"THE SIMPLICITY... IN CHRIST" 2 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV)

Right Standing With God
John 5:24Living Bible (TLB)
24 “I say emphatically that anyone who listens to my message and believes in God who sent me has eternal life, and will never be damned for his sins, but has already passed out of death into life.
Romans 4:14-16Living Bible (TLB)

14 So if you still claim that God’s blessings go to those who are “good enough,” then you are saying that God’s promises to those who have faith are meaningless, and faith is foolish. 15 But the fact of the matter is this: when we try to gain God’s blessing and salvation by keeping his laws we always end up under his anger, for we always fail to keep them. The only way we can keep from breaking laws is not to have any to break!
16 So God’s blessings are given to us by faith, as a free gift; we are certain to get them whether or not we follow Jewish customs if we have faith like Abraham’s, for Abraham is the father of us all when it comes to these matters of faith.
Romans 3:26-28Living Bible (TLB)
26 ...But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins.
27 Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. 28 So it is that we are saved[a] by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.
Romans 7:5-8Living Bible (TLB)
5 When your old nature was still active, sinful desires were at work within you, making you want to do whatever God said not to and producing sinful deeds, the rotting fruit of death. 6 But now you need no longer worry about the Jewish laws and customs[a] because you “died” while in their captivity, and now you can really serve God; not in the old way, mechanically obeying a set of rules, but in the new way, with all of your hearts and minds.*
7 Well then, am I suggesting that these laws of God are evil? Of course not! No, the law is not sinful, but it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known the sin in my heart—the evil desires that are hidden there—if the law had not said, “You must not have evil desires in your heart.” 8 But sin used this law against evil desires by reminding me that such desires are wrong, and arousing all kinds of forbidden desires within me! Only if there were no laws to break would there be no sinning.
Galatians 1:8-10Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
8 We told you the true Good News message. So anyone who tells you a different message should be condemned—even if it’s one of us or even an angel from heaven! 9 I said this before. Now I say it again: You have already accepted the Good News. Anyone who tells you another way to be saved should be condemned!
10 Now do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the one I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 2:16Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
16 But we know that no one is made right with God by following the law. It is trusting in[a] Jesus Christ that makes a person right with God. So we have put our faith in Christ Jesus, because we wanted to be made right with God. And we are right with him because we trusted in[b] Christ—not because we followed the law. I can say this because no one can be made right with God by following the law.
Acts 13:38-41Living Bible (TLB)

38 “Brothers! Listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins! 39 Everyone who trusts in him is freed from all guilt and declared righteous—something the Jewish law could never do. 40 Oh, be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said, 41 ‘Look and perish, you despisers of the truth,[a] for I am doing something in your day—something that you won’t believe when you hear it announced.’”

Create Value As You Go

INTRO

Colossians 3:23New International Version (NIV)

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

CREATING VALUE

2 Corinthians 10:1-2The Message (MSG)

Tearing Down Barriers

10 1-2 And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I’m being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I’m with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don’t force me to take a hard line when I’m present with you. Don’t think that I’ll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I’m an unprincipled opportunist. Then they’ll have to eat their words.

2 Corinthians 11:4-15The Message (MSG)

4-6 It seems that if someone shows up preaching quite another Jesus than we preached—different spirit, different message—you put up with him quite nicely. But if you put up with these big-shot “apostles,” why can’t you put up with simple me? I’m as good as they are. It’s true that I don’t have their voice, haven’t mastered that smooth eloquence that impresses you so much. But when I do open my mouth, I at least know what I’m talking about. We haven’t kept anything back. We let you in on everything.

7-12 I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming God’s Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge so that you wouldn’t be inconvenienced by me? It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that you could have a free ride. Not once during the time I lived among you did anyone have to lift a finger to help me out. My needs were always supplied by the believers from Macedonia province. I was careful never to be a burden to you, and I never will be, you can count on it. With Christ as my witness, it’s a point of honor with me, and I’m not going to keep it quiet just to protect you from what the neighbors will think. It’s not that I don’t love you; God knows I do. I’m just trying to keep things open and honest between us.

12-15 And I’m not changing my position on this. I’d die before taking your money. I’m giving nobody grounds for lumping me in with those money-grubbing “preachers,” vaunting themselves as something special. They’re a sorry bunch—pseudo-apostles, lying preachers, crooked workers—posing as Christ’s agents but sham to the core. And no wonder! Satan does it all the time, dressing up as a beautiful angel of light. So it shouldn’t surprise us when his servants masquerade as servants of God. But they’re not getting by with anything. They’ll pay for it in the end."

Now let me speak to you very plainly, for sake of space and time.
Have you met people who like to have something for nothing, and imagine that it is part of their entitlement, or who are your friends only when it is time to receive, but can't be your friend in your time of need except to give you a meaningless help and see it as an investment -- an opportunity to plunder what is left?
Have you also met people who will employ any and every substandard means to make extra profit?
Have you also met people who think everyone is wrong or inferior except those in their little group, but would not hesitate to take advantage of the so called inferior?
Have you also met people who can't tell you truth, but want truth from you? Or people who see no wrong in destroying you with their tongues over nothing, but will hurry to fight if things don't go their way?
Have you also met those who don't disturb anybody but can't go out of their way to assist anyone, probably not financially?
Have you met people who will fight you no matter what you do for them, so long as you disagree with any of their friends or group members, even if that one is wrong? Or because you didn't give them, but gave so and so? Or that you seem to have, and forgot your "tribute" to them, even though you have a budget at the moment that won't permit largesse, and who possibly, never give even if they have? Now this is like demons.
Have you also met people who will use everything negative to get your attention, including derogatory remarks and insulting gestures, hoping that then you will notice her social class or grooming (more like dressing, as the grooming is as foul as the attitude; and more women than men are in this category, then) you will know her or comply with them, so as to be socially accepted or popular? This is also like the devil and his demons. If you are wise, you will know you are missing nothing and shouldn't bother acquiring trouble for yourself, only to end up with friends, situations and possibly investments or kids that nullify your sweat and wisdom.
Have you also met people who will hold you to ransom just like Lucifer, only because you have given them a chance to partake in something beneficial you are involved in? Or who won't hesitate to eliminate you from it, because this fallen world is their home and that opportunity their last bus stop, so to speak? Or have you met people who will never see things without bias? They continue to imagine there is a negative, nasty or beggarly undertone to whatever others outside their small-minded group says or does? And this is also like Lucifer, read your Bible!
Now none of these people so described and others like them not mentioned truly create value. If ever, they eat their cakes to have it. This is wrong. You can have a change of mentality. By meditating anew on the right words -- God's Word.
God bless you.

Please also bear with me on time snags between posts. I am working on it. God bless you once again. Amen.