The greatest lie told today is to live for today or live for yourself. We are fed a constant diet of pursuing your passion, and you’ve got to love yourself before you can love anyone else. Paul contradicts all of that with these two verses. We don’t live for ourselves; we live for the Lord.
Read More‘Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.’ – Psalm 145:3 There’s something both humbling and encouraging about our relationship with God. As finite beings, we will never fully comprehend an infinite God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, His ways beyond our understanding. Yet here’s what’s…
Read More‘The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.’ – Acts 17:24-25 Have…
Read MoreHebrews 9:15-17 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. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be…
Read MoreHebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Jesus is coming back! Are…
Read MorePeople are being kidnapped from their home countries and sold on the black market to wealthy people to serve as servants in their homes. It is known as Human Trafficking. Brokers advertise helping people trying to get into a place like the United States and then hold them hostage. Did you know that in the Old Testament, people would sell themselves into slavery, and by choosing to serve, they decided to stay permanently?
EXODUS 21:5-6
“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”
Slaves could choose to stay with their masters. In Israel, most slaves had term limits. They were working off debts or something of that nature, and at the end of that time, they were free to go. It was often better to stay with the master than go out alone. Most of the time, the slave had become trusted by the family, had a place to live, and had good food to eat. Those weren’t guaranteed when they went out on their own. So many slaves decided to serve their masters permanently. They marked that decision by putting a wooden awl in the ear.
Read MoreIf you want to build a building that will last, you start with an architect who will draw you some blueprints that the contractor will use. The church has a blueprint in the Bible that has structured it for success. In the Pastoral epistle, Paul lays out how older men are to provide an example for the younger men to follow to ensure that success.
TITUS 2:2
“Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.”
Paul gave the church a structure that would ensure its success. Older men are to set the example in how they live by being dignified, sensible, and sound in their faith. Older women are to mentor younger women in how to raise their children. If this system is effective, the church will be sustained for generations. If there is a breakdown in any of these areas, you will see the church and families begin to crumble. It is the role of the church leadership to uphold this standard and hold everyone accountable.
Read MoreIn the movie “The Hobbit, the Battle of Five Armies,” the dwarfs and elves are ready to go to war over the gold in the mountain. Greed is ruling the day when all of a sudden the Orcs come out of the mountain, and the two armies have to unite to defeat them and save the woefully prepared human army. When it seems all the armies are going to lose the Orcs, the dwarfs guarding the gold in the mountain come out and turn the tide. One day Jesus will arrive on the scene and take His church when it seems like all hope is lost.
1 THESSALONIANS 4:16
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
The people of Thessalonica thought they had missed the rapture. Paul assures them they haven’t by telling them what will happen when the rapture comes. There will be a shout from the millions of angels in heaven declaring that Jesus is coming. Think of how you’ve seen armies shout before they charge into battle. Then, Jesus will descend on a cloud and gather His bride, the church. Paul further clarifies how you will know it is happening. The dead in Christ will rise first. Those who have died and gone to heaven will have their bodies rise out of the grave. (This includes those who have been cremated) Then those who are still living will ascend to meet Christ in the clouds. It will be a glorious moment.
Read MoreIt is difficult to figure out which ministry is legit nowadays. Technology has made it easy for ministers to increase their reach while at the same time creating a facade of an alternate reality. How does a disciple discern who is legit and who is fake? Paul gives us some guidance in today’s passage. Look…
Read MoreThere are many cliffs near the beaches where I live. It is very common to hear news reports of stranded hikers who got too close to the edge and fell or who have climbed too high and can’t get back down. You will often hear sirens while relaxing on the beach because emergency rescue crews are rushing to save someone’s life. They bring them down from the cliff, and the hiker is then rescued and transferred to a local hospital. God sent His Son Jesus to rescue us from this dark world.
COLOSSIANS 1:13
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,”
The domain of darkness is another term for the world we live in. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, Satan began to turn the world into a place where his darkness rules. Jesus came to give us victory, but the darkness still rages on. Fortunately, you have been rescued and transferred into the kingdom of Jesus. Now you are a foreigner on a journey to your homeland. You must navigate the treacherous path and guard yourself against falling in love with the ways of the world.
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