and are destroyed;” let us be “those who have faith and preserve [our] souls” (Hebrews 10:39).""

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/what-does-faith-over-fear-really-mean.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33347924@N06/15880502477

attribution: blairwang and flickr

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the bible, suffering and faith

The bible teaches that all must suffer. why? because suffering leads to faith and faith leads to our salvation. 

1 A psalm of David.

I

The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.

2 In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths

for the sake of his name.

4 Even 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 comfort me.

Psalm 23: 1- 4

"David could walk through a dark ravine, perhaps even death, fearlessly, because the Lord walked with him. David explains his lack of fear because "you are with me." It is interesting to observe that the "shadow of death" drew David closer to the Lord. He addresses the Lord as "you," whereas in the peaceful places he called the Lord "he."

A shepherd in Bible times carried a rod and a staff to protect his sheep. The rod was a cudgel: a short, thick, heavy stick similar to what modern people might call a baton or mace. This was worn at the shepherd's belt. The staff was a long, lightweight pole with a curved end—a crook—that the shepherd used to move, count, and examine the sheep at evening when they returned to the fold.

Both the rod and staff were used as weapons to protect the sheep. David trusted the Lord to protect him, just as a shepherd protected his sheep from any attacking animals. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is with believers at all times (John 10:11, 14). He promised to be with us always (Matthew 28:20). He is with us when we walk over rough ground as surely as He is with us "beside still waters" (Psalm 23:2). Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28)."

https://www.bibleref.com/Psalms/23/Psalm-23-4.html

5 You set a table before me

in front of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me
all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for endless days.

Psalm 23: 5-6

https://www.flickr.com/photos/74505972@N04/7303975588/in/photostream/

attribution: UnlockingTheBible and flickr

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Isaiah 62

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates, 

19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,

20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,

21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Genesis 15:18-21

1 For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still,
Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her salvation like a burning torch.

2 Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all kings your glory;

You shall be called by a new name
bestowed by the mouth of the LORD.

3 You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

4 No more shall you be called “Forsaken,”
nor your land called “Desolate,”
But you shall be called “My Delight is in her,”
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be espoused.

5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.

6 Upon your walls, Jerusalem,
I have stationed sentinels;
By day and by night,
they shall never be silent.
You who are to remind the LORD,
take no rest,

7 And give him no rest,
until he re-establishes Jerusalem
And makes it the praise of the earth.

8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
No more will I give your grain
as food to your enemies;
Nor shall foreigners drink the wine,
for which you toiled.

9 But those who harvest shall eat,
and praise the LORD;
Those who gather shall drink
in my holy courts.

10 Pass through, pass through the gates,
prepare a way for the people;
Build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones,
raise up a standard over the nations.

11 The LORD has proclaimed
to the ends of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
“See, your savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
his recompense before him.”

12 They shall be called “The Holy People,”
“The Redeemed of the LORD.”
And you shall be called “Cared For,”
“A City Not Forsaken.”

Isaiah 62

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Land_of_Israel.jpg

attribution: Emmanuelm, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Psalm 139

1 For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

2 you know when I sit and stand;
you understand my thoughts from afar.

3 You sift through my travels and my rest;

with all my ways you are familiar.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.

5 Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.

7 Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?

8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.

9 If I take the wings of dawn

and dwell beyond the sea,

10 Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light” 

12 Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.

II

13 You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works! My very self you know.

15 My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down; 

my days were shaped, before one came to be.

III

17 How precious to me are your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands;
when I complete them, still you are with me.

19 When you would destroy the wicked, O God,
the bloodthirsty depart from me!

20 Your foes who conspire a plot against you
are exalted in vain.

IV

21 Do I not hate, LORD, those who hate you?
Those who rise against you, do I not loathe? 

22 With fierce hatred I hate them,
enemies I count as my own.

23 Probe me, God, know my heart;
try me, know my thoughts. 

24 See if there is a wicked path in me;
lead me along an ancient path.

https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Psalm/139

https://flickr.com/photos/titobalangue/5998045151

attribution: Tito and Eva Marie Balangue

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What a Friend we have in Jesus

https://youtu.be/znWu2HCJ92c?si=e_Nv-Dv_EKV6xlzc

https://hymnary.org/text/what_a_friend_we_have_in_jesus_all_our_s

https://hymnary.org/person/Scriven_JM

Scriven's biography reminds me of Job in the Old Testament. What are our trials and tribulations compared to theirs--and to those that Jesus suffered?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:What_a_Friend_We_Have_in_Jesus_%28Verse%29_J._Scriven_1855_Public_Domain.jpg

attribution: E. S. Shaw via wikimedia commons

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Acts of the Apostles 2: 38-41

https://www.flickr.com/photos/110795613@N07/31842369467

attribution: Church Iglesia and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

38 Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”
40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16


PRAYER

"Lord Jesus Christ, Your death brought Life for us. May Your Love consume and transform my Life that I may desire You above all else. Help me to Love what You Love, to Desire what You Desire, and to Reject what You Reject."


#prayer from today’s scripture reflection @ www.DailyScripture.Net or APP at Daily Scripture Servants of the Word

https://www.flickr.com/photos/19741842@N05/7600226004

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr

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Matthew 18: 7-14

7 Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things must come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into eternal fire.
9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.

10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. 
12 What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?
13 And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.
14 In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.

Matthew 18: 7-14

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 18:7-14 

Considering the cunning and malice of Satan, and the weakness and depravity of men's hearts, it is not possible but that there should be offences. God permits them for wise and holy ends, that those who are sincere, and those who are not, may be made known. Being told before, that there will be seducers, tempters, persecutors, and bad examples, let us stand on our guard. We must, as far as lawfully we may, part with what we cannot keep without being entangled by it in sin. The outward occasions of sin must be avoided. If we live after the flesh, we must die. If we, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. Christ came into the world to save souls, and he will reckon severely with those who hinder the progress of others who are setting their faces heavenward. And shall any of us refuse attention to those whom the Son of God came to seek and to save? A father takes care of all his children, but is particularly tender of the little ones.

bible.cc/matthew/18-13.htm 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/titobalangue/6100091373/

attribution: Tito & Eva Marie Balangue and flickr

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Psalm 23 verse 5

You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Psalm 23 verse 5

This verse may describe a gracious host as he provides a banquet for an honored guest, or it may continue the metaphor of the shepherd-sheep relationship. If it refers to a host preparing a banquet, David views himself as the Lord's honored guest with David's enemies present as captive onlookers.

If it refers to a shepherd-sheep relationship, David compares the Lord's generosity to that of a shepherd who generously prepares a feast for his sheep, spreading the food on a table or trough. As the sheep slept, they were protected by a circular stone wall and the shepherd who slept across the opening. Jesus identified Himself as the door to the sheepfold (John 10:7–9).

A gracious host would anoint his guest by applying a soothing oil to the guest's head. A shepherd would use oil to treat his sheep's wounds. David may have been thinking about the Lord as his host or shepherd when he wrote, "you anoint my head with oil" (Psalm 23:5). The cup David depicts as overflowing may refer to the brimming cup the host provided or to the large cup a shepherd used to give water to thirsty sheep. Either interpretation leads to the conclusion that the Lord provides for us more generously than the heart can desire.

https://www.bibleref.com/Psalms/23/Psalm-23-5.html

https://www.flickr.com/photos/94264292@N00/363111758

attribution: CindianaJones and flickr

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john 14:27

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/8712089084

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon anf flickr

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"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." John 14:27

MEDITATION

"HE promises HIS followers a final blessing: HIS Peace. This is not just any Peace; Jesus says, “My Peace I Give.” The Peace of Jesus—the Peace that surpasses understanding, the Peace that remains constant even in suffering, the Peace that cannot be stolen or shaken—this is the Peace HE freely gives to us! In a world full of uncertainty and conflict, there is no greater gift than the Peace of Christ…” www.wau.org

PRAYER

"Lord Jesus, may YOUR Peace be always with me. ...YOU, alone, O Lord, are my Peace. May I always reside in that Peace by believing YOUR Word and by doing YOUR Will.” ~ www.dailyscripture.net

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/8712089084

if faith in God is personal, then why are there so many religions?

The internet has answers for everything--even "if faith in God is personal, then why are there so many religions?" Here's what the internet says:

https://mwtb.org/blogs/seeklife/why-are-there-so-many-religions

19 For what can be known about God is evident to them, because God made it evident to them.

20 Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made. As a result, they have no excuse;

21 for although they knew God they did not accord him glory as God or give him thanks. Instead, they became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Romans 1: 19-21

"Do all religions lead to God? No. All people—religious or otherwise—will stand before God some day (Hebrews 9:27), but religious affiliation is not what determines your eternal destiny. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save. “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). It’s as simple as that. Only Christianity—faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—leads to God’s forgiveness and eternal life. No one comes to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6). It does make a difference what you believe. The decision to embrace the truth about Jesus Christ is important. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong."

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/4085704128

attribution: Martin LaBar and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

faith vs. religion

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-religion/

I no longer associate myself with a religion. It's a long story.

I am a Christian. I believe in the Trinity: Almighty Creator God the Father, Jesus, God the Father's only Son, and God the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised will be an advocate for faithful Christians until the end of the world when God's plan will be fulfilled.

I believe that God speaks to us through our conscience, prayer and the bible. 

I believe that God loves His creations, including humans. I believe that God wants us humans to believe in God and to love God with all our heart and soul and to love our neighbor. 

I believe that if we are faithful to God, love God and are sorry for our sins that God will forgive us and will provide for us according to God's will after we die.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/7711866066/

attribution: Sharon Tate Soberon and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/