Genesis 18:18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
The love of God for His creation has and continues to cover a multitude of the sins of mankind. We know not what we do.
Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Philemon 1:6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
Every good and perfect gift comes from God through His Son, Jesus. We are created in the image of God and He is good! Carla
Paul prays that Philemon’s faith will be effective—a term that speaks of being in good working order. Working faith is a sharing faith; it is the acknowledgment of what Christ has done in the believer’s life (Ephesians 3:17–19). That kind of faith will also result in the sharing of possessions with other believers. The NKJV Study Bible
The aim of my thanksgiving and prayers for thee is, in order that the, &c. the communication of thy faith—the imparting of it and its fruits (namely, acts of love and beneficence: as Hebrews 13:16, “to communicate,” that is, to impart a share) to others; or, the liberality to others flowing from thy faith (so the Greek is translated, “liberal distribution,” 2 Corinthians 9:13).
effectual by—Greek, “in”; the element in which his liberality had place, that is, may be proved by acts in,
acknowledging—Greek, “the thorough knowledge,” that is, the experimental or practical recognition.
of every good thing which is in you—The oldest manuscripts read, “which is in us,” that is, the practical recognition of every grace which is in us Christians, in so far as we realize the Christian character. In short, that thy faith may by acts be proved to be “a faith which worketh by love.”
Paul never ceases to mention him in his prayers, in order that his faith may still further show its power in his relation to others, by exhibiting every grace which is in Christians to the glory of Christ. Thus he paves the way for the request in behalf of Onesimus. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
"Whatever is honored will be cultivated." Plato reminded us.
Say, “If love still breathes in human hearts, then peace is not so far to know.”
But that’s not always easy in a world that feels upside down. And yet. Very ordinary people have taken on "the impossible" time and time again.
The good news? This isn’t a ploy. It comes from who we are. It spills from the inside out. Because here's the deal: This capacity—for love, compassion, kindness, truth, forgiveness, justice, restoration—is within. Every one of us. These are the weapons of the Spirit.
Nelson Mandela reminded us that “No one is born hating another person... People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Let’s digest that: We are hardwired to not hurt each other. Which means that if we hate, we have to dehumanize one another.
What I do know, is that an act of gentle courage has my name on it.
Maybe even today. Sabbath Moments
Reading God's Word is the way to truly and deeply know Him on this side of heaven! So let's consider three ways the Bible proves itself to us through some of its own internal evidence:
1. Unity.
The Scriptures were written:
Over approximately 2,000 years.
By at least 40 different authors from various backgrounds, from shepherds to scholars.
In three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek).
In, across, and from various continents (Asia, Africa, and Europe).
Yet the Old and New Testaments together convey a single, unified message: God created the world good, but humanity fell into sin and death. Yet we have hope because God, in His love, sent Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for sin on the cross and then defeat the grave.Through faith in Christ, we can receive eternal life. The Bible's coherence and harmony about this message is nothing short of miraculous.
2. Prophecy.
The Bible also contains hundreds of prophecies that have been fulfilled with remarkable accuracy, giving us confidence that any as yet unfulfilled will surely be completed in the future. Take Isaiah 53, written around 700 B. C. , which vividly describes the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ in the first century. The prophecy aligns with the gospel with striking precision, down to the tiniest detail like Jesus' burial in a rich man's tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60). This is just one example of how fulfilled prophecies reinforce the divine origin and authenticity of God's Word.
3. Eyewitnesses.
In a court of law today, eyewitness testimony remains one of the most crucial forms of evidence. The New Testament is informed by many eyewitness testimonies all repeating the same overall account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle John affirmed this in 1 John 1:1-3, emphasizing that he and others reported "[that] which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands." The Bible offers more eyewitness testimony for Jesus' resurrection than what is often required to convict criminals in our world's best court systems.
And all this only scratches the surface of the persuasive evidence for biblical authentication! Still, the primary persuasive work is that of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. When we read with faith, we experience how "the word of God is living and active ... discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). First5
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