Keep Your Eyes On Him

     "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17      The "world" here in these passages does not refer to people, but everything that our sinful natures crave. None of which comes from God, but from our own selfish desires. As followers of Christ, we are called to be different. We are in the world, but not of the world. Yes, we live here, however, we are not to be influenced by the world, but rather influenced by the Holy Spirit living inside of us.  What sets the believer apart from the rest of the world? It is Christ living inside of you. What do people see when they see you? Do you act any different from those wh...

     "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands (Deuteronomy 8:2)."      Times of testing will come into every person's life. It will come in many different forms. A tragedy may strike within your family, a health concern may come upon you, something you have been praying earnestly for has not yet happened and years have passed, you may suffer persecution, you may lose everything you have worked for or God may simply be silent. Whatever the case may be, it is not an easy road. Know that whatever your circumstances are, God has not forgotten you. He has not left your side. In fact, He has allowed it to happen. You must keep in mind that God is in complete control. You may be asking God, 'Why?' Understand that it is okay to ask why, but God does not have to give an answer.       He wa...