Temptation is a funny thing. In the moment, we think it's all about what's in front of us. For this mouse, I'm sure he was just thinking about the cheese. But a lot more was at risk for him, and a lot more is at risk for us when we face temptation. We can learn this lesson by Jesus' temptations. Each tmie he was tempted, ... [Continue Reading]
Solitude (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3)
Jesus started his public ministry at the age of 30. By records, we know he was about 33 years old when he was crucified. He had approximately 3-4 years to train his disciples and to establish the Church. That's not much time. And even in the midst of doing what was arguably one of the most important tasks on the planet, he made time for ... [Continue Reading]
What Fear Causes (Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52)
When Jesus came, Herod saw this new king as a threat to his political power. He was afraid of losing his position of authority, so he went to great lengths to end Jesus' life. Perhaps the most terrible act of this story is that he murdered baby boys two years old and younger in an effort to kill the Christ. Jesus interrupted Herod's story, and ... [Continue Reading]
A Tainted Family Tree (Matthew 1; Luke 2:1-38)
Typically when I get to long lists of names in the Bible I skim over them, but it's not wise to do so with the list of Jesus' lineage in Matthew 1. In fact, there are a few important things to notice about the lineage that have a fairly major impact on what it means to be a follower of Christ. And if you find yourself questioning whether or not this ... [Continue Reading]
A Nice Story (Luke 1; John 1:1-4)
There's something about reading the story of Zechariah and John the Baptist's birth that's intriguing. What would you have done if you were burning incense in the Temple and an angel came to tell you that your wife who had long gone through menopause would now be giving birth? It's not like this had never happened in the history of Israel. ... [Continue Reading]
Playing Worship (Malachi)
The book of Malachi highlights something that we don't really talk about much, and that's the heart of worship. Particularly when it comes to a worship service, there is a temptation to use the time as an effort to manipulate God. How does a person do that? Malachi says by bringing anything but the best sacrifices to worship the King. In ... [Continue Reading]
Giving First Fruits (Nehemiah 10:28-39; 11:1-2; 12:27-47; 13)
When the wall was finished and the covenant with Israel reestablished, one of the things the Israelites needed to begin doing again was bringing their first fruits to God. That meant that they didn't bring the leftover offers that we available at the end of consuming whatever they desired. Instead, they brought their first and best to God in thanks for ... [Continue Reading]
A Great Work (Nehemiah 4-6)
It never ceases to amaze me how, when I'm doing something important that the Lord has called me to do, someone or something tries to get in the way and stop me from accomplishing the task. Nehemiah's experience wasn't any different as he was working to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. He was approached time and time again by his enemies wanting ... [Continue Reading]
Pray as Though It Depends on God (Nehemiah 1-3)
The Holy Spirit put within Nehemiah's heart the desire to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem to protect the Israelites. The problem was that Nehemiah was a cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, and to leave and rebuild such a wall would be viewed as treason against the king. Knowing what he needed to do, Nehemiah approached the king with his great request to leave ... [Continue Reading]
True Repentance (Ezra 8:15-36; 9-10:17)
A lot of people say "I'm sorry," but not everyone means what he or she says. True sorrow isn't simply a change in emotion - it's also a change in behavior. As Ezra confronted the sin of the Israelites (which happened to be marrying foreign women this time... a sin that Christians are guilty of when they marry non-Christians), the people ... [Continue Reading]
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