by Pastor Ray Viola | Mar 5, 2024 | Devotionals
Pride is perhaps the gravest sin in humans. It overestimates self and underestimates God and others. The Bible tells us quite a bit about this ugly sin. For one thing, God hates pride and arrogance in any area of life, whether it is spiritual pride (like the Pharisees...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 28, 2022 | Contemporary Christianity
Jesus the Messiah was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord. One of the recorded evidences of this was that He would not strive. In our lives one sure way to detect sin is when the flesh is striving against the Holy Spirit. The flesh, manifested in strife, aspires to...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 19, 2022 | Devotionals
In 1 Samuel 13:3,4, we find the first hint at the root of King Saul’s fall – pride. Not that he was proud that Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines, but Saul blew the trumpet. Simply put, Saul took the credit for a victory he never won. He loved the praise...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Jul 9, 2022 | Devotionals
Ephesians 1:11 … according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Dear reader, how would you answer this question? Who is in control of the affairs and events on planet earth, including your own life? In our study of Daniel...
by Pastor Ray Viola | May 19, 2022 | Devotionals
God is truly and independently awesome! The fact (not feeling) that we are accepted in the Beloved is to the praise of the glory of His grace. Salvation is nothing other than the riches of Abba’s heart of grace. This undeserved favor will be demonstrated to us...