An honorable life is a precarious thing, constructed throughout a lifetime by the bricks of integrity and the mortar of self-control. From the outside, it appears sturdy enough to withstand a tempest. But the weak spots are found within; and it can all come toppling down in one weak moment. An honorable life is not built on the shoulders of any of us, it is built upon the foundation of our Faith in Jesus Christ. We should never be surprised when temptation knocks at the door of the church. That is Satan’s most strategic target. He hammers at the past, the deacons, and the other church leaders, then he hammers at the ordinary Christians who sit in the pews and attempts to seek godly lives. We admire and aspire to be like the first Christians, but they struggled just as we do. For evidence of that we need only open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians. There we find the story of a church plagued by moral failure – a church filled with men and women who didn’t know when to walk away. Here we a pattern for overcoming temptation in chapter 10 verses 12-14. Take time to read and consider … READ MORE

Guilt is a giant with interesting powers. This giant is the most invisible, but the heaviest one of all. There are people all around us who are being slowly crushed, and suffocated by the giant of guilt. Three are many stories that could be told, and you could add to the list, but I believe the most powerful one of all is the account of David with his sin against Bathsheba, and murder of her husband. When Nathan the prophet confronted him for his sinful choices, we see David repenting and turning to the Lord. Psalm 32 and 51 give us a picture of that repentance, and how He overcomes his pain of guilt. Allow me to give you four points from Psalm 51 to help you overcome guilt in your life, and find the peace that God offers:

1. Removing Sin (Psalm 51:2 Only Go0d can wash the filth deep within our hearts.

2. Restoring Joy (Psalm 51:8,12) David here doesn’t ask for His salvation to be restored; what he wants back is the joy of his salvation. as a believer we cannot lose our salvation, but we can certainly lose the fringe benefits of our salvation.

3. Renewing … READ MORE

When we think of Psalm 118:24 we often picture a beautiful scene that brings us to relaxation and peace. Yet when Jesus sang this hymn at the conclusion of His last Passover, He was looking toward a day of trial, scourging, and death on the cross. But He was able to face the obstacles before Him with a peace and satisfaction, knowing that He was doing the will of His Father. As we approach today, and each day, we need to remember that for the believer, life is about doing the will of the Father. May we be ready to follow the Lord no matter where leading Him will bring us. Remember He has promised to be with us, so that we never have to face anything alone. Draw strength from the promises of the Lord, and recognize that “This is the day the LORD has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

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