I have a huge oak tree in my backyard. Every fall, it drops millions of acorns onto my lawn. They are everywhere, and they hurt when they fall on you. The acorn is the way the oak tree reproduces. I end up raking up most of them, but every spring, I have to pull up…
Read MoreActor and comedian Billy Crystal did a character on Saturday Night Live named Fernando whose signature phrase was “You look marvelous!” By the end of each skit, he had told most everyone that they looked marvelous. It was pretty funny. There is a passage in Psalms where the author declares he has become a marvel…
Read MoreIn the show Big Bang Theory, Sheldon would always knock on Penny’s door three times. In between each knock, he would repeat “Penny.” Every time she would open the door, she would have some great response to his annoying habit that made everyone laugh. Sheldon’s knocking on her door is an excellent example of how we should approach God. Jesus tells His listeners to keep knocking on God’s door.
LUKE 11:10
“For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”
Before this verse, Jesus has taught the disciples how to pray. In the Lord’s prayer, He reminds the reader to praise God, submit to His will, confess their sins, thank Him for His provision, and bring their needs to Him. After He is finished with the Lord’s prayer, he spends time telling the importance of persistence in coming to God with your needs. He uses the example of a friend in need knocking on the door late at night asking for bread because they have unexpected guests.
Read MorePatience is in short supply. There is a growing sense of discontent in most people’s lives. People are angry and lash out and the slightest infraction. They are forced to wait against their will, and their temper is starting to boil over. Did you know that waiting is part of God’s plan for your life? It produces character. Are you still waiting for God to do something? Be patient. He is at work.
GENESIS 18:10
“He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.”
Abraham and Sarah waited a long time for their son Isaac. Twenty years to be exact. Many times God had promised to make a nation out of Abraham’s family that would number as many as the stars in the sky and sand on the seashore, yet he is closing in on 100 years old, and she is getting close to 90. Now, the Angel of the Lord visits to tell them that they will be parents in one year. You can’t blame them if they are a little skeptical. Sarah laughed after she heard this.
Read MoreIt is said that you can tell a person’s priorities by looking at their bank account. That will tell you where they spend their time and energy. In essence, it shows you what matters most. Scripture tells us what matters most to Jesus. He wants you to be rich in His grace and mercy.
2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”
It is said that Jesus was the poorest man to walk the earth. He had no possessions or place to lay His head. Philippians 2:7 says, “He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant.” He went from having it all to giving up everything and having nothing. This was so that you, in your poverty, could be made rich in Him. This is a picture of the grace that has been extended to you
Read MoreWhen David stood before Goliath, he didn’t see the enemy with the eyes of the rest of the army of Israel. As they ran to their tents to hide, he questioned who this uncircumcised Philistine was. He stood valiantly while everyone else cowered in fear. Have you ever wished that you had the courage of David? Through God, you can do valiant acts. Don’t let fear derail you from God’s plan. Find Your Strength in Jesus.
PSALMS 60:12
“Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.”
There are points in your life where you will have to summon the courage to do something that scares you. You will have to be valiant. Valiant means to show strength and competency. Maybe you don’t feel you have either of these traits. Notice the verse says, “Through God.” You can be valiant in any situation when God strengthens you and He supplies you with the wisdom needed.
Read MoreTeaching a teenager how to drive is an adventure. Sitting in the passenger seat as they learn to handle a car is nerve-wracking. One of the most challenging maneuvers is the u-turn. Turning the car so it can go in the opposite direction with oncoming traffic is challenging. Did you know that the term repentance means to do a u-turn and go in the opposite direction? Paul wants you to live a life without regret.
2 CORINTHIANS 7:10
“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
Paul was dealing with some people who had a hard time admitting they were wrong. They took more pride in their liberty than feeling sorry for what they did. Paul gives us some keys to identify if you are truly repentant of your sins in the passage. First, you should feel remorse for what you did. Feeling sorrow, or sorry, is a byproduct of the Holy Spirit working in your heart. It’s responding to the conviction that what you’ve done is wrong.
Read MoreThe phrase “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” means that you have to make a choice. You can either enjoy the cake by eating it or sit there and look at it, but you can’t have both. Most cakes were beautiful decorations when this phrase came about. Some Christians want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to worship the Lord but avoid any criticism that comes from following Jesus. Which one will you choose?
PSALMS 69:9
“For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”
The Psalmist tells the Lord that his desire to worship has consumed him. He uses the word zeal, which means “to become excited or even heated.” Another way to describe it is that it is all you think about. The Psalmist wanted to be in the house of the Lord, and it was all he could think about. He also realizes that because of that zeal, the attacks launched against the Lord are now falling on him. There is a cost in worshipping the Lord.
Read MoreEvery once in a while, you are given some instructions that are hard to swallow, but you know it is the right thing. As a child, your parents told you to do your chores. You hated it, but it taught you work ethic. At your job, your boss tells you to complete a project that…
Read MoreThe courts are full of lawsuits between business partners over breach of contract and other issues that could’ve been avoided at the beginning if Christians would’ve heeded this advice from the beginning, “don’t be bound with unbelievers.” Whether in business or relationships, that principle rings true. When you are in a partnership with an unbeliever, it is like combining light with darkness. Avoid this at all costs.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?”
To be bound with someone is akin to two people being tied together by a rope. You’re stuck and can’t get out. When you enter into a contract with an unbeliever, you ask for all kinds of problems because you don’t have the same value system. I’ve seen wives in tears as a husband they love defiantly opposes Biblical values, and I’ve seen wealthy people in business lose much of their wealth in legal battles trying to get out of a business partnership. Avoid this at all costs.
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