Parable of the Weeds
But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. Matthew 13:25 In the first parable about sowing, the Word of God was sown and fell on four different conditions of soil. The parable of the weeds, however, is not about sowing the Word of God; it […]
Submitting to Authority
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men… 1 Peter 2:13 The word “submit” comes from the Greek word hupeiko, meaning “to yield.” The culture in which we live suggests to us that we must be in control of our own destiny. Leading submitted, humble lives seems to be synonymous […]
Aligning with God
…He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 Once the Lord shows us that we are on the wrong path, it is essential that we agree with His plan, change our course, and follow His way. Isaiah warned the people that they were obstinate because […]
Unwavering Faith
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in him saith, he faced the fact that his body was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet […]
Remembering the Past
So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the […]
The Kingdom Proclaimed
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 5:42 In the early church, the Apostles devoted themselves to prayer, teaching, fellowship, and the “breaking of bread.” The results of their lives together celebrating the Kingdom […]
Gates at Entry Points
By night, I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Nehemiah 2:13 Nehemiah inspected the walls and discovered that the gates had been burned down (2:17). He encouraged […]
Taking Hold of God’s Kingdom
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it. Matthew 11:12 Jesus told the followers of John the Baptist, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men […]
El Shaddai, Our Protector
If you make the Most High your dwelling – even the LORD, who is my refuge -hen no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. Psalm 91:9-10 Psalm 91 describes El Shaddai, God Almighty, as our place of protection, our refuge, and our fortress. El Shaddai means “many breasted one,” […]
Parable of the Sower
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:23 Jesus began to teach the disciples from a boat on the Sea of Galilee. This is […]