1 John 4. 15-16 describes, everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in
an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
Doing the work of God keeps us in intimacy with God. The work of God is this: to make known the Father and the Son in Whom we receive forgiveness of sins and life forever. (more…)
John 17.3 records,this is the real and eternal life: That they know You, The One and only true God, And 
Jesus Christ, Whom You sent. I glorified You on earth By completing down to the last detail What You assigned Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me with Your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in Your presence Before there was a world.
Most Christians would define eternal life as living with God in heaven. The particularly biblically astute might even add living with God on the new earth. Neither would be correct. (more…)
Ephesians 1.23 observes, the church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to 
the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.
Oh that we as the Church, the people who claim Jesus as Savior, would embrace this truth: the Church is not peripheral to the world but the world is peripheral to the Church. (more…)
Luke 15.7 records, Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over 
ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.
For many Christians, God’s words in this lesson are offensive. God in Jesus, in this chapter of the Bible, tells three stories all making the same point. In the last story, the Christians portrayed by the oldest son, are offended by God’s doings. What is offensive to Christians in these stories? (more…)
Mark 12.34 comments, you’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.
Who was this man that God observed, was almost there? First, its not a good thing to be ‘almost there’ in the eyes of God. If ‘there’ is heaven the only other destiny is hell. We don’t want God to say we are almost in heaven! So who was this man? (more…)
Romans 11.21-22 describes God this way, if God didn’t think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn’t give it a second thought. Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don’t presume on this gentleness. The 
moment you become deadwood, you’re out of there.
God is both immensely kind and intensely severe. He Who is love is He Who is holy. These two seemingly opposite qualities exist seamlessly in the One True God. How? (more…)
Ezra 9.10-12 says, and now, our God, after all this what can we say for ourselves? For we have thrown 
your commands to the wind…Whatever you do, don’t cultivate their good opinion; don’t make over them and get them to like you so you can make a lot of money and build up a tidy estate to hand down to your children.
We should want to cultivate the good opinion of men but for the singular purpose of glorifying God. Our lifestyle, our morals, values and behavior, should reflect the character, nature and ways of God Himself for we are His adopted children and we call God our Father. (more…)
John 17.17 asks, set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.
The Christian is not to live, look, speak, or work like others who do not know the One true God. Christians are to live as Jesus did for they too are children of God. (more…)
Revelation 12.17 describes, so the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war 
on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.
Spiritual warfare is a topic usually resigned to a fringe element of the Christian spectrum. While orthodox Christianity would acknowledge it’s reality most avoid the topic, fewer describe what it is or looks like and even less actually enter into such a world as least as far as men can enter into spiritual warfare. (more…)
1 John 4.17 warns, by this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of 
judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.
Recently an acquaintance of mine died. This man was well known in the community. Many loved him but a few didn’t. He was very wealthy and successful. Gave quite a bit of money away though not much as a percentage of his wealth. Attended church regularly. Once I asked him if he was going to heaven, he answered that he hoped so then proceeded to call a friend who was ill to encourage him. Another good deed to his credit to hopefully put him over the threshold of the amount needed for gaining heaven. (more…)
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