Matthew 28:19-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

As Matthew 28 opens, we find a few women on their way to the grave-site of Jesus. Filled with despair, questioning how they will get to the body to show their respect, they are met by an angelic messenger with the greatest news they had ever heard. Jesus had risen! Oh how their hearts must have leapt within, as we read “they went out quickly filled with fear and great joy.” The hope that seemed lost at Calvary, was restored in the garden. Along with the promise that Christ was alive, came the commission, “go quickly and…

Exodus 6:9
“So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.”

Over the centuries, one of the most lucrative businesses was the spice trade. There were times when certain spices were worth their weight in gold. Names like Magellan, Columbus and Sir Francis Drake, are just of few of the names associated with those who would journey the world, in search of new found flavors. At one time, salt was so valuable the phrase “he’s not worth his weight in salt”, was a common way to express the value of an individual. The word “salary” is actually derived from the Latin word for salt.

As valuable as spices may have become, they were always intended to be flavor enhancers, and never to be the main course. Emotions are much like that. God designed us with the…

Exodus 5:2
“And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.’”

All of Pharaoh’s foolish decisions can be traced back to this statement. The fact is, he did not know the power of God, which caused him to view the miracles as parlor tricks, and have his magicians do the same. It was a failure to understand the provision of God. He couldn’t see how releasing his work force would ever be good for the prosperity of his nation. Most of all, it was his failure to comprehend the plans of God, that caused him to harden his heart and resist Moses. Week after week, month after month, Moses preached to Pharaoh. He explained the plans of God, and yet Pharaoh resisted. He failed to realize these oppressed slaves were…

Matthew 27:5

“Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”

While I do not want to tackle the subject of the eternal destiny of Judas, I do see in him an illustration of how the Christian often deals with personal failure or sin. After the initial pleasure received from sin, we are filled with remorse or guilt. That guilt can become overwhelming and lead to discouragement, depression, and even despair. Too often, we follow the example of Judas attempting to remove our guilt.

First, like him, we attempt to undo our failure. Since this cannot be done, we spend time wishing we could go back, wishing twe had that moment in time again so we could do things differently.

Second, we often attempt to deal with the remorse by going to others. Would Judas have been any better off spiritually…

Matthew 26:5
But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Matthew 26 and 27 record the final events of the life of Jesus. The hostility toward Him has reached a climax, and His opponents are seeking to kill Him. Theirs is the most heinous of sins, the murder of the Son of God! But the text reveals that their sin was motivated by what commonly drives you and I to sin; the fear of man. The fear of man might simply be defined as being more concerned with what man thinks, than what God thinks. On the other hand, the fear of God is being more concerned with what God thinks, than what man thinks. Solomon wrote

“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe” Proverbs 29:25

The hunter sets the trap for the…

Exodus 2:3
“But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.”

The book of exodus begins with a love story. A young man and a young woman meet, fall in love, marry and have a beautiful child named Moses. What might have promised a lifetime of happiness, was suddenly interrupted by conditions beyond their control. An edict from the king put the soldiers on high alert,  ordered to put to death all male Hebrew children. These conditions forced Moses’ parents to do the unthinkable, they placed their young child in a crude raft, and set him adrift in the Nile river. Years later, the writer of Hebrews explains that it was not fear but faith that drove their decision.

Hebrews 11:23
“By…

Exodus 1:14
“And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage . . .”

The conditions of life were growing worse and worse for the people of God living in Egypt. They had once been a highly favored part of the nation, even receiving special treatment. Now they were being persecuted, and faced annihilation. Their freedoms had been taken away, and their children’s future seemed bleak. As the story unfolds, we are told one of their own will rise to a place of prominence within the nation. What hope must have stirred within the people, when they learned that the prince, the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, was actually a believer. It would seem, it was only a matter of time before the political climate would change, and the people of God would be favored again. Sadly, that was not the case. The story progresses and we find Moses, the man…

Matthew 25:13
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Chapter 25 seems to be about being ready. Jesus warns about a final day of reckoning, when the sheep will be separated from goats. To ensure that we are ready for what is coming, Jesus gives two parables. The first explains the need to be born again, the second the need to be busy about the Lord’s business.

In the first, five of the ten virgins were not prepared when the groom arrived. They may have been dressed, even excited, but they did not have oil in their lamps. Oil is used throughout Scripture as an illustration of the Holy Spirit. It seems, the main message is that these woman were not born again. It is also worth noting, that while saved, the other five were certainly neglecting their responsibilities. They slept…