Fear and faith are at opposite ends of the spectrum. As the Bible says, “fear involves torment” (1 John 4:18). The fear we speak of (not to be confused with the awesome, reverential fear called the “fear of the Lord”) is designed by the enemy to bring us under bondage to worry, anxiety, agitation, stress, […]
As Israel entered the Promised Land, they faced the walled city of Jericho, which looked to be impossible to penetrate and conquer. At God’s command, they marched around it every day for a week; perhaps we can view this action as claiming it for their territory, even while the fearful and seeming impossible feat of […]
Numerous times in the Bible men were instructed to wait on the Lord, wait for the Lord, or to stand still. Yes there are times when we must “roll up our sleeves” and go to work, but then there are times when the task is too great for us; our intellect is insufficient, or we […]
The written word, the Logos, enjoins us to love each other. As far back as Leviticus 19:18, God said, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus also commanded His disciples to love one another, saying in John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Peter says, […]
2 Corinthians 13:11 says we should become complete (in Christ), experience (His) comfort, be like-minded with other believers, and live in peace, and concludes with the promise that “the God of love and peace will be with you.” It was in John 14:23 that Jesus made the statement that those who love Him and keep […]
God’s love is declared to us in one of the most classic verses in the Bible, John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” Love is very costly; love sacrifices everything for its object. God’s love for us is a sacrificial love that caused Him to […]
In Philippians 3:8-10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” is the heart cry of the Apostle Paul. In the context leading up to these verses, he speaks of his background in Judaism with its rituals and his knowledge of the law, but he now understood that this did not “cut […]
When beginning his leadership role in Israel, God said to Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night …” (Joshua 1:8). The “law” refers to the precepts or statutes of God, and “depart”, in the Hebrew, means receding by contact, or to […]
In Isaiah 55:1-3, God, speaking through the prophet, is inviting everyone that is hungry and thirsty to come and obtain satisfaction, delight, and to experience the full benefit of His covenant provisions. In these verses the water, the wine, the milk, and the bread are all used symbolically. The water of His presence will bring refreshing; […]
Today, we continue from last weeks meditation, Full Surrender, looking at the picture Jesus drew from Luke 9; but now we’ll focus on Matthew’s account in 16:24-25, and the two words we are emphasizing is “save” and “lose”. In verse 25 He said, “For whoever desires to save his life, will lose it, but whoever […]