When Paul wrote his epistle to the church at Rome, he reminded them of the urgency of being prepared for whatever was in their future. The Romans knew the times that lay before them (13:11), and Paul told them how to prepare. Their approaching trial may be different from one each of us faces—the end of our lives—but Paul’s words seem so…

Early in His ministry, Jesus made this bold declaration: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).  Think about each element of this verse and the two verses that follow. There is nothing more important or essential for us than to “enter the…

Paul said this and Timothy understood the application. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is defending his right to be paid for his labor in the kingdom. In this context, he mentions an often misunderstood passage. “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became…

There it was in the magazine rack amongst all the juicy titles: “9 Practices for Better…,” “12 Ways to Know your Man is…,” “The Scandal Comes to Light, Interview with…” This particular title stood in stark contrast to those around it. Printed above a picture of a large towering cross against a cloudy background was this title, “Jesus: 89 Inspiring Ways to…

We are at that time of the year when much of the world is focusing on the events surrounding the birth of a child in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago. The Catholic church created the celebration of Jesus’ birth and linked it to a Christ-Mass. The very name is evidence that it was not a celebration known by the early church, but…

With the advances in technology over the last half-a-century, the word “mimeograph” and the whole history of mimeograph technology is being lost as a relic of the past.  Before photocopy machines, there were mimeograph systems, which created a stencil through which ink was forced onto paper.  Using that stencil, numerous copies could be made over and over, which would match the stencil. …

One of the great blessings we have is the continuing cleansing of the blood of Jesus in our daily lives. We were washed in His blood when we were baptized (Acts 22:16), but we continue to be cleansed by His blood as we continue to walk in the light. “But if we walk (Greek tense indicates continual action—“are walking”) in the light…

They saw Jesus spending time with tax collectors and sinners again. For the Pharisees and scribes, the very “religious” people of Jesus’ day, that was the last thing any God-fearing person would do. The only thing worse would be getting caught talking to a Samaritan woman. When confronted about this on another occasion Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy…