1 Corinthians 2.2 records, I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus 
and what he did—Jesus crucified
The christian community is saying many things, some helpful, some distracting. Paul reminds us of what is most important and the first message the Church needs to be sharing with the world. (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…)
Matthew 26.41 describes, there is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s 
another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.
No doubt all of us fall into this same description as a follower of Jesus: a part of us is eager to know God and serve Him but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire. Which part wins determines our destiny in many ways. (more…)
Matthew 5.14-16 teaches us, God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a
city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
God is not a secret to be kept. A popular song echoes this refrain. The key to sharing Him with others is living as light-bearers and being transparent before others. (more…)
Matthew 3.2 records, his message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your
life. God’s kingdom is here.”
It’s a new year when we make new goals in order to be more, accomplish more or achieve more. When Jesus came, John says the Kingdom of God came, and when God came, it was time for people to change.
What is the single biggest change God was looking for? A restored relationship with Himself where people call Him Father and He calls them sons and daughters. (more…)
John 3.3 records Jesus replying, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.”
In the 1970’s the evangelical Christian Church spoke much about being born again. So much, that those words began to create negative emotions toward the Church and it’s Christ. Yet, being born again or born from above or being born of the Spirit is what God in human form, Jesus, stated was required for entering into His eternal dwelling place. Why? (more…)
Luke 13.24 commands, exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you,
will try to enter and will not be able to.
Consider God’s words about the cost of belonging to Him:
Matthew 6.15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
Luke 9.24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Luke 14.26 If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 17.33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.
John 6.53 I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. (more…)
1 Peter 4.2 observes, he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not
human desires.
The focus of the Christian is to be the same focus as Jesus Christ the Lord. That focus is upon doing the will of God regardless of result or cost.
As humans we begin our lives self-focused. Everything is about us from infancy. The child portrays this truth early and often. We never evolve from this focus if we do not lose our lives by giving them over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is why He observes that, unless we lose our lives for Him and His mission, we cannot keep them for eternal life. (more…)
Jonah 2.8 observes, those who worship worthless idols forfeit the mercy that could be theirs.
It appears offensive to some for others to claim that there is only one God in the universe. It makes sense that only one God exists. If there were two gods wouldn’t they battle it out to see who really was GOD? The definition of the word assumes supremacy over all.
Religion is the access point to God. False religions lead to false gods. Offense occurs when a person’s religion is deemed false. (more…)
Enter your email below to get your free resource, periodic news, and new blog post notifications.
