Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.” Luke 9:49 REFERENCE Luke 9:37-42 & 49-50 I personally wonder at and I’m impressed by this ‘SOMEONE.’ Here he is, doing with great ease what the disciples just recently failed at, exorcising demon spirits, yet, he is not in their group – the group of those chosen by Jesus, closest to Jesus, traveling with Jesus and being taught by Jesus. This ‘someone’ must have a great attitude, for he does not begrudge the fact...
So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. Mark 14:16 REFERENCE Mark 14:12-16 The state of knowing all things is ‘Omniscience.’ Our Lord Jesus Christ is Omniscient; He knows all things and nothing is hidden from Him, whether visible or invisible, all things are open and laid bare before His eyes. David said about Him, “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize...
Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men. Proverbs 22:29 REFERENCE Proverbs 22:29 Being the best simply means being excellent, to stand out from the pack. I define excellence as, “An output that can hardly be improved upon.” Excellence is one concept that some Christians are not familiar with; we have excused mediocrity for too long under the guise of, ‘I’m moved by the Spirit,’ and that has put many people off Christianity. Out there, everything is good and excellent, but amongst many Christians, mediocrity is glorified and spiritualized. However, that is...
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’ Luke 10:17 REFERENCE Luke 10:1-9, & 17-19 There is unlimited and so much untapped power in the name of Jesus. The disciples discovered that as they went on their mission –sicknesses were healed and stubborn demonic entities heeded their words of command in the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 shows that the name of Jesus is above every other name, and when mentioned, things in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth bow and confess that Jesus is Lord over all. ‘Jesus’ is...
“Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” Matthew 2:12. REFERENCE Matthew 2:1-15 …Herod pretended to share the same quest with the wise men: to seek and worship the newborn King. But he wanted to harm the new Babe. He cunningly pretended to be a fan and friend of the New Born, but inwardly meant evil for Him. He later revealed his true intentions by murdering all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem in his determination to kill the Son of God. It...
But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:22 REFERENCE Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 This parable of the sower reveals the place of the heart whenever God’s Word is taught. It is the heart that receives the Word; consequently, the condition of your heart will determine how much benefit you get from the Word. As revealed in the parable, if you receive the Word casually and not meditate or mix it with faith, the enemy can easily...
“And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” ~ I Kings 22:3 REFERENCE I Kings 22:1-3 There are certain noteworthy keywords/phrases in today’s focal verse – “Do you know?”, “Is ours” “We hesitate” and “Take it.” These are all important if we must walk in the fullness of God’s blessings and plans for us. God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. However, we often live short of this ideal. How...
“Syria and Israel continued without war for three years.” ~ I Kings 22:1 REFERENCE I Kings 22:1-3 Our text begins with a 3-year period of peace and a cessation of military campaigns between two nations. You may think that this is a good state to be in, but when you consider that life is a contest, you may rethink your position. As beautiful as this picture is, it suggests that Israel was quiet, making no claim or demand for anything. It also shows that they were undertaking nothing. That is, not embarking on any worthwhile project. Such a state can...
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. Matthew 14:22 REFERENCE Matthew 14:22-32 The first thing you notice in this passage is the fact that Jesus made His disciples get into a boat heading to a particular destination. We can thus conclude that the disciples were on an assignment for God and consequently, were in the will of God. However, their journey was interrupted by the waves and contrary winds that confronted them headlong. This clearly shows that the journey of life is not always smooth sailing...
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 REFERENCE Joshua 1:8 “When in Rome, do as the Romans do!” This popular saying captures an important truth about life and living. There are rules and ways of behavior common to every home, organization or even nation. To survive and thrive in them, wise people follow these rules. They conduct...