Exhortations for The Soul

Jesus was full of compassion for you and me when He went all the way to Calvary to die for our sins so that we can live. He did so even before we were thought of by our parents.   There are many instances in the Bible where we see Jesus displaying compassion. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and welcomed the outcasts. He didn't care whether people were white or black, rich or poor, popular or unpopular, His disciples or not. His compassion knew no bounds. So we want to be like Jesus and show compassion right? Then it’s like this…and I must admit, while some have the gift of compassion, this has to grow on some of us.   So what does it look like?   If I have compassion for you, I would find myself doing things whether I feel like or not, because I would be allowing Jesus to work through me.   If I have compassion for you, it means I am seeing what you’re not saying. I would walk in your shoes, lend a helping hand, give a listening ear, or offer my shoulder for you ...

When I was growing up, Holy Week was a most solemn and sad occasion. The focus seemed to me to be more on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. I can understand this to be the case for those living in the time of the early Roman Empire when Jesus was crucified. In that time, around the 1st century AD, between 30-33 AD,   the end of the Second Temple period in Jewish history. Why? Because they did not know how the story would end.   So indeed, for those followers of Jesus Christ, they couldn’t understand why a man who went around doing only good, was being slaughtered. I can imagine how much they felt His pain. The Bible tells us in Matthew 26 : 36 - 39 NLT version: ”Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He ...

The Bible teaches that we are all equal. Galatians 3:28 NKJV - ”There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“ The Bible also teaches that God loves each and every one of His children the same. Romans 5:8 - ”But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“ The Bible teaches that God is not partial. Acts 10:34 - ”Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. So does this mean that God treats the atheist the same as He treats us as Christians? After all, we are also told in Matthew 5:45 NKJV, that “our Father in heaven makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.“ So where does the concept come from that being a child of God has benefits that others don’t receive?   Do we as Christians get unlimited, constant access to God’s presence, love, and authori...