RULE OVER SIN

Willpower is defined as “energetic determination.” Is energetic determination what God was instructing when He told Cain that he “must rule over” sin? Genesis 4:7. Am I determined to rule over sin? But how does sin start?

James 1:14-15 states, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Do I spend my energy making sure sin is not born? Am I determined to avoid temptation by keeping my desires in line with the will of God?

The first step in ruling over sin is having correct desires. “You shall love the Lord you god with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5. “[B]ut in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy.” I Peter 3:15. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Matthew 6:33. Allowing God to have your whole heart best rules over sin.

If God has your heart, your desires are consistent with His will. Focusing your desires on the will of God avoids temptation then unholy desire does not have a chance to conceive and give birth to sin. Consequently you rule over sin. In other words, rule over sin by not having your desires fall outside the will of God.

CRITICISM

As sinners, we are all bound “to corruption.” Romans 8:21. The definition of corrupt is “to change from good to bad in morals.”

The human race was created in God’s image. We were holy. In His image we were not corrupted.

We chose to become corrupt. None of us escape this reality “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

Jesus makes us holy again. We are able to achieve once again the image of God through Christ’s blood. The Holy Spirit changes our poor thinking back to good and empowers us to love others as Jesus loves.

I find a significant corrupting pattern is that of criticism. The definition of criticize is “point out the faults of” or judge.

Whenever I judge I put myself as superior over the person I am judging. As soon as I chose to compare, I am embracing corruption because either I am envious since I judge the other person better than me or I am prideful since I judge I am better than the other person.

Criticism takes the sin of comparison and increases corruption. When criticizing another person, I intend to hurt the other person with my perception of the other person’s faults. This is most certainly changing the good of Jesus’ love to a bad moral result.

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:25. The hope in Jesus with the strength of the Holy Spirit changes my thinking and allows me to behave within the will of my Father in Heaven. Jesus teaches me how to love others and His love does not criticize.

AUTHORITY

God is the single, constantly loving authority. The definition of authority is power to influence thought or behavior. Thank God He influences my thoughts with a renewing of my mind. Otherwise I could not, without Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, think about loving others.

Thank God He influences my behavior. Otherwise I would constantly sin and rebel. The definition of rebel is opposing authority. My sin is opposing God directly. My attitude or habit of thinking is where my sin begins.

From as far back as I can remember I resisted authority. I believed in myself that I knew best how to run my life.

While I run my life my self-centered desires are a priority and provide the least resistance to what I want. Having knowledge about God, I rationalize that independently setting my own course against authority is a form of helping others for their benefit even more so when I encourage others to “stick it to the man”.

I find in the Book of Romans I am doubly wrong. I must present my body as a living sacrifice “which is my spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1. Running my life even to any very small extent is contrary to giving up myself completely to the Lord God. My inability to let go of my sinful nature and this world proves my lack of trust in God. I am not wholly recognizing His lordship. I am distracted in my worship of Him.

I also must respect the authority God puts on this earth because He asks for obedience of “governing authorities.” Romans 13:1. The author of life created me in His own image so I am thankful. For my own interests, and the benefit of His kingdom, He appointed an orderly system in which I trust in Him no matter my opinion. My opinions change but God is constant. I chose to rely upon Him.

BUSYNESS AND DORMANCY

Infinite possibilities exist between two extremes. For a business owner to balance the enterprise’s time of abundance with periodically removing himself from the busyness is essential.

The business owner must prepare for all possibilities between the extremes. The business owner must ready himself and plan for extremes of busyness comparatively to needed dormancy. Neither planned busyness nor planned dormancy is less important than the other.

The business owner must make sure the enterprise’s systems for handling abundant times are in writing. These times are best described as busyness when the business owner does not know how everything is going to get done within the current systems in place.

The business owner not working in the administration of the enterprise is necessary for the business owner to customize constantly the systems. The more the systems administrate without the business owner’s involvement the better the business owner can work on the enterprise and manage human resources.

The manager must know the strengths of all employees so every employee is fit into the systems best suited for them. During more dormant times compared to extreme busyness the business owner, as the manager, has time to evaluate employees’ strengths and to come up with new methods of measuring the employees’ progress through the next busy time.

The business owner as the leader must communicate clearly how the enterprise competes against itself to make better systems while employees are challenged to change for their own betterment within the systems the employees work. Employees must know how the enterprise measures them through the constant refining of the systems.

ADVISOR

Integrity in customer relations is about clearly communicating what the business owner knows as fact distinguished from theory. This is true whether selling a product or system, providing services, and it is particularly true when issuing advice.

An advisor who himself has done what he advises is better equipped to separate fact from theory. When focusing on facts, the advisor more likely can guide toward desired results because the advisor can rely on his experience to assert the likelihood of an outcome.

A thoroughly honest advisor who comes up with a theory admits his theory is a metaphor. His theory has only a likeness to reality. An advisor with integrity knows the term theory means conjecture.

If a business owner wants to become an expert in his field, he must verify facts. Experts live in the reality of facts, not conjecture. Make sure the advisor you are relying upon to provide you expert advice has done the more difficult work of searching out facts.

ENEMIES

Over seventeen years ago I stopped rejecting Jesus as my Lord. Before that I had no enemies. I was agreeable to this world of everyone having their own opinion about truth. I was agreeable with sin in my own life. I treated myself as god.

The Holy Spirit was after me. I asked Jesus to take over. Gradually I became more aware of struggles. I knew about the trinity of darkness: Satan, my carnal flesh, and the world. Once I followed the Way of Jesus, I had enemies.

During my lifetime on earth the war rages. My primary enemy is sin. Hebrews 12:4 states, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” I thank Jesus He shed His blood for the forgiveness of my sin. I thank Father God for raising Jesus from the dead so I am saved. My guess is when I am with Jesus in heaven I will have no enemies.

Two enemies I must now confront with the power of the Holy Spirit are feelings of insufficiency and inadequacy. I trust God I am sufficient in Jesus. With Jesus’ complete grace my life sufficiently shines the truth of His light to others. I need to battle sin from blocking Jesus’ light and from nourishing fully the fruit of the Spirit.

Jesus is adequate to share with others. The Holy Spirit provides my sense of urgency to ask others, “What is your experience with Jesus Christ?” Through Jesus others can add to His kingdom after He saves them unto life and peace.

RIGHTEOUS ANGER

Jesus knew the temple in Jerusalem was the single dwelling dedicated for His Father’s presence. The Spirit of God was present within the temple as holy. The temple was set apart because of God’s holiness.

Holiness is not able to exist with impurity. Holiness drives out anything not pure. Jesus zealously embraced holiness to the point He gave His life for sinners who believe in what He did for them to live in righteousness before the Father.

Jesus was righteously angry about the den of robbers set up in the temple. After Jesus found the robbers in the temple, He made a “whip of cords” according to John 2:15.

If I get angry about impurity I should take the time and equip myself before reacting in rage. Most times I am angry I would be driving out unrighteousness in my own heart.

After Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, Jesus “told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away.’” John 2:16. The next verse in Matthew’s account after other comments of Jesus explains “the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them” Matthew 21:14.

If I pause in my anger, equip myself, and perform what is necessary, the peace of Jesus beyond my human understanding will abide with me. The Holy Spirit empowers me as His temple to avoid the sin of rage and peacefully continue to encourage others with Jesus’ love.

ANGER

Anger is an emotion I have wrestled with, thought about, and discussed with other men. Anger is defined as “a strong feeling of displeasure.”

I believe there is righteous anger. I am not sure I have ever seen it. I have read about it played out in the Bible.

I am sure there is a God and I am not him so I do not remotely have to know much of anything for sure except Christ crucified and resurrected. One piece of knowledge though: I doubt I have ever practiced righteous anger or behaved without sin when acting out my anger.

Rage is defined as a “violent and uncontrolled anger.” I have experience guilt and shame after practicing rage.

I am currently thinking about whether when I act out anger against someone else am I really angry with myself for one or more of my own failings? Now when I feel a strong displeasure I ask myself, “I am angry about a weakness of mine?”

One habit of thinking I avoid of mine is settling on two extremes. For instance, I trust there are infinite possibilities between the extremes of righteous anger and sinful rage.

If there are infinite possibilities between these two extremes then I am never able to think through all of the possibilities similar to I am never, during my lifetime, able to work through all of my weaknesses. My inabilities in these two areas, as examples, make me conclude they are added to the stockpile of mysteries.

I simply trust in God to play mysteries out in my life. I obey, with the help of the Holy Spirit, not to worry. I bask in the grace of Jesus’ forgiveness.

My next entry I will write about how the John’s Gospel may provide insight on how Jesus behaved while angry. After all, He is the only true, perfect example.

FISHING

I enjoy fishing. This past Saturday I caught a walleye at Sylvan Lake near Rome City, Indiana. Any year when I catch a walleye this early in the year is a great fishing year.

The confidence of a fisherman is very significant. If a fisherman is confident he will stay alert. While alert the fisherman will set the hook upon the fish striking the bait. A good fisherman knows to set the hook firmly.

This time of year the water is chilly. Minnows are the best bait. The bigger the minnow the bigger the fish caught. The bigger the fish caught the longer the fisherman has to wait to catch the big fish.

After the walleye I caught a crappie using a minnow. The day before I caught a trout using a minnow. Two days before I caught a bass using a minnow.

Three days in a row the weather was warm. The wind was slight. I got sunburned while wearing shorts and a tee shirt.

I cannot beat warm weather, fishing, and catching. This year is a great fishing year.

TRUTH

At college I took a class entitled Modern Literature. The theme of the class was “Fiction mirrors reality.”

When practicing law, I hear many true stories. I use the phrase “Who needs fiction when you have reality.”

Recently I heard a quote from Mark Twain. He said, “Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn’t.”

Last Sunday the speaker encouraged his listeners to dig for the truth. He explained resources of news are not enough to know the whole story.

Learning how to learn is so important. The skills I have developed for learning how to learn have proven invaluable.

Such skills strengthened me to read the One Year Bible many times. I was able to study God’s Word and learn His truth.

Such skills make me look into the background of all resources I use. I investigate the behavior and witness of resources’ authors.

I encourage others to choose carefully what they decide to put into their heads. You are what you think.

GENUINE CHARACTER

I hold in high personal regard people who are authentic. Authentic people are sincere, communicate directly, and are honest. Authentic people have genuine character.

The history for the term authentic also carries with it “one who does things himself.” Another word is self-sufficient: having the necessary resources to get along without help.

The more and more an entrepreneur maintains a consistent genuine character, the more likely the entrepreneur’s enterprise will have necessary resources. The necessary resources resulting from a genuine character are customers with whom the entrepreneur wants to work, an outstanding reputation, and trustworthy referral sources.

An entrepreneur with genuine character may boldly embrace sales. For an entrepreneur with genuine character sales is not a gimmick, puffing, or a canned presentation. Sales for an entrepreneur with genuine character can be performed with a conversation about what the entrepreneur is passionate about.

Before conducting sales an authentic entrepreneur already figured out what others need and how to best serve. With sincere and direct conversation about the enterprise’s purpose, the entrepreneur grows relationships then nourishes the relationships with timely follow through and by keeping his promises.

An entrepreneur striving for consistent genuine character makes an honest effort to understand fully his strengths and the opportunities of the enterprise. The entrepreneur can then confidently use his sales strengths and grab the opportunities available.

CYNICISM-INTELLECTUALISM-LEGALISM

Cynicism is about distrusting others’ sincerity. My cynical habit of thinking is fear based. The fears are looking dumb or being taken advantage of. Fear is the opposite of love. Unconditional love trusts always.

Cynicism breeds micromanaging. My micromanaging is all about lack of trusting and behaving as a domineering control freak. My pride comes into play. My cavalier micromanaging is an act of cowardice.

Intellectualism is about perceiving and reasoning without feeling. There is a saying: the longest trip is six inches long – from your head to your heart. God’s wisdom will reside in my heart because He promised upon my asking. God equips me to apply His wisdom wisely. “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” Proverbs 4:7.

Legalism is about salvation through good works. Our Father in heaven did not set me up for failure but gave over Jesus to die for my sins. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Galatians 2:8-9.

The Word of God reveals grace for me. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:25.

PROGRESSIVISM-PLURALISM-RELATIVISM

In the quest of learning how to learn better, I come across terms that carry with them an ideology. When I study a word I practice etymology: the tracing of a word’s origin and development.
While tracing the modern development of a word’s ideology I focus on how my habit of thinking about the word and the word’s ideology is incorrect. I ask myself where my mind needs renewed because my thinking is contrary to Holy Scripture.
I now apply three examples. Progressivism is about reform and individuality. Pluralism is about explaining truth in more than one way. Relativism is about truth differing according to each person.
My practice of progressive individuality is lonely. Despite any attempt of unilateral reform, I can never run away from my sinful self on my own terms. Fortunately Jesus came to me then blessed me with the Holy Spirit. Now I am transformed with a renewing of my mind so I can know the good and perfect will of my Father in heaven. Simply put, my Father wants me to love the only true, triune God with all my heart and mind. With the power of the Holy Spirit I also love others.
Loving others is pointing to Jesus. There is no way to explain truth other than pointing to Jesus. After all Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth.” Any thinking of mine which includes pluralism is contrary to the Bible. Jesus is the singular way.
Any thinking of mine which includes relativism is contrary to the Bible. I cannot create truth or debate truth. What is solely relative to salvation is stated in Romans 10:9 – “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Bible centered thinking keeps me in the faith given to me. Whatever thinking I come up with on my own or adopt from the world is sin. “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23. Praise Jesus for coming to me, a sinner.
With God on my side I do not have to conform to this world. In my next blog entry I will provide three more examples: cynicism, intellectualism, and legalism.

COACHING

A coach serves as a leader. A leader must communicate clearly. A coach must establish a code of honor all teammates abide by. I use the 345 Reward System.

The 3 in 345 is three rules. Each team member holds their tongue (is quiet) when a coach is talking. Each team member always hustles. Each team member is never negative. These three rules work great during practice. The team members know the authority outlined practice for continuous hustle and the team members should not complain.

The 4 in 345 is four requirements. Team members communicate to one another. Each team member is to concentrate constantly. Team members work hard. All team members compete. These four rules work great during time outs. When the game is going well, the team quickly reaffirms the team’s good play by committing to remain steady at the requirement the team is performing best. When the game is not going so well, the team can point to one requirement the team is doing worst at then commit they will immediately get better at the unsatisfactory requirement.

The 5 in 345 is five character building statements. The first is “Not Today” meaning there is no acceptable level of failure. The statement is a call to perform with excellence, not simply to make a mediocre effort.

The second is “It Doesn’t Matter.” No matter what the challenge there is no place for self pity. Team members do not use excuses or blame others.

The third is “Finish It.” Most sporting activities have half times. There is no success at half time. Whether referencing a set play or a shot for a goal, each team member must finish strong.

The fourth is “There is No Growth Without Failure.” No one grows through constant success. Team members cannot give up no matter how bad the circumstances.

The fifth is “There is no Strength Without Pain.” Most everyone has heard the phrase no pain, no gain. The bottom line: if you want to perform, you must work hard.

With these character statements coaches and teammates encourage each other. The greatest reward is when each team member fulfills his role and the team performs successfully. A coach should reward team members verbally with encouragement every opportunity the coach has.

TEAMS

For teams to work the members of the team must each agree to follow a code of honor. The leader must clearly communicate the code of honor in writing. The code of honor sets forth expectations for each and every combination of relationship between team members. Each team member agreeing to the expectations better prevents the relationships from failing.

Teams come in all shapes and sizes. A team I recently wrote a code of honor for was my wife, me, and my daughter who started college. We agreed to a code of honor for a point of reference or guideline for my daughter’s four years at college.

When a student decides to attend college the future is uncertain. For instance, the student and the parents are concerned how the student will fit in. As part of the leader communicating clearly, less is more.

The code of honor includes my daughter must stay busy. The busier a student is the more efficient the student remains. The student decreases mind clutter because the student does not have time to second guess. The student has less room to make errors with extra time if the student is busy enough the student by force learns how to use time wisely.

The code of honor requires a commitment to personal development. The most significant habit of personal development is eradicating offers or events for which the student does not have a passion. Part of the college experience is gathering experiences and exploring a variety of disciplines then discovering what the student does not like. The commitment will define the student’s vision and provide focused direction as the college years go on. The personal development of the student includes equipping the student with skills matching the student’s talents.

The student within the code of honor must contribute financially. No one has a sufficient stake in a commitment without some skin in the game. Education should address the two resources over which each student serves as a steward: time and money. When the student contributes financially, the student learns the relationship between time and money.

The student must ask for help. Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. The student healthily seeks independence but should know she is supported. As a good steward, the student will understand the benefit of asking for help before the resource of time, for example, is expended and there is no hope for recovery.

The student timely shares grades and report cards. Codes of honor essentially have methods to measure progress. Report cards with grades reflect whether the student is meeting the expectations of the professor who is the authority providing the measure.

I will write about another code of honor example tomorrow. Tomorrow’s entry will address coaching.

AN EPITAPH

An entry in my last week’s blogging used the term legacy. A dictionary definition is “something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past.” A method for a person to begin narrowing his legacy to match his life purpose is to write an epitaph.

An epitaph speaks about how a person wants others to remember him. Others would know a person first sought the kingdom of God if they remembered him as a follower of Jesus. Others would know a person’s life glorified God if his epitaph read, “Good and faithful servant.”

Others would know a married man was one with his wife if they remember him as a man who served his wife like Jesus serves His bride, the church on earth. Others would know this man was filled with the Holy Spirit when they remember he loved unconditionally, lived joyously, was a peacemaker, modeled patience, shared kindness, was good hearted and constantly focused upon excellent character, related to everyone faithfully, behaved in gentle meekness, and displayed self control.

Others would know a father raised Godly offspring if his children all knew Jesus and was the father’s greatest source of evangelism. This father would not have angered his children. His epitaph would read, “Here rests a father who multiplied his witness of Jesus exponentially through his children’s children.”

Others would remember a joyous man because he lived life abundantly, free in Jesus, and had lots of fun. Although writing an epitaph does not sound like fun, others would know this man knew his life purpose and was content with how he spent his greatest resource on earth – time. A man who wants to leave a legacy will use his time wisely.

ENTREPRENEUR

An entrepreneur grabs an opportunity without having control over all of the resources. An entrepreneur first has to recognize an opportunity. An entrepreneur develops his ability to recognize an opportunity when accelerating failure.

An entrepreneur does not view the reality that challenges are in store as a problem. An entrepreneur knows problems will come up but is confident solving problems when the challenge arises. The entrepreneur constantly learns how to learn and a challenge positively accelerates learning how to learn.

Learning how to learn increases emotional intelligence and has little to do with a measured intelligence quotient. Failing at a high velocity most quickly nourishes emotional intelligence. Upon failing an entrepreneur naturally learns how to learn and will most efficiently and effectively meet the challenge.

Learning how to learn while meeting challenges sharpens an entrepreneur’s ability to make correct snap decisions. The higher the emotional intelligence the higher the confidence and the less second guessing occurs. The absence of second guessing eliminates analysis paralysis.

When analysis paralysis is absent the entrepreneur recognizes opportunities more rapidly. The entrepreneur makes snap decisions about lucrative opportunities and eradicates less valuable opportunities. Even if the entrepreneur incorrectly chooses one opportunity over another the entrepreneur is grateful for the opportunity to sort through opportunities because the sorting process causes the entrepreneur to learn how to learn better.

This process best defines the term opportunist. A faithful entrepreneur who is a humble opportunist knows to serve or to meet a need. When an entrepreneur serves others’ best interests or meets the need of others, the resource of money will follow collaterally.

THREE STRUCTURES

Three structures in which servant leaders may work are government, organizations like churches, and business. I chose business. None are wrong or right. I was called to business. My strengths and talents best match with serving as an entrepreneur.

The wisdom of leadership is providing clarity. Humans who are followers of leaders have common fears. A significant fear is fear of the future. Fearing the future causes uncertainty. When a leader is clear the leader is communicating certainty for the best interests of the followers.

A leader must first strive for clarity in his own life. A leader must embrace a purpose to focus on the direction for his life. A leader must struggle and persevere to strengthen his character and to have hope about following a plan to meet his purpose. The clarity about his purpose dispels fear and allows confidence in his direction, plan, and steps within his course of action.

A leader must get help. A leader must have mentors. A leader must surround himself with other servant leaders who are smart about what the maturing leader needs them to be smart about. With others surrounding the leader, the leader best eradicates distractions to more rapidly gain on his personal development. Anyone who makes the leader accountable helps the leader stayed focused.

HOW WOULD YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

While I worshiped one Sunday morning, the preacher asked, “How would you change your life if you knew the day you would die?” The sermon was solely on this topic. Unknowingly the preacher rephrased the question while plugging away at his prepared topic, “How would you change your life if you knew the day Jesus was coming back?” Is the truth the two questions have different answers?

The answer to the first question involves legacy and maximizing talent. Stewardship in this case involves using all resources most wisely. Those resources are going to survive after death. After all, most people have someone else to take care of after their death. The deceased’s living spouse and children need a bounty of resources to survive.

The resources of reputation and raising godly offspring survive after death. If the deceased was a clear follower of Jesus the deceased’s reputation lives on pointing to Jesus. With children the deceased passes on the deceased’s greatest contribution to evangelism also as the children’s children of the decease continue pointing to Jesus.

The answer to the second question is specifically about witnessing. Urgency is the highest calling as a laborer for the Lord. Those with the talent of reaping must come to the forefront because time for sowing seeds and cultivating grows short. Stewardship strictly involves souls and using time most wisely.

However the answers mysteriously are not mutually exclusive. They both bring peace beyond human understanding through Christ Jesus. In either case the Holy Spirit is after souls while using the love of Jesus for eternal multiplication.

LEGACY

American citizens over the age of eighty were asked, “What would you have focused more on in your life if you had to do it all over again.” Most respondents stated they would have worked more diligently on their legacy. My legacy is to continue developing an enterprise that contributes more and more to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus.

Over 20 years ago I read a book about a man from Ohio named Stanley Tam. When Mr. Tam started his business, he provided ten percent of the gross proceeds from his business to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus. During the decades Mr. Tam grew his business he incrementally provided larger percentages. His business grew to provide ninety percent of gross proceeds to organizations effectively pointing singly to Jesus.

An enterprise like Mr. Tam’s business is much bigger and greater than the founder. My vision is to continue developing an enterprise that allows all involved to maximize their strengths within their clear roles so the enterprise efficiently operates with an increasing profit margin.

The enterprise in which I devote one hundred percent of my effort and expertise is my law firm. Metz Legal Services maintains long-term relationships with people who own businesses and customizes its expert and practical legal consulting services to meet client needs in growth, compliance, and wealth planning. My purpose is to learn how to learn better, to communicate clearly, and to encourage others.

I am committed to communicate clearly on my blog. I hope something on my blog encourages somebody. I trust I will continue to learn more and more about clearly communicating and encouraging others as I add to my blog.

THE BEGINNING

To have a beginning I must start at the top: Jesus. Without Jesus there is no beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-3. In the beginning God speaking words equals God creating.

The highest calling of human life involves the Spirit’s control of words. “And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” James 3:2b. Words are important to Jesus as He says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37.

I cannot lovingly use the Word of God to prove myself right. The Word of God shows me where my thinking is not lining up with God’s will. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” II Timothy 3:16. God’s Word will not allow me to “be conformed to this world, but” I will “be transformed by the renewal of” my “mind, that by testing” I “may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.

God’s will is that I pass on to others the Word of Jesus. “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9.

No words of mine can ever compare to the truth about Jesus. So with that said, I have begun my blog.