Satan wants to distract you with things that don't matter. He wants you to forget about eternity and focus on the now.
Don't let him win. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, saints.
Don't let him win. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, saints.
❤7
Buddha died
Muhammad died
Krishna died
Jesus Christ died and resurrected from the dead
That’s why I follow Christ
Muhammad died
Krishna died
Jesus Christ died and resurrected from the dead
That’s why I follow Christ
❤4🔥4
The fruit of the Spirit isn't something you produce by trying harder. It's what grows when you abide in the Vine: Jesus (John 15:5).
❤2
April 11: Curses, the Old Testament, and Freedom.
#Devotional
Deuteronomy 21:1–22:30; 2 Corinthians 5:11–21; Psalm 38:1–22
And if a man commits a sin punishable by death, and so he is put to and you hang him on a tree, his dead body shall not hang on the tree, but certainly you shall bury him on that day, for cursed by God is one that is being hung” (Deut 21:22–23).
Being hung on a tree was a sign of being CURSED.
Romans 5:12 tells us that the punishment of sin is death; we as sinners deserve that curse.
If Christ wasn’t cursed for us by being hung on a tree (the cross), then we would still have a debt to pay and a curse to live under.
It can be difficult to find significance in the Old Testament, especially in passages that are as harsh as this one. But the Old Testament still holds meaning for us today, and that meaning often reveals our human and individual state.
The same is true for those odd laws about crimes and marrying foreigners (Deut 21:1–14). It’s not that we’re supposed to practice these laws; they were intended for a land and a place. But we are meant to use them to understand God’s conceptual framework.
God always opposes taking a life. Similarly, marrying someone who doesn’t share your belief in Christ (the equivalent of an Israelite marrying a foreigner) will be detrimental to God’s work: that person will lead you astray.
The law may not be in force anymore, but God’s framework for interpreting the moral values in the world remains the same.
There isn’t always a clear connection between the Old Testament LAWS and our lives today since the contextual framework is often quite complex. But there is always an easy relationship between our actions and what Christ has done for us.
We are free from the OLD TESTAMENT laws and the curse we deserve, but that freedom is meant to prompt us to live like Christ—not for ourselves (see Rom 7).
We are called to live as free people should live. We are called to live for God’s kingdom.
What moral values are you learning from the OLD TESTAMENT? In what ways are you currently misusing the freedom that Christ has given you?
#Devotional
Deuteronomy 21:1–22:30; 2 Corinthians 5:11–21; Psalm 38:1–22
And if a man commits a sin punishable by death, and so he is put to and you hang him on a tree, his dead body shall not hang on the tree, but certainly you shall bury him on that day, for cursed by God is one that is being hung” (Deut 21:22–23).
Being hung on a tree was a sign of being CURSED.
Romans 5:12 tells us that the punishment of sin is death; we as sinners deserve that curse.
If Christ wasn’t cursed for us by being hung on a tree (the cross), then we would still have a debt to pay and a curse to live under.
It can be difficult to find significance in the Old Testament, especially in passages that are as harsh as this one. But the Old Testament still holds meaning for us today, and that meaning often reveals our human and individual state.
The same is true for those odd laws about crimes and marrying foreigners (Deut 21:1–14). It’s not that we’re supposed to practice these laws; they were intended for a land and a place. But we are meant to use them to understand God’s conceptual framework.
God always opposes taking a life. Similarly, marrying someone who doesn’t share your belief in Christ (the equivalent of an Israelite marrying a foreigner) will be detrimental to God’s work: that person will lead you astray.
The law may not be in force anymore, but God’s framework for interpreting the moral values in the world remains the same.
There isn’t always a clear connection between the Old Testament LAWS and our lives today since the contextual framework is often quite complex. But there is always an easy relationship between our actions and what Christ has done for us.
We are free from the OLD TESTAMENT laws and the curse we deserve, but that freedom is meant to prompt us to live like Christ—not for ourselves (see Rom 7).
We are called to live as free people should live. We are called to live for God’s kingdom.
What moral values are you learning from the OLD TESTAMENT? In what ways are you currently misusing the freedom that Christ has given you?
❤2
April 11 - Beware of Redefined, Self-centered Righteousness
#LifeOfChrist
“‘For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:20).
Many people today—and sadly, more and more within the church—have redefined biblical concepts to fit their own human perspectives. Like the scribes and Pharisees, religionists know they can’t match God’s righteousness, so they simply change the definition of holiness. A prime example from Old Testament times is how the Jews reinterpreted God’s command,
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44).
They turned this from a call for inner holiness into a requirement to perform certain rituals.
The godly person will never rely on self-centered, redefined righteousness. Instead, he will focus on the kind of holiness Jesus taught. He will be broken about sin and mourn over the evil propensity of his heart. Such people long only for the righteousness God can give through His Spirit. They will never rely on their own strength or wisdom for what they can do spiritually.
God has always been focused on inner righteousness. When Samuel was ready to anoint David’s oldest brother, Eliab, to succeed King Saul, God told him,
“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
And that inner righteousness must be perfect:
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).
To be truly qualified for entrance into Christ’s kingdom we must be as holy as God Himself.
Ask Yourself
Being broken over sin is certainly a crucial part of dealing with its incessant appeal and presence in our lives. But be sure you’re not choosing to remain in perpetual inactivity and introspection. How well is your grieving over sin being translated into renewed obedience?
#LifeOfChrist
“‘For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven’” (Matthew 5:20).
Many people today—and sadly, more and more within the church—have redefined biblical concepts to fit their own human perspectives. Like the scribes and Pharisees, religionists know they can’t match God’s righteousness, so they simply change the definition of holiness. A prime example from Old Testament times is how the Jews reinterpreted God’s command,
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44).
They turned this from a call for inner holiness into a requirement to perform certain rituals.
The godly person will never rely on self-centered, redefined righteousness. Instead, he will focus on the kind of holiness Jesus taught. He will be broken about sin and mourn over the evil propensity of his heart. Such people long only for the righteousness God can give through His Spirit. They will never rely on their own strength or wisdom for what they can do spiritually.
God has always been focused on inner righteousness. When Samuel was ready to anoint David’s oldest brother, Eliab, to succeed King Saul, God told him,
“Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
And that inner righteousness must be perfect:
“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).
To be truly qualified for entrance into Christ’s kingdom we must be as holy as God Himself.
Ask Yourself
Being broken over sin is certainly a crucial part of dealing with its incessant appeal and presence in our lives. But be sure you’re not choosing to remain in perpetual inactivity and introspection. How well is your grieving over sin being translated into renewed obedience?
Anyone can act like a Christian on Sundays in a building.
But, how do you act when...
-the barista messes up your
coffee order,
-the other driver cuts you off on
the highway,
-the ref blows the call in your
kid's game?
That's when true fruit is revealed.
But, how do you act when...
-the barista messes up your
coffee order,
-the other driver cuts you off on
the highway,
-the ref blows the call in your
kid's game?
That's when true fruit is revealed.
Dear Christians,
Read the Bible.
Study the Bible.
Meditate on the Bible.
Obey the Bible.
Love the Bible.
Be transformed by the Bible.
Repeat daily until God calls you home.
Read the Bible.
Study the Bible.
Meditate on the Bible.
Obey the Bible.
Love the Bible.
Be transformed by the Bible.
Repeat daily until God calls you home.
As a Christian parent…
If I get more excited about my child making a 3-pointer, hitting a home-run, scoring a goal, or winning a game than I do about them following Jesus, reading the Bible, going to church, and serving others…
Then, it’s time to reevaluate my priorities.
If I get more excited about my child making a 3-pointer, hitting a home-run, scoring a goal, or winning a game than I do about them following Jesus, reading the Bible, going to church, and serving others…
Then, it’s time to reevaluate my priorities.
A man saturated in Scripture becomes dangerous - to the devil, to sin, and to complacency. Open that Bible like your spiritual life depends on it.
🔥3
The same Gospel that has saved people for 2,000 years still saves people today.
🔥4
Jesus didn't say, "Follow me and you'll be blessed."
He said, "Take up your cross and follow me."
The cross is an instrument of death.
If your faith hasn't cost you anything, you might not have faith at all.
He said, "Take up your cross and follow me."
The cross is an instrument of death.
If your faith hasn't cost you anything, you might not have faith at all.
❤5
April is the month of SPRING RENEWAL — let it begin in your marriage! 🌸💪 New life is bursting everywhere! Let FRESH GRACE, FRESH FORGIVENESS, and FRESH PURSUIT bloom in your home! 🌱 2 Cor 5:17 ❤️
What NEW thing is God wanting to GROW in your marriage this April? #StrongMarriage #April
What NEW thing is God wanting to GROW in your marriage this April? #StrongMarriage #April
👍4
Some things Jesus says will never happen to believers in John's gospel:
• Never die (11:26)
• Never perish (3:16)
• Never hunger (6:35)
• Never thirst (4:14; 6:35)
• Never be cast out (6:37)
• Never come under judgment (5:24)
• Never be snatched out of His hand (10:28)
• Never die (11:26)
• Never perish (3:16)
• Never hunger (6:35)
• Never thirst (4:14; 6:35)
• Never be cast out (6:37)
• Never come under judgment (5:24)
• Never be snatched out of His hand (10:28)
❤7
He is fully God and fully man, the perfect mediator, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
There is no one like Jesus!
There is no one like Jesus!
🔥3👍2
Jesus did not die so you could live a comfortable life on earth. He died to defeat sin and death and grant you eternal life with him.
Seek the Kingdom above all else (Matt. 6:33).
Seek the Kingdom above all else (Matt. 6:33).
❤4🔥1
Salvation comes through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Savior who actually paid for sin (Acts 4:12).
We ALL (you, me, Trump, and everyone else) need forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.
@StudyBibleFam
We ALL (you, me, Trump, and everyone else) need forgiveness and salvation through Jesus.
@StudyBibleFam
❤3
April 12: Costly Grace
#Devotional
Deuteronomy 23:1–25:19; 2 Corinthians 6:1–13; Psalm 39
When we say something hurtful to a friend or a family member, we know we can’t just ignore the harm we have caused (we should know, anyway). In order to repair the relationship and earn back trust, we have to acknowledge the rift we’ve created. But when it comes to our relationship with God, we don’t always look at it the same way. Sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, we belittle the incredible love that He has shown us.
When we don’t acknowledge our sin as an act of rebellion, we feel far from God. We’ve created this great divide because we’ve tarnished our relationship with Him. In Psalm 39,
the psalmist is in great agony over his sin—to the point where he acknowledges that people are nothing and his life is vanity: “Surely a man walks about as a mere shadow” (Psa 39:6).
Without God, life is meaningless. The psalmist acknowledges that his transgression has done great harm. He turns to God and says:
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?” (Psa 39:7).
At the heart of that cry is a need for redemption from a God that answers. He provided a way of salvation—one that was incredibly costly through Christ. In 2 Corinthians, Paul stresses the importance of not taking this great gift for granted:
“Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.… Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:1–2).
Paul’s call is urgent because Jesus’ coming to earth wasn’t a small gesture. It was incredible. If we aren’t amazed at it, if we scorn it (even by accident), we may miss out. We have a greater hope than the psalmist was ever able to realize; his broken cry would not be fully answered for centuries. So today, when you hear God’s call, don’t respond with silence. Respond with a thankful heart.
Are you ignoring sin in your life? How can you live with a thankful heart, since Christ has bought you with such a great sacrifice?
#Devotional
Deuteronomy 23:1–25:19; 2 Corinthians 6:1–13; Psalm 39
When we say something hurtful to a friend or a family member, we know we can’t just ignore the harm we have caused (we should know, anyway). In order to repair the relationship and earn back trust, we have to acknowledge the rift we’ve created. But when it comes to our relationship with God, we don’t always look at it the same way. Sometimes, consciously or unconsciously, we belittle the incredible love that He has shown us.
When we don’t acknowledge our sin as an act of rebellion, we feel far from God. We’ve created this great divide because we’ve tarnished our relationship with Him. In Psalm 39,
the psalmist is in great agony over his sin—to the point where he acknowledges that people are nothing and his life is vanity: “Surely a man walks about as a mere shadow” (Psa 39:6).
Without God, life is meaningless. The psalmist acknowledges that his transgression has done great harm. He turns to God and says:
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?” (Psa 39:7).
At the heart of that cry is a need for redemption from a God that answers. He provided a way of salvation—one that was incredibly costly through Christ. In 2 Corinthians, Paul stresses the importance of not taking this great gift for granted:
“Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain.… Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor 6:1–2).
Paul’s call is urgent because Jesus’ coming to earth wasn’t a small gesture. It was incredible. If we aren’t amazed at it, if we scorn it (even by accident), we may miss out. We have a greater hope than the psalmist was ever able to realize; his broken cry would not be fully answered for centuries. So today, when you hear God’s call, don’t respond with silence. Respond with a thankful heart.
Are you ignoring sin in your life? How can you live with a thankful heart, since Christ has bought you with such a great sacrifice?
April 12 - Jesus Clarifies Murder’s Definition
#LifeOfChrist
“‘You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not commit murder” and “
Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, “You good-for-nothing,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell’” (Matthew 5:21–22).
Throughout history, most decent people rest assured that at least one sin they have not committed is murder. The conventional wisdom limits murder to physically taking another person’s life. But Jesus’ teaching on murder shatters the self-righteous complacency of so many good people.
God’s original command
“you shall not commit murder”
was of course scriptural (Ex. 20:13). But the Jewish practice of taking murder cases to civil court fell well short of the biblical standard in three ways: it did not prescribe the death penalty (Gen. 9:6), it did not take God’s holy character into consideration (His role in meting out judgment, the sinfulness of taking a life made in His image, or the general disobedience to the law), and it said nothing about the heart offense of the murderer. These omissions ignored David’s statement in Psalm 51:6,
“You [God] desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”
With the transitional words,
“But I say to you,”
Jesus begins to point us to a scriptural understanding of murder and its implications. Murder goes much deeper than physically taking someone’s life. It originates with evil thoughts in the heart, and is still a serious sin, whether or not it culminates in violent action against another person.
Ask Yourself
If Jesus is making this harder than before, then what’s so freeing about being free from the law? Why is this more helpful than a black-and-white statute?
#LifeOfChrist
“‘You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not commit murder” and “
Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, “You good-for-nothing,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into fiery hell’” (Matthew 5:21–22).
Throughout history, most decent people rest assured that at least one sin they have not committed is murder. The conventional wisdom limits murder to physically taking another person’s life. But Jesus’ teaching on murder shatters the self-righteous complacency of so many good people.
God’s original command
“you shall not commit murder”
was of course scriptural (Ex. 20:13). But the Jewish practice of taking murder cases to civil court fell well short of the biblical standard in three ways: it did not prescribe the death penalty (Gen. 9:6), it did not take God’s holy character into consideration (His role in meting out judgment, the sinfulness of taking a life made in His image, or the general disobedience to the law), and it said nothing about the heart offense of the murderer. These omissions ignored David’s statement in Psalm 51:6,
“You [God] desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”
With the transitional words,
“But I say to you,”
Jesus begins to point us to a scriptural understanding of murder and its implications. Murder goes much deeper than physically taking someone’s life. It originates with evil thoughts in the heart, and is still a serious sin, whether or not it culminates in violent action against another person.
Ask Yourself
If Jesus is making this harder than before, then what’s so freeing about being free from the law? Why is this more helpful than a black-and-white statute?