Do we really believe Jesus?

I was reading John 10 recently – the chapter where Jesus says He is the door to the sheep, His father is the gatekeeper, and those who know His voice will follow Him. He also explained that those who try to enter the sheepfold by any way other than Himself are thieves. Then, after that…

Grace and prayer

There was a time in Paul’s ministry when he had a specific revelation/vision/experience recorded for us in 2 Corinthians 12. He spoke about being caught up into the third heavens and hearing things that he couldn’t put into words and went so far as to say even if he had words to describe what he…

Worry, anxiety, and fear

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Let me ask you: when you are anxious, worried, or fearful, does this verse actually bring you comfort? Or, does…

Deeper truth about Mary and Martha

You are undoubtedly familiar with the incident where Martha asked Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her serve a meal. There’s been quite a lot taught about these two sisters over time. Allow me to point out some deeper truths. Here is the text from Luke 10: Now, while they were on their…

Psalm 91 – shield and buckler

As our world gets darker and it seems as if evil reigns, let us encourage one another as we walk in the light of Christ. John wrote that the light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, and darkness will never overpower the light (John 1:5). However, we need to walk in wisdom and cling to God’s…

What is eternal life?

I’ve been reading much of the upper room discourse (as we call it) in John 14-17. I keep going back to it because I believe it’s where Jesus reveals His heart to His disciples, and His prayer in chapter 17 is worth reading again and again. Verses two and three recently jumped out to me…

Psalm 91 and recompense of the wicked

You may or may not be familiar with Psalm 91, but the entire Psalm is a magnificent promise of God’s protection and love for those He loves. I won’t quote the entire passage, but suffice it to say that when we know Jesus, we are seated at the right hand of God the Father and,…

Who is the servant?

The night before Jesus was crucified, He had a personal and intimate evening with His disciples. John 13:3-9 records for us something worth looking into: “Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God, got up from supper,…

Friends

There’s a fantastic statement in John 15:15: “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” In the middle of talking to His disciples on the…

Is God using natural disasters to judge the world?

Are natural disasters a result of God judging people’s sins? As we witness so many disasters in our day, I’ve heard many people say that God is now judging countries for their sins. And perhaps you feel the same way, but I’d like to challenge that line of thinking, so read on as I lay…