As God was giving Moses special instructions regarding sacrifices and diet, there is a statement that catches our attention:  "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood" (Lev. 17:11,12).  Thus, blood is special because in it is life.  In fact, the American Red Cross has listed 50 facts about blood.  Among those facts are the following:  (1) More than 4.5 million patients need blood transfusions each year in the U.S. and Canada.  (2) 43,000 pints is the amount of donated blood used each day in the U.S. and Canada. (3) Someone needs blood every two seconds. (4) One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.  (5) One pint of blood can save up to three lives.  (6) Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.  (7) The #1 reason blood donors say they give is because they "want to help others." (8) There is no substitute for human blood.
     Every human needs blood in order to live.  As the Red Cross says, "there is no substitute for human blood." Incidentally, every soul needs blood to live too and there is no substitute for the blood of Jesus.  Animal blood cannot give us physical life and it cannot give us eternal life (Heb. 10:11).  The blood of Jesus gives us life only when we are fully immersed in it through baptism (Rev. 1:5; Acts 22:16).  His lifeblood flowed freely on the tree of Calvary so our sins could be covered (Rom. 4:7).  Jesus truly "wanted to help others" by giving His blood and it can save as many souls as will receive it "by the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5).  As John said,  "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood" (1 John 5:6).  Our life is in His blood (Heb. 9:28).    
~Derrick Coble

God has given us a variety of emotions to fill our lives.  These emotions give us the ability to react to everything that happens to us—sometimes in a positive way and sometimes negative. However, we can’t let emotions control our lives and they can’t guide us in the right way.  It takes a knowledge of God’s Word and a positive response to His Word to truly “feel good.”  That is why when the Ethiopian eunuch learned and obeyed the Gospel, “he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39).  He had a positive response to hearing the Gospel and knew he was saved when he obeyed (Rom. 1:16).  Others, when hearing God’s Word respond negatively maybe because it makes them feel bad about their situation and they don’t want to change.  When Jesus preached in the synagogue at Nazareth they “were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city” (Luke 4:28,29). 

Emotions, in and of themselves, are not good or bad.  In fact, even emotions that are not the most pleasant can be helpful to us. Fear is not an emotion that we desire, but it can help us to stay faithful knowing the consequences of disobedience (Luke 12:5).  Feeling anxiety can be a problematic emotion when we are under pressure, but it can be used to help us stay alert and motivate us to solve problems (Rom. 13:11; 1 The. 5:6; 1 Pet. 5:8). But, if we allow anxiety to overwhelm us and control our lives in worry, we need to commit ourselves back to prayer and give those problems to God (Phi. 4:6,7).  Disappointments will come to our lives, especially if we when we put too much confidence in others. Our family members and friends are subject to sin just like us and we must be aware of that and be gracious and forgiving (Eph. 4:32).  “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psa. 118:8).  There will even be moments of anger that we must face.  Anger can be a healthy emotion ultimately in cooperating with others. If it is justified and expressed in a controlled way, then conflicts can be resolved in the appropriate way.  This will allow for greater understanding from each person, allowing for less conflict in the future.  Paul was angry with Barnabas causing them to separate for a while (Acts 15:39); yet later he showed respect for Barnabas commending him (Col. 4:10). 

The best emotions of delight (Psa. 37:4), affection (Rom. 12:10), joy (Psa. 5:11), love (1 Cor. 13:13), peace (Gal. 5:22), and happiness (Psa. 144:15) will come and go throughout our lives.  Even the most faithful Christian will have difficult days and feel down at times.  It is in those times that we need to remind ourselves that bad experiences are really only “light affliction” and it is only happening “for a moment” (2 Cor. 4:17).  We can be strong in the Lord and know that He has promised the faithful a place with Him (Eph. 6:10; John 14:2,3).  That’s why He has said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14).  
​~Derrick Coble

1. Do a good deed every day:  When we do something good for someone else it always makes us feel better and the day seems a little brighter.  The apostle Paul said, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).  It is essential to always remember to be active in doing good (Heb. 13:16).
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2. Show Kindness:  Someone has observed, “Kindness makes a person attractive.  If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.” Nobody likes to be around someone who is unkind and rude; therefore, the fruit we must bear is kindness because that shows true love for others (Gal. 5:22; 1 Cor. 13:4)

3. Listen to Good News:  We are constantly hearing bad news on the television, internet, and radio.  So, it is refreshing to hear something good from time to time.  “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (Pro. 25:25).  The best news in the world today is the Gospel of Christ.  The Gospel alone saves those who will listen and obey it (2 The. 1:8,9).

4. Attend Worship Regularly: Sometimes people think that worshipping God in an assembly of Christians is not important.  However, God requires us to assemble before him (Heb. 10:25).  It should be understood that God does not accept just any form of worship, but the only worship that He accepts is that which is done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).  Thus, He has told us what this entails: preaching (2 Tim. 4:2), praying (1 Tim. 2:1,2), giving (1 Cor. 16:1,2), singing (Eph. 5:19), and observing the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). 

5. Do your best to stay away from sin:  Sin is our greatest problem because everyone has experienced it (Rom. 3:23).  However, making an effort to abstain from sin and follow the Lord with a penitent heart is not impossible.  The Lord was tempted in every way—just like us (Heb. 4:15).  He did this so that he could aid us and plead our case before the Father (Heb. 2:18; 1 John 2:1).  But, if we are not showing godly sorrow for sin and doing our best to change our lives, then we have no promise of a better life (2 Cor. 7:10; Psa. 68:2).  The only way we can do this, is to conform to the teachings of our Lord in giving our lives to him through faith (Rom. 10:17), repentance (Luke 13:3), confession of Jesus (Rom. 10:10), and baptism (Mark 16:16).  

~Derrick Coble