A Mere Human View
Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.’” Matthew 16:23 (NLT) *** *** *** *** Jesus says we should think like He thinks – with a heavenly perspective above and beyond mere human thinking. This doesn’t mean we become mindless robots; rather, our thoughts should begin to match the thoughts of God as His Spirit works within us, helping us to look at people and circumstances from his perspective: “From now on, then, we do …
Trust Me, I’m A Reporter
“And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them, too. As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.” Acts 8:25b–28 (NLT) *** *** *** *** There is an old …
Wash And Rinse Faith
“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (NLT) *** *** *** Good afternoon, Mr. Watson, it’s so good to see you again. How is the washing machine working out for you? What’s that? Let me make sure I understand: You’re saying it isn’t working properly! Okay, okay, no worries – here at the Appliance and Bible Application Center, we pride ourselves on being able to support our customers. So, …
Is Jesus Capable To Manage Your Life?
“He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13–14 (HCSB) *** *** *** *** It’s been my experience that whenever there is a change of leadership, people get nervous. It could be a new boss replacing another, bringing in a different set of procedures to replace the ones that are well-worn and familiar. It could be a change of leadership in the government. Will the new people in power change things for the better or for worse? When …
Polar Bear Theology
I assure you: Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop. John 12:24 (HCSB) *** *** *** *** When the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy was a boy, he and his friends started the White Polar Bear Club. There was only one requirement for becoming a member – you had to sit on a stool in the corner and not think about a white polar bear for thirty minutes. You can imagine the difficulty of meeting this entrance requirement, particularly if you sat there thinking, …
In Sync With God’s Spirit
I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me. John 17:23 (HCSB) *** *** *** *** Your soul is who you are on the inside. When you become a believer, God’s Spirit breathes new life into your soul, making you a new creation in Christ. His Spirit becomes an anchor to your soul, a steadfast force working within you so that you’re no longer pushed about by events, circumstances, or even your feelings – instead your …
A Hedge Of Thorns
“Therefore, this is what I will do: I will block her way with thorns; I will enclose her with a wall, so that she cannot find her paths.” Hosea 2:6 (HCSB) *** *** *** *** We run from God; He calls us back. We hide from God; He seeks us out. We chase false gods; He reminds us He is the One True God, and He guards us jealously. In order to illustrate his faithfulness and patience with us, God chose a prostitute named Gomer. Many men came to see her, but then one came, not to use her, but …
Blind Truth
The Jewish leaders wouldn’t believe he had been blind … John 9:18 (NLT) *** *** *** *** When Jesus healed a man born blind, the Pharisees opened an investigation to determine exactly what had happened. Yet, it appears they decided ahead of time what the answer should be, so when the facts didn’t support their predetermined conclusion, they just kept searching until they found facts they liked. The Apostle John shows us a sequence of snapshots related to the Pharisee’s investigation: · They ask the man, formally known as blind, what happened (John 9:13-16), but in this story of a …
Jesus Sent, The Blind Man Went
His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Is this the same man—that beggar?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, but he surely looks like him!” And the beggar kept saying, “I am the same man!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” John 9:8-10 (NLT) *** *** *** And so Jesus came upon a man who’d been blind since birth. The man was begging on the streets of Jerusalem, just to survive until the next day. Although people were all around him, he sat in isolation. No one could truly understand …
Jesus Heals A Man Born Blind
“Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.” (John 9:2-3 NLT) *** *** *** It was a frustrating situation, and I was looking for someone to blame: “Maybe it was his fault, maybe it was her fault, maybe it was their fault.” I even thought, “Maybe it’s my fault,” so I figuratively kicked myself a few times. …
