The angels announced “Let there be peace on earth!” Luke 2:14. We sing of peace at Christmastime. But the Prince of Peace spoke hard words about war: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a SWORD. I came to turn a man againstContinue reading “PEACE ON EARTH? Matthew 10:16,22,34-36,38-39.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
How Strong is Your Love for Jesus?
He does have high expectations. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the membersContinue reading “How Strong is Your Love for Jesus?”
SHREWD. Matthew 10:16.
Have you ever been too trusting? Boy, I have! Honest people expect others to be honest. This is a difficult thing about being a “good person”—when you are honest, fair, forgiving, and kind, you assume everyone else is. Or you tell yourself they may be a little shady, but not that bad. We each assumeContinue reading “SHREWD. Matthew 10:16.”
GOD WILL SEND HELP! Luke 9:28-31; 22:43.
The most difficult challenge any man ever faced was the cross. But God gave Jesus encouragement in many ways. While He prayed in the Garden before His arrest, “an angel appeared to Him, strengthening Him” Luke 22:43. But back the clock up a few days…. “He took Peter, James, and John, and went up onContinue reading “GOD WILL SEND HELP! Luke 9:28-31; 22:43.”
Jesus Was Shrewd. John 2:23-25.
He knows human nature. So when the Pharisees were in a frenzy to kill Him, He knew not to trust anyone. He understands what lurks in the heart of mankind. “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. ButContinue reading “Jesus Was Shrewd. John 2:23-25.”
CAN YOU BE TOO TRUSTING? Matthew 10:16.
Some of us trust everyone. Some of us trust no one. Who is right? As a young lawyer, I remember being cautioned by senior attorneys: “Don’t tell them anything, you understand? I don’t care that he is a co-defendant—he’s gonna be nice to you to try to discover our evidence. But don’t tell him anything,Continue reading “CAN YOU BE TOO TRUSTING? Matthew 10:16.”
DOES TODAY’S CHRISTIAN FEAR THE LORD? Mark 4:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:10.
One of the most dramatic scandals of my life was the implosion of the ministry of Jim Bakker. Throughout the 1980s, Bakker preached on a high-profile television show. He and his wife generated millions of dollars in donations. As is all-too-common, they promised donors that God would make the donors rich, but the ones gettingContinue reading “DOES TODAY’S CHRISTIAN FEAR THE LORD? Mark 4:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:10.”
Lost. Matthew 9:36.
When a young man makes bad choices, we say he is lost. When a young woman drops out of college and refuses to work, we say she is lost. When a man’s career is over and he wallows, depressed and inert, we say he is lost. These people are lost because they have no plans,Continue reading “Lost. Matthew 9:36.”
SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN: JESUS WAS NOT HOMELESS, Matthew 8:20.
One day an enthusiastic young scribe told Jesus “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go!” Jesus responded with an interesting comment: “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests. But the Son of Man has no place to lay His head” Matthew 8:19-20. Was Jesus homeless? There is a Wikipedia pageContinue reading “SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN: JESUS WAS NOT HOMELESS, Matthew 8:20.”
Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.
Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure? Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide toContinue reading “Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.”
Household Words: 