Elijah was zealous for the LORD and for how His character was perceived among the people. The extensive system of idolatry and false gods of Jezebel’s culture and background was reinforced by Ahab. . . ..Ahab and Jezebel are coalescing once again.
Read MoreThe three characters here—Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah—are symbolically prophetic of what is happening in the world today. The Reformers, upon gaining access to God’s Word, recognized Jezebel as symbolic of corrupting influences within the Roman Catholic church. As Roman Catholics themselves, they humbly acknowledged their own part of the general problem.
Read MoreIs there any amount of effort or energy or time or money that we could spend for the care of the wounded that could be considered too much? What is the value of a life? In the eyes of the Lord, it is infinite.
Read MoreYes, Jesus comes in mercy to bind us up wherever we are wounded so that the healing process can commence. And the sooner the better! What are the divine agents for healing? They are oil and wine, and they must be generously poured into every wounded place.
Read MoreThus far, there are three characters in the story: the stripped and wounded man left half dead is any and every one of us. The second and third characters are church leaders with no fruit of the Spirit. They too are lost. So, all three characters thus far presented are in a lost condition.
Read MoreIf anyone is a believer, then Satan wants to destroy anyone’s faith. And he wants to steal the uncorrupted ‘teachableness’ of every young person. His motives are far uglier than we can even imagine.
Read MoreThe Master Teacher brought this lawyer to an unanticipated level of engagement by answering his question with a question. The genuinely respectful tone of voice of Jesus—along with that piercingly thoughtful gaze—totally disarmed the lawyer!
Read MoreIn modern usage, the word “despise” is applied in a context of active loathing or hatred. But the word that is translated despised in Scripture refers to a passive verb.
Read MoreIn His great wisdom, Jesus communicated in various ways and degrees of emphasis, depending upon the listeners. He employed softer words whenever possible, conveying the light of truth to hearts tender and receptive to the foundational principles of heaven. In the cases of those who have allowed corruption to alter their ways of thinking, His words are sharper in order to break through the shell of hardness.
Read MoreCorinth was one of the worldliest of cities, over-run with corruption of every sort. Their advantage was having in plain view the marked contrast between the godless culture from which they came and the pure gospel teachings of God’s love, forgiveness, and a new, wholesome life of living for Him as a testimony of His grace to change hearts.
Read MoreBeloved, your confidence lies in the authority of Jesus. Your faithfulness to Him is a display, showing that His authority is the standard to which you are committed.
Read MoreAs long as our lives are hidden with Christ then we are free from the condemnation of our guilty past. Jesus covers our unrighteous past with His robe of righteousness as long as our hearts are surrendered to Him. If we remain under the guidance of His Holy Spirit, continuing forward under the umbrella of His authority and protection, we are safe.
Read MoreThe religious leaders took advantage of the opportunity to humiliate the disciples, pressing in close with questions. They were motivated by a desire to “prove” that Jesus and His disciples were deceivers.
Read MoreAny flaw is forgivable and correctable if we would only acknowledge the necessity of being in agreement with God. A heart that is willing to change in order to align with the will of God is immediately set on a righted course: that of restoration of His image in us. Isn’t that the goal of sanctification?
Read MoreFallen humanity has a propensity for veering off of the path that God desires for us. Going “left” means cropping or deleting specific details that we have been given. Going “right” is the tendency to add to what He has said, creating a burdensome task. Both flaws have a way of making complicated the simple truths that Jesus has for us.
Read MoreWhen Napoleon had the pope removed from his throne in 1798, the 1260-year reign of the first beast—the papacy—came to an end. Or did it? In reality it came to a temporary pause, but has slowly been swelling in power ever since.
Read MoreThe new, young nation arising out of the earth has high, lofty ideals imbedded into its founding principles. At its inception, in a world where most citizens were taxed to support a state-endorsed religion and religious dissidents were cruelly oppressed, our fledgling nation stood apart as the standard-bearer of freedom. A pillar of the Christian faith is that worship of the one true God is done without coercion of any kind.
Read MoreThese lamb-like horns denoted an innocent, young, peace-loving, nonoppressive, and spiritual nation. God’s providence is evident in the lofty ideals that were the banner of the young, new country. Indeed, many of our nation’s founders were themselves followers of Christ.
Read MoreReligious persecution all over Europe was a nightmare for those who desired to live their lives in faithfulness to Jesus. The corrupted church had risen to its officially recognized position of power by AD538, following the papacy’s uprooting—using military power—of the three (of ten) kingdoms who had opposed it (see Daniel 7:8).
Read MoreWhen pressed by them over one such law, Jesus wisely captured the opportunity to make a distinction between God’s law and man-made customs and rules. The real emphasis here is on the condition of the heart.
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