Why does God speak about the subject of money so often in His Word? Because He knows the power it can have over our hearts and lives. How can we be a faithful steward over all the resources He has entrusted us with? How can we truly invest in the eternal?
We can’t hide from the fact that each one of us is a sinner. Where did sin come from? What is the result of sin upon mankind? Is there really a cure, a solution to my sin problem? Thank God that where sin abounded, His grace did much more abound!
Paul writes to the Romans in this passage about the many blessings and benefits that are ours through the Lord Jesus Christ. They give us great hope, peace and joy even in the midst of our tribulations!
The earthly parents of Jesus were really good people - they kept the law, the feasts, they sacrificed and prioritized their religion. But one day they left Jesus in Jerusalem as they made their way home from the latest celebration of the Passover feast. They were so preoccupied that they didn’t realize He was not in their midst. What a reminder to us modern day parents, who often get sidetracked by everything going on in life and fail to include Jesus in our homes and in our parenting!
Is your faith the kind that absolutely cannot be shaken? Is it a faith that not only believes that God can but knows that God will? Paul talks to us in this text about the faith of Abraham and the fact that this same faith can help us today to be fully persuaded that what God promises, He will perform.
God established the home and intended that it produce a society that honored Him and its fellow man. Satan has hijacked the home today and our struggles at home have led to the disintegration of our society. Here are some scriptural priorities and practices that can connect heaven to our homes!
So many people are trusting in the wrong things to get them into a right relationship with God - family and religious heritage, good deeds, religious practices, etc. However, God’s Word claims that only one thing will make us right with God, salvation by faith alone in the work of Jesus Christ.
We are all leaving a legacy, a memory of what we stood for and how we lived our lives outside of self-interests. What will you be remembered for? Are you building an eternal heritage for those who come behind?
The world in which we live knows nothing of peace. The majority of man’s time on earth has been marked by war and conflict. We as God’s children have an assignment here on earth - to represent the King of Heaven as an ambassador of peace. We have the sacred responsibility to help people accept God’s peace in exchange for their hostility and sin.
How is it possible to move on from past hurts? Does God just expect us to forget how bad we’ve been treated and not seek vengeance? Here is an example from scripture of what can happen when we fail to move on and forgive.
How many of God’s people can say they have a truly effective prayer life, that prayer is a high priority in their daily schedule? Here are some struggles and solutions to having a powerful relationship with God in prayer.
Haggai concludes his prophecy with a personal message to Zerubbabel, the discouraged governor who was overseeing the rebuilding project. God is still in charge and will use any and all circumstances to bring about His plan! When the outlook is bleak, try the uplook!
We continue to examine the fact that we cannot mix our good deeds with the holiness and righteousness of God. Christ became the propitiation for the sins of man. God’s holiness has been fully satisfied by the sacrifice of His Son, and He can now look again in favor upon men. By all means, say “Yes” to God’s grace!
The prophet Haggai continues to identify the reasons the Jews are not experiencing God’s blessings. He urges them to get specific about their sin and identify the idols that have broken off fellowship with God. Our obedience brings God’s blessings!
Despite all of our efforts to live morally and do good works, mankind falls short of God’s standard - perfection. How can we stand before Him perfect? Only by faith in the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross and the empty tomb. Don’t pass up God’s amazing grace for religious tradition!
Israel was given a great privilege - they were given the Word of God! But they faltered in their responsibility to share it and live it before the world. How much greater is our responsibility today, for we have the completed Word of God and the example of Jesus Christ? Let’s not miss our advantage point.
Back in their home capital after exile in Babylon, many Israelites were filled with discouragement at the prospects of the new temple not measuring up to the old temple of Solomon. God, through His spokesman Haggai, offers them encouragement and hope that He will shake the world from this place when His Son Jesus comes to take over! One greater than Solomon is at work and God will ultimately receive glory from their efforts on rebuilding the temple.
As a nation, Israel repeatedly missed her opportunity to show the world who God was. The Gentiles did not believe their words because their lives didn’t back them up. Continually focused on the external, they failed to change what mattered the most - the inward man of the heart. Is the church of today making the same mistake?
The prophet Haggai was a part of those Jews who returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, and God gave him an important message to deliver to His people. That message identified their misplaced priorities and included a clarion call to make God and His work and His house a primary concern in their daily lives. The LORD “stirred up their spirit” and the work on the temple and in their spiritual hearts was begun once again!
Humanly, we like to judge ourselves in comparison to other people. We tend to stack up pretty good against our fellow man. But one day we will all stand before God to be judged by His perfect standard, the righteousness of Christ. What have you done with the measure of truth that you have received?
If anyone had some good reasons to quit serving God, the Apostle Paul would certainly qualify! But here in this chapter of scripture, he gives us sufficient motivation to keep pressing on - to not grow weary in well-doing. Are you living for the eternal or the earthly, temporal things that don’t really matter?
In the first chapter of Romans, Paul had made clear the fact that God has revealed Himself to all men and that we are without excuse in denying His power and control over our lives. God’s love in Christ is also abundantly evident, but in our pride and hypocrisy, we have attempted to redefine our sin and God’s purpose for our lives. The first few verses of Romans chapter 2 encourage us to wipe clean the windows of our soul and agree with God!
The early church had little in the way of possessions, prestige or privilege, but they were filled with God’s Spirit and turned their world upside down with the message of Christ! Why is it that today’s church has much but accomplishes so little for the kingdom of God? Could it be we are missing the secret of power with God and success with the souls of men?
Our culture always puts the emphasis on the external, but the emphasis in the Christian life is always on the internal, the hidden man of the heart. The only way to change the inner man is through the power of the Holy Spirit. What does that look like in our lives?
God clearly reveals His solution to our sin problem in Romans 1:16-17. But mankind seems intent on having his own way, and satisfying his every desire. In this passage we learn that God will eventually just let man have his way - but it always leads to self-destruction.
How’s your prayer life? That’s a good question for the child of God to ask frequently. Is it possible to pray in the will of God, aided by the Spirit, aware of God’s will in all matters, and see specific answers to those prayers? It is, when we pray in the Spirit.
Mankind is the crown jewel of God’s creation, and therefore is more accountable to Him than the other created beings. Let’s learn how God has revealed Himself and what our responsibility is with the revelation we have.
Many people today value their experience over the truth. But there are some plain truths about the New Testament practice of tongues that explain it’s role in the early church and whether we should be using this sign gift today. Let’s examine God’s Word for the answers.
Are you passionate about sharing the good news of the gospel with others? It seems we get excited and fired up about everything in life except for the most important thing, the answer for our sin problem. Don’t let a politically correct society muzzle you from being a spokesperson for the good news!
There is much confusion today about speaking in tongues for the modern-day Christian. Let’s see what God’s Word says about the purpose for tongues, who the practice was for, and what exactly this verbal miracle of communication was in its essence.
