Diane Penny

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount began with the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), which were part of the discipleship training for his chosen apostles. In the Beatitudes Jesus described the desired attributes of his disciples and the rewards of those that exemplify those attributes. Jesus prepared his disciples for the persecution that they would suffer for following him. Jesus knew that for his disciples to endure the trials that were coming their way, they would need to have hope, which comes from seeing their suffering from an eternal perspective. From a worldly view, the character traits that Jesus described in the Beatitudes have negative implications. However, Jesus called those blessed who are poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus promised that those possessing these quality characteristics will receive great present and future rewards. Jesus described these rewards as: the king...

  As Saul and his entourage approached Damascus, a light shined from heaven causing him to fall to the earth. Saul heard a voice speak to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4). When Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord responded, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). Saul was a Jew who was born in Tarsus, and was a protégé of Gamaliel; a doctor of the law. Saul was a Pharisee who was zealous in keeping the law, and was also zealous in persecuting men and women who believed on Jesus Christ (Acts 22:3-4). Saul received letters of permission from the chief priests to go to Damascus to take into custody Jews that were being held for confessing Jesus Christ (Acts 22:5). However, this trip to Damascus would put Saul’s life on a path that he, nor those that knew him could have imagined, and it would be pivotal in Paul’s New Testament writings to the church. As a result of Saul’s encounter with Jesus ...

The sins of mankind caused them to be separated from God. Despite their sins, God desired that mankind be reconciled to him. God needed someone to intercede between him and mankind, but there was no one fit to intercede on behalf of mankind. God decided that he would be the one to bring salvation to mankind. Isaiah records, “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him” (Is. 59:16). God robed himself in the flesh in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word of God manifested in the flesh. John writes, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father,) full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). God’s plan of salvation for mankind began with his Word. God accomplished his plan of salvation for mankind by sending his Word to redeem mankind from the law of sin and death. John writes, “...

A year ago I committed myself to daily early morning prayer and fasting to 12 noon. During one of these prayer and fasting times, God told me to pray to be perfect. “I didn’t know that I could ask to be perfect,” I said. From that time till now, I pray and ask God to make me a perfect woman in Christ Jesus. Since that time a lot of unexpected and even unexplainable events have taken place in my life. My experiences over this past year can only be described as the refiner’s fire. Jesus taught his disciples to be perfect as God is perfect. Jesus says, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Strong’s defines the word “perfect” used in this passage of scripture as G5046, teleios: This definition of perfect means brought to its end, finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness, perfect, mature (Blue Letter Bible). James writes, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing” (James 1:4)...

How does the Holy Ghost function in the lives of born-again believers? Jesus tells his disciples that when he leaves them he will send them another comforter to be with them. Jesus says, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Jesus sent the comforter to minister to us in the way that he would have ministered to us if he were with us in his physical state. Strong’s definition of “Comforter” is G3875 translated paraklētos which means summoned, called to one’s side or called to one’s aid (Blue Letter Bible). Jesus describes the work of the Comforter in John 14:26 when he says that the Comforter will teach them. Strong’s definition of the word “teach” as used in this passage of scripture is G1321 that is translated didaskō which means to teach; to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourse...

God assigns Moses to go into Egypt and rescue the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. Moses asked God what he should tell the children of Israel when they ask him for the name of the God of their fathers that sent him. God told Moses that his name is “I AM THAT I AM” (Exod. 3:14). The New King James Version (NKJV) translates this name as “I AM WHO I AM.”  In the book of Exodus when Moses asked God to show him his glory, God told Moses that he would make his goodness pass before him, and proclaim the name of the Lord before him (Exo. 33:19). God would proclaim to Moses the name that literally describes his nature. It is recorded in Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” In this passage of scripture, God proclaims that he is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and full of goodness. Those desiring to have an intimate relationship with God must stay in his ...

The book of Esther tells two important stories. One is the triumphant story of a Jewish girl that became queen and rescued the Jewish people from Haman’s murderous plot to destroy them. The other is a cautionary story of the man Haman, the chief minister to King Ahasuerus who despite his position and wealth allowed himself to be driven and eventually destroyed by pride. HAMAN’S PRIDE LEADS TO HATRED King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the Persian above all the princes in his kingdom. All the king’s servants bowed and reverenced Haman as the king commanded, except Mordecai, a Jew (Est. 3:1-2). It was against Jewish law for Mordecai to bow down to Haman. Mordecai adopted Esther, his uncle’s daughter when both her parents were dead (Est. 2:7). Esther became queen in the place of Vashti, who was ousted as queen for refusing to appear at king Ahasuerus's command (Est. 2:17). Haman was full of wrath because Mordecai did not bow or reverence him (Est. 3:5). However, Haman and king Ahasuerus di...