Pride

Contrary to what we have learned that we are to focus on our "efforts" towards faith which leads to pride. Jesus emphasized humility in Matthew 18:3-4 when He said that anyone who would come into His Kingdom must humble himself as a little child. Pride will always gets in the way of God's glory. Humility is putting God first in our prayers while pride is putting God last in our prayers. Pride is a constant temptation, especially where God has graciously blessed a Christian. Pride can lead him to think, Look what I've accomplished. Pride is flesh-lead based on flesh efforts.

To avoid pride, we are to be spirit-filled and spirit-lead by allowing His grace to transform us what He wants us to be. Our task is to faithfully pursue His standards.

Dealing with Sufferings

We spend too much time trying to find answers that are not given in Scripture. Everyone asks, "Why is there pain and suffering?" We could probably spend months studying the philosophical and biblical answers to that question; but, by and large, that is not the thrust of the Bible. Job deals with pain and suffering--and there are no real answers there. Perhaps the question should be, "How do I deal with pain and suffering?" We have God’s Spirit, the promise of Christ’s presence, the reality of biblical truth, and the power that He promises under pressure. There will always be pain and suffering. This is a fallen world. The Fall has infected the way we think, the way we feel, the way we act and who we are. We live in a world in which bad things happen to "good" people. There is hope though. We are not Home yet. We have been called as God’s people to glorify God. When we get Home, there will be no more pain, no more suffering and no more tears. Only then.

Knowing God

We are to know God and enjoying Him that others may know and enjoy Him. Jesus is the mystery of Godliness into time and space for a reason and a purpose which is Spiritual Salvation for Eternal Life. This means that the mystery is less of me and more of God, that my spiritual life deepens and I am strengthened in the knowledge of His grace. Knowledge of the mystery is having the reality of an experience of knowing God personally and consciously. Jesus Christ Himself is the deeper life, and as I plunge on into the knowledge of Christ and His love.