Scripture Treasures

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness ~ 2 Peter 1:3 There is something about the way Peter writes which captures me. Perhaps it is his honesty and clarity about the transformation God through Jesus made in his life, and I find that easily relatable. Here we have a statement of strength and power, not which comes from Peter’s inner man, except by the power of God. As God gifted Peter to draw three thousand converts to Christ through the Holy Spirit, so the Divine Power gifts us and enables us to live holy lives, to live as Christ lived. Through His Holy Spirit, we have the power to preach and defend the Gospel message, we have the gift of God’s Wisdom to guide us through life’s circumstances and to lead us on the path of life we should take. What I find interesting is Peter is not saying he has everything he wants, but he does have everything he needs. Many of the first disciples s

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent ~ John 17:3 And how will they know? Who will tell them that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world? Will you? Do You? There is no connection between knowledge and eternal life’s promises without communication. We cannot pass on real knowledge of Jesus Christ without influencing another’s soul with the truth. We are called to share our story of how Jesus has changed our life, how He has forgiven our past sins and rebellion against Him. How does a child know when you have forgiven them? You wrap them up in your arms and they feel your love and tenderness toward them. This is what we share with others – the love and tenderness God has for us, no matter what our past involved. And we share how Jesus is our friend as God is our Father. The heart, once opened to this truth, can then enter into faith. Yet, we cannot proclaim the whole truth of God to those we communicate with, for t

All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall ~ 1 Peter 1:24 Peter is emphasizing the futility of mankind in comparison to the eternity of God. All we strive to maintain in life, all we work so hard for in life, all we think will be our lasting legacy, fades and decays. It sounds glum, I know, because what he is saying is that all those things we as mortals hold in high esteem with each other are all temporary. We value our wealth, our wisdom, our strength, even our external righteousness, but these in comparison to the spiritual realm, mean nothing. Only when Christ is in our life and our values are found in Him, is there true value, true wisdom, and true strength, and an eternal value found. If we were to read on in Peter’s text we would discover what Peter acknowledges as value, that being that we are a chosen people and are precious to Him. God's values will never match our values, until we in tur

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace ~ Romans 8:6 The mind governed by the flesh, or the carnal mind, is the mind of one set against the Lord. It is a mind without faith in Jesus Christ. This is a mind which has not been transformed by His Holy Spirit through the process of justification and sanctification. To live apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ is death, both spiritually and eternally for they are dead in their trespasses and sins. There is no hope for that one which rejects Jesus as Saviour. Now, the contrast to this way of living is given by Paul – life and peace in the mind of the Spirit-filled believer. As believer’s, this life is already ours for the taking. As we live day-by-day, we are guided and enlightened by God’s Spirit. Our mind should already be turned to those things which concern God, both here and now and in the time to come. Our soul is in harmony with God as we live totally opposite to the

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life ~ Jude 1:20, 21 Every day we must be attentive to our character, to living a life which is an attestation to the Holy Spirit which resides within us. Our faith is built by reading God’s Word, by meditation, by spending time with Him in prayer, and within these parameters a strong foundation is laid. The foundation of our character is essential, for the “building” will either be built upon a rock, or upon shifting sands. Once our foundation is secure, we can begin the building process, but again, the finished product depends upon our building material. The Holy Spirit is our Guide, and every stone we lay on the foundation of our character must be attached to Christ and His sacrifice for us. Jude tells us to keep yourselves in God’s love, for character building is a pr

And this is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love ~ 2 John 1:6 W. Jay wrote , “Power may cause a man to be feared; authority, to be reverenced; wealth, to be envied; learning, to be admired; genius, to be praised; but it is only goodness that chains one heart to another. And this is the grand and only expedient that God has devised and revealed to bring back the minds of His alienated creatures to Himself. ‘Keep yourselves in the love of God.’” Love is in the heart. God does not, will not ever, force us to obey Him. His desire is that we do so always and absolutely, but not due to our lack of choice so that we have no other recourse. Our obedience is the by-product of a heart which desires above all to please our Maker. I have witnessed some who claim to love the other, yet it is all about coercion and manipulation, about deceit and pain – this is not love. Love is the great example God showe

Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them ~ Matthew 7:17-20 The doctrines or principles of a man or woman are always evident when no eyes are upon them. What is in the heart will eventually be made plain and clear for witnesses to see. One who professes to be a Christian yet carries not God’s grace into their relationships is merely an onlooker of the Gospel of Christ. If we are impoverished in our knowledge of the Truth of Jesus Christ and His Gospel message, we cannot live with consistency in our daily walk. We cannot say one thing and do another and be a good witness for Christ, for our words and actions will not coincide together. The Christian walk is hard, but don’t trade in the difficulty for deception, don’t walk in the way of shortcuts becau

He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake ~ Psalm 23:3 This is a verse for those who have been pushing the limits of work, or duty to the point of exhaustion. It is a verse which helps bring us back into right priorities. Busyness is a trademark of today’s world. We go from place to place to place – from work, to the store, to the gym, to taking our kids places, to…whatever is keeping us busy. We want to keep moving, to keep doing. Until we wake up and discover we are empty and drained. In this verse we are reminded of how God ministers to us when we quiet ourselves in His presence. When we go to the “still waters” and rest, He causes our life to come back into equilibrium. He causes life to return. It is our spirit He refreshes when it is exhausted, weary, or sad. When we are weary and worn down from all the cares of this world, we come into God’s presence, and there we find peace, encouragement, joy. We are animated in Him. And here, he call

Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ~ 1 Peter 1:3 Peter begins with praise to God! Praise that God is the blessed Father of Jesus Christ, praise be to God because he deserves that praise for His infinite mercy and grace to the world, and praise because He sent His Son to redeem the world! Peter had much to praise God for after the crucifixion of Jesus. He stands as an example for us whom have turned our back on our Lord. His difference when compared to us is that his story is encapsulated in a book which centuries later is still read and reminds us of his human weakness. We are no different, we just aren’t memorialized in a Book. With his confidence shaken, Peter was restored through the hope found in Jesus Christ during that breakfast on the beach. Our confidence and living hope is found when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Our living hope is found in the gift of life in the her

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:5 The Apostle Paul was suffering affliction and persecution at the time of this writing, and he needed patience. He specifically looked to the patience Christ exhibited during His trials as strength for what he was going through and for the endurance to finish what he had begun. Like Paul, some of us go through great afflictions. Does it help to set before us Christ Jesus and what he went through on the way to the cross? He is the great example of patience and endurance, and I think it is very apt we pray for the same that He had. In the midst of our persecution, our love of God leads us to worship the “God of Love”, who in all His mercy and grace saved our souls. His love is not like ours. We cannot direct our heart into God’s love, it is Christ given us through His Spirit who can change our heart, and this is done by prayer. Our persecutions and afflictions, though they may be great,

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God ~ 3 John 1:11 Who is your role model? And, if I am not asking who yours is, who is the role model of your children, or grandchildren? Because the simple truth is, whomever you idolize and adore, you will want to imitate that person. So, is that person one of integrity, honesty, holiness? In our world the people imitated most seem to be those in the limelight of the movie/television media stream. Movements start and run like wildfire if a famous person takes an interest in that thought, or agenda, or style. We must guard our hearts, and train those who come behind us to guard their hearts against imitating those we “think” are great persons. Their actions appear to be the “laws” we should follow. If they use profanity, so should we, is the thought. Or, whatever the evil may be. Our nature naturally is swayed by what is agreeable to us

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received ~ Ephesians 4:1 As Paul wrote, so am I, and I pray, so are you who are reading this, a prisoner for the Lord. For He has done so much for me through His saving grace, that I can be nothing but a prisoner for Him. I owe Him my all, and then some! I have given up my liberty, yet at the same time have found my fullness of liberty in Him! It is an oxymoron. By this I mean that what the Lord guides and directs me to do, I do, for His cause is my cause. I follow faithfully as though I were in chains, yet my heart says I am free. I am a child of the King now, for I have benefited from His mercy and grace, and I therefore devote myself to His service. Praise be to God! And my calling, as is yours, is to do what is right and just, to be truth tellers and honest with all people, to be trustworthy and moral. My calling, as is yours, is to emulate Jesus in our life, to be His hands and feet,

Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues ~ Proverbs 10:19 How do you use your words? This is the thrust of this proverb, for the plain fact is, there are many who babble on just to hear themselves talk and to draw attention to themselves. When our tongue is wagging for the sake of its movement, we sound like fools. And the truth is, most tongue wagging ends up being destructive. Thoughtfulness is not on the agenda of a wagging tongue, just the empty noise is important. Words, then, are mistaken for thoughts. Plato once said, “As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.” Do not waste the time of your listener with empty words, or thoughtless phrases. We live in a world of social media, and what that fosters is a void of body language when we speak/write our thoughts. Too often, what is displayed on Facebook or other media places are ideas expressed without thought about what is being said, or

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free ~ John 8:32 The Jews thought freedom came in the exercise of studying the law, the Torah. But, we know the law is binding, for no one can successfully always obey the law. And studying the Scriptures, when it is done from a sense of duty alone, does not bring freedom. Freedom comes when the power sin has over our lives is conquered and destroyed, and this is done only when the Holy Spirit resides within through the acceptance, belief, and power given us through Jesus Christ. The power of truth in our lives is immense. I have witnessed people whom have held a lie in their heart, and Jesus has revealed the truth to them, and agony of long standing has been healed. People whom have held memories from childhood and misunderstanding because of their immature status at the time, people also as adults, whom have held on to guilt over situations to which they have had no control, have been healed when Jesus revealed the truth

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom ~ 2 Corinthians 3:17 I was recently asked if I had ever heard of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” which greatly surprised me as I, perhaps unreasonably, assumed all Christian’s would know the Holy Spirit comes upon those who call in faith on Jesus’ Name. This person spoke to me as though it was an anomaly that she felt the Holy Spirit within her. To possess the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour is to possess the Holy Spirit, for He is the presence of Christ in our soul. And He gives freedom from the veil which covers the eyes through prejudice in an unbeliever. Once that veil is lifted, we are set free, not to “do as we like”, but we are set free to love as Christ loved. The Law is unforgiving. It knows nothing of mercy and forgiveness. The law cannot bring us into relationship with God, for when we live by the law we see only in black and white, right from wrong, do this and live and do not do this a

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved ~ Romans 10:10 This scripture would be part b of yesterday’s readings. Whoever believes must believe with the heart. We cannot believe with the mind alone; that is head knowledge. When we believe in Jesus as the Son of God, we need to know Him through heart knowledge. Belief is the beginning point, for sure, but we are meant to grasp this belief and then proclaim it. When we believe from our heart, we are convicted of our sins and our unrighteousness before our God, and we enter into repentance. Therein, we are justified, as was God’s plan from the beginning. That is, the moment we believe, our sins are pardoned. Immediately, God begins to work in us, to change us and bring transformation. Our words give voice to that process which is taking place within us, and we make known what God has done. We share our story of our past and our new future. We ca

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them ~ John 3:36 Whoever believes…it is the first step in a life-long process, and it is a challenging step. If it were not, more of our loved ones would believe as we do, but they do not. John walked with Jesus and wrote this knowing even then not all believed in Jesus as the Son of God. If Jesus were to walk the earth in our time now, not all would believe. It is easier for some to believe in life on other planets than it is to believe in Jesus as God’s Son. This, however, is the truth…eternal life is ours if we believe in Jesus as the Son of God. This life is not the end for us, for our spirit will go on to live forever with His Spirit. Those who reject Jesus now will never enjoy the Kingdom of God, for it is only through obedience to answer the call He extends to us that we are saved eternal punishment. Not only, though, do we have the promise of eternal l

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble ~ Psalm 59:16 If we don’t come to God in our times of trouble, it is impossible to sing in the morning. If I don’t rely on God for my protection in my times of feebleness and neediness, how can I know He is there for me in my darkest circumstances? It is exactly because you and I come before Him in those times that we can taste of His faithfulness and trustworthiness when all the chips are down in our life. We sing of His power and strength because we have witnessed His power and strength in our life. When we are witnesses, we have first-hand experience. The Apostle Paul knew hardships, yet he could sing from his prison cell. Troubles surround us all at one time or another, what they are not is a permanent state, for our troubles wane in and out; they are not usually static. Deliverance is just around the next corner. Sometimes, when we are in the mi

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit ~ Romans 15:13 The God of hope, the God whom has made promises to His people, this is the God who will fulfill and has fulfilled them through His timing and the circumstances of our life. Without Him there is no hope. Hope that is not grounded in Him is false and elusive. The hope of a Christ follower is brought about by Christ Himself, and He can create this hope in the midst of our greatest despair. The most guilty can be in a moment relieved, and made to hope in His mercy. And the inner joy and peace we find in that hope is not something we conjure up, but it is the gift of God! Paul goes on to write that we should overflow with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit! He implies that we have degrees of joy and peace. We may not, in fact, abound with joy and peace, so how important it is then to look and seek earnestly for God’s fulles

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe ~ Proverbs 18:10 The Lord is our shelter in the storm, a tall tower as our refuge, He is goodness, and perfection, and power to save and deliver them that trust in Him. God is our surest and strongest defense against all enemies, of whatever kind they may be. Let them do what they will…send their arrows, build their armament, malign what they will, but God is our protection against them all. All that run to Him go in faith, knowing Him to be a God who has both the power and the willingness to protect His people. We go to an unseen God, but a living God! Our strength and dependence does not come from our belongings, our material goods, or even from our families. Our defense comes through the power and the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross for us, we whom are weighed down by our distresses, wounded by our transgressions and sins – are lifted up by Him. We climb to the top of the tower, running

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain ~ Psalm 127:1 The word, “house” is synonymous with a home, a place of worship, or, a family. This house can be built, but the question here is how strong, how useful, how protective, how sustaining is that house. It is so sad to see in this day how many homes reflect none of these characteristics. Homes today are broken, hurting places, many of them. They have been built in vain, for all the goodness which was to come forth from them has instead become a poison to the soul. They are void of God, of prayer, of relationship. The same idea of dependence on God rests over the city. A community without God, or a church which does not rely on the precepts of God is open to all kinds of heresies and rebellions. The watchman’s job is to call out if there is danger approaching, but if the watchman is sleeping, bandits and thieves will come in and destroy he

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you ~ Psalm 56:3 Fear…some think we should never fear, or that fear is a sign of weakness. Yet the writer of this psalm is King David, the one who killed a bear with his bare hands and killed the giant, Goliath with a slingshot. He is afraid? A strong king, a man after God’s own heart and he is admitting to fear. Fear is a natural response to danger and even death, yet fear has its purposes which are beneficial to us. Fear makes us cautious for one. Should I make this move or that one? Should I trust this person, or will they lead me down the wrong path? Should I make this move in my career, or will I find that I am better off where I am? Should I admit that I am wrong and face the reprimand I will or may receive? I am barely touching on what you may fear, but the point is, fear makes us take a good look at what our next step will be. Fear does something else as well…it drives us to our God. Fear induces us to put our trust in someone and som

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17 The Mighty Warrior, the Lord your God…is there anything He cannot do for you? Is there any barrier He cannot break down? If He is the Mighty Warrior, who do we need to fear? Nothing and no one! That is the correct response! And, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The Lord will save! And in your salvation, there will be such great joy as never experienced. Those who return to the fold, those who return to relationship with Him, those who turn their lives around and seek Him, those who come with repentance on their lips, those He will rejoice over! Not only will He rejoice, but He will be so full of joy He will dance and sing over you. Can you put this into your imagination? Can you comprehend this? God, singing over you? Never again, it says in an earlier verse, nev

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it ~ Matthew 7:13, 14 These words come from last of the Sermon on the Mount, given by Jesus, and as He spoke these words, the people would have understood it in a clearer way than we do. They could easily visualize the private and public road system where the public traveled on a 16 cubit road and the private on a 4 cubit road. He was telling them the conditions of entering heaven. It is by the private road we tread, the narrow way. Nearly every town in Palestine is surrounded by walls and gates, the main ones are wide with double doors, while the “straight gates” are in corners, are narrow, and only opened to those who knock. Jesus is the doorway. He told us to knock and the door would be opened to us. We can only enter heaven by believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of t

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves ~ 1 Peter 2:16 The Jews in the first century would use their freedom as a cover to rebel against Rome, using their liberty in Him for malicious intent. God always calls us to obey those set up as rulers, though we must pray for His insight and direction in their lives. We all have governments and leaders to which we answer; we all have laws to which we are to uphold. Above them all is our allegiance to God, for He is supreme above all. It is, therefore, our mind which cannot be bound by our earthly rulers, but in Christ we are free. Some nations try to suppress our freedom in Christ, they try to suppress our belief in the One True God, or to teach and preach in His name, to raise our children in faith, or for us to come together and worship Him whom is above all on earth. Then there are others who say, “I can do what I want, I am forgiven.” They do not treat others or God the way they

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another ~ Proverbs 27:17 We need to bounce things off each other in conversation and in reflection. When we think or ponder something, especially if it is a troubling something, we gain clearer thoughts when two minds act on each other. The idea of sharpening here is meant to explain what happens when we dive deeply into conversation about a subject, and then with sincerity, reflect on its options. In the Bible we have overheard such intercourses through the friendship of David and Johnathan, or through Naomi and Ruth, or through Peter and Paul. When our thoughts are isolated, we can find excuses for them, or for how we act. But if we have a true and good friend, the outcome will be a noble one. A true friend will be faithful, and will see from a broader perspective what would benefit, or what would befall evil in another’s life. As true friends, we are of most benefit when we are the “whetstone”, and encourage a friend when life is d

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you ~ Deuteronomy 31:6 We fight a spiritual battle and sometimes a physical one. Our enemy could be within our mind and thoughts, or come from someone we care about, and we have the enemy of our soul working against us. I have always turned to this verse in my very difficult times, and it has brought me comfort. Being strong and courageous when I felt extremely weak helped me to keep taking one step at a time because of the promise that lay in the words at the end of the verse. My God goes with me and He will not leave or forsake me. I don’t need a great amount of faith to believe this – even a little faith will benefit me. My faith could be surrounded by great doubts and fears, but the words keep edging me forward – be strong, be courageous, keep going, be strong, be courageous, keep going…my enemy may be strong, but my Redeemer is str

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise ~ Jeremiah 17:14 The Lord heals in many ways, though His main concern is our heart and soul health. Of course, we know that what we desire in our heart, so we will do, so we will follow, and in its pulse, so we will often be led to sin. We may live in stubbornness and impurity, rebellion, hardness, and distance from God. Yet, in God’s grace, there is not a single circumstance in which God does not use to bring us into the place of healing from these and more. We have to have the wisdom to allow God into all areas of our life, so that our sicknesses may be healed. We have to be willing to be thoroughly searched by the Spirit of God, and honestly wish to be healed. No one but the Lord can heal our spiritual sickness. And, there is not one remedy, but there are many. He may use the pleasant to heal us. Or, it may be by things that are painful. These are our comforts, and these are our cr

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18 It is difficult, I know, to not look at our circumstances when they cause suffering in our life. Our eyes naturally want to focus on the “here and now” of life. It is hard too, not to make them our ultimate focus and aim; they are what we know and objects our natural eye can reach. But earthly things are temporary! They are to have a short time of duration, and they must come to an end. We are but on a journey through this life, for those who believe and have received Jesus Christ as Lord, we have another home. This home is a home without grief, sadness, death; it is a home full of joy and praise. We will not suffer both here and in the world to come! Therefore, we must set our eyes on the unseen, on the eternal. Is what we are going through in our “here and now” working out a spiritual dimension to our lives? Are we being cleansed f

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them ~ John 7:38 It requires faith to believe in Jesus. Faith, we know is believing in what we cannot see. It is, in the case of the modern Christian, believing in the Scriptures, in the history, in the story, of God in and through Jesus Christ. It is believing in One who still has the power to heal, to transform, to deliver the sick of soul and of mind and of body. Belief is to come or to approach by faith, Jesus Christ. From Him, when we embrace Him as our own Saviour, come His wisdom, power, righteousness, purity, life. From Him come the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which indwells within us. And from Him comes the rich abundance to satisfy us to the full. We are not the source of this living water, however, our source is the Holy Spirit which grants to us spiritual satisfaction and enables us to bear fruit for our Lord. Receiving this Living Water requires that we do come to Him, and tha