Jesus taught that our hearts are naturally drawn to evil and spiritual uncleanliness. He made clear that it is not how well we observe outward codes that draws us closer to God.
Ephesians 4:3 says that we ought to be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Unity is not passive, it is active. Do not wait for unity to be maintained waiting in a passive posture, rather be part of the active effort of the body of Christ in being proactive in cultivating and encouraging the bond the peace we have together in Christ.
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The disciples had just seen Jesus miraculously feed thousands of people, something only God had done in Moses' time. They had then seen Jesus walking on water. Again this was something the Jews believed only God could do (Job 38:16, Habakkuk 3:15).
You would think that was a time for Churches to be open but we all know that the ‘church’ is not a building - its people! So then how are ‘we the church’…remaining open so to speak? What would Jesus do?
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That even when His disciples deserted Him, Jesus still continued to walk toward the cross where He suffered, and gave His life for you and for me. He promise for us today is even though we can sometimes leave and abandon Him, He will never ever leave us.
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Talking about faith seems to activate faith in our hearts. We need to talk more about things of faith, and act more like the descendants of the one who was called the Father of Faith - Abraham. And in doing so, Galatians 3:9 records - So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.
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Morning by Morning - make time….
The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. Isaiah 50:4
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I feel like we sometimes we need reminders of God’s great power and the natural consequence of sin. I have meditated and thought upon this scripture many times in the past, because many people do not like the word ‘fear’ when we talk about God.
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I pray that we have faith like the Centurion- where Jesus is astonished by such faith! I pray that our response to Jesus is to "just say the word" as we exercise our faith and trust.
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Psalm 139:4-6: “Lord, even before I say a word, you already know what I am going to say. You are all around me—in front and in back. You have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me. It is more than I can understand.”
I feel like we sometimes we need reminders of God’s great power and the natural consequence of sin. I have meditated and thought upon this scripture many times in the past, because many people do not like the word ‘fear’ when we talk about God.
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We noted that Jesus had just suffered rejection in his home town of Nazareth (13:53-58) and now mourns the death of his rejected great messenger John the Baptist. Yet he continues his vital work for the care of souls.
It does not matter whether one is an expert in seeking this treasure or merely stumble across it! All that matters is recognizing its great value and grasping it with both hands. Jesus is the great treasure and nothing more can be important than following him.
Again the kingdom of heaven grows quietly, inconspicuously, not as an observable military subjection, but unseen, permeating inside, winning the hearts of people.
We drew attention to the fact that so many of the psalms are filled with so much despair and depressive thoughts and plain old misery. But many of these psalms finish with a sentence expressing glory to God, submission to God, or hope in God.
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Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
The question then is - what is God's in your life?
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Indeed, the quote from Isaiah was used by Paul to explain that the Jews would ultimately be restored.
But Jesus was raised out of death and into eternal life with God, the Father, and set everyone who follows Him free from the slavery to sin and death that we experience in this world, bringing us into complete freedom In Him!
This generation had experienced in their midst, the cleansing power of Jesus, the Son of God. Yet they chose not to be filled with Christ, but rather to remain empty of his all powerful work of redemption.
Isaac didn't know what was ahead for him as he and his father, whom he loved and trusted, made their way up that hill.
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