So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” —Hebrews 13:6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkImV2cJDg Who are you fearing? Why? “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (II Timothy 1:7). “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety” (Proverbs 29:25). Fearing people is a lack of trust in the Lord Jesus. Today, in this new sunrise, let us go forth boldly in the Spirit of God knowing we are sent in the authority of Jesus our Lord. The Lord is our helper and He…

Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen. Ezekiel 16:49-50 When we think of Sodom the first thing that comes to our minds is the sin of homosexuality. Lot’s situation reminds us of how wicked the town was in this area (Genesis 19). But there were other sins that the Lord reveals to us in the verses above that were taking place as well. Pride… right at the top of the list is this sin that is so ingrained in fallen man. When it is present…

“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals. —Ezekiel 14:21 You will understand that these things are not being done to Israel without cause. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken! —Ezekiel 14:23 Judgment from the Lord comes in a variety of ways. The verse above gives us four of them: war— He brings a nation or nations against another nation; famine— He causes crops to fail and food shortages; wild animals— He can increase their number to endanger human populations; disease— He can bring new…

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see… By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen… And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. —Hebrews 11:1, 3, 6 Faith in God is what pleases Him. If a person does not have faith they cannot please Him. To come to God one must believe that He “exists…

JOYFULLY WORSHIP REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. —Hebrews 10:34 How firmly of a grasp do we have on the “stuff” the Lord has given us to steward? Do we have a proper perspective on the material belongings that surround us? Are we using them for God’s glory or our own comfort alone? What if it all were taken away? Could we have the proper perspective and say with Job, ““Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the…

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. —Hebrews 10:23-25 How as the Spirit of God been working in your life? In what ways does He want you to use what He is doing in your life to motivate others on “to acts of love and good works?” This part of what discipleship is. We…

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. —Hebrews 6:7-8 Over the years we have cleared thorn bushes from our field to allow grass to grow. When the thorn bushes covered the area is was useless. Who wanted to go running or walking through thorns or try to plant a garden? It was land that was unusable. We had to pull out all those thorn bushes and their roots to be able to use the land. Today…

For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?” —Jeremiah 49:19 For who is like me, and who can challenge me? What ruler can oppose my will?” —Jeremiah 50:44 The obvious answer is none! Nobody can oppose the will of the Lord God Almighty… nobody! There are none who can challenge Him. There is nobody else like Him. So, do you think He will have His way today and every day this planet exists and beyond? Of course He will! So take courage and do what He desires. We are on the winning side and are headed to our home in Heaven. Fellow…

“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” —Isaiah 48:22 The wicked that will not turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him will not have lasting peace on earth and will not have peace at all after they die. The Lord is warning those who will not follow Him— the Creator and Sustainer of all things. None are escaping His noticed. Every action, thought and intent of the heart are known to Him. Those who kill babies in the womb— He knows! Those who kill babies at birth— He Knows! Those who kill children— He knows! Those who kill the elderly—He knows! Those who kill anyone—…

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. —Hebrews 3:13 Sin is a deception, a wicked trick of the adversary. It promises pleasure, but it is a short-lived pleasure that can harden a person’s heart. Right from the beginning we see this in Adam and Eve’s life. Eve was deceived by the deceptive devil and had the short-lived please of eating the forbidden fruit. Adam joined her in eating the fruit and their short-lived pleasure impacted their hearts away from the Lord God Almighty and not toward Him. He is the One who sought Adam…