In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Luke 1:26-28
John
New Birth – New Life
Last time I took a look at the birth of Jesus, which probably wasn’t on December 25th but then no one knows for sure.
I’ve seen headstones on graves that didn’t have a birth date or perhaps had the wrong one. Continue reading
The Word is Jesus
We have been studying Psalm 119 in Sunday school for several weeks. It contains 176 verses but what you may not know is it uses the phrase “your word” thirty-five times.
John tells us in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 Continue reading
Judgment vs Condemnation
I saw a status on Facebook that has had me meditating about it ever since.
It said, “Don’t judge me just because I sin differently from you.”
There is something wrong about it and it’s taken me a few days to put it together.
There is nothing wrong with judging another person! Continue reading
Get the story right!
Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'” Matt 26:60-61
An ambulance drives by and everyone is curious as to what has happened and to whom. The telephone rings and a story is told.
Then another and another but they’re all different stories. Continue reading
Fasting explained (part 2)
Isa 58:6
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
- Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
- Lighten the burden of those who work for you.
- Let the oppressed go free
- Remove the chains that bind people.
- Share your food with the hungry
- Give shelter to the homeless.
- Give clothes to those who need them
- Do not hide from relatives who need your help. Continue reading
Fasting explained (part 1)
Isa 58:6
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
- Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
- Lighten the burden of those who work for you.
- Let the oppressed go free
- Remove the chains that bind people.
- Share your food with the hungry
- Give shelter to the homeless.
- Give clothes to those who need them
- Do not hide from relatives who need your help.
Is there a realistic way to accomplish God’s word for fasting? There is in a spiritual way. Now I do not think that God is doing away with a traditional fast but He is expounding upon it.
- Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
Sin is the great imprisonment in our lives. Christian’s hold the key to opening and releasing the prisoners so we can free those that are wrongly imprisoned.
Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah when He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;” Luke 4:18
In the midst of this Isaiah says, “To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” Isa 61:1
You can allow the Spirit of the Lord to anoint you to also proclaim the Gospel and set free those held captive by sins grasp.
- Lighten the burden of those who work for you.
If you have a business and employees this one is easily possible for you; but does it have an application for those that do not have a business or employees?
There are people always working for you, not necessarily in the monetary or employee sense.
Some are earnestly praying for you, while others are trying to help you behind the scenes.
You can lighten their burden for you by doing them and yourself a favor – live for God!
I know a young lady that is a burden to my heart. She is constantly saying and doing things that are not morally good. She could lighten my burden by getting her heart right with God and living for Him.
Matt 11:28-30 –Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
- Let the oppressed go free.
I know you’re not the governor of the state or a warden, so how can you accomplish this?
I think more people are oppressed by their own attitude. They are held from going forward by something in the past.
Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32
The truth of God’s word tells each of us how to be free from anger, hatred, and malice, which are attitude related.
Share God’s word and pray for someone to be released from these things.
- Remove the chains that bind people
A chain is something that is used to connect or hold something down. These chains take may different forms. Many are chained by fear. Fear of the water will keep you chained to the land.
2 Tim 1:7 – God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Fear does not come from God; fear comes from inside each of us.
Fear keeps us from stepping out by faith. Again, it is God’s word that banishes fear!
More next time.
The Greater Sin
Lately I have heard several people say that one sin is not greater than another.
I will have to disagree and I can prove it – Biblically!
It was after the arrest of Jesus. He is standing before Pontius Pilate and He’s not saying a whole lot. Continue reading
Love?
Christians are constantly bombarded by being told we should love everyone!
So we should because the Bible says in 1 John 4:7, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.
James 2:8 – Love your neighbor as yourself Continue reading
Recognize the voice!
Wednesday night finished up a study of Galatians.
The book is about how the church(es) had heard the true Gospel message from Paul and believed it.
Then, as soon as he left, some others came in, added to and changed the message. Continue reading
Morning Thought with Pastor Tim 