Dwell On These Things

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Giving that’s done for the praise of other people will likely be acknowledged with their praise.  But giving that’s done in secret for God’s glory, not our own, will be divinely rewarded in ways that reverberate into eternity.

 In Mark 12, as Jesus watched various wealthy people give their gifts, He also observed someone else make a contribution.  Scripture tells us He saw a poor widow give a gift.  Her gift didn’t stand out to anyone but Jesus because all she contributed was two small copper coins that when added together equaled a penny.  In Christ’s estimation, why was her gift so much more significant than the large gifts the wealthy people had contributed?

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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David reigned as king of Israel about a thousand years before Christ’s incarnation.  During the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, David was revered by the Jewish people.  He’s still revered today by Jews, Christians, and many others.  The biblical accounts of David’s early life, his willingness to trust the Lord in the midst of impossible odds, his divinely ordained rise to power, his musical and poetic gifts, and the fact that the Holy Spirit inspired David to write the majority of the Psalms are highly impressive.

 David was also a wise and powerful leader.  His leadership decisions and the victories he was blessed with remain legendary to this day.  Many Jews considered him the pinnacle of human leadership and they longed to be led by such a king again one day.

 At one point during David’s reign, the Lord revealed to Nathan the prophet that a descendent would come from David whose throne would be established forever.  This was a prophetic reference to the Messiah, and ever since the days when this prophecy was given, the Jewish people have looked forward to the Messiah’s appearing.

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To learn more about what Alan & Angie shared, please visit:  https://transformmyfuture.com/dwell

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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Imagine you were a member of one of the prominent religious sects that operated during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry.  One of those sects in particular, the Pharisees, made a practice of reading the Old Testament Scriptures and creating lists of laws, regulations, and commandments they found in God’s word.  Eventually, they came up with a list of over 600 commandments, some of which were actually found in Scripture and many of which were derived from their own theological interpretations and leanings.

 As they developed this impossibly long list of commandments, they would also debate amongst themselves where these rules should be ranked and which commandments they considered more important than others.

 It was in the midst of this context that a scribe or teacher from the Pharisees (Matt. 22:34-35) approached Jesus to learn how He might answer the question as to which commandment was the most important.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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 If there is no resurrection, not even Jesus has been raised.  And if He didn’t rise from death, we’re doomed.  That would mean we are destined to be mastered by sin for the rest of our lives, held captive by the power of Satan, and have no hope beyond the moment when our lungs stop breathing.

 Thankfully, Jesus not only taught that resurrection was a biblical concept, He demonstrated it by personally rising from the grave.  Sin could not control Him.  The devil couldn’t hold Him down.  Death could not defeat Him.

 When we trust in Jesus, submitting control of our lives over to Him, we’re assured that we too will enjoy a resurrection like His.  The day is coming when the bodies of all who believed will be raised to life.  All believers will be given glorified bodies that are incapable of sinning or dying.  Our glorified bodies will be united with our souls, and we will live in the presence of the Lord forever.

 My heart rejoices when I contemplate that truth.  On your best days and on your lowest days, I hope the assurance of what Jesus has in store for all believers brings you joy as well.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

One of the fastest ways to become disappointed in life is to begin dwelling on all the good things you think you deserve that you haven't yet received. It's very possible that you believe you deserve a raise at work, a word of praise, to be married if you aren't or to have a better marriage if you are, for your kids to shine like angels, for your bank account to be filled to overflowing, and the check engine light to never come on in your car. But none of these things have been promised to us.

I believe that when we look at what Scripture teaches us, we're shown that when we have Jesus, we truly do have what we need most in this world. We need Him more than we need perfect earthy circumstances. We need Him more than we need the treasures of this earth. We need His mercy more than we need the momentary approval of our peers.

So we can go through life disappointed that we didn't get some of the things that we thought we deserved, or we can be grateful for the mercy of Christ which is a blessing He offers to us that we definitely didn't deserve. And if we can learn to become grateful for Christ's mercy, we'll start to view ourselves and others through that lens. As recipients of mercy, we show mercy. As those who didn't receive the condemnation we deserved, we can also choose not to condemn others but rather bless them in Jesus' name.

In Proverbs 25, I see at least three ways we can live this out. In view of the mercy of Christ, we can honor those who lead us, humble ourselves, and bless our enemies. Each action requires an application of Christ-centered mercy.

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Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.