Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
You have heard that God desires obedience over sacrifice. In this […]
Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Do you fear man or do you fear the Lord? What governs your decision making? Is it what others might think of you or is what God thinks of you? You know you fear the Lord […]
Proverbs 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It was by sin that man destroyed his relationship with God. It was by the mercy of God that HE sent HIS only Son into […]
Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
Many explorers spent much time seeking the fountain of youth. It was their desire to drink the water of this fountain and to reverse the ageing process. However, while the fountain of youth has never been found, […]
Acts 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Paul was about to be sent to Rome to present his case there. When Agrippa came and visited Festus, Festus spoke with Agrippa about the problem he had with Paul. Festus had heard the case against Paul and was not sure what […]
Acts 21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
Paul was in Caesarea staying with […]
Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul was speaking to the believers about his trip to […]
Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
We are not told how Paul was told by God that he was to go to Macedonia, Achaia, Jerusalem, and Rome, […]
Acts 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
Paul had been asked to stay in Ephesus and continue to preach the gospel. Paul however felt that he was supposed to go to Jerusalem and keep the feast. Paul saw a field ripe […]
Acts 13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
Paul and Barnabas had been sharing the gospel with the Jews in Antioch. However, after they were persecuted, Paul and Barnabas said that God was calling them to preach to the Gentiles so that they might believe and have […]
Acts 12:14 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
Peter had just escaped from prison and he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John. There were many believers gathered together at the house of Mary who […]
Acts 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
The Ethiopian eunuch could read, but that does not mean that he understood what he was reading. He was reading out of the book of Isaiah and he did […]
Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Philip had initially been told to go into the desert but was not told what to do. Upon reaching the desert, he saw the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah. It was at this time that the Lord finally showed Philip why […]
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
In this passage we see Philip receiving direction from God. Philip was not told why he was going; all he knew was that he must […]
Acts 5:19 - 20 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
The religious leaders had arrested Peter and the other apostles for preaching the name of Christ. While the […]
Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Esther had just heard through a […]
I John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
Your prayer life is directly connected to your daily life. How you live will help control whether God answers your prayers. If you are a righteous man who is doing […]
Psalms 147:10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
God does not need your talents. God has given you your gifts and abilities, but God does not need them. When you do something in your own strength, you are the one who receives the […]
Psalms 114:7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
In this Psalm we see several example of how God controls the earth. The psalmist draws our attention to the parting of the Red Sea and the Jordan River. In addition, we are reminded of how God turned a rock into water. God […]
Psalms 112:1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
There are two types of obedience, there is a grumbling obedience and a cheerful obedience. God desires that you learn to cheerfully obey HIM. This means that you must change your attitude so that your desire […]
Psalms 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
God desires to hear your praises. However, you are not to simply praise HIM to yourself, but one of the reasons you praise God is so that others are encouraged by […]
Psalms 52:9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.
Do you really understand the goodness of God? Do you take the time to understand what God has done for you? If you did take the time […]
Matthew 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
On the third day after the death of Jesus, Mary of Magdalene and the other Mary came to see Jesus� body. When they reached the tomb, they found that the stone was rolled away and an angel of the Lord sitting upon the stone. This angel�s countenance caused the keepers to become like dead men but to the two women, they were able to receive instruction as to what they were to do.
These women had gone through a terrible experience in watching the death of their Lord. Yet nonetheless, this did not stop them from seeking Jesus. Any of the disciples could have gone to seek Jesus that morning but it was these women who decided to leave their place of hiding in order to seek that which they needed.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
What is the impossible situation that you face? Whatever the impossible situation is, God can make the impossible possible. All you have to do is look through the Bible and you will see how God did the impossible. Joseph was in prison but God brought him out of prison and placed him in a position of leadership. Joseph tried to obtain his own release from prison but of his own accord, he was in an impossible situation.
The nation of Israel was following God�s direction in leaving Egypt. They were obeying God and they were faced with the choice of either drowning in the Red Sea or dying at the hands of the Egyptians. The nation of Israel thought they were in an impossible situation but with God, all things are possible and they walked across the Red Sea on dry ground. In order to obey God, they needed to allow God to do the impossible for them.
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
A rich man came to Jesus and asked HIM what he had to do in order to have eternal life. Jesus told this man that he needed to obey the commandments. The man acknowledged that he had kept the commandments but he asked Jesus what he still lacked. The man knew in his heart that there was something more he needed to do in addition to just obeying the law of God.
While this rich man claimed to obey the commandments, Jesus was able to ask one question that revealed this man was actually violating the Ten Commandments. Jesus asked the man to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and then follow HIM. By refusing to obey Jesus and sell his goods, this man showed that he had made money his god and that he had placed money and the security it could bring HIM above his relationship with God. In James 2:10 you learn that �whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.�
Matthew 15:18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
The natural condition of your heart is not good. Your sin nature does not naturally produce those things that are pleasing to God. As a result of sin, your heart is filled with things that are not pleasing to the Lord.
Instead of allowing evil to be produced in your heart, you have been commanded to add virtue to your life. Virtue is thinking upon those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and is of a good report. Virtue does not come naturally. Instead you must learn virtue. You must ask for virtue so that you can receive it. You must place yourself in a position where those around you are demonstrating virtue so that you can learn by their example. Until you make the effort to add virtue to your life, the fruit of your heart will be that which is not pleasing in the eyes of God.
Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Jesus had just feed the 5,000 and HE sent HIS disciples away while he went up into the mountain to pray. Jesus disciples were facing a severe storm in the midst of the sea. Jesus did not leave HIS disciples alone but came out to meet them in their time of need walking on the water. While the disciples initially were troubled at the sight of seeing Jesus, Jesus reassured them as to who HE was.
Peter had just seen Jesus do a great miracle by turning a boy�s lunch into a meal for a multitude. Peter who was a seasoned sailor was in the midst of a storm that was too large for HIM to handle. Peter sees and hears Jesus and all HE can think about is coming to Jesus. Peter did not care that it was impossible to walk on water to meet Jesus. Peter was not concerned about his impossible circumstances. All Peter desired was to draw close to Jesus. Peter asked Jesus to call him and Peter instantly obeyed that calling.
Matthew 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
The scribes and Pharisees had seen Jesus� miracles, they had heard HIS� teaching and they had seen HIS� sinless life. The scribes and Pharisees understood the scriptures and of all people, they should have been the ones to recognize that Jesus was their Messiah. When the wise men came to Herod and asked him where the king of the Jews was to be born, the scribes and the priests told him in Bethlehem. Yet regardless of all their knowledge and observations, they still were not convinced that Jesus was the One.
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
There is more to the Christian life than simply professing to be a Christian. Christ teaches during the Sermon on the Mount that just because a person who professes to be a Christian, it does not mean that they will enter the kingdom of heaven. Christ gives the example of how many will claim to have prophesied, cast out devils, and done many wonderful works all in the name of Christ. Nonetheless, even though the person was doing these mighty deeds in Christ�s name and professed to be Christ�s, it does not automatically entitle them to live forever in the kingdom of heaven.
Acts 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Paul is presenting his innocence to king Agrippa. While he is presenting his case, Paul shares his testimony of how he was called by God on the road to Damascus. Paul shares how God spoke to him that he was to preach to the Gentiles. Paul is quick to share how he had not departed from God�s vision for his life.
Paul understood what God was instructing him to do and he did it. Paul�s testimony was that he heard God�s instruction for his life and that while the road Paul was instructed to travel was not easy, Paul obeyed God and remained faithful to God�s calling. Paul had a clear vision from God and he was not going to allow himself to be distracted from doing the perfect will of God.
