Author Archives: Steve

Faith and Faithfulness – Ruth 1:16-17

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Ruth_Gleaning_Grain“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!'” (Ruth 1:16-17, NLT).

Ruth was a foreigner from Moab who married into an Israelite family from Bethlehem.

The Israelite family had moved to Moab during a severe famine in Judah. All the men of this Israelite family died in Moab, leaving behind three widows—Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah.

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Something New – Isaiah 43:18-19

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Brand-new“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?”  (Isaiah 43:18-19, NLT).

In these verses God assures Israel of its coming restoration from Babylon’s rule.

While Israel’s deliverance from Babylonian captivity would be similar to its deliverance from Egyptian bondage, God was going to do a much greater thing.

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What Are You Doing With Your Immortality? – I Corinthians 15

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“What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow–you are not sowing the future body, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. But God gives it a body as He wants, and to each of the seeds its own body…For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality…Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15: 37,53-54,58, HCSB).

Some in the Corinthian church were apparently denying the resurrection from the dead. The Apostle Paul argued that all they believe is in vain if there is no resurrection from the dead: “If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (vs. 19).

Paul informed the Corinthians that Jesus was indeed resurrected and appeared to all the apostles and on one occasion appeared to more than 500 people!

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Unstoppable! – Isaiah 40:28-31

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energizer-bunny“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31, NLT).

Isaiah reminds us that God is the Creator and His Being is everlasting and immeasurable. So, God Himself never grows weak or weary; rather He gives His power and strength to those who are weak and powerless.

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Love Actually – I Corinthians 14:1

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love_actually“Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy” (I Corinthians 14:1, NLT).

Having emphasized the supreme importance of love in the preceding chapter (I Corinthians 13), the Apostle Paul returns to the subject of spiritual gifts, which he began discussing in Chapter 12.

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The Love Test – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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LoveTest2ndEdI Corinthians 13 is known as the “Love Chapter” in which the Apostle Paul describes how love should be the primary influence or motivating factor for serving in the Church.

The Love Chapter is embedded between Chapters 12 and 14 where Paul explained the different spiritual gifts God has given to the Church in order to unify and strengthen it.

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Flawed Heroes – Judges 14:6

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batman-superman“As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat” (Judges 14:6, NLT).

Samson was an enigmatic leader who was an inspirational but flawed hero.

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It’s a Wonderful Life – Judges 13:18-19

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WonderfulLife“‘Why do you ask My name,’ the Angel of the Lord asked him, ‘since it is wonderful’ … and he did a wonderful thing while Manoah and his wife were watching” (Judges 13:18-19, HCSB).

Manoah and his wife were unable to conceive and had no children. But Manoah and his wife (we’re never told her name) eventually became the parents of Samson through God’s intervention into their lives.

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Run To Win – I Corinthians 9:24-27

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runtowin“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should” (I Corinthians 9:24-27, NLT).

In these verses the Apostle Paul explains that one’s salvation is not a single occurrence, a bi-monthly activity, or even a semi-annual event. It is a way of life that requires daily discipline and training.

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Finding Common Ground – I Corinthians 9:22-23

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finding-common-ground“Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings” (I Corinthians 9:22-23, NLT).

In 1 Corinthians 9 the Apostle Paul describes in various ways how those who work in the ministry of the gospel have the right to share in the blessings of the gospel.

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