Apostle Paul | The White Stone Blog

Day 2 —

Soul Detox Devotional question: What are some of the causes of toxic thoughts in your life?

Soul Detox suggested passage reading for today is 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 and Ephesians 6:10-20

After reading the passages there I went to Bible Gateway dot-com to read from the Complete Jewish Bible. You may prefer another translation – which you can easily choose when you click the link below and arrive at Bible Gateway dot-com.

via 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, Ephesians 6:10-20 CJB – Now it is I myself, Sha’ul, making an – Bible Gateway.

I am in NO way comparing myself to the Apostle Paul as he to me is a GIANT in Christian Faith, yet he was like you and me – having feet of clay.

2 Corinthians 10:1 . . . I who am considered timid when face-to-face with you but intimidating from a distance.

via 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, Ephesians 6:10-20 CJB – Now it is I myself, Sha’ul, making an – Bible Gateway.

I think I get this. Of course, he was intimidating and bold from a distance – the words he penned were GOD’s WORD. WORD that should strike fear in any unrepentant sinner. I understand that on another level as well. I find myself bolder at this screen than face to face. And when confronted face to face with sin in people I love (and myself) I am often timid. That is not always good, I think.

Read the passage. This is only a one-minute slice of the whole.

For sure please check out these verses:

4 because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments
5 and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.

via 2 Corinthians 10:1-6, Ephesians 6:10-20 CJB – Now it is I myself, Sha’ul, making an – Bible Gateway.

We demolish arguments! That helps me. The WORD of GOD is strong and powerful. I can apply it to the toxic thoughts (arguments) that go on in my head and gain VICTORY over them!! I knew that. You knew that. But today is a fine day for reminding us to practice, practice, practice!

One more word: OBEY the MESSIAH! JESUS CHRIST the RIGHTEOUS!

Happy studying my Friends,

You might also check in with SHE READS TRUTH

In the quiet of this morning doing morning blessings I heard Chuck Swindoll. He was speaking of kindness. Random acts of kindness. And with that, Scripture came to mind. I did not recall it verbatim nor even its Bible Address, but I got the message.

Here’s where I started.

What do ye more than they?

It’s the LORD speaking to the people reasoning with them that loving those who love you is no fine accomplishment. Loving those who hate you is the standard. And so when we dish back what is dished to us the question is WHAT DO YE MORE THAN THEY?

How different are we from the ones who railed upon us when we render railing back to them?

It’s a good question – JESUS asked it? How will I answer it? How will you answer it?

Matthew 5:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
via Matthew 5 NASB – The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes – Bible Gateway.

The Apostle Paul took his cues from JESUS and got in on the instructions too. We are only wise when we heed.

Romans 12:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
via Rom 12:17 NASB – Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. – Bible Gateway.

Random acts of kindness, deliberate acts of kindness in response to deliberate acts of meanness, oh ABBA, what a huge and perfect standard. None of us are capable of doing it, but YOU LORD JESUS enable us. Thank You. What an honor and a privilege and a joy it is to rise above the normal and embrace Your enable-ment to do right in the midst of wrong. That is what I want. It is for that I pray for myself and for each who come here to read and pray. And in our coming to You this morning we bring our needs and the needs of others. Take a reading, LORD, on our hearts. See all the needs, see all the ills and disease and weaknesses, hidden and plain, and work miracles in us and through us. Heal our sick and raise the spiritually dead we pray. Amen and . . . . .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

We are glad you are here; stay a while, look around, and be encouraged. We estimate there to be over 3,000 posts here at The White Stone Blog. Please know my hope is ALWAYS to help and NEVER harm. I have voiced many opinions and thoughts here since 2007 and by now I MAY NOT EVEN AGREE with all of them and some of my grammar and punctuation likely needs editing. But this is changeless: JESUS is our ONLY Savior and Hope. Do you KNOW Him?