The Best Way To Rise To The Heights Is To Stay On The Level.

This quote for us to stay on the level in order to rise to the heights is a good reminder. It’s especially important for believers to live with honesty and integrity. After all, we are God’s representatives and witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our lives should be marked by truth and we should be even more convinced that God desires for us to stay on the level.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

Before I became a Christian, I found it very easy and natural to lie. But, after becoming a born- again Christian nearly 30 years ago, I became a lover and pursuer of truth.

After I had children, I was determined to raise them in the Christian faith. I wanted to teach them to stay on the level. So, as they were growing up, I would always tell them to tell me the truth. It didn’t matter how difficult it was for them to tell me or for me to hear the reality of what they had done; I still wanted to hear the truth. I cautioned them that I would show much more understanding if they were truthful then if they lied to me and I found out about it later.

Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes as humans it is hard to stay on the level, but lying is a sin and a betrayal against God and others. We may think we are getting away with something, but God is always watching and He hates lying (Proverbs 6:16-17). So, why would we deliberately lie in His presence?

Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord hates lying lips, but those who speak the truth are His joy.” (NIV)

We definitely need the Lord’s help to stay on the level because sometimes we may not realize we have been deceptive until after the fact. If so we can confess our sin and be forgiven (1John 1:9).

The truth is extremely important to the Lord and it should be for believers as well, because He is the truth (John 14:6), His Word is truth (John 17:7), and He wants us to practice the truth.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6 ESV)

God wants us to stay on the level. He wants Christians to live lives of honesty and integrity. He wants our lives to be marked by truth and good character. All throughout Scripture we are cautioned to live by the truth as these verses state.

• Psalm 25:5 says, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (NIV)

• 2 Corinthians 8:21 says, “We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. (NLT)

• Ephesians 4:15 says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (NIV)

• Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”(NIV)

Furthermore, the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping proves that the best way to rise to the heights is to stay on the level. We don’t want to live dishonest lives, in fact lying entraps us and the truth usually has a way of revealing itself over time.

• Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (ESV)

• Job 4:8 says, “As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”(ESV)

• Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (NIV)

• “The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.” (Proverbs 11:5 NLT)

There are consequences when we don’t stay on the level, including discipline from the Lord; and breaking fellowship with Him and others.

Lastly, staying on the level is so liberating!

John 8:31-32 says, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (NLT)

I like this quote: “Honesty is the best policy.” –Benjamin Franklin

What about you? Do you strive to stay on the level?

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Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

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Most Of God’s People Are Contented To Be Saved From The Hell That Is Without;

…they are not so anxious to be saved from the hell that is within.

Are you content to be saved from the hell that is without; but not so anxious to be saved from the hell that is within?

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

Before I became a Christian, I didn’t understand what it meant to be saved from hell. I knew I needed forgiveness but, I thought I had sinned too much to be forgiven by God. I had a lot of shame. But, once I understood the message of the cross I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Jesus came so that we could be saved from the hell that is without; and from the hell that is within. He can and does deliver us from inner torment and give us His peace instead. Some people experience immediate deliverance but, for me healing has come in layers almost like peeling an onion. Sometimes I have been reluctant to let go of the pain, but He patiently keeps working in me until I surrender it to Him.

Christians are content to be saved from the literal place of hell, but they may be less willing to be saved from the hell within.

Jesus spoke about the eternal state of the unsaved in Matthew 13:42 that says, “They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (NIV)

Hell is a real place just as heaven is and though our sins have caused us to fall short of God’s holy standard (Romans 3:23); all true Christians are saved from going to hell, because we believe that Jesus has taken the punishment we deserve (Romans 3:25).

Christians understand and agree with God that without Jesus we face an eternity in hell separated from God and all of His goodness. We have admitted that we need His forgiveness and have received God’s free gift of salvation (Romans 6:23).

Thankfully God loved us so much that He gave Jesus for us as John 3:16-17 says,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (NIV)

But, are we as anxious to be saved from the hell within?

Christians want to be saved from hell, but what about the hell within or the inner torment that we sometimes experience?

Jesus died so that we can also be saved from the hell within.

Maybe you struggle with bitterness, resentment, anger, worrying or other pain. These issues can keep us from receiving God’s peace. But, because we are loved and forgiven by God, we can confess our bitterness and forgive others. We can lay down our grudges at the foot of the cross.

We can pray for those who have hurt us and ask God to fill us with His love for them. We can confess our pain to Him and receive His wonderful peace.

• Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (ESV)

• Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (NLT)

Maybe you want to be saved from habitual sins that seem so difficult to stop. We can be saved from giving into temptation as well.

But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 TLB)

God always provides a way of escape.

Or maybe the hell within that you’re suffering with is the pain of a broken heart or spirit.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (NLT)

We can turn to Jesus to be saved from discouragement and hopelessness. We can come to Him to be saved from the hell that is without and the hell that is within.

What do you need to be saved from today?

Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

“Most of God’s people are contented to be saved from the hell that is without; they are not so anxious to be saved from the hell that is within.” –Robert Murray M’Cheyne | CLICK TO TWEET

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Sometimes When Things Are Falling Apart,

…they may actually be falling into place.

Does it seem like everything is falling apart? I’m sure everyone has been through times of upheaval when the life we know seems to be falling apart. Change and difficulty are inevitable. But, sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

Early in my nearly 30 year marriage, we experienced many trials and it seemed like life was always on the verge of falling apart. My husband would get hired for busy seasons in his accounting profession and then let go afterwards. This happened repeatedly. We struggled like this for nearly 7 years. It was extremely discouraging to us and demoralizing for him. This added a lot of stress to our marriage especially because at the time we had two very young children.

1995 was particularly difficult as my husband had been unemployed for six months. I was working full time and attending a local church and an evening Bible study. I didn’t miss an opportunity to ask for prayer. I am grateful that I had many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ praying relentlessly and fervently with me for a job for my husband. Then in December of that year, God answered our prayers and my husband was hired by a wonderful company that he still works for today!

This was not the first or last time that I’ve experienced trials where life seemed to be falling apart. There are seasons in life and change is a fact of life for everyone. There are mountain top experiences and valley’s that each person experiences.

We don’t have to fall apart when life seems to be falling apart.

Here are some steps to take when it seems like life is falling apart.

1. Seek the Lord and pray.

This may seem obvious, but sometimes when we face trials and life is falling apart, we may be tempted to pull away from God. But, we need to press into the Lord even more and seek Him in prayer. We may not feel like praying when we are suffering, but it is vitally important.

Now especially is not the time to retreat from God. But, take a prayer retreat and allow your trials to draw you closer to Him.

• Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (NIV)

• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Never stop praying.” (NLT)

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

2. Hold on to God’s promises.

When we are going through trials and life seems to be falling apart we need the Word of God to give us hope. We need to use faith building Biblical promises and assurances; and remember that God is in control.

Things may just be falling into place when life is falling apart.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

God may not always answer our prayers the way we want, but we can know that He is good, and He promises to work all things for good for those who love Him and are called. God is for us!

1 Peter 5:10 says, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”(ESV)

This verse reminds us that trials and suffering are temporary. It has given me so much hope on many occasions when it seemed like life was falling apart.

3. Join a community of believers.

It is extremely important when life is falling apart not to isolate. We may be discouraged, depressed or ashamed and want to hide away.

But, we need the Body of Christ, the church. We need to join a community of believers in a good Biblically based local church. We need the support and encouragement of other Christians.

We don’t have to go through tough times alone and we shouldn’t try to either. Real strength is admitting that we need others and help.

This quote says it well.

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.” –Marcus Tullius Cicero

The Bible tells us that believers should support each other.

Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (NIV)

We need fellow sojourners in the Lord to get through those times when everything seems to be falling apart.

What do you do when life seems to be falling apart?

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

For more FREE Inspirational Quote Cards you can use and share click HERE | CLICK TO TWEET

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• 7 Ways to Pray When You are Suffering

• How Praising Unlocks Heaven on Earth

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• Unanswered Prayer is a Misnomer: God Always Answers

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• Podcast: Why Aren’t My Prayers Answered?

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• 7 Christian Biblical Mantras I Find Helpful

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth