Reveal the Father

The presence of a child reveals the existence of a father.

I want to live my life in such a way that I reveal the nature of God.  When others look at me, I want them to know that there is an Everlasting Father because I am His child.  Words are not sufficient for this.  I must authentically find my identity in relationship with Jesus.  Majority of that happens in the secret place.  Who am I really when it's just me and God?  Learning Who He is and how He desires me to relate to Him is something that takes time.  I know what kind of life pleases my Heavenly Father because I sit with Him often, relishing His pleasure over the parts of my life I get right, and allowing His empowering grace to work on the parts that I don't.  The result of this private relationship is a "well-loved child" mentality in the outer spheres of my life.

When life gets too big for me to handle I have a seat with Him in heavenly places.  I like to think that seat is His lap!  I have access to a place that I can crawl up into with boldness like a child.  There, in a position I didn't earn and therefore cannot lose, I find a strong shoulder to cry on, an ear that is always open, and a ready smile to savor the wonders of life with!  It is also the best place to be quiet and learn the secrets of His heart.  I know with my own children, if I want them to really hear what I want to say, I pull them close and talk softly, whether it be words of approval, a story, or a teachable moment.  They listen best when they are secure in that irrevocable position of "beloved child".

Our Father is not angry with us!  He has an open lap ready, full of the riches of His glory for us to partake from as our inheritance!  We are His children, not because of our goodness or worth, but because He gave us Life and calls us by His Name!  Let us live as well-loved children, and reveal the Father's heart to the world around us!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Ephesians 1:3-14
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.


Ephesians 2:4-10
⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Someone Has To Pay!

I recently saw an advertisement for a TV show that centered on revenge.  The tagline for the show was, "Someone has to pay!"  That got me thinking.  Isn't it a natural response to expect justice for wrongdoing?  This seems to be a common human experience spanning time, space, and culture.  It is evident at a very young age...just try taking candy from a baby and you will quickly discover their built-in sense of justice!  So, we have this justice gene, put there by God (He designed us, remember?) to mirror His own nature as the Righteous Judge.

Often, as I am confronted with my own sinful acts or attitudes, my gut reaction is to think that I have fallen from God's grace, a helpless, hopeless worm in the dust, assuming He feels the same about me.  I tend to take on superlative amounts of guilt and let myself be buried under the weight of trying to regain His favor. (By the way, the Accuser loves this situation and will try to make the most of this opportunity to bind us up in lies). This is false humility.  It really is a slap in His face, the very face that allowed His beard to be torn out and was spit upon in payment for my wrongs.  God looks at me and sees sin no more, but Jesus' Righteousness instead.  Who do I think I am to come into the presence of such Grace and think for a minute that my self-imposed penance or feelings of wretched guilt will somehow enhance Jesus' sacrifice?  Can I add to a work that has already been finished perfectly?  Pride in disguise!  No, if I believe that Jesus' blood is enough and that all sin was paid for by His death on the cross, then all I can do from a place of guilt is to receive that priceless gift of His forgiveness.

As a parent, when my kids disobey, I don't want them to weep and moan about for days, ask repeatedly for my forgiveness, become depressed with guilt, or consumed with how awful they are.  My ideal situation when they mess up is for them to acknowledge truthfully their wrong and take responsibility (clean up a mess, apologize to a hurt sibling, etc.).  But more than anything, I want them to listen to my instructions for how to behave better from then on.  If my human heart feels this, how much more so does my heavenly Father's heart desire this for me, His well-loved child?  When I become aware of my disobedience, He wants me to respond with true humility: recognizing that my beloved Jesus already paid for that foolish act of mine and I must live in His forgiveness, though I don't deserve it.  My justice gene knows instinctively that "someone has to pay"....and what's more, that "someone" should be me!  Far more humbling and heart-changing than any penance, accusation, or guilt burden I can conjure up for myself, is the realization that Jesus' punishment has purchased my peace with God.  My response to this?  Awe.  Worship.  Gratitude.  And teachability...allowing His Truth to teach me wisdom in the inner being.  One real look into the heart of Jesus as the sacrificed Lamb will jumpstart the shedding of my old nature and sustain my rejection of the sinful habits that go with it.

Now what about those who wrong me.  If I am unable to pay the price for my wrongs, how can I then demand that others pay for their wrongs towards me?  Reminds me of the story of the king and his slaves in Matthew 18:21-35 (below).  To hold a grudge against someone is to say that Jesus' blood wasn't enough for what they did to me.  Another way for my pride to belittle Jesus' ultimate sacrifice.

So, should I just carry on as if sin doesn't effect me negatively?  Pretend that they didn't hurt me?  No.  I carry my wound to the Judge....who happens to be my Bridegroom, (not to mention the King!) and let Him comfort me with Hope and His promise of Justice.  Imagine a wife goes out shopping.  Hours later, her husband gets a heart-wrenching phone call from the police, saying that she has been beaten and sexually assaulted.  He races to his wife's side at the hospital.  What tender, intimate words of love and support he would whisper to his wounded beloved.  But imagine how quick his demeanor would change if he was informed that the police knew who the perpetrator was, but hadn't arrested him...oh, there he is, over by the vending machine.  Can you visualize the ferocity of the husband's jealous anger over the injustice done to his wife as he approached the man who touched the apple of his eye?

Now, see your Bridegroom's eyes...full of tenderness as He comforts you.  But for the one who injures His beloved, beware the burning fire of His wrath!  If you read Revelation, you will see clearly that jealous, fiery Bridegroom coming to wage war on all that hinders His love on the earth!  Fear not, beloved, He will avenge.  It is a terrifying thing to be on the receiving end of that vengeance.  And permanent.  He is true to His nature of Love, and will be long-suffering, giving every opportunity for the wicked to enter into His Righteousness.  But his nature is also Just, and there is coming a Day when His final judgements will be issued, and He will finally reject those who have continually rejected Him.  I want to live consumed with the passion to know Him and be counted among those He loves on that day.  And I want my heart to also be consumed with His passion to see not even one person waste His most costly gift!

The time is too short to hold that grudge.

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Scriptures to think on...
Matthew 18:21-35
^"21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

   ²³ “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.²⁴ When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. ²⁵ But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. ²⁶ So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ ²⁷ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him andforgave him the debt. ²⁸ But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow slave fell to the ground andbegan to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ ³⁰ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. ³¹ So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. ³² Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. ³⁵ My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”"

Galatians 2:20-21

"²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Revelation 19:11-16
 ¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and inrighteousness He judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³ He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ¹⁵ From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶ And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Me Time

I want to share some thoughts I've been having about "me time".  As the mom of two young and very energetic children and the wife of one very brilliant and ambitious husband...I understand well the need for time alone to reset my sanity gauges!  Sometimes I lock myself in my bedroom with my iPod and noise cancellation headphones, to float away on a sea of my favorite music.  Sometimes I take a hot bath and read a good book (without pictures!).  And even, on occasion, my wonderful husband will approve a day-long outing with a good friend to get manicures, eat a nice lunch, and window shop.  These times are fabulous!  I bet you can relate.

But have you ever noticed how quickly that fabulous "me time" feeling can flee when bombarded again with the very stresses, demands, and noises that caused the need for it in the first place?  I open the bathroom, bedroom, or front door and WHAM!...the kids are screaming, the husband is calling, the phone is ringing, the house is messier, the kids are hungrier, and *Ouch!*...did I just step on a toy car?!  Heave a sigh and wave goodbye to that blissful feeling!

I find that when I make my "me time" only about me, tending only to my superficial needs, then the effect doesn't last long back in real life.  But there is a Way to stay fresh, peaceful, and blissful even in the face of real demands and loud noises.  The secret is to bring Someone along to your me time...turn "me time" into "God time".  Invite Him into that private space and time where you go to refresh.  Because, believe me, He will do a much better job of revitalizing you than you or any manicurist can!  Not only that, but His name is Faithful and True...what He fills you with won't fly out the window when reality tumbles back in!  It's as simple as turning your thoughts and heart towards Him.  Recognize that He is already there and He totally gets where you're coming from and what you need.  Holy Spirit is a great listener.  And the words He whispers back to you will cause your heart to smile with quiet joy long after you return to the daily grind.

This is a very simple thing that has a tremendous result.  And not just for housewives.  I know my husband, a perpetual student, hard worker, and entrepreneur, finds long-lasting strength and inspiration when he brings God into his personal time.  In fact, even our times alone as a couple are better and more enjoyable when we talk about and enjoy God's company together!  Holy Spirit is just one of those people that makes everything brighter!  He can't help it!  You start talking with Him and He will make it well worth your time!

For me, it's all a part of abiding in Jesus.  He is the ultimate Lifegiver, the Living Water.  And if I am supposed to carry streams of that Living Water (like He said in John 7:38), then I need to be receiving from the Source.  Often.  And what better time to do that than when I get a few minutes or hours to myself?!  I stumbled upon another blogger's post about creating "ME time".  I think her advice is applicable to creating "GOD time", too:
1) Start small.  You don't have to make a big deal of it...just start thinking about Jesus while you're getting your nails done or taking your walk.
2) Work it into your routine.  Keep it simple and natural, do what works to connect you to God.
3) Build on it.  As you practice and become addicted to the refreshing nature of His presence, you will better know how to plan and prepare for your God Time!  Do you need music?  A journal?  To be outside?  Make it your own!  He enjoys what you enjoy!

Bliss to you!
Sarah

Brilliant Thought: Branch or iPod?

I love my iPhone!  I use it daily for music, movies, games, and a myriad of helpful apps.  But there is one annoying thing.  As I use it, the battery drains and then I have to plug it in for a while to recharge.  Once the little icon is all green again, though, I get to unplug and am free to use it however and wherever I need it!  Fabulous technology!


In the past I have had this view of my faith-life.  Like my relationship with God is something like the iPhone dock: when I am drained I plug in, fill up, and then I want to be free to roam around and run off of that buzz for a while.  Problem is, I am always using up and running out of the spiritual strength that I get from God and it can fade pretty fast.  I am now aware that this is a faulty perspective.  God is not my dock!  My relationship with Him does not consist of me plugging in once or twice a week to sync and recharge only to unplug again and go about my business!  It must be more than that!
Jesus Himself holds a DTR conversation with His disciples in John 15:1-11:  
 ¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."


Well, if I am a branch then I jolly well can't 'unplug' from the vine, can I?  No, a branch, by definition is connected to the vine.  Otherwise, it is just a stick.  And it is considered dead.  Independence from God renders me useless.  I want to abide in the Vine!  I want to bear fruit for His glory!  So, I must stay connected.  What does the branch do to produce fruit?  Only receive the continual flow of nutritious sap.  Fruit happens!  


Holy Spirit, I reject the thought process that reduces You to a dock.  I accept that I can do nothing by myself.  Abide in me, so that I may abide in You!  I love Your sap!  And I love the fruit of it that shows up in my life!  I am connected...increase the flow!  I want Your joy in me that makes my joy full!  Amen!  


Bliss to you!
Sarah

Dumbells, Brokenness, and Other Victories

I am part of a fitness group that meets twice a week for an intense, whole-body workout which includes 45 minutes of strength training.  Often I am sore for two to three days afterwards.  But the result is that I have gotten noticeably stronger!   Here are some facts about training and getting stronger (don't skip this part!):
"Hard exercise damages muscle fibers. Then other cells release chemicals called cytokines that cause inflammation characterized by soreness (pain), increased blood flow to the injured fibers (redness), and increased flow of fluid into the damaged area (swelling). The damaged muscle cells release tissue growth factors to heal the damaged muscle fibers, and if the athlete allows the muscle soreness to disappear before exercising intensely again, muscle fibers become larger and increase in number by splitting to form new fibers." (drmirkin.com) 

Why am I talking about strength training on a spiritual blog?  I believe that physical principles of the natural world are glimpses into spiritual truths.  In that vein, let me rephrase the above passage about muscles to address our spiritual strength and the process of maintaining victory in our lives...
Life is hard and leaves us damaged.  God highlights the broken part of us with pain, Jesus increases His redemptive bloodflow in us to the injured part, and Holy Spirit washes that part in His Living Water, until we are full up swollen with Him.  The damaged fiber of our being responds by growing as He heals us.  We then take time to rest in Him, allowing Him to solidify and multiply His strength cells in us.  

Another thing: I cannot expect that one really good workout will make me strong forever.  No way!  I have to be at it faithfully to not only grow stronger, but even to maintain my current strength!  Same is true of my spiritual life: though I cannot earn my place in Christ's victory, there is an element of faithful, repetitious application of His paid-for work in my area of weakness.  I think there is a process here:  I come against opposition, activating Christ's victory in my life, but realize that I am a broken human, so I receive His covering and healing flow, which works His deeper strength in me as I hide in Him; I then faithfully activate again the next time I am confronted with the stressor.  And thus the cycle continues, as the tissue of Me is continually broken down, soaked in Him, and restored more in His likeness again and again and again...becoming stronger with each repetition.

Activate!  Feel the burn of the brokenness!  Surrender to the flow of Blood and Water!  Let Him build you as you rest!  Do it again!  
Bliss to you, victorious one!
Sarah

Blow the Trumpet!

Today I was thinking about the shofar, the trumpet or ram's horn of the Bible.  My husband and I have had one since we were married, a gift from my mom.  We love it, display it proudly on our mantle, blow it often, and have taught our children to blow it as well!  It is one of the most spiritually significant instruments (harp is another one, but that's for another day).  The shofar blast signifies two main things: a call to battle and a call to rejoicing.  This morning, I was wondering in my heart how to tell the difference between the two meanings.  I mean, how can one know at the blast of the horn if it is time to suit up for battle or dance in the streets?  Which is it?  I felt God's chuckle as He answered in my heart, "It's both!"

YES!  In this life, we come against severe, relentless, and intense spiritual opposition.  We, as God's emissaries, are instructed to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the enemy.  But, we don't suit up in fear and trembling, wondering what the outcome of the battle will be.  God leads us into battle in confidence of triumph in Jesus, who is the Mighty Man of War!  Each altercation with the realm of darkness serves one purpose: for Jesus to further establish His rule and authority in the earth through my victory!

Listen!  You will hear the clarion call of God's shofar blowing, calling His people to rise up, suit up, and ride out in His victory with rejoicing!  I hear the trumpet in Zion, and as I put on the armor of my King, I am laughing with joy and lighthearted with praise because I know I am on the winning side!

Bliss to you!
Sarah


James 4:7
⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:10-17
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlyplaces. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵ and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Colossians 2:9-15

⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; ¹¹and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

2 Chronicles 20 

Jehoshaphat's army wins through rejoicing!!  :)

Praying In Giggles

Last night, during prayer time before bed, Isaac (3 yrs old) was bouncing around, laughing, and talking goofy gibberish.  Knowing our Lord's love of children and their ways, I smiled and asked my silly son if he was praying in the Spirit.  He replied enthusiastically, "No, I am praying in giggles!"

I'm sure Jesus speaks that language, too!  In fact, sometimes laughter is the most effective prayer there is!  It is, after all, agreeing with His heart!  Some days it's easier than others to see why Jesus asked us to become like little children!

Bliss to you!  
Sarah 

Psalm 2:4
⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 

Job 8:21
²¹ “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting.

Deuteronomy 16:11-12
¹¹ and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name. ¹² You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
[more than a slave released, I have been raised from the dead!!]

Psalm 32:11
¹¹ Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Jeremiah 32:40-41
⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. 

Zephaniah 3:17
¹⁷ “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

1 Peter 1:7-9
the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ⁸ and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, ⁹ obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Brilliant Thought: Against Me

Romans 8:31
If God is for us, who is against us?


I was pondering this today and was struck by how often I am against myself when God isn't even against me!  If God is on my side, who am I to think, speak, or act in ways that are contrary to His love and victory in me?!  Actually, those thoughts originate not in myself (because I have died and Christ lives in me) and certainly not in God (His wrath is satisfied and He sees me as His new creation)...so they must come from the enemy of my soul, the father of lies.  Since he has no part in Jesus, Who is the Truth, he can only lie.  So, no matter how I may feel those thoughts to be truth, if they don't line up with God's nature then they are lies, intended to keep me from walking in freedom and victory.
  
This is why it is so important for me to know, really know Who God is and what He is like.  Learning to recognize influences (even if they are inside my head) that don't align with what I know of His character, and promptly refusing to believe or act on them is vital to my continued spiritual growth and victory.  The fabulous thing is that God is my coach, defense, cheerleader, and referee in this!  Not only that, He has tipped the scales overwhelmingly in my favor!  In Christ, I am destined for victory!  I am, as Graham Cooke says, condemned to conquer!  

This gives me joy in facing my problems and hang-ups....God is smiling over me in this situation, because He knows if I continually realign to Him I will advance!  My problems become a platform for my promotion!  Haha!  If God is for me, who can be against me?!  None!  


Bliss to you!
Sarah


John 8:44
[the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.


2 Corinthians 2:14-15
¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ¹⁵ For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;


1 John 2:12-14
¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.


John 5:3-5
³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
 ⁵ Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?