Posts Tagged "scripture notes"

Who inherits the Kingdom of God? Not thieves, nor swindlers, slanderers nor the sexually immoral, not sinners of any kind.  These shall not -indeed, cannot- enter the Kingdom of God. This is a problem, because in one way or another, according to the Bible I’m guilty, and so are you. One of the reasons these things (in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) are deal-breakers that block our entrance into the Kingdom is that when Scripture speaks of them, it’s not so much highlighting behaviors as much as an essence of being. These outward actions are indicators of an inward nature that is so much in opposition to the holy character of God that it may not even be in proximity to Him.  It isn’t about any specific deeds or sins, it’s a core identity that...

Ever feel like you’re not “getting anything” out of sermons/messages? Ever feel like you’re not being “filled” at church? “And He said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” -Mark 4:24 I am struck that while this passage certainly applies to what we do in regards to action (as other Scriptures bear out), Jesus says here specifically to “Pay attention to what you hear.” A person paying attention to God’s words and diligently seeking wisdom and discernment will certainly be rewarded by God with insight proportional to their attentiveness, understanding proportional to their desire to learn and grow...

Which is better, old or new? “Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” -Matthew 9:17 How easy it is in our “newer-is-better” consumer culture to discard the old in favor of the new…but Jesus doesn’t do that.  Jesus finds value in both the seasoned and the start-up, the trendy and the traditional. Don’t be so quick to embrace the shine of the present that you miss the substance of the past, and don’t let the comfort of the familiar keep you from the fresh wine of a brand new...

In 2 Chronicles 24, Jehoida the priest serves God faithfully, lives 130 years, and is buried with the great honor in the royal cemetery, “among the kings.” Joash the king, by contrast, starts strong but finishes poorly, abandoning his once-faithful worship of Yahweh to worship pagan gods instead. The result?  He is assassinated by his own officials and buried in Jerusalem, “but not in the royal cemetery”. Don’t just start strong.  Finish well, for the ones God rewards the greatest are those who were the most faithful to Him.

Fear in relationships comes from a lack of trust in the other. Fear in life comes from a lack of trust in its author. “The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid?  The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” -Psalm 27:1 (NLT) - – - – - – - – - - “The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His temple.” -Psalm 27:4 The greatest joy in life is found in practicing the presence of God. This, too, is the greatest promise of the life to come, as “God Himself will be WITH them…” -Revelation 21:3b