'Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others...' Ephesians 4:31 CEVWhen it comes to bitterness, here are two things you need to keep in mind: First, it is contagious. You are a part of the body of Christ. So what happens to you, and in you, affects those you are connected to both positively [...]
'...We shall reap if we do not lose heart.' Galatians 6:9 NKJVThere's a legend about a soldier being court-martialled before Alexander the Great. Believing the verdict was unjust, the soldier asked to appeal it. The conqueror informed him that there was no one higher to whom he could plead his case. 'In that case,' the [...]
‘Let us not grow weary while doing good...’ Galatians 6:9 NKJV One of the great themes of the Bible is—perseverance. Paul, who refused to quit, wrote: ‘Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘The great majority of [...]
'...Forget not all His benefits.' Psalm 103:2 NKJVAuthor Philip Yancey writes, 'remember my first visit to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, rings of...tourists surrounded the geyser... A large, digital clock stood beside the spot, predicting...the next eruption. My wife and I passed the countdown in the dining room of Old Faithful Inn... When the [...]
'He...was strengthened in faith...' Romans 4:20 NKJVHave you read the story of Isaac blessing his two sons when he was old, almost blind, and nearing death (Genesis 27)? When Jacob, the younger son, wanted his older brother Esau's part of the family inheritance, which was twice as much (Deuteronomy 15:17), his mother Rebekah helped him [...]
David Pt 1: In all the Bible, there is only one person who goes by the name David and the meaning of this word is quite long and complex because its Hebrew roots are complex. It can mean ‘beloved’ or ‘uncle’, and a derivative also means infirmity, sick or unclean, although these last meanings are [...]
'...Hezekiah...spread it before the Lord.' 2 Kings 19:14 NKJV When bad news comes don't allow it to panic you and cause you to act in haste. Stop, think rationally and get the facts before you arrive at a conclusion or make a decision. Prayerfully ask, 'Lord, what can I do about this situation?' If you [...]
'...Hezekiah...spread it before the Lord.' 2 Kings 19:14 NKJVThe Bible says: 'Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: O Lord God of Israel, the One [...]
'...the smell of fire was not on them.' Daniel 3:27 NKJVDeliverance is when God brings you out of a fiery trial that was meant to destroy you. Total deliverance is when, like the three Hebrew children, He brings you out without even the smell of smoke on you. You see, it's possible to be delivered [...]
'...God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.' Genesis 2:15 NKJVFor generations the church was silent on the sin of slavery. That's because it was popular and economically advantageous; not to mention that some church leaders had slaves of their own. But when the church finally [...]
'...Building yourselves up on your...faith...' Jude 1:20 NKJVThis word 'building' is an architectural term that means to renovate. It implies tearing down what's not working for you and building up what will. When you don't understand that, you are left to believe that whatever life has handed you is just the way it is, and [...]
'...Building yourselves up on your...faith...' Jude 1:20 NKJVThe apostle Jude writes, 'But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.' Jude places the responsibility of building yourself up spiritually and strengthening your faith where it belongs-squarely on you. There are two kinds of faith: mechanical faith and intentional [...]
King Saul Pt 2 Picking up from last week where we learned that in the very first early years of Saul’s monarchy he wasn’t so bad, he wasn’t great but he wasn’t full of himself...yet. His fall from reality and humility came pretty quickly however...after his first victory over the Amorites his decline was quite [...]
'...There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.' Romans 8:1 NLTThe word for you today is-stop condemning yourself! God says, 'I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.' (Isaiah 43:25 NKJV) When God says He forgets your sin and [...]
'Work...as though you were working for the Lord...' Colossians 3:23 NLTCan you imagine a nation without a leader, a workplace without a boss or an army without a general? It would be chaotic. Structure creates order; without it no progress can be made. That's why you don't park your car in the bedroom or sleep [...]
'...We have seen His glory...' John 1:14 NIVThe Bible says: 'The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came...full of grace and truth.' To know the Lord Jesus Christ personally is to love Him, to love Him is to serve [...]
'I will instruct you...in the way you should go; I will guide you...' Psalm 32:8 NKJVDr. John Maxwell points out that in order to thrive in uncertain territory you must be able to do the following things: (1) Understand your certainty quotient. Think back to your last big decision that turned out right. How certain [...]
'...The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' Joshua 1:9 NIVWhen Moses passed the torch to Joshua, a lot of things had changed. For forty years Joshua had been taught to navigate and survive in a wilderness, but now it was time to enter the Promised Land. And what worked in the [...]
King Saul Pt 1 Saul: The Hebrew pronunciation is Sha'ul and comes from the verb sha’el which means to ask, inquire, borrow or beg. Many godly men throughout the Scriptures ‘inquired’ of the Lord, but Saul showed his weak and shallow character when he tried to contact the Prophet Samuel after the prophets death, through [...]
'...We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.' 2 Chronicles 20:12 NLTAs a leader you'll be called upon to make decisions regarding relationships, money, time, values, opportunities and disputes. And your decisions will show up on the bottom line. There, in the clear light of day, your leadership [...]
'Then Jesus...said, All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me.' Matthew 28:18 NIVBilly Graham said: 'The Bible is concerned only incidentally with the history of Israel or a system of ethics. It's concerned primarily with the story of redemption as it is in Jesus Christ. If you read the Scriptures and [...]
'Follow Me, and I will make you...' Mark 1:17 NKJVIf you think you're not qualified to be used by God, start changing the way you think! When Elijah called Elisha he was ploughing. When Jesus called Peter he was fishing. To follow God, Elisha had to leave farming and Peter had to leave fishing. Can [...]
'Then David got up...' 2 Samuel 12:20 NIVDavid committed adultery with another man's wife, got her pregnant, then arranged to have her husband put to death in an attempt to cover it up. Then he married her and thought everything would be ok. But the child became critically ill. Desperately wanting to save the baby's [...]
'...Nothing can ever separate [me] from God's love...' Romans 8:38 NLTOvercoming the fear of loneliness requires understanding God's commitment to you. His Fatherhood isn't based upon mood, sentiment or emotion; it's based on His unchanging character and faithfulness. 'For the sake of His great name the Lord will not reject His people, because the Lord [...]
'The Lord...will never leave you nor forsake you.' Deuteronomy 31:6 NIVTo overcome the fear of loneliness you must: () Understand who you are. Let scientists argue about whether or not there was a 'big bang.' If there was, you were not the result of it! Nor did you descend from an amoeba in a pond. [...]