George Liele is the first of many African American missionaries who will go to a nation not their own to those who know nothing of the Son of God. They will go because, like George, they too “hold to live nigh the scriptures as much as (they) can.”

Truly, the life of George Liele embodies that of a pioneer. He paved a path for others to follow behind him and, like most pioneers, faced the challenges of going first. He was born around 1750 into slavery…

Jealousy stalls out our destiny because it causes us to despise what we have been graciously given by the Lord in light of what someone else has been given. When jealousy is operating in our lives, we don’t steward and express the unique gifts God has given us to serve the Body of Christ; instead, we compare and compete to be better than one another.

God intentionally promotes others around us in different seasons to train us to honor and celebrate others. When we see favor rest on others, it tests our hearts for jealousy, and when we respond with celebration, we are set free.

At the foot of the cross, we meet the King who is the servant of all. On the cross, we see the Father, who was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. There Jesus, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without blemish to God.

All three Persons of the Trinity present on the Hill outside of Jerusalem that Friday, accomplishing the work that would redeem, reconcile, and recreate the cosmos. More happened in that six hours on Golgotha then we will be able to comprehend for billions of years.

I am afraid that so many believers have been lured into performing their righteous for others to see. They are looking to prove their devotion by spiritual acts, performing their Christianity for the respect and admiration of others.

The gospel is not primarily about behavioral modification. The gospel is about a new creation, producing a heart transformation that overflows into good works. Let the Holy Spirit come and clean the inside of the cup and change you from the inside out. There is so much grace.

Jesus dealt with the outer courts violently because it was violently opposing all that He came to accomplish. He dealt violently with the outer courts on Monday and violently with the inner courts on Friday, tearing the veil to the Holy of Holies from top to bottom.

In turning over the tables and rending the veil in the temple, Jesus was overturning one priesthood and program of worship and inaugurating a new priesthood that would spread across the whole earth until incense would arise in every place and every nation would see and sing of His worth.