The questions Jesus asked helped Peter see his weakness.

After Peter’s failure, Jesus was crucified. After the resurrection, Jesus had another interaction with Peter.

Suicide is very difficult to understand. People have a very difficult time reconciling it with their theology. This is especially true when a believer has made this heartbreaking choice. Poor teaching complicates this for many. Passages in 1 Corinthians and 1 John are often presented as evidence that suicide is unforgivable, raising questions about eternal life. Let’s take a closer look at this.

Having been sent by God to speak to Pharaoh, Moses was frustrated. He said, “Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people…” (Exodus 5:22b-23a, NASB 2020).

Then, and I just love this, he said…

I’ve learned that resting in the finished work of Christ is not so much doing nothing as it is simply living my everyday living with my wife, driving around, eating, shopping life and simply not wasting time wondering if I’m doing what God wants me to do.

Don’t project your New Covenant self onto what the Bible reports about the way God dealt with people under the Old Covenant. The way He interacted with them is not the way He interacts with you.

In places like 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, we read about works that endure and works that are burned up. This seems concerning and a bit frightening. Here is what I have come to see about this.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Christ.
His birth was announced by angels.
They brought good tidings of great joy for all people.

Father has graciously provided us with armor, and we certainly want to take advantage of it. Some say that Jesus is that armor. I have no problem with that because Jesus is the source, the beginning, the end, our very Life. Everything is summed up in Jesus.

The idea of Jesus coming at any moment used to fill me with fear. I was worried that He would show up right after I had done some terrible thing or thought some terrible thought or had some terrible motive in my heart and that I would be lost. Those fears were completely unfounded.

When you fall back into navigating life like the world and its systems think you should, you're walking according to the flesh. That never ends well. It results in life on a performance treadmill trying to get closer to God while in truth, you’re getting nowhere.

God’s plan for Joseph included him being sold into slavery and spending a few years in prison before God’s ultimate plan to save Israel from the famine came to light.

Deception seems to be everywhere. Escaping it requires wisdom and knowledge. Jesus offers both.

What if all this were true?

Spiritual birth is even better than natural birth, for it contains eternal life. It cannot be undone.

Happiness in and with God comes from trusting that He loves us and that all He has said is true, and it comes from allowing His Love to overflow from us to others.

Trying leads to frustration.
Trusting leads to contentment.
What if you stopped believing your feelings?
What if you decided to trust what God said instead?

What the enemy says, or what Father says.
Which will you believe?

We can feel guilt when we grieve the Holy Spirit, but feeling guilt is not the same as being guilty. Father does not use guilt to motivate good behavior. He uses love.

The only question is whether we will choose to remain obstinately unwilling to be reconciled to God or choose to be reconciled and receive the forgiveness and Life He provides for everyone.