"Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So, the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way." ~ John 4:50 REFERENCE: John 4:46-54 A most distressing situation for any parent is to have a sick child whose sickness has lingered and defied medicine. A sense of confusion and hopelessness must have overwhelmed this Nobleman's mind, wondering how he would help his son. He appealed to Jesus on a not-too-sure platform in his request. Still, we eventually see him rise to an admirable level of faith. We hear the irritation in...
"The sick man answered, 'Sir, there is no one to help me get into the water when it starts moving. I try to be the first one into the water. But when I try, someone else always goes in before I can.'" ~ John 5:7 (ERV) REFERENCE: John 5:1-9 (ERV) We often find ourselves in situations where we wish to get something, be somewhere, or have the opportunity to meet someone, but our wishes elude us. A sense of hopelessness soon engulfs you, and you mutter, "I have no one to help me." Especially in a country like ours where it...
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." ~ Proverbs 27:6 REFERENCE: Proverbs 27:5-6 Our text sounds like an oddity; 'wounds of a friend.' This is not how many of us see friendship; we see it as a safe space, a platform for expressing and receiving love, and it is. However, there is more; friendship hurts sometimes, and many who do not understand this have been hurt by it and have vowed to be loners, unwilling to mingle with others because of such hurts. We are humans, limited in knowledge and a bag of...
"But Moses said to God, "I am not a great man! How can I be the one to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?"– Exodus 3:11 (ERV) REFERENCE: Exodus 3:7-11, 4:1-10 (ERV) Ask many people; they will tell you they believe that God can do great things, but they are not sure He can do it through or for them. God may use some well-known person with an illustrious background, but rarely them. It is a mindset that says, "I am not a great man, so don't expect great things from me." Before you can...
"This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare." ~ I Timothy 1:18 REFERENCE: I Timothy 1:18-20 Every Word spoken by God is a sure word of prophecy that has the potential to produce whatever it promises. You can trust the integrity of the Word of God and the God behind the Word to do what He says. Prophecies or bible promises won't just happen, however. It would be best to position yourself to war with prophecies until you see them manifest. You...
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, o love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” ~ Micah 6:8 REFERENCE: Micah 6:8 The various religious beliefs and spiritual practices that claim to have the ‘light’ and offer salvation are puzzling. There are almost as many ideologies as there are people groups on earth. Man forms his religion and sets its rituals and practices: sacrifices, rites, doctrines, worship, order, etc. People do all sorts, but who cares to inquire about what the Lord requires? Scripture...
“So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” ~ John 11:6 REFERENCE: JOHN 11:1-11 Solomon said that love is a strong force, “Many waters cannot quench love.” People have done heroic things and made great sacrifices for love’s sake. For this reason, when you find yourself in dire straits, the person you expect most to come to your aid is the person who loves you. It is odd, then, when someone who claims to love you sees you in need but delays in giving you aid. They told Jesus that...
“And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” ~ I Kings 19:12 REFERENCE: I Kings 19:11-15 I like to listen to my music at a high volume. It is something I’ve gotten used to over the years. My wife is the opposite; her music is low volume, and she speaks softly. When conversing with her in the car, if my music is loud and she’s talking to me, I will say, “Speak louder; I can’t hear you.” She will reach out to the radio and lower the...
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day to save many people alive.” – Genesis 50:20 REFERENCE: Genesis 50:15-21 Evil is constantly in this world with us. Sometimes, we get affected by its viciousness so that the saint can go through unpleasant seasons. People often ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” We live in a world where the devil runs the show. However, the good thing is that we serve a God who can turn evil to good. Joseph’s life is...
“Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” – Jeremiah 33:3 REFERENCE: Jeremiah 33:1-3 Life is full of mysteries and puzzles that confront us daily, and without insight or light, life's challenges will always floor us. It takes a level of revelation to deal with some issues of life. When you know what to do per time or situation, you will live as a high flyer. A faulty vehicle never puzzles a car mechanic because he has light (insight). Are you facing a challenge and wondering how to...