Abram (Abraham) fell into the trap of compromise as God called him. Stephen gives us insight into the call of Abram. Acts 7:2bOur glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. 3 God told him, ‘Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will …
Preparing for judgment is not something we like to think about, but this is the message Jesus delivers to the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. These cities witnessed many of His mighty works—healing, casting out demons, and proclaiming God’s Kingdom. Yet, despite signs and God’s words, their hearts remained hardened. It’s sad when people …
Jesus wanted His disciples to persevere in persecution. He also sent them with authority in the Kingdom of God. Luke 10: 9 Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ 10 But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘We wipe even the dust …
Jesus had just told the Parable of the Rich Fool, which compares earthly wealth versus eternal wealth. The rich fool had bought into the lie that the one who dies with the most wealth wins. The rich man did not have a posthumous win but a loss. Jesus summed up what genuine wealth is. Luke …
Guarding against greed isn’t a new issue; it has been needed since biblical times. Our enemy, satan, is always trying to trap us by leading us to believe that our worth depends on material things, power, and other worldly possessions. Once we pursue greed and the desire for more, we realize it’s empty, and our enemy …
The Holy Spirit’s guidance is available to everyone and is vital for every believer on our faith journey. It is often in those difficult places, when we have to rely on the Holy Spirit, that the Lord teaches us to depend on Him. In God’s grace, when we experience such work of the Lord in …
God desires that we make a bold confession of Christ. Luke 12: 8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels. 9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels. [1] Jesus had …
Fear God, not man, but what is Jesus telling us in Luke 12:4-5? In a world full of anxieties and pressures, it’s easy to be influenced by others’ opinions and expectations. We worry about what people think, how others see us, and if we meet the world’s standards. However, Jesus offers a powerful counter-cultural message, …
Jesus’ teaching was unmasking the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. For the most part, they were respected leaders in Judaism. Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message, puts it in very modern language. Luke 12: 1-3 By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other’s toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus’ primary concern was …
The consequences of worldly decisions eventually catch up with us and can have far-reaching effects. When we are on the wrong path, we often listen to the wrong voices, such as popular culture or friends who are also on the wrong path. Nobody wakes up and says, “I want to head down the wrong road.” …