Religiosity

Today’s Truth And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth  ( John 14:16-17  NIV). Friend to Friend If you were going off to war, and knew you’d be put on the front lines and probably wouldn’t be coming back home to your family, what would you tell them? Think of the final instructions you’d give your children, the affirmation of your love you’d whisper to your spouse, and the words of endearment you’d share with your friends. Jesus was in that very situation as He shared His last meal with the disciples in the upper room. All along, He had given them clues about how His earthly life would end and the purpose for His brief life here on earth. But they didn’t understand. They refused to believe their king would be anything other than worshiped as He had been when He rode into town on the back of a donkey and was hailed with palm branches and praise. I imagine during their last meal together, ...

We all have things happen in our lives that cause uncertainty.  Here are 10 verses to help when your future is uncertain. Photo courtesy: Unsplash.com 1. God directs our paths. You remember reading  Proverbs 3:5-6 . You try hard to trust God with your whole heart, but sometimes, like Peter, the wind and the waves become huge. We try to keep our eyes on the Master, but we feel shaken. And then you remember that God asks us to let him know what is going on in our lives. He said in all your ways acknowledge him. God is concerned about test results that seem questionable. He is concerned about anything that concerns you.  Loving fathers listen to their children when they are afraid. They reassure them that they are there, that they don’t need to worry. And little by little, the child begins to trust his father, the one he knows loves him so completely. Like a child who is carried off to bed, we can nuzzle our heads into our father’s neck resting our who...

One of the heaviest burdens a believing parent can bear comes when a son or daughter abandons the faith they once professed.   It happens. And when it does, you may find yourself wondering where you went wrong. Did we fail in our teaching? Did we fail in our example? Should we have immersed our son or daughter in a different program, moved to a different church, or opted for a different school? The ‘what ifs’ and the ‘if onlys’ never end. The story of Judas will help you with these questions.   The Story of Judas Judas walked with Jesus for three years. He saw the greatest life that has ever been lived up close and personal, and was discipled by the Lord Jesus Christ himself.   Judas knew the teaching of Jesus. He had heard the  Sermon on the Mount , so he knew that there is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction.   And Judas was a direct witness to Jesus’ miracles. When Christ calmed the storm, Judas was in the ...

1.  Who do you say I am? Slide 1 of 10 Many people were confused about Jesus’ identity. Some people were saying He was Elijah. Others said He was Jeremiah or a prophet. Some believed He was a good teacher or a great magician. Jesus asked this question of His followers in  Matthew 16:15 , not for His own affirmation, but because who they believed He was would make all the difference in their lives. He wanted them to be able to answer the question accurately. Who do  you  say that Jesus is? A good man? A great teacher? One of many ways to heaven? Or do you say He is the way, the truth, and the life ( John 14:6 ), as Jesus described Himself? I want my answer to be like Peter’s as recorded in  Matthew 16:16 : “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Or, may it be more personal, like Thomas’ declaration in  John 20:28  (but without having to “feel” Jesus to know He is real): “My Lord and My God!” 2.  Do you believe? Slide ...

“ Trust in the LORD with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 We all want God to answer our prayers.  We believe in the power of prayer, but when it comes down to our own individual lives and problems, we often don’t have the faith to believe that God will answer. Unbelief and independence trap us. But God wants to enlarge our territory and bless us with increase, because His nature is to bless. Our lack of faith and our fear of stepping out in dependence on Him are what get in the way. The truth is that the things we do for God should be outside of our own abilities; they should be evidence that we are trusting in His supernatural ability. When we back away from dependence, we are not living by faith.  We need to be willing to attempt things big enough that unless God steps in, we are sure to fail. Faith is like jumping out of an airplane at fifteen thousand feet. If God doesn’t catch you, you will fall and crash. But how do y...

Whether you hold a pre-trib, mid-trib, or whatever rapture point of view, 1,923 years ago God gave these last words to believers, so that we would know, understand, and be prepared for the end of our lives or the end of this age—whichever comes first. The message to the church is clear: we’d best be about the Father’s business. That means praying in the name of Jesus that He would change men’s hearts and spreading the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ—not sitting on our pompous piety, waiting for the trumpet and deliverance from the presence of evil. God’s first judgment came by water, but the coming and final judgment will be by fire. God still offers mercy, grace, and pardon because of the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, to all who hear, believe, and trust Him for forgiveness. “From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.”  (John 13:19) Photo Courtesy: Thinkstock 1. God's clock has bee...