Nancy Bellzona's Picture Book
Statement of Purpose

Reaching out for the real life

1Corinthian: 15:32

If, like men, I have fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, of what good is it to me. If the dead are not to be raised up, "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die."

With this attitude, "Let us eat, drink, for tomorrow we die," is one that leads to neglect. Neglect of our physical and spiritual health, it is a selfish attitude of getting all for ourselves.

2Timothy 3:1

But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here.

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, self-assuming, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3. Having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanders, without self control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4. Betrayers, , head strong, puffed up (with pride), lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of Godly devotion but proving false to its power, and from these turn away.

These are the statements of King Solomon, the richest man of the ages, before he died.

And I hated life because the work that had been done under the sun was calamitous, from my standpoint, for everything was vanity and a striving after the wind. 18. And I, even I, hated all my hard work at which I was working hard under the sun, that I would leave behind for the man who would come to be after me. 19. And who is there knowing whether he will prove to be wise or foolish? Yet he will take control over all my hard work at which I worked hard and at which I showed wisdom under the sun. This too is vanity. 20 And I myself turned around toward making my heart despair over all the hard work at which I had worked hard under the sun.

1Timothy 6:11,17

However, you, O man of God, flee from these things. But pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper 12. Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.

17. Give orders to those who are rich in the present system of things not to be high-minded, and to rest their hope not on uncertain riches, but on God, who furnishes us all things richly for our enjoyment. 18 to work at good, to be rich in fine works. To be liberal, ready to share

19. Safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, in order that they may get a firm hold on the real life.

Psalms 37:11 But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.

Get a hold on the Real Life with these steps

1. Become educated especially in God's word. Make a decision to each one accept Christ's ransom sacrifice

2. Become baptized.

James 2:26

Indeed, as the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

1 Timothy 6

Let as many as are slaves under a yoke keep on considering their owners worthy of full honor, that the name of God and the teaching may never be spoken of injuriously. 2. Moreover, let those having believing owners not look down on them, because they are brothers. On the contrary, let them the more readily be slaves, because those receiving the benefit of their good service are believers and beloved.

Keep on teaching these things and giving these exhortations. 3. If any man teaches other doctrine and does not assent to healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the teaching that accords with godly devotion, 4 he is puffed up (with pride), not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words, From these things spring envy, strife, abusive speeches, wicked suspicions, 5. Violent disputes about trifles on the part of men corrupted in mind and despoiled of the truth, thinking that godly devotion is a mean of gain. 6. To be sure, it is a mean of great gain, (this) godly devotion along with self sufficiency 7 for we have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. 8 So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things 9. However, those determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for the love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.

11 However, you, O man of God, flee from these things. But pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper 12 Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.

13. In the sight of God who preserves all things things alive, and of Christ Jesus, who as a witness made the fine public declaration before Pontius Pilate, I give you orders.....................................

17 Give orders to those who are rich in the present system of things not to be high minded, and to rest their hope not on uncertain riches, but on God, who furnishes us all things richly for our enjoyment. 18. To work at good, to be rich in fine works, to be liberal, ready to share. 19 Safely treasuring up for themselves a fine foundation for the future, in order that they may get a firm hold on the real life.

The love of God can be as fragile as an egg. Once it is dropped, we as humans can become broken like an egg.

Colossians 3:2

Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things upon the earth.

Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Galations 5:22, 23

Fruitage of the Spirit

On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23. Mildness, self-control. Against such things THERE IS NO LAW. (It isn't against the law to do these things) 24 Moveover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because everything in the world-the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one's means of life-does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in the hope. Endure under tribulation Persevere in prayer

Take good care not to practice your righteousness in front of men in order to be observed by them; otherwise you will have no reward with our Father who is in the heavens. 2 hence when you go on making gifts of mercy, do not blow a trumpet ahead of you, just as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full 3 But you, when making gifts of mercy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Today, we would call that using the left and the right brain) 4. That our gifts of mercy may be in secret; then your Father who is looking on in secret will repay you. 5. Also when you pray, you must not be as the hypocrites; because they like to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the road ways to be visible to men. Truly I say to you, They are having their reward in full. 6 You, however, when you pray, go into your private room and, after shutting your door, pray to your father who is in secret; then your Father who looks on in secret will repay you. 7 but when praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 8 So do not make yourselves like them, for God your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him. 9 You must pray, then, this way:

" 'Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.*

*Or, "be held sacred; be treated as holy." Greek., ha gi a sthe' to; Latin, sanc ti fi ce'tur Hebrew , yith qad dash

11 Give us today our bread for the day;

12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.

When under trial, let no one say, "I am being tried by God." For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.

However, those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and hurtful desires, which plunge men into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.

11 However, you, O man of God flee from these things. But pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper.

12 Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.