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He Came To Save!

51 When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, he was determined to go to Jerusalem. 52 He sent some messengers ahead of him, who went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for him. 53 But the people there would not welcome him, because he was set on going to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?” 55 But Jesus turned and scolded them. [And Jesus said, “You don’t know what kind of spirit you belong to. 56 The Son of Man did not come to destroy the souls of people but to save them.”] Then they went to another town. Luke 9:51-56 NCV James and John were known as the “Sons of Thunder.” They were brothers and let’s just say that they weren’t always politically correct. If you were going into a fight, you would want James and John on your side. James and John were the rowdy boys! James and John loved Jesus, so naturally they took great offense when th

Be Careful! Consult the Lord in Everything

3  But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4  they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. 5  They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. 6  When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” 7  The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” 8  They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?” 9  They answered, “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the Lord your God and of all he did in Egypt. 10  We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan Rive

Testimonies

8  Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof 9  and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10  We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11  When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Joshua 2:8-11 NIV We are beginning where Rahab is talking to the two spies from the Israelite's camp.  She has hidden them and sent the soldiers (who were searching for them) to look for them elsewhere. I love it because Rahab had heard the stories of how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea when they left Egypt.  She had hear

David and Goliath, Facing Life's Giants con't

1 Samuel 17:40-52 New King James Version (NKJV) 40  Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41  So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42  And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained [ a ] him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43  So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44  And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45  Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

David and Goliath, Facing Life's Giant Part One

1 Samuel 17:32-37 New King James Version (NKJV) 32  Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33  And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34  But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35  I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36  Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37  Moreover David said, “The Lord , who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and th

The Love Motive

Motive , noun, 1. a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious. Trust , noun, 1. the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. 16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever. 17  For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty. He sent His Son so the world might be saved from the punishment of sin by Him. 18  Whoever puts his trust in His Son is not guilty. Whoever does not put his trust in Him is guilty already. It is because he does not put his trust in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18 NLV Have you ever had someone doubt your motives?  I have, and when they doubt you it hurts.  Today I was reading Chapter three in John and something stood out to me that I had never pondered before in verse 17, "For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty.  He se

Live Out Your Testimony

Paul’s First Missionary Journey 4  So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. 5  There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant. 6  Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7  He had attached himself to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. 8  But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from believing. 9  Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10  Then he said, “You s