John 20.21 observes, just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you. Jesus' first appearance to the disciples has Him restating His purpose for not taking them with…
John 5.14 records, after this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become
well. Don’t sin any more, lest anything worse happen to you.”
What could be worse than being paralyzed for 38 years? What could be worse than living in a prison while watching everyone else around you enjoy freedom? Jesus found this prisoner and asked him if he wanted to get well. (more…)
Numbers 26.64 observes, there was not a man among these who had been among those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai.
Why did the group of adult Israelites whom God had miraculously freed from slavery in Egypt fail to enter the Promised Land? The reason for God’s deliverance was to bring them into the land He had promised their forefathers as an inheritance for His people. So why did they fail to receive God’s promise, the purpose of His activity in their lives? (more…)
Isaiah 6.10 commands, make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.
In an age when we espouse, God wants all people saved, it is interesting to hear Him say, keep people from repenting. While some will ask, saved from what? Saved from the punishment that follows the judgement to come when all people stand before God and are weighed and measured according to His will and ways as recorded in His word, the Scriptures. (more…)
Hebrews 10.36 encourages, you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.
Endurance is one of those qualities we admire in others but struggle to manifest in ourselves. We see the marathon runner and we marvel at their endurance then say they are crazy to train then run that kind of distance. We hear the testimony from the mountain climber and wonder what it would be like to stand on the top of the world only to hear of the cost and dismiss it as too hard.
Endurance is modeled by the few but desired by the many. (more…)
Isaiah 1.15 observes, when you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I
do not listen, because your hands are covered with blood.
Today is the National Day of Prayer. Historically, it is the time when we as a nation turn to God to repent from our sins against Him and to seek His help for our many struggles. President Washington instituted such a day both to beg God’s help for our nation and to thank Him for the help He had already given.
It was president Truman however who signed the bill into law that officially gave us this day of remembrance. Again, it was both a somber day remembering the world and its rebellion against God as evidenced by its most recent world war and a celebration that God had delivered us, this nation, from our enemies. (more…)
Ecclesiastes 12.13 concludes, having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his
commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
The Bible’s version of the wisest man in the world summarizes his study of the human condition with these words from Ecclesiastes. To summarize Solomon, the chief purpose of humanity is to fear God and obey His commands. Not very sexy. Not very exciting. Not really about me and my wants, needs or desires. Why might this be true regardless of how it makes me feel? (more…)
Philippians 1.29 reminds us that, it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him.
Fox News recently reported that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, again (HERE).
When we think of suffering however we think only in terms described in this article. In North America, under this definition, we don’t suffer because we are not persecuted. Not wanting to be left out of the suffering conversation, we in North America broaden suffering to include our difficulties: divorce, bankruptcy, cancer etc. (more…)
Luke 16.15 warns, Jesus said to them, you are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts.
For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.
This statement by God, warning us that what we value He despises, should terrorize us. Now certainly this cant be true in everything. (more…)
1 Corinthians 7.35 encourages, without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.
This expectation seems opposed to Jesus’ commendation of Mary who sat with Jesus instead of Martha who was busy making lunch for Jesus. Jesus’ caveat was that He would not always be with us in the flesh so Mary had indeed chosen the better activity.
From the beginning however God has been at work. So too the Son came to work by seeking and saving the lost. (more…)
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