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,Continue reading “You Shall Not Covet”
Author Archives: betransformed78
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,Continue reading “Progress”
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,Continue reading “Hark, the Herald Who?”
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. SoContinue reading “Fitting Together”
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 knewContinue reading “Heavenly Peace?”
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,Continue reading “Pleasure”
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 giveContinue reading “O Give Thanks”
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,Continue reading “Voluntary Associations”
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 diminishingContinue reading “What Do You Want?”
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 thinkContinue reading “When He Became . . . .”
Called To Be Transformed 