Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts […]
Perseverance with Determination
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward […]
Jehovah Rohi Leads Us
They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. Isaiah 49:10 The Lord is our Shepherd. We shall not want. He leads us beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23) I love […]
Lukewarm Faith
These are the faithful words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you […]
Believing is Seeing
Then Jesus told him, “because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared after His resurrection. After hearing that Jesus had appeared, Thomas told the others that unless he saw the nail […]
Intimate Worship
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it […]
God’s Word Is Fulfilled
…so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 Isaiah reminds us that God’s Word will never return empty – it will always accomplish its purpose in fulfillment. God promised the […]
Receiving Divine Direction
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision… Acts 10:1-3 […]
Our Faithful Promises
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15 Believers are in covenant with God. When we receive […]
Brotherly Love
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10 Unconditional love, agape love, must be the basis for all that we do. Paul exhorts Christians in the 1st century church, and likewise today, to be […]