January 5, 2009 SCRIPTURE: Exodus 20 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two…
pray for the persecuted
God has laid it on my heart that we need to continue to pray for people who suffer for their hope in Jesus. Can we imagine what it would be like to live in a place where believing in Jesus meant that we would be ridiculed, harassed, beaten or even killed. Imagine if believing in…
Jesus on the mountain
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 19 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. [Matthew 4:25-5:1] In both passages, God reveals Himself on the mountain to the gathered crowds. But what a difference? there any connection…
demonstrating His love… under fire
At crossroads, we are committed to demonstrating the love of Jesus. As I read this article from Mission Network News, it made me think about what demonstrating the love of Jesus would be like in a place where Jesus-followers will be persecuted. Iraq (MNN) While many Christians are fleeing persecution in Iraq, some have chosen to say. Karen…
delegate!
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 18 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his…
so why should we praise God?
The following is a post from my old blog that continues to get feedback. Based on all the interest, I am reposting it here, and welcome your responses as well: OK, here’s an easy question… or is it? Why should we praise God? Maybe a part of that question should be what does it mean to praise God? And…
prayer warriors
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 17 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ [Luke 22:31] The wilderness symbolizes times when our faith is tested. Our spiritual enemy uses these times to turn us against…
seek wisdom, blessing to follow
SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 4 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy. [1 Kings 4:20] This describes the blessing God promised Abraham: I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand…
our daily bread
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 16 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Give us today our daily bread. [Matthew 6:11] For many people, their relationship with God is a fair-weather one. When the weather is fair, their faith is strong. When the weather is foul, their faith is weak. Prayer amounts to asking for things, and expecting God to take care of it. There seems…
go and tell
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 15 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.’ [Mark 5:18-19] When people…