Dirty Bible, Clean Heart

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.  “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” -Mark 5:35  Has God ever given you a specific promise for your life? For some that might mean a new business venture, or a baby, perhaps a spouse, or maybe even a ministry. These are some of the things that many of us desire and that (I believe) God wants to freely give us (Rom 8:32). All throughout the Bible, we see God making promises with His chosen people. And because Hebrews 13:8 declares that God "is the same yesterday, today, and forever" we can rest assured that if God fulfilled promises to His people then, He will do so today as well. But what if the promise God made you is taking longer than expected? In fact, what if between the time that God spoke that promise over your life and now, things have actually grown worse?!  What do we do then? The Bible has plenty to say about waitin...

"When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples  to ask him, “ Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else ?”  Jesus replied,  “ Go back and report to John what you hear and see:   The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.  Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me ." -Matthew 11:2-6 I cannot imagine what John must have felt. His circumstances had changed quite drastically. Before his imprisonment, he had led a flourishing and vibrant ministry but now sat in a dark and dirty prison. And as the days, weeks, and even months drew on, John never expected to experience the doubts and questions that he did. Was Jesus really  the  Messiah? All the signs pointed towards a resounding  yes!  Yet as he sat in that prison, John wondered...had h...

  "Self-love is, no doubt, the usual foundation of human jealousy...the fear lest another should by any means supplant us." -Charles Spurgeon As they danced, they sang:  “Saul has slain his thousands,  and David his tens of thousands.”  Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. -1 Samuel 18:7-9 I don't think there's yet to be a human on this Earth that has not experienced jealousy at one time or another. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, Leah of her sister Rachael, King Saul of his servant David, even the church of Corinth over the different ministers within its walls (1 Cor 3:3-4). Jealousy is much more common a sin than we think yet one that oftentimes goes unacknowledged, unnoticed, or  disguised underneath layers of anger and resentment. Is jealousy simply ...