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Moses said, Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people (Exodus 22:28). This instruction is in both the Old and New Testament (Acts 23:5). It is crucial to be aware of this word, especially in the current political climate, where events seem designed to trigger emotions and stress. And while many may think this scripture applies solely to using coarse or foul language against leaders, the interaction between Shimei, David, and Solomon illustrates that this is not true. We must be careful how we speak to and about those in authority because God is watching and we can't hide what we say and think from Him.

When King David temporarily lost his throne to his son, Absalom, Shimei, a kinsman of Israel's first king, Saul, threw rocks at him. He accused David of killing Saul and his sons, saying, "You have come to ruin because you are a…

Have you ever met someone who loves attention and demands it constantly? Everything they do is to force all eyes onto them. To the extent that they will often do silly things, all because they need everyone to focus on them. What do you do with such people? I've learned to give them as little 'oxygen' as they desire. I've learned that the less they can count on me for their 'supply', the more they avoid me. When that happens, all parties are content.

To some extent, we need to apply the same approach to satan. We need to learn to starve it of what it desires from us. This begs the question: What does satan want from believers? We've previously discussed that the enemy wants people to think God is a liar, and it strives to use God's children to make this point. It does this to steal, kill, and…

Did you ever wonder why Jesus would perform miracles and then tell people not to share their testimony with others? Why would He want those who experienced God's great grace to keep quiet about it? How many of us would obey if told to say nothing about a great encounter with Him?

Let us consider a few instances of this. In Mark 7, a group brought a man who was deaf and dumb. Jesus said, "Ephphatha!" and he was healed. Then, Jesus commanded those present not to tell anyone (Mark 7:36). He even told Jairus and his wife not to reveal what He did for their daughter (Luke 8:56). He did the same with a group of blind men in Matthew 9, healing their sight only to tell them, "See that no one knows about this" (Matthew 9:30).

Most couldn't keep quiet. Matthew 9:31 - But when they had departed,…

The term precursor refers to a forerunner or harbinger - someone or something that comes in advance of another. Thousands of years prior to the arrival of Jesus Christ, men and women foretold of His coming. This continued until John the Baptist who stood in the wilderness, called people to repent, and announced that God was sending someone more powerful than him (Matthew 3:11). Each of these individuals prepared the people around them for what God was doing and what was to come.

Today's believers are the inheritors of this great Biblical tradition. Just as the prophets spoke of a savior who would come to the world to redeem people, so are Christians to make the same proclamation. The prophets of old spoke of Jesus in faith, believing the God who filled their mouths would fulfill His word. We, however, have the evidence that Jesus indeed came and was crucified…

I don't know about you, but when I think of the word 'reward', it connotes something pleasant. Maybe some cash for providing the tip that leads to the arrest of a criminal. Or the financial award that comes from being a hero who saves a bunch of people - the way it happens in the movies, at least. I could think of so many different ways a person could end up with a reward. Thankfully, there are several different avenues to rewards when it comes to God as well.

However, it is not every godly reward that will leave a person feeling warm and cuddly. There are some rewards that spell nothing but disaster and the children of God would be wise to avoid the pathways that could lead to these. They are the sort of compensation that reflect God's judgment upon a person and their choices.

Matthew 16:27 - For the…

Imagine two neighbors - Sam and Mike. Sam is building a pool house that just so happens to be on Mike's side of the property line. Mike let Sam know but that ended up in a shoving match with Sam saying he doesn't care what his neighbor thinks. Construction has continued unhindered. Several weeks later, Mike is out jogging and sees Sam riding his bicycle up ahead. Determined to avoid his annoying neighbor, he pulls down the visor on his cap and focuses on the asphalt. That is until he hears a crash. He looks up and sees that Sam collided with a car and is lying down on the sidewalk, holding his head.

What should Mike do? Should he keep jogging or stop to check on Sam?

He might be tempted to let Sam suffer given how he reacted when told he was violating property boundaries, but God's word…