Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

It is recommended, in living a beautiful life, to do so with a FISTFUL of MERCY.   Certainly, a fistful of mercy has already been extended to you, and an appropriate response is to live with a fistful of mercy extended toward others.  Then as you do so, even more mercy is extended to you.  That is, by giving a fistful of mercy you get a fistful of mercy .  Go find someone you'd like to wreak...

Let's go with the inclination to be JUST; to be RIGHTEOUS.  It is a godly and noble thing.   How can I get there? What is the pathway and what is at the end of the search.  Who is at the end of the search? What if I told you the search is FREE of cost?  What if I told you the search would be of GREAT COST? Join me today in our search for JUSTICE. https://youtu.be/SHwjfH3U9ic

You've seen our hero, carrying the sign that illustrates our thought for the day: "We Want Justice!"  He realizes that things are not quite right.   God agrees with him.  Blessed are those who HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness.(Now) They will be satisfied.(Not quite now) Join me to hear the real source for this desire for Justice. Join me in our quest for justice. 

It is particularly helpful to think about righteousness as being in right-standing before God.  The problem is that every human has spoiled that standing. So how are we going to restore relationship?  Well, we'll need a bit of help. To do it yourself will not end well because t here is no such thing as self-righteousness that is not an offense to God. “Self-righteousness” is NO Righteousness...

A n inheritance means resources and riches that were not sourced by you, are made available to you.  Though it might be my first day in considering God, it is not God's first day. He has a storehouse ready. How do I get it?  The road to this inheritance leads through the pesky concept of meekness. Short answer: the Lord LOVES meekness. He is biased toward the bowed-down person.   Join me for...

Meekness takes a bad rap in our world today.  No surprise, it is one of God's favorite characteristics.  In fact, Jesus Himself describes His own heart as meek. If we have spiritual meekness aka gentleness, we are Settled, submissive, secure,  solid and SATISFIED. As a bonus, God describes this character quality as PRECIOUS to Him.  This is why it might be best to SEEK TO BE MEEK. https://you...

For all you Richard Scarry fans out there, this one's for you.  Blessed are the MEEK. It means BENT. I couldn't help think of Scarry's best character of all time: Lowly Worm. Blessed are the Lowly Worms out there.  Picture his skinny little earthworm shape, green hat with a little feather in it; blue skinny jacket, bowtie and my favorite part: the ONE sneaker. Open your Bible to Mat...

Perhaps you are discouraged. If so, turn with me to the beatitudes to look for a beautiful way of living. The road to encouragement often starts with grief. Disobedience towards the ways of God often leads to relational disaster.            “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Mourning is Godly grief that goes somewhere. Mourning is a key to right relationship with God....

If only “poor in spirit” would mean just "plain ol' poor"! Financially I mean. It would be a lot easier to achieve than what everyone is called to in the Beatitudes.  Financial poverty is easier to achieve than spiritual poverty. It certainly would require less of me.  This is worth figuring out, for the inheritance of a KINGDOM is at stake.   As the Lord allows, I am here most ever...

Christians are to be the most repenty people on the planet. We have much to be broken over. We start, and often continue in a state of offense.  The Lord loves such bent people.  Why should I care? And care enough to be counted among the " POOR IN SPIRIT ?" Well, there is a KINGDOM on offer; which is to say there is a King to have a relationship with.  Listen if you are KINGDOM-READY.  s...

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...etc. etc. Does this sound good to you? Perhaps not. Join me today as we "dip our toe" into the beatitudes. The beatitudes are great, but perhaps we are not. We'll ask for help to be "Beatitude Ready" and even "Beatitude Eager." We might even RUN to the Beatitudes. One day just won't do it....

When Jesus came, He healed EVERYBODY in His little orbit. Does He still heal? If so HOW and What does He heal? Also, what might the attention of the Lord during my affliction look like?  Write this down: We have the ATTENTION of the Lord during our AFFLICTIONS. You'll have one of the afflictions we'll talk about in these 7 minutes. I guarantee it.  Share this, if I am right.  https://you...

What happens when Jesus calls me?  What does it cost? Probably your profession, your possessions, and your preferences. (I think the preferences are the most precious, and therefore the most costly). What do I gain? Person of Jesus; the People of Jesus and the Payment of Jesus. This is payment for sin that you are incapable of ever paying.  Give me 7 minutes, to help you count the cost of the call...

I’m thinking today of the Original Episode IV A new hope were Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the desert planet tatooine.  He plays an old “Jedi Mind Trick” on the stormtroopers and has this classic line: “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for” Don’t we just want to call out to Jesus, as He picks His disciples: Are you SURE these are the guys you are looking for? Watch 6 minutes to hear His answer.  The...

Right off the bat, repentance is brutal.  Why wrestle with it? Well, a kingdom is at stake .  A relationship, a citizenship with a kingdom is at stake.   Perhaps more importantly, a relationship with a King is at stake. Join me for 7 minutes to see if it is worth it.  If it is, follow me.  https://youtu.be/YV71VOxr0vU

Think about what Jesus said about Capernaum: Sodom would have done better than you if it had the blessings that you've had. Sodom would do better than you. Get this: Sodom is used as the good example in the comparison Here is a truth you won’t hear probably in the history of Chrisendom: Sodom would have done better than you. So let's d o at least as good as SODOM. Gotta listen to this cr...

You have heard the expression: To Him who is given much, much is required.  Capernaum is given, of all places in Israel, THE MOST. Will Capernaum be the epicenter of repentance? Will spiritual revival happen there? Will the PLACE that is given the MOST give back the most?  Have you been given a lot? or at least ENOUGH to do the right thing with? Let's use Capernaum as an example for us in 7 s...

How hard was the temptation in the desert for Jesus? How do we know the "difficulty level" of those temptations? Well, angels show up .  That's how we know.   They show us to minister to Jesus's needs .  Wait, why does Jesus have NEEDS ? He has emptied some of His God-privileges all the way down to humanity.  He has turned Himself into a worthy replacement for us. That is, Jesu...

Falling is a big deal. F alls can be life-changing, watershed moments.  Further, WHAT YOU FALL for, the reason you fall is A BIG DEAL. Fall-down-worship is a big deal too. It is disruptive, unpretty, and may have permanent effects.   True fall down worship often results with us not on our FACE, but on our BACKSIDE.  When you TAKE A FALL in worship it will be disruptive, unpretty, upending, unplann...

I’m sorry to say this, but Satan here teaches us how to worship better. Point one, of course, is to have nothing to do with him. Point #2: worship God alone and serve Him.  Point #3 is bow down and hopefully for all of us, to “take a fall” in worship. Join me to see what sense we can gather in this encounter of Jesus and Satan. https://youtu.be/M55a7GP4-1M

A 15 story fall is particularly dangerous. So is misinterpreting the Scriptures . Satan goes head to head with Jesus, who wrote the Scriptures, about what they actually mean.  It isn't a fair fight.  Satan has a lot to learn.  It sounds crazy, but we are supposed to be learning the same lessons, right along with him.   Join me for a 7 minute attempt at not misinterpreting the Scriptures. Subs...

Satan goes to "God-School" in the wilderness with Jesus.  He learns a few things. Satan asks Jesus to short-cut this humanity-thing; this humbling of Himself; this being born in the likeness of men.  It is an important feature of Jesus.  Without this specific characteristic, there is no cross.  This is an important lesson for Satan...and us.  Listen 7 minutes about it then subscribe.  ht...

We’ll take a close enough look at Satan to get the measure of him, and it is not pretty.   We’ll find a created being, so obsessed with his desire for worship, that he will tempt, lie and deceive at all costs. He doesn’t fight fair with Jesus. He won’t fight fair with you.  Subscribe and Comment please. https://youtu.be/TGCJR4Hf4V4

We now interrupt this baptism for a party amongst the Trinity . They are approving, endorsing, agreeing, and delighting amongst each other. Yahoo.  Oh and BTW, let's introduce the Holy Spirit in a new way.  In so doing, we launch from a Baptism of repentance, to a Baptism of relationship.  That's right, today we'll hear of a new relationship with an aspect of the Trinity that we hav...

Jesus goes to particular trouble to meet people at "the baptism of repentance." It is not His place of repentance, but our place of repentance. Jesus comes to the “Baptism of repentance” not because He Himself Had sin  But because WE have sin          This is exactly the place of contact. It is as if Jesus is saying with this picture:  "I will meet people in repentance. I will meet...