Never Give Up...

"Even though good people may be bothered by trouble seven times, they are never defeated."
Proverbs 24:16

Do you sincerely want to live a life that is pleasing to God? If so, we must remember that life is not a sprint; it's a marathon that calls for preparation,determination,and lots of perseverance.
Are you one of those people that doesn't give up easily, or are you quick to bail out when the going gets tough?
Jesus finished what He began, and so should we. Despite His suffering and shame of the cross, Jesus was steadfast in His faithfulness to God. We, too, must remain faithful, especially when times are tough.
Do you want to build a closer relationship with God? Then don't give up. And if you are facing a difficult situation, remember this: whatever your problem, God can handle it. Our job is to keep persevering until He does...

Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element in prayer.
PaulP

Serving with humility

Jesus sat down and called the twelve apostles to him. He said,"whoever wants to be the most important must be the last of all and servant of all."

The teachings of Jesus are clear: We achieve greatness through service to others. But, as weak human beings, we sometimes fall short as we seek to puff ourselves up and glorify our own accomplishments. Jesus commands otherwise. He teaches us that the most esteemed men and women are not self-congratulatory leaders of society but are instead the humblest of servants...
Today, you may feel the temptation to build yourself up in the eyes of your friends. Resist that temptation. As a humble servant, you will glorify yourself not before people, but before God, and that's what God intends. After all, earthly glory is fleeting: here today and all to soon gone. But, heavenly glory endures through out eternity. So, the choice is yours; either you can lift yourself up here on earth and be humbled in heaven, or vice versa. Choose Vice versa...

PaulP

Beware Beelzebub

Someone hates you! His name is satan. To him, you are the enemy. His hatred for you cannot be ignored. He cannot be bought off and the fact that you don't believe he exists just makes his job that much easier.
Like it or not you are in his crosshairs. Read this alert carefully!
"keep a cool head. Stay alert. The devil is poised to pounce, and would like noyhing better than to catch you napping." (1Peter 5:8)the Message. In most other translations it says satan is "stalking you like a lion is laying in wait for it's next meal." You may ask "Why does he care about ltttle ole me?" I am not the Pope, or Billy Graham, or some mega important person. How could I possibly pose a threat to him?
I can tell you what he doesnt fear about you. He doesn't fear your faithful attendance at church or Bible studies. As a matter of fact he's quite glad you are there, because he'd just as soon as you to go to hell from church as any other place. He's a church goer himself.
He doesn't fear your half-hearted prayer or your wandering thoughts in God's general direction. He doesn't fear your sacrificial giving, he doesn't fear your theology or orthodoxy. he doesn't fear your organizational skills. He loves it when you give out of guilt, serve out of duty, and overextend yourself simply because you don't want to let anybody down.
The only thing that he fears about you is your Freedom...He fears it because it's what he had, but can never have again. And like the spoiled brat that he is, if he can't have it, he doesn't want you to enjoy it either. He longs to put the doors back on the cages and stuff you in them. His sole mission is to steal your freedom and your soul. He laughs with glee when the morality police arrest your progress and steal your joy and stifle you dreams. He wants you safe, not dangerous. He wants you tied up, not freed up. He loathes you for when you remind him of what is lost to him forever-----Freedom...He can't be pacified, but he can be defeated.....

PaulP