Luke 14.27 observes, whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
Whenever something difficult occurs in our lives we are fond of saying that we are bearing our cross. We associate hard things with our share in the burdens the world seems to give to everyone. This is not what God meant when He commanded us to carry our cross. (more…)
Luke 12.33 encourages, sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves
that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
Most people want to be wealthy. Being wealthy means an easier life, cool stuff, beautiful places, good food, etc. Everywhere you go in the world, people want to be wealthy. (more…)
Luke 6.26 warns, woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used
to treat the false prophets.
Most people would think God wants us to be the kind of people that others speak well about. Most Christians strive for this type of ‘witness.’ Indeed, no one should be able to say to those in Christ that we do things that Christ would not do. Those who claim to be Christians must live as Jesus did. (more…)
1 Corinthians 2.12 observes, now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes
from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.
God wants us to know Him. That makes sense if there really is a God. Why would God want us ignorant of Who He is or what He requires of us? Of course He doesn’t! It behooves us then to know God so we can know His will. God has given us the two things we need for accomplishing this objective. (more…)
Romans 16.19 commands, I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is
evil.
How do we become wise about what is good? We have to know what good is. In our arrogance, we all think we know what good is. We look into ourselves and create a self-centered, self-preserving, self-gratifying definition. If it works for us then it is good. (more…)
Romans 7.19-20 observes, I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not
want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me.
There are some who claim that as Christians it is possible for us to no longer sin. I do not adhere to this belief. While I have been declared dead to sin and am recognized as such by God, it is not the presence of sin that is dead in me but the consequences of sin that is no longer condemning me and the power of sin over me has been broken. (more…)
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