December 24, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

But it then started to rain…

I thought this article from a good friend and brother in the Lord would be fitting on this very rainy Christmas week. Phillip is a true disciple of Christ and minister of the love of Christ to the gay community. Personally, I do not see people as straight or gay, but just people who either love Jesus Christ or don’t. I have always had a burden for the gay movement and pray that God would send a revival into the gay community—this is how God works. I do see God at work, but it is not coming from our churches; it is coming from people who want all of God’s creation to be in love with Jesus and hate all sin, no matter what it costs them personally. So here is a rainy day article worth reading, and hopefully you will support His Way Out Ministries in any way you can.

“They were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage…but then it started to rain.” (Luke 17:27)

While homosexuality has become perhaps the most controversial social issue of our time, often resulting in a host of challenging, if not divisive questions, it is also an undeniable fact the homosexual community, through a masterful plan, has achieved monumental results in a very, very short period of time. There is no doubt that homosexuality (an identity based on sexual preference) is a multi-dimensional phenomenon.

Today, the homosexual agenda continues its march from state to state and nation to nation. Education systems have become much more tolerant and sensitive to LGBT students with false pro-homosexual lessons being taught through health education curriculum. Religious institutions have and continue to revise the historic teachings on homosexual practice by caving to social trends in order to accommodate active homosexuals.

There is no question as to the media and movies having become pulpits relentlessly promoting homosexual practice often without question, challenge or debate.

Compounding the crisis and continuing to fuel the phenomenon is the reluctance, if not total disregard by scientific organizations and churches, to allow any discussion about the causes and the resolving of unwanted same-sex attraction.

No doubt, the pinnacle of success for the homosexual community has been the legalization of same-sex marriage. The homosexual community successfully and dramatically blurred the lines enough making “love” the ingredient, the quality which has the power to validate anything that is done in its name.

The homosexual community, though a relatively small segment of society, has nevertheless become extremely significant and influential. And, so it seems, the achievements and the power of the politically organized and active homosexual community has it all.

But is this really the case? “…sin is fun for a season.” (Hebrews 11:25)

Beginning to surface more and more by both men and women practicing homosexuality, largely influenced and generated by the accomplishments of the homosexual community, is a sense and questioning of true personal value, a true sense of being loved and accepted, and a sense (question) of living a meaningful life.

In other words…

“Those of us that proudly proclaim to be gay-identified and now have the legal right to pursue what we deem ‘natural,’ free from any and all forms of discrimination based on orientation and/or behavior, free to be, free to do, free to go, socially accepted, and free to practice a sexual preference in a social environment free from prejudicial treatment even by those who find such behavior completely unacceptable, even free from religious establishments…”

“Why aren’t all these freedoms freeing?”
“Why am I still so empty?”
“Why isn’t this working for me?”

“…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Homosexuality, rather than being a divine gift that needs to be celebrated, is now being seen as anything but ‘gay’ by many. And they will be turning to the Church in greater numbers.

Those making the decision to leave homosexual practice, and the gay community will not just be abstaining from or abandoning sexual sin, they will be disconnecting from a whole network of support and an identity. Having made the right choice to say “No!” to homosexual practice, they will be arriving on our church doorsteps with absolutely nothing.

Will we, God’s people, celebrate the decision of the homosexual who has said “Yes” to God and “No” to homosexuality? Will we, God’s people, be abundantly clear in affirming the Biblical position that God loves all people, that homosexual practice is but one sin among many and that the Holy Spirit is available to transform all persons – including homosexual persons? Will we, God’s people, minister to persons struggling with homosexuality, their families, and all others affected by homosexuality as partners in Christ’s work of healing? Will we, God’s people, integrate all persons striving to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ into full membership in the local church?

“Indeed, it is raining but not just on the homosexual.”

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” (Acts 2:17)

All Christians are part of God’s overall plan for the redemption of the world. To say, “The Church is of God,” means that we are not part of some optional and respectable social club. The Church is called by God “out of the world” in order to transform the world. Each of us, then, is part of God’s plan.

“A much needed and later rain has begun.” “Pastor, the homosexuals are coming, the homosexuals are coming!”“Wonderful! They can have a seat next to the gossips, those having sex before marriage, the adulterers, the liars, those that drink excessively, the greedy…”We, His Church, must stand for Jesus Christ and witness to His grace and power – to and for all people.

Pastor Phillip Lee, Executive Director His Way Out Ministries

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What would Jesus want me to do?

How do I know this is true and righteous? Because Satan is always trying to get me not to listen, not to hear, and not to see by casting doubt in my heart not to believe. Yes, I have faith because I see, I hear, and I believe. Yes, I’ve Got Faith!

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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I did not edit the article I sent out on Dec 15th. The last paragraph should have read:

How do I know this is true and righteous? Because Satan is always trying to get me not to listen, not to hear, and not to see by casting doubt in my heart not to believe. Yes, I have faith because I see, I hear, and I believe. Yes, I’ve Got Faith!

America’s Battle of the Books

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December 15, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

A Little Wisdom About Faith & God’s Word

It says in the Bible that “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 KJV, but that is not the only avenue to faith.

Faith comes or works through many aspects of our personality. If would be correct to say: ‘faith comes through seeing and seeing by the word of God’ or ‘faith comes when believing and believing by the words of God’.

Look at all the ways people ‘used their faith’ through responding to God in Hebrews chapter 11:33-37 KJV: “33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”

Too often we think that if we only believed more then we would be called, Children of Faith, but that is not what God was asking of us. Everything faith is, is about choosing—we are always in a state of choosing, always in a state of making decisions.

What are you going to do today, choose God or reject God? Respond to God or walk away. Willing to listen to God or ignore Him. Choose to see God, search God out, find what and where God is working through the Holy Spirit. I choose to listen to God’s words and voice, I choose to see what God has done, is doing and will be doing—I look for God in all the earth. And lastly, I choose to believe who God is, what He says, what He is doing through the Holy Spirit’s activities in this world. This is what faith is, and every time I respond—my choosing to respond—to whatever God is doing or how He is working in this world, God calls me a person of faith.

How do I know this is true and righteous? Because Satan is there trying to get me not to listen, not to hear, not to see or accept what I see, and casting doubt in my heart not to believe. Yes, I have faith because I see, I believe, and I believe. I’ve God Faith!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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November 1, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

God’s Love Changes Everything/The Need to Bless Your Enemies

God’s love changes everything. His wisdom is beyond what I can understand or predict. God is both predictable and unpredictable—it depends on His will to be manifested or to be hidden. Can you tell me when Christ is coming back? No, you can’t but I have a longing for His return, and it seems even closed the longer I live. I believe His return is just around the corner, but I am waiting for ‘the corner’ to come into sight while I walk this walk of faith ‘blessing my enemies’ and being blessed beyond all expectations.

John the Baptist did not know when Jesus was going to show-up, but when Jesus did appear, John recognized Him, and everything changed from that moment on concerning his ministry. By the way, John was inline to be the next High Priest in the Jewish religion, but he gave up his lineage (lucrative lifestyle, it’s importance and influence on others, and religious significance of being the ‘top Jew’ in Israel) to become a nobody instead of being a somebody in his country. He lived by himself in the wilderness, ate bugs covered in honey, and wore camel hair & skin as clothing. Try doing that!

The Bible (Jesus’s own words) states that no human being will be greater than John—he gave up all things including self-importance to have little to nothing and became a nobody in order to recognize Christ and usher in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Wow, if only we had more John the Baptists. Now, back to loving God and being blessed.

The first steps in living in the love of God is to learn to “bless your enemies”. It follows finding forgiveness for yourself, forgiveness for others, and being kind to all, never judging others or thinking you are better than most people. God does not want us to be stupid (without Godly wisdom), we must know the difference between right and wrong, and what is God’s will and how Satan works. A Christian knows the difference between a friend and an enemy, but God wants us to bless both our friends and our enemies. How do I bless my enemies, you ask? Let me tell you a personal story.

I was traveling home late one night out of Los Angeles on the 405 FWY. The 405 was busy; it always is. I was trying to pray and sing songs but there was oppression over me. I kept trying for the next 60 miles but to no avail. When I was taking the turn off for highway 166 from the I-5 the Lord spoke to me, “Bless your enemies.” Yes, I had enemies, many in fact. I was placing a new curriculum in my school district that people who are the enemies of the cross of Christ were upset about to say the least.

I replied to God, “I don’t know how,” (I was trying to find an excuse not to pray and bless people I do not like) but the Holy Spirit kept prompting me—‘Bless Your Enemies!’ So, I did. I began to pray for goodness over their lives—that the prosperity of the Lord would rest upon them, that He would forgive them, and that God would give good gifts to them. Suddenly, the oppression lifted and then the presence of God filled the car. It was so strong that I felt I was lifted off the road and above the fog I was driving in.

When I got home after midnight my wife met me in the garage. She proceeded to inform me in frantic and concerned terms how I had been on every TV news channel, the 5, 6, and 10 o’clock news. She was upset! I kept listening to her as we walked into the house and into the kitchen. When she could not get a response from me to the same degree as she was feeling she said, “Are you listening to me?” My reply was simple, “Yes, but I have been blessing my enemies.” She stopped talking and began to listen to my story.

What would happen if we would begin to speak, pray, lay hands on the Body of Christ, our friends, our family, our spouses and proclaim the blessings of God? What if we would take scriptures that the Lord had given to us, and we would begin to bless others with the same word the Lord gave to us? What if we offered to others whatever blessings the Lord had graciously given to us? What if, whatever we find in Christ, we would impart to others? What if…?

I am not a prophet, but I can tell you as if it is a word from the Lord—‘men if you begin to bless others you will not be able to contain the blessings the Lord will pour out upon you’. “Give and it shall be given to you—pressed down, shaken, and running over!” I am bold to say, ‘That if you learn to bless—making it a habit—Satan will not be able to attack you so often. You will be in better health, prosperity will be yours in abundance, relationships will be stronger and healthier, and God will not see so far away.’

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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October 13, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

The Series, God’s Love…begins with humility and it ends there.

God’s love creates nobodies, and if God creates nobodies, then why are so many Christians’ trying to become somebody? It’s time to take a personal inventory of ourselves. Who are you? No, who are you, really? Have you taken a survey of yourself lately? Are you a person God looking for to love and to do His will? Ask yourself, “Are you someone God wants to have a relationship with?”

A Bible Lesson: The Bible is very clear on who God is looking for to manifest His love and do manifest His will and works in this world. Isaiah 66: 2b NIV “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” 66:2 KJV “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word.” KJV Matthew 5:3 states, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". God is looking for a person who is always broken, in a state of continual repentance, who seeks God’s mercy everyday/morning.

God is not looking for somebodies, but He seeks the nobodies in this world. Moses was a somebody for 40 years (Egyptian Royalty) but became a nobody for 40 years living in the desert raising sheep; and only then was God able to allow him to lead His people out of Egypt. Paul was an elite Jewish leader but after the road to Damascus, he became a nobody and confessed that he was ‘least of the saints, least of the apostles, and chief of all sinners’.

Want to have all faith, pay attention to the words of Christ. Luke 17:7-9 KJV, “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that, you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty. James 2:5 KJV “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

If you want a ‘a pat on the back’, want others to look up to you, to become important and/or well known, then you are stealing from God by accepting glory and honor that belongs to God and not to you. God does His greatest work through people who are the ‘nobodies in the world’ and who seek ‘no honor’ for themselves but rather give honor to everyone else, esteeming all others greater than themselves.

Want to be loved by God, become a nobody and stay there no matter what you do in the Kingdom of God—become that nobody!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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August 18, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

The Series, God’s Love…one cannot love God unless…

You cannot fully love God until you are blessed. Love is a ‘two-way relationship’ that requires character on the part of both parties. God is love and loves all the time. We, on the other hand, struggle to love not just ourselves but loving others as well. We are not able to love God until God begins to bless us; He does this once we respond to and accept His blessings. You are unable to love God without His blessings. Why do you think the Bible says, “Blessed are…”, because the blessing of God gives you the power, strength, and motivation to love God. It is time to be BLESSED!

You cannot love God or abide in His love without His help—that is why Jesus came and died for us. Too many Christians think they do a good job at loving God, but I differ, we do not have the means or ability to love God and our fellow humans without God’s blessings, which comes to us once we respond to His love (faith) in the same likeness of His love to us.

Jesus said this is the whole duty, sole purpose, and our total calling to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV). That is not easy to do. There are Christians who love God with only a part of their heart, or love God with their soul and mind but not their heart, or maybe with their soul but with nothing else. There are many scenarios to loving God, but with all your heart, soul, and mind—that can be very difficult to do.

We all need help to love God and being blessed is how we do this, as Jesus stated in His sermon in Matthew chapter 5. He begins with the eight beatitudes: Matthew 3:5-11:

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, (always in a state of repentance)
• Blessed are those who mourn, (pray for those who cannot pray)
• Blessed are the meek, (always humble not matter the circumstances)
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, (always hungry for more and more of God)
• Blessed are the merciful, (always forgiving, never judging)
• Blessed are the pure in heart, (keeping one’s heart free from the evil of this world)
• Blessed are the peacemakers, (striving for unity and justice in the Spirit)
• Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,” (accepting that following Christ means accepting persecution).

When we accept these principles of being a disciple of Christ we make ‘decisions of faith’ in these eight areas of our lifestyle. These ‘choices of faithfulness’ opens the doors to being blessed—as Jesus stated in His preface in the Sermon on the Mount. This preface defines the purpose and scope to what it means to follow Christ.

Once you do any of these things no matter how small or great God offers His blessing, but you must accept the blessings and being willing to allow the blessing of God to bring fruit in your life. You must accept, be thankful, and acknowledge the blessings once they come into your life. You must be looking for them and fighting to receive them, just as Jacob had to struggle to receive his blessing from the angel.

I get up each day and say, “God bless me, and God do not allow Satan to take any of your blessing from me.” If there is one thing Satan wants from you, it is the blessings of God. It is with the blessings of God that gives me the means/abilities/authority to love God and hate evil.

So, when you do anything that is God’s will or any of God’s purposes, do not forget about receiving the blessings Jesus promised you. YOU WERE MEANT TO BE BLESSED!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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August 16, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

My Break Is Over

I had to take a break from writing. My health was failing, my spirit was broken, and I had little energy to do most things. It was not an easy time, the past 6 months. God did not feel far away but my heart felt injured in so many ways.

The past 4 weeks I have felt great sorrow, so much I would just begin to cry—sorry and pain would just come over me. I would tell my wife that I just feel like crying with no end in sight. Then it happened, the assignation of Charlie Kirk. Now I knew why the Holy Spirit was grieving my soul.

I can now get back to helping the Body of Christ arise and live the life God has always wanted His Church too. I have many things to share, so prepare yourself to be challenged and willing to repent with forgiveness that will change not only who you are but what you do. As I stated after the 1st of the year, God wants His Church to be bold and unafraid. It’s time to be busy doing the ‘Lord’s Work’ and placing ourselves under His authority.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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February 8, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

The Series, God’s Love…Living In & Operating with Love

Hate seems to be fashionable today. Jesus warned us about not staying in God’s love. Hate is the opposite of love in so many ways. We have been programmed to hate, especially by today’s media. People are made fun of, ridiculed, belittled, and made to be seen as ugly and stupid. Hate does nothing but hides the truth and creates bitterness and jealousy toward the ones we are told to hate.

Jesus said to love your enemies, bless your enemies, and pray for and give to your enemies. Hate creates a divide between you and others. If you hate others, you really are hating yourself and stopping the potential to heal relationships and not allowing forgiveness to flow into the lives of people who need help and wholeness.

We must begin to live in a state of love. Love must become our purpose for living. Love is all we truly have that will stop hate, bring justice, and heal our broken spirit.

Operating in love is a challenge. The world, Satan, and so many religions want you to hate. It is easy to hate and often difficult to love others, especially when they do not want to be loved by the love of God in you.

We cannot love on our own. Human natural love falls short in so many ways. It has no power to change lives and cannot endure against spiritual wickedness. It is only God’s love that makes any difference in this world.

To love others begins with loving oneself, and you cannot love yourself unless you allow God’s love to come inside your heart—which changes one’s heart, then you can love and forgive yourself as God loves you. Only now can you love others, forgive others, bless others, and help others—Jesus does this for us and in us and then we can do this to others.

Hate has no place in a Christian’s life and love is all we need to begin to change this world. I like a couple of secular songs that exemplify the importance of love. “It’s gonna take a Lotta Love” by Nicolette Larson and “Long Train Runnin” by the Doobie Brothers—“without love, where would you be now?”

We must protect our love for God and His love for us. We must bathe our lives in prayers asking for the love of Christ—’praying in the Spirit’ the Bible says. Always looking for love in all we do and allow the love of God to be manifested through us in everything we do. Love, not hate, should be in our language, not allowing the language of hate to enter any of our conversations.

Love forgives, love heals, love gives purpose, love knows no boundaries, love seeks only good, and love will bring Christ back—His second coming. It is His love in us that does all of this!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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January 30, 2025 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

The Series, God’s Love…living in love, not guilt

Guilt will destroy one’s love for God and one’s ability to love the people of God. When a person is only concerned with “me” then self-worth is at odds with God’s love and one’s acceptance of who you can be in Jesus Christ. This article was sent to me by my good friend Otis. He has learned how to be blessed by God and lives his life in the love of God, rejecting guilt and condemnation by abiding in the love of God and always 100% confident that Jesus loves him no matter what. “Thank you, Lord, for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” Romans 8.1 is his life’s motive.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. 1 Cor 3:19-23 NIV

The ego often hurts. It is my sense of self, my identity, my ego that hurts. Walking around does not hurt my toes unless there is already something wrong with them. Think about it. It is very hard to get through a whole day without feeling snubbed or ignored or feeling stupid or getting down on ourselves. That is because there is something wrong with my ego. There is something wrong with my identity. There is something wrong with my sense of self. It is never happy. It is always drawing attention to itself. So, first, it is empty. Secondly, because it is like a bloated stomach that is distended, it is also painful. And, thirdly, the ego is incredibly busy; in other words, it is always drawing attention to itself. It is incredibly busy trying to fill the emptiness. And it is incredibly busy doing two things in particular – comparing and boasting. You can see them both in the above passage.

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 1 Cor 4:6-7 NIV

First, notice, that there is no full stop after the word pride. Paul does not say ‘Then you will not take pride.’ No, he says ‘Then you will not take pride in one man over against another.’ That is the very essence of what it means to have a normal human ego. The way the normal human ego tries to fill its emptiness and deal with its discomfort is by comparing itself to other people. All the time. In his famous chapter on pride in Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis points out that pride is by nature competitive. It is competitiveness that is at the very heart of pride. ‘Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next person. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about.’ By comparing ourselves to other people and trying to make ourselves look better than others, we are boasting. Trying to create a self-esteem résumé because we are desperate to fill our sense of inadequacy and emptiness. The normal human ego is so empty, painful, busy and therefore fragile.

We condemn ourselves, putting ourselves on trial for things we have done, thought, or said. Paul says that he has found the secret. The trial is over for him. He is out of the courtroom. It is gone. It is over. Because the ultimate verdict is in. Now how could that be? Paul puts it very simply. He knows that what others think cannot justify him. He knows he cannot justify himself. And what does he say? He says that it is the Lord who judges him. It is only His opinion that counts. Do you realize that it is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance?

Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 Niv You see, the verdict is in. And now Paul performs based on the verdict. Because God the Father loves me and He accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my résumé. I do not have to do things to make me look good. I can do things for the joy of doing them. I can help people to help people; not so I can feel better about myself, not so I can fill up the emptiness. Self-forgetfulness takes you out of the courtroom. The trial is over. The verdict is in you are free from all condemnation. But keep looking, digging, and asking questions. There is a lot to discover until you understand the whole picture. We must re-live the gospel every time we pray, every day. We must re-live the gospel on the spot and ask ourselves what we are doing in the courtroom. We should not be there.

The court is adjourned. Like Paul, we can say, “I don’t care what you think. I don’t even care what I think. I only care what the Lord thinks. Believe and stand on what he says, Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8.1 Niv 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. Prov 3:5-6 ESV Do not go beyond what is written. 1 Cor 4:6-7 NIV Live out of that. (Keller, Timothy. The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness (p. 44). 10Publishing. Kindle Edition.)

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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