-
OUR MOTIVATION FOR ADVANCING GOD’S WORK
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. —I Timothy 1:3-6 Where do false doctrines, myths and endless focus on genealogies come from? Where do these things come from that “promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s…
-
MAYBE THEY WILL LISTEN IF YOU TELL THEM!
Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each one turn from their evil ways. —Jeremiah 26:3 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. —II Thessalonians 3:1 We do not know who is going to receive the Word of God. May we be speaking to people about Jesus and “Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways.” We will never know unless we speak to them. That includes those of our own household, our relatives, our…
-
BEWARE!
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. —Jeremiah 23:24 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.” At that time those slain by the Lord will be everywhere—from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. —Jeremiah 25:32-33 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion…
-
OUR LORD KEEPS HIS PROMISES!
“So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.” —Jeremiah 23:7-8 It is truly amazing how our Lord brought up the whole nation of Israel out of Egypt all at once and worked through Moses and Aaron to do so. “The Lord said, ‘I have indeed…
-
I MUST SPEAK HIS WORD!
But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. —Jeremiah 20:9 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. —I Corinthians 9:16 There are some things that people get so excited about that they have to share it with others. There are many things that happen in our lives that we enjoy sharing with others! Both Jeremiah and Paul,…
-
YOU CANNOT ESCAPE HIS EYES!
My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. —Jeremiah 16:17 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. —Jeremiah 17:5 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” —Jeremiah 17:9-10 Those who reject our Lord and do not want to live for Him are not escaping…
-
THE JOY AND DELIGHT OF HIS WORD
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. —Jeremiah 15:16 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. —I Thessalonians 2:13 Jesus told us that “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Can you and I truly say about God’s Word…
-
OUR MOTIVATION
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. —I Thessalonians 1:3 Brothers and sisters, fellow followers/disciples of Jesus. Is this true of us? Can we be remembered “before our God and Father” for— Our faith in God calls us to action. We desire to be lovingly obedient to what He desires us to be and do. It is our love for God and people that prompt us to labor for Him in the works He has created for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our endurance to run “the race…
-
FAITHFUL RELATIONSHIPS COME FROM FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS/DISCIPLES
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as…
-
RENEWED MINDS
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. —Colossians 3:1-2 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have…