Blog Archive

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Lessons of life

AN OLD WOMAN WALKED UP AND TIED HER OLD MULE TO THE HITCHING POST.
AS SHE STOOD THERE, BRUSHING SOME OF THE DUST FROM HER FACE AND CLOTHES, A YOUNG GUNSLINGER STEPPED OUT OF THE SALOON WITH A GUN IN ONE HAND AND A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY IN THE OTHER. THE YOUNG GUNSLINGER LOOKED AT THE OLD WOMAN AND LAUGHED, “HEY OLD WOMAN, HAVE YOU EVER DANCED?”
THE OLD WOMAN LOOKED UP AT THE GUNSLINGER AND SAID, “NO,… I NEVER DID DANCE… NEVER REALLY WANTED TO.”
A CROWD HAD GATHERED AS THE GUNSLINGER GRINNED AND SAID “WELL, YOU OLD BAG, YOU’RE GONNA DANCE NOW,” AND STARTED SHOOTING AT THE OLD WOMAN’S FEET.
THE OLD WOMAN PROSPECTOR — NOT WANTING TO GET HER TOE BLOWN OFF –STARTED HOPPING AROUND. EVERYBODY WAS LAUGHING. WHEN HIS LAST BULLET HAD BEEN FIRED, THE YOUNG GUNSLINGER, STILL LAUGHING, HOLSTERED HIS GUN AND TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK INTO THE SALOON.
THE OLD WOMAN TURNED TO HER PACK MULE, PULLED OUT A DOUBLE-BARRELED SHOTGUN, AND COCKED BOTH HAMMERS.
THE LOUD CLICKS CARRIED CLEARLY THROUGH THE DESERT AIR, AND THE CROWD STOPPED LAUGHING IMMEDIATELY.
THE YOUNG GUNSLINGER HEARD THE SOUNDS, TOO, AND HE TURNED AROUND VERY SLOWLY. THE SILENCE WAS ALMOST DEAFENING. THE CROWD WATCHED AS THE YOUNG GUNMAN STARED AT THE OLD WOMAN AND THE LARGE GAPING HOLES OF THOSE TWIN BARRELS.
THE BARRELS OF THE SHOTGUN NEVER WAVERED IN THE OLD WOMAN’S HANDS, AS SHE QUIETLY SAID, “SON, HAVE YOU EVER KISSED A MULE’S ASS?”
THE GUNSLINGER SWALLOWED HARD AND SAID, “NO M’AM… BUT I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO.
THERE ARE FIVE LESSONS HERE FOR ALL OF US:
1 – Never be arrogant.
2 – Don’t waste ammunition.
3 – Whiskey makes you think you’re smarter than you are.
4 – Always make sure you know who has the power.
5 – Don’t mess with old people; they didn’t get old by being stupid.

Doubting Thomas

 Thomas was deeply committed to his master, yet he struggled with many doubts and questions. On the day He rose from the dead Jesus appeared to a group of disciples in a room. For some unknown reason, Thomas was not there (John 20:19-24). The disciples later told Thomas and Thomas told them that he would not believe unless he seen and put his fingers in the holes the nails made and put his hand into His side he would not believe (John 20:25). That's how Thomas got his nickname and it has stayed with him throughout history.

 Thomas told the other disciples that he needed proof before he could believe Jesus had risen from the dead, he was being honest. Faith does not prohibit investigation. Eight days later the disciples met together again and this time Thomas was there. Jesus asked Thomas to touch His wounds (John 20:27). Jesus knew what Thomas needed to believe. From there He guided Thomas back to faith. 

Friday, March 26, 2021

Gods Word

 Everything in the Old Covenant is centered on the physical world. The promises, the curses, the worship, the Temple, the festivals… all are physically oriented, but point to a great reality that was to come; this is called “typology” and these things are called “types.”  Thus, the Land and the Sabbath are “types” of something wonderful that the people of the Old Testament had no real concept of… eternity.  When Jesus began speaking of eternal life, He was speaking of something that the Old Testament made no mention of… at all. All of the promises in the Law were earthly, not one was eternal in scope.  Jews do not die and go to Heaven; they die and live through their children. If you don’t believe me, ask one of your Jewish friends.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021


 What has Duterte really achieved? The most significant is that he has been able to centralize and consolidate power. He controls Congress – both the Senate and House of Representatives. He controls the Supreme Court – even ousting then-chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He was able to imprison his foremost critic, Senator Leila de Lima, on trumped-up charges. Besides having control of the Philippine National Police, he also has won over the loyalty of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He has indeed achieved political hegemony reminiscent of the era of dictator Ferdinand Marcos without declaring martial law all over the country – except Mindanao, which is under perpetual martial law (thanks to the acquiescence of Congress and the Supreme Court). He was even able to muzzle the press and media people critical of him. He can practically do anything he likes – even if it is against the Constitution, which he regards as just toilet paper.

 

Why the disciples returned to fishing after Jesus died on the cross?

Before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the necessities of Him and the disciples seem to have been provided by the charity of other individuals (Luke 8:3). It is probable that after the crucifixion there were no more sources of income and not fully knowing how they were to be employed they returned to their former way of life and that was fishing. The seven mentioned in John 21:2 fished in the sea of Tiberias also known as the sea of Galilee. This fishing expedition revealed the uncertainty of the disciples.  

Bible

 Were there really fiery serpents sent by God to plague the offenders of Israel? Did a man named Moses receive a remedy from God which entailed a staff and a brazen serpent? Is this Biblical account reliable history?

The following paragraphs are from the book The Bible as History:

Surprisingly enough, quite recently we have had archaeological confirmation of two occurrences in the Biblical account of the journey through the desert, which nobody would have expected in this connection. In spite of all the planning and systematic work, chance nevertheless has its part to play in archaeology, and chance does not always pay any attention to what the scholars expect! In this case, it enabled the Israeli archaeologist Benno Rothenberg to discover a “serpent of brass” and a tabernacle in the copper mine area of Timna (Wadi Arabah).

It is reported that there was a similar idol in the temple at Jerusalem which was not removed until it was broken in pieces by King Hiskia (Hezekiah) of Judah, who reigned around 700 B.C. (2 Kings 18:4).[End of quote]

Many years later, the children of Israel transgressed against God in the matter of the brazen serpent. II Kings 18:4 speaks of King Hezekiah and Nehushtan:

He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

The Bible as History continues:

The serpent idol naturally reminds us of the Sumerian serpent staff on a vase dedicated to the god of life, Ningizidda. It reminds us, too, of the Aesculapius’s staff of a later phase of Classical Antiquity, as well as of the numerous serpents of Ancient Egypt. Already at the beginning of this century, a German scholar, H. Gressmann, had asserted that the “brazen serpent” in the Bible must have been taken over from the Midianites with whom the Israelis were in contact during the journey through the desert.

According to the Bible, the Midianites were descended from Abraham’s wife, Keturah (Gen. 25:2-6) and Reuel (or Jethro), a priest of the Midianites, who was the father-in-law, adviser, and co-celebrant “before the Lord” (Ex. 2:16, 3:1, 18:1) of Moses. The Israelites are supposed to owe the strange cult of the brazen serpent to Reuel. It is not without a touch of dramatic effect that we note that it was at an archaeological site showing signs of Midianite occupation that Benno Rothenberg’s found an idol in the form of a brazen serpent five inches in length and partly decorated with gold. As though this sensational confirmation of an important part of the Biblical accounts of the journey through the desert, which have been the object of so much discussion, were not enough, this small bronze serpent was found in the Holy of Holies of a tabernacle! [End of quote]


Saturday, February 27, 2021

 The basis for the written and spoken language of the Cherokee Indians of Tennessee is ancient paleo-Hebrew. What is even more interesting is that the ancient Roman Jew, the historian Flavius Josephus, describes in his Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans how the Jewish people after being defeated in what is known as The Jewish War (circa 75 AD), fled across the Atlantic Ocean to a land they called Epeiros Occidentalis or "Western Continent".

Friday, February 26, 2021

 The word Tennessee is literally translated from the ancient Egyptian language as tenne (meaning land) and esse ( Greek for Isis) or "Land of Isis". The Egyptian word Sawanee or Sau An means the "Children of Osiris" and also may refer to a body of water. From this word we get the word Savannah, which is the names for towns in Florida and Georgia and for a the Savannah River.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

 The Roman Catholic church, headquartered in Rome, Italy, has its own powerful City-State, the Vatican. The Roman Catholic church unofficially came into being in 312 A.D., at the time of the so-called "miraculous conversion" to Christianity of the Roman Emperor Constantine but he still worshipped the sun god. Although Christianity was not made the official religion of the Roman Empire until the edicts of Theodosius I in 380 and 381 A.D., Constantine, from 312 A.D. until his death in 337, was engaged in the process of simultaneously building pagan temples and Christian churches, and was slowly turning over the reins of his pagan priesthood to the Bishop of Rome. However, the family of Constantine did not give up the last vestige of his priesthood until after the disintegration of the Roman Empire – that being the title the emperors bore as heads of the pagan priesthood – Pontifex Maximus – a title which the popes would inherit. The popes also inherited Constantine's titles as the self-appointed civil head of the church – Summus Pontifex (Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Bishops).

Prior to the time of Constantine's "conversion," Christians were persecuted not so much for their profession of faith in Christ, but because they would not include pagan deities in their faith as well. Then, with Constantine's emphasis on making his new-found Christianity palatable to the heathen in the Empire, the "Christianization" of these pagan deities was facilitated. For example, pagan rituals and idols gradually took on Christian meanings and names and were incorporated into "Christian" worship (e.g., "saints" replaced the cult of pagan gods in both worship and as patrons of cities; mother/son statues were renamed Mary and Jesus; etc.), and pagan holidays were reclassified as Christian holy days (e.g., the Roman Lupercalia and the feast of purification of Isis became the Feast of the Nativity; the Saturnalia celebrations were replaced by Christmas celebrations; an ancient festival of the dead was replaced by All Souls Day, rededicated to Christian heroes [now Halloween]; etc.). A transition had occurred – instead of being persecuted for failure to worship pagan deities, Christians who did not agree with the particular orthodoxy backed by the Emperor were now persecuted in the name of Christ! "Christianized" Rome had become the legitimate successor of pagan Rome! This is the sad origin of the Roman Catholic Church as it compromised from the very beginning with paganism and in doing so became a cult serving the creature (Mary) more than the creator (Jesus).

Sunday, February 7, 2021

 LORD GOD, thank YOU very much for all the Blessings that YOU never get tired of giving us. Even if we are not worthy of YOUR Love, YOU are still there to Love us. LORD, we are humbly asking for forgiveness from YOU for all our sins, whether they are intentional or not - please forgive us. Cleanse our Hearts and remove all the negative emotions that we hold. LORD, I lift my future to YOU. May YOU straighten the path that I am walking each day. Cause me to make wise, GODly choices for my Life- choices that will honor YOU. Please be with me on my Journey, LORD. YOU will serve as my guide and refuge. LORD, though I am a sinner, fragile in temptation and often my Faith is weak, I Pray that YOU will not let go of me, but hold me in YOUR Loving Arms. LORD, we need YOU. Pour YOUR Love and Forgiveness out to the world. Touch each one of us. Make each of us your instrument of Love so, that other people can know YOU. Give each of us enough wisdom to reveal YOUR Greatness to others. Dear LORD, we will not get tired of worshiping YOU. From the smallest to the greatest of YOUR Blessings, I will be in debt until my death. May the Love that first came from YOU reign in the Life of every child reading this Prayer. Use us for YOUR plans. LORD, I Pray that YOU will stop this spreading disease - heal our land. This is causing huge damage to our Families and Communities. Please take care of us, LORD. YOU are our only hope and strength. LORD GOD, all the Praise and Thanksgiving are YOURS, in the name of JESUS, AMEN!!! I Love you, LORD!!!

🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️

Saturday, February 6, 2021

 None can do good without the grace of God, the strength of Christ, and the help of the Spirit; there is not even a spiritual man that can do perfect good. We all have sin in us. The works of the flesh produce evil, meaning that we are naturally weak and are being opposed by evil spirits and by evil men. Our good intentions can easily be derailed. The fruit of the Spirit results in doing good (Galatians 5 19-26). 

Christians often feel that there are so many things that need to be done that they can't possibly do it all. Remember, we can only do one thing at a time. We as individuals can only do so much. We should schedule times to rest (Mark 6:31). We can be over-committed to a cause. This can cause burnout and say what's the use. Discernment is essential here. Often times all God wants from us is to take a deep breath and calm down (Psalm46:10: Luke10:41). 

We will never grow weary of doing good if we have Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:24). We should

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Grace

Grace provides justification for sins. (3:21 – 5:21)
  1. Grace as justification for sin is by faith in Jesus Christ (3:21-31)
  2. Grace has now been fully revealed to us through Jesus Christ. (3:21-23)
  3. Sinners are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ (3:24-26)
  4. Sinners are justified apart from works of the Law (3:27-28)
  5. Grace is available to all people (3:29-30)
  6. Law is upheld by the proper working of grace (3:31)
If you look carefully at these points, you easily see that Paul has made an interesting argument that grace provides us justification for our sins by faith in Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Thursday, October 8, 2020

 I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following:

1 After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.
2 I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.
3 I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.
4 I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.
5 I stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.
6 I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
7 I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.”
8 I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.
9 I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
10 I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.
11 I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.
12 I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.
13 I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.
14 I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!
I

 Question: What about our country USA by helping our own people and so we can bring God back and then help others around the world as a nation to help our own country because as its deteriorating?

Profile: Male, North America, 36—45

Answered by: Matt Hilgeman, who has been a volunteer with us since August, 2019.

Answer: Thank you for your question. It is very timely as our country seems to be suffering more and more every day. Though it may seem difficult at times, Christians are called to submit to the government of their country. Romans 13:1 tells us, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God." Not only are we called to submit, but we are also called to pray for our leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1–4 states, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." Probably the most important thing you can do for your country and your leaders is to pray for them. Pray that they have a saving relationship with Jesus, and that they lead the country by His principles.

An interesting correlation could be made with 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." This promise was made by God to His chosen people, the Israelites, through their king Solomon. It is important to recognize that the United States does not have a covenant relationship with God as Israel does, but this is a perfect reminder that God can hear our prayers, and He is the only One with the power to heal our land. This should give us Christians confidence to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

As our nation nears a very important election, it is so important for us to realize that God is ultimately in control, not man. He will give us the leader we need at the appointed time. Though we have an obligation as Christians and citizens to go out and vote for biblical principles, the results are up to God alone. Try to not get overwhelmed with the negative images and rhetoric that comes at us through every medium available. As Christians, we serve a God who is good, loving, and merciful. We not only need to be confident that God will ultimately win, but we also need to have boldness to share God’s love with those who don’t know Him. These desperate times should give us new resolve to help sinners find their Savior.

Therefore, pray for our leaders, pray for wisdom on how to vote, and pray for those who don’t know Jesus. Always remember that "Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion", says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him!" (Lamentations 3:22–24). God has already secured the victory, and no matter what happens to our nation as a whole, Jesus reminds us that "My Father, who has given them to Me is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one." (John 10:29–30). Finally, Paul the Apostle tells us plainly, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38–39). Hold on to these promises and don’t fear in the midst of our nation’s trials. God is on the throne, and He will sustain us. May God bless you as you seek to serve Him!

 

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Politics

 Filipino politics. And also defines the filipino psyche

Duterte, while campaigning, I will eliminate corruption. Or kill me.
A few years into his rule, and covering up his buddies, including the department of tourism secretary who openly said She won't return the 60 million peso plus the stuff she took home ... And customs chief caught with his hands in the cookie jar (rewarded by a transfer), and the massive Phil health scam (no corruption per boss)
Duterte "it's hard to eliminate corruption"
Voters: especially those paid trolls "yeah, we understand"
Case 2. 2 politicians strike an agreement, guy 1 will be speaker for half term, guy 2 will take over next
Come guy 1s term expiry, guy 1s supporters "we won't let go of this term as guy 2 is not good, he tried to dislodge guy 1. So guy 1 will continue".
Wrong you say ? I have had pinay GFs like that. Like "I will not honour my word because you looked like you didn't respect me for something trivial"

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Harvest

 There will be a full moon October 1 on Thursday at 5:05 pm. This is the Harvest Moon. Our country and world are truly ready for a spiritual harvest. Sin is rampant and even approved by people, but God has never approved of sin. God calls all of us to repent, turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There will be no debate in Heaven as God knows the truth about our spiritual condition.

The Real War Daddy - Destroyed 12 Tanks and 258 Armoured Vehicles in 81 Days


The Real War Daddy - Destroyed 12 Tanks and 258 Armoured Vehicles in 81 Days

It is well

 Did you know, the song "It Is Well With My Soul" was written by a successful Christian lawyer Heratio Spafford. His only son died at age 4 in 1871. In 1872, the great Chicago fire wiped out his vast estate, made from a successful legal career. In 1873 he sent his wife and four daughters over to Europe on a summer trip on the ill fated SS Ville du Havre. Since he had a lot of work to do, he planned to follow them later. The ship sank and he lost his four daughters with the wife being the only survivor. She sent him a famous telegram which simply read, "SAVED ALONE......" On his return home, his Law firm was burned down and the insurance company refused to pay him. They said, iIt's an act of God." He had no money to pay for his house and no work, he also lost his house. Then while sitting and thinking what's happening to him, being a spiritual person, he wrote a song - "Whatever, my Lord, You have taught me to say - It is well, it is well with my soul." My dear friend, a good attitude will determine your altitude. When you look at your life, career, job or family life, what do you say? Do you praise God? Do you blame the devil? A good attitude towards God makes Him move on your behalf. Just sit down and say, "Today, God, it is well with my soul, I am thankful I had a peaceful sleep, I am thankful I am alive with possibilities, I am thankful I have a roof over me, I am thankful I have a job, I am thankful that I have family and friends. Above all, I am thankful that I have the Lord Jesus Christ on my side." Be blessed and don't be envious or shocked when others are prospering because you don't know what they have been through to get there (test, trials and tribulation) so thank God for what you have. "Little is much when God is in it. It is well With my soul!" Touch someone's life with this message. If God is for us, who can be against us? God bless y'all

Monday, September 28, 2020

Trust

Trust is foundational to human relationship, but not all people are trustworthy. So how can we know whom to trust and with what? The Bible gives us advice. 

We must first acknowledge that all humans are sinful (Romans 3:23). More than likely our trust will be broken at some point in several relationships. Perhaps even more sobering to realize, we will hurt others in our relationships and prove ourselves unworthy of their complete trust. But this is not a reason to avoid relationship or decide to never trust. Rather, this understanding helps us reset our expectations. Sometimes we feel betrayed or as if our trust is broken simply because we expected the other person to be and do what only God is and does. Any time we put our trust in another human to be our God, we will be disappointed, and rightly so. At the same time, we may expect another person to be honest or to act with integrity or to fulfill a promise and still find our trust broken. But, again, the answer is not to avoid relationship all together. Rather, we must rely on God first and put our trust ultimately in Him. 

Psalm 118:8–9 says, "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes." Proverbs 3:5–6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." When our trust is first in God—not in others or in ourselves—we are free to trust others. An understanding that God is sovereign and that He works on behalf of His children (Romans 8:28–29) removes much of our fear in relating to others. We know that even if we are betrayed, God will never forsake us. Hebrews 13 gives some instructions for Christian living. In part, it reminds followers of Jesus that God has said, "'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5–6). 

That our trust is ultimately in God instead of others does not mean that we blindly trust everyone with everything. Jesus warned His disciples, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). It is good to recognize that not all people have pure motives and to temper our trust accordingly. Proverbs 13:20 says, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." First Corinthians 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.'" Proverbs 22:24–25 says, "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare." Second Corinthians 6:14 cautions believers from being unequally yoked with other believers in close relationships such as marriage. We must be discerning about our relationships and the people to whom we give our trust. 

Equally important is discernment about the institutions or societal influencers we trust. First John 4:1 says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." Just because a particular teaching appears to have authority or popular acceptance does not mean it is biblically sound. While we should submit to our leaders (Romans 13:1–7), we cannot blindly trust everything we hear from sources of supposed authority. We should be especially skeptical of institutions with worldly motives. 

While caution is advised in giving trust, engaging in trusting relationships with others is rewarding and biblical. Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 talks about the ways in which "two are better than one." Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:5–6 says, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." Hebrews 10:24–25 talks about the importance of believers gathering together and stirring one another up to love and good works. Ephesians 4:15 talks about speaking truth to one another in love. Real trust includes willingness to be honest with one another, even if that honesty feels awkward or potentially painful. There is no substitute for faithful friends and vibrant Christian community. When we can live in trusting relationships with one another, we edify and encourage one another. 

One practical way to go about learning to trust others is to focus on being trustworthy yourself. Being a person others can trust involves honesty and integrity. It means keeping your word, not belittling others, admitting when you are wrong, seeking forgiveness, being willing to forgive as you have been forgiven in Christ, and having the courage to share the truths of God's Word and to strive to live them out. 

Psalm 1 declares that the man who delights in the law of the Lord is blessed. When we seek God's kingdom and His ways first, we will draw closer to Him and our trust in Him will increase. We will also learn to be trustworthy people ourselves. As we do these things, we can learn to more freely trust others. We can ask God for discernment in whom to trust and with what things, and ultimately trust Him with the results.