by Zac Poonen
“Jesus spoke this parable to some people who viewed others with contempt” (Lk.18:9).
There are various reasons why people view others with contempt. They may have been taught by their parents from childhood to look down on others who are inferior in social status, or wealth, or education, etc. Or, if you are very
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by Zac Poonen
In Ezekiel 16:49-50, God describes the real sins of Sodom that led to the destruction of that city (in Genesis 19). Most of us have always associated Sodom with sodomy (homosexuality) and other sexual sins. But sexual sin was the ultimate result of a way of life.
What was it that led them into
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by Zac Poonen
There is a very important verse in Ezekiel 18 that can help remove any confusion in our minds concerning “generational curses”. “What do you mean by using this proverb, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes but the children’s teeth are set on edge’?” (Ezek. 18:1,2).
People were saying that children were suffering because of
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by Zac Poonen
In John’s gospel, Jesus used the symbol of water to describe three levels of spiritual development possible through the Holy Spirit:
• Level 1: In John 3:5, He spoke of being “born of water and the Spirit”. This is “the cup of salvation” (Psa.116:13), with which we begin our Christian lives. With this
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by Zac Poonen
Our calling under the new covenant is not to live long on earth, but to complete the task God has assigned us before we leave. It is possible for a wholehearted brother to finish in 35 years what another good brother would take 70 years to complete. Even where the ground is good,
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by Zac Poonen
“The forces (of the antichrist) will defile the holy place and put a stop to the daily sacrifices……He will flatter those who disregard the covenant of God, and thus win them over to his side. “But the people who know their God will be strong and do great things. And
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by Zac Poonen
In Deuteronomy 32:2, the Word of God is likened to dew. Dew, in the Bible, is a figure of God’s blessing. When God blessed Israel, He gave them the dew and the rain. When Israel sinned God withheld them, as He did in 1 Kings 17:1. This symbol teaches therefore that
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by Zac Poonen
“If you leave God’s paths and go astray (to the right or to the left), you will hear a Voice behind you say, `No, this is the way; walk here’” (Isa. 30:20,21 – Living). The Voice referred to here is the voice of the Holy Spirit Who alerts us when we go even
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by Zac Poonen
Many Christians, through the ages, have sincerely sought after holiness and victory over sin by taking up their cross and denying themselves. But they have often found the Christian life to be a “hard grind” instead of the glorious life that the Bible describes. Their failure has been this that they never understood
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by Zac Poonen
In Numbers 13 we find that the Israelites came to Kadesh Barnea at the border of Canaan – the land that God had promised them. It was now two years since they left Egypt (Deut.2:14), and God told them to go in and posses the land. The Israelites sent twelve spies to survey
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