Posts by Matthew Shorack

Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. How did your family deal with anger? We often stir in self-righteousness as we think about what made us angry, with just a hint of blame and condemnation, until our angry stew is fully ready to serve our new situational enemy. Now we are ready to share with our transgressors what…

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The word “Blessed” means, to be on the right path. Persecution will accompany obedience to God, but the rewards are eternal blessings. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest…

John was led by the Spirit to right to seven churches. Only one church was praised for doing many things that honored God. Revelation 3:7-10 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door…

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We all face opposition because of our faith in Jesus. It’s important to understand that the source of this opposition isn’t a coworker, a competitor, a political party, or another religion. The real source of the opposition we face is Satan and the demonic…

John 15:1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither…

Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Twenty-five years ago, my wife Julie and I started a baby’s house deep in the Ugandan jungle with seven babies, all less than a year old. It didn’t take long for people in the area to reach out for help in many ways. Hope was a newborn who…

Daniel 9:1-3 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and…

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. The scriptures tell us, don’t be like the world. Don’t treat people differently according to how much they can help your own situation. Don’t promote yourself, allow the Lord to lift you up in His timing and in His way. Our hope isn’t in what…

When Jude wrote about ungodly people, who pervert God’s word to get what they want, Jude, James’ brother, wrote Jude 1:11 about three men, Cain, Balaam, and Korah, who rebelled against God’s authority. Jude 1:11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. Being religious without faith is the “way of Cain”. It is the way of pride, establishing our own righteousness, and…

Galatians 2:19-21 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ…

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I had only been in Uganda for about ten months. As Missionary Matthew, I had all those romantic ideas about what it meant to serve the Lord deep in the jungle. I was prepared for everything, or so I thought. Rose was…

How can we hear God’s truth in a world full of opinions? With all that’s happening around the world, wars, natural disasters, political hatred, is there any healthy way to deal with all our stress, anger, and frustrations? Alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and suicide are at an all-time high and climbing, while online bullying is becoming the norm for soccer moms and high schoolers. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own…

2 Timothy 4:16-18 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.…

How can I know that I’m not being deceived? Is what I’m hearing supported by God’s word? Psalm 119:160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. Galatians 1:8 Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including myself, who preaches any other message. Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message, let him be forever cursed. Do I experience condemnation or conviction? Conviction is from God while condemnation is from Satan. Romans 8:1 There…

Have you ever felt like you’re unsatisfied in life? As Christian we don’t have to feel that way. Do you know what your Spiritual gifts are? If we try to be what we were never meant to be, we will get frustrated and be unfulfilled. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in…

Most of the time we pray safe prayers. God bless us, help us, protect us, and heal us, but prayers that trust can be risky. Risky prayers are not easy, but they are changing life. They are the result of a humbled and trusting spirit and are filled with bold faith. I want to encourage you to spend three times this week reading the scriptures below and praying that the Holy Spirit will speak to you about what He wants…