Many think that we should not follow our heart. Our heart, some argue, cannot be trusted. I think this idea comes from one of two places. Either a lingering view of our hearts being deceitful and sick as Jeremiah told the people of old (Jeremiah 17:9), or conflation of the desires of our heart and the lust of the flesh.
Love and Obey John 14:15 says “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I used to think that was saying that my keeping of His commandments was the proof that I loved Him and that if I failed that test, I was probably not saved, or at least I was in danger. I…
When we Doubt There are times when we find ourselves in the desert for sure. I’ve certainly been there. You are not alone. Fear and doubt come from the enemy, not from Father. It’s good to listen to good teaching. It’s great to spend time in Scripture too. It is important that we keep our…
Saints and Sinners Sin remains in the world, and believers still sin, a fact to which I can attest through personal experience. What I DO is not always reflective of who I AM, however. I am not a sinner, and if the Spirit of Christ is in you, neither are you. When I say that…
Faith that Saves You There have been many sermons preached and many books written on the topic of salvation. When asked, some say that to be saved you need to ask Jesus into your heart. Some say that you need to be sorry enough for your sins to change. Some expect emotional contrition as evidence…
If We Hold Firm to the End Two important things we can learn as Christians is who we are and where we are. Knowing these two things helps us understand the freedom Jesus has provided us. Being firmly grounded in these areas brings greater clarity to scripture passages that may seem to bring our security…
Things Jesus did for You You are free because Jesus did some pretty awesome stuff. Colossians 2:9-19 has some amazing, and truly profound things to say that she’d a little light on this. For a start, we read that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. That’s why…
Living in Perilous Times There are wars and rumors of wars.There are riots in the streets.There are illnesses and dangers.There are many calling good evil, and evil good. We can vote, and speak out, and petition our representatives, and all of these things are good. But there is only One who can change the world….
Life or Debt Did you ever wonder why God came to earth as a human? In 1 Corinthians 15:21 Paul has this to say: “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.” Humanity earned the wages of sin.Humanity gave themselves over to that old serpent from…
Faith When you get out of bed in the morning, you have no doubt that the floor will hold your weight. When it’s cold outside, you can be sure that your breath will be visible. When you put the nozzle of the gas pump into your gas tank, you see no liquid flow, yet you…
The Gift of God The wages of sin is death.The gift of God is righteousness resulting in life.A person can earn wages, but no one can earn a gift. This is why we talk about accepting Jesus. He is the gift of God.He is our righteousness.He is our life.He is the only One who could…
Look at Jesus and Live Numbers 21:4-9 recounts the Lord’s instruction to Moses about raising a snake up on a pole to save people’s lives. This is a shadow of what is now made real in Christ. Shadow:Snakes were killing the Israelites. (The snakes represent sin.) Reality:The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) Shadow:The…
Jesus the Bread of Life Exodus 16 tells the story of manna–bread from heaven. Manna is the shadow, type, or example. Jesus (grace) is the reality. Notice these things: In verse 4, God says He will rain down bread from heaven. Jesus called Himself the true bread from heaven. (see John 6:32-35, 48 & 51)…
Family Resemblance The Spirit of God lives in you, beloved and holy child of God. The moment you believed, He took up residence. More than that, He joined Himself to you at the level of your spirit. At that moment you began to share in His divine nature. God’s nature is love. Your new nature…
Spirit-filled Living There’s a fascinating verse in John chapter 3 that I used to find enigmatic. Verse 8 (NIV) reads as follows: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it’s sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” In…
You are Not a Misfit If you are like many, you may think that you are not like the others; that you’re strange or odd. That you don’t fit in. That sense can be heightened significantly on social media where some appear to be more gifted, more articulate, or more “together.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 has…
Assurance How can you know for certain that God has forgiven you?How can you know you’re forgiven for all the sins of your past?How can you know you’re forgiven for all the sins of today?How can you know you’re forgiven for every single sin you have yet to commit?Hebrews 9:22 tells us that without the…
Christian Ministry We have not been given the ministry of condemnation. We are given the ministry of reconciliation. Pleading with people to be reconciled to God. We are not told that the world will know we are Christians by hearing what we are against. We are told that our love for one another is what…
The Way to Spiritual Growth In Isaiah 28:9-13 we read that the Lord had told the Hebrews about the rest and refreshing to be found in Him. (v. 12) He sought to teach them knowledge. (v. 9) But they kept looking at the word as “precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line…
No Condemnation in Jesus If you die you will never be judged guilty of a crime and punished, because the law no longer applies to you. You are dead to the Law.You are dead to sin. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made you free from the law of sin…
Worship in Spirit and Truth John 4:23-24 tells us that God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. We know that Jesus is the Truth, so clearly He is in view here. There’s another interesting point being made in this passage, however. Jesus is talking about the sea change…
Safe in Love Romans 8:39 says that the love of God is in Christ Jesus. Saint of God, you also are in Christ Jesus and your life is safely kept with Jesus in God. You are in the same place as God’s love. Sealed there with the Holy Spirit. You are permeated with God and…
Exit the Chaos The world is full of noise, confusion, and turmoil. Everywhere we turn, there is fighting, strife, and conflict. Father knew there would be days like this. He inspired Paul to write some interesting things to help us. Things like: Godliness with contentment is great gain. I have learned to be content no…
Build Up God is perfect. God is love. Perfect love casts out fear. You need not fear what is to come. Ultimately, fear has to do with punishment, but God does not have wrath in store for you. You have passed from death to life. You have received salvation. You have escaped judgement. Jesus Christ…
You have been raised with Christ.
You have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness.
You have been transferred into the Kingdom of God.
