Empathy is a good thing when it helps someone understand and provide an appropriate response in a given situation. However, empathy may leave someone feeling alone, unloved and uncared for.

God doesn’t want us sick and physically weak. He wants us to prosper, be in good health, even as our soul prospers. A weak state is only beautiful as long as we become more focused on God, committed to fellowship and prayer, humble, teachable, calm, attentive, trusting and dependent on God

We readily find stats on Child abandonment, abortion, abuse etc, however there are not many documented information on the hurt a mother or parent feels for having to abandon, forget, or lose a child. Even as legitimate as some of the reasons provided for why these things happen may be, some people would still judge these actions as inexcusable.
In Isaiah 49:15, God leaves no room for excuse, He makes a firm promise that He will never forget or abandon His own…

I do not believe that Jesus’s fury was exactly because some form of trading was going on at the temple area. I believe Jesus’s extreme display of anger was because of the misplaced priorities displayed regularly by the temple-attendees.

Experience can increase one’s empathy level, help balance emotions and cognition, help manage expectations, provide a wider view on things, can help with planning, … and more.

If your best associations are with unbelievers, there is a problem. If your most reliable source of counsel is an unbeliever, there is a problem. If you falsifying documents, altering figures because that’s what others do to survive in your line of business, there is a problem. If there is nothing that differentiates you from your unbelieving friends, neighbours, colleagues, family, there is a big problem.  If you are so loved and celebrated widely by an unbelieving community, something isn’t right…

This new week, wait on the Lord. Trust Him. Trust Him, in your job, career, studies, business, relationships, etc. And may that trust breed faith in you, fully anchored on hope and expectancy, to take God-inspired actions, that are sustained by patience, endurance and active persistence. Victory is inevitable!

True that the Holy Spirit can be received by every believer in Jesus Christ, but  experiencing the gains of the indwelling Spirit doesn’t just happen by His mere presence in us, there is a continuous stirring required to ensure a steady, uninterrupted flow of the Spirit.

First Timothy chapter 6 is an admonition from Apostle Paul to shun ungodliness which is often expressed as strife, disputes, contentions, evil desires and pride. To rather pursue and embrace righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Godliness with Contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

Servants are to honor and respect their masters; whether believing or unbelieving. Teachers are to teach wholesome doctrines that are in accordance with godliness.

Verse 12 of 1 Timothy 12 is not just an admonition; it is a command. A command to fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on eternal life.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
I Timothy 6:12 NKJV

My interest is on ‘lay hold on eternal life’.

To ‘lay hold of’ means to clench, cling to, clutch, catch, grasp, seize, to take and hold something, to understand something.

Eternal life means everlasting life, never ending life, never perishing, life more abundantly, continuous life, endless life.

If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, you have eternal life (John 3:15-16). And the purpose of this life is to keep you in the covenant, in constant uninterrupted fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-3, John 6:54-58), to keep you safe from the Destroyer (John 10:28); safe to live and enjoy all that pertains to life and godliness available to you through Christ Jesus (2 Peter 1:3).

Ungodliness and evil desires are evil, and they emanate from the evil One whose sole agenda is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).

It is unlikely to be clinging, clenching, holding fast, grasping or holding firmly to eternal life (in fellowship and total surrender to God) and to still be drowned in strife, disputes, contentions, perdition, quarrels and all forms of ungodliness.

And because this life is endless and continuous, those who have it and remain fully plugged into it, can live perpetually in godliness and contentment, away from all expressions of evil.

It also is very unlikely that you’ll die before you are ready if you keep confessing and muttering “I have life and life more abundantly, God’s life, Zoe life, ….. the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave is in me and continually pumps life to every part of my body”.

“We have to fight to keep our faith. Try as hard as you can to win that fight. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus—that wonderful truth that you spoke so openly and that so many people heard.“
1 Timothy 6:12 ERV

Happy Monday…

Have a most blessed week

Love Always ❤

“Hear this, you priests. Pay attention, you leaders of Israel.

Listen, you members of the royal family.

Judgment has been handed down against you.

For you have led the people into a snare by worshiping the idols at Mizpah and Tabor. You have dug a deep pit to trap them at Acacia Grove. But I will settle with you for what you have done.

I know what you are like, O Ephraim. You cannot hide yourself from me, O Israel. You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband; you are utterly defiled. Your deeds won’t let you return to your God. You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the Lord .

The arrogance of Israel testifies against her; Israel and Ephraim will stumble under their load of guilt. Judah, too, will fall with them. When they come with their flocks and herds to offer sacrifices to the Lord, they will not find him, because he has withdrawn from them.

They have betrayed the honor of the Lord , bearing children that are not his. Now their false religion will devour them along with their wealth.

Sound the alarm in Gibeah! Blow the trumpet in Ramah! Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven ! Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin!

One thing is certain, Israel : On your day of punishment, you will become a heap of rubble. “The leaders of Judah have become like thieves. So I will pour my anger on them like a waterfall. The people of Israel will be crushed and broken by my judgment because they are determined to worship idols. I will destroy Israel as a moth consumes wool. I will make Judah as weak as rotten wood.

When Israel and Judah saw how sick they were, Israel turned to Assyria— to the great king there— but he could neither help nor cure them.

I will be like a lion to Israel, like a strong young lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces! I will carry them off, and no one will be left to rescue them.

Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”

Hosea 5:1‭-‬15 NLT

………….

He who has ears let him hear.