Believe, Be Sure About It And Be Ready

John's advice is still important today.

The apostle John was a close friend of Jesus, he was in the inner circle of the disciples, he is the man that took care of Jesus' mother for fifteen years after Jesus' death and he was an early leader in the church.

John's books are very significant part of the Bible, he gives us more of the teachings of Jesus than any other gospel writer, he also wrote the most unique book of the Bible from the vision that he experienced while he was exiled to Patmos.

We can see in John's books that he wants us to believe in Jesus, be sure about it and he wants us to be ready for his return:

Believe

John 20:31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

John wrote his first book out of a desire to help you believe. It is easy to find something to believe but there is only one belief that is going to get you to heaven. So what are we supposed to believe?

• Jesus the man is also one hundred percent God. (John 1:1-3, 14)
• Jesus came from the heavenly world to reveal God to the human race. (John 1:18, 3:13, 5:18-19, 6:62, 8:23, 8:26, 14:9, 14:11)
• Jesus came to live with us with a normal human body. (John 4:6-7, 9:6, 12:3, 19:34)
• Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins and give us eternal life with him. (John 3:14-16, 6:27, 10:10)

Eternal life is only available by belief in Jesus and his work on the cross as a substitute for the punishment that I deserved.

Be Sure

1 John 5:13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

John's next book was written to help you be sure of what you believe. The same man that was unclear and lacked faith in who Jesus was wants to help you with your belief.

What you believe is so important to John because just like every other Jew, John held onto false beliefs all of his life, his beliefs didn't get straightened out until after Jesus came back from the grave. Nobody understood that Jesus first coming wasn't going to be his last.

In John's three letters he wants to reassure troubled believers that they really do have eternal life so that they might enjoy it. (1 John 1:3; 3:18-19; 4:13; 5:13 / 2 John 5)

Be Ready

Revelation 22:20 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

The first coming of Jesus was to give us eternal life and when he returns he will come to give us our eternal reward. Unlike the first time, when he returns again it will be too late to clear up any false beliefs, it is extremely important that you believe and that you are sure about it.

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Transformed to Serve

God has changed me and I can't go back to the way it used to be.

John 21:3-6 Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who He was.

5 He called out, "Fellows, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. 6 Then He said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!" So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.

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What do you do when you are so excited and you are anxious to share the good news? Probably you don't go fishing. It must have been an unusual time from the resurrection of Jesus until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to go and make disciples.

They were so excited to learn that Jesus was alive again, one day they are defeated and discouraged, the next day they are probably ready to tell everybody, but it wasn't time for them to start their ministry.

Luke 24:49 And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as My Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.

Throughout the Bible you will find God telling people to wait. It seems like any major event on God's timetable is preceded by a period of waiting. I remember Abraham, Joseph, King Saul, Job and Simeon all having to wait on God, some of them being good examples and others showing us the hazards of not waiting. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

Peter didn't do a good job of waiting, he was going back to fishing for fish instead of waiting for men, and he also influenced his fishing buddies to go with him. Maybe Peter was tempted to go back to the way it used to be.

Seven professional fisherman spent the night catching nothing, maybe God is teaching them a lesson about waiting, fishing all night without catching anything is certainly a long and miserable night. It is just about an impossible occurrence for a fisherman that uses a net, catching nothing at all would take an act of God, it makes me wonder if Peter thought about the previous time when this happened. (Luke 5:1-9)

Peter had a surprise appointment with Jesus this morning, an appointment that is just as surprising as the first one that he had after an unsuccessful night of fishing, this meeting would change everything even more that the first one did.

Jesus came to the seashore that morning to restore broken relationships and to teach these men about their responsibilities as witnesses of the good news.

Even though the conversation recorded in scripture is between Jesus and Peter, all of the disciples had failed Jesus, the truth of the lessons that Jesus taught were for all of them and they apply to all of us as believers today.

My Responsibility As A Believer:

Obey Jesus 

Cast your net when and where Jesus tells you. (John 21:1-8)

These guys spent the night working very hard, doing work they were not supposed to be doing, and they probably complained about the results. Catching men is their new job that Jesus has been training them to do for the past three years. After the Holy Spirit comes they won't have time to bother with fishing for fish anymore.

Allowing Jesus to be in control is the best way to avoid wasting your life. This reminder for them is for us as well. I will accomplish what really matters when I am depending on Jesus and submitting to his timing and authority. (John 15:5)

Love Jesus 

Check your love for Jesus and his family often. (John 21:9-18)

Fixing relationships is what Jesus is all about, he asked Peter to confess his love, something he had already boasted about but failed to live out during Jesus' trial. Jesus made the connection between truly loving him and showing it in obedience and service to him.

Do you love Jesus? If you do it should show in the way that you live. We should be fishers of men and we should also help tend the flock. If you love Jesus then you will want to be near the flock and you will be concerned about the health, protection and guidance of the other believers in the flock. (Philippians 2:3-6)

Follow Jesus 

Consider the cost that may be required of a believer. (John 21:19-25)

A repaired relationship with Jesus must have been an amazing blessing for Peter, in Peter's mind that would have been a great place to end this conversation, but Jesus continues to share important information that isn't so easy to hear.

Jesus takes the conversation from Peter's life and ministry to his death as a martyr, Jesus never dodged the issues so that he would have more followers, he was always upfront about the trouble and hardship that his disciples would face in this evil world.

Following without turning away and staying focused on Jesus despite the circumstances are some of the greatest daily challenges for a follower of Jesus. It is a struggle which must be dealt with constantly if we are going to die to self and become a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1-2)

Following without meddling in what Jesus is doing in another believers life is another challenge. It is easy to look at what God is doing with somebody else and allow that to change our focus and our direction. (John 21:21)

The lives of the disciples were radically changed from the moment that Jesus called them to follow him but the transformation was just getting started. They still needed the helper that Jesus promised to send after he is gone.

The Holy Spirit's power in their lives would change these ordinary men, men that failed so often, men that didn't understand Jesus teaching, men that walked away when the going got tough. They would be powerful and they would speak with wisdom that is unheard of from a group of unschooled fishermen. (Acts 4:13)

2 Corinthians 5:15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Jesus Christ is transforming lives today, he is changing us from our old carnal state into a people that will represent him well and serve his purpose on earth. The easy life is not my goal, pleasure and riches are no longer the main desire to be fulfilled.

God has changed me and I can't go back to the way it used to be! I will live for Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. I will set aside the evil desires and the pride that drives men to live for self. I will live to honor my Lord and fulfill his desire and plan for my life.

Risen Without A Doubt

The unexpected happened and there is plenty of evidence to prove it.

John 20:1-9 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put Him!"

3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn't go in.

6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed-- 9 for until then they still hadn't understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.

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Most authors end a biography pretty soon after the death of the person that is being written about. There usually isn't much to say about a person after they are dead, they quit doing things and saying things for anybody to write about, but that is not so with Jesus.

Jesus story starts to get really interesting after his death. The favorite part of the Bible for a lot of people is probably the New Testament from Acts through Revelation. The story of Jesus is really exciting as you about the amazing changes that happened in our relationship with God as a result of the fact that Jesus came out of the tomb.

None of the stuff that Jesus told us about heaven matters if he didn't rise from the dead, we would be foolish to put all of our hope in a dead man, if he didn't leave his grave then we have no hope of leaving ours. Thankfully the evidence that Jesus did rise from his grave is huge and it gives us plenty of reason to expect that we will experience his resurrection power in our lives as well. (John 6:37-40, 1 Corinthians 15:14-19)

Consider the evidence:

• The open tomb

A sealed tomb with Roman soldiers that "slept" through the noise of the large boulder being moved and now it is wide open for us to see that it is empty. Jesus proved when he came into a room without opening a door that the stone was moved for our benefit, it wasn't moved to let him out, it was moved to let us in. (John 20:19, 26; Luke 24:15, 31)

• The scared disciples

These guys were too afraid to make a plan to pretend that the resurrection had happened. They didn't even comprehend that Jesus was coming back in three days. Why would they go through so much work and expense to give Jesus a proper burial if they believed that he was coming back so soon?

• The religious leaders

If these guys had any information about the location of Jesus body they would certainly have been quick to let everybody know, they would have done whatever they could to stop the resurrection stories. Their story about the guards at the tomb taking a nap and missing the thief is rather lame.

• The empty grave clothes

What grave robber would leave behind the clothing that was on Jesus and carry his bloody body away to a new location. His body was a mess that nobody would have wanted to see or touch.

• The crowd of witnesses

Post-resurrection appearances of Jesus include the first to Mary Magdalene, then to the disciples on several occasions and to a crowd of over 500 people at once. The varied circumstances of the appearances and the different people that were involved help to validate the truth.

• The disciples preaching

The powerful preaching of the disciples would have been easy to stop if somebody came forward with a dead Jesus. The disciples accused the Jews of crucifying the Son of God, wouldn't they stop at nothing to find Jesus body in order to stop such serious allegations?

• The unexpected happened

It is amazing that nobody expected Jesus to be back in their midst after three days. God's word and the prophets had said that it would happen, just days before he was crucified Jesus said he would be crucified but he would be right back, yet nobody expected it would happen. (Luke 24:25-26)

From tears to joy, from fear to courage and from doubt to belief, they were all convinced. Even the Apostle Paul went from being a zealot to protect the traditions of Judaism to embracing the life and teaching of Jesus. 

The Apostle Paul saw Jesus and was convinced:

Romans 1:4 and He was shown to be the Son of God when He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 4:24-25 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God. Romans 5:11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 6:10 When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. Romans 8:34 Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Everyone that experienced the risen Savior was never the same and that is still true today. My relationship with Jesus is so awesome because it is the reason that I can have a peaceful, loving and friendly relationship with God while I am here on earth and there is no fear of meeting him when this life is over.

Thank you God that you revealed your plan to raise your Son Jesus from the dead and then you followed through and kept your promise.

The Cross and Our Commitment

The cross should be life changing for all of us.

John 19:38-42 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus' body.

When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.

40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

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For the past three years there have been crowds of people eager to follow Jesus everywhere that he went, just a week ago there were plenty of people that cheered for him as they declared him to be their Messiah, but where is everybody now? Where are the people that saw Jesus call Lazarus out of his tomb?

I remember there used to be a powerful group of seventy disciples that Jesus sent out to do a short term mission trip. This group gave up their time, left their families and their stuff behind to obey Jesus command to go, they returned with awesome testimonies but then they are never mentioned again. (Luke 10:1-24)

Even the twelve that spent almost every moment for three years with Jesus, only one came to the cross to be with Jesus mother in her darkest hour, they had given up so much to follow and yet now they are gone.

The small group at the cross was probably shocked to learn that two people from Jesus past stepped back into the picture to give Jesus a proper burial. These two guys had encounters with Jesus earlier but they didn't reach a decision until later on and they never came forward and expressed their conviction or show any commitment to Jesus.

It seems likely that Joseph and Nicodemus have been in the garden waiting for Jesus death, the tomb site so close to Golgotha made it unlikely that this tomb was ever intended for a rich man like Joseph, it was the best location to bury Jesus body quickly, so they waited in secret nearby with the spices already prepared.

When they took Him from the cross, they defiled themselves and were not able to eat the Passover. But, what difference did it make? They had found the Lamb of God!

-Warren Wiersbe

It seem like these guys planned ahead to work as a team on the burial.  The work that they set out to do could not be done in secret, they had to get Jesus buried in the daylight before Passover began. They would be found out but they didn't care, they were no longer ashamed to be identified as believers. While every other disciple was hiding out these two guys were coming out of hiding and stepping up their commitment to Jesus.

We do not know what happened to make them realize that Jesus is who he claimed to be. I have to wonder when these two men got it and decided that Jesus is the Messiah. They did what we all need to do, they showed courage and faith at record levels. These two would have to miss this Passover because they were considered unclean but that didn't matter anymore since this was the last lamb that would ever need to be sacrificed.

We do not know what happened to these two as a result of coming out to honor Jesus. Any show of sympathy for a condemned criminal could bring trouble on yourself. How would Pilate react? What about the other religious leaders? There must have been a price to pay at the office when the rest of the guys found out about the work that these two had done to give Jesus a proper burial. The rest of the religious leaders must have scorned them and they probably lost their jobs and were not allowed in enter the synagogue ever again.

John 12:42-43  Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

It is remarkable that the secret disciples came out of hiding like first responders running toward trouble despite the consequences. When everybody else ran and hid these two reached a new level of commitment and dedication to Jesus.

It is easy to assume that a weak brother cannot be used for the Lord's purpose but it isn't our job to judge him and put him down for his struggle. You would think that the weaker brother would be the first one in hiding but they overcame their fear and openly followed Jesus.

Ask yourselves whether you have sometimes held your tongues because you knew that if you spoke people would find out where you came from and what country you belonged to. Ask yourselves, Have you ever accompanied the witness of your lives with the commentary of your confession? Did you ever, anywhere but in a church, stand up and say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, my Lord’?

When these men came for Christ’s corpse and bore it away, what a sharp pang went through their hearts! How much these two men lost-all those three years of communion with the Master; all His teaching, all the stimulus of His example, all the joy of fellowship with Him! Neglect of duty puts barriers up between you and God.

-Alexander MacLaren

There isn't any room in the kingdom for secret disciples. You can be a secret sports fan or a secret follower of a particular social or political issue and then come out when the battle is over and squawk loud about your belief in the cause but where were you during the battle?

The cross should be life changing to the point that silence and hiding out should never be an option. How can we look upon Jesus and realize the evils and terrors that he went through for our sake and keep our love for him silent? How can we serve him without passion and excellence?

Stir a passion in my heart, God
Let it overflow, let it overflow!

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The Greatest Words Ever: It is Finished!

God has done it all for me without my help.

John 17:4-5 I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We shared before the world began.

John 19:28-30 Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips.

30 When Jesus had tasted it, He said, "It is finished!" Then He bowed His head and released His spirit.

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There is a voice that stands out above all the others, despite his weakness, it is a commanding voice that can easily be heard above the evil noise of Hell that is all around him. (Matthew 27:39-42) Satan was having his way with Jesus and and he was sure that he had won the war until Jesus told him otherwise.

When Satan heard Jesus words, “It is finished!” he knew what was finished and he knew it would always be finished. If you look at the word in the Greek you will see a picture of how finished it is. The word tetelestai means, “It is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished!”

He did not say, "I am finished," for that would imply that he died defeated and exhausted. Rather, he cried out "It is finished," meaning "I successfully completed the work I came to do."

-Ray Pritchard

Jesus completed the work required to bring us back into communion with God but Satan doesn't want you to believe it. He wants you to believe that there is something more that you need to do to help Jesus save you. Jesus work was of utmost importance so it is important that we know if it is a finished work or if we need to help him out.

Is It Finished?

Roman Catholicism denies the effectiveness of Jesus' finished work on the cross through the practice and observance of the mass. During the mass, through the unbiblically magical art of transubstantiation (Jesus literally becoming the bread and the wine), Jesus must sacrifice Himself again and again for sin. Jehovah's Witnesses deny the effectiveness of Jesus' finished work on the cross by denying Christ died on the cross and by insisting one must be a member of the Watchtower Society and obey the Law of God to receive their demonic brand of salvation. Mormonism denies the effectiveness of Jesus' finished work on the cross by adding their perceived righteousness and works to their ungodly salvation process. According to the Book of Mormon, salvation is by grace, plus works. Islam denies the effectiveness of Jesus' finished work on the cross by seeing Jesus as nothing more than a prophet, second to their false prophet Muhammad. They also believe it was Judas (a treacherous false convert), not Jesus, who died on the cross. -It Is Finished! (carm.org)

Satan loves to distort the facts. If the death of Christ satisfied God, then what more can the sinner do to try to satisfy God more than he already is? The answer is nothing. The only thing a sinner can do is receive the free gift of righteousness that God offers.

We could never mend our relationship with God and make it right. Everything has been done by God, he draws a man to him to a knowledge of the fact that he is a sinner and that his sin debt is in the way of having a relationship and then God provides the way to make our relationship with him possible.

Hebrews 10:10-12 For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. 11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.

It is finished! It is very arrogant for a mere man to think that he could do anything to change his standing before God. It is even more arrogant or mistaken to think that you are a special man that has been appointed to be a priest with the power to grant forgiveness or conduct a Mass and re-sacrifice Jesus all over again. It is finished and Jesus meant what he said.

What was finished?

• I am redeemed
• The law with it's priest, temple and sacrifices
• The curse of the law
• All of the prophecies concerning the first coming of the Messiah, his work and his death
• Satan has been defeated
• The separation of the Jews and the Gentiles
• The work required so that I can be born again and become a child of God

It is finished! So that I will hear the sweet sound of heaven someday! Jesus did what I could never do for myself. Since I was born into sin and I am a sinful creature right from the start, I would never be sinless and could never have any hope of being righteous before God.

Thank you Lord for paying the debt in full! Thank you for seeing me as if I had lived your son's perfect and sinless life.

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The Evil Noise Of Hell

The calm, quiet words of Jesus stand out in the chaos.

John 19:16-19 Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed Him to the cross. Two others were crucified with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. 19 And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

John 19:28-30 Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, He said, "It is finished!" Then He bowed His head and released His spirit.

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All night long there was noise, last night was a very unsettled night for a lot of people in Jerusalem, and now the chaos of the previous evening has continued into Friday morning without any signs of stopping.

Jesus' passionate cries in the garden were interrupted by the chaotic noise of soldiers that came with Judas to arrest him. I imagine that there wasn't anything quiet about the soldiers bringing Jesus into Jerusalem to be questioned, they must have woke people up as they marched into town and made their way to the house of the High Priest.

It's disturbing to recall the noise as the prisoner was beat on mercilessly and then marched over to Pilate then to Herod and back to Pilate again, half the town was up early that morning as Jesus was moved around the city.

It is morning now and Pilate has heard enough and wants to get rid of this bother. "Not guilty!" was the decision from Pilate that stirred up the crowd, with the help of the religious leaders, the noise would continue to amplify as the "not guilty" prisoner would be beaten and whipped. Not guilty and yet he was treated so harshly.

Again and again the verdict would be told, "Not guilty!" but the Jews wouldn't let it go. Given a choice they cried out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be executed. Despite all of Pilate's efforts they continued until Pilate gave in, rejected the advice of his wife and let the crowd have their way. (Matthew 27:18-19)

Matthew 27:39-42 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 "Look at You now!" they yelled at Him. 41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 "He saved others," they scoffed, "but He can't save Himself!

The anguish of being pierced with nails so that your body would hang on the cross, the jeers and insults of the Religious leaders and the Romans as he hung there, and then there was the protest over the sign Pilate had posted on the cross. (Mark 15:29-32)

Jesus Words From The Cross
1. “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). 2. “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). 3. “Woman, behold thy son” (John 19:25-27). [Three hours of darkness; Jesus is silent] 4. “Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) 5. “I thirst” (John 19:28). 6. “It is finished!” (John 19:30) 7. “Father, into Thy hands” (Luke 23:46).

Calm In The Midst Of The Clamor

There is an extreme contrast between the noise of hell's fury going full force against Jesus and his calm quiet disposition. Jesus said very few words as he spoke to his accusers at his trial and during the beatings in court, and we don't have any evidence that he said anything on the way to Golgotha or while he was being attached to the cross.

Jesus was know for turning a conversation around to get out of situations when the religious leaders were trying to trap him, but this time it was different, he didn't say much but when he did it was never anything that would get him out of this situation and it was never anything hateful to the people that abused him.

Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

This time they had him but not because Jesus was outmaneuvered, evil men thought that they had finally won in their efforts to get Jesus, they didn't have any idea that none of this was happening because of their efforts. Jesus chose the cup of God's wrath that the Father had prepared and ever since the garden he has not asked for it to be any other way.

Jesus first words from the cross were out of concern for others, he asked God to forgive the people that had abused him, he offered salvation to a dying criminal and he made provision for the care of his mother. (Luke 23:34, 42-43, John 19:25-26)

A mere human would never respond to all of this evil in such a calm and loving manner. In the middle of all of the noise and chaos of Hell, Jesus is at peace, he is calm in the midst of the persecution and suffering because he is in the center of God's will and he is accomplishing what he came here to do. (Philippians 2:8)

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.

-Missionary C. T. Studd

The noise around me can be very great and it can be a huge distraction, I need to remember that Satan can make a lot of noise and he can make it seem like he is in control or he may get me to think that he the greatest but I know the truth that love has won the war!

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