CONFESSION IS BETTER THAN COVER-UP After warning his disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, Jesus warned that ultimately all things that people have sought to cover up and hide, will be exposed. Eventually, every public persona will have its mask removed. As the Lord warned the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land,
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HEAR AND OBEY A woman in the crowd that had gathered listening to Jesus teach, exclaimed, “God bless your mother!” To which Jesus replied, “Even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Surely, the blessing that Mary, the mother of Jesus, had received
WHY LEAVE THE ALTAR STONES NATURAL AND UNCUT? Moses instructed Israel to build an altar of “natural, uncut stones” after they crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land. They were to offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD. But why did God insist that the altar be built with natural, uncut stones?
GOSPEL SHARING AND FEAR OF REJECTION Jesus sent out 72 disciples two by two to preach the gospel in every town and place he was about to go. He prepared them to understand that some people would accept their message and some would reject it. The main thing was to know that ultimately they were
JESUS SET HIS FACE FOR THE FINISH Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem. As he traveled from Galilee, he sought to take the direct route through Samaria, but they would not receive him. Their rejection was a foreshadowing of the rejection he would face in Jerusalem. Yet, he was resolute, literally he “set his
CHOOSING FAITH OVER FEAR In Deuteronomy chapter 20, Moses repeated God’s instruction to Israel as they prepared to go into battle against their enemies in the Promised Land. God instructed them not to focus on the power of the enemy, nor to be afraid of them. Instead, they were to focus on the Lord who
PASSOVER, EASTER, AND JESUS The month of Abib was the month that the Lord had delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt. It was therefore to be counted as the first month of the Hebrew year. Since the religious celebrations given by Moses were linked to certain times of the year, it became the role of
CAN POVERTY BE ELIMINATED? According to God’s Word, poverty will never be eliminated in this world. Yet, this fact is stated not to excuse our responsibility to the poor, but to encourage our ongoing generosity towards them. As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, God made provision for every person and tribe to
DOES YOUR FAMILY KNOW WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU? When Jesus freed the man living in the tombs of the Gedarenes of demon possession, he begged to go with Jesus. The man had been living in terrible misery, possessed by so many demons that they answered, “Legion” when Jesus asked their name. Yet
IS YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE GETTING LOST IN THE WEEDS? Jesus told a parable about a farmer who scattered seed that fell onto four types of soil. The seed represented God’s Word and the four soils represented four heart conditions of spiritual receptivity. The first was the foot path, representing a hard or closed heart that