Was your cup filled today? If the words of God had special meaning for you, please share your reflections in the comments section at the end of each post. We would love to hear Christ's impact on you.

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV) This seems like a straightforward statement by our Jesus to His disciples. No one goes to the Father, to heaven, except through me. So then, why are there so many people, who believe they are truly Christians, who are told they must work their way to heaven? If I taught world religions, it would be the easiest course to take because there are only two religions in this w

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV) The world we live in is a visible world, obviously it is because we see what goes on around us. However, there is an unseen world which we do not see that actively interferes with the world in which we live. In today’s verse Paul tells us this ex

“The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:22-23 ESV) Chapter 14 is one of my favorite Chapters of this book. It talks about Christian Maturity and the freedom we have in Christ. It gives solid examples of how we are to love one ano

My dear Lord, I can but tell You that You know I long for nothing but Yourself, nothing but holiness, nothing but union with Your will. You have given me these desires, and You alone canst give me the thing desired. My soul longs for communion with You, for mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. How precious it is to have a tender sense and clear apprehension of the mystery of godliness, of true holiness! What a blessedness to be like You as much

“And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:51-52 ESV) Chapter 2 of Luke’s Gospel account focuses on the birth and early years of Jesus' life. We read of the requirement that Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, and his wife Mary make the trip to Bethlehem, some 65 miles north of Galilee. You see, both Jesus

“The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Ruth 2:12 (ESV) Chapter one showed us that God is a God who makes a way for us when there is no way on our own. God takes an impossible situation, like Naomi’s plight of having no one to provide for her, and makes it possible not only for her to survive but to receive beautiful blessings from His hands. Chapter 2 continues

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15 ESV) Our tendency as humans is to live for tomorrow. Think about who you attempt to plan your life with. We make plan

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 ESV) Surprisingly, many of those who call themselves Christians, get this wrong. If you asked this verse in the form of a question, “Who’s power to destroy the soul and body in hell should you fear? ” They would answer Satan. This, however, is completely wrong. Satan can lead you away from God, but it is God who has the keys to both he

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” (Matthew 5:4 ESV) In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught many things, many of which were contrary to what the Israelites had been taught in the Judaic religion. Things like looking at someone with lust constitute adultery, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth, and blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Loss is very hard on everyone except the one who is gone, provided they knew

“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.” Ruth 1:6-7 (ESV) Most of us have heard about the historical events of Ruth and Naomi and how Naomi’s husband and their two sons were living in Moab, some 50 miles or so fr

My Heavenly Father, You are the blessed God, happy in Yourself, source of happiness in Your creatures, my maker, benefactor, proprietor, upholder. You have produced and sustained me, supported and indulged me, saved and kept me; You are in every situation able to meet my needs and miseries. May I live by You, live for You, never be satisfied with my Christian progress but as I resemble Christ; and may conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct grow hourly in my life. L

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:1-2 ESV) You will notice a change in Paul’s writings from Chapters 1-11, where Paul very precisely shows the difference

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1 ESV) Often overlooked in modern preaching is the majesty of God. Perhaps it is because we are focused on the love and grace of God found in salvation that we forget the meaning of “Majesty.” The Hebrew word for majesty is geuth ( גֵּאוּת - gay-ooth'), meaning excellent things, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging (Strong’s Hebrew 1348). It is like the w

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV) Grace is the basis of everything. In the beginning, God, in His grace, expressed His glory in creation. A glory that would give Him delight, not like a puppy delights a child, but delight in His glory. Creation delighted Him because in His creation, H

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1 ESV) Humanity is unique in that we live between the righteous wrath of God, and salvation through Jesus Christ. To look at the world as it is today you would think everyone had gone crazy. Yet remember we were like the world. We were selfish, covetous

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36 ESV) Have you noticed that throughout the Book of Romans, Paul quotes the Old Testament a lot to his readers? Do you

Holy Lord, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, of failure to find Your mind in Your Word, of neglect to seek You in my daily life. My transgressions and short-comings present me with a list of accusations, but I bless You that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ. Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them. Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit in

“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:8-10 ESV) In early posts, I have shared the four verses in Romans that typically make up the “Romans Road

"He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:22-24 ESV) Christ is perfect in every way. In the incarnation, He remained separate from the DNA of Mary and Joseph. The