Tagged: message of the day

“The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant.” –Jeremiah 31:31 God, Who is Love (1 Jn 4:16), wants to love us in a permanent, faithful relationship, which is similar to marriage, only better. As married couples make a covenant with each other by exchanging marriage vows, so the Lord made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and all His chosen people. The problem with these covenants was that God’s people broke them all (Jer 31:32). Human beings seem incapable of keeping a covenant with God, incapable of loving God faithfully. Therefore, God promised to...

“No man ever spoke like that before.” –John 7:46 “The crowd was sharply divided over Him.” –John 7:43 The temple guards “forgot” to arrest Jesus, so impressed were they by His words. However, the Pharisees were unimpressed; they said the guards and the crowds that listened to Jesus had been taken in (Jn 7:46ff). This was not the first time Jesus received such contradictory reactions to His words. At His hometown of Nazareth, “they marveled at the appealing discourse which came from His lips” (Lk 4:22). Nevertheless, a few minutes later, “the whole audience in the synagogue was filled with...

“At this they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a finger on Him because His hour had not yet come.” –John 7:30 Jesus repeatedly took His place publicly amid ferocious opposition and boldly proclaimed the Word of God. “This led some of the people of Jerusalem to remark: ‘Is this not the One they want to kill? Here He is speaking in public and they don’t say a word to Him!’ ” (Jn 7:25-26) The keys to Jesus’ fearlessness are: His relationship with His Father. Because Jesus knew that the Father loved Him (see Jn 5:20), He had...

“Joseph, son of David, have no fear.” –Matthew 1:20 Shortly before Jesus was crucified, He prayed: “O Father most holy, protect them with Your name” (Jn 17:11). “Guard them from the evil one” (Jn 17:15). We need to be on guard, for our “opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). We are in such danger that the Lord has assigned guardian angels to us (Ps 91:11), and the Holy Spirit has assigned pastors to guard us as members of the Church (Acts 20:28). Possibly the greatest guardian of all is...

“In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you.” –Isaiah 49:8 We have been fasting for four weeks to prepare for Easter. What will the Lord do this Easter? Some who feel forsaken and forgotten will be assured of the Lord’s tender love (see Is 49:14-15). At first, this will not change the distressing circumstances of their lives, but will dramatically change their attitude toward them. Long-term desolation will be replaced by restoration (Is 49:8). Many people trapped in the prison and darkness of sin will come out and show themselves (Is 49:9)....