“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” ~ I Thessalonians 5:23 REFERENCE: I Thessalonians 5:23-24 Humans are three-part beings. We are a spirit, have a soul, and live in a body. For this reason, God wants us to live lives that cater to this triune reality – a three-way living. Paul said God wants our spirit, soul, and body to be wholly sanctified; He wants us to live balanced lives that make significant investments in each of...
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea…behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” ~ Matthew 2:1-2 REFERENCE: Matthew 2:1-5 “Have you heard?” You must have heard this phrase several times, often relating to a rumor in your community. You wonder, “Why am I always the last person to hear what is happening?” True, if it is about a rumor, you don’t need to bother yourself, but if it is information that could help your business, protect you, your family, and your investment, or give...
"Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels…thought he could kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him." ~ II Samuel 21:16-17 REFERENCE: II Samuel 21:15-22 Exhausted and alone, David's back was against the wall, cornered by a Philistine giant. He was too weak to lift his sword to fight because of age, and death was imminent. Ishbi-Benob must have relished the moment; he could avenge the death of Goliath, the former Philistine champ. Would...
"And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" ~ II Kings 5:13 REFERENCE: II Kings 5:1-14 The spectacular and supernatural often impress people. We forget that we live in a world with tangible realities that God created and whose laws He rarely violates but works through to achieve His purposes. God does miracles, but not always. The tired person will need rest and not pray...
"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...
"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...
“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 the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.” ~ Exodus 6:12 REFERENCE: Exodus 1:6-13 Life is full of sudden turns, which are usually for the worse. Satan manipulates life’s events to hurt God’s elect. Israel flourished in Egypt and was treated kindly because of Joseph’s impact on their nation. However, events turned, and a new king came to the throne. He ordered them to be afflicted because he felt threatened by their size, but Israel multiplied as they did that. The Pharaoh did not foresee...
"Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So, the fire of the LORD burned among them..." ~ Numbers 11:1 REFERENCE: Numbers 11:1-6 Things are tough. Life is hard. I am underpaid. This country is terrible. Nothing ever works out for me. Why am I still at this level? Have you heard someone around you say any of these before, or have you been guilty yourself? With everything happening around us, it is almost impossible not to say such things; but that is complaining. Complaining displeases God. It...