Dirty Bible, Clean Heart

  "Self-love is, no doubt, the usual foundation of human jealousy...the fear lest another should by any means supplant us." -Charles Spurgeon As they danced, they sang:  “Saul has slain his thousands,  and David his tens of thousands.”  Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. -1 Samuel 18:7-9 I don't think there's yet to be a human on this Earth that has not experienced jealousy at one time or another. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, Leah of her sister Rachael, King Saul of his servant David, even the church of Corinth over the different ministers within its walls (1 Cor 3:3-4). Jealousy is much more common a sin than we think yet one that oftentimes goes unacknowledged, unnoticed, or  disguised underneath layers of anger and resentment. Is jealousy simply ...

  "God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering ." -Saint Augustine  "For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." -2 Cor 1:5 I don't think that any of us particularly enjoy suffering. In fact, we spend most of our time trying to avoid even the least bit of it. I was reminded of this during the beginning of this Covid-19 pandemic when I saw the massive crowds rushing to the grocery store purchasing what seemed like an excessive amount of food and toilet paper. I understand that these shopping patterns were mainly driven by fear, but it made my point nonetheless. As humans we cringe at even the thought of the slightest discomfort. Even natural forces such as wind and water do this. The theory is rightly termed the path of least resistance . And this is the path that we often take, sometimes even unknowingly to us. However following Jesus will at times require us to go through ...

"Two are better than one  because they have a good return for their labor:  If either of them falls down,  one can help the other up .  But pity anyone who falls  and has no one to help them up.  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm .  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered,   two can defend themselves .  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."  -Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 I think there is a commonly accepted lie within the church that says something like this: "Jesus is the only one you need!" Now before you close out your browser and call me a heretic, please listen to what I am saying. To a certain extent this is true. Our hope, dependence, and life should  have Jesus at the very center of it. But just because this is true, it does not eradicate our * need  for good, wholesome Christian fellowship. In fact, from the very beginning God expressly states " It is not good for the man...