TEXT: ‘For the Lord your God is a consuming fire; He is a jealous (impassioned) God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]’ (Deuteronomy 4:24 AMP). On cold, winter nights, it’s comforting to warm oneself around the fire, especially if it’s wood or coal. What a difference a real fire makes. Fire has an eternal aspect in that when it’s kept going, it will never go out of its own accord. Proverbs says, ‘The fire never says, “Enough”’ (Proverbs 30:16). Recent wildfires around the world bear testament to this truth. Today’s Teaching highlights what the Bible has to say about fire. 1. Fire of Compromise – ‘Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”’ (Luke 22:55-57). Jesus had been arrested and brought before the High Priest. Peter followed at a distance to see what would happen. As he warmed himself by the fire, a servant girl challenged him, that he was a disciple. When Peter denied it three times, the cock crew and Jesus...
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TEXT: ‘To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 1:7). The Apostle Paul used this greeting many times when writing to churches and individuals. We often use the words “Jesus” and “Christ”, but Today’s Teaching looks at Jesus as “Lord!” The more we understand this, the more we will reverence Him and benefit from His name. 1. Lord – His Position: ‘These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful’ (Revelation 17:14). World leaders such as Putin and Biden appear to be mighty and able to do what they want, but Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, and that includes them. This is why Jesus was able to resist, when during the temptation in the wilderness, Satan offered Him leadership of the world’s kingdoms. All He had to do was bow down and worship (See Luke 4:5-8). Jesus was able to refuse because it was already His. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, past, present and future! It’s a tragedy when churches and Christians...
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TEXT: ‘So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle’ (1 Samuel 17:20). David and Goliath is probably one of the best known Bible Stories, that even non-Christians have heard about. Today’s Teaching looks at some of the background to this amazing duel that only lasted a few minutes. 1. There was shouting but no fighting The army was going out to fight and shouted for the battle. The Children of Israel were lined up in battle formation against the Philistines but there was no actual fighting. Indeed, when Goliath started shouting, the Israeli soldiers fled from him terrified. When David challenged their lack of action, his brother turned on him (See v28). Church can be a bit like this. We do our preaching, singing and shouting on a Sunday, in a place where there’s no enemy, only fellow believers. When it’s time to go out into the world with the gospel, we allow the fear of the enemy to stop us in our tracks. Christians usually find it easy to talk about anything but Jesus...
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TEXT: ‘I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture’ (John 10:9). Doors are not a barrier to God, as the resurrected Jesus proved, ‘That evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors, in fear of the Jewish leaders, when suddenly Jesus was standing there among them!’ (John 20:19 TLB). God has to work with our will, for that’s how He has chosen to do it. Reading the book of Revelation recently I noticed two doors – one shut, the other open and these form the basis for Today ‘s Teaching. 1. Shut Door A. Negative – ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’ (Revelation 3:20) A church with Christ on the outside! What a contradiction. He’s patiently waiting to be invited in. However, He will not wait for ever, ‘I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking …… I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone’ (Song of Solomon 5:2, 6). Too slow to respond meant the Lord was gone. People wonder if God means what He says. ‘God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does...
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TEXT: ‘Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head’ (1 Samuel 1:11). 1 Samuel starts with this wonderful account of Hannah achieving her breakthrough. How do we react when we have the promise from God, but it remains an unanswered prayer? There are six things Today’s Teaching considers as we study, “Praying the Prayer of Breakthrough”. 1. Problem – ‘Hannah had no children … the Lord had closed her womb’ It wasn’t that she was physically incapable of birthing a child, she just couldn’t conceive. She felt in herself that everything was okay, yet month after month, year after year, no conception. The promise of God concerning childbearing remained unfulfilled, ‘Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward’ (Psalm 127:3). You may have a different problem and promise. Naturally there doesn’t seem to be a reason why you cannot receive the answer. How quickly that kind of scenario can lead into depression. 2....
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