The whole idea of Jesus teaching in Matthew 10:37-39 is that He must be number one in our lives. In the previous verses He is not attacking family relationships. He is pointing out that there would be spiritual friction when certain family members choose to follow Him and others do not; those that have chosen […]
Lamentations, though not identifying the writer, is widely attributed to Jeremiah. The people of God had declined morally in spite of prophetic warnings as recorded in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles; this decline led to their being defeated and carried into captivity. On behalf of the nation the prophet sees himself in their seemingly […]
The inspiration for today’s thoughts comes from Isaiah 26:7-9, “…the desire of our soul is for Your name…With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early…” God has created each of us with three distinct parts, spirit, soul, and body. It is the […]
“I exhort (admonish, urge) first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” 1 Timothy 2:1. Why is prayer needful, doesn’t God already know the needs, and can’t He move to address them sovereignly? First of all, prayer is a part of our relationship with God, through which […]
“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies…Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her…a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:10, 28, 30. The power and influence of a woman’s earnest prayer, virtuous example, and sound instruction holds […]
In 1 John 2:25, 28 God has made a promise, this could be translated as “an announcement with the special sense of promise”. This promise is to all those who receive Jesus as both Savior and Lord, and it is the promise of eternal life. Verse 28 gives us three words that guarantee who will […]
1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it.” The world referred to here is not the physical substance upon which we walk and call earth. Rather it is the arrangement or decoration of the age under the domination of Satan, 1 John 5:19 and St. John 14:30. Satan will […]
In addressing different age levels in the church – this should not be understood in regard to physical age, but as to their spiritual maturity – they are commended for their progress in the Lord, 1 John 2:12-14. This is also an incentive to focus on and to continue in this growing maturing process, and […]
White and black, darkness and light, two of the sharpest contrasts we know. In Bible terminology light speaks of righteousness, and darkness of sin and evil. We cannot entertain both in our life at the same time, though it seems many are trying to do just that! As it is in the natural so it […]
Once again in John 15:5 we see that abiding in Jesus is a fruit bearing position, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” A friend of mine one time said “As long as you are green you are growing; when you stop growing you are dead.” In verse 6 Jesus […]