Now when they heard [this], they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “men [and] brethren, what shall we do?” then Peter said to them, “repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the lord our god will call.” And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “be saved from this perverse generation.” (Acts 2:37-40 NKJV) What stirred the people to repentance was the sermon Peter had just finished preaching to them. When the people understood they had … Read entire article »

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new [man] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave [nor] free, but Christ [is] all and in all. (Colossians 3:8-11 NKJV) Having dealt with the base nature, encouraging the Colossians to mortify their members (Col. 3:3-7), Paul now turns to specific sins. Clearly this is not an exhaustive list, but he wanted to make sure they understood the importance of dealing with actual deeds of sin. It is critical to … Read entire article »

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of god is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. (Colossians 3:5-7 NKJV) As believers, we are called to put to death our earthly inclinations. This is no small task as anyone seeking to live holy knows. We are, after all, made of dust. Paul gives us two reminders to push us along the correct path. First, he reminds us that the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience because of sin. Then he points out that we once lived in them, the sons of disobedience. Just before these two reminders, Paul … Read entire article »

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, pleading with him, saying, “lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” the centurion answered and said, “lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this [one], ‘go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘do this,’ and he does [it].” When Jesus heard [it], he marveled, and said to those who followed, “assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in … Read entire article »

Jesus taught many beatitudes concerning the Kingdom of God. At the end of this long section of Scripture (Matthew 5:3-7:12) we find the following serious admonishment. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide [is] the gate and broad [is] the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow [is] the gate and difficult [is] the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV) Jesus gave us this text to warn us to be real, not hypocritical. He knew we would always be tempted by the flesh and false teachers to stray from the path of righteousness. So He goes on and describes the threat. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they … Read entire article »

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV). It should be obvious that short-term goals will be lost when we leave this world. However, we need reminding because we live in an immediate society. This is a perfect environment for our flesh. It loves to be satisfied and is unwilling to wait. The danger of being fleshly is disastrous. As the Scriptures say, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And, we know that we cannot please God … Read entire article »

“. . . When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who [is] in the secret [place]; and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen [do]. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him. In this manner, … Read entire article »

“Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV) Giving is to be an act that honors the Lord. It says to Him that your trust is not in the strength of your arm but in the faithfulness of your God. It is a spiritual duty that reminds the believer of his dependence upon God. The believer prostitutes this spiritual principle when he participates in this discipline sinfully. If one gives out of duty, grudgingly, he is not honoring the Lord (2Cor. 9:7). Likewise, if one gives to gain a reputation he dishonors the Lord (Matt. 6:1). It is not the giving that impresses God, but the spirit … Read entire article »

You have heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have [your] cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away (Matthew 5:38-42 NKJV). The intent of this passage is not to allow sin to reign without seeking any justice. To overlook a violent crime, and not seek justice in the courts would be to promote violence against the next victim. The … Read entire article »

“Happy [is] the man [who] finds wisdom, And the man [who] gains understanding; For her proceeds [are] better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She [is] more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace. She [is] a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy [are all] who retain her. The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes—Keep sound … Read entire article »