Hebrews 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. You have been redeemed from your transgressions. That means someone paid the price for your sins. Transgression is likened to trespassing. You have gone somewhere you weren’t supposed to and did…
Read MoreHebrews 9:15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. You get full family benefits when you follow Jesus. You are grafted into the family of…
Read MoreJesus wants us to sit humbly at his feet. Think about Mary and Martha. Martha was busy doing the jobs that made her an excellent host. Mary just sat humbly at his feet and learned. There is nothing wrong with working hard, but Jesus wants us to come and sit humbly at his feet. The woman we see today was a lady with a bad reputation, but she went to Jesus’ feet, cleaned them with her tears, and anointed his head with oil.
Luke 7:44-48
Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Read MoreA soldier knows when it’s time for battle. He can feel it in his bones, and his mind starts the mental preparation. He goes through a checklist in his mind of everything that he will need to take on the enemy. He wants to be prepared while at the same time unhindered by anything that will slow him down. As Christians, we are soldiers in God’s army. We cannot go blindly through life thinking that nothing stands against us. Satan is fully equipped to take us out. It’s time for battle. Are you prepared?
Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Time for Battle
The battle is real. It’s not like what you see in the movies with armies facing one another. It is covert operations that seek to catch you off guard. The enemy is constantly plotting ways that will trip you up. He knows that you are most vulnerable if you stumble and are down. If he can keep you down eventually, you will give up. Much of the Spiritual battle is in mind—the attacks of doubt, the bouts of anger, the lingering bitterness.
Read MoreEveryone one of us has been wronged by another person. What do you do when you’ve been wronged? Do you seek revenge? Do you file a lawsuit and take them to court, or do you isolate yourself and sulk? How you process your hurt will dictate your future. The Apostle Paul suggests an alternative to when you’ve been wronged.
1 Corinthians 6:1-2
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?
Stop the Scandals
So many people who are easily offended these days. The Greek word for offense is scandalon, from which we get our word scandal. Originally the word was used to refer to the bait used to snare a wild animal. Paul uses it to refer to anything that hinders our walk with God. Paul puts his foot down and tells the Corinthians that it is not the way it is supposed to be in the church. This had become a problem in the Corinthian church, and Paul wanted the leadership to handle things differently. When we go to court, it is already a defeat for the church and us because it destroys our witness.
Read MoreVery few things are as devastating as discovering immorality in a marriage. It impacts far more people than the couple. If there are kids, they are thrust into a state of confusion. Extended family and friends don’t know how to proceed, which will often divide churches. Sadly, the offender is often let off the hook because no one wants confrontation. Confronting immorality in the home and the church is difficult but essential.
1 Corinthians 5:1-2
It is reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
Confronting Immorality
The church has a process for confronting immorality. There were some sexual sins in the church at Corinth that the pagans didn’t tolerate. A man was with his step-mom. Even the thought of that is sickening, yet the Corinthians did nothing. They were arrogant about it. It gave God a bad name and was a sad witness for the church. This should’ve caused mourning and remorse for the sin, but it didn’t. The Corinthians had become calloused to sin. Paul demands that this person be removed from the church and delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.
Read MoreAfter two and a half years of dealing with the pandemic, the results are starting to surface. The effects of government restrictions and education requirements are starting to take their toll. A study showed that students in elementary school didn’t want to take their masks off because they felt too ugly. That is horrible! These students are going to carry this with them for years. The number of mental health disorders, prescriptions for mood-altering drugs, and attempted suicides are mind-boggling! The church needs to tackle this, and thankfully, we have the cure for anxiety.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Anxieties Cure
God’s Word gives us anxieties cure. It’s simple really. Cast all of your cares on the Lord through prayer and go on with life. Life’s worries just pile up. There is always some drama that is trying to steal our joy. If Satan can get us to start being anxious about something we can’t control he knows it will paralyze us from doing what we can. Get rid of your anxiety today.
Read MoreThe Gospel takes feet for it to get out. Isaiah tells us that those who take the Gospel spread the beauty of Christ. The church needs to mobilize and put feet to the Gospel by being the light of the world. When we bring the Gospel, it spreads peace and good tidings. The world needs this more than anything. We are the delivery system.
Isaiah 52:7
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Jesus Started It
Isaiah is talking about Jesus here. He brought the good news (Gospel), proclaimed peace and salvation, and encouraged his followers with glad tidings. The Gospel is a beautiful thing. Jesus opened up a new avenue for us to come to God. We can live for eternity because of the salvation he brought.
In Medevil times, whenever a king would enter a city or a room, there would be a herald who would announce his coming. People would make way for his vehicle and bow when he entered the room. It was a signal to prepare the people how to act. Before Jesus came, God sent a messenger…
Read MoreWant to know one of the keys to success in your Christian walk? It’s a simple theory, honestly but challenging to put into application. Rise Above it all. Paul tells the Colossians to focus on what is essential. Think about the things of Christ, and don’t get distracted by the trivial. Rise above it all. One way to do that is to forgive the other person.
Colossians 3:1,13
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
The Colossian was growing fast and making an impact on the region. As always happens, problems crop up and threaten to destroy any momentum that has happened. Paul instructs this young church first to keep their mind focused on things above or heaven. He also tells them to bear with one another and be willing to forgive when others wrong them. Keeping your mind right and your heart free of bitterness will make you available to be used by God.
Read More
