Scripture Snippets

  John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Jesus claimed to be God and He is God (John 10:30, John 1:1). He forgives people’s sins (Matthew 9:1-8), humanity would be accountable to him and he was the way, truth and life.  He was much more than just a teacher.  He was certainly not a revolutionary, in fact, large numbers of people stopped following him when he did not preach an overthrow of the Roman occupation.  Jesus had many followers abandon Him even as He got closer and closer to His crucifixion (John 6:60-70). Jesus has never been accused of being a liar nor did his followers lie about him since the gospels were not written in a mythic style.  The Pharisees and Sadducees accused Him of blasphemy but not once, not even during trial, called Him a liar.  He did not have a messiah complex, which involves incredible egotism, inability to love and no compassion for others, none of wh...

  With the hectic atmosphere and world events that have happened really over the past couple months, I see a common thread amongst us.  It seems that we are continually making the statement, “God please give us guidance” or “God please give us wisdom”. Those are very wise statements and statements we do need to make. However, let me ask us this question, are we really looking for the wisdom and guidance from God or is our version of wisdom and guidance from God just what we think it should be?   Many cry out for these things but deep down in our hearts, we don’t really want them.  What we really want is what we think should happen.   The Israelites very much lived in this way.  They cried out to God in the wilderness during the Exodus for food.  God provides abundantly for them.  However, to the Israelites, it wasn’t the food they wanted.  God provided sweet tasting manna but I guess the Israelites wanted roasted lamb, leeks, cucumbers, ...

  2 Corinthians 12:20-22 20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; 21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced. Do you know the difference between confession of sin and repentance? We should be careful not to confuse the two—because it’s possible to confess without moving into genuine repentance. I speak these words with a heavy heart because for such a long time, I was in this snare as well. I only knew true freedom in Christ when I finally learned the difference. To confess sin is to agree with God’s assessment of our transgression, but repentance goes further. It involves taking responsibility for our sin by del...

  Luke 24:44-48 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. Repentance is a concept that isn’t talked about enough in some churches today. Yet it was a key point in what Jesus preached and something He specifically instructed the church to proclaim everywhere (Matt. 4:17; Luke 24:47).  Repentance is prompted by the Holy Spirit: He brings conviction concerning sin so that we’re encouraged to depend on Jesus’ righteousness. When we commi...

  Romans 5:1-11 5 1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death ...

  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. 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? Are we pursuing money, power, or self-advancement without considering its pitfalls (...

  Isaiah 55:1-7 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money,       Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy?  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,  And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. 4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. 5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” 6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He wil...