One of the most difficult commands we as Christians are given in Scripture comes from Romans 12:19. It says: Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Who among us in the course of our lives hasn’t wanted…
Posts Tagged: Christ-follower
Acts 3:15 – You Killed the Author of Life
Following the astounding events at Pentecost, Jesus’ apostles walked in the power of the Spirit. They were given power from on high through the Spirit Baptism, and this gave them the means to be bold in Jesus’ Name. The Lord had taught them for three and a half years, He had opened their minds to…
John 15:6 – Thrown Into the Fire
Most people don’t like the brutal honesty of Jesus; in fact, many preachers refrain from commenting on certain of His harsh statements. After all, Jesus is love; isn’t that what His Red Letter Words are all about? Don’t the people who proudly proclaim they read only His Words in Red say that His message is…
1 Samuel 8:7 – Rejecting God
The mindset of the people in the Ancient Near East (ANE) was quite different from ours today. This is a major reason that when we read the Bible, we need to do so with the mind of someone in ancient Israel. If we don’t do that; if we read and judge from our modern perspective,…
Deuteronomy 22:21 – An Outrageous Thing
Consider how the morals in America – as well as in the world – have changed through the years. Do you think they’ve improved. Are they pleasing to God? Sadly, no. When Yahweh chose Israel to be His special heritage (Deuteronomy 32:9), it was to raise up a nation wholly devoted to Him, so that…
Numbers 11:4 – Rabble Rousers
The effects of discontent can carry over well past an initial display of someone’s grievance. They can have disastrous consequences that go beyond one person’s bad thinking about something. There’s a contagious aspect about dissatisfaction; an infestation of sorts that creates a festering wound. The Israelites had a problem. They’d known nothing of Yahweh for…