BibleVersity

"Indeed, has God said...", (Gen. 3:1, NASB).     It seems to me that one of the most effective tools Satan has in his arsenal is his ability to twist and misconstrue the Bible. A thorough reading will uncover that he often attempts to discredit and undermine the Word of God. And, since God's Word is our foundation for life and godliness, Satan compromises truth at its very.  Notice, Satan said to Eve,  "Indeed, has God said..." In contemporary language, "Did God really say that?     Satan is the master of taking God's truth and turning it into "if".  I would not go as far as saying that doubt is the exact opposite of faith (see Mk. 9: 14-27), but I am comfortable stating that when Satan can cause a child of God to take an "if" attitude towards the Bible, or even Jesus himself, then disaster is on the way. God's Word is God's Word , whether we believe it or not. Our unbelief does not change reality per se; it simpl...

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them..." (Lk. 6: 1-6, ESV)    In these short six verses, Jesus outlines three areas of spiritual life: righteousness, giving, and praying. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of spiritual qualities. These were chosen by our LORD to teach a very important lesson in Christian living. What lesson is this? Knowing who your audience is. Notice how Jesus addresses each aspect. The issue is not the acts themselves. I doubt many people would argue that these are unimportant or irrelevant aspects of serving God. Righteousness should be an important (and growing) part of any Christian's life. Giving is the same, and so is prayer. Each of these qualities should be present and increasing in our lives. In addition, these things should certainly be seen by those around us. If we truly are the people of God, then these qualities should be evident to those around us. The problem is when we p...

  And some men were carrying on a bed a man who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. (Lk. 5:18, NASB)    One of my favorite Jesus stories is the healing of the paralytic as recorded in Luke 5. Here lies a man who is paralyzed, being carried by four of his friends to Jesus. Jesus heals the man but it was not because of the man's faith. No, his healing came as a result of the faith of his four friends, who happened to lower their paralyzed friend down through someone else's roof, right in front of Jesus, while He was teaching. It is a beautiful picture, and a great example of what the church should be. Furthermore, it contains all sorts of spiritual and life lessons for you and I today.    As I am reading this story again this morning, a thought occurs to me. While we do not know the extent of his paralysis or how long he has been this way, he had an obvious physical need, and has survived on the m...

Zacharias said to the angel, "How will I know this for certain?"...  (Lk. 1:19, NASB)    There are a number of similarities between Zachariah and Mary. Both had angelic visitors, both were encouraged, "Do not be afraid", and both were told about future events. Even more so, their responses were almost identical: "How will I know this for certain?", "How can this be...?". However, this is where their similarities end. Mary, when she questioned the angel, was comforted and answered rather specifically. Zachariah, on the other hand, was rebuked and left mute until after John's birth.  Why was God so unfair? I mean, both simply asked a question. Could the angel not just simply answer Zachariah in the same manner he did for Mary?    The answer is found when we look at the difference between the two individuals involved. Mary was a virgin. Although Scripture informs us that Mary was most certainly a virgin in regard to sexuality, here the ...

 "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it," (Lk. 19:41, NASB)  "Jesus wept." (Jn. 11:35, NASB)    Here we have two verses of Scripture, with a grand total of only fourteen words, but so much is contained within them. It is interesting to me that on two separate occasions that Jesus, who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and  transcendent over creation as sovereign LORD, would shed tears.     In John's account, Jesus is seen deeply moved by the scene. Lazarus has been dead for four days, and Mary and Martha, although respectful, cannot understand why Jesus did not show up earlier. He cries at the tomb, but not because Lazarus is dead. John records  "When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled..." (11:33, NASB) He was moved at the pain and suffering of His friends. He alone knew that the plan was not to heal Lazarus, but ...