Ridicule
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? […]
Our Helper
So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 Moses had a servant/master relationship with God. When he was commissioned by God to go to Pharaoh and demand the release of God’s people, he lamented, O my Lord, I have […]
Wilderness Christians
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 When the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians saw God’s power displayed as He brought about their release. For forty years, however, the […]
Fighting the Good Fight
Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight. I Timothy 1:18 Paul writes in his letter to Timothy to fight the good fight. He tells him to do this by loving from a pure […]
Confession of Sin
Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession […]
God’s Prevailing Power
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 Often we are confused about whether or not something is from God. We long to know God’s will, and we long to discern […]
Demonstration of Miracles
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 3:10 Matthew 14 and 15 recount the miracles of Jesus feeding the five thousand and the four thousand who had come to hear Him teach. We also […]
Love Covers Sin
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8 In this passage from I Peter, Peter exhorts the believers to love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. Eugene Patterson’s The Message puts it this way: Most of all, love each other as […]
Determination and Hard Work
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teacher to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of […]
Our Source of Power
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. Deuteronomy 8:17-18 […]