Matthew 24:9-14; In the second section of the Olivent Discourse, Jesus reveals that committed disciples would face persecution and even death for identifying as Christians. The Lord uses the unsettling term “hate’ to describe the world’s attitude and response to faithful believers.Again the warning about false prophets is issued so the church would be prepared […]
Matthew 24:1-8; The next prophetic witness concerning the end of the age and false teachers is the most credible of all, Jesus the Christ. Immediately after confronting the Pharisees in the temple, Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem and stopped on the Mount of Olives. The inner circle had question for their Lord, which Jesus […]
II Timothy 3:1-9: One of the key principles of Scripture is rightly determining truth from error. Like Peter, the Apostle Paul was deeply trouble by the infiltration of false teachers in the early church. He aptly noted that “There will be terrible times in the last days”, not just projecting forward into the unknown future, […]
II Peter 2:1-9; Following his affirmation of prophesy as a means of accurately communicating God’s revealed truth, Peter informs his readers that false teachers would seek to infiltrate the church. Their goal is to “introduce destructive heresies” and “bring the way of truth into disrepute”. However, their destruction will be swift and sure, as the […]
Matthew 7:13-14; Near the conclusion of the Sermon, Jesus uses common imagery to emphasize the difference between those who follow His teaching…..and those who don’t. The wide gate and broad “lead to destruction”, which Jesus warns that many follow to their ruin. Conversely, the small gate and narrow road “leads to life”, but “only a […]
Matthew 6:25-34; Following His instruction on the proper and improper use of treasure, Jesus addresses the powerful topic of worry. Believers should not fret over the necessities of life, as Christ assures his followers that the Father will provide for them. Instead, we should seek to advance God’s kingdom first and the rest will fall […]
Colossians 2:9-15; The Apostle Paul used the cross and resurrection as the foundation of his doctrinal instruction to the early church. He brought together the full Deity of Christ, spiritual circumcision, purpose of baptism and the victory of Jesus over all spiritual powers into one expansive unit of instruction.
John 12:12-19; Jesus and disciples returned to the nearby village of Bethany to be honored and anointed by the family of Lazarus. Christ’s raising of His friend from the grave had become a well-known phenomenon in Israel, which did not go unnoticed by the Sanhedrin. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey colt to […]
Matthew 6:19-24; The next section from the Sermon engages earthly wealth and blessing, also beginning with a warning by Jesus. He cautions, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth”. The fleeting nature of earthly hording is revealed by the reality that possessions decay and wear out, as well well as being at risk […]
Matthew 6:9-13; After Jeeus cautions His close followers to avoid two pitfalls in prayer in this passage, He continues with an example of a concise model prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is prefaced by Christ, “This, then, is how you should pray….”, which provides a proper example of first acknowledging the Greatness of Father-God. Followed by […]