Category Archives: Jesus Christ

Just Thinking…Trials & Tribulations

Posted in Faith, Jesus Christ, L:ord, Potter and Clay, Trials and Tribulation by

It’s easy to love the Lord when things are going good in our lives.  But I find out if I really love the Him during difficult times and trials and tribulations. 

Fear is unbelief in action.  It reveals who my focus is on, is it on the Lord or is it on me?  Do I depend upon the Lord or rely on my strength? 

Trials and tribulations are instruments God uses for good in our lives.  If I trust God during hard times my faith is strengthened.  My love for Christ Jesus grows.

Do I really believe, do my thoughts and actions reflect the truth of Scripture that He is the Potter and I am the clay?  Clay being molded doesn’t get off the Potter’s wheel and protest, whine and complain.  Instead the clay submits to the skillful hands of the Potter.

But now, O LORD,
You are our Father;
We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand.
Isaiah 64:8
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Our Sinful Heart

Posted in Jesus Christ, Salvation, Sin by

Our sinful heart
Willful unbending spirit
We refuse the offer of forgiveness
Found in Christ Jesus alone
Instead we worship gods of our own making
Drink water made from our own wells
We would rather thirst again
Then receive the living water from the Savior
Susan Bunts Wachtel
May 7, 2011

Before the Throne

Posted in Forgiveness, Heaven, Jesus Christ by

As we are nearing the end of our study in the book of Revelation, we are learning about the New Jerusalem.

I’m not sure I can fully imagine what it will be like to stand before the throne of God with a multitude of believers and the heavenly hosts worshiping the Lamb of God and God the Father.  To finally see my Savior face to face…the One who bore my sins so that I would be forgiven and clothed in His righteousness.  What will it be like?

Then my thoughts turned to forgiveness.  How many people have I held a grudge towards?  What about my friend who hasn’t forgiven me?  If they are believers…we will one day stand before the throne of God together.  At that time the things of this earth will have long since have been forgotten and forgiven.  In heaven I won’t even remember the hurts and offenses that I choose to hold on to this side of heaven. 

In light of heaven, in light of the forgiveness of Christ for my sin…how can I not run to the throne of grace and freely abundantly forgive?

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For Personal Thought

Posted in Faithfulness, Jesus Christ, Service, Sin by

In my weekly Bible study class, there will be the occasional question marked “for personal thought.”  The question from last week’s lesson really hit home.

We are studying the book of Revelation.  In chapter 20, we are learning about Christ’s reign on the earth during the millennium.  The saints will be serving during that time on the earth.  The personal question was, “If your position of authority in Christ’s kingdom will be in proportion to your faithfulness in service today, how much responsibility will you have?” 

I responded that honestly, I don’t know.  I wasted too many years where my focus was outward and striving for the praises of men.  I’ve been self focused and had tainted motives.  Thankfully, the Lord is patient and helping me to grow.  I love Him more and trust Him more and desire to obey Him more. 

I don’t know what responsibilities the Lord will give me based on me being a faithful servant. 

But I do know this, that I trust Him to judge rightly and reward me accordingly.  I also know that He didn’t give me what I do deserve for my sin.  Instead He laid the punishment for all my sin on Jesus Christ.  Thank You Lord!

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Chris’ Prayer

Posted in Jesus Christ, Redemption, Salvation, Sin by

Oh Lord, You have burdened my heart for the lost
My heart breaks at the thought
Of their eternal separation from Your presence

Sin has a tight and powerful grip
Apart from you gracious work of salvation in us
Our eternal destination is sealed

I pray for stony hearts to be turned to flesh
For You to open their eyes so they will see their own sin
Cause them to cry out to You in repentance

A love so great that it moved You
To send Your own Son to die in our stead
A love so powerful sin loses its grip and we are set free


By Susan Bunts Wachtel
February 6, 2011

Dedicated to those who continue to pray for the lost, family, friends, associates, our nation’s leaders and even our enemies. 

Let’s Call It What It Is…Sin!

Posted in Holiness, Jesus Christ, Repentance, Salvation, Sin by

Each day during the week, when I’m able to slip out from work and go get some lunch I’ll turn on the radio and listen to whatever ministry program is on at that time.

About a week ago, a Pastor was talking about marriage and sin.  He used the powerful testimony on how God has transformed his life after he repented from sin and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

In telling his story he told about how he and his girlfriend, who later became his wife, engaged in sex outside of marriage which resulted in her getting pregnant.  As he continue, my mouth was agape as he said, “My wife committed fornication.”  Was that true…absolutely.  Was it accurate?  He left out the little detail that he and his wife had committed fornication together.

I was annoyed and found myself talking back to the radio.  But it reminded me on how hard it is for us to call sin, sin.  It’s so easy to downplay sin.  Instead of saying I sinned, I may say I made a mistake, or I missed the mark, or I was disobedient.  When in fact the more accurate statement is, “I willfully sinned against holy God.”

That trend had made its way into the church.  We don’t want to offend unbelievers or seekers by telling them that they need to repent of their sin.  Instead we water down the gospel message and tell them that God loves them, that He has a wonderful plan for their lives and came to save them and all they have to do is say, “Jesus come into my heart.”

Whatever happened to repentance?  Whatever happened to sin?  If I don’t recognize that I’m a sinner and the ultimate consequences of my sin why would I see the need to repent?  Why would I see my need for a Savior?  Or to have my sins covered by the precious blood of the Lamb and have my sins removed as far as the east is from the west? 

In a world where sin and its ugliness are downplayed, I believe that God and His holiness and righteousness are not fully comprehended.  Is God a God of love?  Absolutely!  But He is also a God of wrath. 

Praise God that He is patient, not willing that any would perish, and that He desires that all would come to repentance.  Yet there a day coming, there is a point, when God’s patience will have run its full course, both in our personal lives and in this world.  There is a day coming in which we will have to give an account before God for our lives.  Either I can choose to stand before God in my own righteousness, which is like the emperors’ new clothes.  Or I can stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

What about you?  Whose righteousness are you clothed in? 

Just a thought…isn’t God’s intolerance for sin part of what makes heaven, heaven?  What would heaven be like with liars, gossips, adulterers and murders continuing on in their sin?  Praise God that when we are saved through Jesus Christ that we can put off the old man and put on the new man.  Praise God that He continues to sanctify us and transform us until that day in which He calls us home.  

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The Obstacle

Posted in Jesus Christ, Revelation by

In Community Bible Study this year we are going through the book of Revelation.  It is a marvelous study.  I think I’ve learned more about the book of Revelation than I ever have before.  It’s fascinating especially in light of current events.  The day when Christ will call His church home to heaven and the beginning of the tribulation seems so very near.

This week’s study was from Revelation 14:1-13 about the 144,000 men, 12,000 from each of Israel’s 12 tribes, who stand on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ.   They have been redeemed and sealed by God to go forth and share the Gospel throughout the world.  They are preaching a message of repentance to a world gone mad.  Even though the wrath of God is being poured out upon sinful man, God continues to reach out to the lost with the message that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone.  Yet most will continue to harden their hearts and go headlong to their eternal destruction as they embrace Satan and reject Christ.   

Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.  And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.  They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.  These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.  And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. – Revelation 14:1-5

The description of the 144,000 men is amazing.  They are chaste virgins, not defiled with women, there is no deceit in their mouth and they are without fault before the throne of God.  That is not to say that these men are sinless.  But they have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and their sin debt has been paid in full by the precious blood of the Lamb.  They are walking in obedience out of love for their Savior whom they worship. 

What is said of these men and their character should be said of Christians.  Can you imagine how much more effective our witness would be if we were chaste, honest and blameless?  One of the most striking descriptions was, “These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” 

In our study we had a question about what obstacle might keep us from following their example.  To answer that question truthfully, I knew it wouldn’t be pretty as I examined myself in mirror of God’s word. 

My biggest obstacle in following their example is me…my own sinful self.  All too often I’m self-focused.  I take my eyes of the prize of my high calling and get distracted.  I can be undisciplined, lazy and disobedient.  I’m prideful and think more highly of myself than I ought to.  Worse yet, I fail to love God with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. 

Lest I get discouraged as I see my many faults and failures…I need get my eyes back on the Lord.  The same Father, who chose these men before the foundation of the world, chose me.  The same Savior, who died for their sins, poured out His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty in full for my sin.  The same Holy Spirit who seals the 144,000 has sealed me and indwells me. 

It’s not about me and how big or numerous my sins are…it’s about my God and His magnificent plan to redeem those who are lost.  It’s about His Son, Jesus Christ the Lamb of God who alone is worthy to be praised.  It’s about the Holy Spirit who dwells within me and is sanctifying me day by day. 

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
Jude 1:24-25


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The Twelve Words of Christmas by Louie Giglio

Posted in Jesus Christ, Louie Giglio, Savior by

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
   And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
       “ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Luke 2:8-14

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Thoughts & Reflections…As the Day Begins

Posted in Bible, Jesus Christ, Sin, Word of God by

John 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 

For those who say that Jesus Christ was only a man, a prophet, a teacher, or another way to salvation you have to bypass what the Bible says about who Jesus is. 

In the first verse of the Gospel of John, Jesus is declared as the Word of God, He was with God and is God.  In the original Greek, the word God refers to the Godhead, trinity:  God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

What difference does that make to me in my daily life, in my everyday world?  Shouldn’t I know what the Bible says for myself, and not merely listen to other people’s thoughts and opinions?  After all, I’m the one who will have to give an account before God when I die. 

I wonder if sometimes I fail to read God’s word because I know that God will confront me in my sin.  When I’m confronted, then I have a choice.  A choice to obey, repent and turn and do what God commands or choose to go my own way and suffer the consequence of sin and disobedience.  In my foolishness I may think that I can plead ignorance.

It’s so easy to see the “big sins” like murder and adultery as wrong.  Even unbelievers know those things are wrong.  But unless I know God’s word, unless I am washed by the word daily…I will get lazy or willfully choose to sin and walk my own way and sin will creep in.

Exodus 20:1-20
 1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
       2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
       3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
       4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
       7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
       8 “ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
       12 “ Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
       13 “You shall not murder.
       14 “You shall not commit adultery.
       15 “You shall not steal.
       16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
       17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

May I let the Light of God’s Word shine in the dark corners of my life and expose sin.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit may I comprehend what God says in the Bible.  May I choose to live in light of eternity and the certainty that one day I will have to give an account before Holy God.  May my sins, though as scarlet, be cleansed white as snow by the precious blood of the Lamb. 

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Without Christ

Posted in Jesus Christ by
Without Christ
No peace
No hope
No truth
No future
No meaning
No purpose
No direction
No strength
No assurance
No foundation
No absolutes
No justice
No restraint
No shelter
No protection
No fortress
No salvation


When I see the brokenness of people’s lives all around me…I marvel how they do it.  Life is hard enough though I know God.  Yet, I have strength, peace and assurance that comes through having Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

How do people without Christ get through life?  How did I do it for 32 years?

I thank you Lord that I don’t have to get through life without You.  Keep me close Lord Jesus…right by Your side. 

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Slave

Posted in Jesus Christ, Ransomed, Slave, Slave of Christ by

I am a slave of Christ
Once on the slave market of sin

I was ransomed
By my Master’s own blood

Formerly held captive by sin
I’ve been set free to obedience

Chosen and purchased by the Master
I am not my own

He is the Sovereign Lord
My will conformed to His

I am a slave of Christ
Doulos now considered His friend


By Susan Bunts Wachtel
November 6, 2010

Pride…a sin which so easily entangles us

Posted in Jesus Christ, Pride, Sin by

Recently I got to thinking about pride.  It seems to be a common area of vulnerability for all of us, great and small, both famous or those who are unknown. 
 
The Bible is replete with warnings about pride and its consequences. 
 
It’s so easy to see the sin of pride in others…and blind to the pride within me.
 
How easy it is to believe my own press clippings.
 
How tempting it is to incline my ear to hear the praises of men.
 
How easy it is to take credit for accomplishments, skills, talents or abilities. 
 
When I fail to recognize God’s hand and remember that everything I have is a gift from Him…I am on the road to a prideful, haughty spirit.
 
When I surround myself with those who agree with my self assessment about how good I am…I am playing into the hands of the enemy.
 
When I fail to give God thanks and praise…I am robbing Him of His glory. 
 
When I have a prideful spirit, I am replacing God in my life with a god of my own making…namely myself.
 
Pride wins when I care more about myself than others.
 
When I’m filled with pride, I’m more concerned about how I look than about obeying God.
 
When pride is the motivating factor in my life…I am never more like the devil. 
 
When I fill my heart and mind with the word of God…I have a proper perspective on who I am.
 
When I seek to know God more and love Him with all my heart, mind, soul and strength…pride is driven away.
 
When I’d rather boast about Jesus Christ and Him crucified and seek to glorify Him…then I am yielded to God.
 

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The Judgment Seat of Christ

Posted in Jesus Christ, Judgment Seat of Christ, Revelation, Salvation by
Whether you believe in the pre-trib, mid-trib, post trib-rapture
No matter if you favor a pre-millennial or amillennial reign of Christ
One thing is certain
The ungodly will be judged
Those who have died in their sins
Will be resurrected for judgment
They will stand before Him who is
Holy, Righteous and Just

Until that day, those who died without Christ
Those who declared their innocence
Rejected the free offer of forgiveness through the blood of the Lamb
Are bound in Hades…waiting to present their case
Before heaven and earth pass away
The sea will give up it’s dead
Graves will be emptied and the eternal souls of the ungodly
Will be summoned to stand before God for their final sentence
God the Father has given all authority
To Jesus Christ His Son
The ungodly have chosen to be judged according to their deeds
By the One who is Holy, Righteous and Just
God who is omniscient
Has kept a detailed, perfect, comprehensive record
He has flawlessly recorded every thought, every word and every deed
Omniscience has recorded it all
Mans works vs. God’s perfect standard
Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect
Be ye holy; for I am holy
God declares, “All your works are as filthy rags!”
God will bring to light that which is hidden in the darkness
He will expose the motives of men’s hearts
By their own words they will be condemned
The Charge:  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
Rather than plead guilty and receive a pardon through Jesus Christ
The One to whom they must give an account
Those who plead innocent
Have chosen to face a tribunal before God

Each punishment will be unique
Torment will come from a conscience that cannot be silenced
The Sentence…GUILTY
The Punishment…eternal suffering in the Lake of Fire

By Susan Bunts Wachtel
June 2, 2010

It seems as if my prayer list for salvation has grown exponentially.   Knowing the reality and the permanent eternal consequences of rejecting the offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ…I am compelled to pray. 

This poem was inspired by our Kindred’s Berean Bible Study on Sunday morning and John MacArthur’s sermon on Revelation 20:11-15. 

Contemplating Sin

Posted in Christian Films, Entertainment, Hollywood, Jesus Christ, Obedience, Provident Films, Regrets, Sin by



The following comment was received by “Imma Hypocrite”:

We view sin as entertainment when it comes in the form in movies, books, TV and music.

I, too, believe this. My question for God is… what are my options?

Do I completely shun worldly entertainments and give up time with my husband and friends who love movies?

Tho my circle of family and friends are dedicated Christians, workers in the church they are not as contemplative of these things.  It is contemplation which grows the hatred for sin simply because…it is not something the one I love foremost, enjoys, likes, tolerates, etc

The only way I can condone ‘Hollywood entertainment’ is to engage in it for the sake of developing a friendship with a lost one or newly saved one—the meeting at the well or the eating with Zacchaeus?.

It’s a lonely place to be.
 
 
Dear Friend,

In looking at your blog…I see that you too contemplate the things of God. 

Indeed Jesus reached out to those who were unsaved or those young in their faith.  He would talk or dine with sinners whom society or the religious leaders shunned.  Praise God…He is still the same yesterday, today and forever.  Because Jesus is still reaching out…I was saved from the consequences of my sin.
 
When Jesus met people…He challenged them, He confronted their sin, He caused them to, “Choose this day Whom you will serve.”  He encouraged them to repent, to turn their back on their sinful ways and walk in a manner worthy of their high calling.
 
Some examples that come to mind are the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the rich young ruler, Nicodemus, and the woman caught in adultery.  Not everyone repented…but it didn’t keep Jesus from confronting them with the truth from God’s Word.  It’s ironic that it was the religious leaders who couldn’t see past their own self righteousness and recognize their own sin. 
 
Jesus may have dined with them or talked with them, but He never joined them in their sin.  Instead Jesus confronted sin…be it overt sin or the sin hidden in the thoughts and intentions of hearts. 
 
One reason it’s hard for Christians, including me, to feel comfortable talking with someone in a very straightforward manner about sin is due to our own sin and past failures.   We feel like damaged good…but praise God He uses broken vessels to accomplish His purposes and plans.   God can use those who walk in obedience to be salt and light where He has placed us. 
 
We will never regret walking a life of obedience and holiness.  But there will come a day when we will regret not taking a stand, or compromising what we know is right.  It may not be easy and sometime even lonely, but compared to the rich rewards in heaven, to quote the Apostle Paul…it’s not even worthy to be compared.
 
Jesus gave His all…what should I withhold from Him?
 
We are cleansed by the washing of the Word.  It’s there we are confronted with our own sinfulness and with God’s perfect standard and the requirements of the law fulfilled only in Jesus Christ.  It’s through prayer that our relationship is strengthened and our love for God grows as we come to know Him more.   
 
The more I read God’s word…the harder it is to look upon that which Hollywood and the recording industry try to pass off as entertainment.  What’s funny about adultery?  What’s amusing about women or men displaying their bodies in a way that is meant for private intimacy within marriage?  What’s entertaining about murder, or stealing or drug use and alcohol abuse?  What’s edifying about filthy language? 
 
It’s hard to see the sin that Christ died for as entertainment. 
 
My dear friend…surely you aren’t the only one in your circle of friends that feels uncomfortable with Hollywood’s entertainment.  I’ll bet if you voiced you feelings….not in a condemning or arrogant manner, but heartfelt…you might find others feel likewise and are just looking for someone to stand with them. 
 
Thankfully these days, we are offered more choices in the Christian community.  I’m so grateful for the work of Christian filmmakers like Provident Films which offers good Christian entertainment.  Perhaps a place to start is by finding some good, clean entertainment alternatives for family and friends.
 
It’s my prayer that we will have the courage as Christians to live each day in the light of eternity.
 

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Sin

Posted in Death, Hell, Jesus Christ, Sin by

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:22-23

This week I was thinking about sin and the devastating eternal consequences of it.  I hate sin!  I hate that which is within me that motivates me to sin.  I hate sin in other people and the consequences of sin. 

It’s ironic…but when we are tempted to sin…when we choose to go down that wrong path…we don’t think beyond the moment.  We don’t see how it will impact us in the future and harm others too…like our spouses, children, friends, neighbors and co-workers. 

We blame God for sin when we say that He made us that way.  Well…no He didn’t.  Our sinful natures are a consequence of the fall.  God didn’t make us sinful…He paid the penalty for our sin through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.  He paid the price so we don’t have to suffer the eternal consequences. 

  • Sin is motivated by our selfish and prideful nature.
  • We are willfully blinded to the cost of sin and the long term effect.
  • We are no more like Satan than when we purposefully and willfully choose to sin against God and man. 
  • We engage in it.
  • We refuse to repent of it.
  • We applaud others who engage in sin.
  • We laugh at sin.
  • We feel better about our own sin when we see someone who is more sinful. 
  • We ignore it.
  • We are too timid to confront others who are engaged in sin.
  • We turn a blind eye to sin.
  • We fail to recognize it on our own lives.
  • We view sin as entertainment when it comes in the form in movies, books, TV and music. 
  • We make excuses for sin.
  • We call sin something other than what it is.
  • We fail to recognize that sin is more than just the outward actions, but it starts and comes from within.
  • What’s going on in my heart and my thought life is every bit as sinful as the person engaged in blatant outward sin
  • Most people agree that murder, adultery and stealing are sinful.  But what about gossip or spreading a bad report?  What about murmuring or complaining?
  • Unbelief is a sin…just ask the Jews who wandered in the desert for 40 years.  What about an ungrateful heart?
  • We fail to grasp the eternal consequences of sin for those who refuse to accept God’s remedy through Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • We put hell out of our mind and don’t think about eternal suffering and separation from God. 
  • We cooperate with Satan when we sin.
  • Satan delights in seeing a Christian sin because of the reproach it brings upon Jesus Christ. 
  • Satan desires to keep humans created in God’s image out of heaven. 
  • Hell is what we deserve…but if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and His death on the cross as payment in full…we will be given that which we don’t deserve. 
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