DRUGS/ALCOHOL: TOOLS OF SATAN’S DESTRUCTIVE SCHEMES Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not…

KEEP ETERNITY IN FOCUS Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. —II Corinthians 4:16-18 Life in this world surely can be difficult! But this should have us truly consider what is really important and focus on that. “Don’t lose heart.” Knowing God’s Word we should not be surprised that our outer…

SEEING AND HEARING Ears that hear and eyes that see— the Lord has made them both. —Proverbs 20:12 The ears and eyes are a marvel. These complex parts of our bodies clearly point to the glory of our Lord who “has made them both.” Today, as you use your eyes to see, praise God. Today, when you hear with your ears, praise God. We who know the Lord God Almighty should rejoice over the marvel of our Maker. One day all of who know our Lord Jesus will see and hear perfectly in glory. What a joy that will be! Today the majority of people do not praise God for…

FORGIVE! Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. —II Corinthians 2:10-11 Schemer— that is Satan’s focus. He will use anything he can in his plans to take someone down, to knock them out of God’s purposes, to destroy them. Unforgiveness is something that Satan likes to use to create schisms. Unforgiveness divides relationships of all sorts: friendships, marriages, business partnerships… Any relationship that Satan can cause conflict in or destroy, he will. Forgiving is part…

HIS PLANS, NOT YOUR PLANS… Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster. —Proverbs 16:3-4 Are you and I trusting in the Lord God Almighty for what He wants to do in and through our lives? Are we listening and seeking to be and do what He desires? Are we being obedient in the very basics of following Jesus, in those things that are clearly revealed in His Word? — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJq1N4PiH28 He will bring His plans to pass! May we be involved with those plans of His and…

STRIFE OR WISDOM Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. —Proverbs 13:10 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. —Psalm 37:30 My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. —Psalm 49:3 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. —Psalm 111:10 Are you open to advice? Is your heart open to listen to the wisdom…

FOCUS Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. —Proverbs 11:4 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain…

JESUS IS ALIVE! Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than…

HATE EVIL! To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. —Proverbs 8:13 It is all around us in this fallen world. Satan is the god of this age (II Corinthians 4:4) and he blinds people, “taken them captive to do his will” (II Timothy 2:26). I was there once and being held captive to do Satan’s will. My life-style was filled with evil. The only one I really cared about was myself. Evil was not something I hated, but loved. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. But now I am not longer a slave of sin and…

LISTEN! Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. —Proverbs 1:30-31 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. —Proverbs 2:6 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. —I Corinthians 12:7 The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. So why would we not run to Him to seek this? How is it that so many times we try to figure things out for ourselves and do not wait on Him, listen to Him and wait for His guidance?…