My heart is broken for Israel. What is happening there is nothing less than demonic. My eyes cannot unsee the horrific videos on Twitter. Our mainstream media has sanitized and politicized their reporting, but the reports and videos being posted on Twitter are gruesome. Oh friends, we have to pray. We have to understand thatContinue reading “Evil among us.”
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Are you tortured by emotions while those who hurt you just move on.
Dealing with people is hard. We will eventually be offended, hurt and feel all the emotions of being sinned against. And this will come from those we love—family, friends, coworkers and fellow believers. But we can’t read Matthew 18:21-35 and think we have any loophole to hold on to unforgiveness. The debtor in this passageContinue reading “Are you tortured by emotions while those who hurt you just move on.”
I‘m so thankful for pastors who lead their churches to do this…
Matthew 18:15-20 is incredible instruction in dealing with those who have sinned against us. Furthermore, it is the gold standard for the process of church discipline of which the goal is always to be the restoration of someone walking in sin. We are to break fellowship with the goal of causing the other person toContinue reading “I‘m so thankful for pastors who lead their churches to do this…”
A caution for those with lost sheep.
Jesus talks about the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt 18:12-14) just after talking about quickly addressing our own sin (Matt 18:8-9). The Enduring Word commentary quotes Spurgeon about this passage who says, “perhaps the most dangerous, form of the temptation, is to despise one, because that one has gone astray.” And if you’ve beenContinue reading “A caution for those with lost sheep.”
It will burn your house down.
Jesus emphasizes the need to not take sin lightly but radically remove it from our lives when he talks about plucking out your own eye or cutting off your hand if they help you to sin (Matt 18:8-9). For some of us, we need to kill the friendship, block the phone number, throw out theContinue reading “It will burn your house down.”
A warning from Jesus.
Jesus came to die to save us from our sins, and He warns those who cause others to sin that it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and drowned in the sea than to cause a little one who believes in Him to sin. He says “woeContinue reading “A warning from Jesus.”
Let’s tell the whole truth about Christianity.
The Apostle Paul preached grace AND truth. Adrian Rogers once said, “People say, “Don’t take a stand for doctrine. Just be full of love….” Thank God for the love of God. He is love. But that’s not all of the truth. He’s also a God of justice; He’s also a God of truth. And whenContinue reading “Let’s tell the whole truth about Christianity.”
Hard things
There are just some things that happen so we can know the Lord in a way we never knew Him before. And sometimes, that way comes through a circumstance we would likely never choose. Often our gut reaction is to resist it with all we have and to do all we can to fix it.Continue reading “Hard things”
Not everyday is a hallelujah moment. Oh, but there are those days…🙌🏻
Jesus gives Peter, James and John a supernatural peak into His deity. Oh, they had seen miracles but what they were about to see and hear would cause them to fall flat on their faces ( Matt 17:1-9). The face of Jesus shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as light!Long dead,Continue reading “Not everyday is a hallelujah moment. Oh, but there are those days…🙌🏻”
One day our faith will see what our minds can barely imagine!
Jesus talks about eternal rewards for works done in this life and then He says, “Thereare some standing here that shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom” (Matt 16:27-28). What does this mean? Many scholars believe Jesus is talking about the disciples who will witness the transfigurationContinue reading “One day our faith will see what our minds can barely imagine!”
Frustrated with Christianity?
I don’t want this to sound snarky and mean it most sincerely…but the truth is you may be frustrated with Christianity if you have invited Jesus into YOUR life. You know like, “come be a part”. Perhaps, even like the demons, you recognize Jesus as the Son of God (Matt 16:16) and you reason youContinue reading “Frustrated with Christianity?”
Peace for the dying
I think we sanitize this verse.We pretty it up.We water it down. We think denying ourselves and taking up our crosses is only putting up with the occasional annoyance or criticism of being called a Christian. We need to soberly understand what Jesus is saying when He says, “If anyone desires to come after Me,Continue reading “Peace for the dying”
Request from Kim
I did not want to post this on social media but greatly need your prayers tonight. Please pray for a dear loved one of mine who is wrestling with God. Please pray God would supernaturally reveal Himself to him. I believe God hears our prayers. I believe His compassions fail not and His mercies areContinue reading “Request from Kim”
When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…
Peter gets it. Then he doesn’t. He rightly states that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (Matt 16:16). He then rebukes the Christ, the Son of the Living God, after Jesus tells the disciples He will suffer many things, be killed and rise on the third day (Matt 16:21-22). Can youContinue reading “When God does something, or allows something, you don’t like or understand…”
Spoiler ALERT: The Church Prevails!
The Church will stand! The gates of Hades will not prevail against it! (Matt 16:18) Oh, I know, our culture opposes so many things about the Church. And we’ve seen those who lead churches compromise with our ungodly culture, forsake Biblical truth, and fall into scandal. It can be disheartening to say the least. ButContinue reading “Spoiler ALERT: The Church Prevails!”
Because of Who He is – All of the Word…
As Jesus stands in a city surrounded by throngs of idols, He asks His disciples who others say that He is (Matt 16:13) to which they give various answers. Jesus presses further and says, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matt 16:15) Peter famously replies, “You are the Christ, the Son of theContinue reading “Because of Who He is – All of the Word…”
Why are those who think themselves intelligent so blind to the spiritual?
Jesus healed many -the lame walked, the blind saw, the deaf heard. The crowds grew. He miraculously feeds another 4000 (Matt 15:29-39). The Pharisees and the Sadducees (two groups who previously opposed each other) form an alliance against Jesus and demand a sign from Heaven, to which Jesus replies, “Hypocrites! You know how to discernContinue reading “Why are those who think themselves intelligent so blind to the spiritual?”
The Radical Jesus
Sometimes, I forget just how radical the Jesus of the Bible truly is. He came and turned the culture of the day upside down. He set things straight. He shocked religious leaders. He ran to the broken, the marginalized, and the hurting. He seems to be especially drawn to the humble and, in many ofContinue reading “The Radical Jesus”
Those who solely follow their feelings are their own gods.
Instead of looking for ways to follow God closer, many, even many who call themselves Christians, look for loop-holes. They quote scriptures that affirm their feelings and ignore the ones that don’t. In all actuality, they are their own gods who foolishly trust their hearts—hearts that the Bible tells us are deceitful above all things.Continue reading “Those who solely follow their feelings are their own gods.”
Is that You?
For so many, for me, there have been things that have happened in our lives that shook us to the core but ended up helping us see Jesus walking closer to us. I think about the disciples who were afraid as Jesus walked toward them on the water. They initially thought He was a ghostContinue reading “Is that You?”