Time with Him

Who is your father?   Spiritually speaking we have two fathers to choose from. Jesus makes it quite clear that it is either God or the devil in John 8:31-47: “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.   I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraha...

"Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them." Jonah 2:8 Jesus brings to light what is really going on in the hearts of the Pharisees. Are we sometimes like them?   "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” And he continued,“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”"  Mark 7:8-9,13 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?  Matthew 15:2-3 (NIV) We all have traditions, habits & practices,  good and bad - we need to reflect on them often to see if they are pleasing to the Lord. Traditions I’m guilty of holding onto -   ...

Who are you influenced by? Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3  but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4  The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6  When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig...

Why persist in doing good? Take a moment to read through these few verses in Romans 2:1-16 “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2  Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3  So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5  But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6  God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”[ a ] 7  To those who by persistence in doing good seek ...

Where is the Lord's favor?  The answer in a simple form is in the heart's of those who seek to please Him . But I must expound on this.  Let's go back to the beginning of time, to the life of Cain and Abel, found in Genesis, chapter 4.  Verses 2b-7 "Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.   3  In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering  to the  Lord .   4  And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions  from some of the firstborn of his flock.  The  Lord  looked with favor on Abel and his offering,   5  but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6  Then the  Lord  said to Cain, “Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?   7  If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door;  it desires ...