teachings

I am a Pastor. It is my job to teach about God and his relationship with mankind. I take this job seriously. To that end, I have written or commented on various issues that stem from theology and ideas about God through the years. Some of the teachings in this archive or more, “off the cuff,” musings. Some of them contained systematic theology with citations and notations. In either case, I post them for your consideration noting that they represent a dynamic person who may not teach the same things later. In any case, I’ve tried to be honest about my current relationship with my teachings below… please read any disclaimers you might find. That said, perhaps something I’ve written can give you pause to think or be of help to you.

LATEST TEACHINGS

TEACHING ARCHIVE
(A to Z)

  • Untitled post 7320

    Whenever reformation or revival comes, there comes rebellion and wrath along with it. Not everyone who claims to work for God is doing so from a pure heart. Many only do so because they perceive God’s power and want a piece of the blessings. In ministry, their should always be a sound understanding that God’sContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-23

    1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-23

    What do we ultimately build on? That foundation that was already laid. We can often be confused by the strong structures built by others but at the end of the day, the strongest structure is only as strong as the foundation it rests on. Our solidarity is also a structure. How we build it isContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

    1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13

    There is nothing that God cannot handle, though there is plenty that will be difficult. The difficulty may result in death to our mortal shells. It certainly did for nearly every apostle and Jesus himself. This verse isn’t about facing adversity and the promise of overcoming it while physically intact. It is about facing sinContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-22

    1 CORINTHIANS 10:14-22

    Paul’s challenge is to that of a unity of intent. To be truly united with each other & God is to walk with a conviction about actions. Everything has a base level meaning. It has a base level ideology behind it that, while not itself a threat to God, speaks volumes about where your heartContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-33

    1 CORINTHIANS 10:23-33

    This idea that we should “be concerned for the benefit of others,” is at the heart of the “golden rule.” It is a curious thing that happens when people are freed & left to their own devices. They often times practice the very subjugation that they held in such disgust. The measure of the godlyContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16

    1 CORINTHIANS 11:1-16

    The roles of men and women in Roman times & throughout Jewish culture were well established norms. Society was tenuously built on it. However, they also made it difficult for the sexes to function as equals because they established a caste system between them. In this passage, Paul describes how those norms can be navigatedContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34

    1 CORINTHIANS 11:17-34

    The Lord’s Supper is special because of what it accomplishes in the body. On the one hand it manages to recall the sacrifice of Christ. On the other it manages to tie that event into something that nourishes. But their is a spiritual element to it as well. Paul doesn’t focus on mysticism of transubstantiationContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11

    1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11

    The idea of a spiritual gift is a seminal idea in our active faith. They are a covenant of sorts between man and God that his image will be a productive one as played out in creation. All people in his body bear the privilege of their gift, while also bearing the burden to useContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31

    1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31

    So often people in a community become jealous of the strong. But in truth, the only weak members are the one who are uncultivated in their uniqueness. People in a group are not weak because they “don’t fit in,” with the status quo. Diversity is a recipe for success, not failure. But diversity requires aContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 13

    1 CORINTHIANS 13

    This evergreen passage has captured the hearts of our society for its grand philosophy on the nature of love. People use it, erroneously, to speak about romance but that is not it’s intended usage. It is, at its heart, a treatise on the engine of relationship. Many have confused the driving force of relationship toContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-25

    1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-25

    This passage has much meat on it. Dealing the complexity of desire and application, Paul doesn’t mince words or break into a theological treatise to qualify the gift of Tongues. Many could read into this passage an acceptance of the idea that Tongues is unique prayer language, but a simple reading of the text wouldContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 14:26-40

    1 CORINTHIANS 14:26-40

    The key to living in God’s image is not simply being at peace with one’s self. It is living self sacrificially. This type of living is, by necessity, an ordered, disciplined and structured living. It is not structured according to selfish ambition but toward the reflective benevolence of God’s character. So often, our metric forContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11

    1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-11

    There are so many things that can become entangled with the gospel. This is largely because the message contained within it is an open call and doorway for all to enter into God’s blessings through Christ’s sacrifice. But many things come into it that don’t belong. John reveals to us that things will one dayContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-32

    1 CORINTHIANS 15:12-32

    The resurrection is the lynchpin of all history. With it, all things hold together. Without it, nothing truly matters. Yet, in Corinth, as is today, many try to present the work of Christ without his physical or factual resurrection. Not only should this not be so, because it’s factually in error, but it is foolishContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 15:33-34

    1 CORINTHIANS 15:33-34

    This passage highlights a significant truth. People are meant to be influenced. This is not a negative thing. God created us to crave meaningful relationships. Scripture says that we were created with his Word. We want it & need it to survive. Biblically, this fact also makes relationships a part of our being where greatContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-39

    1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-39

    Paul has harsh words for the foolishness of men and their so-called wisdom. Even in nature itself, a seminal thing such as farming gives us examples that we can relate to on God’s processes. The mystery of the gospel is not so foreign that it is unspoken about all around, it is only told inContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58

    1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-58

    Our physical bodies are a gift. We are not gnostics who believe that this body is a curse that has trapped the spark of life within us. However, this gift, though not a curse, has been cursed. It has been given supremacy in our lives and hearts and minds. What was given as a giftContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 16

    1 CORINTHIANS 16

    Intentful relationship leads to intentful generosity. This then inspires intentful giving which opens the door for intentful relationship. The idea of relationship is meant to be a closed system of endlessly spirating intentful acts that prove and proof the true nature of our faith. The gospel goes out and through because it is a workContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

    1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

    Paul had previously told the Corinthians that they were well equipped to live out their faith. This is part of the framework for his coming admonition to the church. Letting people know that they must live rightly is not a statement about a lack of equipping but a lack of discipline, focus and drive toContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-17

    1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-17

    All Christians can stand together under premise regardless of preference.  Paul is not ashamed to make this point, even diminishing his own standing and naming names to do so. This presence of mind is integral to the church’s actions as a single organism, but it is sadly lacking in many churches today.

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

    1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

    This passage is integral to understanding ourselves in this universe. God is so much more clever we could ever be. Becoming clever ourselves is only an extension of how he enables us to think. In truth, many of the world’s most brilliant atheists can only ever be considered this when they borrow liberally from theContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-16

    1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-16

    Relationship is key to this passage. One cannot be educated if one doesn’t have knowledge. But not knowledge of a subject but of the character that inspired that subject. Our world is not made up of mere cogs but it is the vast tapestry constructed by a personality. If we can first see this andContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9

    1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-9

    This passage is important to unity. It is about the perspective from which our unity comes. Namely, the issue is allegiance and understanding that in Christ, we not only have new end goals and results but also new origins. Our churches and church workers may have brought us to Christ, but faith in him throughContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-5

    1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-5

    Judgment does not belong to us except where authority has been given. Another way to think about this is to insert the word, “pass,” before the word, “judgment.” We have no authority to pass judgment like a magistrate. This doesn’t mean that we have no authority or call to be discerning. On the contrary, weContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 4:6-21

    1 CORINTHIANS 4:6-21

    Here we can see some of Paul’s snarky genius peeking through. In his admonishment, he doesn’t shy away from leaning into the” so-called wisdom,” of Corinth and pointing out their foolishness. This reminds me of Jesus to the Pharisees when he calls them,” gods.” There is wisdom in his judgment of his people here. HeContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 5

    1 CORINTHIANS 5

    This is the hardest part of being a follower of Christ. This is that moment of truth wherein you must protect the church by being harsh with it. It seems counterintuitive to call for separation if the inheritance of following Christ is unity, but unity is never at the sake of holiness. You may findContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1-11

    1 CORINTHIANS 6:1-11

    Paul demonstrates wisdom. With a bold directness, he calls out a foolish way of thinking to the point of shame. In today’s culture, this would be perceived as shaming and gaslighting. The idea that we would accept an offense and wait for God’s ultimate judgment rather than smear the name of Christ or the unityContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20

    1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20

    Sexual sin is unique because of how many facets of the human experience it touches. Yet humans have done everything they can to compartmentalize it as hurting no one. The biblical model for sex is that of a permeating and pervasive experience. Sex is an act of worship in the covenant relationship. It is aContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-9

    1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-9

    Again we see that something in our culture that is viewed as purely biological is maintained with an eye toward its purpose in the unity of the marriage relationship. Even in abstinence within marriage, the point of functioning this way is to draw closer to God. This is why it should only be done forContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 7:10-16

    1 CORINTHIANS 7:10-16

    The passage ends with the quip, “don’t you realize?” The question here is hope. If your hope is in God’s ability to show a person that you love about himself through your continuing sacrifice in their life then you have already won them to Christ. But if your hope is to end the fighting, haveContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17-24

    1 CORINTHIANS 7:17-24

    I have heard this passage used to justify that we can and should remain in our sins; specifically in cultures that are sinful and have counter biblical ways of living. But the call here, to stay in a circumstance is toward domination of the environment rather than abandonment. There is never to be a mentalityContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-40

    1 CORINTHIANS 7:25-40

    The thing that is often missed in this passage is the unique way in which singleness is presented on par with marriage in terms of being a fulfilling life of ministry. Whereas the married man will always struggle to bring his family into ministry, the single man feels no such gravity. I had the benefitContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 8

    1 CORINTHIANS 8

    Often times the things that we may be willing to suffer are not as good of motivators toward our growth as the idea of another person suffering them. In regard to food and health, my own journey has been vastly informed by the idea that the children who watch me and learn from me, needContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 9:15-23

    1 CORINTHIANS 9:15-23

    Paul understands that ministry is multifaceted. On the one hand, he is due compensation on the merit of his efforts. They are true, respectable and bear fruit. On the other hand, his efforts are only made possible through the free gift of God’s grace in his life. Without this, all of his efforts amount toContinue…

  • 1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27

    1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27

    So many believers do not “run to win.” Instead they “run for joy,” because they have won already. They site this as a facet of their victory in Christ. Clearly this isn’t Paul’s theology. Our victory in Christ is assured, but there is a level of participation in it. We cannot simply lay down inContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:1-2

    1 JOHN 1:1-2

    “1We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning,a whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify andContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:3-4

    1 JOHN 1:3-4

    3“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.b“ 1 John 1:3-4 NLT To many, sharing the gospel canContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:5

    1 JOHN 1:5

    “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 John often highlights the “lightness” of Christ. Especially in his gospel, he concludes his introduction to Christ by noting that the “Word” of God became flesh.Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:6

    1 JOHN 1:6

    6. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 1 John 1:6 The simple truth is a thing that is often lacking in those who claim to have a complex one. The environment of proto-Gnosticism harbored such “knowledge.”Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:7

    1 JOHN 1:7

    7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 JOHN 1:7 For Christians, walking in the Light as Jesus is in the light is an immersive task. This is becauseContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 1:8-10

    1 JOHN 1:8-10

    If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar andContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:1-2

    1 JOHN 2:1-2

    For many Christians, finiteness is a barrier to godliness. But we have to remember that God designed it as a feature of our being. We are made dependent upon him. Sin lives in our finiteness. It wants to exploit that feature and conflate its identity with it. But we do not sin because we areContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:12-14

    1 JOHN 2:12-14

    12I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.c 13I am writing to you who are mature in the faithd because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle withContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:15-16‬

    1 JOHN 2:15-16‬

    “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not fromContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:17

    1 JOHN 2:17

    “And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” 1 John 2:17 This simple passage speaks volumes about our Christian hope. The search for meaning is the search that every matured human being undertakes at some point. As John noted the variousContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:18-19

    1 JOHN 2:18-19

    “Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, itContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:20

    1 JOHN 2:20

    20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, but you have an anointing from the Holy One. and all of you know the truth. 1 John 2:20 The Spirit of the Anti-Christ is that which denies the gospel. It denies the basic message of Christ to love inContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:21

    1 JOHN 2:21

    “So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.” 1 John 2:21 NLT Many Christian’s have believed the lie that admonishment is a tactic reserved for correction. They believe that they should only be strongly engaged when they have violently veeredContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:22-23

    1 JOHN 2:22-23

    “And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”‭‭‬ 1 John‬ ‭2:22-23‬ ‭NLT John coins the term “Anti-Christ” asContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:24-25

    1 JOHN 2:24-25

    24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us. 1 John 2:24-25 An important facet of our faith is permanence. This featureContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:26

    1 JOHN 2:26

    26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 1 John 2:26 NLT In a world where many have a hard time being direct and value soft teaching and a convenience of endless emotionally driven validation, John speaks plainly. There are some who would lead Christians astray.Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:27-28

    1 JOHN 2:27-28

    “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:29

    1 JOHN 2:29

    “Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.” 1 John 2:29 Being righteous is not merely a state of being. It’s a descriptive state. It describes one who is actively in sync with the character of God in real space and real time.Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:3-4

    1 JOHN 2:3-4

    By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 1 JOHN 2:3-4 NLT These “harsh words,” spoken by John are necessary truths ofContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:5-6

    1 JOHN 2:5-6

    but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked. 1 JOHN 2:5-6 This passage clearly delineated a choice. The choice is one ofContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:7-8

    1 JOHN 2:7-8

    Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8Lit AgainOn the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passingContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 2:9-11

    1 JOHN 2:9-11

    9The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. 11But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does notContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:1-3

    1 JOHN 3:1-3

    “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us whatContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:11-15

    1 JOHN 3:11-15

    “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. SoContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:16-18

    1 JOHN 3:16-18

    “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:19-24

    1 JOHN 3:19-24

    “Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive fromContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:4-6

    1 JOHN 3:4-6

    “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know himContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 3:7-10

    1 JOHN 3:7-10

    ” 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God cameContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:1-3

    1 JOHN 4:1-3

    “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be aContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:11-12

    1 JOHN 4:11-12

    “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John‬ ‭4:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ John promises something astounding in this passage. Earlier, it isContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:13-15

    1 JOHN 4:13-15

    “And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God livingContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:16-17

    1 JOHN 4:16-17

    “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment,Continue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:18

    1 JOHN 4:18

    “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”‭‭ ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Perfect love expels all fear. This passage is often mistaken to say that “love expels fear,” or thatContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:19-21

    1 JOHN 4:19-21

    “We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God mustContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:4-6

    1 JOHN 4:4-6

    “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But weContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:7-8

    1 JOHN 4:7-8

    “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ John’s plea to believers is simple. We must love each other. ThisContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 4:9-10

    1 JOHN 4:9-10

    “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 nLT There is aContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:1-2

    1 JOHN 5:1-2

    “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.”‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ As John begins to close down his short book, he cinches up hisContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:11-13

    1 JOHN 5:11-13

    “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-13 NLT John’s emphasis had always been on truth and light. Knowledge, for the proto-gnostics, was seen asContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:14-15‬

    1 JOHN 5:14-15‬

    “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Confidence is a thing that is missing from the lives ofContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:16-17‬

    1 JOHN 5:16-17‬

    “If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. AllContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:19-20‬

    1 JOHN 5:19-20‬

    “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the trueContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:21

    1 JOHN 5:21

    “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.”‭‭‬‬ 1 John‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭NLT Everything that John has stated leads to this one command. “Do not set up an idol in your heart.” For John, all of the problems that he had been addressing were issues of idolatry. The lack ofContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:3-5

    1 JOHN 5:3-5

    “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”‭‭‬‬ 1 John‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NLT Here liesContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:6-8

    1 JOHN 5:6-8

    “And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.”‭‭‬‬ 1 John‬ ‭5:6, 8‬ ‭NLTContinue…

  • 1 JOHN 5:9-10

    1 JOHN 5:9-10

    “Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believeContinue…

  • 1 JOHN‬ ‭5:18‬

    1 JOHN‬ ‭5:18‬

    “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Christian’s who allow for sin to take root in their lives are not people of faith. This is John’s conclusion. These areContinue…

  • 1 KINGS 22‬:‭13‬-‭28‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS 22‬:‭13‬-‭28‬ ‭‬‬

    “Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.” But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.” When Micaiah arrived beforeContinue…

  • 1 KINGS 7‬:‭1‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS 7‬:‭1‬ ‭‬‬

    “Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.”‭‭ 1 Kings‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Some believe that Solomon’s interests weren’t aligned with God’s. As we see later on, his love for his wife, born from a political marriage to a foreign idol worshipper, allowed for easy access toContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭‬‬

    “She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I wasContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬-‭6‬ ‭‬‬

    “The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. In Solomon’s oldContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭11‬:‭31‬-‭40‬ ‭

    1 KINGS‬ ‭11‬:‭31‬-‭40‬ ‭

    “Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you! But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of myContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭16‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭16‬ ‭‬‬

    ““Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.” Rehoboam replied, “Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.” So the people went away. Then King Rehoboam discussed theContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭13‬:‭25‬-‭34‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭13‬:‭25‬-‭34‬ ‭‬‬

    “People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived. When the prophet heard the report, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has fulfilled his wordContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭14‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭14‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭‬‬

    “Give your husband, Jeroboam, this message from the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I promoted you from the ranks of the common people and made you ruler over my people Israel. I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David,Continue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭16‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬-‭16‬ ‭‬‬

    “Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done. He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obsceneContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭‬‬

    “Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been.Continue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭16‬:‭29‬-‭33‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭16‬:‭29‬-‭33‬ ‭‬‬

    “Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years. But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. And as though it were not enough toContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭17‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭17‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭‬‬

    “Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!” Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.””‭‭ 1 Kings‬ ‭17‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ It is always interestingContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬ ‭‬‬

    ““I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.”‭‭ 1 Kings‬ ‭18‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Ahab calls Elijah a troublemaker and indeed believes it to be so. He has a bountyContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭18‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭18‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭‬‬

    “At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me!Continue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭18‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬-‭18‬ ‭‬‬

    ““Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was anContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭‬‬

    “When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.” Elijah wasContinue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭1‬:‭52‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭1‬:‭52‬ ‭‬‬

    “Solomon replied, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.””‭‭ 1 Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭52‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Solomon was fresh onto the throne of David and he was faced with an impossible task. Should he rule with a crushing and authoritative fist,Continue…

  • 1 KINGS‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭10‬ ‭‬‬

    1 KINGS‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭10‬ ‭‬‬

    “About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?”Continue…