January 18, 2019
WHICH IS HARDER TO BELIEVE? Jesus affirmed two miraculous events in one verse. First, what many call fable, Jesus treated as fact. Jesus not only affirmed the Jonah story in Scripture, but saw it as a Messianic sign. Second, He prophesies His own death and resurrection. Modern man may discount the stories of the Bible
January 15, 2019
WHO GETS YOUR PRIORITY LOVE? This statement from Jesus to His disciples is very disconcerting, until you understand it’s significance. Jesus is claiming the priority love that belongs to God alone. He is not saying you cannot love your family and be His follower too. No, far from it. He is saying that we must
January 13, 2019
SEEING THROUGH GOD’S EYES When Jesus looks at us, what does He see? He sees a world of people who are “confused and helpless.” What is His response? He has “compassion” for us because we are “like sheep without a shepherd.” Do you see what Jesus sees? Have you ever asked the Lord to
January 8, 2019
ARE YOU PERSISTENT IN PRAYER? Jesus used one verb and three participles to teach persistence in prayer. His verb was “keep on.” This gives the idea of persistent and ongoing prayer. Yet, it has a stopping point with a promise. We are to “keep on” until we receive, find, or have opened that which is
January 7, 2019
WHERE IS YOUR HEART TODAY? When Christ was asked to name the greatest commandment, He didn’t hesitate. He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:31). So, how can we check our hearts
February 14, 2018
CHRIST PROMISES HIS PRESENCE
Of all of the promises of God, the promise that the Spirit of Christ would always be with us is the sweetest. As Moses told the Lord, “We do not want to go if You do not go with us.” I’m so thankful that Jesus is always with us.
February 3, 2018
The Pharisees expected a Messiah to be born in the lineage of David that would overthrow Rome and restore Israel as a nation. They did not understand the prophecies that foretold the Messiah’s divinity. This was the point that Jesus wanted to make with them, that the Messiah would not only be in the lineage of David, but also the Son of God. He was trying to open their eyes to see that He was in fact, the Messiah, the son of David and the Son of God.
When the Pharisees asked Jesus a question, their motivation was usually to entrap (Matt. 22:35) or otherwise show Him to be in error. However, when Jesus asked them this question about the Messiah, His motive seems to be not to stump them, although that was the apparent outcome, but to reveal His true identity to them.
February 1, 2018
PRAY SPECIFIC PRAYERS
When Jesus hears, he stops. He makes time for those who cry out to Him. And even though He already knows what we need, He asks us to tell Him.
“What do you want me to do for you?” He asks.
Why does He ask this? I’m not sure, but I think it must be, so that in naming the thing, we are expressing our faith that He can do it. And we are showing our dependence on Him as a child with a parent. So, get specific with Him in your prayers. He wants to know exactly what you need from Him.
January 27, 2018
WHO WILL BE THE GREATEST?
The disciples were constantly debating among themselves the question of who would be the greatest when Jesus came into His kingdom. They finally asked Jesus. He answered by calling a little child over to Him and saying that unless they repented of their sins and became as this child they wouldn’t even get into the kingdom of heaven, much less be great. For the currency of the kingdom isn’t the currency of the world. The currency of the kingdom is asking, not earning; it’s humbling oneself, not seeking glory. It’s welcoming a child on Christ’s behalf and in effect, welcoming Christ Himself.
Applying this to our church, it seems to me that those who willingly serve in our children’s ministries may be on to something…
January 18, 2018
IS THERE AN UNFORGIVABLE SIN?
Yes. But it’s not what most people think. It’s not mass murder or some heinous crime. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover any sin. But it cannot cover the continual, willful rejection of the Holy Spirit’s testimony concerning Jesus Christ. The Pharisees had witnessed Jesus setting a demon-possessed man free, restoring his sight and speech, yet they attributed the miracle to Satan. Even though they had knowledge of the Scriptures, which spoke of Christ, they had evidence of His miraculous power, they had the Spirit bearing witness to His identity… They willfully rejected Jesus. How can God forgive the one who will not recognize and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord? They have rejected the very One who would forgive them by rejecting and even speaking against the Holy Spirit who testifies of Jesus.