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“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. “

John 5:39-40

The Pharisees knew the scriptures and considered their religiosity on an intellectual basis and failed to connect with Jesus relationally.

Paul breaks this down for us:

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

Gal 2:20

The Apostle ,John declared;

“By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” 

1John  4:13

Eternal life is a result of Jesus living in us. 

It is not knowing about Jesus but knowing Jesus. 

Good morning as you celebrate knowing Jesus lives in you

Jesus In Me – Cassie Thompson

Bill & Gloria Gaither – More About Jesus [Live] ft. The Blackwood Brothers – Gaither Music TV

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

Love is to be shared:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.”

John 15:9

Love is to be reciprocal:

“We love because he first loved us. “

I John 4:19

Love of our brother is commanded:

“And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

1 John 4:21

There are 4 types of Biblical love described in scripture. 

1. Agape (unconditional love as God loves us.)

2. Forge (familial , love of family members)

3. Philia (strong feeling of friendship or brotherly love)

4. Eros (romantic love)

Paul cites the attributes of love in 

1 Cor :13

• patient 

• kind

• bears all things, 

• believes all things, 

• hopes all things, 

• endures all things

Biblical love is a lot to unpack!

Good morning as we begin the morning singing a love song to Jesus

🎵”I Love You Lord and I Lift My Voice to Worship You”🎶

I Love You Lord | Lyric  – Maranatha Music

Johnny 

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

The Bible makes it very clear that if you are a true Christian, your body is a temple of God because the Holy Spirit dwells within you.

“Do you not know that your body is a TEMPLE  OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, who is in you, who you have received from God” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

As the Holy Spirit resides in us, therefore, we are to honor God with our bodies as they “are not (our) own”. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The true believer has been sanctified and forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7). The scripture also says that the believer is indwell spiritually by Christ (Colossians 1:27), and by God the Father (1 John 4:15) — the Trinty is involved.

How is your Temple doing honoring God?

Praise God always. 

Jesus Is Living In Me-James Easter and Jeff Easter (with Sheri Easter)

Gaither Vocal Band – Working On A Building (Live) – Gaither Music TV

Dave 

For additional scriptures, go to GotQuestions.org and search for: “What does it mean that the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit?” Also, “What is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?” Also, “What is the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today?”

“whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

1 John 2:6

Our word should be our bond!

To abide means to remain in a close, ongoing relationship with Him, characterized by faith, trust, and obedience.  

Paul said referencing abiding in this way;

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Eph 2:10

Jesus said it in these words;

“I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.”

John 15:16

Good morning as you “walk the walk and talk the talk”

Sidewalk Prophets – “Live Like That”

Take my life and let it be hymn – Islington Baptist Church 

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

During the 40 days of Lent, we are called to sacrifice something meaningful as a way of training our hearts to be more like Jesus—especially as we reflect on His ultimate sacrifice at Calvary.  In His darkest moment on the cross, Jesus demonstrated profound faith and love, saying:

• “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
• “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

Even in suffering, Jesus trusted the Father completely. His words remind us that faith is not only for life’s mountaintop moments but also for the valleys—those seasons of hardship where spiritual growth often develops the most.

We love the joy of life’s peaks, but it is in the valleys that we often learn to lean on God as our faith is tested and refined. 

As Psalm 23:4 reminds us: “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.”

May we embrace our valleys as opportunities to grow closer to God and serve as witnesses of His grace. Just as Jesus bore His cross for the redemption of the world, we are invited to bear our own crosses and trust that God can use even our own struggles for His plan of redemption.  

Prayer:“Father, in this valley I find myself walking through, may my faith be an example to others. Let my trust in You point them toward Jesus Christ so they might experience His peace and redemption in their own valleys. Use my trials as a gift to participate in Your work of redeeming the world. In Christ’s name, Amen.”

Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone – Tennessee Ernie Ford

Lynda Randle – God On the Mountain (Live)

Reflections are shared as a celebration of Christ in my life. 

Through prayer, we talk to God.  Through the Bible, God talks to us.  

Read Books for knowledge.  Read the Bible for wisdom.

Have a great week and keep your spirits high.

Hugs,  Bill

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Col 4:6

“Gracious speech”is talking to someone with courteous, kind and respectful words to build up someone by encouraging them while tactfully speaking the truth. 

“Seasoned with salt” allows our words to speak with clarity and power.

Paul spoke to this subject when he said;

“and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,”

1 Cor 2:4

Some of us think who talks the longest and the loudest wins the argument of the day! Totally false. 

Paul says speak kindly and respectfully putting just enough emphasis for power and clarity to confidently communicate your point. 

Good morning as we practice speaking with ” gracious speech” and with just a little “seasoning”

Softly And Tenderly – Tennessee Ernie Ford TV

Gospel – Jim Reeves – Whispering Hope  – HomoHumanus

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15: 1-2

Jesus can prune us in different ways:

• Through His word which is “sharper than a two edged sword” (Heb 4:12)

• Through hardships: “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

       (Rom 3:4)

Jesus’ Pruning can be aligned with

Paul’s teachings. 

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,”

Rom 12:2

Note: The Greek for transformed is the English word “metamorphosis”. This interpreted means one is changed by the Holy Spirit rather than behavioral changes through self-help books. 

Good morning as you bear fruit and fruit that will last

Dwell Songs – Abide (Lyrics) ft. Aaron Williams – music meets heaven

You are the Potter and I am the Clay (sung by Judy Moore) – ZM

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.” 

Mark 4:37

You are in one of three places:

1. Going into a storm

2. In the midst of a storm

3. Coming out of a storm

This phenomenon is called “life!”

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

40 And he said unto them, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

Mark 4:39-40

We have to have faith that God is in control. 

David had this confirmation in Ps30:5.

“For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.”

The Puritans had a proverbial saying to manage the emotions of a storm;

“When God throws me into the cellar of affliction, I am ok, for it is there that He keeps His best wine.”

Puritan proverb 

We will come out of the “storms of life” with greater faith and more confidence. 

Good morning as you “anchor down” with Jesus in the midst of a storm

Stand by Me Tennessee Ernie Ford Treasured Hymn – Lola faulkner

Peace Be Still (feat. Lauren Daigle) // The Belonging Co // All The Earth – The Belonging Co

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Mt 7:3

The prophet, Nathan, told David of a rich man who took a choice lamb from a poor man and David was furious because he saw the “speck.”  Nathan then told David, “You are the man!”

David then saw the “log” in his own eye!

Meditate on this:

“When people are right with God, they are apt to be hard on themselves and easy on other people. But when they are not right with God, they are easy on themselves and hard on others.” 

John Newton

Good morning as you think “inwardly” toward yourself before you think 

“outwardly” towards others 

All To Jesus I Surrender by Robin Mark Lyrics – Praise Adonai

Why Me Lord Story – Told and Sung By kris kristofferson – Jerry L. Farris (jfneon)

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

The word abide is used 118 times in the New Testament.  So what does abide mean? To “abide” is to live, continue, or remain; so to abide in Christ is to live in Him or remain in Him. When a person is saved, he or she is described as being “in Christ” (Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17), held secure in a permanent relationship (John 10:28-29).

Therefore, abiding in Christ  is not a special level of Christian experience, rather, it is the position of all TRUE BELIEVERS. 

To abide in God means to engage in fellowship with Him by keeping His commitments through the power of the Spirit (1 John 3:23).

We are to live in a permanent state of love and faith. The Christian, who abides in God, will not “deliberately, knowing, and habitually (practice) sin” (1 John 3:6 AMP). SIN IS NO LONGER NORMATIVE. 

Abide In Me – Andrew Marcus (Lyrics)- music meets heaven

Dwell Songs – Abide (Lyrics) ft. Aaron Williams – music meets heaven

PRAISE GOD ALWAYS.

DAVE

For additional scriptures, go to GotQuestions.org and search for: “What does  it mean to abide in Christ?” Also,”What does “abide in Him” mean in 1 John 3:6?” Also, “What did Jesus mean when He said, “If you abide in my word” in John 8:31?”