Something to Overcome

God is good. He is worthy to be praised. God is for us. He is more for us than we are for ourselves.

God wants our lifestyle to reflect Him, but often it does not because His standard is high.

We all need fresh mercy from God daily for the many areas we are not like Him. We also need God to protect believers individually and as groups.

We will have many difficulties in this life, but they can be overcome.

Time and Purpose

In Genesis 1 God organized time into days, years and seasons. He could have established a different order, but He didn't. Days, years and seasons can help us to organize our time purposefully and to be mindful that we don't live forever.

Use time well. Pray a lot. Stay alert. Nurture positive relationships. Don't just let time pass.

Multiplication and Believing

The beginning of the heavens and earth described in Genesis 1 shows one thing God likes is multiplication. On the third day of creation God created seed-bearing plants and trees. On the fifth day God created birds and fish and told them to multiply. On the sixth day He created various animals and people and asked then to multiply.

This does not mean that everybody will multiply the same way. Jacob had 12 children. The Apostle Paul had even more spiritual children. Our influence over people is also a way of multiplying.

Sometimes we are confronted with ideas and obstacles that seek to stop multiplication. Sometimes it make take us a while to figure out that an argument may be designed to fool us rather than be factual. Talk to God to get clear about life. Christians are ambassadors for God believing God will make a way for multiplication.

Sin Can Be Forgiven

In Luke 7 it talks about a woman in sin. She had many sins. God was able to forgive her sins.

Keep, Keeping On

Sometimes we have conflicts of interest in our life that may not seem to be resolvable, but a way can be worked out favorably. Sometimes our enemies seem like a multitude and try to get us focused on narrow ways of thinking, but God is our advocate to help us advance in life. He doesn't want us to trip over trivia.

Psalm 3:1-3 Amplified Bible says, "Lord, How they are increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are saying of me, There is no help for him in God. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head."

The Word and Disciples

Looking at John 1 we learn that the Word which is Jesus Christ has always existed. God always was, is and will be, and He wants people to have a relationship with Him.

More than 2,000 years ago God sent John the Baptist to tell people about God.

John the Baptist came to announce the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not always recognizable. He is revealed. God gave His people the ability to receive revelation of Him.

John the Baptist testified that he was not the Christ but after him comes the Christ. As believers we are not God, but we are here to testify of Him. Matthew 28:18 indicates that Jesus uses us to bring more people into His kingdom. When Jesus first had His earthly ministry He called disciples into His kingdom. Jesus in John 1 called disciples such as Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael. God uses us also to bring in disciples.

Connection Between Reading and Studying the Bible and Love

Matthew 22:37-40 Amplified Bible says, "And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Each day is a day to walk in love. The main thing is the love of God.

Love seems simple but it is not always. God living on the inside of believers gives us the ability to love. The Bible helps us to learn about God living on the inside of believers.

Spend regular time reading and studying the Word of God. Spiritual forces of wickedness do not want us to read and study the Bible, so that they can get in the way of love.