Jesus wanted His disciples to persist despite rejection, so He gave them a heads-up about what was to come. John 16: 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.[1] There was already a precedent for …
Hardening my heart to the miracles of Jesus might seem unlikely, yet this occurred in Bible days and still happens today. In God’s mercy, He reveals Himself through signs and wonders so that people will believe and that believers will have their faith strengthened. How would seeing a miracle or hearing a personal testimony of …
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 …
The Magi were Gentiles but were seeking the newborn king of the Jews. The Jews were to take the light of God to the world but had failed. Yes, some people came into the Jewish faith, but there were few. With the birth of Jesus, God would do something new that would open the way …
Not everyone will accept Jesus, which was prophesied by Simeon when he held the baby Jesus in his arms. The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah, and now he was in His presence. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the Temple, where he encountered Joseph, Mary, …
Having God’s protection is a blessing and shows His great love for us. I remember being in a car accident when I was broadsided at 70 mph but received only a minor scratch. The State Police Officer at the scene told me most people never survive such an impact. I was fortunate. It was not …
Being sent by God is something we see in the Scriptures and still takes place today. God sent Moses to Egypt to rescue the Israelites. Jonah was sent to Nineveh to preach a message of repentance, and Paul and Barnabas went out to evangelize. Did you know that God sent you to this earth for …
Being empowered by the Holy Spirit is a gift from God that affects us and those around us. Jesus is the model of the importance of being filled with the Spirit. He demonstrates this as He goes to Galilee after overcoming the devil’s temptations. Luke 4:14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s …
The Pharisees wanted Jesus to hush the crowd. But Jesus told them the stones will cry out if the crowd kept quiet. Luke 19: 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst …