And Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest [his uncle]. – 2 Chronicles 24:2, AMP King Joash of Judah was a mere seven years old when he began his reign. Rescued as an infant by his uncle, Jehoida the priest, from the murderous pursuits… Continue reading Be careful who you listen to.
Category: Understanding
Be mindful of who you join forces with.
Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. – 2 Chronicles 19:2, AMP In 2 Chronicles 18 we find Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the righteous king of Judah, fighting together against the people of Ramoth-gilead. By the end of chapter 18, Ramoth-gilead was victorious, and Ahab was… Continue reading Be mindful of who you join forces with.
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.
Don’t fret the exercise of faith. It draws us closer together.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. – John 9:6, KJV In John 9, Jesus restored sight to a man born blind from birth. For years I was puzzled as to why Jesus chose… Continue reading Don’t fret the exercise of faith. It draws us closer together.
God’s not terribly excited when you rely on yourself.
And God was displeased with this [reliance on human resources], and He smote Israel. – 1 Chronicles 21:7, Amplified Bible Most Christians don’t have a clue how irritated God gets when we rely on ourselves rather than on Him. Consider 1 Chronicles 21. In this passage, King David instructed his captain, Joab, to take a… Continue reading God’s not terribly excited when you rely on yourself.
Hold on to God while the fog clears.
Life can be confusing at times. Although we can be confused when good things are happening to us, the confusion surrounding such times isn’t problematic; it’s welcome. It is the confusion that surrounds the hard times in life that is difficult to bear, and when assaulted by such confusion, we need something sure to hold… Continue reading Hold on to God while the fog clears.
God loves math.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy… – 2 Peter 1:19, KJV Imagine believing in something with all of your heart, your soul, and your mind. Imagine that you staked your reputation, your worldview, and your lifestyle on that belief. Imagine that your belief formed the foundation of everything you are as a… Continue reading God loves math.
God is closest to you when you make disciples.
…I am with you all the days… – Matthew 28:20 In the introduction to David Platt’s book, Follow Me, Pastor Francis Chan (author of the book, Crazy Love) wrote the following: “When people say that they don’t “feel close to Jesus,” I ask them if they are making disciples. After all, his promise to be… Continue reading God is closest to you when you make disciples.
It’s time for you to be like a grain of wheat.
I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest. – John 12:24, Amplified Bible It is possible to… Continue reading It’s time for you to be like a grain of wheat.
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.