Forgive! Read Matt. 6:14-15 carefully. One of the most important things to consider about Matt. 6:14-15 is that it proves that forgiveness from God the Father is conditional. These verses clearly state if you forgive, then the Father will forgive you. Many of us ignore our own role in forgiveness. God requires us to forgive others of their trespasses. This is so essential that Jesus … Continue reading What You Should Be Doing and Why (Part 9)
Charitable Acts In Matt. 6:1-4, we read Jesus’ words about alms. We have discussed this topic before in Guidance for the End Times Part 11. In this installment of What You Should Be Doing and Why, we will discuss many of previously cited verses in more detail in an attempt to encourage any reader to take action. WHEN! The key word in Matt. 6:1-4 is … Continue reading What You Should Be Doing and Why (Part 7)
The Pinnacle of Character In this installment, we will study Matt. 5:48. This verse, and it’s context, outlines the pinnacle of character. It is Jesus showing us that the standard for our character is our Father in heaven. We should not judge our character by any other standard or compare ourselves to the character of “great” men. The primary question is: Are you striving to … Continue reading What You Should Be Doing and Why (Part 6)
Jesus Expects You to Teach One of the most ignored and/or misinterpreted verse in the Bible is Matt. 5:17. Jesus tells His disciples not to think He has come to destroy the law or the prophets. He declared that He did not come to destroy, but to fulfill the law. Sadly, many have been persuaded that Jesus’ work was to nail the law to the … Continue reading What You Should Be Doing and Why (Part 5)
Ministering and Fasting In Acts 13, Luke picks back up at the comings and goings of Saul. The first verse lists five specific men that were in Antioch doing God’s work. Those men were Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul. This verse labels these men as prophets and teachers. Apparently, Saul and Barnabas were not yet apostles, which means a delegate or one sent forth. These men ministered to the Lord (verse … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts (Part 25)
Targeting the Leadership Acts 12 begins with an account about the death of the apostle James and the imprisonment of the apostle Peter. According to Luke, Herod set out to vex certain members of the church (Acts 12:1). The implication of this verse is that Herod’s decision was very targeted rather than random. The decision to kill James was no coincidence (verse 2). Verse 3 shows that Herod targeted Peter … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book Acts (Part 24)
Rejoice for the Conversion of Others In Acts 11:1-3, we see that those in Judea had heard about the gentiles receiving the word of God. It is very unfortunate that their first response was to criticize the Peter’s actions rather than praise God. Only after Peter recounted the event did the brethren praise God for His work (see verses 4-18). Christians must be very careful not to be overly … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts (Part 23)
In this installment, we pick back up in Acts 9:43. Remember that chapters and verses were added as a tool for quick reference. At times the chapter breaks disconnect passages from their context. In the previous installment, we read about Peter traveling toward the city of Joppa. We also read of two great miracles done through Peter to Aeneas and Dorcas. It is important to note that these miracles were done through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. As … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts (Part 22)
Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts is a series of Bible studies that intended to help Christians navigate through the darkness to come. We believe that we are already living in the end times and that we must study the early church’s lifestyle to use it as our example of how to live. If you have not already done so, please study the other installments that precede this … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts (Part 21)
In this installment, we proceed to chapter 9 of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. In this chapter, we see the conversion of Saul the persecutor into Paul the apostle. They Want to Persecute Jesus and God the Father In chapter 9, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, picks up his historical account of the early church with the conversion of Saul. Remember, Saul was the young man who watched the … Continue reading Guidance for the End Times: A Study of the Book of Acts (Part 20)
