Scripture Snippets

  John 3:17-19 17  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18  “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  19  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.   When the phone rings and you don’t recognize who is calling, or when the doorbell rings and you don’t know the person standing in front of you, what’s the first thing that goes through your mind? I want to know what they are there for.  I want to know why they are calling me or standing on my front porch. We have here Jesus giving us His reason for coming to this earth. He came to save us.  Though He will one day judge the earth, the priority of His first coming was ...

  Philippians 4:6,7 6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.   This verse, besides John 3:16, is probably the most memorized verse of Scripture that today’s Christian knows. Why is it so hard to follow though?   Let’s be honest, when it says, “Be anxious for nothing”, how many of us say, “Come on!”   I mean we have bills to pay, kids, homes, cars, jobs, relationships, and so many more things that can bring anxiety into our lives. We are anxious because to some of us, some things are simply out of our control.   Some of us are anxious because we feel like we can control some things, but they are spiraling out of control.   So then, how do we do this?   Do we just dismiss this verse and go on?   No, absolutely n...

  Read Revelation 5 John’s revelation of heaven’s throne room is a picture of true praise. He describes the place exploding with worship and adoration of Jesus. Those present—the elders and “myriads of myriads” of angels (Rev. 5:11)—are motivated to sing their love of Christ because they know who He is. He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He is the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5), the only one worthy to judge the earth and bring forth its renewal.  What motivates believers to lift hands and voice in worship—shouldn’t the reason be to praise the Savior for who He is? To do that, we must take the time to know as much as we can about Him. That happens through regular Bible study and prayer that is less self-focused.  Once we glimpse a side of Christ’s character that’s bigger and more amazing than we realized, there will be a yearning to know more. We hunger and thirst for God because only He can truly satisfy (Matthew 5:6).  Praise is part o...

  Lamentations 3:24-26 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. Many Christians struggle with waiting. There are a lot of things we want right now—and we usually have the ability to follow through on our desires. In fact, that’s what the entire credit card industry is all about: Have it now; pay later. But possessions aren’t the only thing we’re in a rush for. Some people are so eager to be married that they make an unwise choice regarding a mate. Others are in such a hurry to become successful and well-respected in their career that they look for shortcuts to get ahead.  So why might the Lord have us delay? One reason is to protect us. Those who can’t say no to their own desires end up enslaved to them. God wants us to be mature believers who have the character and self-restraint to wait for H...

  Revelation 19:11-21 , Revelation 20:1-6 The return of Jesus Christ is a vital part of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. That’s why the event was foretold by prophets, proclaimed by angels, and taught by Jesus and the apostles. In fact, more Old Testament passages are devoted to Christ’s second coming than to His first. And in the New Testament, the Lord mentions His return more frequently than He speaks of His death.  The second coming defeats Satan’s earthly reign and establishes Christ’s kingdom of peace and righteousness in its place. Saints from all the ages will be gathered together to reign with the Lord. And the Father wants us to be excited and hopeful about Jesus’ return, recognizing it as the culmination of His plan for the world. In order to keep our hope alive, Scripture tells us what to expect, though we don’t know the exact timing. Are you eagerly anticipating Christ’s return, or do you seldom think about it? The apostle John warns us not to love the world or...

  James 4:13-17 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow ]we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. Few things in life are accomplished by accident, which is why it’s important for us to set specific goals. However, in our planning, we should always seek the Lord’s guidance and not simply aim for our own earthly ambitions. Whenever a new goal comes to mind, we should consider whether it is in line with God’s will. Some topics may be scripturally clear, but many are not, so we must also examine our motives. Are we seeking to please God or ourselves? Ar...

    Luke 2:4-5 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. Jesus’s birth offers a promised certainty in the midst of our doubtful times. We’ve all had to face the sudden and long-lasting impact of COVID-19. Culture has been rightfully challenged through elevated conversations about race, yet we are more divided than ever. Our politics, economics, and society appear dubious and unstable. Personally, we might have experienced troubles related to health, finances, or family. But Luke’s Christmas story calls us to pause and deepen our assurance in a credible and stable truth. Luke began the Christmas story with Joseph and Mary on the move to Bethlehem in response to the census ordered by Caesar Augustus. Yet, for Luke, this was not just about a census. It was about setting a place, ...

Hebrews 7-23-28 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. Earlier in the week, I gave a small Facebook devotional on the beauty of Christ being our High Priest.  When we read about the garments of the high priest in Scripture, it’s a beautiful i...

  In Matthew 23, Jesus had just concluded his woes to the scribes and the Pharisees.  It was a stark condemnation against their teachings and a call for repentance.  While Jesus preached with authority and the firmness of a just king, this still took a toll on the Savior’s heart.  In Matthew 23:37-39, Jesus cries out in heartbreak saying how He wants to save those of Jerusalem.  These same vultures who killed the prophets and elevated themselves above God.  Again, our Savior’s heart is indeed that none should perish but that all come to repentance. We begin chapter 24 with Jesus leaving the temple with the disciples and going up to the Mount of Olives which overlooks the city.  The disciples, being Jewish was in awe of the architecture of the city and the beauty of the temple.  Christ shocks the disciples by prophesying that the temple would be destroyed and not one stone would be left upon another.  This prophecy became true in 70 A.D. when ...

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. One of the most exciting and compelling prophetic events described in the Bible is the rapture of the church. It will occur instantaneously and without warning. Suddenly, millions of people wi...