No one enjoys paying taxes, even in Jesus’ day. Jesus’ enemies hoped to put Jesus in an awkward situation regarding taxes, but Jesus used it to give us revelation about who man is and how God expects him to live. The trick question regarded paying taxes to Caesar (Luke 20:22). The trick involved putting JesusContinue reading “Seeing God’s Image and Reading His Inscription”
Tag Archives: identity
Freedom That No One Can Take Away
When Jesus declared to the 70 that they should not rejoice in their authority over evil spirits, he pointed out an important spiritual truth. We tend to equate our self-worth and value with what we can do or accomplish. The 70 had done great things with the authority that Jesus had given to them, evenContinue reading “Freedom That No One Can Take Away”
How Shall We Live?
John makes an interesting statement in 1 John 2:15-17. He says that we are not to love the world, because if you do God’s love is not in you. Everything related to the world that we see is passing away, but the one who does God’s will lives forever. John’s statement seems pretty straight forward,Continue reading “How Shall We Live?”
What if?
On a number of occasions, Jesus referred to the disciples as having “little faith”. He used the word five times in the Gospels, four times in Matthew and once in Luke, always in reference to his own disciples. In the Sermon on the Mount, he addressed their anxiety over what to eat or what toContinue reading “What if?”
Kingdom Transformation
After Jesus instructed Matthew the tax-collector to follow him, Jesus went and ate at Matthew’s home with other tax-collectors. The Pharisees, who observed Jesus’ action, were offended by Jesus’ association with tax-collectors and sinners. The Pharisees lived according to a principle we have today: “Bad company corrupts good character.” However, Jesus hung around tax-collectors andContinue reading “Kingdom Transformation”
Kingdom Potential
Early in his ministry, Jesus revealed himself to be a different type of teacher. He didn’t accept everyone who wished to follow him. The scribe who wished to follow was discouraged because Jesus said he didn’t have a fixed place to live. To the disciple who desired to stay and care for his father untilContinue reading “Kingdom Potential”
Defeating Temptations
Jesus’ 40 days in the desert to be tested by the devil give us a strategy for defeating temptation. First Satan may use our physical needs against us, in order to tempt us to live for ourselves, rather than living in a dependent relationship on our heavenly Father. Jesus refused to use his own powerContinue reading “Defeating Temptations”
Righteous or Self-Righteous
I have learned and am learning that much of God’s truth for us is quite subtle. In Romans chapter 4, Paul makes some statements that are quite easy to gloss over, but when you ponder them, they are quite profound. In Romans 4, Paul uses the case of Abraham to argue the concept of beingContinue reading “Righteous or Self-Righteous”
Understanding God
After Jesus descended from the mountain of transfiguration, he encountered a father, whose son was afflicted by a demon. Jesus dealt with the demon and healed the boy. When the disciples asked Jesus about their inability to cast it out, he said it was their little faith, which raises the question of how was theirContinue reading “Understanding God”
Withholding Judgment
When Jesus healed a demonized blind and mute man, the people wondered if he was the son of David, that is the Messiah, but the Pharisees shut them down saying that he cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of demons, that is by Satan. Jesus easily demonstrated the error of theirContinue reading “Withholding Judgment”
David Freitag 