Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV
Stand Firm
New housing builds in Canada stood firm last July. Housing starts came in at an annualized pace of 275,329 units in July 2022, a 1% increase versus June. They remained near record levels, and the six-month moving average edged higher to 264,426 units. Five of ten provinces witnessed declines in total starts, with gains in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta eroded by decreases in Saskatchewan and BC. Among cities, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver saw seasonally adjusted monthly declines, while Winnipeg starts increased relative to June.
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We live in a world that stands in opposition to the principles of the Kingdom of God in just about every way. It’s no wonder that the Bible calls us to stand firm in our commitment to living by Biblical standards, in spite of constant pressure to instead live by the standards of the world. The apostle Paul understood the pressure and so writes this in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.” We stand firm as we continually stay focused on God’s word, the Bible. In it, we learn the principles of the Kingdom of God, and are encouraged daily to live by them. God the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and plants it in our hearts, applying what we have read to our daily lives. In this way, He empowers us to stand firm, and to serve the Lord faithfully. If you have found yourself wavering in your faith, or in your actions, get back into God’s word and commit yourself to serving the Lord.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley