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First Love
Historically we know that the church at Ephesus had suffered many hardships, yet they persevered and stayed faithful to the Doctrine. Jesus even commended them for their “intolerance of wicked men.” Ephesus was a solid congregation on many levels. It appears they had structure, rules, protocols, and fortitude. However, what was missing could not be ignored. Jesus said, Rev 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” Faithfulness is important. Giving and returning tithes and offerings are biblical directives. Church order and family structure which include Bible devotion and conduct are essential. Yet, if…
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It Takes Time
To no fault of her own, Hagar, the handmaiden, was cast out of the house of Abraham and Sarah. Jealously borne from disobedience led her to this moment. Abraham did not wait on God and took unto him Hagar. Together they had Ishmael. This son was not the promised son because he did not come through Sarah. When Isaac was born, the conflict intensified and it has never ended. Hagar found herself alone, desperate for direction and comfort. It is here that an angel of the Lord appeared to her and showed her a fountain of water; giving her the…
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The Battle Within
A distressed wife once said that every time her family began to “see success” it was destroyed. She said, “life was good and then it was blown up.” Her description is the definition of implosion; meaning damage from the inside out. I’ve lived long enough to see the same thing happen in churches. Struggle, followed by growth, followed by division, and then implosion. This happens when members whittle away at the core fabric of leadership and doctrine. It happens when small gossiping groups tear away at the good being done. Paul addressed this issue: 1 Cor 12:25 That there should…
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The Price of a Soul
What is the price of a man’s soul? With inflation eating away the family budget and the economic conditions wrecking retirement accounts, cost is front and center. People are talking prices, value, and worth. However, these conversations, concern, assets and their counterparts are temporal. What is the worth of something that never dies? What about our soul? Jesus asked “if a man gained the whole world and lose his soul, what does it profit?” The answer is clear; there is no profit. Even the whole world; all the money and wealth of ages gone by cannot compare to the worth…
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Carry Offense To The Cross
2 Cor 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? Above is a small excerpt from Paul’s presentation. In context, Paul offers a commonality to the church in Corinth that he too has been weak; he too has been offended. However, the result of those offenses never deterred him from serving people. He did not allow the wound to keep him from ministering or serving. In fact, he once returned to the same city that stoned him and left him for dead. Paul was kingdom-minded enough to love those who hated him…
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I Give You Power
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Read it carefully. Jesus emphasized the last line. He said, “Rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven.” We must not dilute the primary. The last line is the premier of all primaries! Heaven is the goal. This world is not my home. There is a…
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The Human Element
If the Bible has taught us anything it must include this axiom of truth: Never underestimate the human element! Jesus said, Mark 10:18 “There is none good but one, that is, God.” Self-reliance, codependency, and governmental issuants continually fail. In regards to self: Jer. 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” To trust in yourself comes with built-in pitfalls. Passions, ambitions, and lust are always lurking. Flesh declarations sound good in the moment, but are mostly suspect. Peter proclaimed, “I will never deny you, Lord.” However, the answer changed when accusations arrived…
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Landmarks
Deu 19:14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it. Hundreds of years after Moses gave this commandment, Solomon reiterated it twice. The issue of landmarks became more prevalent as unscrupulous men demanded more land. However, it was critical to keep the inheritance intact as they were previously measured. The marker established the property line and its value. Even more critical was the assumption that every generation after the first, knew their inheritance and…
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Let Us Remember
At the root of all spiritual directives lies a single line of scripture. It was a warning from Moses to God’s called-out people: Deu 8:11 “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God.” The prophets came to declare the judgments of God because they had “forgotten the Law of thy God.” In more modern times the adage is offered that history tends to repeat itself when we fail to remember. In all, it seems that memory can keep us from a repetitive life, even destruction. We must Remember the Lord our God. To remember is also the greatest part…
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No Time For Leaven
Exo 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. At the end of what could only be described as a national tragedy, pharaoh and the Egyptian people begged Israel to leave their land. They said, Ex. 12:33 “We be all dead men” knowing that the 10 plagues had wiped them out. The exodus was sudden. The last and final judgement was more than enough to unloose pharaoh’s grip: the Egyptians were also ready for the suffering to end. Moses gave the command and Israel rushed…