No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11, AMP God may withold something from us for a number of reasons. Perhaps what we desire is not good for us, and we are just not mature enough in The Lord to realize it. Perhaps what we long for is something… Continue reading God loves it when you behave because then He gets to give you stuff.
Category: Judging
Two heads are not better than one.
[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. – James 1:8, AMP It was Jesus Himself who said that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). The same is true of the double-minded person in James 1:8. Such a… Continue reading Two heads are not better than one.
The face of evil stares at you every day.
The heart is deceitful above all things… – Jeremiah 17:9, Amplified Bible The late Chuck Colson was the founder of Prison Fellowship, an evangelical Christian ministry aimed at winning criminals in prison to Christ. Colson once visited a South Carolina prison where Susan Smith is incarcerated. In October 1994, Smith drowned her three-year-old and one-year-old… Continue reading The face of evil stares at you every day.
It is not wise to invite unholiness into your life.
My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy… – 2 Chronicles 8:11, Amplified Bible In 2 Chronicles 6:13-42, Solomon prayed a powerful and humble prayer unto God at the dedication of the temple. In his supplication, he outlined clearly God’s “Big Three Formulas” for life:… Continue reading It is not wise to invite unholiness into your life.
God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
In his days, Hiel the Bethelite built Jericho… – 1 Kings 16:34, Amplified Bible Merriam-Webster.com defines the word “stronghold” as a “a fortified place” or “a place of security or survival.” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stronghold) The word “fortification” is derived from the Latin words fortis, or “strong,” and facere, or “to make.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stronghold) So, the intent of a… Continue reading God would rather you not rebuild Jericho.
Watch those itching ears. They’ll get you into trouble.
…I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil. – 1 Kings 22:8, Amplified Bible Years ago we had a missionary visit our church who told us about one of the many interesting plane rides he had experienced in his career. During the flight he was seated next to a man from… Continue reading Watch those itching ears. They’ll get you into trouble.
As a man thinks, so is he.
…thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed… – Leviticus 19:19, KJV In his audio recording The Strangest Secret, Earl Nightingale provides a perfect illustration of how the human mind works. Nightingale likens the mind to a field that a farmer plants. The mind, like the field, will return what the farmer plants. It… Continue reading As a man thinks, so is he.
Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
And the man of God said to the king…For I was commanded by the word of the Lord… – 1 Kings 13:8-9, Amplified Bible In 1 Kings 13 an unnamed prophet of God met Jeroboam, King of Israel, at Bethel to chastise him for turning his back on The Lord. As part of the chastisement,… Continue reading Be sure to listen to God, not another Christian.
God appreciates your hard work, but make sure you’re working on His project, not yours.
Except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it… – Psalm 127:1, Amplified Bible There are examples galore of Christian workers, both in the secular world and in the sacred, who’ve “burned out” in their service to the King. They’ve toiled and striven diligently, but they’ve not been able to build… Continue reading God appreciates your hard work, but make sure you’re working on His project, not yours.
Give up that thing which God hates.
.…Achan…took some of the things devoted [for destruction]. And the anger of the Lord burned against Israel. – Joshua 7:1, Amplified Bible We all have something we love that God does not. At some point God will put His finger on that love and tell us to destroy it. When He does, what will we… Continue reading Give up that thing which God hates.