It was April 1980 when Leroy Cole with his wife Jean and their daughters Julie, Lynda, and Lauretta came to San Jose to be our new pastor. He continued in that role until the end of July 1987. During those seven years there were two major lessons I learned from him. Here they are:

Be thorough:

A couple of areas come to mind when I think of Leroy being thorough. One was about church baptisms. All the church baptisms during the period Leroy pastored in San Jose were conducted at my town home. I calculate there were one-hundred-and-fifty or more. Although he had already counseled with those getting baptized, he made certain to do so again at my town home. These weren't going to be "token" baptisms - just baptizing someone to put on a monthly report. The intensity in his voice and his demeanor said otherwise. I was thankful for his thoroughness and doing his best to make certain everyone realized the commitment they were making. (

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

,

Matthew 10:37-39³⁷ "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

,

Acts 2:38Peter replied, "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.

)

Next I remember that Leroy wanted to start an annual "Singles Weekend" where singles would come from many states and even outside the country to meet and enjoy fellowship. Part of the weekend included having our own band for an approximately three-hour dance. Leroy wanted to make certain the music played would be acceptable in God's sight so he invited me to his home to go over each song, the title, lyrics, etc. I appreciated his desire to please God and his willingness to be painstakingly thorough in order to do so. (

Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

)

Always be listening to God:

If we were going to be speaking at church, Leroy asked us to call and let him know what we would be speaking about the Friday night beforehand. He taught us, however, to leave room for inspiration and not be so tied to our notes that we were no longer listening to God.

One time I spent six weeks preparing a sermonette, which is a shorter message that would precede the sermon. Even after all that time, I wasn't super excited about what I had to give. But time had run out and I had to make my call to Leroy. The next morning, however, the Lord gave me something different to give. I had the dilemma of realizing I couldn't change what I told Leroy I would speak about, but on the other hand, I felt what I now had would be more helpful.

At church, I waited for an appropriate moment to approach him. Then I prayerfully, and with some anxiety, let him know I had something else I could speak about that might be more helpful than what I told him the night before. He smiled, and without asking me what it was, said "Go ahead and give it!" Then he added, "I also changed my sermon!" He taught me to always be listening to God! (

John 10:27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

)

I'm thankful for these lessons Leroy taught me. He may be gone, but his Christian legacy lives on.

"Go, Jetter, go!" yelled Barney from what is now called John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Barney was in his car along with the senior members of our cross country team encouraging me to run faster and faster. It was very encouraging and a great help. Barney Wolf was my Lowell High School cross country coach.

You see, Barney evidently felt the name "Jester" didn't sound fast, so like a name change from Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Simon to Peter, and Saul to Paul, he may have felt a name change from "Jester" to "Jetter" was in order, with the hope it would make me faster. It didn't work!

And in case you're wondering, Barney wasn't purple, although those stogies he smoked might have made me turn purple if I had gotten much closer to them.

Here are SEVEN lessons I learned from Barney. But, they're really Biblical principles that apply to you too!

1. Become ALL we can be. (
   Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
   ) Some just want to "improve." But we can continually improve and just grow in small amounts instead of becoming ALL we can be.


2. Think BIG. Don't limit what God can do through us. (
   Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
   )


3. Make all necessary changes. For example, Barney would tell us the importance of keeping junk food out of our diets. (
   1 Corinthians 9:24-27²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
   ) Is there anything that is holding us back from becoming ALL we can be? (
   Hebrews 12:1-2a Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
   ) Ask God what He would like changed, listen, and with His help make those changes.


4. Encourage others. It's been over fifty years but the memory of Barney and those cheering me on still encourages me to this day. There are enough discouragers around. Praise God and give Him thanks for the encouragers, then strive to encourage others. (
   1 Thessalonians 5:11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
   ,
   Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
   ,
   10:25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
   )


5. See the progress in your life and others and celebrate it. (
   Ezra 3:10-11¹⁰ When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. ¹¹ With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:
   
   "He is good;
     his love toward Israel endures forever."
   And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
   ) After each cross country meet Barney would get the team together and mention the name of anyone whose time was better than what they had previously accomplished. We celebrated each other's growth. Celebrate the growth in ourselves and others. It will be very inspiring!


6. Realize the value of good pain. We need to push ourselves as God directs so we can grow. (
   Philippians 3:13-15¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
   ¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
   ) The Apostle Paul said he "strained" and would "press" towards the goal. This good pain will produce growth.


7. Never give up. In running we had to put one foot in front of the other, step by step, legs getting wobbly, gasping for air, but never giving up! With God's help, we can finish the race He has set for us. Never, ever, give up! (
   Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
   ,
   2 Timothy 4:7-8⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
   )

With Barney's help I was able to run faster than I thought possible and fulfill my potential in cross country. But much more important were the spiritual lessons I learned. We can all apply these same lessons to our spiritual lives and become ALL we can be! I praise God for the lessons I learned from Barney.

                      

One of my favorite Kings in the Bible is King Josiah of Judah (2 Kings 22, 23:1-30, 2 Chronicles 34 & 35). He is described very favorably by God. (

2 Kings 22:2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

,

2 Chronicles 34:2He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

) The Bible describes what he did at five distinct ages. Here are lessons we can learn from his life.

1. Age 8: He became King. (
   2 Kings 22:1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
   ,
   2 Chronicles 34:1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
   ) At any age, God may allow us to be placed in certain roles, or He can orchestrate events to place us where He wants us to be. One of those having responsibility at a young age was Jesus at age twelve being in the temple discussing scriptures with others and later telling His parents "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (
   Luke 2:41-47⁴¹ Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
   ,
   49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
   )


2. Age 16: He began to seek God. (
   2 Chronicles 34:3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.
   ) It's always exciting whenever someone comes to Christ. Some, however, have committed their lives at a very young age. Apparently, Daniel, David and Samuel were among those God called into his service while they were still in their teen years. Polycarp, the disciple of John, was apparently baptized before he was a teen.

In modern times we have Dr. James Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family) who committed his life to Christ at age three, Robert and Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth (Christian authors) who both did so at age four, and Pastor Robert Jeffress (Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, author, host of Pathway to Victory) at age five. (
John 6:44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
,
65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them."
,
Philippians 2:13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
)


3. Age 20: He began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of all the pagan idols. (
   2 Chronicles 34:3-7³ In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols. ⁴ Under his direction the altars of the Baals were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. ⁵ He burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and so he purged Judah and Jerusalem. ⁶ In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them, ⁷ he tore down the altars and the Asherah poles and crushed the idols to powder and cut to pieces all the incense altars throughout Israel. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
   ) Josiah set an excellent example for all of us by getting rid of the things we need to get rid of so we can best serve God. In our own lives this might mean getting rid of old habits, such as excessive television watching, or distancing ourselves from friends that lead us away from God, or the clutter in our lives. (
   Hebrews 12:1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
   )


4. Age 26: He sent servants to repair the temple of God and there they found the Book of the Law. (2 Kings 22:3 through 23:28, 2 Chronicles 34:8 through 35:19) Josiah wanted to make the place where God would be worshiped a beautiful place. We should strive to do the same wherever we meet.

Josiah wasn't aware of God's teachings contained in the Book of the Law and immediately began to make reforms putting God's instructions into practice. We should always read the Bible to be transformed, not just informed. We need to put into practice what He teaches us. (
Matthew 4:4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
,
James 1:22-25²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-they will be blessed in what they do.
)


5. Age 39: He died in battle. (
   2 Kings 22:1Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
   ,
   2 Chronicles 35:20-27²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. ²¹ But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, "What quarrel is there, king of Judah, between you and me? It is not you I am attacking at this time, but the house with which I am at war. God has told me to hurry; so stop opposing God, who is with me, or he will destroy you."
   ²² Josiah, however, would not turn away from him, but disguised himself to engage him in battle. He would not listen to what Necho had said at God's command but went to fight him on the plain of Megiddo.
   ²³ Archers shot King Josiah, and he told his officers, "Take me away; I am badly wounded." ²⁴ So they took him out of his chariot, put him in his other chariot and brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors, and all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him.
   ²⁵ Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the male and female singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.
   ²⁶ The other events of Josiah's reign and his acts of devotion in accordance with what is written in the Law of the Lord- ²⁷ all the events, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.
   ) Josiah's heart was right, but his action was wrong. (
   1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
   ) He assumed he knew what action to take and proceeded ahead. Unfortunately he was wrong and ended up going against God's will and died because of it. What can we learn from this? Don't assume! Pray; ask God! (
   Matthew 7:7-8⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
   ,
   Proverbs 3:5-7⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
     and lean not on your own understanding;
   ⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
      and he will make your paths straight.
   ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
      fear the Lord and shun evil.
   ) Let's always pray that not only will our heart be right with God, but our actions as well!

Thank you Lord, for these lessons from a King!

Click here to listen to the sermon version, The Sin of Assuming - Learning from King Josiah.

         

The world taught me I should go to college, get a degree, then enter the work force. While in college I was taking a Business Letter Writing course when I realized I hadn't prayed for the Lord to guide me. After spending time in prayer over a number of days, seeking our Lord's will for my life, I decided to leave college. (

Proverbs 3:5-6⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
   and he will make your paths straight.

,

16:9In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.

,

Psalm 32:8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

)

I continued praying, again over a period of time, and again asking the Lord to guide me. (

Matthew 7:7-8⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

,

James 1:5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

,

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

) I then went to an employment office where they told me they believed they had the ideal job for me. They called Al Gumbs at the Western Union Telegraph Company. I interviewed and was hired. I was what he was looking for; someone who hadn't been taught in college but who could be taught on-the-job.

There were two major lessons I learned from this, which really apply to each of us.

1. When you unconditionally surrender your life to Jesus Christ you can be sure He will place you where He wants you to be. (
   1 Corinthians 12:18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
   ,
   Acts 17:26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
   ,
   Ephesians 2:10For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
   )
   
   Mr. Gumbs started me as an office boy. After a month he promoted me to Recapitulation Clerk. After two more months I was promoted to Statistical Accounting Clerk. What did that job involve? Business letter writing! Our branch was responsible for the seven western states and he would take me into the office of the head man over them, C.W. Ernst, and they would critique my writing. This was in the real world, not from the college teacher I had who informed us he had never been in the business world.


2. God can give you favor. (
   Proverbs 3:3-4³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
      bind them around your neck,
      write them on the tablet of your heart.
   ⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name
      in the sight of God and man.
   ,
   8:35For those who find me find life
       and receive favor from the Lord.
   ,
   Psalm 5:12Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
       you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
   )
   
   What is "favor"? God doing something special for you, which can include making you look good, and better than what you really are.
   
   I was eighteen years old. All the other employees were older, especially Muriel, who was near retirement age. I had a job commensurate with her income. This didn't sit well with her. God then showed-up to make me look good, especially to Muriel.
   
   Mr. Gumbs walked up to my desk and asked, with everyone listening, "You know you need to take copious notes. You know what copious means?" Yes, I said."What is it?" Take many notes, I replied. "Otherwise it could be like osmosis. You know what osmosis is?" Yes, I said. "What is it?" Osmosis is diffusion through a semi-permeable membrane, I answered. "Uh, yes, t-h-a-t-s, t-h-a-t-s correct" he responded as he looked stunned and walked away. About a year earlier I had taken a physiology course and we had to memorize the meaning of various words. Osmosis was the only word I remembered, and I had no idea what it meant.
   
   At break time, Muriel, on the other side of a partition speaking to everyone, not knowing I'm hearing her, said, "Did you hear what Gumbs asked that kid? That kid is brilliant!" (Ha! Boy, was she fooled!) After that I had no more problems from Muriel. She probably though I'd be company president in a few years!
   
   When we unconditionally surrender our lives to Jesus Christ we can be sure He will place us where He wants us to be. He can also give us favor!

As a young man I had the blessing of serving at Goodwill Industries for over two years. Part of the purpose of Goodwill was to provide job opportunities and training for the mentally, physically, and socially disabled. Here are FIVE lessons I learned from this experience.

1. Be thankful for what we have. I worked with people born with disabilities and others who became disabled during their lifetime. Seeing people every day with disabilities made me appreciate what I had. I felt greatly thankful I could walk, move my arms, see, hear and speak. I worked side-by-side with many who did not have all these blessings. (
   1 Thessalonians 5:18But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
   )


2. We can become disabled in an instant. We are all so very fragile. I remember the artist who painted with his right arm but lost that ability in an accident. And the very bright young man who had been attending Stanford University but went through a very traumatic event in his life that lead to him being placed in a mental institution. (
   Ecclesiastes 9:11I have seen something else under the sun:
   
   The race is not to the swift
      or the battle to the strong,
      nor does food come to the wise
      or wealth to the brilliant
      or favor to the learned;
      but time and chance happen to them all.
   )


3. Being disabled can give you an advantage. When I was working in the personnel department I would help applicants complete an information card. This included the deaf mute lady who wrote notes to me letting me know she would be a better employee than others because she wouldn't be distracted by those talking around her, nor would she be wasting time talking to anyone. (
   Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
   ,
   Ephesians 5:15-16¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
   )


4. Don't let any disability stop you from being all our Lord desires you to be. Sometimes having a disability also gets attention that can give you a platform you wouldn't otherwise have. I recall Don Lathrop, who was the director of the four-hundred-and-fifty employees in the county. Don, however, was also legally blind. We'd see him with his German Shepherd guide dog beside him at his desk, and guiding him across the street. Seeing what Don achieved, and what he could do in spite of his disability, to the point of needing a guide dog, was very inspiring and got our attention. (
   2 Corinthians 12:9-10⁹ 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.
   )


5. We can cause our own disabilites. You might be wondering what it means to be "socially" disabled. One of those ways is by becoming a heroin addict that would lead to breaking the law, putting you in prison. Having this on their record classified them as "socially" disabled. Goodwill was also for rehabilitating ex-convicts, giving them a chance to prove themselves. The heroin addict/ex-convict I'm referring to came to Goodwill as a very clean cut, pleasant speaking, personable middle-aged man. He remorsefully told me how the addiction had severely harmed his life and his family. After some time at Goodwill, proving he was capable of working and not going back to his prior drug addiction, he left for a better job. Within a few weeks I was shocked and saddened to read on the front page of the local newspaper of his death -- from a heroin overdose! (
   1 Corinthians 15:33-34³³ Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." ³⁴ Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God-I say this to your shame.
   ,
   Proverbs 26:11As a dog returns to its vomit,
      so fools repeat their folly.
   ,
   2 Peter 2:22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud."
   )

I'm thankful to God for the time I spent at Goodwill, the many people I met, and the lessons I learned from them!

Many, many years ago, back when the Dead Sea was still alive, I worked at the Tidee Didee Diaper Service. I worked there one month, and then resigned. And no, I didn't quit because the job stunk!

At the time, San Jose was the fastest growing city in the country, and having a great baby boom. Tidee Didee had a monopoly on the business elsewhere and was wanting to expand.

I had thoughts of becoming a truck driver, realizing it could be a good paying job. I also thought it'd be a lot of fun driving a truck around all day. I prayed for the right opportunity and believed it was with Tidee Didee (

Proverbs 3:5-7⁵    Trust in the Lord with all your heart
      and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶     in all your ways submit to him,
      and he will make your paths straight.

⁷     Do not be wise in your own eyes;
      fear the Lord and shun evil.

,

Matthew 7:7-8⁷ Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

,

John 10:27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

). I studied the other diaper service companies in the area. They had cute names like Tiny Tots, Stork, and Crib, but I believed Tidee Didee would provide the best service. I wanted to work for the best.

The problem? There wasn't a job available. But I learned from our church about being bold and asking to create a job for myself. I contacted the management and let them know I had researched their company, believed it was the best, and that I just wanted to get my foot in the door. I would be willing to start at the ground level and grow as they did. After my persisting over a number of days, I became their first San Jose employee.

It was definitely an answer to my prayer and a fulfillment of Psalm 37:4: "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

However, there were a number of problems. Beginning at ground level, they would only pay me a minimum wage. And, since we were just starting, there wasn't enough business for full time employment. But there were two other major problems I needed to deal with. I found out driving around all day wasn't fun, and worse than that, I had no sense of direction!

My first day driving, delivering, and picking-up should have ended before 5 p.m. When 8 p.m. came around and I still hadn't finished the route, I knew I was in trouble. I called the boss and he had to come bail me out. He had an excellent sense of direction and we got everything delivered and picked-up, but I knew this wasn't the job for me!

Here's the major lesson I learned that I believe applies to everyone: When we unconditionally surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, He will always guide us to the ideal place for us at that time.

Sometimes God will guide us to situations we want and we'll find out we don't fit or enjoy it like we expected. Later I learned the opposite, that sometimes God will guide us to situations we don't want but we'll find out it's a good fit and we do enjoy it.

I'm thankful for the opportunity the Lord gave me of working at Tidee Didee and what I learned!

I wanted to work for the very best company. At least the best in Silicon Valley. For me, that company was Hewlett-Packard.

I heard great things about the company so I applied for a job. There weren't any openings for me at the time so each week day I would call to one of three people on a rotational basis at the company trying to get in. Finally, I got accepted.

I worked there twelve years. Thankfully, it was during the time when Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard were alive and running the company. Here are FIVE lessons I learned from working there.

1. Don't have a meeting unless it's necessary. Don't have meetings for meetings sake. And if a meeting is necessary don't try to come up with things to fill-up the time. (
   Ephesians 5:15-16 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
   )


2. Do the highest quality work you can do, and produce the highest quality product. HP besides meaning Hewlett-Packard also within the company meant Have Pride. (
   Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
   ,
   Colossians 3:23-24 ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
   )


3. If you're in a leadership role be concerned for the people you're leading. HP was innovative in doing special things for their employees, treating them like family. We had flexible work hours, got twenty-five percent off in purchasing company stock, and each quarter got a portion of the company's profits. At break-time we had fresh fruit and other items brought to our offices (
   Proverbs 27:23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
      give careful attention to your herds;
   ,
   Matthew 20:25-28 ²⁵ Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
   )


4. Set the example. During the time I was there our country was going through a recession. HP had never laid off any one but the employees were concerned it might happen for the first time. Our concerns were relieved when Bill Hewlett got on the intercom and told everyone there would be no lay off. To do so, however, everyone would be taking a ten-percent pay cut, beginning with him! How many heads of companies would set this type of example by voluntarily taking a pay cut? (
   Psalm 78:72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
      with skillful hands he led them.
   ,
   Matthew 7:12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
   )


5. When possible, apply the personal touch. During the time I worked for HP my father died. I was twenty-five years old. I didn't expect to get a personal sympathy card from the President of the company, Bill Hewlett, but I did. A stamped signature on a card would have been special, but I received more. He wrote on the card a personal note sympathizing with me and expressing the loss he felt when his father died. He was twelve years old. When my father died HP was worldwide and had thousands of employees. I was working in Mt. View at a pretty lowly job, and he was working in Palo Alto as the President of the company. His personal touch was something I've always cherished. (
   2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
   ,
   Philippians 2:3-4³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
   )

To summarize, what I experienced were Chrisian principles put into practice by both Bill and Dave, as the employees referred to them. When we ask and allow Christ to live through us hopefully we can all touch people the way they did! (

Philippians 2:5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

,

Colossians 1:27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

)

"If we catch you lifting anything you will be demoted!" I was only twenty-five years old when I was told these disturbing words.

I had gone to a doctor my employer, Hewlett-Packard, sent me to where I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. When the doctor's report arrived at my boss's desk I was immediately called and removed from my shipping and receiving job. My job required frequent and sometimes heavy lifting.

Within the prior four months my back had gone out of place three times and locked in place with severe painful spasms. It took days before it was back in place. I couldn't turn any direction without pain. I had requested to go to a chiropractor instead of a doctor and they initially allowed me to do so. After the third incident, however, they demanded I go to a doctor of their choice.

And what is degenerative disc disease? It's a general term for the condition in which a damaged vertebral disc causes chronic pain in the lumbar spine. In my case it's been mostly lower back pain but I've had pain throughout all areas of my back, including severe stabbing pain shooting from my neck down my spine. Over the years it has gotten progressively worse resulting in my continually making changes in my life.

But with all things in life, our God will see us through (

Philippians 4:13 ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

,

Hebrews 13:5 ⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

   "Never will I leave you;
     never will I forsake you."

). He can also help us see blessings that come, including life lessons that are learned. Here are two I believe apply to everyone.

1. The power of people praying for us (

Ephesians 6:18¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.

,

James 5:16 ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

)

A big lesson I learned is that I needed to ask others to pray for me. I'd pray for myself but the pain would still be there. I'd then be prompted by God to ask others to pray. I especially requested prayers from those I knew to be prayer warriors -- people I knew would take the time to pray, and most likely, continue praying.

There'd be times I knew someone was praying for me because the pain would instantly leave. I've had fifty years with this ailment to know that doesn't otherwise happen!

2. Look to see if there is any good that comes from the trial (

Romans 8:28²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

,

James 1:2-4² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

)

One of the blessings I received from being removed from my job was going from a twelve to fifteen-hour work day to an eight-hour day that gave me much more time to spend with God in prayer and Bible study. Although my physical health had gone down, my spiritual health went up!

Another blessing was being slowed down to see God's creation. I've had to go from running to jogging to walking and in the process seen trees, plants, flowers, and wildlife I previously rushed by.

Thank you, Lord, for those who pray for us, and Your showing us the good from our trials!

In 1997 I was informed I could apply to become a bi-vocational pastor, which is someone who makes their living at a secular job and volunteers as pastor. I thought you'd have to be out of your mind to apply! You mean you work all day long, many times at a stressful job (like mine), and perhaps more than forty hours a week, and then after that pastor a church?! I thought, you'd have to be insane!

Fast forward to 2002 when members in Watsonville asked me to come and be their pastor. Frankly, it was automatically on my mental list of things I never wanted to do! Soon after, at the conclusion of an elder's meeting in San Jose where it was discussed, I was told "I think you're being drafted." And soon after that, I became one of the "insane"!

Here are two major lessons I've learned as a pastor that also apply to everyone.

1. When you do The Great Commission, expect opposition. (
   Matthew 28:19-20 ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
   ,
   Galatians 1:10Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
   ,
   Acts 5:29Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings!
   ) At the time, we were meeting on Saturday, 2:30 p.m., upstairs in an office building. It became clear the day, time, and location were all stumbling blocks, things that were keeping people from coming to church. After over a year and a half of sermons and surveys to seek the Lord's guidance, I with our leaders made the decision to move to Sunday, 10 a.m. at a new location downtown. Unfortunately, it wasn't met with enthusiasm from everyone.


2. When God guides, God provides. (
   Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
   ,
   2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
   ,
   Hebrews 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
   
     "Never will I leave you;
     never will I forsake you."
   ) I'm forever thankful, however, for the District Superintendent I had at the time who told me "If Jesus Christ guides you to move the church to Sunday you need to do so whether anyone follows you or not." He had my back!

God provided encouragement, and also a warning. A long-time full-time pastor friend told me "I'm warning you. I know God is guiding you to move the church to Sunday but whenever I do what Jesus wants me to do I get attacked." I had already been attacked, but before the day was over I would be even more attacked, receiving what I refer to as my "Letter from Hell", seemingly giving every conceivable reason why we shouldn't be making the move. (

2 Timothy 2:25-26 ²⁵ Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

)

Two days later I received the opposite -- the encouragement I needed. A member called, mid-day from work telling me "John, I just had to call you! I have never been more convinced of anything in my life but that God wants you to move the church to Sunday! And if you need any encouragement to do so you can call me twenty-four hours a day, and I will encourage you!"

I'm thankful for our Lord Jesus guiding us to remove the stumbling blocks so we could better do His Great Commission! (

1 Chronicles 29:13¹³ Now, our God, we give you thanks,
         and praise your glorious name.

,

Ephesians 3:20-21²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

)

For more details read Our Pastor's Calling.

Here are my favorite Scriptures About Pastoring.

Here are my favorite Quotes About Preaching.

           

    

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us."

Luke 1:35
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

John 1:1-4
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Daniel 7:13-14
13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that wll never be destroyed.

Micah 5:2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Matthew 21:5
"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

Luke 1:32-33
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Luke 2:11
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Luke 24:44
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

John 1:45
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

John 3:35
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.

2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Galatians 4:4-5
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of woman, born under law,
5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Colossians 1:13-20
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
18 And his is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

1 Timothy 3:16
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.

Hebrews 1:1-3
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Hebrews 3:6
But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

1 John 5:20
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true -- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

I AM

The term I Am relating to God appears over 300 times in the Bible, first in the book of Genesis (15:1) and last in Revelation (22:16). This has led to the Biblical God sometimes being referred to as "the great 'I AM'".

Old Testament:

1. Genesis 22:13 & 14 Jehovah Jireh I AM your Provider.
2. Exodus 15:26 Jehovah Rapha I AM your Healing.
3. Exodus 17:8 15 Jehovah Nissi I AM your Banner.
4. Judges 6:24 Jehovah Shalom I AM your Peace.
5. Psalms 23:1 Jehovah Ra-ah I AM your Shepherd.
6. Jeremiah 23:6 Jehovah Tsidkenu I AM your Righteousness.
7. Ezekiel 48:35 Jehovah Shammah I AM Present (with you).

New Testament: John 8:58 - Before Abraham was, I AM

1. John 6:48 I AM the Bread of Life.
2. John 8:12 I AM the Light of the World.
3. John 9:5 I AM the Light of the World.
4. John10:11 I AM the Good Shepherd.
5. John 11:25 I AM the Resurrection and the Life.
6. John 14:6 I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.
7. John 15:5 I AM the Vine.
8. Revelation 22:16 I AM the Bright and Morning Star.

         


         
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Humility

Numbers 12:3
(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

1 Samuel 2:3
"Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed."

1 Samuel 15:17-18
Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel."

1 Samuel 16:7c
People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

2 Chronicles 32:24-26
In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. But Hezekiah's heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord's wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord's wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.

Psalm 25:9
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 147:6
The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

Proverbs 15:33
Wisdom's instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 18:12
Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4
Humility is the fear of the Lord; and its wages are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 27:2
Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.

Proverbs 29:23
Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Proverbs 30:32
If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

Isaiah 2:11
The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 2:17-18
The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.

Isaiah 66:2
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the Lord. These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.

Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 5:20-21
But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 23:11-12
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 1:46-49, 51-52
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me---holy is his name. ...He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

Luke 14:11
"For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Luke 18:14
"...For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

John 3:30
He must become greater; I must become less.

John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

James 1:9
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

James 3:13
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."

1 Peter 5:5-6
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

C.S. Lewis: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.

Note: Remember humbling experiences.

   
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Listening to God

"Listen": mentioned 354 times in the Bible.

Many times God will use repetition to get our attention. In the Bible seven (7) people had their names called twice. The example of Samuel in the verse below and also "Abraham! Abraham!" (

Genesis 22:11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

), "Jacob! Jacob!" (

Genesis 46:2And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!"

"Here I am," he replied.

), "Moses! Moses!" (

Exodus 3:4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

), "Martha, Martha" (

Luke 10:41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things,

), "Simon, Simon" (

Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.

), & "Saul, Saul" (

Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

).

1 Samuel 3:10
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 34:11
Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Psalm 136
- Another example of repetition: the latter part of all 26 verses read: His love endures forever.

Proverbs 8:32-34
"Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Isaiah 30:9
For these are the rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction.

Isaiah 42:20
"You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen."

Isaiah 46:12
Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are now far from my rightousness.

Isaiah 50:4-5
...He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.

Jeremiah 7:13
While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.

Jeremiah 7:24
But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 17:23
Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline.

Zechariah 7:13
'"When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 2:2
If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name," says the Lord Almighty, "I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings.

Matthew 15:10
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand."

Matthew 17:5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

Luke 8:18
Therefore consider carefully how you listen.

John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.

John 10:3
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

John 10:4
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Acts 3:22
For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.'

James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it---not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it---they will be blessed in what they do.

Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listen to obey, not just to know.

If you want to grow spiritually, here are questions you can ask our Lord at any time, then listen for His answer:
1) Was everything as You wanted it to be?
2) Is everything as You want it to be?

   
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Thankfulness

Ezra 3:10-11
10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel.
11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Nehemiah 11:17a
Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer;

Nehemiah 12:8
The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

Nehemiah 12:46
For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Psalm 30:11-12
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 35:18
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.

Psalm 42:1-4
1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Psalm 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.

Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 136:1-3
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Matthew 26:27
Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.

John 6:11
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Romans 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

1 Corinthians 15:55-58
55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Ephesians 1:16
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Ephesians 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 2:7
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3
1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:13
And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of man, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Be joyful always;
17 pray continually;
18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

II Thessalonians 1:1-3
1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.

1 Timothy 2:1-4
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone---
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

           

   
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Diligence

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

1 Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder that all of them---yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Revelation 3:15-16
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm---neither hot nor cold---I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 119:10
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

Psalm 119:145
I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees.

Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Ecclesiates 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ephesians 6:7-8
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

1 Timothy 4:12-16
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.

Hebrews 6:10-12
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

John 4:34
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."

John 5:17
In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

John 17:4
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Romans 16:12
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

2 Thessalonians 3:10
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat."

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

   
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Favor

What is "favor"? We answered this in our article titled Western Union under the Lessons From category on our Articles page. Within that article was also a personal example of God giving us "favor." Here are scriptures on that topic from the Bible.

Genesis 6:8
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 19:19a
Your servant [Lot] has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life.

Genesis 39:3-4
When his [Josephs'] master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.

Genesis 39:20-21
Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Exodus 3:21
And I [God] will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.

Exodus 12:35-36
The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

Exodus 33:12-13a
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

Ruth 2:10
At this, she [Ruth] bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me --a foreigner?"

1 Samuel 2:26
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

Psalm 5:12
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 30:5a
For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime;

Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Psalm 90:17a
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

Proverbs 3:3-4
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

Proverbs 8:35
For those who find Me find life and receive favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 12:2
Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but He condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

Daniel 1:9
Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel.

Luke 1:30
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

Luke 2:52
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Acts 2:46
who [David] enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

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SUMMARY

1. Favor is a blessing.
2. Favor might naturally come when we obey God.
3. Favor might come supernaturally.
4. We can ask God for favor.
5. Ask God where He has shown us favor, which might include areas we have previously overlooked.
6. Thank God for the favor He has given us.
7. Pray that we will, like Jesus, grow in favor with God and man. (
   Luke 2:52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
   )

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Anger

Psalm 37:8
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret---it leads only to evil.

Psalm 86:15
But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 145:8
The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Proverbs 14:17a
A quick-tempered person does foolish things.

Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 16:32
Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

Proverbs 17:27
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

Proverbs 19:11
A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 29:8
Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger.

Proverbs 29:11
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

Proverbs 29:20
Do you see someone who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Proverbs 29:22
An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

Proverbs 30:33
For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Jeremiah 23:20
The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart.

Joel 2:13
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Jonah 4:2
I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Romans 2:8
But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

Ephesians 4:26-27
"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:8
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

James 1:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

           

       
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Joy

Nehemiah 8:10
...the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.

John 15:9-11
9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

John 17:13
"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

Acts 2:28
You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

Acts 16:34
The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God---he and his whole family.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 7:4
I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

2 Corinthians 7:7
and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Philippians 1:4-6
4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Plilippians 1:25-26
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

1 Thessalonians 1:6
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

James 1:2-3
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

1 Peter 1:8-9
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Jude 1:24-25
24 To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy---
25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

       

   
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Unity & Being One

2 Chronicles 30:12
Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.

Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

John 17:23
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Acts 4:32a
All the believers were one in heart and mind.

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

2 Corinthians 3:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:10
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:11-13
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Philippians 2:2
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Colossians 3:13-14
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

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Avoiding Satan's Spirit World

Leviticus 19:26
Do not practice divination or seek omens.

Divination: the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge.
Omen: an occurrence or phenomenon believed to indicate in advance a future event.

Leviticus 19:31
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

Mediumship is the practice of certain people-known as mediums-to purportedly mediate communication between spirits of the dead and living human beings. There are different types of mediumship including spirit channeling, and ouija.

Leviticus 20:6
I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or cast spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.

Sorcery: the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits.

2 Kings 23:24
Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14
Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance and did not inquire of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 21:1
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

2 Chronicles 33:6
He [Manasseh] sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums, and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

Isaiah 8:19-20
When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning.

Acts 16:16-19
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face authorities.

Acts 19:19-20
A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. (Note: a drachma was a silver coin worth about a days' wages.)

2 Timothy 2:25-26
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Revelation 22:14-15
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices false hood.

These are names by which Satan is called in the Bible:

Abaddon — Hebrew for "destruction"	King of the Bottomless Pit
Accuser	Lawless One
Adversary	Leviathan
Angel of Light (a being Satan can transform into)	Liar
Angel of the bottomless pit	Lucifer
Antichrist	Murderer
Apollyon — Greek for "destroyer"	Power of Darkness
Beast	Prince of the Power of the Air
Beelzebub — "Ruler of the demons"	Ruler of the Darkness
Belial	Ruler of this World
Deceiver	Serpent of Old
Devil	Son of Perdition
Dragon	Fallen Star
Enemy	Tempter
Evil One	Thief
Father of Lies	Wicked One

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Scriptures on this website are from the NIV-1984, 2011 or GNT.
Articles were written by Pastor John unless otherwise noted.

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