For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
It is hard for us to realize this today, but when Christianity first arose in the world it was not called a religion.
It was the non-religion.
Imagine the neighbors of early Christians asking them about their faith. ”Where’s your temple?” they’d ask. The Christians would reply that they didn’t have a temple. “But how could that be? Where do your priests labor?” The Christians would have replied that they didn’t have priests. “But… but,” the neighbors would have sputtered, “where are the sacrifices made to please your gods?”
The Christians would have responded that they did not make sacrifices anymore. Jesus himself was the temple to end all temples, the priest to end all priests, and the sacrifice to end all sacrifices.
No one had ever heard of anything like this. So the Romans called them “atheists”, because what the Christians were saying about spiritual reality was unique and could not be classified with the other religions of the world.
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else - not only in this world but also in the world to come.
There is a difference between believing that God is holy and gracious, and having a new sense on the heart of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace.
The difference between believing that God is gracious and tasting that God is gracious is as different as having a rational belief that honey is sweet and having the actual sense of its sweetness.
O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog - it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me
- Hillsong United
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.
O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety
