Bible Verses

The Two Main Things

As Jesus walked the earth teaching about the kingdom of God and caring for the people he met, he attracted all kinds of followers and curious onlookers.

His disciples were his inner circle. They ate, walked, and lived with their master, and heard more of his lessons than anyone.

At times, Jesus attracted people the Bible calls “the crowds.”

Whenever he performed a startling miracle or fed five thousand with some loaves of bread and a few fish, people followed him as they would a traveling sideshow, waiting to see what kinds of new and exciting things he would do next.

A third group of people who kept track of Jesus was the Jewish religious leaders, who were called teachers of the law, Pharisees, Sadducees, and other terms.

It was sometimes hard to figure out what members of this group thought about Jesus.

Some of them listened closely to what he said because they believed he might be the fulfillment of ancient prophecies about the coming Messiah.

Others dismissed most of what he said because they didn’t like how he was demolishing their en¬trenched religious traditions.

In Mark 12, Jesus had a series of conversations with various groups of Jewish leaders. After skillfully answering a number of tough theological questions, Jesus faced yet another.

A teacher of the Law asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (v. 28)

This is the kind of question most theologians could spend their lives debating. Their deliberations might even yield a series of arcane books that spend as much time avoiding the question as answering it.

But Jesus responded in a way that was simple and direct. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The man who asked the question was impressed with Jesus’ answer and concluded that such love was more important than even sacrifices.

In our day, things seem so complex. There are so many conflicting voices vying for our attention and allegiance. But Jesus says our goals in life are really straightforward.

Of course, knowing what we need to do doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll always do it, but at least we know what our goal is. If we focus on loving God and loving our neighbor, everything else will fall into place.

Father, help me love you and my neighbor in everything I do.

Running From God

Only four chapters long, the Book of Jonah is one of the shortest in the Old Testament.

But it packs a wallop. Jonah’s story is one of the most cinematic of the Bible, and it could easily serve as the plot for an action-packed movie.

Jonah’s life is a memorable one, even for people who last heard about it in Sunday school decades ago.

The book opens with God calling Jonah to serve as a foreign missionary to the wicked city of Nineveh. Jonah heard God’s call, then turned and ran away as fast as he could.

He couldn’t outrun God, though. Jonah boarded a ship, but God sent violent storms that caused the veteran sailors to take notice.

The sailors cast lots to see who might be responsible for the storms and the lot fell to Jonah, whom they reluctantly threw overboard.

Once he was off the ship, the seas calmed. But things were just getting exciting for Jonah. God sent a great fish to swallow him.

They say there are no atheists in foxholes or fish bellies, and sure enough, Jonah prayed to God once he was imprisoned in the stomach of the whale.

The call of God came a second time:  This time Jonah didn’t argue. He obeyed God’s call.

Billy Graham would like to have had more evangelistic rallies that were as successful as Jonah’s crusade in Nineveh.

The people of the city believed God’s words, declared a fast, and put on sackcloth as a sign of their repentance.

Their response so impressed God that he decided not to destroy the city as he had promised.

But this made Jonah mad. He wanted God to zap the once-wicked city. Jonah was so upset that he even asked God to take his life.

God didn’t zap Nineveh—or Jonah. Instead, he tried to show Jonah that he cared for those people and would rather see them repent than go to their deaths.

The Jonah story contains plenty of stunning plot twists and special effects but stripped of all these elements, it remains a classic story of God’s love for humanity, even when we try to thwart his purposes.

God may not call you to preach to a wicked city, and he may not send a big fish to eat you if you disobey.

But think about how much better things would go if you did what he asked the first time!

Father, I want to serve you. Help me hear and obey your call on my life.

Down But Not Out

Would not it be a pleasant world if we were never “hard pressed” or “perplexed”? Living in and with our unpleasant circumstances can be so tiresome, so frustrating, so constant.

We are weary from the drain of enduring difficulties. No matter what we do, life continues to present one challenge after another.

Perseverance Through Faith (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Is it possible that we are missing the means to alleviate stress and pain . . . or are we focusing on the wrong goal?

We Are Hard Pressed On Every Side But Not Crushed”

What was the apostle Paul pursuing in this letter to the Corinthians? The verses that surround 2 Corinthians 4:8 tell us that he didn’t seem intent on getting out of the places that caused pressure or perplexity.

Rather he had comprehended that there was a darkness in the world and when he found himself in the middle of it, he had a choice: to fret about the darkness or to reflect the light that life with Jesus breeds.

But how does that work? How do we, still living in the midst of spiritual darkness that disrupts our peace, shines? How do we suffer as Paul did but not slide down the spiral of negativity that leads to despair?

First, we can take heart that one of the greatest of Scripture’s authors lived a life of continual hardship and still penned the words of this verse.

The tone Paul used was not one of complaining but one of encouragement. He was telling the Corinthians that he endured persecution for the sake of others, like the people of Corinth, so that they may know Jesus.

Second, we see that Paul had an ability to withstand difficulty with an attitude that preserved his emotional well-being. That ability came from his relationship with Jesus.

Since we have a relationship with Jesus, we, too, can sustain emotional health in the midst of trying times.

Faith In Hard Times Bible Verses

It is a supernatural reality that we cannot learn or achieve by performance.

We comprehend it by focusing on this relationship with God through his Son instead of focusing on alleviating hardship.

Third, we do not resign ourselves to misery and become martyred victims.

We choose to believe that Jesus comes into our lives and infuses our thinking, feeling, and volition in ways that allow for a truly overcoming view of the circumstances of our lives.

We don’t have to be happy that we suffer, but we can experience the peace of God in the midst of pain.

We, like Paul, point to Jesus when others ask how we can endure suffering and keep going. We don’t take credit for exceptional ability. Job is a leading member of the Suffering Hall of Fame.

But we don’t have to look that far back in time for examples of endurance and faith in the midst of suffering.

Today and every day around the world, thousands of Christians are suffering for their faith.

During the 1990s, the U.S. State Department reported that persecution of Christians was a routine occurrence in more than 70 countries around the world.

Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is one of many groups that track down reports of persecuted believers worldwide and encourage Americans to pray for them.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Devotional

Some of the reports, like one that detailed the 2002 massacre of a Pakistani pastor and members of his flock, are shocking. But there’s another side of the persecution coin.

As has been the case for centuries, the blood of the martyrs is the fuel for the growth of the church.

In Pakistan and other countries, persecuted Christians are standing firm by living out their faith and passing it on to others. In many of the countries where persecution is worst, the church is growing at a rapid rate.

Biblical Encouragement For Difficult Times

And we are not shocked that darkness touches us. We understand that darkness is here because of rebellion against God and that the Light that overcomes the darkness is ours to embrace.

It is in Jesus.

Father, please give us your comfort in trying times, and allow us to experience your peace.

A Ready Resource

In the early days of my Christian life, I memorized a lot of Scripture.

I have to admit that I am much less diligent in memorizing than I used to be, but I am also often amazed at the words of Scripture that come to mind.

These words are reminders of God’s love, commands, promises, and wisdom. They pop into my thoughts and redirect them or suggest a new way to consider a problem.

Their power is surprising. Considering them can actually prompt me to more godly action.

Our hearts are the starting points of life. Healthy hearts are essential for life to go on, and that health applies to our spiritual well-being as well as our physical.

We know that sin damages our relationship with God. It comes in and works its darkness, drawing us away from the Father and deceiving us. Sin is powerful.

Counterfeit light often cloaks its darkness and lures us into thinking that we are in God’s will when we are not.

The Word of God is more powerful than sin. It protects us from all manner of evil and directs us in the ways that we should live. We have this magnificent resource right at our fingertips.

It is most likely that anyone reading this book has a Bible. In fact, most of us have many copies and versions of the Bible.

But life’s temptations often present themselves when our Bibles are not at hand.

Suppose our hearts are not spiritually healthy. Suppose that at the very place from which all life begins, we are weak.

How will we know what God wants us to do when facing a confusing choice? How will we even be able to discern whether what crosses our path is from God or not?

The answers are in His Word, and there are many ways to study that Word. We hear it in sermons, read it when preparing for Bible studies, listen to it on the radio, and meditate on it during times of devotion.

But one of the most powerful ways to maintain access to the Word of God is to memorize it.

When it resides in our hearts it sits ready to be called forth at a moment’s notice.

We don’t have to find a Bible and then go to a concordance to locate Scripture to answer our questions. God’s Word is in us and fills our hearts with his love and wisdom.

Father, help us to visit again the discipline of memorization of your Word. We thank you for its ready access and realize, too, that the safest place for your Word is “hidden” in our hearts.

Abiding In Christ Branches of Christ’s Vine

It had been an amazing three years. Jesus had emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, to preach the message of God’s kingdom.

He had called twelve men to follow him and be his disciples, and this small band had walked alongside Christ, listening as he taught and watching in amazement as he performed many miracles.

Bible Study on John 15:5

Now their time together was growing short. Jesus had to die, and he tried to explain this to his disciples.

He wouldn’t be with them any longer, at least not physically, but he would be with them supernaturally to show them the way to the Father.

His lecture met with little success. His disciples didn’t understand why he had to die and leave them. who boldly claimed he would lay his life down for Jesus.

Thomas was equally puzzled.

Amidst much sorrow and confusion, Jesus carefully explained his mission on the cross, his resurrection, and how the Holy Spirit would be a constant presence in the disciples’ lives, teaching them about the ways of God.

Abiding In Christ – Jesus as the vine John 15:5

Jesus then used a simple illustration to help clear things up.

This seemed to make some sense, so he continued his lesson. God is a grand Gardener, he told them, who trims his vines to get rid of the dead and unproductive branches.

Christ Abides In Believers – Bible Study Guide on John 15:5

“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit,” said Jesus.

The darkness of incomprehension began to lift, so Jesus explained further. “

Jesus was telling his disciples that the message he brought wasn’t a series of rules and regulations, but a living, supernatural relationship with God.

Sometimes we are like Jesus’ disciples. We just don’t get what he is saying. But as long as we cling to him, we will have life and produce much fruit.

Father, help me remain connected to you and live a fruitful life.

Matthew 7:15-18 Bible study – Testing The Spirits

The attractive nine-thousand-square-foot mansion was located in the ritzy Rancho Santa Fe area north of San Diego. It had a manicured lawn and gardens full of colorful, blooming flowers.

But inside, a grisly scene greeted San Diego sheriffs. There, thirty- nine bodies in varying states of decomposition were laid out on simple bunk beds.

False prophets in the Bible – Understanding Matthew 7:15-18

The victims were eighteen men and twenty-one women. Their ages varied from twenty-six to seventy-two, but there was no variation in the way they had died.

Each victim wore black pants, black shirts, and new black Nike gym shoes.

Purple cloths covered their faces and torsos. And to make things easier for those who found them, each body had identification papers nearby.

The grand master bedroom held a body, too. It was the corpse of the unusual group’s spiritual leader.

His legal name was Marshall Herff Applewhite, but he went by the nicknames “Do” and “Bo” from the “Bo Peep” nursery rhyme.

Applewhite had promised his followers that they would reach a “level above human” if only they would shed their “containers” (or bodies) and rendezvous with a spaceship waiting for them behind the Hale-Bopp comet.

“Planet Earth is about to be recycled,” said Applewhite in a videotaped message delivered in his clipped, robotic-sounding voice. “Your only chance to survive—leave with us.”

Bible Verses Warning Against False Prophets

Each victim left a packed suitcase and a farewell statement. “I look very forward to this next major step of ours,” said one, “shedding these creatures . . . (and) moving on to the next evolutionary level.”

Another said, “I don’t have any choice but to go for it, because I’ve been on this planet for thirty-one years, and there’s nothing here for me.”1

Testing the spirits in Christianity

Unfortunately, the tragedy of Heaven’s Gate is only one of numerous deaths related to cults in recent years.

In April 1993, men, women, and children who followed a man named David Koresh and lived in his Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, died when the place went up in flames.

In March 1995, a Japanese group named Aum Shinri Kyo released the nerve gas sarin into the Tokyo subway system during the morning rush hour, killing twelve people and making more than five thousand ill.

It was because of false prophets like these that Jesus commanded his followers through the apostle John to “test the spirits.” Not everyone who comes preaching a message of hope and salvation means well.

Satan, the father of lies, has deceived many spiritual leaders and those who follow them as well, even if they don’t die in the process.

Beware Of False Prophets Bible Verse – Bible Study On Matthew 7:15-18

John tells us to test the spirits, but curiously, he doesn’t really explain how we should do so.

The examples cited in this chapter may appear extreme, but the people who became members of Heaven’s Gate, the Branch Davidians, or Aum Shinri Kyo didn’t think these groups were dangerous when they joined up.

Nor did the hundreds of poor souls who committed mass suicide in 1978 at Jonestown, Jim Jones’ authoritarian commune located in the jungles of Guyana.

Matthew 7 commentary

Jesus provided some helpful advice in his comments on false prophets found in Matthew 7:15-18.

Like a shopper who goes to the grocery to get a melon, we must probe and test groups that claim to be speaking for God.

A group may look fresh and shiny on the outside but check beneath the surface to see if members talk about abuse and authoritarianism.

Also, be on the lookout for genetically modified fruits that claim to be better than the original.

Bible Verses About Discernment – Matthew 7:15-18 Bible study guide

For example, some groups claim that no one has really understood the Bible for the past 20 centuries until their fearless leader arrived on the scene and explained it all for the first time.

Watch out for charismatic leaders who offer novel explanations of the biblical passages. Such novelty got David Koresh and Jim Jones into deadly trouble, along with all their willing followers.

Believe in God, but don’t follow every self-proclaimed prophet who claims he has the truth. What may appear beautiful might actually mask a horror beyond imagining.

Father, help me to test the spirits and to separate your truth from the spiritual falsehood that is so plentiful in the world.

God Knows Us Completely

MY (Lois) daughter Lara was never very good at covering up her wrongdoings. She couldn’t bear the guilt and would turn herself in before I caught her.

I remember finding a note outside my bedroom door when she was about eleven years old that read, “Don’t ask me what Mary and I did today at her house.”

Hebrews 4:13 Meaning: “Nothing In All Creation Is Hidden From God”

Now I know that isn’t exactly a confession, but it certainly was an indication that she wanted to get a bad deed off her chest. As it turned out, she and Mary had watched a movie that I had forbidden Lara to see.

Often our sinful human natures cause us to automatically attempt to hide our faults or at least try to disguise our motives to reflect more innocence than we possess.

Nothing Is Hidden From God (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

How often have most of us repeated a juicy piece of gossip wrapped in the guise of a prayer request, knowing that our motive was really to be the one who had the scoop on someone else? We love to see the shock on the faces of our listeners as we reveal privileged information.

It’s a frightening thing to be completely uncovered before God, before the one “to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13 Explained: All Things Exposed To God

We won’t suffer in heaven (Rev. 21:4), but we will stand before God on the day of judgment with all of our deeds exposed to him.

God’s Omniscience And Hebrews 4:13

That truth is a powerful motivator to seek godliness in all aspects of our lives. God knows everything: not only what we do in secret but what we think, and what we ponder in our hearts.

His knowledge is not that of some cosmic killjoy, but rather the insight of a loving father who desires only the best for his children.

Bible Verses About God’s All-Seeing Nature

As his children, we are disobedient and suffer the consequences. If we could hide from him, think how much more tempting it would be to do those things that cause us harm.

Hebrews 4:13 And Divine Judgment

The inability to hide from God is a good thing. It keeps us safe and helps us grow if we truly want to be the people he has called us to be.

My daughter knew as a little child that my restriction on her with regard to movies was for her own good.

She faltered on at least that one occasion in obeying, but she did want me to know about it.

All Things Laid Bare Before God (Hebrews 4:13)

May we live in ways that desire God’s watchful monitoring.

Father, sometimes we tremble to think that we cannot hide anything from you. Help us to live more and more in the light of your love, with no desire to avoid your loving eyes.

God’s Standard Of Beauty

I was always tall for a girl, towering over the boys in my classes until about age fourteen.

I hated it. My height also excluded me from being a serious ice skater, something I would have loved since the standard in that arena was “petite.”

My parents enrolled me in modeling school to help improve my self-image, and it did the trick.

I earned an astounding fifteen dollars an hour when modeling for local department stores, and people lauded me for my former nemesis—my height.

“God Looks At The Heart”

The emphasis on physical appearance that dominated many of my thoughts in my high school years continued over the decades right up to the present moment.

I’m not alone. One of the prime audiences for cosmetic companies is the aging baby boomer generation. Ads claim remarkable results for faithful use of this or that cream.

Plastic surgery and Botox treatments lure women my age into many a doctor’s chair in attempts to cover up the aging process.

I am not critical of women who choose these procedures. I might consider it myself if I weren’t such a wimp about pain.

God’S Standard Of Beauty

1 Samuel 16:7 Meaning

But in my heart of hearts, I know that these superficial measures address an area of life that is a priority for the world and not a priority with God. God looks at the heart.

The power of this verse in 1 Samuel comes in the freedom it offers from this standard of perfection that surrounds us.

Outward Appearance vs. Inner Character

If we can really grasp how God sees and values us, we escape from the damaging superficiality that can lead to poor self-esteem.

Another amazing reality this verse puts forth is that God looks at our hearts. He can see, even better than we can, what is the condition of our emotional and spiritual state.

David Anointed By Samuel

How do we know what God sees when he looks deep inside of us? I think one of the most accurate ways to honestly evaluate our heart condition is to watch how we respond to life.

An often-used test is how we drive a car and treat other drivers on the road. While this can be one measure, how we respond on the inside to many of life’s circumstances may be a more accurate one.

Biblical Definition Of True Beauty

Does my heart break when I watch the news or do I secretly wish others harm? Do I make opportunities to think well of someone whom I find irritating? Do I look at the world and other people with the eyes of Jesus?

Keeping a heart in godly condition is a constant challenge but so much more rewarding than a cleaned-up outside—tall or not—that harbors a run-down inside.

Father, thank you that you look at us inside and touching our lives to change our hearts.

Keep On Running

There is a stadium. Runners are on the track at the starting line and the stands are full of cheering fans.

At the beginning of the race, all the runners are energetic, fresh, and ready for the task ahead.

But this race is a long one. Soon the heat of the day and the length of the run begin to wear on the runners. Some of them become discouraged and fall behind the others.

They have a long way to go and feel they cannot hang on. They are tempted to quit, to turn from the track, and to walk away from the contest.

Then the sound of the cheering fans breaks through their doubt. These particular fans hold great credibility for the runners: the onlookers have run this very race themselves.

They endured to the end and now sit in the stands as a testament to those still running.

The fans wave and encourage the runners to look to the finish line. There in the distance, a figure stands, tall and welcoming.

He is clothed in white and his face shines brighter than the sun.

The runners and the fans know who this is. He is the “author and perfecter of [their] faith” (Heb. 12:2).

Seeing him at the finish line in all his glory further inspires the runners to keep going.

They know that they have suffered so little in comparison to the race he had to run. And he ran it on their behalf.

They run full of understanding and gratitude. Though their race is difficult, they are assured victory if they just don’t quit.

If they focus on Jesus and remain faithful to him, ever running toward him, they, too, will be victorious.

We are the runners, those still alive here on earth who are called to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

There is a gallery of runners that encourages us to keep on the path that follows Jesus.

We can look to them and be empowered to persevere, even when our own race seems to be all uphill.

We are not running in the dark. The light of Jesus helps us stay on track and the knowledge that the ranks of heaven applaud us stirs us on.

We can remember believers who have gone before, endured hardships, and now receive the reward of heaven. They did not turn away from God when life on this earth was difficult.

I remember one always-smiling saint, Charlie. It seemed that he led a charmed life. But his life had been touched deeply by grief, including the murder of his daughter.

His explanation for his smile, even though life was painful, was that he “stayed under the spout where the blessings come out.”

Charlie is in heaven now. Remembering his faith through fire gives me encouragement that we will be able to endure life’s trials as well.

Father, when we are energized and encouraged our race seems easy, but when we tire and stumble it seems very long indeed.

Help us to hear from heaven the throngs of those who have gone before us, and may their spiritual victories spur us on to crossing our own finish line.

Don’t Worship God’s Creation

I Reland’s first humans appeared there some ten thousand years ago.

A few thousand years later, their descendants honored their dead by building massive stone tombs, many of them prominently placed on hilltops or other sacred places.

Newgrange is the most impressive of Ireland’s hundreds of huge tombs. It is older than England’s Stonehenge, and people celebrate it as one of the world’s most amazing monuments.

A passageway leads to the center of a huge dirt mound and opens into a cross-shaped chamber area.

During the winter solstice, the rising sun sends shafts of bright light streaming into the tomb through a small opening above the door, illuminating both the passageway and the inner burial chamber with a brilliant warm glow.

This stunning light show lasts only seventeen minutes of one day every year.

While we don’t know for certain the intent of the ancient builders of Newgrange, many believe that the tomb reveals how deeply those ancient people cared for the souls of the departed and revered the role of the sun in their lives.

I’ve gone into such detail here to illustrate the importance of nature to past civilizations.

Deuteronomy 4:19, along with these ruins, attests to the powerful presence of God’s creation.

Spirituality today has once again embraced fascination with God’s creation, but it often fails to acknowledge God as Creator.

Alternative and New Age stores and catalogs entice customers to buy a wide range of goodies adorned with the sun, moon, and stars. Pagan spirituality includes ceremonies performed to the wonders of nature.

But God intended his creation to reflect him, not replace him.

We need not fear enjoying God’s creation or admiring people’s monuments, but we must remember that anything other than God himself is not to be an object of worship.

Father, help us to enjoy fully the beauty you have created. Help us to be in awe of the wonders of your hand. At the same time, keeps us from adoring the work of the Creator instead of the Creator himself.