Rejection hurts –   Rejection may desire retaliation – James and John were ready to retaliate against a Samaritan village for not receiving Jesus and His followers.  These brothers were ready to use power from God to consume an entire village for rejecting them and their Master. (NIV) Luke 9:51-54 “As the time approached […]

(NIV) Matthew 4:19-20 (paraphrased) Father, Your Son called His disciples individually. You are still calling people as individuals. Thank You for Your invitation and call through Christ’s words: “Come, follow me…” Give me courage to follow You this day, trusting You to lead me where You want me to go. I do not even have […]

   Jesus had determined to go to Jerusalem and it seems He and His followers were going through Samaria.  He was going toward God’s goals for Him. (NASB) Luke 9:52-53 “and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But […]

   Recently I read “Safely Home” by Randy Alcorn.  The Chinese who are persecuted in the story had the determination that Jesus did!  Their focus was not on their imprisonments, nor their beatings, nor their sufferings…their focus was on heaven.   Jesus had a different view of His approaching suffering, crucifixion and death, even His […]

   The word jealousy is used of God.  He alone is God and there is none other Who is to be worshiped or regarded as God.  God’s jealousy has to do with the holiness of His character and Person.   The jealously of God is not the same as people’s jealousy.  People’s jealousy is self-serving […]

   An argument was started among the twelve disciples of Jesus, “which of them might be the greatest?”  (Luke 9:46)   What did Jesus do?  How did He ‘handle’ these twelve men in this instance?  Did He reprimand them for not being better examples to the people crowded around them?  Did He tell them to […]

Pride pushes to please and placate for privileged positions. Can this be said of you?   Muhammad Ali, a boxer, declared “I’m the greatest.”  And as a boxer he probably was one of the greats.  Individuals and teams in the sports world battle to be the best, the greatest by winning tournaments. In politics, people […]

Think About This: Christ sees beyond your present circumstances into eternity.   Scripture records a time when a large crowd had gathered with the twelve disciples of Jesus present.  Those who were there saw a father receive his son who had been delivered from the power of an unclean spirit by Jesus.    This crowd was […]

 (NASB) John 14:1-3 [paraphrased] Lord God Your word tells me not to let my heart be troubled. I am to believe in God and in Jesus Christ – You, Yourself. You, Lord Jesus, promised “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you;” You promised that […]

   The perplexed disciples of Jesus had witnessed Him delivering a boy from an evil spirit.  They could not…they had tried.  They asked Jesus a question: (NASB) Matthew 17:19 “…‘why could we not drive it out?’” Notice Jesus’ forthright answer…love does that, it does not try to soft-pedal or ‘protect’ the questioner.  “Listen” to Jesus’ […]