I was reading through the book of Revelation when I came across this verse.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
After reading this, I had to pause for a moment and ask myself if I could honestly say the last five words and mean them. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” I mean, I want Jesus to come back, but do I want Him to come back now? This led me to another verse. Continue reading
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In John’s writings, he often refers to Jesus Christ as “the Word”. Jesus is the living Word of God. He is the only Person Who lived up to the standards of God’s Word while on the Earth. When He spoke, people heard the Word of God. For these reasons and more, Jesus is truly “the Word”. Continue reading
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Nobody said that living the Christian life would be easy. This verse is a case in point.
One of the more difficult things that believers will practice is doing good to those who do them evil. To put this in perspective, remember that Paul wrote these words to 1st century Romans, most likely during the reign of Nero. Continue reading
But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
Jeremiah lived in a dark day in Judah’s history. He faithfully preached God’s message to the people, but they did not listen. The verse above is part of Jehovah’s assessment of them. They did not obey or even accept correction for their evil ways. God then states that “truth is perished”.
When we turn away from God’s truth, it becomes dead (ineffective) to us. It has, in effect, perished in our lives. Christians need to guard against this and accept the truth that God has revealed through His Word. We must not let the cares of life, our culture, or anything turn us away from God’s message. When truth dies in our life, our fellowship with God goes with it. When we follow His precepts and wisdom, we can have a vibrant spiritual life as we obediently live for Him.
5Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
As we enter into this election year, the words of this passage of Scripture should give us perspective. Politicians of all kinds make promises and sound as though they can solve every problem each one of us has. However, most of their rhetoric is just that. It is rare that any government official lives up to his or her promises. Continue reading