Discipleship

A Dogged Servant

[297 words] If you were to go to the Shibuya train station in Tokyo, Japan, you would see a bronze statue honoring a dog named Hachiko.  Hachiko was born in 1923. His master was a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University. The professor would commute home on the train, get-ting off at the Shibuya train…

Craving Perspective in the Valley

[439 words] People in the valley often have little perspective on how big the mountains really are, how long the range is, or what is waiting on the other side. Isn’t it wonderful to know that whatever valleys life tries to shove us into, God has provided perspective we badly need, yes, even crave? What…

How High Can You Count?

[336 words] When 156,000 American, British, and Canadian soldiers landed at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. More than 4,000 Allied soldiers died during that World War II battle. What a high price, and an enormous sacrifice! Most people agree that although the cost was high, the…

Being a Disciple of Jesus

[379 words] “But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the courts, and scourge you in their synagogues” (Matthew 10:17). Jesus was sending His disciples out to preach the gospel of Christ telling the people to repent of their sins. He also told them all of the things which they would encounter. When we…

Use Me, Lord

[235 words] Most of us will live on the earth between 70 to 90 years. Why are we here? To fear God and keep His commandments according to Ecclesiastes 12:13. Why should be care? Because He will bring every work into judgment along with every secret things (Eccl. 12:14). With this in mind, we should…
Walking in Park

Following at a Distance

[371 words] “And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire” (Mark 14:53-54).…

Are You One of Jesus’ Sheep?

[519 words] One would have thought Jesus’ sayings would engender unity and love everywhere he went because that was his message, right? That was not the Jew’s reaction. Their reaction was division. In John 10:19, the apostle John wrote, “There was a division therefore again among the Jews” about Jesus’ sayings. Some claimed he was…

Will You Step Out of the Boat?

[216 words] “But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don t be afraid ” (Matthew 14:27). After feeding the 5,000, Jesus “made” the disciples go on ahead of Him in the boat while He dismissed the crowd and prayed. When the wind and the waves get fierce in the fourth watch…

Your Problem is You!

[298 words] Who is your biggest opponent? Who gives you the most trouble? From whom do most of your challenges and struggles come? You may already have the culprit identified. Chances are, you may be wrong. You likely have looked this person in the face today, probably more than once. It was that person looking…

Fishers

[281 words] “Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks” (Jeremiah 16:16). The verses that follow speak of God punishing…

Your Example Still Matters

[458 words] In this wicked age we may be tempted to think that people no longer care or even notice immorality. Even in evil times, however, there is usually enough of a sense of decency in a community for people to recognize a shameful act. The period of the judges was a corrupt and dangerous…

A Half-Baked Pancake

[168 words] If you went out to eat and ordered pancakes, how would you react if they were done on one side, but were uncooked on the other side? Doesn’t sound too tasty, does it? This is how God described Israel in the days of Hosea the prophet. In Hosea 7:8, the prophet said, “Ephraim…
Teach

Characteristics of Jesus’ Ministry

  [299 words] There has never been a greater example on this earth of what we ought to strive for than Jesus the Christ. He has done all things well (Mark 7:37), and Christians desire to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). So as we seek to minister to the world around us, what…

Who’s in Charge?

  [217 words] A certain sea captain and his chief engineer argued as to which of them was more important to the ship. Failing to agree, they resorted to a unique plan of swapping places. The chief engineer ascended to the bridge and the captain went to the engine room. After a couple of hours…

What We Win Them With, We Win Them To

  [352 words] Years ago, as a youth minister, I had a gentleman from a denominational organization call me and want our group to come to a denominational youth rally. He promised games, prizes, entertainment, a great concert with the latest bands, and that our youth group would be “stoked” to “be on fire for…

In the World, But Not of It!

[278 words] John 17 records one of the prayers of Jesus. In John 17:15, Jesus says, “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world but to keep them from the evil one.” He goes on to say in John 17:16, “They are not of the world, even as l am not…

The ABC’s of Becoming a Follower of Jesus

[387 words] Acknowledge that God not only exists, but that He is eager to bless people whose hearts are hungry for His presence (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 17:24-28; Matthew 5:8). Admit your own unworthiness when compared to such a holy and righteous God. After our ancestor Adam, all of us have chosen the path of sin…

Do You Follow God’s Son?

[175 words] “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry…” (Luke 3:22-23). After many convincing proofs from His birth and childhood about who Jesus was, Luke, writing from his investigations and…

Looking Unto Jesus

[223 words] If you have ever watched a choral group or orchestra, you will note one thing each member always does – they look at the conductor from time to time. This is to insure that they are in harmony and performing in accordance with the conductor’s directive. As members of the church, we make…

Living Life

As we live life day in and day out, are we living in a way that shows Jesus to others? Allen Webster wrote, “The shortest verse of the Bible says a lot! It tells us that the Great Physician had good bedside manners. Jesus knew that people generally do not care how much you know…

God and You

“On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land” (Acts 27.27). Your attitude and behavior in any and all circumstances ought to be governed by your relationship to God. Paul had been in a ferocious storm on the sea for nearly…

To Be More Like Jesus

[527 words] There is a wonderful transformation that takes place in the heart and mind of one who follows Jesus. Jesus’ disciples turn from darkness to light, and shift from serving sin to serving the Savior. This wonderful change produces peaceable fruit. No longer do we seek revenge or look to get even for every…

Jesus and Crowds

[233 words] Crowds followed Christ. He could have used the crowds that followed Him to have thrown Jerusalem and Palestine into a turmoil. But Christ would not sacrifice truth and righteousness for a crowd. When Christ saw that the crowds were following Him for what they could get, that their motives were wrong, and that…

The Value of Being a Christian

Since the founding of our nation, people from all over the world have looked longingly to America, the land of freedom and opportunity. They realize the value of being an American. While there are some who now dispute this, by and large, we are still overwhelmed with the numbers of immigrants who come to these…