During His last week on earth, while Jesus was teaching in the temple (cf. Luke 19:47), Matthew records that “the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple” (Matt. 21:14). How many times have you read that statement? But, have you ever stopped to wonder, “How?” We read frequently of others who “came to Jesus” (ex: His disciples, multitudes, a…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 189)
Thoughts are a very private matter. They are in your own head–a place where no human can enter other than you. So how is it that someone can say, “I know what you’re thinking”? The Bible speaks about this when it says, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1…
Since we did not live in the days of the first-century Jews, it is difficult for us to fully comprehend the strong aversion that the Jews had for the Gentiles. Their hatred for the Gentiles went to extreme measures, as they looked at the entire race as being unclean and had made it unlawful for Jews to have interactions with Gentiles (Acts…
There has been a box of brand new pens on my shelf for several years, and every few months I pull another out. (Pens just seem to disappear around the office.) A few days ago, I pulled the last pen from that box. It was dried out. After several seconds (and pieces of scrap paper) of making circles, it finally came to…
On his second missionary journey, Paul visited the cities of Thessalonica and Berea. Luke drew a sharp contrast between the receptivity of the gospel made by certain individuals in each of these cities, when he noted that those in “Berea…were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica” (Acts 17:10-11). What was it that set the Bereans apart? Let me ask this–when you went…
It is truly perplexing and inexplicable how so many well-meaning folks have been taught and convinced that immersion is not essential for one’s salvation from sin. Of all the doctrines of the New Testament, that one is exceptionally clear, to the point that God considers it one of “the elementary principles of Christ” (Heb. 6:1-2). Let us consider just one verse (Acts…
How do you listen? That is not asking “how well” do you listen. Nor is that asking anything about your hearing ability. Stop, consider, evaluate and be honest– how do you listen? When someone else is speaking, are you open or closed to them? Are you humble or haughty? Are you patient or pushy? Are you easy or demanding? Are you concentrating…
How should a Christian respond when a gunman kills dozens of people in a gay nightclub? How should a Christian respond when a bomb is set off in an abortion clinic? How should a Christian respond when a Muslim mosque is set on fire? Should we have joy? Should we feel a sense of satisfaction? No! We should never “rejoice at wrongdoing”…