[565 words] A famous country singer told how she got religion. When she was a child, her mother said the Holy Spirit told her that her daughter had a special gift. When she grew up and started singing, she said the gift had to come from God because she didn’t get it from her mother...
[455 words] Marriages in the Bible were like marriages today. Some were better than others and some were worse, but all of them had their ups and downs. We can relate to their joys and struggles and learn from these old stories. Consider the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was the son of promise....
[500 words] No God. People have many gods, but not God. They have the god of pleasure. They worship the god of money. Their “god is their belly” (Phil. 3:19). Though the creation plainly declares God (Psa. 19:1), they still refuse to acknowledge Him. No Fear. When men turn to themselves, they become presumptuous, self-willed,...
[621 words] Do the best you can in whatever circumstance you face. Your situation in life is never completely ideal. Make the most of it regardless of the obstacles. There are some circumstances you can change, there are some you cannot. But you can live the Christian life either way. Earthly conditions don’t last. Even...
[502 words] One of the great passages in the Bible on having peace of mind is in Philippians 4. Here are the keys: Make up your mind to be happy. “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (v.4). Abraham Lincoln said a man is about as happy as he makes up his...
[542 words] There is “a time to get, and a time to lose” (Ecc. 3:6). Suffering loss is a part of living. We lose money. We lose health. We lose friends. We lose loved ones. We lose our happiness. Life is a constant cycle of ups and downs, gains and losses. Circumstances beyond our control...
[534 words] Being ridiculed for our beliefs is a burden Christians must bear. This is not easy but it should not be a surprise. If Jesus was mocked and the early church was called a sect, why should we expect the world to understand us? It is natural to feel frustrated at times. Christians are...
[549 words] Samuel was one of the best men in the Bible. We read about his good life of faith and justice in 1 Samuel, but it is a statement made hundreds of years later about him that tells us just how godly a man he was. In Jeremiah’s day the people of Judah were...
[600 words] The Bible says Christians are to be sober. We must “be sober” if we are to face our adversary the devil (1 Pet. 5:8). Young and old and men and women alike must “live soberly” in this sinful world (Titus 2:1-12). Like many other virtues we read in the New Testament, this word...
[458 words] “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Prov. 27:7). When you are full you don’t want anything else to eat. Even a delicious dessert has no appeal. If you are really hungry, however, you will eat what you can even if it is something...
[475 words] A newspaper headline read, “Man Gets 176 years for Sex Trafficking.” The man pleaded guilty to 33 counts ranging from trafficking for sexual servitude to statutory rape. Such headlines are common today. Though they pale in comparison to the life sentence plus 1,000 years that Ariel Castro received for h.is unspeakable crimes of...
[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...
[404 words] One of the sins of the dark world of the Gentiles in the first century was being “without natural affection” (Rom. 1:31). This is the natural love we have for our kin, especially for our parents and our children. It is not just being “unloving” as the New King James translates this verse....
[537 words] The wise man himself, Solomon, tells us not to get close to: People who are always changing their mind. “Meddle not with them that are given to change” (Prov. 24:21). You can’t depend on these people. You can’t trust them. They have no convictions or principles. They change with the situation. They...
[579 words] Barton W. Stone was born in 1772. In his autobiography he wrote, “My father, John Stone, died when I was very young. I have no recollection of him in life.” He grew up without his father, but he never used his loss as an excuse to rebel or quit. When soldiers returned...
[459 words] “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up” (Matt. 4:16). The world can be a dark place. “The whole world,” John wrote, “lieth in wickedness” (1 John 5:19). Satan, the “prince of this world” (John...
[565 words] “Gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not” (Hos. 7:9). “I see some gray hair!” We all hear these Words eventually. The hoary head is one of creation’s Way of reminding us that our lives are like a flower. They bloom and fade quickly. Hosea did not bring...
[562 words] One of the most horrific crimes in the history of Israel took place in the days of the weeping prophet Jeremiah. The people built “the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal” (Jer. 19:5). How could God’s people have done something this barbaric? The Lord...
[596 words] God gave us feelings. We feel joy and sadness, anger and fear. These emotions test us. They can help or hinder us in our choice between right and wrong. Who we are and where we spend eternity depends on how we handle them. It feels good to be happy. God wants us to...
[559 words] Paul said, “We are perplexed, but not in despair” (2 Cor. 4:8). The word perplexed means more than just being puzzled. It comes from aporeo which means “to be at loss with one’s self, be in doubt; not to know how to decide or what to do, to be perplexed” (Thayer, 66). We...
[483 words] “And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before” (Gen. 31:2). Jacob could tell by the look on Laban’s face that he was not happy with him. The expression on our face may say more than we realize. God made us social creatures who communicate not...
[554 words] People find ways to get around verses that condemn them. Two groups with different agendas use the same maneuvers to reject passages that are against them. One is the homosexual movement and the other is the feminist movement. Here are some of their arguments . “I’ll Take Jesus Over Paul.” President Barack Obama was...
“But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children…” (Matt. 11:16). If there is a word that describes our generation, it is the word childish. Children are selfish. They can surprise us with acts of giving, but their world view is not big enough to see the needs of others like they...
Anti-death penalty groups argue that capital punishment does not prevent further crimes. They are wrong. The Bible says the death penalty is a strong deterrent (Deut. 13:6-11; Ecc. 8:11; Rom. 13:4). If anyone thinks fear of reprisal doesn’t work, then let him consider the effect of fear in a different context: the fear of being...
Ananias and Sapphira lied to God about the price of the land they had sold. They died for their greed (Acts 5:1-11). King Ahab pouted like a baby when Naboth refused to sell him his vineyard, so Jezebel killed Naboth and gave the land to her husband. But this evil pair paid for their covetousness...
If Paul had thought like some today, he would have written to the Ephesians like this: “Paul the apostle to the saints at Ephesus. Brethren, I rejoiced when I went into the theater in your city to behold the shows. The play of Aristophanes was a magnificent story of a man who overcame poverty and...
[455 words] Sexual scandals among high-profile people in politics and the media don’t surprise us. We’ve heard so much of it that we’re sick of hearing about it. What else can we expect from Godless people who lie for a living? A few generations ago there was a clear line between what should be mentioned in...
[389 words] “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). The world has always offered man pleasure. It has always suffocated spirituality because men love darkness rather than...
[432 words] A traveling preacher in pioneer days asked a backwoods woman if she had any religious convictions. She said, “Naw, nor my ole man neither. He was tried for hog stealin’ once, but he warn’t convicted.” Some people understand the word conviction about as much as this woman did. Yet conviction is the very...
[473 words] “My family will never go hungry.” A famous athlete was talking about the millions of dollars he had made in his career. In one way we can appreciate his concern for his children and the way he had managed his money. He hadn’t neglected his family or squandered his wealth. But it was tragic...
Joseph was a good young man. He was seventeen when his own jealous brothers sold him to Ishmaelite traders. He was taken to Egypt —away from his family and his home. This was a traumatic experience. But Joseph did not use what happened to him as an excuse. He did not become bitter. He did...
[364 words] Anyone who is willing can learn the Truth and be saved. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). John wrote, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’ (Rev. 22:17). Anyone with a truly good and honest heart will accept and...
[525 words] “A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine” (Ecc. 8:1). What about the example you set before others on the internet? Does your Christian light shine on Facebook? Do you use wisdom about what you post or share? There is no question that this avenue of communication is used for good. Family, friends,...
[602 words] The word “text” has taken on a different meaning in this generation. In light of our familiarity with texting, we should be able to relate to a few lessons about the most important text message that has ever been sent. Context. A text of Scripture must be understood in its context. The verses...
A Confederate soldier was captured and sent to a Maryland prison in 1865. While there he decided to write about his experiences as a soldier in the Civil War. As he described “the vices of army life,” he revealed an old familiar side of human nature. Gambling was a favorite pastime of many soldiers. Some...
The church is made up of people who are different. In the New Testament people from all kinds of backgrounds were converted and became members of the same congregation. Paul said what mattered is that they were Christians. In Christ he said there is “neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor...
