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No Room for “Common”
Num 11:29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! It was a moment of correction when Moses spoke the above text to a young and perhaps naive Joshua. God was about to anoint 70 leaders with the spirit of Moses, but two of the men were not present. In short, Joshua thought that the two men should not qualify because they had not made it into the Tabernacle, but instead, were outside among the people in the camp.…
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Darkness and Light
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Moses stood before Pharaoh and threw down his rod. The scripture tell us that it miraculously became a serpent. Not to be outdone, Pharaoh’s magicians used a trick of the hand to do the same; only Moses’ serpent devoured theirs. Moses turned water into blood, which provoked the magicians to duplicate the same. Time and again the forces of darkness attempted to mirror the things of God. Darkness…
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Living Sacrifice
On a weekly basis I write within these narrow margins hoping to inspire something virtuous or encouraging within this body of believers. The scripture itself provides a plethora of subjects from faith to sacrifice and everything in between for our benefit, but today I write a warning and a truth. May I simply say: The Devil is a liar. He is incapable of telling the truth. Jesus called him the father of lies. He is the Deceiver of mortal man and to that end we must walk uprightly and sober. What the enemy wants more than anything is to snare…
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The Potter’s House
An insight into the Mind of the Omniscient One…. Paul writes in Romans 9 that God has the authority to show mercy upon whom He will have mercy. The apostle asks, “Who is man that he should talk back to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Paul declared that God is the Potter and we are the clay. The psalmist said, “It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.” The question then is ‘Can God do with us as He pleases?’ Paul asked the church if God…
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Crown of Thorns
Often lost in the mix of the Passover story and the wonder of an empty tomb is the process of the Lord’s sacrifice. Before He walked up the Hill of Skulls, Jesus was given a tightly woven crown of thorns. Every aspect of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection speaks to both prophecy and our salvation. Nothing happened in those 72 hours without great weight of redemption hanging in the balance. Consider with me the multiple curses levied against Adam and Eve and upon mankind. From pain in childbirth to headship, their departure from Eden was layered with strife. Sin came…
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We lay down our lives
Today we remember the beginning of the ending of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. This was His triumphant entry into Jerusalem as the people shouted“Hosanna, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.” They tore branches from trees and laid their coats before Him. Little did they know that He was a mere seven days from the Cross of Calvary. Praise would soon turn to scorn; worship to slander. The Pharisees had plotted for years and this was the final straw. They could not afford to allow this Jesus of Nazareth any more fame. They were losing…
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I Surrender Some
A challenge is set before us. Malachi recorded the matter succinctly when he wrote about the people of God who lived as if worship was too tiresome. Of course the word “worship” was not referring to clapping and singing, but sacrifice, duty, and time. God spoke against them in Malachi as they treated their relationship with Him in the most casual way. It seems that not only did Israel bring lame and crippled lambs for sacrifice, but they also came when they wanted to and left in the same manner. Over time, their worship became a haphazard affair. Today we…
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A view of compassion
Cast in the frame was a picture of a little girl sitting on the edge of a sidewalk holding her favorite doll. Her black hair ruffled against the light red coat she wore. A small scarf dangled from the end of her sleeve as she sat with narrowed eyes and an indiscriminate smile. I would have passed by the photo without a thought until I saw the next frame. The photographer opened his lens to reveal the wider picture. No longer did I see a single girl aimlessly sitting on the edge of some random sidewalk. My mind no longer…
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Be of Good Cheer …
Jesus prepared a young group of disciples for the Gospel mission. They were to be His voice; His hands; His feet. He spent 3 1/2 years preparing them to face the world; demonic forces; and the religious sects. And among His many lessons He said, “it is impossible, but that offenses will come!” Jesus said that no one will bypass being offended. No one has ever worked in the Kingdom and not been offended. Peter wrote: 1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” There will…
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Poured Out …
Jeremiah prophesied (Jeremiah 48:11) about the destruction of Moab. He said the people had “settled on their lees” and had not been emptied out. He was referring to the process of making wine which in those days demanded the continual pouring from one container to another in order maintain the flavor. By not being poured from flask to flask, the wine becomes stagnate and loses its own constitution. The prophet said that there was no stirring among the people and it caused them to become complacent in their approach to both God and the enemy. He said that God had…