Jesus Wants Justice

Luke 12:49-50 (MSG)
⁴⁹"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! ⁵⁰I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished!

Relax; Live by Faith

Luke 12:29 (MSG)
What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.

One Essential Thing

Luke 10:42 (MSG)
⁴²One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her.

Hanging on Every Word

Luke 10:39 (MSG)
³⁹She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said.

Herod: I killed John

Luke 9:9 (MSG)
⁹Herod said, "But I killed John—took off his head. So who is this that I keep hearing about?" Curious, he looked for a chance to see him in action.

Believe and Be Saved

Luke 8:12 (MSG)
¹²The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved.

You’ll See It Yourself

Mark 14:62 (MSG)
⁶²Jesus said, "Yes, I am, and you'll see it yourself:

The Son of Man seated

At the right hand of the Mighty One,

Arriving on the clouds of heaven."

Desires for Marriage

Malachi 2:15 (MSG)
God, not you, made marriage. His Spirit inhabits even the smallest details of marriage. And what does he want from marriage? Children of God, that's what. So guard the spirit of marriage within you. Don't cheat on your spouse.

Oil Supply

Zechariah 4:14 (MSG)
He said, "These are the two who stand beside the Master of the whole earth and supply golden lamp oil worldwide."

Asylum Cities

Numbers 35:9-15 (MSG)
[9] GOD spoke to Moses: [10] "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, When you cross the River Jordan into the country of Canaan, [11] designate your asylum-cities, towns to which a person who accidentally kills someone can flee for asylum. [12] They will be places of refuge from the avenger so that the alleged murderer won't be killed until he can appear before the community in court. [13] Provide six asylum-cities. [14] Designate three of the towns to the east side of the Jordan, the other three in Canaan proper—asylum-cities [15] for the People of Israel, for the foreigner, and for any occasional visitors or guests—six asylum-cities to run to for anyone who accidentally kills another.

Numbers 35:26-27 (MSG)
But if the murderer leaves the asylum-city to which he has fled, and the avenger finds him outside the borders of his asylum-city, the avenger has a right to kill the murderer. And he's not considered guilty of murder.

Destroy Their Images

Numbers 33:50-53 (MSG)
[50] GOD spoke to Moses on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho: [51] "Tell the People of Israel, When you cross the Jordan into the country of Canaan, [52] drive out the native population before you, destroy their carved idols, destroy their cast images, level their worship-mounds [53] so that you take over the land and make yourself at home in it; I've given it to you. It's yours.

Travel Log

Numbers 33:2 (MSG)
[2] Under GOD's instruction Moses kept a log of every time they moved, camp by camp

Moses' Final Mission

Numbers 31:1-2 (MSG)
[1] GOD spoke to Moses: [2] "Avenge the People of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you will go to be with your dead ancestors."

God's instructions carried out to the letter!

2 Kings 9:26 (MSG)
'As surely as I saw the blood of murdered Naboth and his sons yesterday, you'll pay for it on this exact piece of ground. God's word!' So take him and throw him out in the field. God's instructions carried out to the letter!

God's word to the letter!

2 Kings 7:16 (MSG)
The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel—God's word to the letter!

When he could no longer see anything

2 Kings 2:11-12 (MSG)
And so it happened. They were walking along and talking. Suddenly a chariot and horses of fire came between them and Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it all and shouted, "My father, my father! You—the chariot and cavalry of Israel!" When he could no longer see anything, he grabbed his robe and ripped it to pieces.

Like the way some of us watch a rocket launch, he looked until he could no longer see Elijah.

Just as God's Word had said

1 Kings 22:37-38 (MSG)

The king is dead!

The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as GOD's word had said.

Praying with all his Might

1 Kings 17:21 (MSG)
Three times he stretched himself out full-length on the boy, praying with all his might, "GOD, my God, put breath back into this boy's body!"

Independent Righteousness

Romans 10:3 (NKJV)
[3] For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

What is truly evil is a form of goodness that fall short of God's form of goodness. That's not only evil, it's deception. It makes people think they're doing right, when in reality they're falling short of the glory of God.

Who Conquers the World

1 John 5:5 (CSB)
[5] Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Stored for Fire

2 Peter 3:7 (CSB)
[7] By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

Do Good, Fear No Intimidation

1 Peter 3:6 (CSB)
[6] just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and do not fear any intimidation.

God’s Slavery is More Free than Man’s Freedom

1 Peter 2:16 (CSB)
[16] Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God's slaves.

Silence Ignorance

1 Peter 2:15 (CSB)
[15] For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.

Angels Long

1 Peter 1:12 (CSB)
[12] It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

Wilder Than Any Animal

James 3:7-8 (CSB)
[7] Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, [8] but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Scripture’s Royal Law

James 2:8 (CSB)
[8] Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.

No Fear of Tyranny

Hebrews 11:23 (CSB)
[23] By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn't fear the king's edict.

Faith Speaking After Death

Hebrews 11:4 (CSB)
[4] By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.

Why Blood

Hebrews 9:15-18 (CSB)
[15] Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. [16] Where a will exists, the death of the one who made it must be established. [17] For a will is valid only when people die, since it is never in effect while the one who made it is living. [18] That is why even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.

A Moment of Astounding Glory

Among the more commonly known passages that describe the glory of God would be those near the end of the Word of God in the book of Revelation, especially in the final 2 chapters as it describes the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem.

One of the earliest descriptions of heaven in the Bible is in the second of 66 books: “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity” (Exodus 24:9-10).

In John 13 Jesus is telling his disciples about his imminent departure when “the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him” (13:31). He specifically describes what's to come as “The moment of this astounding glory” (13:32).

If you don't know the story, you might expect some streets of gold, the room turned into shining gemstones, or light and music filling the air. That's not what happens next.