Jesus taught hard, radical things. During his sermon on the mount, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43). It seems that, by the time of Christ, the religious leaders had taken the Old Testament command to ‘love your neighbor’ to mean one should also hate their enemy. Their teaching was, of course, a perversion of God’s word. Jesus corrected, and then addended their teaching. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). (15 Minutes, 4000 Words)
Read moreFollow #36 -- Mark 12:13-17 -- Jesus Challenged About Government Oppression
We are in a place in Mark's gospel where the hostility towards Jesus is reaching its peak. Soon, the religious leaders will conspire with the Roman authorities to put Christ to death. But these leaders and authorities feel a need to build their case against Jesus, and in the final week before his death, that's precisely what they set out to do.
Read more6 Helps to Run the Christian Race in the Last Days (Hebrews 10:19-39)
When running in an endurance race, ample reasons to quit surface. Overwhelming fatigue, blisters and other irritations will grate on your resolve. Eating the wrong food will cause your energy to deplete. You might experience dehydration. You might even become mentally depressed when alone on the course. As each malady presents itself, the temptation to quit is strong. But the experienced endurance racer pushes through and finishes their course. (14 Minutes/3600 Words)
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