Most recent public comments by Peri Wood https://nowcomment.com/users/69029 https://nowcomment.com/documents/244218?scroll_to=2228719 https://nowcomment.com/documents/244218?scroll_to=2228719 This is a great reminder for all christians- new and mature. Whether you have just been saved or have been saved for many years, salvation is by faith and not at all by works. Sometimes the more you grow in your walk with God, the more you focus on what you are doing for God. And you can easily forget that your salvation and God's love for you do not change based on your works. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:06:51 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/242708?scroll_to=2210499 https://nowcomment.com/documents/242708?scroll_to=2210499 One of the ways we can avoid being judgmental and/or hypocritical is to imitate God in that He is not impartial. We should love EVERYONE not just other Christians or our family. If we showed biblical love to everyone, the way God has commanded us to do, and treated everyone as better than ourselves, I think Christians would be thought of in a better light. Phil. 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves," Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/240393?scroll_to=2185673 https://nowcomment.com/documents/240393?scroll_to=2185673 This verse(v.22) stood out to me, because it is the same attitude that many people have today. Throughout history and even now there are people who refuse to acknowledge God and they choose to pursue temporal things as if they were eternal. Just today I saw a news segment on self-care and making sure you love yourself, the other day I saw an article about how to stop living for others and start living for yourself. They have put themselves in the place of God in their hearts. They claim to have found the deeper meaning to life. These people claim to be wise but they are missing the point. Life is not meant to be lived for ourselves, life is meant to be lived for God- for His glory, not our own. Christian's can easily develop the same attitude, we have to make sure that our aim is to honor God- not ourselves. (2 Cor.5:15)And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/233576?scroll_to=2122923 https://nowcomment.com/documents/233576?scroll_to=2122923 God has commissioned us to preach the gospel to everyone, but He did not ever expect us to do it alone. God knows we need Him and He often encouraged us to depend on Him alone. When we try to do things for God in our own strength, we often fail. But if we look to God to help, strengthen and work with us, impossible things become possible. Imagine what great things God would accomplish through a willing, dependent, and devoted follower! Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/231221?scroll_to=2093048 https://nowcomment.com/documents/231221?scroll_to=2093048 I just thought it was interesting that a prominent member of the counsel did something so humbling. Of course it would be an honor to bury Jesus but it would also be hard work to get Him down from the cross, wrap Him in a cloth and take Him to the tomb. It would be a physically awkward, and gross situation if you think of how heavy a person is and how much blood and sweat and dirt would be on His body. Also, probably a lot of people would know what Joseph did and would look down on him for it. Joseph chose to honor Jesus even though it would only hurt his reputation. Would I do the same? Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/231221?scroll_to=2093035 https://nowcomment.com/documents/231221?scroll_to=2093035 Pilate knew Jesus did not deserve crucifixion but he gave in to the crowd's demands. We are also easily persuaded by others and can give in to sin or even mocking the Bible, prayer etc. It is important to choose wisely who we listen to and who we are around. We need to be constantly keeping our hearts close to Jesus in order to guard our hearts from giving in to the world. Galatians 1:10"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." To follow Christ means pleasing Him over pleasing men, even if it means you are unpopular or even hated. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/226422?scroll_to=2062833 https://nowcomment.com/documents/226422?scroll_to=2062833 Most of us do not live lives with huge and illustrious opportunities to do "great" works for God(in the world's opinion). But every one of us has the ability and opportunity to serve God in the way He intends for us. Whether it seems big or small to the world, anything we do to glorify God and work for Him is seen by God. God knows the sacrifices we make, even when the world sees them as mistakes. I think this tells us to do what we can to glorify God and serve Him even if it is deemed a "waste" by the world. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/207592?scroll_to=1927659 https://nowcomment.com/documents/207592?scroll_to=1927659 Jesus knew many who followed Him would suffer for His name and the sake of the Gospel. I think this verse is Jesus trying to prepare us for persecution, by telling us the hard truth. It is out of love that He prepares us through His Word and through trials for the persecution we will face. Often in our culture we do not talk or really think about the extreme persecution that is happening right now to Christians all over the world. It is unpleasant and sometimes worrying to think of persecution and suffering but we must not turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters in Christ or to the very real possibility of us experiencing the same in our lives. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/205656?scroll_to=1912584 https://nowcomment.com/documents/205656?scroll_to=1912584 God has made all things and He has made us. All that we have and are is from God. Ultimately we should be surrendering all of our lives and things to God for His purposes. I also think God really wants our hearts and a deep relationship with us. 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200299?scroll_to=1891779 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200299?scroll_to=1891779 I see a lot of people in the world today who claim to be Christian's but it is only for appearances sake. They do a lot of the easy outward things like, wear crosses, go to church on holidays, post verses on Facebook, ect. But they are not willing to deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow Jesus everyday. They do not truly want to change or do the hard every day work of being a follower of Christ. I think we are all often in danger of this as well, so we must be diligent and stay near Christ. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200299?scroll_to=1891772 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200299?scroll_to=1891772 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200306?scroll_to=1876892 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200306?scroll_to=1876892 I often think how much good could be done for the poor and needy if God would only make me rich! As I start dreaming up big ideas of how to help others, I often start getting sidetracked by what I would like to get from the money and I start becoming very self-righteous. Having wealth is not sin, but 1 Timothy 6:10 "10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." We must take what God has given us and use it wisely and for Him, whether we have much or little, God knows what we need and He will take care of us. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200306?scroll_to=1876868 https://nowcomment.com/documents/200306?scroll_to=1876868 I think we need to be like children in that they trustingly accept that which they cannot understand and are careful to obey that which their Father tells them, all the while lovingly clinging to their Father for protection and love. Obviously not all children or fathers act this way, but we must look to God as our Father in heaven, trusting, obeying and clinging to Him. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/196952?scroll_to=1850749 https://nowcomment.com/documents/196952?scroll_to=1850749 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/192673?scroll_to=1805583 https://nowcomment.com/documents/192673?scroll_to=1805583 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/184884?scroll_to=1738143 https://nowcomment.com/documents/184884?scroll_to=1738143 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/179119?scroll_to=1684187 https://nowcomment.com/documents/179119?scroll_to=1684187 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/173947?scroll_to=1645724 https://nowcomment.com/documents/173947?scroll_to=1645724 2 Tim. 4:18. Matthew 6:25-29 Daniel 4:35 Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800 https://nowcomment.com/documents/173947?scroll_to=1645597 https://nowcomment.com/documents/173947?scroll_to=1645597 Proverbs 4:23 - Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Philippians 4:8 - Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:45:21 -0800