Matthew 13:43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

While explaining the Parable of the Tares, Jesus spoke of the harvest at the end of the age, when all humanity will be gathered together. In Revelation 19, we see this event unfolding. We see all of humanity standing before the throne of God, and the books opened. The first book we might call the book of works. It contains every sin committed, every idle word spoken, every vile thought we’ve had. The second is the Book of Life. When we receive Christ, not only is our name written in the Book of Life, but all that was in the book of works is erased. Paul spoke of “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us has been erased, having been nailed to the…

Genesis 26:7
“And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, ‘She is my sister’; for he was afraid to say, ‘ She is my wife,’ because he thought, ‘lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.’”

A few years back an interesting term began to circulate through the church. The term I am referring to is “generational curse.” It meant families were cursed by the sins committed in generations passed. Once this diagnosis was given, an elaborate system was developed to rid the families of this curse. The basis for the curse was a poor understanding, and improper application of the idea that the sins of the fathers will be upon their children (Exodus 20:5). The encounter between Isaac and Abimelech serves as a much better example of how sins are repeated from generation to generation.

Earlier in Genesis, we…

Genesis 25:21-22
“Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “When all else fails”? This seems to be the approach of many, as it relates to prayer. We often try everything at our disposal, before we ever come to the place where we truly plead with the Lord. It is almost as if life were a game show. We lean on our own strength, or use one of our life lines to ask the audience, or phone a friend, instead of taking advantage of the greatest resource available to every child of God – prayer.

Jesus made many promises that would be…

Matthew 12:31-32
“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”

There are some verses in Scripture that are more difficult to understand than others. Satan, who is a master of manipulating the Word of God, (he did it in the garden to Eve and in the wilderness to Jesus) uses this verse to confuse, discourage and frighten believers. Because of the severity of the warning in this passage, it is of utmost importance that we understand what Jesus is saying.

First of all, we know Jesus came to forgive sin. We see in Scripture, those guilty…

Genesis 24:4
“You shall go… and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Relationships are a key part of life. Healthy relationships lead to a good life, and unhealthy relationships will make life very difficult. The most important earthly relationship is marriage, and who you marry is one of the most important decision in life (second only to receiving Christ.) Solomon wrote “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). Genesis 24 tells the story of how Isaac and Rebekah met. Their story is a bit different than most of ours because the marriage was arranged, but there are some vital principles to keep in mind for any relationship.

Genesis 24:40
“But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son…

Genesis 23:4
“I am a foreigner and a visitor among you…”

Abraham was not an emperor or a king, He was not an author, an artist or even a relatively famous man in his day. Yet, he has become one of the most influential individuals in all of history. He is a main character, not only in the book of Genesis, but in the entirety of the Bible. He is called the father of faith and his story has been a source of encouragement for generations. What was it about this nomadic shepherd that has caused him to become so influential?

I think, part of it is found in the word he used to describe himself here, “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you…” Abraham never let himself get too attached to the world he lived in. He saw this life as something transient and chose to live…

Matthew 11:3
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

The circumstances of life often cause us to question God. It is hard sometimes to reconcile what we are going through with who God is; compassionate and good. This happened to John the Baptist. From the words of Jesus, we know John was the greatest man to have ever lived. He was a man that preached the gospel to thousands, the man who pointed the way to Christ, and the man who baptized Christ, Himself. Yet, in our text, we read he was also the man who doubted. Lying in a prison cell, the cold, the dampness, the suffering, all seemed to squeeze his faith and cloud his vision of Christ.

The response of Jesus, to John’s question of doubt, gives us great insight into the solution when we are facing the same dilemma as John.

Matthew 11:4-5…

Genesis 22:2
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Jesus declared the whole Bible testified of Him. Sometimes the testimony is the form of prophecy, other times it is in the form of a type, or illustration. Here, we find a vivid illustrative picture of the cross of Christ. Let’s examine the details.

Abraham was instructed to take his only son, whom he loved, on a three day journey to Moriah, and offer him as a burnt offering. Upon arriving, his son, who would have been close to twenty years old, willingly allowed himself to be tied to the altar. Just as the knife was approaching his throat, God spoke and provided a ram as a substitute…

Genesis 21:10
“Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’”

On the day Isaac was weaned, Abraham and Sarah celebrated by throwing a party. Because they had waited so long for a son, and since Abraham’s camp was large, this would have been quite a celebration. Tragically, this joyous occasion is cut short when the teenage son of Hagar began to mock his half brother Isaac. While it is not shocking to any parent that one child could tease another, we might all be taken back a bit by the strong reaction from Sarah. When she hears his scoffing, she calls on Abraham to “Cast out the son of the bond woman…” In response, Abe will give Hagar and Ishmael a canteen of water and a loaf of bread and…

Matthew 10:2-4

“Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.”

These twelve ordinary men were chosen, empowered, and sent by Jesus into the world, with the simple message of salvation. As a result their lives have transformed the world.

John Foxe records the plight of many of them:

Phillip labored in Asia and was scourged, thrown into prison, and crucified.

Matthew served the Lord in North Africa and was speared to death.

Andrew served in Asia and was crucified.

Peter’s ministry, to some degree, is recorded in the book of Acts. He is said to have been crucified upside…