1 Corinthians 15.58 invites, don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident
that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.
This is our mission, the Great Commission. We are to conduct this mission with our whole heart, throwing ourselves into this work, knowing that eternal reward awaits when we face our God and give account for the life we lived on this earth. (more…)
Ezekiel 9.3-4 describes, the Glory of the God of Israel ascended from His usual place above the
cherubim-angels, moved to the threshold of the Temple, and called to the man with the writing case who was dressed in linen: Go through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is in anguish over the outrageous obscenities being done in the city.
How many people would be marked by God today who grieve over the dishonor so prevalent against God in our society? So many grumble about the lawlessness. So many shake their heads at the violence but who is in anguish over the godlessness we see in the news daily? (more…)
1 Corinthians 9.19-23 records, even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I
have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
The purpose of the Christian life, the work we are to do, is to win people to Christ in order for God to accomplish His purpose of not seeing anyone perish but for all to come to eternal life. (more…)
1 Corinthians 3.1-3 observes, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and
with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way?
Selfishness and self-centeredness are the signs of immaturity in the Christian life. Immaturity runs rampant in the Church. We are hard pressed not to find an overabundance of selfishness and self-centeredness among those who claim Jesus as Savior. (more…)
Luke 22.31-32 observes, Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from Me, like chaff from wheat.
Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start.
The goal of Satan is to separate us from Jesus. Not too complicated really. Why is this important? Jesus is life, Jesus is truth, Jesus is hope, Jesus is peace with God, Jesus is our Guarantor of life everlasting. (more…)
Luke 16.8-9 observes, here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he
knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right —using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.
This passage has made Christians wonder for centuries. God praises a thief, a liar, an embezzler. What? (more…)
Luke 12.8-9 commands, stand up for Me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God’s angels. But if you pretend you don’t know Me, do you think I’ll defend you
before God’s angels?
One of the evidences for the truth of Scripture, that the Lord alone is God and that Jesus is the God-Man, the only Savior of the world, is the difficulty we have in identifying with Him before men. (more…)
Luke 10.3 warns, On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You’re like lambs in a wolf pack.
I find it ironic our God would say, be careful. Our prayers are offered in hopes that we wouldn’t need to be careful, that He would be watching over us to protect us so that nothing bad happens to us. Isn’t that the point of our prayers? Especially, when the prayer and the work is centered around doing His will! (more…)
Judges 21.25 records, at that time there was no king in Israel. People did whatever they felt like doing.
There really was a King in Israel, the problem is that He was and is invisible. The invisible King, which also really isn’t true, a better description would be bodiless, for His handiwork is everywhere if we have eyes to see.
The bodiless King is slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness which gives the allusion that our sins are being ignored since the consequences for our disobedience are not immediate. All of this: the invisible King and delayed consequences, resulted in everyone doing what was right in their own eyes. (more…)
Judges 13.25 observes, The LORD’s spirit began to control him in Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and
Eshtaol.
We all want the red pill, to know and have the power of the spiritual world in order to better engage this world; from the movie the Matrix.
We who know the frustration and defeat of trying to always please God but falling short, so long for the Holy Spirit to strongly come upon us so that we always do what God desires. The Scriptures record at least three men who were overtaken by the Spirit of God: Sampson in this verse, David who was a friend of God and Solomon who had wisdom greater than all men who have ever lived. (more…)
Enter your email below to get your free resource, periodic news, and new blog post notifications.
