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Saturday, December 02, 2023 1:56 PM GMT+1 |
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Andrew Wommack Daily Devotional for 2023
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Sunday, December 31, 2023 God Still Performs Miracles Mark 16:20 'And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.' MARK 16:20 The Lord confirmed the preaching of His Word with miracles. If Jesus and the first century Christians needed the Word confirmed with the miraculous (Heb. 2:4), then we do too. There is no scripture that says these miraculous signs have passed away. Some people have interpreted 'that which is perfect' in 1 Corinthians 13:10, as being the complete Bible. This has led them to believe that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. Although God's...More Saturday, December 30, 2023 Use Your Delegated Authority Mark 16:18 'They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.' MARK 16:18 This either speaks literally of supernatural protection if we pick up a snake, or symbolically of protection in our fight against the devil. Since the other four signs in this list are literal, it is most probable that this means physically taking up snakes. The apostle Paul experienced this supernatural protection from a viper when he was shipwrecked on the island of Melita (Acts 28:3-5). However, this is the only...More Friday, December 29, 2023 Water Baptism Is An Act Of Faith Mark 16:16 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' MARK 16:16 This scripture has led many to believe that water baptism is a part of salvation and that the born-again experience cannot be a reality without it. This same kind of thinking would make seeing Jesus a prerequisite for salvation, based on John 6:40. It is faith in the redemptive work of Christ that produces salvation - not our actions. However, James writes that faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:20). Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never...More Thursday, December 28, 2023 How To Baptize Matthew 28:19 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:' MATTHEW 28:19 In the same way that this commission is to every believer, not just to ministers, the command to baptize is also for every believer. It is proper for any believer to administer the ordinance of water baptism. Jesus commands us to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, yet there is no recorded instance where the believers did so. Instead, the instances of baptism that are recorded in the book of Acts, show people...More Wednesday, December 27, 2023 God Is Good John 21:25 'And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.' JOHN 21:25 Every detail of every man's life, who has ever walked on the earth, has not impacted the world as much as the few recorded details of Jesus' life. Jesus was not just a man, He was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). In Acts 10:38 Peter gives a very brief, yet descriptive summary of the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus was anointed with power and with the Holy...More Tuesday, December 26, 2023 Be Single-minded John 21:21 'Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?' JOHN 21:21 Jesus had just told Peter to follow Him. However, Peter wanted to know what the Lord had planned for John. Instead of Jesus answering Peter's question, the Lord told him that what He had in store for John was none of his business. Satan diverts many people by getting them preoccupied with what others are doing for the Lord. Comparing ourselves with others, whether we come out better or worse, is unwise (2 Cor. 10:12). We need to be so single-minded following the Lord, that we don't look to the...More Monday, December 25, 2023 Water Baptism Is A Sign Mark 16:16 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' MARK 16:16 Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action taken upon believing. Mark's statement could be rendered, 'He who believes with saving faith (i.e. faith that produces actions) will be saved.' In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on your new profession of faith. Anyone who refuses to follow Jesus' command to receive water baptism, may be suspected of not really believing. However, there are scriptural examples of...More Sunday, December 24, 2023 We Are Only Complete In Christ John 20:31 'But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.' JOHN 20:31 Recognition of our completeness in Christ is a tremendous safeguard against deception. Prior to salvation we are incomplete and constantly strive to satisfy our hunger. But through the new birth, we are complete in Christ and our hunger should only be for more revelation of what we already have in Christ. Total satisfaction with Christ disarms Satan's lies. A big part of all temptation is dissatisfaction. Adam and Eve...More Saturday, December 23, 2023 Supernatural Faith John 20:25 'The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.' JOHN 20:25 Thomas refused to believe what He couldn't see or feel. Our five senses were given to us by God and are necessary to help us function in this life. But if we do not renew our minds to acknowledge the limits of our five senses, they will keep us from believing. Faith can perceive things that the senses cannot (Heb....More Friday, December 22, 2023 The Effects Of Sin John 20:23 'Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.' JOHN 20:23 The meaning of this verse has been hotly debated for centuries. One thing is certain, it does not mean we have the power to justify a person from his sins so he can be born again; only God can do that. Many people have taught that Jesus is saying, that if we fail to witness to others, we are retaining their sins unto them, and if we do share His love with others, then we are remitting their sins. Although there is truth in this statement, it is not what...More Thursday, December 21, 2023 Minister The Good News John 20:21 'Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' JOHN 20:21 The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute. The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc. The enmity between man and God was sin. God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again. We have received the ministry of...More Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Be Filled With The Holy Ghost Luke 24:49 'And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.' LUKE 24:49 This filling of the Holy Ghost is subsequent to the born-again experience. Paul reveals in Rom. 10:9, that a person has to confess with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in his heart that Jesus was raised from the dead, before he can be saved. It is possible to be saved, yet not have what Jesus said was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit is now given freely and we don't have to tarry for...More Tuesday, December 19, 2023 God Pours Out His Spirit Luke 24:49 'And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.' LUKE 24:49 John's baptism was a baptism with water unto repentance for the remission of sins. John preached that the Lamb of God came to take away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29), but he didn't administer the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, both John the Baptist and Jesus prophesied the church age, when believers would be baptized with the Holy Ghost. The baptism of the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, but it...More Monday, December 18, 2023 Kinds Of Evangelism Luke 24:48 'And ye are witnesses of these things.' LUKE 24:48 One of the great mistakes of the modern church is to think that evangelism is something done within the four walls of the church building. Acts 8:1-4 makes it apparent that evangelism was not done by the pastor or clergy but by believers that went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:4). Some methods of evangelism mentioned in scripture are: (1) House to house evangelism - '...and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ' (Acts 5:42). (2) Personal one-on-one evangelism - Philip ministered to the...More Sunday, December 17, 2023 Let God's Peace Lead You Luke 24:36 'And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.' LUKE 24:36 Just as every sport has disputes that must be settled by the officials, the peace of God is the umpire that settles all disputes as to what the will of God is for our lives. We must learn to listen to and heed the peace of God in our hearts. God's peace is something that every born-again believer has. It's a fruit of the Spirit. That peace is always umpiring; we just don't always pay attention. How many times have you acted contrary to the peace in your...More Saturday, December 16, 2023 The Father's Plan Luke 24:21 'But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.' LUKE 24:21 When the right time came, God sent forth His Son from Heaven in His pre-existent state, into the world. He was born of a woman (virgin birth) and was made subject to the requirements of the law. Jesus was sent at a specific time. The entrance of Jesus into the physical realm was not a random thing occurring at a haphazard time. There were developments that had to take place before Christ could come to earth and redeem man. The...More Friday, December 15, 2023 Proof Of The Resurrection Matthew 28:11 'Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and showed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.' MATTHEW 28:11 In the Jews' efforts to prevent anything from happening that would cause people to believe that Jesus was resurrected, they gave one of the most sure proofs of His resurrection. They sealed the tomb so it would be obvious if it had been opened and they obtained a guard of soldiers to protect it. This removes all doubt that the followers of Jesus could have stolen His body. Therefore, the enemies of Jesus became a...More Thursday, December 14, 2023 Value Christ Higher Than Self Matthew 28:9 'And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.' MATTHEW 28:9 Self-denial is embraced by much of Christianity today. Historically, self-denial has always been a big part of false religion. Most religions of the world teach an abasement of self, but they do it as penitence in order to obtain salvation. This is not the denying of self that the Bible advocates. True self-denial as the scriptures promote is not self hatred or masochism, but rather an enthroning of Christ above self....More Wednesday, December 13, 2023 The True Meaning Of The Sabbath John 19:31 'The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.' JOHN 19:31 The Sabbath was first mentioned in scripture in Exodus 16, when the Lord miraculously provided manna to the children of Israel in the wilderness. The Israelites were commanded to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day because God would not provide any on the seventh day (Ex. 16:5, 22-30). Shortly after this, the...More Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Death Has Lost Its Power Matthew 27:52 'And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,' MATTHEW 27:52 This is an amazing event that only Matthew records. This earthquake apparently rolled the stones away from many of the graves in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and some of the saints buried there arose from the dead. Even at the death of Jesus, such power was released that death lost its grip on its captives. It is uncertain whether these resurrected saints died again or were caught up to God. If they were resurrected at Christ's death, then they would have had to die again, just as...More Monday, December 11, 2023 Christ Is Alive In Us John 19:30 'When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.' JOHN 19:30 When Jesus cried, 'It is finished,' He was not referring to the whole plan of salvation as being completed. He still had to descend into the lower parts of the earth and lead the captives out (Eph. 4:8-9), as well as come back from the dead and ascend to the Father to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). Paul made it very clear in 1 Corinthians 15:14 and 17, that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith is vain and we are yet in our...More Sunday, December 10, 2023 Honor Your Parents John 19:26 'When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!' JOHN 19:26 Children are to honor their parents, even after they become adults. However, the command to obey is temporary (Gal. 4:1-2). Honor naturally leads to obedience if nothing is asked contrary to God's laws, but honor and obedience are not synonymous. The scriptures teach that when a child marries he is to leave his father and mother and cleave unto his mate (Gen. 2:24). Parental dominance that extends into marriage is the source of many divorces...More Saturday, December 9, 2023 The Veil Is Torn Luke 23:45 'And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.' LUKE 23:45 The veil spoken of here reached from the ceiling to the floor, from wall to wall, and separated the Holy of Holies from the holy place in the temple. Solomon's temple was 30 cubits high (1 Ki. 6:2), but Herod increased the height to 40 cubits according to the writings of Josephus, a first century historian. Therefore, depending on what standard you use to convert cubits to feet (there is uncertainty as to exactly what a cubit equaled in our feet and inches), this veil was somewhere between 60 feet...More Friday, December 8, 2023 Abraham's Bosom Luke 23:43 'And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.' LUKE 23:43 The paradise that Jesus spoke of must have been the same place that Jesus called 'Abraham's bosom,' when He told the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Jesus descended into the lower parts of the earth after His death, and John 20:17 shows that it was some time after His resurrection before Jesus ascended back to His Father. Therefore, this paradise was 'Abraham's bosom' located in 'sheol' in the lower parts of the earth. The phrase 'led captivity captive' from Ephesians...More Thursday, December 7, 2023 Accept The Gift Of Forgiveness Luke 23:34 'Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.' LUKE 23:34 Forgiveness of sins is one of the great themes of the Bible. There is so much that scripture says about it that it would take volumes of books to adequately deal with the subject. It will suffice to say that the blood of Jesus is what provided us with forgiveness of sins. That sacrifice was so great that it outweighed all our sins. It covered all the sins of the world-past, present, and future. Most Christians have the concept that the sins they...More Wednesday, December 6, 2023 Where's Your Focus? Matthew 27:4 'Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.' MATTHEW 27:4 These Jews, who had courted Judas' favor to obtain his cooperation in arresting Jesus, cared nothing for Judas. They had simply used him. The devil's crowd may flatter as long as they can use you, but you can be assured that when there is no longer anything in it for them, they will forsake you just as the chief priests did Judas. The serpent didn't come to Eve in the garden threatening to bite her if she didn't eat of the forbidden fruit....More Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Jesus Freed Us From Sin Luke 23:18 'And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:' LUKE 23:18 What happened to Barabbas is a picture of what happens when a person is born again. Barabbas was guilty; Jesus was innocent. Yet Jesus suffered the death that Barabbas should have experienced, and Barabbas went free. Likewise, we were all guilty (Rom. 3:23) and condemned to death (Rom. 6:23), yet Jesus suffered our punishment so that we may go free (2 Cor. 5:21). Just as Barabbas didn't ask for this substitution, so 'God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were...More Monday, December 4, 2023 Pilate Condemns Jesus Matthew 27:24 'When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.' MATTHEW 27:24 This washing of the hands was not only a symbolic custom of the day that showed innocence, but was also a ritual prescribed in the Jewish law (Dt. 21:6-7; Ps. 26:6). Matthew is the only writer to record Pilate washing his hands of guilt, just as he was the only writer to record Pilate's wife coming to him with the details of the dream she had about...More Sunday, December 3, 2023 One In Spirit Matthew 27:18 'For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.' MATTHEW 27:18 Many problems arise from envy. James said, 'For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work' (Jas. 3:16). Envy and strife go hand in hand and open the door to the devil to do anything he desires, in our life. Some people would never give place to the devil through confessing the wrong things, yet through envy, they give the enemy freedom to do his worst. God's kind of love is not envious or jealous because it doesn't seek it's own, but seeks the welfare of others. Envy is an indication of...More Saturday, December 2, 2023 Religious Pride Brings Dissension Mark 15:10 'For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.' MARK 15:10 The Jews were God's chosen people and therefore, God's representatives on earth. Yet, they lied and condemned an innocent man to death. Pilate could see that their real motivation for wanting Jesus dead was envy. They were doing all their religious works to be seen of men, and were upset that Jesus was getting more recognition than they were. If these Jews would have thought about what type of witness they were giving, even they would have known that their actions were not inspired by God. We should...More Friday, December 1, 2023 Pilate Violates The Truth Matthew 27:17 'Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, 'Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ''? MATTHEW 27:17 Although Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, he looked for some diplomatic way to release Jesus that would not cause him to lose popularity with the Jewish leaders. This is why he sent Jesus to Herod. He hoped that Herod would pass judgment on Jesus and save him the trouble. When that scheme failed, Pilate drew on an old custom of releasing a prisoner to the people at the feast. He gave them a choice...More Thursday, November 30, 2023 Base Your Relationships On God Matthew 24:12 'And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.' MATTHEW 24:12 The only reason that an abundance of iniquity would make anyone's love for the Lord wax cold, is if he were not separated from that iniquity. As with Lot, a righteous man can vex his soul from day to day by hearing and seeing the unlawful deeds of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:8). We have to deal with the world's system and those in it, but we need to be careful and maintain proper balance. We should shun relationships with those who influence us negatively more than we influence them...More Wednesday, November 29, 2023 Guard Against Deception Matthew 24:4 'And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.' MATTHEW 24:3-5 Deception can be avoided or else Jesus would not have said, 'Take heed that no man deceive you.' Satan can only deceive those who allow him to do it. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to 'Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' Putting on the whole armour of God will protect you from the deception of the devil. Just wearing part of God's armour will not fully protect you. Many Christians have been running around with the helmet of...More Tuesday, November 28, 2023 You're Not Alone In Persecution Luke 23:11 'And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.' LUKE 23:11 All of Christ's sufferings did not end when He finished His earthly ministry. He still takes the persecution of His people personally as is revealed by His statement to Saul on the road to Damascus: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' He didn't ask Paul why he was persecuting His people. He said, 'Why are you persecuting Me?' When we are persecuted for righteousness' sake, it is actually Christ who is being...More Monday, November 27, 2023 Jesus - The Name Above Names Luke 23:9 'Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.' LUKE 23:9 Not only does Jesus' refusal to defend Himself show His humility, but His refraining from venting His wrath against the man who senselessly killed His friend who was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Mt. 11:11), also displays His humble nature. Because of Christ's humility and obedience to the Father, God gave Him a name that is above every name in heaven, earth and under the earth. There is no exemption for anyone or anything from coming under the Lordship of Jesus. He is Lord of...More Sunday, November 26, 2023 What Is A Miracle? Luke 23:8 'And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.' LUKE 23:8 Herod desired to see Jesus perform some kind of miracle, and some of the questions he asked Jesus made this desire obvious. However, Jesus did not use His faith to do any miracles for Herod. Miracles are God's way of meeting the needs of those who seek Him in faith. Miracles will sometimes be used to demonstrate God's ability so that people may believe (Mk. 2:10-11), but they...More Saturday, November 25, 2023 The Sword Is The Word John 18:36 'Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.' JOHN 18:33-37 Christ's kingdom is spiritual, in the hearts of men - not physical; therefore, our fight as Christians must not be with carnal weapons but with spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-5). Spiritual forces cannot be defeated with human weapons. When we are being attacked for being a part of Christ's kingdom, we must fight with spiritual weapons. Our warfare is not against...More Friday, November 24, 2023 Choose To Love John 18:23 'Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?' JOHN 18:23 God's kind of love is not self-serving or self-seeking. Agape love will cause a person to lay down his life for another (Jn. 15:13), because he has literally forgotten himself. Many times when heros are asked why they put themselves in jeopardy to save someone else, they reply that they didn't even think about themselves. All they thought of was the danger to the other person. That's God's kind of love. God's type of love involves emotions many times, but it...More Thursday, November 23, 2023 Seek Greater Revelation John 18:20 'Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.' JOHN 18:20 The truths of God are hidden for His children, not from them. The Holy Spirit has been instructed to teach us all things (Jn. 14:26) and has given us an unction so that we will know all things (1 Jn. 2:20). We only have to appropriate what is ours. What God desires His New Testament saints to know, that the Old Testament saints could not know, is 'Christ in you the hope of glory.' The coming of...More Wednesday, November 22, 2023 Prophesy - To Build Up The Body Luke 22:64 'And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?' LUKE 22:64 Teaching and learning in the scriptures, are much more than academic. It involves being guided by God's principles in relationship to others, as well as knowing and responding to God. It calls for the learner to put the Word of God into practice, not just hear it (Jas. 1:22). It involves hearing a word from the outside and putting it on the inside, so that it may be expressed in our every action. Proverbs 2 tells us to incline our ear unto wisdom,...More Tuesday, November 21, 2023 The Silence Of The Son Luke 22:63-64 'And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?' LUKE 22:63-64 Here is the account of God's own creation mocking and insulting His Son without Him intervening. The pain that this must have caused the Father defies description. Those who struck Jesus and told Him to prophesy who it was that struck Him, must have taken Jesus' silence as proof that He was not who He claimed to be. The natural mind could not conceive that Almighty God...More Monday, November 20, 2023 Hide The Word In Your Heart Matthew 26:75 'And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.' MATTHEW 26:75 There are several Greek words used for 'word.' The Greek word used here is RHEMA and it literally means, 'a spoken word; an utterance, a saying, but specifically a spoken word appropriate for the situation.' It's not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee, but the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in the appropriate situation. It's similar to...More Sunday, November 19, 2023 Circumcision Is A Matter Of The Heart John 18:14 'Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.' JOHN 18:14 The physical nation of Israel still has a very important part to play in God's plan. They have a prominent role in end-time prophecy. However, the physical nation of Israel has been displaced in importance by the spiritual seed of Abraham, that is the church of Jesus Christ. Christians are the true circumcised people of God. In Romans 2:28-29, Paul reveals that true circumcision is a matter of the heart, not the flesh, and that true Judaism is...More Saturday, November 18, 2023 Fight The Battle In The Spirit John 18:10 'Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.' JOHN 18:10-11 It is the apostle John who reveals Peter as the one who cut off the servant's ear and also identifies the servant. It is very doubtful that Peter was aiming for Malchus' ear. It is more probable that he was making a horizontal swing at the servant's head and as the man ducked, Peter cut off his ear. Peter was very vocal about never denying the Lord, and his actions proved that he meant what he said. There were only two...More Friday, November 17, 2023 God's Awesome Power John 18:6 'As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.' JOHN 18:5-9 It is evident that it was the power of God that made these six hundred men fall backwards to the ground, but why did it happen when He said, 'I am he'? In this verse, and also in verse eight, the word 'he' is italicized. That means that the word 'he' was not in the original text but was added by the translators to make the sentence grammatically correct. This serves a useful purpose and is very helpful in most cases. However, the translators put these additions in...More Thursday, November 16, 2023 Healing Is An Expression Of God's Mercy Luke 22:51 'And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.' LUKE 22:51 Jesus often healed people by touching them, and others received their healing as they touched Jesus. You can transmit the power or the anointing of God through the laying on of hands (Mk. 16:18; Heb. 6:2). The virtue of God can even be transmitted to objects and then brought to the person who needs healing or deliverance. Jesus provided physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. Many scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of...More Wednesday, November 15, 2023 Our Life Is Not Our Own Luke 22:49 'When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?' LUKE 22:49 The Lordship of Jesus is one of the central themes of scripture. It is clear that many times the word 'Lord,' when referring to Jesus, is equivalent to the divine name 'Yahweh' or 'Jehovah.' To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge His deity (Jn. 20:28). What it means to give Jesus Lordship in our lives, is to recognize His right to rule in our lives, by right of creation (Jn. 1:3) and right of redemption. 'For ye are bought with a...More Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Learn The Word By Doing It Matthew 26:55 'In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.' MATTHEW 26:55 The four gospels refer to Jesus teaching 43 times, preaching 19 times, and preaching and teaching in the same verse, six times. This indicates that Jesus spent twice as much time teaching as He did preaching. Teaching is the basic building block for making disciples. Jesus was making disciples, not just converts. The Greek word for 'disciple' literally means 'a...More Monday, November 13, 2023 Chose To Serve Matthew 26:51 'And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.' MATTHEW 26:51 In Romans chapter one, Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. Out of the six Greek words for 'servant' used in the New Testament, Paul used one of the most slavish terms possible. The word used in this passage is 'doulos' and comes from the root word 'deo' which means 'bind.' Paul literally speaks of himself as a bondman or slave of Jesus Christ - a slave by free choice; yet owned and purchased by Jesus...More Sunday, November 12, 2023 Receive The Ministry Of The Angels Luke 22:43 'And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.' LUKE 22:43 We have angels assigned to us. Hebrews 1:14 further reveals that their purpose is to minister to us, on our behalf. In the Old Testament, Psalm 91 teaches on the ministry of angels to God's people. Some people who have realized this truth have taken it as far as to say that we are suppose to speak to our angels and they will obey our commands. There is no instruction in scripture to do this nor is there any example of that being done. We don't have the intelligence to administer all of the...More Saturday, November 11, 2023 The 'old Man' Is Dead Mark 14:41 'And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.' MARK 14:41 It is not our individual acts of sin that make us a sinner. It is our sin nature that makes us commit individual acts of sin. Adam's one sin produced a sin nature in all men that in turn, caused each person to commit individual acts of sin. Jesus not only dealt with the original sin that contaminated the human race, but He also dealt with each individual act of sin. Anyone who is...More Friday, November 10, 2023 Walk In The Light Matthew 26:41 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' MATTHEW 26:41 How do you walk in the Spirit? The way you do this is through living by, conducting your actions according to, and following the leading of the Word of God as quickened to you by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree perfectly because the Holy Spirit is the one who inspired the written Word of God. Denying the flesh will not result in walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit will result in denying the flesh. This may seem like a...More Thursday, November 9, 2023 Exercise Your Soul Matthew 26:41 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' MATTHEW 26:41 Our spirit is not our problem. The born-again Christian receives a new spirit at conversion, that is just like Jesus' (1 Jn. 4:17) because it is the Spirit of Jesus. Our born-again spirit is always willing to do God's will. It's our flesh that is the problem. The flesh, as Jesus describes it here, not only includes our physical body but also describes our soul. God has given every believer everything it takes to walk in victory, but 'we have this...More Wednesday, November 8, 2023 You Have It All--in The Spirit Matthew 26:41 'Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.' MATTHEW 26:41 The Bible presents salvation as a life transforming experience. Change is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a true believer. Yet, failure to understand that this change takes place in the spirit first, and then is reflected in our outward appearance through our thoughts and actions in direct proportion to the way we renew our minds, causes much confusion. This change has to take place in our born-again spirit first. Why is that? If you were...More Tuesday, November 7, 2023 Choose To Focus On All That Is Good Mark 14:38 'Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.' MARK 14:38 Temptation is linked directly to what we think upon (Heb. 11:15). Temptation has to be entered into. We can avoid temptation by avoiding thoughts that generate temptation (Prov. 23:7). Since it is impossible to not think, we cannot just try to reject the negative thoughts in this world, but we must choose to think on the positive truths of God. This is where prayer comes in. In prayer, we have our minds stayed upon God and therefore, are not receptive to thoughts...More Monday, November 6, 2023 His Fathomless Pain Luke 22:44 'And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.' LUKE 22:43-44 It is interesting that Luke is the only one of the gospel writers to mention that Jesus' sweat was as great drops of blood. This is probably because Luke was a physician (Col. 4:14), and therefore, this had special significance to him. There have been documented cases of people actually sweating drops of blood under extreme emotional pressure. This might explain why Luke is the only writer to mention the angel strengthening Jesus....More Sunday, November 5, 2023 He Is Our 'abba' Mark 14:36 'And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.' MARK 14:36 Although God was referred to as our Father in the Old Testament, Jesus' frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God. Jesus referred to God as His Father, and He spoke of God as being our Father as well. This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus' day who considered it blasphemy to call God their Father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God. We are...More Saturday, November 4, 2023 Seek The Will Of God Luke 22:42 'Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.' LUKE 22:41-42 Jesus knew it was the Father's will for Him to be made an offering for the sins of the world. This is true because He prophesied His death and resurrection many times before. However, because of His unique relationship with God, Jesus was asking God to accomplish His will some other way, but at the same time affirming His commitment to do His Father's will and not His own. He was not at a loss to know God's will and therefore, left this time of prayer...More Friday, November 3, 2023 Chosen Before Creation John 17:24 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' JOHN 17:24 God the Father had the plan of salvation worked out before He even created the world. Most of us would not have created the world and man if we knew the heartache and terrible sacrifice it would cost. But God is not man. In His judgment (which is the correct judgment) the prize was worth the cost. We were chosen in Christ before the world began. The Lord did not choose us...More Thursday, November 2, 2023 Fill Up With God John 17:23 'I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.' JOHN 17:23 God loves us the same as He loves Jesus. A true revelation of this will quicken our faith and allow us to walk in the fullness of God. God's love is the key that opens the door to everything that God is. 'God is love' (1 Jn. 4:8). God's love is not one dimensional. There is width, length, depth and height to it, which can only be comprehended through the revelation and knowledge of the Holy Spirit....More Wednesday, November 1, 2023 One In Spirit John 17:21 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' JOHN 17:21 Jesus is praying for all believers to be one as He and the Father are one. This goes far beyond what many promote as unity today. Paul besought the Corinthians to 'all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment' (1 Cor. 1:10). This is God's standard of unity. This oneness among believers is what...More Tuesday, October 31, 2023 Depend On God, Not The Gift Mark 11:2 'And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.' MARK 11:1-6 The gifts of the Spirit are not meant to be a substitute for our own faith in the Lord. We are not to depend so completely on some individual with a spiritual gift that we neglect our own spiritual growth and maturity. We can receive anything we need from the Lord without a gift of the Spirit operating through another individual, if we know how to believe. Dependence on the Lord directly is...More Monday, October 30, 2023 The Miracle Of The Donkey And Colt John 12:14-15 'And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.' JOHN 12:14-15 This is the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Notice how specific Zechariah's prophecy is and how exactly it was fulfilled. Zechariah prophesied Jesus not only riding an ass, but also a colt (unbroken), the foal of an ass. Zechariah also mentioned the people rejoicing greatly and shouting which certainly came to pass on this day. All four gospels include a triumphal entry, but only...More Sunday, October 29, 2023 How To Experience Eternal Life Today John 17:3 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' JOHN 17:3 In order to fully understand what eternal life is, it is helpful to understand what it is not. Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell. Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell. John 3:36 and 5:24 show that eternal life is a present tense possession of the believer. Here, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus...More Saturday, October 28, 2023 Rejoice In The Lord - Always John 16:33 'These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' JOHN 16:33 The world experiences joy and happiness in direct proportion to their circumstances. Bad circumstances produce depression and sorrow, while good circumstances produce joy and peace. That's bondage, and does not have to be the case for a Christian. Our joy is not dependent on things, but rather on the person of Jesus Christ. He is our peace and joy. The way we take advantage of this joy and peace in the...More Friday, October 27, 2023 Overcome Tribulation John 16:33 'These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' JOHN 16:33 Jesus said we would have tribulation. He did not say that He was the one bringing the tribulation or what the tribulation would be, but He said it would come. Then He made the amazing statement that in the midst of tribulation we were to be of good cheer. Tribulations exist because there is a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. When we operate in faith, God is able to grant us...More Thursday, October 26, 2023 Be A Witness, Not A Judge John 16:8 'And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:' JOHN 16:8 It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to reprove sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is not our ministry. We are simply witnesses. A witness is not the judge or the jury. A witness simply relates what he has experienced, thereby providing evidence to the truth of something. We are to witness in word and deed, to the truth of Jesus being alive in us and let God be the one who convicts. We are simply to testify to what we have seen or to what has happened to us. Some...More Wednesday, October 25, 2023 Embrace The Holy Spirit John 16:7 'Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.' JOHN 16:7 The Greek word translated 'expedient' means 'to be an advantage; profitable.' How could any situation be more advantageous or profitable than having Jesus physically with you? When Jesus walked on this earth in His physical body, He was subject to many physical limitations. For instance, He could not always be with every one of His disciples all the time. Through the ministry...More Tuesday, October 24, 2023 Expect Persecution John 15:19 'If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.' JOHN 15:19 We should not think it is strange to be persecuted. 'All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution' (2 Tim. 3:12). We can actually rejoice because we are being persecuted for Jesus' sake, and the Lord will be with us in the midst of the persecution. When we stand before Him, there will be more than ample reward. Persecution is a token that those persecuting you are under...More Monday, October 23, 2023 Our Life Is In Him John 15:4 'Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.' JOHN 15:4 This is a profound truth, that is the key to bearing fruit, but it is so easy to forget. Because the fruit is borne on the branch, it is easy to credit the branch with the fruit, when it is the vine that drew the life from the earth and channeled it through the branch. Likewise, since we are the branch through which the life of God flows, we sometimes think that it is our own holiness that produces the...More Sunday, October 22, 2023 Let God Prune You His Way John 15:2 'Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' JOHN 15:2 This purging has been interpreted in many ways. The illustration that Jesus is using is one of pruning; therefore, some have said this purging is a very painful process where the Lord cuts and slashes us through things like sickness, death, poverty, and other forms of tragedy so that eventually we will bear more fruit. This teaching not only promotes problems as being good, but necessary, if we want to bear more...More Saturday, October 21, 2023 Jesus In The Flesh John 14:28 'Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.' JOHN 14:28 Jesus stated His union with the Father so clearly that He was accused of blasphemy more than once. This statement about the Father being greater than Jesus must harmonize, not contradict other claims. A key to understanding this is given in Philippians 2:6-8, where Paul states that Jesus didn't think it was robbery to be equal with God, but humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant...More Friday, October 20, 2023 God Is Our Comfort John 14:16 'And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;' JOHN 14:16-17 Remember that Jesus was saying these things to His disciples so that they would not be offended. Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is the front line of defense against the devil and his devices of defeat. The phrase, 'The God of all comfort' carries the idea of a divine comforter who encourages, refreshes, strengthens, aids, assists, and is an ever present help...More Thursday, October 19, 2023 God Works In The Simple Things John 14:7 'If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.' JOHN 14:7 Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is not only because Jesus did exactly what He saw His Father do, but Jesus was God in the flesh. The disciples didn't realize that seeing Jesus was seeing God. They were expecting something more. Many times we miss seeing God work in our lives and circumstances because we are looking for something stupendous. Although it is true that God is totally awesome, He doesn't usually choose to manifest Himself in that...More Wednesday, October 18, 2023 There Is Only One Way To The Father John 14:5 'Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?' JOHN 14:5-6 Thomas knew Jesus. He just didn't realize Jesus was 'the way.' Likewise, people today know portions of God's Word but they don't realize that God's Word is their way to victory. Often, people cry out for God to speak to them while their Bible lays unopened on their nightstand. God has spoken to us through His Word. We just need to believe it and receive its truths as our way to victory. Jesus didn't say: 'I am a way, a truth, and a life.' He claimed to be the only way,...More Tuesday, October 17, 2023 Our Comfort Is In Eternity John 14:2 'In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.' JOHN 14:2 This is Jesus' last teaching to His disciples before His crucifixion. Jesus' disciples were about to go through the greatest test of their faith that they had ever encountered. Jesus said that He was saying these things so His disciples would not be offended. Jesus was preparing them for what was to come. Why then speak of preparing them a mansion in heaven? The reason for this was to comfort the disciples and help them put things in perspective. In 1...More Monday, October 16, 2023 Turn Back To God Luke 22:32 'But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.' LUKE 22:32 The concept of 'conversion' is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures at least 14 times. The basic meaning of the term is a turning or returning to God. This implies a turning away from sin and a turning to God. Repentance and putting faith in God are corresponding synonyms to conversion. The theological basis for conversion lies in the truth of the 'atonement.' Although man lapses into sin, the truth of the atonement remains. When men turn to God in...More Sunday, October 15, 2023 Our Success Is In God Matthew 26:33 'Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.' MATTHEW 26:33 Just like Peter, we are often more confident of ourselves than God is. Many Christians are devastated when they fail in some area that they thought they had long since grown past. We need to realize that as long as we are in this mortal body, we cannot fall asleep at our battle station against the works of the flesh. If we do, our flesh is just as capable of sin as anyone else's. If we fall, it should concern us but not surprise us. We should simply...More Saturday, October 14, 2023 Love Comes First John 13:35 'By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' JOHN 13:35 Jesus didn't say that all men would know we are His disciples by our doctrine, our rituals, our hatred for sin, or even by the way we express our love for God. He said very clearly, that the one characteristic that would cause the world to identify us as His followers, is our love, one for another. This same night, the Lord prayed to His Father using this same thought saying, 'That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:...More Friday, October 13, 2023 A New Revelation Of Love John 13:34 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' JOHN 13:34 Jesus previously stated that all the law and the prophets were dependent on loving God first, and then loving your neighbor as yourself. These truths were already in the law but people missed them. So, this commandment was not new in the sense that it had never been given before, but it was brought to the forefront and given new meaning through the example of Jesus. Jesus not only loved His neighbor as Himself, He loved us more than Himself. John,...More Thursday, October 12, 2023 We Are Complete, Only In Him Matthew 26:28 'For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' MATTHEW 26:27-29 The principle of the Old Covenant was 'do' and you shall live. The principle of the New Covenant is 'it is done,' and includes redemption, reconciliation, righteousness, and sanctification. The work is finished! We are complete in Him! If the Old Covenant had no defects, there would have been no attempt to institute another (Heb. 8:7). In the Old Covenant, men found themselves unable to abide in its agreement, for it was based upon a man's...More Wednesday, October 11, 2023 Let God Minister To You John 13:8 'Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.' JOHN 13:5-8 Peter's refusal to let Jesus wash his feet came from a knowledge that he was totally unworthy to have the sinless Son of God serve him as a common servant would. Peter was correct in his assessment of his relative worth, but what he missed was that God doesn't minister to us because of our worth but because of His love. Even though Peter's attitude looked holy and humble, he was actually resisting God's will and committing an act of pride....More Tuesday, October 10, 2023 Communion Is Sacred Luke 22:19 'And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.' LUKE 22:19 The bread of communion symbolizes the body of Jesus which was broken for us through His sufferings. He not only died for us on the cross but also bore 39 stripes on His back by which we are healed. Partaking of communion should remind us of the emotional and physical salvation that Jesus provided for us. The Lord's Supper comes from a part of the Passover meal that was celebrated only once a year. However, the early...More Monday, October 9, 2023 The Meaning Of Passover Luke 22:16 'For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' LUKE 22:15-18 The Lord longed to share the passover meal with His disciples. He was less than 24 hours away from fulfilling His mission and, like anyone who can see the finish line, He must have had feelings of relief and excitement. The passover meal commemorated the Jews' deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Ex. 13:3-10). It also had a much deeper spiritual application that, as Jesus explains here, would be fulfilled through His death. The Jewish nation as a whole had missed...More Sunday, October 8, 2023 Test The Gifts Of The Spirit Luke 22:13 'And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.' LUKE 22:13 When a true gift of the Spirit is in operation, things will always be as the Lord has said (an exception to this is if there are conditions to meet). This is the ultimate test of whether or not someone's words are God-inspired (Dt. 18:22). We cannot be led by just our own feelings concerning the gifts of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the apostle Paul gives us direction governing the use of spiritual gifts that must supersede any urge or leading...More Saturday, October 7, 2023 Resist The Temptation Of Sin Luke 22:3 'Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.' LUKE 22:3 Some people have speculated that Judas betrayed Jesus in an effort to force Jesus into a confrontation with the Roman government. Then He would have to use His supernatural power in self-defense and overthrow the Romans, thereby giving independence back to the nation of Israel. This idea is based mainly on the response of Judas when he saw that Jesus was condemned. Judas 'repented himself' (Mt. 27:3), implying that the condemnation of Jesus was never his intent. However, scripture...More Friday, October 6, 2023 Escape Condemnation Matthew 26:2 'Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.' MATTHEW 26:2 In Israel, crucifixion was a common sight. This practice was first mentioned in scripture as one used by the Egyptians (Gen. 40:19). Anyone hung upon a tree was accursed by God according to the Mosaic law (Dt. 21:22-23). Failure to obey the law brought on the curse. Praise God that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by bearing the curse for us. Now, through Christ, we will never receive any curse from God even though we still disobey the...More Thursday, October 5, 2023 How To Esteem Others More Than Self Matthew 25:40 'And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.' MATTHEW 25:32-46 When a kind act was done to someone in need, Jesus said it was done unto Him. The Lord deeply feels our hurts. When someone is neglected, Jesus says He is also being neglected. We have a high priest who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities (Heb. 4:15). When we hurt, He hurts. When we are blessed, He is blessed. The God of the universe is intricately involved with every detail of our...More Wednesday, October 4, 2023 Follow The Leading Of The Holy Spirit Matthew 25:14 'For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.' MATTHEW 25:14 The parable of the talents continues the theme of being ready for the Lord's return, but it also makes a strong point that we are accountable to the Lord for the gifts He has given us. The Lord intends us to use these gifts to further His kingdom - not keep them hidden. This parable also shows the Lord dealing with His servants according to their own individual gifts and abilities. The servants who doubled their Lord's money...More Tuesday, October 3, 2023 Get Ready For Jesus Matthew 24:38 'For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,' MATTHEW 24:38-39 Jesus is prophesying that just as in Noah's day, people will be dominated with the temporary affairs of this life instead of eternal spiritual truths, when Jesus returns. Before our Lord's second return, there will be plenty of signs to show that the time is drawing near, but few will heed them. Preoccupation with the affairs of this life can dull us to the spiritual realm. The Lord kindly but...More Monday, October 2, 2023 Our Hope Is In Eternity Luke 21:18-19 'But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.' LUKE 21:15-22 Jesus says the disciples were betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, friends, and some disciples were even put to death. Yet, the amazing statement of Christ is that not a hair of their head will perish. The context of this statement speaks of some of the disciples dying, so this is not a promise that no physical harm will ever come. This could only refer to the resurrection. The Greek word for 'resurrection' means 'a standing or rising up.' The resurrection is a...More Sunday, October 1, 2023 Our Nature In Christ Matthew 24:13 'But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.' MATTHEW 24:13 Here, Jesus teaches that the believer must persevere to receive complete salvation. Salvation is a gift that cannot be earned or maintained by our own works. It has to be received by faith. However, there is effort on our part to maintain that faith. This is where holiness comes in. Holiness will not produce relationship with God, nor will a lack of holiness make God turn away from us. He deals with us according to our faith in Jesus, not our performance. Holiness will keep Satan from...More Saturday, September 30, 2023 Now, Or Then? John 1:16, 'And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.' JOHN 1:1-18 The Christian life is not like an insurance policy that only pays off when we die and go to heaven. Every believer has now received the grace of God and the fullness of God. We are now complete in Him (Col. 2:9-10). When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we are instantly changed in our spirits (2 Cor. 5:17). Many Christians aren't aware of the change that takes place in their spirit. They continue to live within their physical and emotional realms and are oblivious to the new, born-again part of them...More Friday, September 29, 2023 Jesus Was God John 1:1, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' LUKE 1:1-4; JOHN 1:1-18 Jesus was not just a man sent from God, He was God. This is the most important statement of the New Testament. On this truth hangs all other truths. If Jesus was only a man, then regardless of how good He was, His life could only provide a substitute for one other man. But since He was God, His life was worth more than every human life since creation. Indeed it was worth more than the sum total of the universe that He created. Any compromise on this...More Thursday, September 28, 2023 God Recognizes Our Sacrifices Mark 12:41-42 'And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.' MARK 12:41-44 The treasury that is spoken of here is a place located in the Women's Court that was in the temple complex but was not part of the temple itself. Women were not allowed in the temple, so the fact that this widow was casting her offering into the treasury verifies the location of the treasury. Jesus used this instance to teach His...More Wednesday, September 27, 2023 God's Mercy Is A Gift Matthew 23:23 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' MATTHEW 23:23 One of the ways that God's goodness is revealed is by His mercy. We may describe mercy as the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness. It is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him. God's mercy to the...More Tuesday, September 26, 2023 Give Cheerfully, Not Out Of Fear Matthew 23:23 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' MATTHEW 23:23 Some have taught that Jesus did away with the tithe since it is not a specific part of the New Testament teaching. But in this instance, Jesus made reference to the scribes and Pharisees tithing and implied that they were right in doing so. The New Covenant did not do away with the tithe but it clarified what the motives for...More Monday, September 25, 2023 Hypocrisy Is An Attitude Matthew 23:12 'And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.' MATTHEW 23:12 He who thinks that he will be exalted by acting as a servant, pretending to be humble so that he will receive the promise of God's Word, is sadly mistaken. Hypocrisy is an attitude or motive. There are two main types of hypocrisy: 1) People don't practice what they preach. 2) People's motives are wrong even though their actions are right. The second type of hypocrisy is why Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees. It is more subtle...More Sunday, September 24, 2023 Give Agape Love Matthew 23:12 'And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.' MATTHEW 23:10-12 In Romans 12:10 we are admonished to desire the welfare of others more than our own; to like others better than ourselves. That is an awesome command that is only obtainable through God's supernatural love. If this very simple, yet very profound truth could be understood and applied, then strife would cease (Prov. 13:10). The world would see Christianity as never before, and we would discover the true joy that comes from serving someone besides...More |
Friday, September 22, 2023 Understanding Truth Luke 20:44 'David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?' LUKE 20:41-44 Jesus took an apparent contradiction in scripture and through combining these paradoxical statements (concerning the humanity and deity of Christ) brought forth the truth that Christ is God in human flesh. Both assertions (the fact that Jesus was David's son and yet David's Lord) were right at the same time. It was correct that Christ was David's son and it was also correct that Christ was David's Lord. This meant that Christ also was God. However, Christ was not exclusively David's son nor was He...More Thursday, September 21, 2023 Jesus The Servant Mark 12:29 'And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord': MARK 12:28-30 Jesus repeatedly made reference to His deity for which the Jews had sought to kill Him, and yet He quotes from Deuteronomy 6:4, that 'The Lord our God is one Lord.' There are not two or three Gods and yet Jesus claimed to be God just like God the Father. This union is a great mystery that defies human understanding but can be accepted and believed. Jesus in His pre-existent state was in the form of God. 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was...More Wednesday, September 20, 2023 The Two Greatest Commands Matthew 22:36 'Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' MATTHEW 22:34-46 Jesus revealed that all of the Old Testament laws were designed to instruct us how to love God and love others. Therefore, the two commands that dealt directly with loving God and others (Lev. 19:18 and Dt. 6:5) were the most important. The religious leaders had become so...More Tuesday, September 19, 2023 Marriage Is For This Life Luke 20:33-34 'Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:' LUKE 20:27-40 It is very doubtful that the situation that the Sadducees were relating ever took place. It is more probable that they were stating a hypothetical case to complicate the understanding of the resurrection and thereby discredit it. If you accept their basic supposition (marriage continues in heaven), then their reasoning was correct. It would not be possible to administer...More Monday, September 18, 2023 Heaven Mark 12:25 'For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.' MARK 12:25 The word heaven comes from the Greek word meaning 'the sky; heaven as the abode of God'; by implication, 'happiness; power; an eternity.' Paul mentioned being caught up into 'the third heaven' in 2 Corinthians 12:2. Since 'the third heaven' exists, there must also be a first and second heaven. The first is probably the atmospheric heaven, the second, the abode of supernatural angelic beings, and the third, the place where God...More Sunday, September 17, 2023 The Resurrection Power Matthew 22:23 'The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,' MATTHEW 22:23 The Greek word used here for resurrection means 'a standing or rising up.' The resurrection is a major theme of New Testament teaching. Out of the 13 sermons in the book of Acts, 11 stress or simply mention the resurrection. Man consists of three parts - a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Th. 5:23). The body is mortal while the spirit and soul are immortal. At death, man's body goes through the decomposition process and returns to its original...More Saturday, September 16, 2023 Our Life Belongs To God Matthew 22:20-21 'And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.' MATTHEW 22:20-22 The image on the denarius, the only small silver coin acceptable for imperial tax payments, was probably that of Tiberius Caesar (reigned A.D. 14-37). The inscription upon the coin read 'Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus' with the reverse side reading 'Chief Priest.' This inscription was a claim to divinity and as emperor, the...More Friday, September 15, 2023 Our Righteousness Is In Christ Matthew 22:11 'And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:' MATTHEW 22:8-14 In this time, it was customary for the host to provide their guests with wedding garments to wear to the wedding. It was an insult of the highest degree to refuse to wear the clothing provided since the guests were brought in directly from the highways and streets. The wedding garment speaks of the righteousness of Christ that God so graciously provides for all who accept His invitation into the kingdom. It must be put on by both good and bad (Mt....More Thursday, September 14, 2023 Righteousness Depends On God, Not On Self Matthew 21:28-30 'But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.' MATTHEW 21:23-24; MARK 11:27-33; 12:1-2; LUKE 20:1-9 This parable was given in response to the religious leaders rejecting Jesus' authority. Through this parable, Jesus reveals God's rejection of the Jews in response to their rejection of His Son. Jesus is showing that those who do the will of...More Wednesday, September 13, 2023 Faith Is A Muscle Matthew 21:26 'But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.' MATTHEW 21:23-27 Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.' These men were seeking to snare Jesus in His words, but they couldn't because He was safely trusting in the Lord. It was easy for Jesus to 'turn the tables on them' and catch them because they feared man (Jn. 5:44). Jesus had already shown that all of their works were done so that they could be seen of men (Mt. 6:5). They were not really seeking to please God,...More Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Forgiving Others Is To Your Advantage Mark 11:25 'And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.' MATTHEW 21:20-22; MARK 11:20-26 There are qualifications for believing and receiving as well as restrictions for receiving answers to prayer. Unforgiveness in our hearts will keep our prayers from being answered. We should forgive others as quickly as it takes to make the decision to pray. The Greek word for 'when' means 'whenever, as soon as, or while.' When we stand praying, we must forgive if we have ought ('anything at all, the...More Monday, September 11, 2023 The Battle Is In The Mind Matthew 21:21 'Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.' MATTHEW 21:21 Jesus makes it very clear that we must have faith and doubt not. Every believer has faith, but most believers also have an abundance of doubt that negates their faith. It is when we purify our faith and only believe, that victory comes. Every Christian is at war. There is a perpetual struggle against...More Sunday, September 10, 2023 Works Don't Save Mark 11:16 'And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.' MARK 11:16 Only Mark points out that Jesus would not suffer anyone to carry any vessel through the temple. No explanation is offered by Mark as to why Jesus would not allow this. It is probable that Jesus wanted His Father's house to be dedicated completely to prayer and the ministry of God. Also, as with the Sabbath, work symbolizes our own effort, and our own effort will always fall short of what God demands for salvation. Therefore, anything that resembled work was inappropriate in the house of...More Saturday, September 9, 2023 The Word Produces Fruit Matthew 21:14 'And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.' MATTHEW 21:12-14 When we, who are the temple of the Lord, are occupied with the cares of this life, the needs of others are not met. However, when we are cleansed (Jn. 15:3), then the Lord can accomplish His ministry through us. Jesus tells us not to worry or be anxious about our material needs being met. It would be impossible to never think about our physical needs, even Jesus thought about His need for money to pay taxes. We are simply not to be occupied with thinking about riches or spend...More Friday, September 8, 2023 Our Words Are Alive Mark 11:14 'And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.' MARK 11:14 Notice that this verse says that Jesus 'answered' this fig tree. The tree had not spoken to Him verbally but it communicated that it had figs by the leaves on it. It is a fact that a fig tree should have figs by the time the leaves are evident. A fig tree actually produces green figs before the leaves appear and if no figs are produced by that time, then the tree will not have any figs that year. This fig tree was professing something that it didn't have even...More Thursday, September 7, 2023 Believe That You Have Received Matthew 21:19 'And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.' MATTHEW 21:18-19 The Greek word for presently means 'instantly; immediately; soon.' However, the disciples didn't realize that the fig tree had died until the next day. If the tree died instantly, why didn't they notice it until the next morning? The answer to this question is found in Mark 11:20. The tree was dead from the roots up. The tree did die instantly just as the Word...More Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Choose To Believe John 12:39-40 'Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.' JOHN 12:37-40 This could be interpreted as the ultimate teaching in predestination. That interpretation would be that these people were never given the opportunity to believe because of Isaiah's prophecies. However, the Word of God makes it clear that 'whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved' (Rom. 10:13); 'Behold, I stand at...More Tuesday, September 5, 2023 The Power To Live A Holy Life John 12:31 'Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.' JOHN 12:31 The only reason Satan ever had any right to become a prince or rule over us was because we yielded ourselves to him through sin (Rom. 6:16). Since Jesus 'bore our sins in His own body on the tree' (1 Pet. 2:24), Satan no longer has power or authority over those who accept Jesus' gift of salvation. Satan has been 'cast out' -- stripped of any power he had. Now he can only deceive, and if we fall for his lies, we stop God's blessings from flowing in our lives. The reason why a...More Monday, September 4, 2023 Jesus Paid Our Debt John 12:31 'Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.' JOHN 12:31 There is still a future judgment of the world coming, where the wicked will be separated from the righteous and cast into the lake of fire. This verse refers to the sins of the world that were about to be placed on Jesus and that He would suffer our punishment. Jesus suffered the punishment for our sins, so there is no reason why we should suffer for them too. The price for sin has already been paid by the only one who could fully pay it and that is Jesus. All Jesus asks of us to...More Sunday, September 3, 2023 God's Voice John 12:28 'Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.' JOHN 12:20-28 This is the third time recorded in the gospels that the Father spoke in an audible voice to or about Jesus (First, at Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River and second, at the transfiguration of Jesus). This verse makes it clear that it was a voice that the Father spoke in; however, there were different reports of the same event. Some people heard a voice and thought it was an angel who spoke. Others thought it was thunder. This...More Saturday, September 2, 2023 God's New Creation John 12:23 'And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.' JOHN 12:20-23 Philip and Andrew had just brought word to Jesus that certain Greeks or Gentiles were seeking Him at the feast. He had ministered to other Gentiles, but this is the first time that the Gentiles came specifically to seek Him instead of what He could do. Apparently, this was an added signal to Jesus that His time had come and that He could no longer confine His ministry to only the Jews. Therefore, He made statements about His death and glorification, that would break down the...More Friday, September 1, 2023 The Power Of Praise And Worship Luke 19:39-40 'And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.' LUKE 19:29-40 There is nothing wrong with praising God. It is encouraged and commanded thousands of times in the scriptures. The reason the Pharisees were so upset was because they didn't accept Jesus as God. Indeed, it would be blasphemy for Jesus to accept worship if He wasn't God. This is another confirmation of the deity of...More Thursday, August 31, 2023 Worship From Your Heart Mark 14:3 'And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.' MARK 14:3-6 The spikenard was a fragrant plant, and its roots were used in Jesus' day to make an aromatic, costly perfume and ointment. The plant, itself, grows in the Himalaya mountains at an elevation of 11,000 to 17,000 feet. For centuries, it was used by Hindus as a medicine and perfume and was an actively traded commodity. Its great cost stemmed from that it had to be...More Wednesday, August 30, 2023 Respond To God's Direction Luke 19:26 'For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.' LUKE 19:26 What was it that this wicked servant didn't have that caused his master to take back the money he had given him? It wasn't the tangible money that he had been given. He had kept that laid up in a napkin and he still possessed it. What he was missing and what the other servant had that caused the lord to give this pound to him was faithfulness. Those who are faithful with what God has given them will be given more, and those who are...More Tuesday, August 29, 2023 Relieve Each Other's Burdens Luke 19:23 'Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?' LUKE 19:23 The Greek word for 'usury' means primarily 'a bringing forth, birth, or offsprings.' It is used metaphorically for the profit received by a lender. The Law of Moses attempted to protect both borrower and lender. In Israel, borrowing and lending was not for big, commercial enterprises but rather to help the poor and needy who lacked everyday necessities. In lending, the lender had the opportunity to help the poor in need. It was an act of love in...More Monday, August 28, 2023 Be Faithful With A Little Luke 19:12-13 'He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.' LUKE 19:11-27 The main purpose of this parable is to show that there would be a long period when Jesus would go away before returning to fulfill the prophecy about a physical kingdom on earth. The nobleman's servants were called to give an account for what they had done with their lord's money that was delivered unto them. The servants were commanded to...More Sunday, August 27, 2023 Minister God's Love Luke 19:8 'And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.' LUKE 19:1-8 Zacchaeus was rich but Jesus made no demands for him to give away all his goods to the poor as He did with the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus had already repented and money was no longer his god, as was revealed by his actions. It seems that Zacchaeus was going above and beyond the requirement of restitution as stated in Mosaic law by offering to give half of his goods to the poor and to...More Saturday, August 26, 2023 Please God Not People Mark 10:48 'And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.' MARK 10:43-48 The devil will always have someone available to tell us why we shouldn't expect to get results when petitioning God. Most people would rather stay with the crowd and not do anything to draw attention to themselves even if that means not getting their needs met. They will try to make you conform as well. If this man would have listened to the crowd, he would not have received his healing. 'Ye have not, because ye ask not' (Jas....More Friday, August 25, 2023 Jesus Paid The Price Mark 10:45 'For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' MARK 10:45 Jesus told His disciples many times of His death but this is the first time He indicated the reason for His death. Now it is clear that His death would be a 'ransom', defined in the Greek as a means of loosing by paying a price. The words 'ransom' and 'redeem' were used interchangeably in scripture. Not only would Jesus pay the price for sin but also His death would be substitutionary. In 1 Timothy 2:6, the word 'ransom' is taken from the...More Thursday, August 24, 2023 Share In His Sufferings Matthew 20:22 'But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.' MATTHEW 20:17-25 The Greek word for baptize is 'baptizo.' This word was used by Plato (fourth century B.C.) to describe a man being 'overwhelmed' by philosophical arguments; or it means sponges being 'dipped' in fluid; and by Strabo (first century B.C.) to describe people who could not swim as being 'submerged' under water. Josephus in the first century A.D. used the word to...More Wednesday, August 23, 2023 It's Not What You Do Matthew 20:8 'So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.' MATTHEW 20:1-16 This parable begins with Jesus' statement that the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who is a householder (owner of an estate). He went out early in the morning to hire workers to work in his vineyard for the day. An agreed upon price was set at a penny, the normal wage paid daily for a laborer. Later, around 9 a.m., the landowner encouraged others, standing idle in the marketplace, to work in the vineyard, not...More Tuesday, August 22, 2023 Receive The Gift Of Salvation Mark 10:21 'Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.' MARK 10:21-27 Notice that the scripture makes special mention of Jesus loving this rich young ruler. This is stated after this young man said he had kept all of God's commands, which was not the truth. Jesus was showing him that he had broken the very first commandment that states, 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me' (Ex. 20:3), and also the tenth...More Monday, August 21, 2023 Trust In Jesus As Your Savior Matthew 19:16 'And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?' MATTHEW 19:12-20 On the surface, it appears that this rich young ruler was 'right on' in the way he approached Jesus and sought salvation. He ran, kneeled down to Jesus, and openly professed Him as a Good Master. What could be wrong with that? First, he acknowledged Jesus as good but not as God. This is a pivotal point. Every major religion of the world acknowledges that Jesus lived and will even admit that He definitely was a good man, but...More Sunday, August 20, 2023 Marriage Is A Covenant Matthew 19:9 'And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.' MATTHEW 19:7-9 Although adultery denotes one who has unlawful intercourse with the spouse of another, in its much broader term, it means to violate or pollute. Israel violated or polluted their covenant with God. Jeremiah says, 'She (Judah) defiled the land, and committed adultery' (Jer. 3:9). Adultery in relation to marriage also reflects a violation of the covenant of...More Saturday, August 19, 2023 One Flesh Matthew 19:5 'And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?' MATTHEW 19:3-5 What does it mean for a man and a woman to become 'one flesh?' The act of sexual intercourse between a man and a woman produces this one flesh relationship. Whether or not the man and woman ever cleave to each other in marriage; the physical act still binds them together as one flesh. This is the reason that sexual relationships outside of marriage (whether extra-marital or pre-marital) are so damaging. Whether or not individuals...More Friday, August 18, 2023 Divorce Is Not God's Best Mark 10:2 'And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.' MARK 10:2-6 The Pharisees didn't really want to know what Jesus taught on divorce and remarriage. They didn't value His opinion but were tempting Him and desired to get Him mired in the big dispute of their day between liberal and conservative views on divorce. This was a very emotional issue then, just as it is today, and they thought they had Jesus in a 'no win' situation. However, as always, Jesus proved to be more than their match and He gave them much more than...More Thursday, August 17, 2023 Righteousness Is A Gift Luke 18:9 'And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:' LUKE 18:9-14 People who are self-righteous often despise others. No one can compare himself with God's perfect standard and feel good about himself. To trust in ourselves, we have to constantly compare ourselves with others. This breeds a critical attitude towards others that exalts self by debasing others. No one can ever be righteous in the sight of God through his own righteousness. Our actions benefit us in relationships with people and prevent Satan from...More Wednesday, August 16, 2023 God Answers Prayer Luke 18:7 'And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?' LUKE 18:1-8 This is not an exact comparison of God to this unjust judge, teaching us that we should badger God until we weary Him and He grants us our request. Rather, Jesus is contrasting His willingness to answer our prayers with this unjust judge's unwillingness. The parable is a contrast, not a representation. Not only do we have God who is a just judge who will avenge His elect speedily, but we also have Jesus as our advocate or attorney who is always...More Tuesday, August 15, 2023 Like A Thief In The Night Luke 17:24 'For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.' LUKE 17:24-31 This scripture and the parallel scripture in Matthew 24:27 make it very clear that the second return of Jesus will be no secret to anyone. In Matthew's account, it is especially clear that this statement about the lightning was made so that we wouldn't be deceived by false Christs. Just as lightning is visible to everyone, so the second return of Jesus will be witnessed by the whole world. That's the reason we...More Monday, August 14, 2023 Give Thanks Daily Luke 17:18 'There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.' LUKE 17:11-18 Relatively few people who receive the goodness of the Lord return to give Him thanks for what He has done. That does not keep the Lord from doing what is right for us. He healed all ten of these lepers according to their request - not just the one who was thankful. However, there was only one out of the ten that was made 'whole.' The Lord desires that we prosper in spirit, soul, and body. He wants us to be whole - not just healed. Part of the reason God meets our physical needs is to...More Sunday, August 13, 2023 Focus On The Things Above John 11:44 'And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.' JOHN 11:44 Symbolically, Lazarus is like many Christians. The Bible speaks of us passing from death unto new life when we get born again. But it is also true that in the physical and emotional realm, we bring our 'graveclothes' from our old life with us (i.e. habits, attitudes, etc.), and we need to be 'loosed' to fully enjoy our new life. Our emotions and attitudes follow what we think. When we focus our...More Saturday, August 12, 2023 Groaning In The Spirit John 11:33 'When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.' JOHN 11:33 The Greek word that is translated 'groaned' expresses that Jesus was deeply moved, but not necessarily with sorrow. It was more a groan of anger at Satan who had caused all the grief Jesus was seeing around Him. Jesus came to 'destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil' (Heb. 2:14), and He was grieved to see the pain that His enemy had inflicted on those He loved. This is the type of groaning that the Holy Spirit does...More Friday, August 11, 2023 Live Forever In Him John 11:26 'And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?' JOHN 11:26 Some people have interpreted this as saying that it is possible to never die. Therefore, there are people today who are believing that they will live physically until the second coming of Jesus, even if that is thousands of years away. Although it is understandable how someone could interpret this verse in that manner, it is very doubtful that this is what Jesus truly meant. First, a doctrine as profound as this would certainly be well documented in other scriptures. Other scriptures...More Thursday, August 10, 2023 Confess God's Truth John 11:14 'Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.' JOHN 11:14 Jesus spoke of Lazarus being asleep instead of dead because that is really a much better description. Death, to their carnal minds, would be final; whereas the word 'sleep' would not. When the disciples misunderstood what He was saying, He clarified the situation by saying plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.' This looks like a contrary statement to what Jesus was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead) and indeed it would have been if He had left it at that. But He went on to say in verse 15, 'I am glad for your...More Wednesday, August 9, 2023 Our Resurrected Bodies John 11:13 'Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.' JOHN 11:11-14 There are many scriptures where death is spoken of as sleep, however, the disciples thought Jesus was speaking of Lazarus simply resting. Jesus eventually clarifies their misunderstanding by using the word 'death,' but that was not His first choice. This is because God's perspective is different than ours. Death is final to natural man but not to God. There will be a resurrection. In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul uses natural illustrations to explain...More Tuesday, August 8, 2023 Walk In The Light John 11:9 'Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.' JOHN 11:9-10 Jesus compares His decision to return to Judaea to a man traveling during the day. Daytime travel doesn't guarantee a hazard-free trip but the light does allow us to see the hazards. At nighttime, it's inevitable that we will stumble. Likewise, walking in the light of God's direction doesn't mean that there won't be problems, but the alternative of 'doing our own thing' (that is walking in darkness) is guaranteed to get us into...More Monday, August 7, 2023 Turn From Sin John 11:5 'Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.' JOHN 11:5 It is interesting to note that special mention is made of Jesus loving Martha. This is after the incident recorded in Luke 10:38-42 where Martha is caught up with serving instead of worshipping Jesus and her priorities are still not in order. Jesus was not rebuking Martha but rather exhorting her for her own profit. When the Lord deals with problem areas in our lives, it is always for our profit - not punishment and we should not take it as rejection. This is one way to discern God's correction from the devil's...More Sunday, August 6, 2023 The Measure Of Faith Luke 17:5 'And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.' LUKE 17:1-10 There are many scriptures that speak of varying degrees of faith. However, the scriptures also speak of Jesus increasing in wisdom (Lk. 2:52) that certainly refers to His physical intellect drawing more and more on the perfect wisdom of God that was already in Him at birth. It is in this way that we also increase in faith. At salvation, the believer is given the supernatural faith of God. We had to use the very faith of God (not human faith) to believe the gospel (Eph. 2:8). That faith came to...More Saturday, August 5, 2023 The Faith To Forgive Luke 17:5 'And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.' LUKE 17:5 It is very interesting to note that the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith after He spoke of forgiveness. They observed all of the wonderful miracles Jesus performed and yet that never inspired them to ask for greater faith. Truly, walking in love and forgiveness with each other takes as much faith as any miracle we will ever believe for. The basis of forgiveness is the love and mercy of God. It is only because God first loved and forgave us that we can love and forgive others. If we aren't...More Friday, August 4, 2023 Vengeance Is God's Luke 17:2 'It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.' LUKE 17:2 God takes the persecution of His children personally. In Acts 9:4 when Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and spoke to him about his persecution of the saints, Jesus said, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Saul was not directly persecuting Jesus but he was persecuting His saints. Yet Jesus said, 'Why are you persecuting me?' Judgment against those who persecute God's children will not always come in time to...More Thursday, August 3, 2023 Comfort In Eternity Luke 16:22 'And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;' LUKE 16:19-31 This story clearly teaches that there is life after death. It shows that there is no 'soul sleep' where our souls are awaiting the resurrection of our bodies, but we go into a conscious eternity immediately. It also shows that there are only two destinations possible after death. We either go to a place of torment for the wicked or a place of blessing for the righteous. There is no 'limbo' or 'purgatory' and there is no second chance,...More Wednesday, August 2, 2023 Our Debt Was Paid Luke 16:17 'And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.' LUKE 16:17 The jot was not only one of the smallest letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but also one of the most insignificant, being sometimes deleted at the writer's pleasure. The tittle was only a mark or a point on a line that helped distinguish one letter from another. The tittle corresponds to our period or apostrophe. The point that Jesus is making is that even the tiniest detail of the law would not pass away. Christ fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. The law was ordained to...More Tuesday, August 1, 2023 Freed From The Law Luke 16:16 'The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.' LUKE 16:16-17 The Bible teaches that there are different dispensations or divinely ordered ways of God dealing with mankind throughout the ages. A dispensation is simply a period of time in which God deals with mankind in a certain way. The Old Testament law was only a temporary dispensation and ruled from the giving of the law (Ex. 20) until the ministry of John the Baptist. When Christ came, He put an end to the law for righteousness (Rom. 10:4)....More Monday, July 31, 2023 Build Faith, Destroy Doubt Matthew 17:20 'And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.' MATTHEW 17:9-20; MARK 9:9-27; LUKE 9:37-42 The disciples' unbelief in this instance was not a disbelief in God's power to produce deliverance, but rather a 'natural' kind of unbelief that came from a hardened heart that was more sensitive to what it saw than to what it believed. Jesus said that a very small amount of faith (a 'mustard...More Sunday, July 30, 2023 Alive Unto God Matthew 17:2 'And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.' MATTHEW 17:1-8, MARK 9:1-8, LUKE 9:28-36 It is interesting to compare Jesus' transfiguration with that of Moses'. Jesus' face shone as the sun and His garment was as white as the light. This certainly exceeded what Moses experienced, and yet Jesus' face did not continue to shine when He came down off of the mountain as Moses' face did. Moses' face reflected the glory of God, but Jesus was the glory of God (Jn. 1:14; Heb. 1:3). Moses put a veil over his face to conceal the...More Saturday, July 29, 2023 The Right Righteousness Luke 16:15 'And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.' LUKE 16:14-15 Justification is not something to be earned, but a gift to be received. Seeking to earn salvation is the only sin that will prevent a person from being saved, because you cannot submit yourself to the righteousness of God which comes as a gift through faith as long as you are seeking to establish your own righteousness. Most people are unaware that there are two kinds of...More Friday, July 28, 2023 Blessed To Be A Blessing Luke 16:1 'And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.' LUKE 16:1-18 The unjust steward was covetous. He had not been faithful to his master or to his master's debtors. He had wasted his master's goods on himself. When found out, his self-serving nature considered the options, and decided there had to be a change. He decided to use his lord's money to make friends so that when he was fired he would have someone to help him. His master was apparently wealthy enough that he didn't...More Thursday, July 27, 2023 All The Wrong Reasons Luke 15:28 'And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.' LUKE 15:25-28 If this elder son had considered his brother, he would have rejoiced at his return even as his father did. Rather, he was totally self-centered (that's pride) and became angry. This illustrates Proverbs 13:10; 'only by pride cometh contention.' How can we esteem others better than ourselves when in truth we really think we are better than others? Some people are better athletes than others. Some are better businessmen than others. Some are better speakers than others,...More Wednesday, July 26, 2023 The Father's Love Luke 15:20 'And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.' LUKE 15:20 For this boy's father to have seen him 'a great way off' would imply that the Father had been eagerly awaiting his son's return. Certainly, in the spiritual application of this parable, our Heavenly Father is longing to cleanse and receive the sinner, if he will just repent and come to Him for forgiveness. Jesus was using this parable to rebuke the Pharisees for their harsh, self-righteous, unforgiving...More Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Negatives Become Positives Luke 15:18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.' LUKE 15:18-19 This is a good example of true repentance. This son did not claim any goodness of his own or try to justify his actions, but he humbled himself and appealed to the mercy of his father. Likewise, we cannot approach God in self-righteousness, but we have to humble ourselves, put all of our faith in a Savior, and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr. 7:14). That is true repentance. Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Repentance may include godly...More Monday, July 24, 2023 Hard Knocks Or God's Word Luke 15:17 'And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!' LUKE 15:11-17 God's Word makes it clear that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Romans 1:18-20 reveals that even those who don't know God's Word have an intuitive knowledge of right and wrong and God's judgment against sin. Therefore, for anyone to live in sin, as depicted by this prodigal son, they have to be deceived. This is exactly what the Bible says is the case in 2 Corinthians 4:4. When Jesus said, 'he came to himself,' He was...More Sunday, July 23, 2023 The Cost Of Discipleship Luke 14:28 'For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?' LUKE 14:25-35 The parable of the man building a tower is a continuation of the teaching regarding what it takes to be a disciple of Jesus. This parable stresses commitment. 'Jailhouse religion,' where a person is only sorry he got caught and is trying to get out of a bad situation, will not produce true discipleship. It takes a forsaking of all to be Jesus' disciple. Jesus is simply saying, 'count the cost.' Jesus' teaching on discipleship...More Saturday, July 22, 2023 R.s.v.p. Luke 14:16,23 'Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: ...And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.' LUKE 14:16-24 The man who made the supper symbolizes God who has invited 'whosoever will' to come to Him. The parable teaches that it is not God who fails to offer salvation to everyone, but rather it is the invited guests who reject God's offer. These people had feeble excuses just like the excuses of those today who don't accept God's offer of salvation. Therefore,...More Friday, July 21, 2023 Who Is Saved? Luke 13:23-24 'Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' LUKE 13:22-27 Jesus said that many will seek to enter salvation and will not be able to. There are many reasons for this, but it is not because God refused salvation to anyone. 'The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men . . .' (Ti. 2:11) and God 'is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance' (2 Pet. 3:9). There is effort...More Thursday, July 20, 2023 No Denial Of Deity John 10:34 'Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?' JOHN 10:30-39 Some people have tried to interpret this scripture to say that Jesus was disclaiming deity by associating Himself with the gods spoken of in Psalm 82:6. However, Jesus is not saying that He is a god only in the sense that the scriptures, spoke of men with divine authority as gods (Ex. 4:16; 7:1; 22:28; Ps. 82:1). In the verses before this, Jesus proclaimed His oneness with the Father and in His statements after this, He says that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father, making clear His claim...More Wednesday, July 19, 2023 God's Great Love For Us John 10:25 'Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.' JOHN 10:24-25 There were many ways in which Jesus already revealed who He was. His miraculous works certainly revealed who He was. Jesus had also clearly revealed that He was the Christ, both in the synagogue at His hometown of Nazareth, and when speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Jesus, in His pre-existent state, was in the form of God. 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God' (Jn....More Tuesday, July 18, 2023 We Must Receive Luke 13:16 'And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?' LUKE 13:10-17 This sickness was the work of Satan - not the work of God. Jesus said it had bound her - not blessed her - for eighteen years. The teaching that says that sickness is actually a blessing in disguise, because the Lord is working His plan in one's life, is not found in scripture. As Acts 10:38 says, Jesus 'went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil,' not 'oppressed of God.' There are...More Monday, July 17, 2023 Avoid Strife Luke 12:58 'When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.' LUKE 12:56-59 Jesus had just spoken about relationships before He gave this parable of delivering ourselves from the judge. The warning is clear that we should do everything within our power to avoid strife (Rom. 12:18). However, the consequences of failing to settle the differences are more than just physical prison or...More Sunday, July 16, 2023 No Excuses Luke 12:48 'But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.' LUKE 12:45-48 This verse is one of the clearest references in scripture about varying degrees of God's judgment according to the knowledge of the person who committed the sin. The whole chapter of Leviticus 4 is written to deal with sins committed in ignorance. Jesus said in John 9:41, 'If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;...More Saturday, July 15, 2023 Stewards Of God's Grace Luke 12:42 'And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?' LUKE 12:42 A steward is a person who has been entrusted with administering someone else's wealth or affairs. The possessions a steward controls are not his own and he does not have the freedom to do with them as he wishes. He is supposed to carry out the desires of the one who made him steward. A banker is a steward. He has been entrusted with other people's money. He is free to invest that money wisely in a...More Friday, July 14, 2023 The Goodness Of God Luke 12:5 'But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.' LUKE 12:4-5 Second Timothy 1:7 says, 'God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' First John 4:18 says, 'There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.' These scriptures may look like they are contradictions to Jesus' statement here; however, they are not. There are two kinds of fear. The American...More Thursday, July 13, 2023 Hypocrisy Is..... Luke 12:1 'In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.' LUKE 12:1-3 This is the biblical definition of a hypocrite, 'someone whose words and heart (actions) don't agree.' A hypocrite may act the part of a Christian or talk like Christ, but he or she won't do both. Hypocrisy is defined by the dictionary as, 'The feigning of beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; insincerity'...More Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Jesus, The Wisdom Of God Luke 11:49 'Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute.' LUKE 11:46-49 This phrase 'Therefore also said the wisdom of God,' is a part of Luke's narrative and not the words of Jesus. Luke is saying that Jesus is the wisdom of God, a truth well-established in scripture. There is no way to access the wisdom of God except through Jesus. Until a person receives Christ, he is missing the only source of true wisdom. Men and women are incapable of receiving the wisdom of God, but those who submit themselves to...More Tuesday, July 11, 2023 Holiness Is A Fruit Luke 11:42 'But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone.' LUKE 11:42-44 When Jesus said, 'and not to leave the other undone,' it is clear that He is not arguing against doing what is right. God's Word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisees' error that caused Jesus' rebuke was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God. But a proper relationship with God can only come by humbling ourselves and putting faith in a...More Monday, July 10, 2023 Grow In Grace Luke 11:38 - 'And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.' LUKE 11:37-41 A sure sign of the error of legalism is misplaced priorities, as we see here with these Pharisees. It is not recorded in Scripture that the Pharisees marveled at the wonderful works of Jesus. They were too busy looking for something to criticize (Mark 3:2). But they marveled at Jesus not washing His hands. This is a classic example of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel (Mt. 23:24). Those who seek to earn righteousness through keeping the Law are consumed with...More Sunday, July 9, 2023 Be Filled Luke 11:13 - 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?' LUKE 11:13 The Holy Spirit is a gift (Acts 2:38). You cannot be good enough to earn the gift of the Holy Spirit, but you do have to ask. This is speaking of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is subsequent to the born-again experience. The Holy Spirit resides in our spirits, and once He comes, He doesn't leave (John 14:16). There is an initial filling when the Holy Ghost first comes. However, His control and...More Saturday, July 8, 2023 Our Loving Father Luke 11:11 - 'If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?' LUKE 11:11 The most loving Father in the world cannot compare to our heavenly Father and the love He has for us. And yet, many times, we find it easier to believe in the willingness of a father or mother or mate to help us than in the willingness of God to use His power on our behalf. Relatively few people really doubt God's ability, but rather, it is our doubt of His willingness to use His ability on our behalf that causes most people to...More Friday, July 7, 2023 Prayer Power Luke 11:1 - 'And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples'.' LUKE 11:1 When you consider that Jesus was the greatest miracle worker who ever walked the earth and the greatest preacher who ever lived, it is amazing that His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Why didn't they ask Him to teach them how to work these miracles or how to preach and amaze the people with their doctrine? It's because Jesus' prayer life was even more powerful than His...More Thursday, July 6, 2023 Seek First The Kingdom Luke 10:40 - 'But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.' LUKE 10:40 There are only three instances in Scripture that give us information about Martha. From these accounts, we can see that Martha had a brother named Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, and a sister named Mary. Martha had misplaced her priorities on this occasion and was corrected by Jesus. Later, at a supper for Jesus in the home of Simon the leper, Martha was once again serving while Mary her...More Wednesday, July 5, 2023 Who Crosses Your Path? Luke 10:29 - 'But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?' LUKE 10:29 This question of 'who is my neighbour' can be used by Satan to deceive us in more than one way. Not only can he deceive men into thinking they have fulfilled the command to 'love thy neighbor as thyself' when they haven't, but he will also try to apply this command in a way that condemns those who are seeking to fulfill it, by making them think they are not doing enough. We cannot meet the needs of every single person in the world. Jesus wasn't teaching that. This wounded man was...More Tuesday, July 4, 2023 Saved By Grace Luke 10:28-29 - 'And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?' LUKE 10:28 Just as with this lawyer, pride causes many people to resist the truth of justification by faith in the grace of God. This lawyer loved himself and the public recognition his 'holy acts' gave him. He was not willing to love God first and his fellow man ahead of himself. His was not a sincere question but rather an evasive question to shun responsibility. This man was seeking to be justified in the sight of God...More Monday, July 3, 2023 Focus On Jesus Luke 10:20 - 'Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.' LUKE 10:20 We were never instructed to have a Ph.D. in demonology. However, some justify focusing on Satan and his activity to an inordinate degree. This will actually encourage demonic activity and become a device that Satan can use against us. As Paul said, we should not be 'ignorant' of Satan's devices. We certainly need to know that the devil and demons exist, and we need to recognize when we are facing demonic activity. But we need to...More Sunday, July 2, 2023 Freedom From Temptation Luke 10:19 - 'Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.' LUKE 10:19 Although these are examples of God's protection from harm caused by the physical creation, this scripture is also speaking of mastery over the spiritual realm of the enemy (i.e., Satan). This Scripture does not say that Satan cannot inflict any harm. The scriptures abound with examples, and warnings of the enemy's damage on the godly and the ungodly alike (2 Cor. 2:11, 2 Tim. 2:26, 1 Pet. 5:8-9). However, he cannot harm us when...More Saturday, July 1, 2023 Power In The Name Of Jesus Luke 10:17 - 'And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.' LUKE 10:17 It was the power in the name of Jesus plus the disciples' faith in that power that made the demons subject unto them. This can clearly be seen in Acts 19:13-17 where certain Jews called on the name of Jesus in an effort to cast demons out of a man. They used the name of Jesus, but it didn't work because they had not put faith in that name. These Jews were itinerants who used incantations to effect deliverance for people who were demon possessed. The...More Friday, June 30, 2023 What's Your Motivation Matthew 6:1, 'Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.' MATTHEW 6:1-4 The motive behind our gift is more important than the gift itself. Paul said if he gave all of his goods to feed the poor, or if he made the ultimate sacrifice of giving his own life for someone else, and wasn't motivated by love, his gift would profit him nothing (1 Cor. 13:3). Many Christians give faithfully but never see the hundredfold return that the Lord promised because of wrong motives (Mk. 10:29-30). Paul said God loves...More Thursday, June 29, 2023 The Best Defense Matthew 5:39, 'But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.' MATTHEW 5:38-48 Which would you rather have - God defending you, or you defending yourself? That's the choice that Jesus is offering us here. 'Turning the other cheek' is not a prescription for abuse but rather the way to get the Lord involved in your defense. Many people feel that these instructions of Jesus guarantee that others will take advantage of us. That would be true if there was no God. But when we follow these commands of Jesus, the...More Wednesday, June 28, 2023 The Cost Of Living For Christ Luke 9:58 'And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.' MATTHEW 8:18-22; LUKE 9:51-62 This verse has often been used to support the misconception that Jesus and His disciples lived in poverty. However, in this instance, the fact that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head was because of persecution. The Samaritans, because of a religious prejudice, had just refused Him hospitality and a place to stay as He journeyed to Jerusalem. Persecution is part of the cost of living a Christian life. Jesus was communicating to...More Tuesday, June 27, 2023 Grow In Grace Luke 9:55 'But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.' LUKE 9:54-56 Jesus was constantly being accused of breaking the law of Moses. He taught differently than the law of Moses (Mt. 5:21-48), and now He rebukes His disciples for desiring to do what an Old Testament prophet did with God's blessing and power. However, Jesus didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Jesus came not to destroy men's lives but to save them (Jn. 3:16; 10:10). 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses...More Monday, June 26, 2023 Life Of God John 10:10 'The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.' JOHN 10:7-10 The Greek word translated 'life' here is 'zoe' and it means life in the absolute sense or life as God has it. Everyone who is breathing has life in the sense of physical existence, but only those who receive Jesus can experience life as God intended it to be. Jesus came to not only save us from the torment of eternal hell, but also to give us this 'zoe' or God-kind of life in abundance. The life of God is not awaiting us...More Sunday, June 25, 2023 Hearing God's Voice John 10:2-3 'But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.' JOHN 10:1-21 This verse promises all who are God's sheep that they not only can, but that they do, hear His voice. Many born-again people doubt the truth of this statement based on their experience. They don't think they can hear God's voice. However, the Word of God is true - not our experience. The harmony between what this verse says and what our experiences say is that it is our new...More Saturday, June 24, 2023 Jesus Found Him John 9:35 'Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?' JOHN 9:35 It is one thing to seek God; it is quite another thing to have God seek you. Jesus sought this man out when others had forsaken him. The acceptance of Jesus is worth more than everything this world has to offer This is what enables the believer to endure and even leap for joy amidst persecution. When our sufferings in Christ abound, then the consolation of Christ abounds much more. Notice that this man's parents, who knew the truth, but...More Friday, June 23, 2023 About Those Pharisees John 9:34 'They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.' JOHN 9:34 Much of the Pharisees' problem was spiritual pride, as is very evident by this statement. They were so blinded by their arrogance that they couldn't believe anyone who hadn't been through their 'seminary' could teach them anything. The name 'Pharisees' comes from a Hebrew word meaning 'separate.' This term was applied to this sect because of its extreme devotion to the Mosaic law and commitment to leading a separated life. This was a reaction of the...More Thursday, June 22, 2023 It's Who You Know John 9:30 'The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.' JOHN 9:28-30 The 'acid test' of whether or not someone is of God is by his actions. Jesus' actions were so miraculous and overwhelmingly consistent with God's Word that any reservations about whether or not He was of God should have been set aside. But, as in Mark 7:13, they had exalted their own traditions above God's Word, thereby making the Word of God of no effect in their own lives. Just as in this instance nearly two thousand years ago,...More Wednesday, June 21, 2023 Love Conquers Fear John 9:27 'He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?' JOHN 9:6-27 This man showed great courage in confronting these religious leaders. Even Peter later backed down for fear of this same group of men (Lk. 22:54-62). Certainly one thing that gave him this boldness was that he knew what Jesus had done for him. And even beyond the physical healing, he knew that Jesus had healed him because He loved him. It's our security in the Lord's love for us that gives us the strength to face rejection from others. As...More Tuesday, June 20, 2023 Sickness Is Not From God John 9:2 'And his disciples asked him saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?' JOHN 9:1-4 The disciples asked a question that still puzzles many people today. Why is a child born with a physical defect? Is it a judgment of God upon the parents for some sin, or is it possibly God's judgment upon the child for sins that God knows he will commit? Jesus Himself had previously linked sickness with sin. In this instance, however, Jesus said this blindness was not caused by this man's or his parents' sins. This has led many people to...More Monday, June 19, 2023 God Made Flesh John 8:58 'Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.' JOHN 8:57-59 Jesus didn't seek to clarify the Jews' misunderstanding of His previous statements. Instead, He made a new statement that those who would not accept that Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16) could not possibly understand. 'Before Abraham was, I am.' He not only said that He existed before Abraham, but He was again associating Himself with the great 'I AM' statement of Exodus 3:14. This statement could leave no doubt that Jesus was claiming deity in the highest sense of the...More Sunday, June 18, 2023 What Pleases God John 8:56 'Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.' JOHN 8:53-56 Jesus is referring to the day when men would be justified by putting faith in God and not in their own works. Abraham had this truth revealed to him (Rom. 4:13), and he believed it and was himself justified by faith (Rom. 4:3-4, 9). Hebrews 11:6 says, 'But without faith it is impossible to please him.' It was Abraham's faith that pleased God. The Lord promised Abraham that his seed would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore and Abraham believed God. That...More Saturday, June 17, 2023 The Old Man Is Gone John 8:44 'Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do: he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.' JOHN 8:39-47 All of us were born in sin and were therefore 'by nature' the children of the devil. That's the reason we sinned. Our sins don't corrupt our nature, but our corrupt nature makes us sin. That's why we must be 'born again' and become new creatures (or a new creation) in Christ. The scriptures teach that...More Friday, June 16, 2023 Abraham's Children John 8:37 'I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.' JOHN 8:33-38 The Jewish people were direct descendants of Abraham. However, as with so many biblical truths, there was much more to the Abrahamic covenant than what a casual glimpse would reveal. In truth, these Jews were not actually a part of the spiritual children of Abraham. The Holy Spirit revealed through the Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:16 and 29 that God's covenant was to Abraham and his singular 'seed' or descendant, which was Christ. No one ever became an heir of God's...More |
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Sonship Or Slavery John 8:34 'Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.' JOHN 8:34-36 The devil has been deceiving the world about sin since the Garden of Eden when he told Eve that through sin she could be like God. Time has proven, not only to Eve, but to each one of us, that this is not true. Sin brings death and not life. Jesus is making it clear that sin enslaves. We become slaves not only to the sin itself, but also to the author of sin, the devil. We are either servants of God through obedience or servants of the devil through sin. Jesus...More Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Jesus Paid It All John 8:28 'Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.' JOHN 8:12-30 This is the second of three times that Jesus spoke of Himself being 'lifted up' (1st - Jn. 3:14; 3rd - Jn. 12:32-33). As the scripture explains in John 12:33, this was a reference to crucifixion as the means of His death. The lifting up is speaking of being lifted up from the earth and suspended on a cross in crucifixion. The Jews understood that Jesus was speaking of...More Tuesday, June 13, 2023 Mystery Of The Trinity John 8:19 'Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.' JOHN 8:12-27 The scriptures teach Jesus' oneness with the Father. This oneness is more than singleness of purpose and actually denotes 'a single one to the exclusion of others' as in the statement, 'There is one God' (1 Tim. 2:5). This truth is so well established in scripture that some people make no distinction between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit but believe they are simply one God expressing Himself in three...More Monday, June 12, 2023 Amazing Grace John 8:4-5 'They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?' JOHN 8:1-11 This was possibly the most potentially damaging temptation the scribes and Pharisees ever presented to Jesus. Much of Jesus' widespread popularity with the people was because of His examples of and teachings about God's mercy and forgiveness towards sinners. This was received with great enthusiasm by the people who, before this time had been presented with only a harsh, legalistic, judgmental picture of...More Sunday, June 11, 2023 Effortless Fruit John 7:38 'He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' JOHN 7:37-41 These rivers of living water are referring to the Holy Spirit and the effects He produces in the life of the believer. Galatians 5:22-23 says, 'the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.' These qualities should flow out of us as an artesian well. They should not have to be pumped. They will flow as we conform our thinking to God's Word. Jesus speaks of bearing fruit in John 15 and declares...More Saturday, June 10, 2023 The Heart Matters John 7:22 'Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.' JOHN 7:21-24 The covenant of circumcision was given to Abram in Gen. 17:9-14. In v. 14, the Lord said that any man who did not carry this sign of the covenant in his flesh was to be killed. This placed a great importance on the act of circumcision. Paul says in Rom. 4:3-13, that Abraham had already been justified by faith before he was circumcised. It was Abram's faith that saved him at least 13 years before the Lord commanded Abram to be...More Friday, June 9, 2023 Rebirth John 7:19 'Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?' JOHN 7:16-19 These Jews prided themselves on their observance of the law, but they were keeping the letter of the law and missing its true intent. The greatest of all the Old Testament laws was to love God and then to love your neighbor as yourself. The Jews were violating these laws by having hatred in their hearts toward Jesus and wanting to kill Him. They denied that they desired to kill Him, but the scriptures declare that they had already plotted or tried to kill Him three...More Thursday, June 8, 2023 Holy Ghost Teacher John 7:15 'And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?' JOHN 7:14-15 Jesus received His wisdom and knowledge by direct revelation from the Spirit of God rather than by the teachings of man. Jesus had been learning, but not through man. The Holy Ghost was His teacher. Jesus had to be taught the things of God. This looks contrary to Colossians 2:3, which says that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus. If Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, why would He have to learn or be taught? The harmony between these apparently...More Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Limitless Forgiveness Matthew 18:33 'Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?' MATTHEW 18: 21-35 Peter thought he was being very generous by offering to forgive his brother seven times in one day, but Jesus said he should forgive him 490 times in one day. It would be impossible to have someone sin against you 490 times in one day. Jesus is actually saying that there should be no limit to our forgiveness. When we are offended or hurt, we often feel justified in holding a grudge. The Old Testament law expressed this when it stated, 'Eye for eye, tooth for...More Tuesday, June 6, 2023 Discipline Brings Life Matthew 18:18-19 'Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.' MATTHEW 18:15-19 Verses 18 and 19 have many applications, but taken in context, they are specifically referring to church discipline. Some might think that church discipline is only symbolic and carries no real weight; however, Jesus is making it clear that in the...More Monday, June 5, 2023 God Likes Us Matthew 18:14 'Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.' MATTHEW 18:12-14 One of the greatest truths of the Bible and also one of the hardest to comprehend, is that we are the objects of God's love. God didn't just pity us or feel some sense of moral obligation to save us. He saved us because of His infinite love for us (Jn. 3:16). God loves people. He even loves those who have gone astray. As Jesus said in a similar parable (Lk. 15:7), 'I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that...More Sunday, June 4, 2023 Angelic Protection Matthew 18:10 'Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.' MATTHEW 18:10-11 We have angels assigned to us. Hebrews 1:14 further reveals that their purpose is to minister to us (i.e. on our behalf). In the Old Testament, Psalm 91 teaches on the ministry of angels to God's people. Some have realized this truth and have taken it even further to say that we are supposed to speak to our angels and they will obey our commands. There is no instruction in scripture to do...More Saturday, June 3, 2023 Humility Before Honor Matthew 18:4 'Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' MATTHEW 18:1-5; MARK 9:30-37; LUKE 9:46-48 It is interesting that Jesus used a little child to illustrate humility. Although it is true that little children have a purity and humility that is many times missing in adults, they certainly are not selfless. A child comes into the world totally self-centered, wanting what he wants when he wants it. Parents are to train children out of this self-centeredness. One of humility's dominant characteristics is a...More Friday, June 2, 2023 One Hundred Times Zero Matthew 17:27 'Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for me and thee.' MATTHEW 17:24-27 This was quite a miracle. Not only was the money supplied for their taxes, but it was the exact amount needed, and it was from the first fish that was caught. Although this sets the precedent that God can supply our needs in a miraculous way, it's important to remember that God doesn't counterfeit money. He...More Thursday, June 1, 2023 Fasting Drives Away Doubt Mark 9:29 'And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.' MARK 9:28-29 Prayer and fasting do not drive certain demons out. If the name of Jesus and faith in His name won't do the job, then fasting and prayer won't either. Jesus is saying that fasting and prayer are the only ways of casting out this type of unbelief. An unbelief that comes as a result of ignorance can be done away with by receiving the truth of God's Word (Rom. 10:17; 2 Pet. 1:4). However, the unbelief that hindered the disciples in this case was a 'natural' type of unbelief....More Wednesday, May 31, 2023 Give All The Glory To God John 17:18 'As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.' JOHN 17:18 We are not from the world. Through the new birth, we come from God and should constantly remind ourselves of this. It is not good to be too 'at home' in the world. We are in the world but are not of the world. Great men and women of God have always had this attitude. The primary reason that God chooses to use those who are nothing by the world's standards, is so no one else can take credit for the great things that are accomplished. If the Lord used those who had it...More Tuesday, May 30, 2023 His Will Is In The Word John 17:17 'Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.' JOHN 17:17 In this prayer, Jesus prayed twice that the Father would keep His disciples from evil. Then He reveals the way that God will accomplish this - through His Word, the holy scriptures. Anyone who desires to live for God, reject the devil, and reject the world's system, must know God's Word. We must study the scriptures, for they reveal the will of God for our actions and attitudes. To be filled with the knowledge of God's will, we must be filled with God's Word. God's Word is His will! Those who are ignorant of...More Monday, May 29, 2023 His Purpose Revealed Matthew 16:21, 'From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.' MATTHEW 16:20-28 Despite the abundant and clear prophecies about His death and resurrection, Jesus' disciples didn't understand or remember Jesus' words until after His resurrection (Lk. 24:5-9). Luke records twice that Jesus' sayings about His resurrection were hidden from the disciples. It is interesting to note, however, that the chief priests and Pharisees...More Sunday, May 28, 2023 Recognize The Real Enemy Mark 8:33, 'But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.' MARK 8:30-33 Jesus was not implying that Peter and Satan were one-and-the-same, but was referring to the fact that Satan had inspired Peter's statement. This type of metaphor was used elsewhere in scripture such as when God spoke to the serpent in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15) as though addressing Satan. The serpent was merely the vehicle of communication Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve,...More Saturday, May 27, 2023 God's Will Above Ours Luke 9:23, 'And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.' MATTHEW 16:16-26; MARK 8:30-37; LUKE 9:21-27 Self-denial is an important part of the Christian life. Jesus sacrificed His life for us and He demands that we die to ourselves that we might experience the new life He has provided. We do this first by recognizing that we can't save ourselves by our own effort and, second, by trusting God - not self - for salvation. Then daily, we need to deny our own wisdom and seek God's wisdom and direction for our...More Friday, May 26, 2023 Jesus, The Chief Cornerstone Matthew 16:18, 'And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' MATTHEW 16:13-19 Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. However, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the 'chief cornerstone.' Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once...More Thursday, May 25, 2023 Petition Not Repetition Mark 8:24-25, 'And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.' MATTHEW 7:7-11; MARK 8:22-25 It was unusual for Jesus to inquire about the results of His ministry as He did in verse 23. It was even more unusual that Jesus laid hands on this man a second time. This is the only example in the New Testament where Jesus had to minister to any need more than once to affect a total healing. Many people request things from God and then look at their circumstances to...More Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Symptoms Of A Hard Heart Mark 8:17, 'And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?' MATTHEW 16:1-12; MARK 8:11-21 Just a few days before this instance, hardened hearts caused Jesus' disciples to be amazed when they saw Jesus walk on the water to them. Here, Jesus' statements reveal some of the characteristics of someone with a hardened heart. First, a hard heart keeps us from perceiving spiritual truths. This is why everyone in a church service hears exactly the same message yet, some will receive...More Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Jesus Challenges The Sadducees Matthew 16:1, 'The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven.' MATTHEW 16:1-4 The Sadducees were a Jewish sect (Acts 5:17), of both a political and religious nature, that was best known for its opposition to the more popular party (the Pharisees), because of differences in various doctrinal and political questions. Sadducees rejected the oral tradition of the Pharisees who made a 'mountain' of burdensome legislation and accepted only the written law. We are told they believed there is 'no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit' (Acts...More Monday, May 22, 2023 The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit Mark 8:12, 'And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.' MARK 8:11-13 The Greek word used here for 'sighed deeply' means an intense grieving, inaudible prayer, or groan. This is intercession of the Holy Spirit, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Some Spirit-filled Christians believe this means groanings that cannot be uttered in normal speech and that this refers to speaking in tongues. However, this actually refers to a type of intercession different than speaking in...More Sunday, May 21, 2023 Jesus Tried Her Faith Matthew 15:27, 'But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it unto the dogs.' MATTHEW 15:21-39; MARK 7:24-37; 8:1-10 It is very clear in scripture that Jesus was sent to fulfill God's covenant to the Jews. However, it was equally clear that Jesus would open up faith unto the Gentiles. Jesus certainly knew this, and had already ministered to numerous Gentiles without the apparent disdain that we see here with the Syro-Phoenician woman. Jesus could not have been forced into ministering to this woman's daughter if it was not...More Saturday, May 20, 2023 Change Your Mind Mark 7:21, 'For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders.' MARK 7:17-23 These verses (21-23) further establish the fact that our heart includes more than just our spirit. Even Christians still struggle with things like pride and foolishness, which Jesus said comes out of our heart. It's certain that our born again spirit is not the source of these sins; therefore, the heart encompasses more than our spirit. The word 'spirit' is used in different ways in scripture. The most frequent usage refers to either the Spirit of God or the...More Friday, May 19, 2023 Our Hearts Control Our Bodies Mark 7:15, 'There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.' MATTHEW 15:1-20; MARK 7:1-23 All of the Old Testament dietary laws were shadows (or pictures) of spiritual truths which would become realities in the New Covenant. These Pharisees (as well as many Christians today) missed all of the spiritual significance of these laws and saw only the physical act. The real spiritual meaning that these Old Testament dietary laws symbolized was that we were supposed to be holy (separated)...More Thursday, May 18, 2023 Tradition Neutralizes Mark 7:13, 'Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.' MARK 7:1-13 Deuteronomy 4:2 clearly states 'Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it . . . .' This same thought is repeated in the New Testament in Revelation 22:18-19 with very stiff penalties. Religious man is very swift to observe the part about not diminishing any of God's commandments, but there seems to be an unwritten law that adding to them is okay. Every denomination has its own set of 'do's and don'ts'...More Wednesday, May 17, 2023 Taking Off The Masks Mark 7:6, 'He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.' MARK 7:6-9 This is the biblical definition of a hypocrite, 'someone whose words and heart (actions) don't agree.' A hypocrite may act the part of a Christian or he may talk like Christ, but he won't do both. When both confession and action from the heart are consistent with God's Word, there is salvation (Rom. 10:9-10). The word 'hypocrite' comes from the Greek word 'hupokrites,' meaning 'the playing of a...More Tuesday, May 16, 2023 The Law Is Not Of Faith Mark 7:2, 'And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.' MARK 7:1-7 Man looks on the outward appearance (this is what the scribes and Pharisees were concerned with), but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Jesus looked on men's hearts. The Old Testament laws concerning washing served a secondary purpose of hygiene, but as stated in Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 9:1,9-10, their real purpose was to shadow or illustrate spiritual truth. Defiled food may hurt our bodies, but it cannot reach our spirits (Jn....More Monday, May 15, 2023 The Spirit And The Word Are One John 6:63, 'It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' JOHN 6:40-71; 7:1 Jesus is stating that our spirit, not our flesh, is where our life comes from. These people were so dominated by their physical lives that they were missing all the spiritual significance of His words. Although God's Word does benefit our physical man, the Word is spiritual and must be understood through the spirit. God's Word is spirit and it takes our spirit to illuminate its truths to our minds. The Word of God is not...More Sunday, May 14, 2023 Separating The Tares From The Wheat John 6:61, 'When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?' JOHN 6:60-69 This scripture, as well as Matthew 15:12, reveals that people will be offended by the Gospel. As much as possible, however, we should make sure that it is not ourselves that are offensive. But we cannot labor under the deception that everyone will receive the Gospel, even if the truth was presented properly. We know that Jesus represented His Father perfectly and yet most people rejected His message. In these two instances, when Jesus realized He had...More Saturday, May 13, 2023 Receiving Christ John 6:56, 'He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.' JOHN 6:47-59 Many thought that Jesus was speaking of cannibalism, but He was speaking of the spiritual man. Just as the physical man receives life from the food he eats, so the spiritual man receives life as he partakes of Jesus, the life of men (Jn. 1:4; 10:10; 14:6) or the 'Bread of Life.' Just as the life of a root is found in the soil, or a branch in the vine, or a fish in the sea, so the believer's true life is found to be in union with Christ. The Bible presents salvation as a life...More Friday, May 12, 2023 Revelation Knowledge John 6:45, 'It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.' JOHN 6:40-45 The Old Testament prophets prophesied of a new covenant where we would all be taught of God. This is speaking of revelation knowledge that comes from within, through our spirit. Under the Old Covenant, God dealt with the Jews through the outer man. He did this because an Old Covenant man (who was not born again) could not perceive the spiritual truths revealed in the New Covenant by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14). This...More Thursday, May 11, 2023 Bread Of Heaven John 6:34, 'Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.' JOHN 6:31-35 It is probable that these Jews were expecting Jesus to rain down manna on them the way God did before in the wilderness. After all, anyone who could feed five thousand men with one small lunch should be able to produce manna. They were still thinking of physical food. The word 'manna' means literally 'what is it?' The children of Israel said, 'It is manna: for they wist (or knew) not what it was.' (Ex. 16:15) Manna was a nutritious food which appeared on the ground every morning shortly after the...More Wednesday, May 10, 2023 Dead Works John 6:28, 'Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?' JOHN 6:24-29 All throughout history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God. Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with these Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it. These Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift. This is one of the major differences between Christianity and the religions of...More Tuesday, May 9, 2023 Self Seeking Not God Seeking John 6:26, 'Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.' MATTHEW 14:34-36; MARK 6:53-56; JOHN 6:22-39 Jesus knew the hearts of all men and therefore, He did not commit Himself to this crowd. Just the day before, these same people tried to take Him by force and make Him their king, but He withdrew and spent the night in prayer. This crowd looked like they were seeking Jesus, but they were actually trying to use Jesus to seek their own end. It is true that there are many...More Monday, May 8, 2023 Salvation: A Relationship Mark 6:54, 'And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him,' MARK 6:53-56 The word 'know' can mean many things from as little as 'to perceive with the senses or the mind' to a much deeper meaning of 'a thorough experience with.' This knowing, then, is not just intellectual, but a personal, intimate understanding. Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ. Eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son. This intimacy with God is what salvation is all about. Forgiveness of our sins is not...More Sunday, May 7, 2023 Sensitivity To The Right Things Mark 6:52, 'For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.' MARK 6:45-52; JOHN 6:15-21 Most of the time, we think of a person with a hard heart as being someone who is in terrible rebellion to God. While it is true that a rebellious person does have a hardened heart, in this instance, the Word is referring to the disciples' hearts being hardened. They were, 'sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered' at Jesus walking on the water. The word 'hardened' as used here, means 'to make calloused, unyielding or cold in spirit, or insensitive to.'...More Saturday, May 6, 2023 Enter Doubt, Exit Faith Matthew 14:30, 'But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.' MATTHEW 14:30-31 The reason Peter began to sink was because of his fear. In verse 31 Jesus used the word 'doubt' in reference to Peter's fear. Fear is simply negative faith or faith in reverse. Where did this fear come from? Second Timothy 1:7 says, 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.' It didn't come from God. This fear was able to come upon Peter because he took his attention off of Jesus and put it on his...More Friday, May 5, 2023 Word Power Matthew 14:29, 'And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.' MATTHEW 14:29 This one word 'come' was spoken by the one who made all things (Jn. 1:3) and it had just as much power in it as the words that were spoken at creation. This is where the power came from for Peter to walk on the water. Likewise, any word spoken to us by God carries in itself the anointing and power it takes to fulfill that word, if we will release it by believing it and acting on it. We need to not only know God's power, but the greatness of God's...More Thursday, May 4, 2023 About Humility John 6:15, 'When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.' JOHN 6:15 Jesus 'was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin' (Heb. 4:15). The temptation for Jesus to submit to the crowd and exalt Himself must have been there but He didn't respond to it. He came to do the Father's will and not His own will (Jn. 6:38). He immediately withdrew from everyone and spent all night in prayer with His Father. Prolonged prayer is an antidote for the temptation of pride and will work a God-type of...More Wednesday, May 3, 2023 God's Options Or Ours? Matthew 14:27-28. 'But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water.' MATTHEW 14:22-33 It is important to analyze Peter's statement. Peter was overwhelmed when he saw Jesus walking on the water, and he wanted to do the same. While there is really nothing wrong with his desire, the request he put before Jesus was totally wrong. He didn't ask the Lord if he wanted him to walk on the water, or if his faith was up to it. Instead he said, 'If it be thou, bid me come unto...More Tuesday, May 2, 2023 He Blesses What We Already Have John 6:9, 'There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?' JOHN 6:1-13 Notice that Jesus didn't just turn some of the stones into bread (as Satan had tempted Him to do in Lk. 4:3). We find only one instance in scripture where God created a supply to meet a need (Num. 11:21-23). Usually, the Lord simply blesses what we set our hand to do. The resources were totally inadequate to meet the need in this instance, but when the Lord blessed it, there was more than enough. Jesus didn't just teach the disciples, but He trained them...More Monday, May 1, 2023 Jesus Meets All Our Needs Matthew 14:16, 'But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.' MATTHEW 14:15-18 The disciples were using natural reasoning and recognized that they didn't have the ability to minister to the multitude's need for food. Jesus did have the ability and the willingness to minister to their needs, so the multitude did not need to depart. All of their needs could be met through Jesus. The same thing is true today. Some disciples today are sending the multitudes to the world to meet their physical needs (finances, health, counseling, etc.) and proclaiming that God only...More Sunday, April 30, 2023 He Rewards Even Little Things Matthew 10:42, 'And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.' MATTHEW 10:1-42, 11:1, MARK 6:7-13, LUKE 9:1-6 This verse shows that even our smallest acts of kindness will be rewarded. As revealed in 1 Corinthians 3:13, every man's work shall be tried to determine 'what sort it is,' not what size it is. Many people who have never done anything to gain the attention of the masses will shine bright in the day when the Lord passes out His rewards. Some of the...More Saturday, April 29, 2023 Opposition To The Gospel Matthew 10:34, 'Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.' MATTHEW 10:34-42 This statement seems like a contradiction to some prophecies concerning Jesus and some of Jesus' own statements concerning peace, as well as what was written of Him in the New Testament Epistles. However, the peace that Jesus purchased was peace between God and man. We have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). We are exhorted to take this peace and extend it to all men, but it is also made very clear that not all men will receive it. Peace can only come when we relate to God...More Friday, April 28, 2023 Degrees Of Denial Matthew 10:33, 'But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.' MATTHEW 10:32-33 This word 'deny' can mean a variety of things from as little as 'to assert the contrary of' to 'to disavow; disown.' For example, we can see that it must have been the lesser type of denial which was committed by Peter because God certainly forgave Peter's sin and continued using him. In Hebrews 6:4-6, the Lord states that there is no repentance from total denial of the Lord (Heb. 10:29). Therefore, even though Peter denied (asserted he did not know) the Lord, he...More Thursday, April 27, 2023 About Persecution Matthew 10:23, 'But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.' MATTHEW 10:16-26 Persecution is an inevitable part of the Christian life. Persecution is from Satan and is designed to uproot God's Word in our lives by taking our eyes off Jesus. We should not think it is strange to be persecuted. 'All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution' (2 Tim. 3:12). We can actually rejoice because we are being persecuted, for Jesus' sake, knowing that the Lord will...More Wednesday, April 26, 2023 Godly Sorrow Leads To Repentance Mark 6:12, 'And they went out, and preached that men should repent.' MARK 6:7-12 'Repent' comes from the Greek word, 'metanoeo,' and literally means to have another mind. Repentance is a necessary part of salvation. Repentance may include Godly sorrow, but sorrow does not always include repentance. Repentance is simply a change of mind accompanied by corresponding actions. There is a Godly type of sorrow and an ungodly type of sorrow. Godly sorrow leads to repentance. Ungodly sorrow, or the sorrow of this world, just kills. Our culture has rejected all 'negative' emotions....More Tuesday, April 25, 2023 The Gospel Is The Power Of God Matthew 9:38, 'Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.' MATTHEW 9:35-38, 13:53-58, MARK 6:1-6 People are born again through the power of the Word of God, not through prayer. Prayer is very important, but it is not a substitute for the Gospel. Many people petition God for someone to be saved and can't understand why it hasn't happened yet. We don't have to ask the Lord to save anyone. He isn't willing that anyone should perish. He has already made provision for everyone's salvation. So what do we pray concerning someone...More Monday, April 24, 2023 Get Rid Of Fear Luke 8:50, 'But when Jesus heard it, he answered him saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.' MATTHEW 9:23-31; MARK 5:35-43; LUKE 8:49-56 Jesus told Jairus to 'believe only,' implying that faith and fear can operate in us at the same time. This is also the reason James tells us not to be double-minded, or to waiver (Jas. 1:5-8). Fear will negate faith. We can have both thoughts of faith and thoughts of unbelief at the same time. Fear and faith are opposing forces. Fear is actually faith in reverse. Fear is believing something or someone other than God. Therefore,...More Sunday, April 23, 2023 Making Faith Work Luke 8:46, 'And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.' LUKE 8:43-48 Is it possible that Jesus, who was God manifest in the flesh, and therefore all-knowing, did not actually know who touched Him? Yes! Although Jesus' spiritual man was divine, He took upon Himself a physical body with its limitations. Jesus drew on His divine ability through the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and so can we (Jn. 14:12; 1 Cor. 12:7). Before His resurrection, He operated as a man (sinless) by receiving from His Father through faith. Luke 8:47 says that the woman 'saw that she...More Saturday, April 22, 2023 The Law Of Faith Luke 8:45, 'And Jesus said, 'Who touched me?' When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, 'Master, the multitude throng thee, and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?'' MATTHEW 9:18-20; MARK 5:21-34; LUKE 8:40-48 The multitudes were thronging Jesus. That is, they were compressing, and crowding in on all sides, so it seems strange that He would ask, 'Who touched me?' Many people were physically touching Jesus, but this woman touched His power by faith. Many people in the crowd probably needed healing, but this person is the only one mentioned who received. The difference was...More Friday, April 21, 2023 Love And Trust Matthew 9:18, 'While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.' MATTHEW 9:18-19 Jesus could have healed this girl by His spoken word, but He did as He was requested to do. This illustrates how the Lord ministers to us according to our faith. Jesus ministered to him at the level where his faith was and didn't rebuke his little faith (Jas. 1:5). There is a human faith which is limited to believing only what we can perceive through our five senses....More Thursday, April 20, 2023 God Likes Us Mark 5:19, 'Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.' MARK 5:18-20 One of the ways God's goodness is revealed is through His mercy. We may describe mercy as 'the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures.' Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness. It is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him. God's mercy to the believer is revealed by His taking away the misery of sin's consequences...More Wednesday, April 19, 2023 Worship Is Warfare Mark 5:6, 'But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him.' MATTHEW 8:28-34; MARK 5:1-17; LUKE 8:27-39 The word 'worshipped' is taken from the Greek word 'proskuneo' which means 'to prostrate oneself in homage to; do reverence to; adore.' The fact that this tormented man ran to Jesus, and not away from Him, indicates that even 'demon-possessed' people have a free will and Satan cannot control an individual without his consent. Many battles have been fought over whether or not a Christian can be demon possessed. The Greek word for 'possessed' literally means 'to be...More Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Servant Power Mark 4:41, 'And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?' MARK 4:35-41 When God created this physical world and all of its inhabitants, He gave mankind authority to rule and subdue His creation. Although God still owned the universe and all that was in it, He gave control of the earth to man. When man sinned, he began to use this power against God's wishes. God did not ordain all the terrible things that have happened throughout history, and yet He did not take back man's right to dominate the earth....More Monday, April 17, 2023 Peace In The Midst Of The Storm Mark 4:37-38, 'And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master carest thou not that we perish?' MATTHEW 12:46-50; 8:23-27; MARK 3:31-35; 4:35-41; LUKE 8:19-26 Considering the fact that the boat was filled with water, it is amazing that the disciples had to awaken Jesus. This was not a large ship with cabins below deck but rather a small, open boat and Jesus was, no doubt, 'soaked to the bone.' This reflects Jesus' humanity and how tired He...More Sunday, April 16, 2023 Joint Heirs With Christ Matthew 12:50, 'For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.' MATTHEW 12:46-50 We are not just heirs, we are joint-heirs with Christ. It would be wonderful to inherit any amount of God's glory and power. But, the idea that we share equally with the one who has inherited everything God is and has is beyond comprehension. This is an awesome blessing, but it also places a tremendous responsibility on us. In the same way in which a check made out to two people cannot be cashed without the endorsement of both parties, so...More Saturday, April 15, 2023 His Chosen Treasures Matthew 13:44, 'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.' MATTHEW 13:44-50 The interpretation of this parable is this: the field is the world, the man buying the treasure is God, the treasure is the true believers in Christ. The price that was paid was the very life of Jesus on the cross. Jesus saw, through His foreknowledge, a remnant of people who would receive Him as Lord, and 'for the joy that was set before him,' He endured the cross (Heb....More Friday, April 14, 2023 King Of Hearts Mark 4:30, 'And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?' MARK 4:30-34 The word 'kingdom' means 'the realm over which a king rules.' When applied to God, it could refer to all creation, since 'his kingdom ruleth over all' (Ps. 103:19), but the kingdom more often applies to His rule in and through those who are submitted to Him. 'The Kingdom of God' more specifically refers to Christ living and ruling in our hearts. So praying 'thy kingdom come' is praying for the expansion and influence of God's rule in the hearts of men everywhere and,...More Thursday, April 13, 2023 Tares Among The Wheat Matthew 13:25, 'But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.' MATTHEW 13:24-30 Satan has secretly infiltrated the Church with some of his followers for the purpose of hindering the influence of the Church. This has been a more effective strategy than direct opposition. These tares that are spoken of refer to the Old World variety of darnel, which is poisonous. Virtually all grains are almost indistinguishable from tares when they send up the first blade from the ground. By the time the tares become distinguishable, they are so well rooted...More Wednesday, April 12, 2023 His Love Is Our Light Mark 4:21, 'And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?' MARK 4:21-25 Just as a candle or lamp is not to be hid, but rather displayed so that everyone can benefit from its light, so a Christian must let his light so shine before men that they might see his good works and glorify his Father which is in heaven. God has ordained us to go and bring forth fruit (Jn. 15:16). The great commission of the Church is to reach the world. The early Christians experienced the love of Christ in an intimate and...More Tuesday, April 11, 2023 Worldly Cares Are Thorns Luke 8:14, 'And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.' LUKE 8:5-14 This third type of ground is characteristic of a large part of the Body of Christ today. These are people who have received God's Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution, but because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal...More Monday, April 10, 2023 No Distractions, Please Mark 4:16, 'And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;' MARK 4:13-20 The second type of person Jesus describes is one who does receive the Word, even with great joy, but his commitment to the Word is shallow. Just as a plant must establish a strong root system to sustain its growth, so we must become rooted and grounded in God's Word. Too much attention on visible growth will cause us to become impatient and not take the time to become firmly established in the truths of God's Word. This will always result...More Sunday, April 9, 2023 Understanding God's Word Luke 8:12, 'Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.' LUKE 8:4-13 The first type of person Jesus describes is someone who doesn't understand God's Word (Mt. 13:19). Before God's Word can penetrate your heart, you have to understand (not comprehend) what it's saying. If the Word isn't understood, then it will be like seed scattered on top of hard-packed ground (the wayside). The birds will eat the seed and there will be no fruit. Mark 4:15 and Luke 8:12, make it clear that these...More Saturday, April 8, 2023 God's Word: Use As Directed Luke 8:11, 'Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.' LUKE 8:4-11 This parable illustrates the importance of the Word of God. God's Word contains total power, but it has to be planted in our hearts and allowed to germinate before it releases that power. The seed is God's Word, and the types of ground are the four major categories of men's hearts. The Word was the same in each situation, but there were different results in each case because of the condition of men's hearts - not because of the Word. The Word doesn't work for everyone because not everyone will allow the...More Friday, April 7, 2023 The Power Of God's Word Luke 8:11, 'Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.' LUKE 8:11-15 It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known. What a privilege it is today to have God's Word in our own language. Six hundred years ago there was no English translation of the whole Bible. Thanks to the efforts of John Wycliffe (1384) and William Tyndale (1523), today we are able to read and understand the writings of the apostles for ourselves. Men gave their lives to bring us God's Word. We should take advantage of this wonderful...More Thursday, April 6, 2023 Naturally Holy Matthew 13:15, 'For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' MATTHEW 13:14-23 The word 'waxed' means 'to become gradually more intense or to increase' and shows that this condition of the heart is not something we are born with or that strikes us suddenly. It has to be nurtured over a prolonged period of time. This is why we should not violate our conscience, even in...More Wednesday, April 5, 2023 God's Truths Belong To His Children Matthew 13:11, 'He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.' MATTHEW 13:1-13 The Greek word translated 'mystery' here, means 'something that could not be known by men except by divine revelation, but that, though once hidden, has now been revealed in Christ and is to be proclaimed so that all who have ears may hear it.' God's truths are hidden for His children, not from them. God has given an open invitation to everyone to receive the spiritual rebirth which entitles them to the revelation of...More Tuesday, April 4, 2023 Jesus, Teacher And Savior Mark 4:2, 'And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,' MARK 4:1-12 The Greek word used here for 'doctrine' means 'teaching' and occurs a total of 30 times in the New Testament. The four gospels refer to Jesus teaching 43 times and preaching 19 times, and six verses refer to Him preaching and teaching in the same verse. This would indicate that Jesus spent twice as much time teaching as He did preaching. Jesus' teaching is the basic building block of making disciples and a stumbling block to the religious. Why is it that a person who is seeking so...More Monday, April 3, 2023 To Whom Much Is Given Matthew 12:43, 'When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.' MATTHEW 12:43-45 Most often, verses 43-45 are used to teach about demon possession and deliverance from evil spirits. Jesus made it clear that getting rid of an unclean spirit is only a part of deliverance. You must also fill the place that was previously occupied by the demonic spirit with the presence and power of God as protection. If a person is cleansed from an evil spirit but left 'empty,' the spirit will return with even more spirits and the individual will be much...More Sunday, April 2, 2023 Just Words Matthew 12:37, 'For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.' MATTHEW 12:34-37 God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words. Every word counts. There is no such things as an 'idle' word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most...More Saturday, April 1, 2023 Singleness Of Heart Matthew 12:35, 'A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.' MATTHEW 12:32-45 Our spirit is definitely a part of our heart, but as seen in 1 Peter 3:4, it is only a part. Sin, iniquity, unbelief, etc., come from the heart but not the born-again spirit. Hebrews 4:12 suggests that spirit and soul are both part of the heart; hence, the scriptures admonish us to believe with all our heart (Acts 8:37), have singleness of heart (Col. 3:22), and tell us our hearts can have two minds or ways of thinking...More Friday, March 31, 2023 Rest And Re-fire Mark 6:31, 'And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.' MATTHEW 14:13-21; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 9:10-17; JOHN 6:1-14 Jesus often separated Himself from others so that He could spend time with the Father. Here, we see Jesus calling His disciples apart for rest and leisure. Many zealous Christians have neglected the needs of their physical bodies and have, therefore, cut their ministries short through death or severe illness. Likewise, many have failed to take the time to be...More Thursday, March 30, 2023 No Peace For The Wicked Luke 9:7, 'Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some that John was risen from the dead.' MATTHEW 14:1-12: MARK 6:14-29; LUKE 9:7-9 Others may have thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, but as can be clearly seen by looking at Matthew's account and especially Mark's record, Herod was convinced of this personally. This illustrates Herod's own conviction of the sin John had rebuked, his guilt and torment over his even greater sin of beheading John, and his fear of John and the God he represented. As revealed in...More Wednesday, March 29, 2023 The Unpardonable Sin MATTHEW 12:31, 'Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shalt be forgiven unto men: but blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.' LUKE 12:10; MATTHEW 12:24-31; MARK 3:22-30 The word 'blaspheme' means 'to speak evil of; defame; or revile.' In context, Jesus is saying that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is attributing the working of the Holy Spirit to the devil. Many people in the Bible did this, including Saul, who became the Apostle Paul. However, we see in 1 Timothy 1:13, that Paul said he received mercy concerning his blaspnemy because he had done it...More Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Being Yoked To Jesus Matthew 11:28-30, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' MATTHEW 11:20-30 Yokes were made of wood with two hollowed out sections on the bottom portion that rested on the necks of oxen, which used to plow or to draw a cart. Figuratively, a yoke symbolized servitude or submission. Jesus is admonishing us to submit ourselves to Him, for true rest comes from serving Him - not ourselves. A...More Monday, March 27, 2023 Our Inheritance With Christ Matthew 11:11, 'Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.' MATTHEW 11:2-19, LUKE 7:18-35 Much of the Old Testament deals with future events and the coming Messiah and His Kingdom. Not only was John the Baptist the voice of God to his generation, he was also the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He did not merely prophesy about the coming Messiah and the New Covenant, as the Old Testament prophets did, but he actually prepared the way for the...More Sunday, March 26, 2023 Whose Faith Was It Luke 7:13-14, 'And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not, And he came and touched the bier: and they that bear him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.' LUKE 7:11-17 This example of the widow's son being raised from the dead is often used to demonstrate that Jesus produced many miracles without any faith from those receiving the miracle, but by His faith alone. However, the prayer in Mark 6:5-6 shows that Jesus could not (nor would not) do many mighty works in His home town because of the people's unbelief. Many scriptures reveal...More Saturday, March 25, 2023 God's Kind Of Love Matthew 8:9-10, 'For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.' MATTHEW 8:5-13, LUKE 7:1-10 There were only two things in all of scripture that caused Jesus to marvel. They were (1) the Centurion's faith and (2) the Jews' unbelief (Mk. 6:6). A faith that made Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, marvel is...More Friday, March 24, 2023 More Than Just Sowing And Reaping LUKE 6:38, 'Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.' LUKE 6:17-49 This verse reveals one of God's cardinal laws that will work in the spiritual realm, as well as the physical world. Just as we 'give' seed into the ground to receive back multiple seeds, so it is with everything we give. Whether it's money, possessions, an emotion such as love or hate, prayers, or our time, we will reap a harvest of whatever we give. We...More Thursday, March 23, 2023 His Mercy Endures Forever MATTHEW 12:20, 'A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgement unto victory.' MATTHEW 12:15-21, MARK 3:7-19, LUKE 6:12-16 One of the ways in which God's goodness is revealed is in mercy. We may describe mercy as the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness. It is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him. The 'reed' referred to in this passage is probably speaking of the reeds that grew in the marshy areas in the...More Wednesday, March 22, 2023 About Those Scribes Luke 6:7, 'And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against him.' MATTHEW 12:1-14; MARK 2:23-3:6; LUKE 6:1-11 The scribes were copyists of the holy scriptures. They preserved in written form the oral law, and faithfully handed down the Hebrew scriptures. In New Testament times, they were students, interpreters, and teachers of the Old Testament. Their functions regarding the law were to teach it, develop it, and use it in any connection with the Sanhedrin and various local courts. They were ambitious for...More Tuesday, March 21, 2023 God Or Man Pleasers John 5:43-44, 'I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?' JOHN 5:28-47 This is in reference to the fact that Jesus came in the power and authority of His father to point men to Father God. Jesus existed before His advent on this earth in the form of God and was equal with God. Yet, He humbled Himself and became a servant while here on earth (Phil. 2:6-8). He did not come to promote Himself but to give His life to...More Monday, March 20, 2023 Jesus Shared His Father's Glory John 5:18, 'Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.' JOHN 5:16-27 When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God 'my (own) Father', they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy, to be punished by death, or else Jesus was who He claimed to be. Jesus never associated Himself with His disciples by using the plural pronoun 'our' Father. Rather, He always used the singular...More Sunday, March 19, 2023 Rest In His Love John 5:16, 'And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him because he had done these things on the sabbath day.' JOHN 5:16-27 The Sabbath was first mentioned in Scripture in Exodus 16, when the Lord started miraculously providing the children of Israel with manna in the wilderness. The Israelites were commanded to gather twice as much manna on the sixth day because God would not provide any on the seventh day. Shortly after this, the Lord commanded the observance of the Sabbath day in the ten commandments that were communicated to Moses on Mt. Sinai on the two tablets of...More Saturday, March 18, 2023 Naturally Holy John 5:14, 'Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.' JOHN 5:1-15 In saying this, Jesus shows that sin causes the tragedies that come into our lives. The reason for holiness in the life of the believer is that when we obey sin, we yield ourselves to Satan, the author of that sin. Yielding to sin is yielding to a person - Satan. God doesn't impute the sin to us but the devil does. Our actions either release the power of Satan or the power of God in us. Although God is not imputing our sins...More Friday, March 17, 2023 Something New Luke 5:36-37, 'And he spake a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.' MATTHEW 9:11-17, MARK 2:16-22, LUKE 5:30-39 These two parables are in response to the scribes' and Pharisees' criticism (v. 30) and the question from John's disciples about why Jesus didn't act according to their religious traditions and...More Thursday, March 16, 2023 Let Christ Live Through Us Matthew 9:9, 'And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.' MATTHEW 9:9-10, MARK 2:14-15, LUKE 5:27-29 To 'follow' means to come or go after; move behind in the same direction; to come or go with; to accept the guidance or leadership of; to adhere to the cause or principles of; to be governed by; obey; comply with (Jn. 10:27-29; Rom. 10:9-10, 13). When a person first comes to Jesus, it is impossible to know everything that following Jesus entails. No one, however, should...More Wednesday, March 15, 2023 Faith That Is Seen Mark 2:5, 'When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.' MATTHEW 9: 1-8, MARK 2: 1-12, LUKE 5: 17-26 Faith can be seen. Just as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:8, faith is like the wind. Faith itself is invisible, but saving faith is always accompanied by corresponding actions which can be seen (Jas. 2:17-26). It was not only the faith of the paralytic that Jesus saw, but also that of his four friends (Mk. 2:3). This demonstrates the effect our intercession in faith can have upon others. Jesus saw their faith. However, although...More Tuesday, March 14, 2023 Touched By Love Mark 1:41, 'And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him.... and he was cleansed.' MATTHEW 8:1-4, MARK 1:40-45, LUKE 5:12-15 Only Mark records this important statement that Jesus was 'moved with compassion' in the healing of this leper. There are three other instances in the gospels when Jesus was moved with compassion which resulted in healing (Mt. 14:14; 20:34; Lk. 7:13; and once in deliverance - Mk.5:19). The difference between seeing a person healed or not healed many times is this all-important ingredient of love. All three of the Gospel accounts record...More Monday, March 13, 2023 Healing Is God's Will Matthew 8:2, 'And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.' MATTHEW 8:1-4 Leprosy was a hated disease and its symptoms are described in detail in Leviticus 13:1-46. This leper believed Jesus could heal him, but doubted His willingness to heal him. Jesus showed him His willingness to heal, and since He is no respecter of persons, He established a precedent for us (Rom. 2:11). This leper did not know God's will concerning healing, but this is not the case with us. The Word of God is the will of God, and it reveals that it is always God's...More Sunday, March 12, 2023 A Lifestyle Check Matthew 7:20, 'Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.' MATTHEW 7:12-20 The way that you can tell whether a person is genuine or not is by the fruit they produce. This fruit is speaking of lifestyle. Jesus made the point that you don't get bad fruit from a good tree, and you don't get good fruit from a bad tree. Many people say one thing, but their actions speak so loudly that you really can't hear what they are saying. If you are in doubt about whether a person is genuine or not, or whether you should receive from them and follow their teaching, look at the fruit they are...More Saturday, March 11, 2023 God Takes Pleasure In Meeting Our Needs Matthew 7:11, 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?' MATTHEW 7:9-11 What kind of parent would ever deny their children, the necessities of life? If you have children would you fail to feed them? Or provide for them? Or if they ask you for food would you give them poison instead? Of, course not. This is the point Jesus is making. God is love (1 Jn. 4:8)! And His love for us is infinitely greater than any loving relationship here on earth. We can apply this truth...More Friday, March 10, 2023 God Answers Every Prayer Matthew 7:7, 'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:' MATTHEW 7:6-8 Prayer which meets the requirements outlined in God's Word is always answered. Many times we don't perceive the answer because it always comes in the spiritual realm first before it is manifested in the physical realm. If we waver from our confident faith, then we abort the manifestation of that answer (Jas. 1:6-7; Heb. 10:35). But God did answer. Everyone who asks receives. In the book of Daniel chapter 9, Daniel prayed a prayer and waited a relatively short...More Thursday, March 9, 2023 Righteous Judgment Matthew 7:1, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' MATTHEW 7:1-5 There are many examples of people judging others in the scriptures. Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more in all judgment (Phil. 1:9). In light of the scriptures where Jesus and the disciples spoke of judging, it is evident that there must be a right and a wrong type of judging. In Luke 12:56-57, Jesus uses the words 'discern' and 'judge' interchangeably. A dictionary definition of 'judge' can mean many things from 'condemn' to 'appraise, to form an opinion about; to think or consider.' There is certainly...More |
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 Taking Thoughts - Or Not Matthew 6:31, 'Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?' MATTHEW 6:25-34 The Greek word used here for 'thought' is 'merimnao' and denotes 'to be anxious or careful'. In this passage, as well as the parallel passage in Luke 12:22-32, Jesus is commanding us not to worry or be anxious about our material needs being met. It would be impossible to have no thought whatsoever about our physical needs. Even Jesus thought about His need for money to pay taxes (Mt. 17:24-27). We are simply not to be preoccupied with thinking about...More Tuesday, March 7, 2023 Singleness Of Vision MATTHEW 6:24, 'No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.' MATTHEW 6:22-24 Jesus is speaking of spiritual vision. If we keep our attention (eye) single upon Jesus, the Word, then all that we will be filled with is the light of His Word (Jn. 1:1-14; Ps. 119:105). The key to victory is this singleness of purpose (Phil. 3:13). The strength of the laser lies in the fact that all of the light is concentrated on one single point. Likewise, the strength of the Christian lies...More Monday, March 6, 2023 Knowing God Is Our Greatest Treasure Matthew 6:21, 'For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.' MATTHEW 6:19-21 If isolated from the rest of God's Word, there are some scriptures that could be interpreted to mean that having money or wealth is wrong. However there are other scriptures that speak of riches as a blessing. The harmony between these two apparently opposite positions is that money is neither good nor bad. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil, and many have committed the sin of loving money who don't even have a dime (1 Tim. 6:10)! The love of things (covetousness) is idolatry, and this is what...More Sunday, March 5, 2023 The Benefits Of Fasting MATTHEW 6:16, 'Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.' MATTHEW 6:14-18 It was a Jewish custom to anoint one's self with olive oil and in Jesus' day it was apparently customary to anoint the heads of your guests, also (Lk. 7:46). At times ointment or perfumes were used in this personal anointing. A lack of having one's head anointed was associated with mourning or sorrow. Jesus is saying that there should be no external sign of fasting...More Saturday, March 4, 2023 Victory - A Provision Matthew 6:13, 'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.' MATTHEW 6:9-13 A temptation can be a difficult situation or a pressure. Contrary to popular belief, God is not the source of our temptation (Jas. 1:13). When we are under pressure, it is important to realize that God is not trying to entrap us. Satan is called the tempter (Mt. 4:3; 1 Th. 3:5). Then why did Jesus instruct us to pray that the Father would not lead us into temptation? This was simply a request for guidance so that we could be delivered...More Friday, March 3, 2023 Salvation Begins Now MATTHEW 6:10, 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.' MATTHEW 6:9-13 We do not have to live a beggarly existence here on this earth and just wait till we all get to heaven to begin to experience the benefits of our salvation. Jesus told us to pray 'thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' In heaven, He will 'wipe away all tears from our eyes' (Rev. 21:4), so here on earth we can pray and believe to receive 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' (1 Pet. 1:8). Healing, prosperity, and all the other benefits of heaven are ours here on earth to the degree that we can...More Thursday, March 2, 2023 A Loving Father Matthew 6:9, 'After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.' MATTHEW 6:9-13 Although God was referred to as 'our Father' 13 times in the Old Testament, Jesus' frequent use of this title brought a whole new understanding of our relationship with God. Jesus referred to God as His father over 150 times, and He spoke of God as being our father 30 times. This infuriated the religious Jews of Jesus' day who considered it blasphemy to call God their father, because they understood that to mean they were equal with God (Jn. 5:17-18). This title has...More Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Quality Prayer Matthew 6:7, 'But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.' MATTHEW 6:5-8 Some of the most effective prayers are the shortest prayers. Jesus said, 'Peace, be still,' and the wind and the waves ceased (Mk. 4:39). He said, 'Lazarus, come forth,' and Lazarus came back from the dead (Jn. 11:43-44). Today, there is a new emphasis on the quantity of prayer instead of the quality of prayer. Jesus never advocated long prayers, and there are only a few instances where Jesus prayed long prayers. This is not to...More Tuesday, February 28, 2023 More Than Just Words Matthew 5:33, 'But let your communication be, Yea, yea: Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.' MATTHEW 5:33-37 A person who has to swear or make a promise to validate his statements is a person whose word is no good. The thrust of Jesus' teaching here is that we should live in such a manner that no one would ever have to have additional proof that we are telling the truth. Our word should be our bond. We have all heard the story of the young shepherd boy who cried wolf when there was no wolf until finally no one believed him when the wolf really came. Our lack of...More Monday, February 27, 2023 Commandments Lead To Happiness Matthew 5:32, 'But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.' MATTHEW 5:31-32 God's commandments are not intended to make us miserable--they're meant for our own happiness. Satan's lie in the Garden of Eden caused Eve to question God's motives behind His command (Genesis 3:5). Malachi 2:15 says God hates divorce. God doesn't hate the people who divorce. He hates the act of divorce because of the damage it does to people. God loves...More Sunday, February 26, 2023 Spiritual Fitness Matthew 5:29, 'And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.' MATTHEW 5:23-30 Is Jesus advocating dismembering of our bodies? Quite the contrary. He is drawing on the universal drive within every person of self preservation to make a point. If you value your body highly enough that you would never sacrifice one of its parts, then you should esteem your spiritual well being much higher. Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, man's...More Saturday, February 25, 2023 The Best Sinner Matthew 5:20, 'For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.' MATTHEW 5:17-22 What did Jesus mean? Since the Pharisees fasted twice each week, does this mean we have to fast three times each week? Since they paid tithes on everything including spices, does this mean that anyone who fails to tithe is doomed to hell? No! Definitely not. The Pharisees' righteousness was based on their actions. Jesus is advocating a righteousness that is based on faith in what He did...More Friday, February 24, 2023 Salt Shakers Matthew 5:13, 'Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.' MATTHEW 5:13-16 What is it that will be cast out and trodden under foot of men? Is it the salt, or is it possible that Jesus is speaking about the world? If we as believers lose our preserving influence, then there is no other way for the Lord to save the world. It will be dominated by men. God flows through His people. It is not our own power that changes people. It's God's power...More Thursday, February 23, 2023 He Will Share His Reward Matthew 5:12, 'Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.' MATTHEW 5:10-12 Jesus is saying that persecution should actually cause us to rejoice. There are many positive things about persecution but one of the best reasons to rejoice is because of the reward awaiting us in heaven. Jesus takes the persecution of His saints very seriously as can be seen during the Damascus road experience of the apostle Paul. The Lord asked Paul (then Saul), 'Why are you persecuting me?' (Acts 9:4) He didn't say, 'Why...More Wednesday, February 22, 2023 Only The Hungry Are Fed Matthew 5:6, 'Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.' MATTHEW 5:1-9 In the natural world, people eat even when they aren't hungry. Many of us can prove that by turning sideways and looking at ourselves in the mirror. But in the spiritual realm, only those who are hungry can get fed. One of the worst things that can happen to us is spiritual complacency. Being hungry for the things of God is one of the best things that can happen to us. Most people don't feel that way. They would rather have the feeling of being full. But Jesus...More Tuesday, February 21, 2023 At Thy Word Luke 5:5, 'And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.' LUKE 5:1-11 Peter and his companions had been working hard all night. Their efforts had not produced even one fish. They had given up and were headed home. But Jesus told them to try it just one more time. It would have been easy for Peter to reject Jesus' command. After all, Peter had been a fisherman all his life. Jesus was just a preacher. What did He know about fishing? Yet something, or rather someone, caused Peter to try...More Monday, February 20, 2023 Drawn By His Power Mark 1:37, 'And when they had found him, they said unto him, All [men] seek for thee.' MK. 1:35-39; LK. 4:42-44 This is an amazing statement. Jesus' ministry was only a few months old and the masses of people were already seeking him out. This is even more astonishing when you realize that Jesus had not used any of the conventional methods of publicity. In fact, Jesus had already rejected publicity during His first ministry in Jerusalem (Jn. 2:24-25). There was no natural explanation for Jesus' success. God is the one who promoted Jesus. And He used supernatural means to do...More Sunday, February 19, 2023 Ministry In Action Mk. 1:31, 'And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.' MT. 8:14-17; MK. 1:29-34; LK. 4:38-41 How did Peter's mother-in-law minister unto Jesus and His disciples? Did she sit them down and preach to them? Certainly not. Yet sometimes people think the only way we can minister to another is to admonish them with the scriptures. Peter's mother-in-law apparently ministered to them by serving them. The word translated 'minister' is the same word that was translated 'deacon' twice in the New Testament, and 'serve,...More Saturday, February 18, 2023 Demons In Church Mark 1:23, 'And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out;....' MK. 1:21-28; LK. 4:33-37 Many people don't associate demon possessed people with places of worship. Yet most of the demons that Jesus cast out were encountered in the church. Why would demon possessed people be in church? In some cases, the people were there because they were seeking help. The church, like a hospital, offers people the cure and therefore, attracts those who are sick. In other cases, the devil sows these types of people in the church to spread spiritual disease....More Friday, February 17, 2023 The Chosen Ones Mark 1:16, 'Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.' MT. 4:13-22; MK. 1:16-20; LK. 5:27; JN. 5:38 Jesus never chose an apostle from among the religious system. Every one of his twelve disciples were men that He chose from the secular world. It wasn't because God didn't have faith in those who were religious. It's just that most of those who were part of the religious system didn't have any faith in God. One of the most common mistakes religious people make is to put faith in themselves. They think...More Thursday, February 16, 2023 Familiarity Breeds Contempt Luke 4:24, 'And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.' LUKE 4:16-30 A modern day equivalent of this verse is 'familiarity breeds contempt.' Those who know the most about us also know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our weaknesses will blind most people to our strengths. However, in the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people's lack of perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had failed to see who He was in the...More Wednesday, February 15, 2023 Our Debts Have Been Cancelled Luke 4:19, 'To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.' LUKE 4:16-30 This scripture had been written prophetically by the prophet Isaiah about 650 years prior to this time. It was read in Jewish synagogues thousands of times. But the one this verse was speaking of had never spoken it before. With this pronouncement, Jesus began the year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee was described in Leviticus 25. It was a year when everyone left their fields unworked and kept a sabbath unto the Lord. The Lord gave the people a miraculous provision the year before this jubilee started that...More Tuesday, February 14, 2023 God's Word Has No Limits John 4:50, 'Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.' JOHN 4:46-54 Jesus didn't have to touch the child. He didn't have to send anything home with the father to affect the cure. All He did was speak and the son was instantly healed (v. 53). This man had traveled over fifteen miles from Capernaum to Cana to find Jesus. Therefore, the son was not within 'earshot' so that Jesus' words sparked some cord of hope in his heart, thereby releasing God's power. No, Jesus' spoken word had so much power...More Monday, February 13, 2023 Spiritual Food John 4:32, 'But he saith unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.' JOHN 4:27-46 Food is essential for life. Without it we couldn't grow. We get strength and vitality from food. Yet food can kill us. Improper diets kill more people than any disease. Our soul needs nourishment too. The things we think on and the desires that we have are food to our souls. Jesus said, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God' (Mat. 4:4). Jesus valued spiritual nourishment more than He valued physical nourishment. He was thrilled to...More Sunday, February 12, 2023 Worship Him In Spirit John 4:24, 'God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.' JOHN 4:4-26 Man dwells primarily in the physical and emotional realm, but God is a Spirit (1 Sam. 16:7). To have true fellowship with God, we have to relate to God on the spiritual level. In order to make this possible, God changed our spirit. At salvation, our spirit became totally new (2 Cor. 5:17). It is now righteous and truly holy (Eph. 4:24). It is now exactly the way Jesus is, because our born again spirit is the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Jn. 4:17; 1 Cor. 6:17; Rom....More Saturday, February 11, 2023 God Looks Inside John 4:19, 'The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.' JOHN 4:4-26 This didn't take any great discernment on the woman's part. Jesus had just 'read her mail'. He told her the most intimate details of her life. Anyone could have perceived Jesus was a prophet after something like that. This woman suddenly realized that she was dealing with more than just a man. God was speaking to her. What was her reaction? She changed the subject. She brought up a doctrinal issue concerning the proper place to worship--anything to get Jesus' attention off of her. We...More Friday, February 10, 2023 Thirsty? John 4:14, 'But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.' JOHN 4:4-26 Jesus painted a beautiful picture of salvation in this passage. The salvation Jesus brings is like an artesian spring which doesn't have to be pumped. It bubbles up constantly. Unfortunately, not every Christian's experience matches Jesus' description. Many people relate more to an old pump which has to be pumped and pumped. Just as a trickle of water comes, they have to rest. They...More Thursday, February 9, 2023 God Is The Greatest Giver John 4:10, 'Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' JOHN 4:10 Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, but it wasn't water He was interested in. He wanted to give this woman eternal life. God is the greatest giver there ever was. He lives to give. When He asks something of us we can be assured that it is only so He can multiply it and give it back to us. God is not interested in the water we can give Him. We don't...More Wednesday, February 8, 2023 He Left Judaea John 4:1,3, 'When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized disciples more than John...He left Judaea.' MT. 4:12; MK. 1:14; JN. 4:1-3 This is an interesting passage of scripture. On the surface, it might look like Jesus was running from a fight. Now that John the Baptist was out of the way (he had been imprisoned), it was inevitable that the Pharisees would attack Jesus. One thing we can be sure of is that there was no fear on our Lord's part. On other occasions He demonstrated that no one could do anything to Him if He didn't allow it (Lk....More Tuesday, February 7, 2023 God's Idea Of Greatness Luke 3:20, '....he shut up John in prison.' MT. 4:12; MK. 1:14, 17-18; LK. 3:19-20; JN. 4:1-3 John spent 30 years preparing for a six month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Mt. 11:11). John's greatness didn't lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a...More Monday, February 6, 2023 Humility Before Honor John 3:30, 'He must increase, but I [must] decrease.' JOHN 3:22-36 John the Baptist had spent 30 years in preparation for his ministry. He didn't enjoy the normal benefits of childhood or adolescence. He lived out in the deserts separated unto God instead (Lk. 1:80). For approximately six months, he enjoyed success in his ministry like no other man ever had. He started preaching in the wilderness--not the centers of commerce. Still the multitudes flocked to him. He became the most influential man in Israel and even shot the hearts of Roman rulers. Everything was going John's...More Sunday, February 5, 2023 Eternal Life--a Quality Of Life John 3:16, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.' JOHN 3:1-21 Most people focus on the part of this verse that promises us we won't perish. Although it's certainly a wonderful promise, it is not the focus of this verse. The primary purpose of Jesus' coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, but to give us eternal life. Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultiimate purpose of reconciling man to God. If...More Saturday, February 4, 2023 The Born Again Experience John 3:10, 'Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?' JOHN 3:1-21 The Greek word translated 'master' here actually means, 'an instructor, doctor, teacher'. Nicodemus was a very educated man in religious matters, yet he didn't have the slightest idea what Jesus was talking about. Nicodemus' relationship with God had all been academic. He knew a lot about God, but he didn't know God personally. Jesus had a union with God that was unique and Nicodemus was intrigued. God was Jesus' father. This was foreign to Nicodemus. Jesus...More Friday, February 3, 2023 He Uses The Usable John 2:24, 'But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all [men].' JOHN 2:18-25 This was the first time Jesus had ministered in Jerusalem. Multitudes believed on Him when they saw the miracles He performed (v. 23). This looked like a perfect opportunity for Jesus to take these people and use them to spread the news far and wide that He was the Christ. Instead Jesus did just the opposite. He didn't want people proclaiming His gospel in their own ability. This reveals an attitude of Jesus which is lacking among many Christians today. Jesus is more concerned with...More Thursday, February 2, 2023 There Is A Righteous Anger. John 2:15, 'And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables.' JOHN 2:12-14 Jesus brought the message of 'love your enemies' to the world and demonstrated it in such a way that some people have forgotten instances like this when Jesus showed anger. Anger can also be a godly emotion. Ephesians 4:26, tells us to 'be angry and sin not'. This means there is a righteous type of anger which is not sin. This is why we are told to hate evil (Ps. 45:7; 119:104, 163; Pro. 8:13;...More Wednesday, February 1, 2023 God Is Not Cheap! John 2:6, 'And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.' JOHN 2:1-11 God has been represented as a God who is on a tight budget and who disapproves of us asking for anything more than just the necessities. However, this first miracle of Jesus disproves that. Scholars suggest that a firkin was equal to about nine U.S. gallons. This would mean that six of these water pots would hold 162 gallons of wine. That's a lot of wine! In a similar instance when Jesus was asked to provide food for...More Tuesday, January 31, 2023 God's Peace Luke 10:5 - 'And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.' LUKE 10:5 Peace is the result of casting our care upon the Lord through prayer and thanksgiving. However, many people are asking God to give them peace so that their cares will leave. It doesn't work that way. Through faith we cast our cares on the Lord, and then God's peace comes. Christians who are lacking God's peace have not taken their cares to the Lord and left them there. All Christians have peace. It is a fruit of the Spirit that is always present in our born-again spirits. Cares will blind us to God's...More Monday, January 30, 2023 Sharing God's Love Luke 10:2 - 'Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.' LUKE 10:2 It is commonly thought that an evangelist is someone who has a passion to lead people to the Lord. But every believer should have a passion for souls. When presenting the Gospel, we are not just presenting a theory about God but the factual account of God's dealings with man as revealed through His Word, with the ultimate witness being the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Our personal witness of...More Sunday, January 29, 2023 Do What He Says John 2:5, 'His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it].' JOHN 2:1-11 Mary knew Jesus as no one else did at this point. The Bible supplies no details of the childhood of Jesus except his trip to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, but it is certain that Mary knew Jesus was no ordinary man. Her request of Jesus to provide the guests with more wine reflects her belief that He could do things others could not. Her instructions to the servants were, 'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.' This shows that she not only knew Jesus could work miracles, but she knew...More Saturday, January 28, 2023 Settling Our Doubts John 1:46, 'And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.' JOHN 1:43-51 Nathanael suffered from a skepticism that afflicts many people today. However, it is to his credit that he came to the Lord and gave Him a chance to prove who He was. We can only speculate what it was that Jesus saw Nathanael doing under that fig tree (v. 50), but it is very clear that it was something that proved beyond a doubt that Jesus was the Christ. Jesus didn't rebuke Nathanael for his doubts, instead he removed them....More Friday, January 27, 2023 Sharing Our Faith John 1:41, 'He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.' JOHN 1:37-42 Andrew was the first disciple of Jesus to share his faith and bring another to Christ. And look who it was that he brought. Peter became one of the greatest apostles of Jesus. He preached on the day of Pentecost and saw 3,000 born again. He healed a lame man at the gate of the temple and 5,000 were born again as a result. He raised Dorcas from the dead, introduced Christianity to the Gentiles, and wrote two books of the Bible which...More Thursday, January 26, 2023 Knowing God's Plan John 1:23, 'He said, I [am] the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.' JOHN 1:19-36 John knew who he was and what he was called to do. This was one of the keys to his success. Unlike most of us, John did not have an identity crisis growing up. He knew God's plan and purpose for his life from the beginning and he spent his entire life preparing for it. God has a plan for your life just as surely as he did for John the Baptist. To succeed in life, you must find God's plan for your life and then devote yourself to...More Wednesday, January 25, 2023 Satan's Power Is Limited Luke 4:13, 'And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.' MT. 4:1-11; MK. 1:12-13; LK. 4:1-13 The wording of this verse implies that Satan exhausted his arsenal of temptations on Jesus and then had to leave. We have mistakenly given Satan too much credit. He does not have a limitless number of temptations that he can pull on us. As 1 Jn. 2:16 says, there are three areas where the devil tempts us: (1) the lust of the flesh, (2) the lust of the eyes, and (3) the pride of life. Jesus' three temptations correspond to these. By ascribing to...More Tuesday, January 24, 2023 The Weapon Of The Word Luke 4:4, 'And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' MT. 4:1-11; MK. 1:12-13; LK. 4:1-13 Jesus answered every temptation with, 'It is written.' The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). It is the only offensive spiritual weapon that we have. Since Jesus was the Word of God (Jn. 1:1), anything he would have spoken would have been the Word. He could have said 'scat' and the devil would have had to go, yet He quoted the written Word of God three times. This gives us great assurance that the...More Monday, January 23, 2023 Knowing Who We Are Matthew 4:3, 'And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.' MT. 4:1-11; MK. 1:12-13; LK. 4:1-13 Two of Satan's three temptations began with the words, 'If you be the Son of God.' Jesus was God, but he did have a human body that had to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Lk. 2:52). It took faith for the physical mind of Jesus to believe the witness of the Spirit within Him that he was the Messiah. Satan was attacking the most basic of His beliefs. This must have been a temptation to Jesus or...More Sunday, January 22, 2023 A Greater Humility Matthew 3:14, 'But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?' MT. 3:13-17; MK. 1:9-11; LK. 3:21-23 John the Baptist was overwhelmed that Jesus was asking to be baptized by him. John had already declared himself unworthy to unloose the latchet of the Christ's shoes, and now the Christ was asking him to administer His baptism (Lk. 3:16). Likewise, we are often overwhelmed by the idea that the Lord could use us. Who are we to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ? It is easy to disqualify ourselves and not fulfill God's instructions....More Saturday, January 21, 2023 The Ministry Of John The Baptist Matthew 3:1, 'In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea.' MT. 3:1-12; MK. 1:1-8; LK. 3:1-18 These scriptures record the ministry of John the Baptist. He spent thirty years in the deserts of Judaea preparing for this ministry. Then it only lasted about six months before He baptized Jesus and men started following the Messiah. Yet in those brief six months He turned an entire nation to God. He did not take the normal approach and go where the people were. He was out in the wilderness and the people came to him. He had no advertisements other than the...More Friday, January 20, 2023 He Became Like Us Luke 2:52, 'And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.' LUKE 2:52 How could it be that Jesus, who was God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16), and in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, increased in wisdom? (Col. 2:3) God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24). Jesus, as God, had existed as a Spirit forever. When He came to the earth as Jesus, he was Lord at birth, but that was in His Spirit (Lk. 2:11). His Spirit didn't have to grow or increase in wisdom but His physical body did. The Lord could have done things differently, but He...More Thursday, January 19, 2023 Jesus Prepared Himself LUKE 2:46, 'And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.' LUKE 2:41-51 This is the only scriptural record of Jesus' childhood. Yet there is much that we can learn from this brief account. At twelve years of age, Jesus' wisdom astounded the men who had spent a lifetime studying the scriptures (v. 47). Remember that Jesus did not have full time access to a copy of the scriptures like we do today. He had to depend on His visits to the synagogue and the direct revelation...More Wednesday, January 18, 2023 Spiritual Warfare MATTHEW 2:16, 'Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.' MATTHEW 2:16-23 Satan was the real motivator of Herod's actions. Ever since the Lord first prophesied that a man would bruise his head, Satan has been seeking out this 'seed' of the woman (Gen. 3:15). It appears that Satan is able to perceive when the Lord is making a major move in the earth....More Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Herod's Folly Mt. 2:13, '...for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.' MATTHEW 2:13-15 Herod had ruled over Judaea for nearly forty three years at the time of these events. He had the title of King conferred on him by the Roman senate at the recommendation of Antony and Octavius. His accomplishments included the building of the temple in Jerusalem which was one of the most magnificent structures in the world. Most people would have thought that Herod had it 'made'. However, history reveals that Herod was extremely paranoid. He actually killed his wife and one of his sons because he feared...More Monday, January 16, 2023 Believe The Word Matthew 2:1, 'Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.' MATTHEW 2:1-12 How could this be? The greatest event in the history of God's dealings with mankind was taking place and the leaders of God's people didn't even know about it. Foreigners who were unfamiliar with the covenants of God perceived what God was doing more than His own chosen people! (Eph. 2:12) The apparent answer to this is that these Persian wise men were more in tune to the prophecies of scripture than the Jews were. Daniel...More Sunday, January 15, 2023 God's Choice Luke 2:37, 'And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day.' LUKE 2:36-40 Let's suppose that Anna was fourteen years old when she married. She would have been 105 years old. Yet she was still fasting and praying night and day! Satan tries to convince us that God won't use us. He may cite things like age or lack of abilities, or failures that we've had. But just like Anna, there are many scriptural examples of the Lord using those who would be considered unusable by worldly...More Saturday, January 14, 2023 Revelation Knowledge Luke 2:26, 'And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.' LUKE 2:25-35 Simeon didn't receive this knowledge through the normal method of learning. This knowledge was revealed to him directly from the Holy Spirit. This revelation knowledge which comes only from God is distinctly different than knowledge acquired through study. Man's knowledge is based on observation. It cannot give perfect instruction about the future. God's knowledge can. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we can know things to come (Jn....More Friday, January 13, 2023 God Looks For Availability Luke 2:24, 'And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.' LUKE 2:21-24 The Old Testament passage being quoted is from Lev. 12:6-8. There the Lord commanded a lamb and a young pigeon or a turtledove as the prescribed sacrifice. If the woman was unable to offer a lamb, then two young pigeons or two turtledoves were acceptable. Mary would not have offered the lesser offering if it had been in her power to provide the lamb. This reveals that Joseph and Mary were not well off financially, yet the Lord chose...More Thursday, January 12, 2023 Peace With God Luke 2:14, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' LUKE 2:8-20 In another instance, Jesus said He did not come to send peace on the earth, but a sword. Then He prophesied that those who received Him would experience persecution, even from their own family (Mt. 10:34-36). How do these verses fit together? The peace the angels were singing about was not a peace between men; they were rejoicing that there would be peace between God and man. When Jesus prophesied division and war in Matthew 10, he was speaking of relationships between...More Wednesday, January 11, 2023 He Was Born A Savior Luke 2:11, 'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.' LUKE 2:8-20 Jesus did not grow into being Lord and Saviour. He was born that way. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). What a great mystery! How could Almighty God limit Himself to the form of a man? And even if He did that, how could he possibly start as a baby? These questions defy human ability to fully understand. At the dedication of the first temple, Solomon said, 'But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of...More Tuesday, January 10, 2023 God Desires Faith Luke 2:7, 'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.' LUKE 2:1-7 What an amazing account! God Almighty was born of a virgin and placed in a feeding trough in a stable. Who would ever expect the Creator of the universe to make His entrance into the world in such a humble fashion? Men always seek to proclaim their glory as far and wide as possible. Yet here is the only one who really has any glory to proclaim, and He comes humbly. It wasn't because He didn't have the power to do...More Monday, January 9, 2023 Joseph Was A Man Of Faith Matthew 1:24, 'Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife.' MATTHEW 1:18-24 Much attention is given to Mary and her piety, but Joseph was quite a man of faith, too. Verse 18 says that Mary was 'found' with child, implying that the pregnancy was observed by Joseph, not explained to him by Mary. And this was after Mary had been away visiting Elisabeth for three months! (Lk. 1:56) Certainly Joseph was tempted with the same thoughts that you or I would have been. How could she expect him to believe that this was a virgin...More Sunday, January 8, 2023 Desert Training Luke 1:80, 'And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.' LUKE 1:57-80 John the Baptist had the most important job assignment ever given to any mortal in the history of the world. He was to prepare the way for the coming of the long awaited Messiah (v. 76). How did the Lord prepare John for such an important task? What university could teach him all he needed to know? Who offered a course in becoming the greatest prophet who ever lived? (Mt. 11:11) Of course, no one could prepare John for such an important position, so...More Saturday, January 7, 2023 Choosing Joy Luke 1:46-47, 'And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.' LUKE 1:39-56 Here, Mary makes a very clear distinction between her soul magnifying the Lord and her spirit rejoicing. Our soul is the part of us that is considered to be our personality. It is our intellect, emotions and will. Our spirit is the part that gets changed at salvation and it is always operating in 'love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance' (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:22-23). That's true whether our souls (feelings and emotions)...More Friday, January 6, 2023 Believers Receive Luke 1:45, 'And blessed [is] she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.' LUKE 1:39-56 There are many reasons why God's blessings don't always come to pass in a person's life, but the most frequent cause is simply unbelief on our part. There are no limitations on God's part. He is willing and able to do anything He has promised. The problem is with our believing. The Lord has given every believer faith (Rom. 12:3). It was given to us at salvation through hearing the Word of God (Eph. 2:8; Rom. 10:17). It is a fruit of the Holy...More Thursday, January 5, 2023 The Power To Serve Luke 1:41, 'And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.' LUKE 1:39-56 Upon hearing the greeting of Mary, John the Baptist leaped for joy inside his mother's womb (v. 44). A six month old fetus experienced unbridled emotion, voluntarily leaped for joy and was actually filled with the Holy Spirit. It is no coincidence that the man who was called the greatest of all Old Testament prophets by Jesus, was the only man in the Bible to be filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb...More Wednesday, January 4, 2023 Nothing Is Impossible Luke 1:37, 'For with God nothing shall be impossible.' LUKE 1:26-38 What a statement! If we just believed this, how different our lives would be! From birth we are trained to know our limitations. You can't have this. Don't touch that. Don't put things in your mouth. You can't touch the fire. On and on the list goes. As we grow up, it's actually a sign of maturity to recognize our limitations and learn to live within them. There are limits to everything. It's a fact of life. But God has no limits. When we enter into the realm of the supernatural, we have to take...More Tuesday, January 3, 2023 Knowing God's Will Is Not Enough Luke 1:34, 'Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?' LUKE 1:26-38 Contrast Mary's question and Gabriel's response with the question that Zacharias asked Gabriel and the response that he received (Luke 1:18-20). You will find the questions are similar but the responses are totally different. Both Mary and Zacharias asked how these miracles would occur but it is evident that Mary was asking 'how' in faith while Zacharias was asking 'how' in unbelief. It is a clear Bible teaching that unbelief doesn't please God (Heb. 11:6), but the Lord doesn't mind us...More Monday, January 2, 2023 Can You Believe It? Luke 1:18, 'And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.' LUKE 1:5-25 Zacharias and Elisabeth were righteous people (v. 6) who prayed for a child for many years. They felt the same disappointments and frustrations that any of us would feel and yet they kept believing God. The Lord finally answered their prayers and sent His angel to announce the good news. What was Zacharias' reaction? He couldn't believe it! The very thing that he had been praying for was granted and he doubted that it was true. In Zacharias'...More Sunday, January 1, 2023 About Genealogies Luke 3:23, 'And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.' MATTHEW 1:1-17; LUKE 3:23-38 Even the genealogies are inspired by God and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy through Joseph back to Solomon. However, there was a curse placed on one of Solomon's sons named Jechonias (Jer. 22:24-30), which Jesus avoided by being born of a virgin. Luke mentions Jesus as being the supposed son of Joseph who was the son of Heli. It was actually Mary who was the daughter of Heli. This was done in...More |
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