Tagged: verse for the day

“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.” –Luke 8:21 The eighth chapter of Luke’s Gospel, which we have been reading during the last week, teaches about the authority and power of the Word of God. The parable of the good ground (Lk 8:4-15) teaches that the Word of God will bear an abundant harvest in an open heart which submits to its authority and receives its power. Those who devote themselves to studying the Scriptures receiving the life-changing power of the Word of God, and obeying the Word will receive...

“When He is dealing with the arrogant, He is stern, but to the humble He shows kindness.” –Proverbs 3:34 God is perfect, crucified, unconditional, and infinite Love. He wants to lavish His love on us in ways we would appreciate. However, His love is always given to lead us to salvation and sanctification. Thus, many times the Lord expresses His love in ways difficult for us to understand. For example, if we are proud, the Lord will be stern to us to challenge the pride which endangers our salvation (Prv 3:34; 1 Pt 5:5). Also, the Lord often wishes to...

“You ask and you do not receive because you ask wrongly, with a view to squandering what you receive on your pleasures.” –James 4:3 Human history provides ample testimony about the effects of pleasure seeking. One pleasure is never enough. People always want the next pleasure, followed by another. Companies thrive by stoking the pleasure-seeking desires of masses of consumers. Left to our own desires, we become slaves of pleasure-seeking, servants of the cravings of our own flesh (see Rm 6:12). I challenge you to spend the next ten seconds looking at a crucifix. As you gaze on Jesus’ crucified...

“But some fell on good soil, grew up, and yielded grain a hundredfold.” –Luke 8:8 The Lord promises we can receive His Word to bear fruit a hundredfold. This is like saying $1,000 will turn into $100,000 which is an astronomical increase. Most Christians believe God’s Word will help, bless, teach, and even heal them, but few expect the hundredfold harvest. If we took seriously the Lord’s promise of a hundredfold, we would do our very best to: tremble in prayer as we open the Bible, kiss the Bible before opening it, never miss our daily Bible reading, go to...

Jesus “said to him, “Follow Me.’ Matthew got up and followed Him.” –Matthew 9:9 When Matthew met Jesus, he repented of selling out to the world, immediately walked away from his job, and became a disciple of Jesus. Because Matthew was so in love with Jesus, he invited many tax collectors and other sinners to meet Jesus (Mt 9:10). Matthew was so thankful for Jesus having mercy on him, he would have thought it merciless if he had not invited others to meet Jesus. Matthew, the first of the Gospel evangelists, shows us that the essence of life in Christ...