FAITH WORKS Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” —Matthew 21:21-22 What has the Lord God Almighty put on your heart to do? Then do it and trust Him for the results. That which the Lord desires you to do He will establish the circumstances and give you the ability to do it. So move forward and trust Him to…

BE A SERVANT-LEADER Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. —Mathew 20:25-28 You do not have to look too far to see “high officials” in our nation or any nation exercising authority over people. So many times what they tell the…

SHINE! Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” —Exodus 19:5-6 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. —I Peter 2:9 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to…

KEEP YOUR EYES FIXED ON JESUS! When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. —Exodus 13:17-18 The Lord did wonderful things in leading the people out of Egypt. They had just seen ten miraculous judgments take place on the Nation of Egypt. But the people were not ready to face particular experiences yet or they might…

FORGIVE! Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his…

HARDENED OR MOLDABLE But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said. —Exodus 8:18-19 The magicians understood their limitations. There were things they could not do and only God could and they acknowledged that “This is the finger of God.” But when they told Pharaoh this, he hardened his heart “and would not listen” to them. As long as the magicians worked their “magic” to please Pharaoh according…

LEGALIZED MURDER The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are…

BOOKS OF HOG-WASH KEEP PEOPLE FROM TRUTH Recently someone was talking about a book they were reading and how the author said something like “If we ever travel to a distant planet and find life there, we will ruin it by bringing sin there.” I immediately said, “The author is dead wrong. Sin has already affected the furthest places in creation.” Go to Pluto… sin has already affected it. Go to Canis Majoris… sin has already affected it. Go anywhere in all of creation and sin has affected it! That is the fact of the matter because God says through Paul that “I consider that our present sufferings are not…

BE COURAGEOUS! But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” —Matthew 14:27-31 Peter started out walking on the water with courage, but then he focused on the situation he found himself in— walking…

HE’S ALIVE! They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.” Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” —Genesis 45:26-28 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. —Mark 16:11 Twenty two years had gone by since Joseph had been killed by…