Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones
'But you, my delightfully loved friends, remember the prophecies of the
apostles of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. They taught you, “In the
last days there will always be mockers, motivated by their own ungodly
desires.” These people cause divisions and are followers of their own
natural instincts, devoid of the life of the Spirit.
But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith by praying every moment in the Spirit. Fasten your hearts to the love of God and receive the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us eternal life.
Keep being compassionate to those who still have doubts, and snatch others out of the fire to save them. Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with the fear of God. Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from the pollutions of the flesh.
Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen!' Jude 1:17-25 (TPT)
God, how can You allow so much suffering in the world? Babies die. The innocent are accused. Evil is everywhere contrasted by the good. God, You are good. You exist and You are our moral standard. Good is everywhere contrasted by the bad. You are perfect and You set up the perfect world, with free will and because I can choose I will. Where there is the lack of good I will choose to do what seems natural, motivated by my own laws and ungodly desires. Paradise lost. Where there is the presence of good, I will choose to fasten my heart to Your love, I will remain faithful and pray every moment in the Spirit. Paradise gained.
Praying in the Spirit, remaining faithful and living with the mercy and a healthy dose of Godly fear is my desire and my defense to the alternative of choosing the hard life of kicking against the pricks. I am always watching and praying, lest I forget and stumble and be tempted to take offense. You turn my stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I am always checking pride, lest I forget, because of the passions of a flesh that is weak, that might lead me to the fall. You turn my pride into humility.
Because of this great love and prayer, I should be about the business of the Lord Jesus Christ, showing mercy to those who still doubt and by snatching the others out of the fire to save them, just as You showed Your mercy to me when You sent Your Son. God, You care. Jesus had to suffer just as I do. He suffered for me and died. Because of Your great love and sacrifice I have been given a way to be reconciled to You through Christ. What a cause for celebration! Through the power of Christ and Your Spirit I am able to come boldly into Your glorious presence and worship You with everything that I've got.
But you, my delightfully loved friends, constantly and progressively build yourselves up on the foundation of your most holy faith by praying every moment in the Spirit. Fasten your hearts to the love of God and receive the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gives us eternal life.
Keep being compassionate to those who still have doubts, and snatch others out of the fire to save them. Be merciful over and over to them, but always couple your mercy with the fear of God. Be extremely careful to keep yourselves free from the pollutions of the flesh.
Now, to the one with enough power to prevent you from stumbling into sin and bring you faultless before his glorious presence to stand before him with ecstatic delight, to the only God our Savior, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be endless glory and majesty, great power and authority—from before he created time, now, and throughout all the ages of eternity. Amen!' Jude 1:17-25 (TPT)
God, how can You allow so much suffering in the world? Babies die. The innocent are accused. Evil is everywhere contrasted by the good. God, You are good. You exist and You are our moral standard. Good is everywhere contrasted by the bad. You are perfect and You set up the perfect world, with free will and because I can choose I will. Where there is the lack of good I will choose to do what seems natural, motivated by my own laws and ungodly desires. Paradise lost. Where there is the presence of good, I will choose to fasten my heart to Your love, I will remain faithful and pray every moment in the Spirit. Paradise gained.
Praying in the Spirit, remaining faithful and living with the mercy and a healthy dose of Godly fear is my desire and my defense to the alternative of choosing the hard life of kicking against the pricks. I am always watching and praying, lest I forget and stumble and be tempted to take offense. You turn my stumbling blocks into stepping stones. I am always checking pride, lest I forget, because of the passions of a flesh that is weak, that might lead me to the fall. You turn my pride into humility.
Because of this great love and prayer, I should be about the business of the Lord Jesus Christ, showing mercy to those who still doubt and by snatching the others out of the fire to save them, just as You showed Your mercy to me when You sent Your Son. God, You care. Jesus had to suffer just as I do. He suffered for me and died. Because of Your great love and sacrifice I have been given a way to be reconciled to You through Christ. What a cause for celebration! Through the power of Christ and Your Spirit I am able to come boldly into Your glorious presence and worship You with everything that I've got.
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