In Matthew 12:35-47, Jesus encouraged living in a state of watchfulness for His return. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. A wise follower of Jesus will live his or her life in such a manner that at no time will the Lord’s return catch them in an embarrassing, compromising or even …
Read More »
So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched. And he was limping because of his hip. –Genesis 32:24-25, 31 NIV My dad walked with a lifelong limp as the result of a …
Read More »
David inquired of God: “Shall I go?” The Lord answered him, “Go.” David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go…” (1 Chronicles 14:10, 14). Do you get mixed messages from God? No, I’m not committing heresy or expressing my disbelief in answered prayers. I am simply acknowledging that God moves in mysterious and, quite often, unexpected …
Read More »
God advances us before we’re ready. I was listening to “Perfectionism and Performance,” a recent podcast Jill Monaco did with Shelby Harveaux, when that statement jumped out. Just as some of our favorite Bible characters thought, Oh, no! Not me, Lord!, we tend to feel we’re not equipped or ready to take on a big Kingdom job. From Moses’ protests …
Read More »
To give them … the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered …
Read More »
One of the saddest and yet most amazing stories in the Bible is found in Exodus 1. It began with Pharaoh’s all-out assault on Israel and ended with freedom for a nation. The Israelites, then slaves of the Egyptians, were multiplying very rapidly and therefore feared by their captors. In Exodus 1:22, Pharaoh enacted a cruel form of population control …
Read More »
Spiritual growth is something to strive for as we grow in our relationship with the Lord. But what about betrayal? Betrayal is the ultimate act of mistrust and breach of faith in someone or something. Is it necessary for spiritual growth? The most obvious betrayal in Scripture was when Judas handed Jesus over to the authorities. He was one of …
Read More »
Are you afraid to dream? Does the thought of speaking your dreams out loud make you anxious? Are you worried that if you speak them, they won’t come true? Or if you do dream and they don’t happen, do you fear what others will think? I was afraid to dream for a long time. But earlier this year something broke …
Read More »
Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. –Mark 4:18-19 Is something choking your spiritual life? In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus outlined four different scenarios of seed planting. Some seed …
Read More »
“Get that thing out of here!” I shrieked as the snake slithered down the hall and out of sight. “Aw, that thing is more afraid of you than you are of it,” Tom said. I cast a withering look in his direction, every nerve in my body on edge, poised and waiting for the creature to reappear. Of course, I …
Read More »
Single Matters Magazine with Jill Monaco Ministries Christian singles discuss the matters of life, relationships, singleness and faith
