Matthew 10: 24-32, Romans 6: 12-23 Matthew 10 has Jesus talking about a slave being like its master. He mentions those whose master is Beelzebul who is a demonic presence attributed to Satan, the ruler of all sin and evil. They are told not to fear those who can only do damage to the body and not the soul. They are to fear God who can destroy both body and soul in hell. In contrast to being a slave to sin and Satan, we are to have Christ as our master. Everyone who acknowledges Christ, he will acknowledge them to God the Father. Yet if you deny him and have sin and evil as your master, Jesus will deny you to the Father. In Romans Paul tells us about the freedom we have from the law and how grace has forgiven our sins. However, some took this as a “Get Out of Hell” card and continued to live in sin. Paul after stating how we are now under grace raises the question, “Shall we sin so that grace may abound?” To which he gives a very bold answer, “By no means!” He tells how the...

Psalm 116, Romans 5:1-8 My Bible records Psalm 116 as “Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness.” The Psalmist here gives thanks how the Lord has healed him from death, distress, and anguish. He says that God has delivered his eyes from tears and his feet from stumbling. Even though he was greatly afflicted he kept the faith. Paul in Romans 5 talks about boasting in hope during suffering. While the Psalmist boasts in God’s deliverance from his illness, Paul boasts in God’s character and love shown in the achievement of the sacrificial death of Christ to bring salvation. Paul tells of the peace we have due to this. Paul goes beyond just remembering God’s deliverance in the past like the Psalmist, but he tells of the good things to come out our of suffering. He even boasts about them. Affliction brings endurance which produces character to which we receive our hope. This is not just an empty wish but is hope that does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured in our hear...

 Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:13-25 In Genesis, the Lord gives a command to Abram, who becomes Abraham, to go from his country to a land God will show him. He is promised that God will make of him a great nation where God will bless them. So, Abram went. This was not an easy task. He had a wife, a nephew, workers, and livestock to bring, yet he went. When God talks to him again at Canaan the Lord promises to give this land to his offspring. So, in response Abram builds an altar to the Lord and continues his journey. “So, Abram went,” is an extraordinary statement. It is free of indecision, self-doubt, or stubbornness and shows radical dependence on God’s word. Paul acknowledges this in our Romans passage where he praises Abraham’s faith saying it was reckoned – made to him as righteousness. He tells of all the factors which would have kept Abraham from believing and following God’s directive. Abram’s age being 100 and the barrenness of Sara’s body did not cause him to doubt. He h...

Luke 24:44-53, Acts 1:1-11 This Sunday was Ascension of the Lord Sunday celebrating Christ’s last words to his disciples before his ascension into heaven. Both of today’s scriptures were written by the apostle Luke. In our gospel account Jesus is doing the talking telling how everything he did fulfilled what the prophets, Mosaic law, and the Psalms wrote. He tells the disciples how they have been witnesses of Christ’s life, his death, and his resurrection – appearing to them after his resurrection. Christ then confirms God’s promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit who they are to wait for. Our Acts account is in Luke’s own voice writing down what he has witnessed at Christ’s ascension. He mentions that they will be Christ’s witnesses but here they will tell it to the whole world. There are two other differences in this account. One of these is a disciple asking when the kingdom of Israel will be restored. To this Christ replies, “It is not for you to know since it’s up to God’s au...

John 14: 15-21, Acts 17:22-31 Our John passage has been entitled in our Bibles as, “The Promise of the Holy Spirit,” yet there is so much more to explore. Jesus here says if you love me, you will keep my commandments. But by their own weak spirits the disciples cannot do this by themselves They can’t even stay awake in Gethsemane. So, he promises an advocate for them – the Spirit of Truth which will abide in them. When he talks about the time they will not see him, he is telling about the three days after his crucifixion. These days Christ will be considered a martyr. But Jesus promised them that they will see him again. He is talking about the days he will appear to them after his resurrection from the dead. He says the potent line, “Because I live you also will live.” Not only did Christ have life after death but the disciples will too due to his work on the cross atoning for their sins. The Acts account was written after Pentecost when the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit came...

 John 14:1-7, Acts 7:55-60 Our John passage is read at many a funeral. In it Jesus assures the disciples that where he is going, to his Father’s house – many believe heaven, he will prepare a place for them. Thus, when we die Jesus has prepared many dwelling places. When Philip asks him to verify the way there, Jesus states one of his greatest “I am” statements. He says, “I am the Way.” Remember last week we spoke of Jesus being the gate for his sheep – his people to come through. He states this again saying, “No one comes to the Father but through me.” He not only states that he is the way but the truth and the life also. He is the way then to eternal life. He is the way to the Father’s house. He will bring them there so that where he is they may be also. In Acts we have the account of Stephen, one of the early converts of the disciples who shared this passage of hope. Stephen is known as the first Christian martyr. He gives a long sermon telling the truth about their Jewish...