Called to be Transformed
The Virgin Birth
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s…
Walk Wisely
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17 Walk in unity, in clean behavior, in love, in light, and now what? Wisdom? That…
Walk as Children of Light B
Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:7-9 NLT The Christian’s walk, their progress toward heaven,…
Walk as Children of Light
Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:7-9 NLT The Christian’s walk, their progress toward heaven,…
Walk in Love
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.Live a life filled with love, following…
Walk in Your New Nature
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Theirminds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds andhardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful…
Walk Together
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV Throughout…
The Order of Life
Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? Does he not finally plant his seeds—black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat—each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. Isaiah…
Walking
When Abram was ninety-nine years old Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, I am God Almighty, walk before me and become all you were ever meant to be. Genesis 17:1 (Author’s translation) Thus says Yahweh, “What wrong did your fathers find in me that they distanced themselves from me, and walked after…
Everlasting Covenant
Everlasting Covenant “I have made an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:3 (NLT) In Genesis 17 God makes the promise that his covenant with Abraham’s descendants will be an eternal one. Earlier, in Genesis 9:16 God had made an everlasting covenant to Noah that he would not destroy…
Bones
“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am going to die, but God will certainly act for you and bring you up from this land to the one he swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Then he made the Israelites swear, saying, “When God acts for you, you must carry my bones up for…
Fruitful and Multiply
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Genesis 1:28 NLT Think about that first commandment that the Creator gave to his human creatures: “Have lots…
Crushing His Enemies
You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. Psalm 2:9 NLT The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies. Isaiah 42:13 NLT The Old Testament…
I Will
I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? Psalm 101:2 NLT The fundamental principle in inductive Bible study is observation. That is, looking at the text carefully to see what is actually there. The point is that you can’t interpret what you haven’t seen. So what do you look for? One of the…
Love One Another
Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love…
Love- Human and Divine
How beautiful and how pleasing you are, my love, with your delights. Song of Songs 7:6 NIV Have you ever asked yourself what the Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) is doing in the Bible? If you have, you are certainly not alone. The book has created problems for interpreters for about as far…
But God
In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, Evil-merodach ascended to the Babylonian throne. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison on April 2 of that year. He spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a higher place than all the other exiled kings in Babylon. 2 Kings…
A Choice
Always be joyful.Never stop praying.Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies,but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. Now may the God of…
Abomination
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. Proverbs 11:1 ESV The word “abomination” (Heb. to’ebah) occurs disproportionately often in the book of Proverbs. It refers to something that is particularly disgusting to Yahweh. In Proverbs it is used to describe an interesting variety of persons, objects…
Plans
We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:1-3 NLT At least four times in the Psalms (33:10) and the Proverbs (16:1, 9; 19:21)…
Slow to Anger
A man shows intelligence by his forbearance; it is his glory when he overlooks an offense. Proverbs 19:11 JPSV But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 NLT Does it…
There is a Way
There is a way before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 16:25 NLT My teacher and friend, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, used to say, “I don’t know how old I was before I ever saw [something] in the Bible.” I used to smile and roll my eyes because he knew the…
Holy Sabbath
“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a…
Doors
Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will open the door, I will come in and eat dinner with him Revelation 3.20 I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. John 10:9 One of my childhood memories…
Listen To My Voice
All these terrible things happened to you because you have burned incense to idols and sinned against the Lord. You have refused to obey him and have not followed his instructions, his decrees, and his laws.” Jeremiah 44:23 NLT These words were spoken by Jeremiah to the Judean people who had seen the Temple burned…
Revealing Thoughts
“This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.” Luke 2:35-36 NLT This…
Blessings
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-2 (NIV) Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “Blessed…
Circumcised Heart
This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. Genesis 17:8 Therefore, circumcise your hearts and be no longer stiff-necked Deuteronomy 10:16 When God asked Abraham to become circumcised, what was he asking for? I believe the context there is absolutely important. What…
The Arrow by Day
Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Psalm 91:7 NLT What are we to make of promises like these? Millions of boys, French, German, and British alike went into battle in what was called The Great War, before the war of…
Flourishing
But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon, for they are transplanted into Yahweh’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green, declaring, “Yahweh is my Rock; he is straight,…
Then I Went into the Sanctuary
So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is!Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked…. I was so foolish andignorant — I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you…
Forgive Them?
Their insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me. But instead, they give me poisonfor food; they offer me sour wine for my thirst. Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare and their prosperity…
Clean and Unclean
You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.” Leviticus 10:10-11 ESV In the pagan cultures surrounding Israel, there was great concern over what was clean…
For He is Good
Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1 NLT The Greek philosopher Plato imagined that there was an ultimate which he called The Good. This is the Ideal that all things have declined from, and to which all things aspire. But it is entirely…
Innocent but Redeemed
Give order to my life, Lord, because I have walked before you completely and have trusted you and never wavered…. There are wicked schemes in their hands; in their right hands are bribes. But I have walked before you with my whole heart; be gracious to me and redeem me. Psalm 26:1, 10-11 (author’s translation)…
God’s Word and Ours
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NLT Psalm 19 seems disarmingly simple on the surface. It also seems to have a split personality. It starts out talking about nature, and then suddenly moves to…
Religion and Ethics
Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Psalm. 15:1-3 NLT Those of us who…
Forgiveness
And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:12 NLT Someone asked me if it was necessary to forgive someone who did not repent of the wrong he or she had done to you. The answer is yes. Forgiveness is all from the offended person’s side; what the…
Resting
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5 NIV I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it…
Order
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD. For the LORD is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. Psalms 98:8-9 NLT In her novel The Bird in the Tree the…
Hope
“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! Job 19:25-27…
You Shall Not Covet
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness,which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5 ESVA wise man has said, “A covetous man will always be poor.” This reminds me of the commonstatement from people who grew up in the Great Depression of the 1930s: “I guess we werepoor,…
Progress
10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NLT As we look into a new year we think of progress. Where does that idea come from,…
Hark, the Herald Who?
After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished. Luke 2:17-18 NLT Think with me for a moment. Who did Jesus choose to announce his coming, the coming of the Messiah, to the earth? Well,…
Fitting Together
As [Joseph] considered this an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream Matthew 1:20a One of the amazing characteristics of the Bible is the way things fit together. Parts of it that are centuries apart in very different historical settings and very different types of literature fit together in amazing ways. So…
Heavenly Peace?
When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgaveour transgressions. (Ps. 65:3 NIV) My favorite Christmas carol is “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” but I confess when I sing “How silently the wondrous gift is given” I wiggle a little bit. Rev. Phillips Brooks was a bachelor and I wonder a bit how much he knew…
Pleasure
. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death James 1:15 You show me the path of life Psalm 16:11 Delight yourself in the Lord,…
O Give Thanks
Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Psalm 105:1 NLT Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT One of the more common commandments in the Bible is to give…
Voluntary Associations
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.Love each other deeply with all your heart. 1 Peter 1:22 NLT Does America need the church? Do Americans need the church? Yes, yes, and yes! Why? In the first place,…
What Do You Want?
The one thing I ask of the LORD — the thing I seek most — is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Psalm 27:4 NLT One of the more interesting features of human life is the diminishing…
When He Became . . . .
Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. 2 Chronicles 18:1 NLT One of the features of the Biblical narratives is the general lack of moralizing. That is, the narrators do not often tell us what we should think…
The Work of the Holy Spirit: Reviving
Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” Ezekiel 37:9 NLT One of the most vivid allegories…
The Work of the Holy Spirit: Revealing 2
“Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. (Ezek. 2:1-2 NLT) Last week we saw that the Holy Spirit gave Ezekiel an awesome and awe-inspiring vision…
The Work of the Holy Spirit: Revealing
On July 31of my thirtieth year,while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1 NLT I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet…. Then I turned…
The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ezekiel-Renewing
On July 31of my thirtieth year,while I was with the Judean exiles beside the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel. 1:1 NLT It was almost certainly Ezekiel’s thirtieth birthday, one that should have been a great day of celebration, a day when, after years of…
How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Psalm. 84:3-4 NLT I am the vine; you are…
Discipleship
Dear brothers and sisters,when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4 NLT A friend…
“Man/Woman of God”
As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of Godhad done in Bethel that day. 1 Kings 13:11 NLTOne of the troubling passages of scripture is 1 Kings 13, where a true prophet dies because hebelieves the lies of a false…
Why We Need the Old Testament
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So…
When We Have Seen God
Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 NLT I suspect that none of us really sees ourselves except in the light of the Lord. I am a past grand master…
I Saw the Lord
It was in the year that King Uzziah died, that I saw the Lord Isaiah 6:1a In this great chapter of Isaiah is the pattern for all of us when we are caught in the convulsions of shaking human society: “I saw the Lord.” That has to happen to you and me again…
Turn Back Their Hearts
Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself [Heb. you have turned their heart back again].” 1 Kings 18:37 NLT What a moment that must have been! All the day the prophets of Baal had been beseeching their…
Guard Your Heart
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers…. Let your heart therefore be perfect…
Faith
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his unfailing love is eternal and his faithfulness is to all generations. Psalm 100:5 Author’s translation We are told that people in their twenties are leaving the church in unprecedented numbers. (Is it possible that all those millions that we put into entertaining…
Abomination
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are his delight. Proverbs 11:20 ESV The Hebrew word translated with “abomination(s)” in the KJV and “detestable thing(s)” by the NIV occurs 112 times in the Bible with fully 80 of those occurrences appearing in just three books: Ezekiel (42);…
Thy Paths Our Chosen Way
Thy love divine hath led us in the past,In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.This is the second stanza of the so-called National Hymn. The words were written by NewEngland pastor Daniel C. Roberts in 1876 to…
Let’s Go For a Walk
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;walk before me, and be blameless. Genesis 17:1 ESV From the beginning to the end, the story of the Bible is the story of journeys. From Ur to Canaan, from Egypt to the land…
Let’s Not Go There
“Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make theLORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should makeyou tremble…Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the…
The Lord is our Righteousness
“In those days and at that time I will raise up a righteous descendantfrom King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. In that day Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this will be its name: ‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’ Jeremiah 33:15-16…
Send the Arc from Here
“Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?” they cried out. “Where can we send the Ark from here?” 1 Samuel 6:20 NLT One of the great values of a liberal arts education is that it teaches you to ask the right questions. If you ask how…
This Holy God
“Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?” they cried out. “Where can we send the Ark from here?” 1 Samuel 6:20 NLT The events preceding this cry are important to understanding it. Briefly, the Israelites had tried to use the covenant box (“Ark” in 1611 English)…
The Cost of Love
“But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile,carry it two miles. Give…
What is Truth?
“What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. John 18:38 NLT There is a terrible irony in Pilate’s well-known question. Jesus had said that those who were “of the truth” recognized that what he said was true. That,…
The Lord Will Bless Me
“I know the LORD will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” Judges 17:13 NLT It is hard to keep your jaw from dropping as you read Judges 17. The behavior of the people in the chapter is simply stunning. They live as though they have never heard…
No Other Purpose
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans. 6:4 KJV Why did God make us? Evolutionists (who believe sentient life is the result of an endless…
They Did Not Consult the Lord 3
For the LORD gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the LORD: ‘Bring…
They Did Not Consult the Lord 2
So our elders and all our people instructed us, ‘Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them,’ “We are your servants; please make a treaty with us.’” This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is…
They Did Not Consult the Lord 1
Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Genesis 15:5 NLT Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So…
Idolatrous Memory
It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean? Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ Joshua 4:20-22 NLT The…
Whose Blood?
“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me. In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes. In my fury I have trampled my foes. Their blood has stained my clothes. For the time has come for me to avenge my people, to ransom them…
Kindness
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. Ruth 1:8 ESV And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater…
Lack His Glory?
There is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, Romans 3:22b-24a ESV The Bible’s depth is a continual source of amazement to me. The central statement in the passage above is an example. One night recently I…
Do You Love Me?
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?” John 21:16a NLTDo not listen to that prophet or that dreamer, because Yahweh your God is testing you to see if you truly are loving him with all your heart and soul. After Yahweh your God you must walk; him you should fear;…
Do Away with the Old Testament?
Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. Matthew 5:17 NLT When we look at the totality of Matthew chapters five through seven, it is easy to see why Jesus said what he…
Do Not Swear an Oath
“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. Matthew 5:33-34 NLT On the surface, this paragraph (Matt 5:33-37)…
You Don’t Have to Tell Everything You Know
“And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened… “If you then, being evil, know how to give good…
Clarifying the Issue
The LORD now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” Numbers 13:1-2 NLT Have you ever wondered about this command? I have. Laying aside the whole thorny issue of foreknowledge, why didn’t…
Sacrifices and the Sacrifice
Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor…
Keeping the Lamp Lighted
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 1 Samuel 3:3 NLT The verse printed above seems pretty straightforward, until you begin to think about it. First, why is a young boy, who is by no means an ordained…
The Blood
For the life of the creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you o make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. Leviticus 17:11 NIV In the lyrics of a popular gospel song there is a line that says “The blood of…
Why?
And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:3b-5 NIV I said in the previous devotion…
I Don’t Know
I am suffering here in prison, but not because my trust in Jesus has failed me. I know whom I have believed, and I am confident that he can keep me and everything I have committed to him right through to the end. 2 Timothy 1:12 Author’s paraphrase I recently learned of…
Dreams
When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. Matthew 1:24 NLT Have you ever noticed how many dreams appear in Matthew’s narrative of Jesus’ birth? Five, by my count: one, to the wise men warning them not to go back to Herod, and no…
Reality?
I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a…
Extreme Obedience?
“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Matthew 7:13-14 NLT The researchers tell…
Another One to Come Alongside
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and…
Another One to Come Alongside
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and…
Every Spirit that does not Acknowledge Jesus
And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So you must remain faithful to what you have been…
Husbands Love Your Wives
In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loveshis wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just asChrist cares for the church. Ephesians 5:28-29 NLTIt is very significant that wives are not…
Wives, Submit Yourselves
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 1 Peter. 3:1-2 NIV Passages like this, which appear…
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Called To Be Transformed 