Matthew 12.33 commands make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
The key verb here is ‘make.’ The work of the church, the work of the parent, the work of the community, is to ‘make’ good people so that good exists in our society. Who defines good determines what is produced. This is the battle we see in our country today. (more…)
Ecclesiastes 12.14 promises, God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Omniscient is the word we use to describe God’s ability or character, for knowing all things. This is why He can command us to do good without making a show of it – to not let our right hand know what our left hand is doing, because He sees it, knows it and will one day reward it. God will bring all of our lives to light. (more…)
Leviticus 19.17-18 commands, do not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt
because of him. Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
We are to live holy lives because God is holy. We want God to live among us and bless us. Therefore, we must live holy lives for He is holy. This holiness is to be both individual and communal. (more…)
2 Corinthians 12.9 records, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.
No one wants to be weak. everyone wants to be strong. We despise weakness and we worship strength. Yet the strongest of all, the greatest display of strength ever, we doubt, we ignore and we make little effort to worship, serve or obey Him Who demonstrated this great strength. What is that greatest of all strengths displayed? (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…)
Matthew 2.16 remembers, Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew
into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.
The age old question of why bad things happen to good people is never answered satisfactorily to those suffering. The Bible has a clear explanation but men find it unpalatable for it makes men responsible for all the suffering in the world that has ever been. (more…)
Zechariah 7.4-6 records, GOD -of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, for all the people and for the priests: “When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month…
1 Chronicles 28-9-10 commands, Solomon my son, get to know well your father’s God; serve Him with
a whole heart and eager mind, for GOD examines every heart and sees through every motive. If you seek Him, He’ll make sure you find Him, but if you abandon Him, He’ll leave you for good. Look sharp now! GOD has chosen you to build His holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it!
This is Old Testament language to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as our self by going and making disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us, beginning with our own household. (more…)
1 Chronicles 22.12-13 promises, that’s what will make you successful, following the directions and
doing the things that GOD commanded Moses for Israel. Courage! Take charge! Don’t be timid; don’t hold back.
Everyone wants success, or at least the results of success. Fame and fortune, that’s the goal of all humanity. Success is defined by the applause of men and the material possessions we have accumulated. The greater the audience, the more likes, the greater the person. The more stuff, the more adventures, the greater the person. (more…)
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