Matt 11 Mercy not Sacrifice Over and over, Jesus is gracious, but when the Pharisees continue to berate him, He speaks out and acts out for He is gracious. Why did Matthew paint such a contrast picture for his Jewish audience but to show them their heart. God sent His Son to save them but […]
Matthew 9 I Desire Compassion One of the marks of the ministry of Jesus was His compassionate spirit for His people who were suffering. Twice in this chapter He reminds the religious leaders that this is the true ministry of His kingdom. What was it that He saw and the religious leaders did not and […]
Eph 5 The character of the believer How often have you encountered someone who takes the name of the Lord in vain? Do we also fall victim to this behavior? Do we dishonor the Lord by what we say? Paul reminds the Ephesians, who lived amongst unbelievers such as us, to live a holy life in […]
Eph 4 Do you have someone who rubs you the wrong way? There are those who seem to find pleasure in starting factious conversations and actions. How do we handle these kinds of people? Paul gives us some practical ideas all with the purpose of not grieving the Spirit by whom we were redeemed. After […]
Phil 4 Are you at peace today or are you filled with anxiety? Is the cause a conflict with another believer? How do you resolve it? Do you need someone have to come alongside to help? That was the situation in the church in Philippi between two precious women. Paul doesn’t tell us what the […]
2Thess 1 I love you! These words radiate across the centuries from the hand of Paul. How he, Silvanus, and Timothy loved the Thessalonians. Even today as we read these words we are transported back in time to this city where the believers faced afflictions and persecution similar to those who come into Christianity today. […]
1 Peter 3 Peter has been stressing how the church should behave. First, he addresses the family unit, wives then husbands. But to be sure that no one is left out of this, he concludes with these words: “Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble. Do not return evil for evil […]
Mark 7 Rules vs Tradition The religious leaders come to test Jesus once again. It is good to test those who present the words of God, but when a practice overrides the Word then it is not right. Thus, we see they came to ask about washing of hands, cups and benches, but what about […]
Mark 6 Listening but not believing Mark notes that Herod was baffled by the words of John but he never made a commitment to the Lord. We can listen all we want but if we do not commit, then we are as lost as Herod. Prov 29:25 comes to mind: the fear of man is […]
Mark 2 The Sabbath God established the Sabbath as a day of rest, but that did not mean that the people were to ignore the needs of others on that day. If these religious leaders really believed that truth, then why did they seek to trap Jesus into healing? Why are their hearts so hard? […]
