The dictionary definition of the word resolution is, "A firm decision to do something or to not do something". We all make decisions but the "firm" part is what trips us up.
God too makes decisions, and His decisions are eternal because His faithfulness is eternal. The good news is that in His strength and transformative power in Christ we can become more and more like Him in faithfulness.
"And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route" (Matthew 2:12).
When someone encounters the Christ they are forever changed. The road they take to meet the Savior is not the same road they travel after they meet Him. It is a road of hope, joy and an expectation of glory.
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God, when can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1-2).
The Lord taught us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread". He wants us to ask for bread, but He doesn't want us to worry about bread. In Matthew 6:25-31 there are 8 questions. Three are asked by an anxious person that expose an untrusting, unbelieving heart. Five questions the Lord himself asks us. His questions go to the heart of the matter and expose our unbelief and reveal His awesome generosity and sovereignty.
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control" (Proverbs 25:28).
"When you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: they've got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:5-6).
The men who crucified Jesus were completely ignorant of His divine nature and purpose. They had no idea of God's plan of salvation through the death and resurrection of His son. People's ignorance of sin will help us understand forgiveness. A man's ignorance does not excuse his sin, but it does help us to understand his sin.
"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell lyou that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (Matthew 5:27-39).
If you think of heaven as kind of a boring place with puffy white clouds, little cherubs flying around, and not a lot going on does God have a surprise for you!
"Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness" (Matthew 9:35).
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers" (Acts 2:42).
"If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His decrees, I will not inflict any illness on you that I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you" ( Exodus 15:26).
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point in the city, "Let all who are simple come in here," she says to those who lack judgment. "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live, walk in the ways of understanding" (Proverbs 9:1-6)
"The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord began to torment him" (1 Samuel 16:14).
David would "Pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him" (1 Samuel 16:23).
One of the not-so-talked-about byproducts of sin is a rationalization that it doesn't matter, that it's no big deal. We delude ourselves into thinking life will go on as always and that God really didn't take notice. But the harsh reality is that God will sooner or later call us to account--just as he did with King David.
Jesus said, "Don't work for the food that perishes, but for the food which lasts for eternal life" (John 6:27). He also told the Samaritan woman at the well, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again" (John 4:14). It is a shame and a sin that we are more desirous of daily bread than of the Bread of Life Himself.
When the topic of spiritual warfare comes up, we often tend to think of ourselves as individuals fighting a lonely battle against overwhelming odds -- kind of like a Rambo or James Bond tackling the darkness solo. But the Bible paints a more complete picture. Although it's true that, as individual believers, we are to put on the armor of God and resist evil, Scripture portrays the battle as a group activity.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God" (Mt. 5:3).
No-one wants to be poor. But Jesus was not talking about our bank account. In fact, ithas nothing at all to do with financial status. Someone who is poor in spiritunderstands that they have absolutely no standing before God. They comprehendthat they are spiritually bankrupt because of their sin. They see with spiritual eyes that their only hope is through the Lord Jesus – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
The Lord Jesus told us to pray, “lead us not into temptation”. Temptation is anissue we all deal with. It’s inescapable and has been around since the Gardenof Eden. As a human being we swim through temptation like a fish in water. Itis woven into the fabric of our life to such a degree that we don’t give it asecond thought. Many of the thousands of random thoughts, images, compulsions andideas that enter our minds every day are nothing more than temptation’sattempts to drag us to the dark side. Discover three action steps to disarm temptation.
For if you forgive people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive people their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Mt.6:14-15).