“but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant” Philippians 2:7 Form – Perhaps one of the most important passages in all of the New Testament, Philippians 2:5-9 reveals the true sense of the incarnation of Jesus. Without this critical belief, Jesus’ life and death mean nothing. And in the middle of it all is…
“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19 What is right – Peter made it up. Not the rule, the word. When he came to the end of this verse, he needed a word that would…
“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19 Faithful – If you are going to sign the Trust Deed (yesterday), you will have to know the character of the executor you choose. No one signs over…
“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19 Entrust – Do you trust God? Careful. Do you really trust Him? Do you trust Him so that you are able to place everything about your life in…
“Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” 1 Peter 4:19 Suffer – Do we suffer according to the will of God? Most of us have clear memories of the times of suffering in our lives, but we hardly…
“If any one thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” James 1:26 Bridle – Yesterday I heard another sad story about the double standard of the Christian community. A close friend of mine was the victim of false rumor and…
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4 Left – How many times have we left behind something that we thought was a stepping-stone along the way only to discover that it was the essential foundation of everything else? If this weren’t so true, we would never have…
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you,” Galatians 3:1 Bewitched – The evil eye! If you are Italian or Spanish, you know the superstition about casting an evil spell with a malevolent gaze. Well, the Greeks were no different. In very ancient history, the idea that you could be harmed by an evil look scared…
“for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:16 Will show – The man or woman of God is often one most acutely aware of personal inner failings and struggles. Holiness is not a state that we will ever achieve. The closer we draw toward Him, the more…
“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus” Hebrews 3:1 Heavenly – “Oh, what a heavenly scene!” “Why this place is just heavenly!” Is that the sense of this verse: that we experienced a “really nice” calling? Get serious! God has something more in mind than an advertising description. So, maybe it means,…
