Now that’s the longest and most profound title I have ever had. The bible speaks against the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Oh, you may say, “Yes, those sinners are bad about that,” when in fact, that verse of scripture really hits hard on all. Even the church folks. The lust of the flesh is not just talking about sex, but it is talking about all the insatiable appetites of the flesh, even being a glutton, which is an over eater. Now that don’t mean just because you over eat at Christmas and Thanksgiving. We all do that, and when we do, we need to be more thankful when we remember that there are folks in third world countries that are less fortunate. Amen! Now the pride of life hits many hard. There is two of many things. Like there is good jealousy, where the word says that God is a jealous God, meaning we are His: and there is a bad distrustful jealousy, like the word says is as cold as the grave. And then there is good pride and bad pride. Well, the good pride causes you to be more moral and clean and decent. We know it as godly pride, which is good. Then bad pride, an old haughty arrogant attitude is bad. The evil pride of life where you are so proud that you do not do as the word says and be humble. The bible teaches humility. Jesus was an example of humility and yet the old church leaders of His day were full of false pride. I have noticed down through the years, even in the Pentecostal churches, how that some let the lust and appetites of fleshy things cause them to put those things ahead of God. How that some were so sophisticated with a heady high minded spirit, and they would literally help quench the spirit in the church, rather than letting go and letting God have His way. Do you know what I mean? I know I would try to have things at the church and some were more worried about the food and goodies than they were about the spiritual program. You see, when Jesus gave the sermon on the mount, He gave them spiritual food first and then He multiplied the food and fed the crowd. Women are wonderful and my mother was a great cook, and she cooked slowly with patience. And we all know that slow cooking is better, and yet even her and some of the ladies would nag about the food instead of saying, “Well, we have all done eat enough to last us three months. So let’s get in there and worship and do the spiritual program the Lord has for us.” I know I would faithfully work hours on a program, only to be insulted by someone. And some times it would be someone that was not even a member of our church. One time I did family focused local gospel sing, and we fed them and then it was like herding cats to try and get them in there to do the spiritual; and one fellow that was just a visitor said, “No, you ain’t gonna keep us all night?” I started to say, “Well no, and if you are in that big of a hurry then you can go on ahead and leave now!” Oh well, no good deed goes unpunished. Amen! You see, when I came up, when it came to the church folks, they had all the time in the world and they worked from sun up to sun down. So some of the preachers like Brother Alton Wommack would tell us funny stories and funny things right before they sang, and he would clap his hands and the whole crowd joined in, all except the sophisticated that were guilty of the sin of the pride of life. So we all had a good time in the Lord, and none was worried about the lust of the flesh, like getting home and smoking a joint or drinking a beer like some church folks do now: and getting on the cell and the television for a mess of slop. Even when you try to do something good for a reunion or a dinner or a birthday gathering, you can’t do nothing worth a nickel because of this lust of the flesh. Oh come on now! Give me them there vittles! Give me them groceries over there! Dad made a foolish mistake one time when he did a fish fry to help attendance. Well, they attended alright. The fish fry and forgot the spiritual. So the lust of the flesh and the pride of life will cause many, including church folks, to lose out with God. Can you say amen? u DECEMBER 2025 GLAD TIDINGS 11 GARY TOOLE EXPRESS LOCATION: 1001 N Madison Ave Douglas Ga. In the old Preferred Loan & Tax Bldg Come See Us For Your: Personal Loans - Tax Loans - Filing Taxes LOAN AND TAX SERVICE 912-389-1040 THE LUST OF THE FLESH AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE Todd Wade - Owner Jasmine Gusman - Douglas Mgr One way to let the peace of God rule in your heart is to be thankful for all the good things He has provided. Merry Christmas A Faithful Giver Due to lack of sufficient income to cover church expenses, a local grain elevator owner volunteered to take his church’s treasurer position if for one year the church would require no report from him. The Board was puzzled, but knowing him to be an honest man who processed most of their grain, they granted it. At the end of the year, the new treasurer gave a glowing report: The church’s indebtedness on the building had been paid, there were no outstanding bills, salaries were increased and there was a balance of $7,000! They asked him for an explanation of their new prosperity. “Most of you bring your grain to me,” he replied “and when I paid you, I simply withheld 10% and gave it to the church in your name. You never missed it! See now what we could do for the Lord if we each were only willing to give 10% back!” u Author Unknown
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