Imagine living in the first century and going down to the local market to do some shopping. When you get down there, you find the “usual” — bread, fish, fruit, vegetables, clothes, perfumes, etc. Then, off to the side, you see that there is some “time” for sale — yes, “time” (not thyme). What would you do? Would you buy some “time”?…

“Sanctification” is a key concept in New Testament Christianity, but it is a concept that many have misunderstood. The word “sanctify” means “to set apart, make holy for a sacred purpose.” In one sense, this is a continual growth process for Christians, as Paul wrote to a group of Christians, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3). Christians…

The closeness of the relationship between King David and the Lord is one that fascinates and ought to motivate us. When David spoke to the Lord in the Psalms, he addressed his God with such familiarity, intimacy and confidence. Meditate on his words in Psalm 86. David called upon his Lord to “bow down Your ear…hear me” (v. 1), “preserve my life”…

“Hey, what do you think about those elders? Can you believe what they’re doing? Did you hear about that decision they made? What is their problem?!” It is so easy, sometimes, to talk about others improperly, without sanction and in a hateful, divisive manner. And, to some, talking about the elders in such a manner seems acceptable. Here is a passage we…

Someone was showing me their Bible the other day and it was literally falling apart – pages were brittle, torn and falling out; the binding and leather cover were coming apart. It was being held together, in a manner of speaking, by layers of tape and glue. Now, it did not get this way just because it was old, nor was it…

God’s book of wisdom in the Old Testament (the book of Proverbs) has so much to say about how God’s people must learn to control their “lips,” “mouth” and “tongue.” Consider this wisdom. First of all, “a wise man will hear and increase learning” (1:5) and he “will receive commands” (10:8), because “the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (18:15). Before a…

Years ago there was a teacher who offered extra credit in his class for doing various projects (what some might consider unusual projects). One of his favorites was to give his students extra credit for carrying in their pocket a little spiral (memo size) notebook. They only had to carry it for one day and he told them there was only one…

Most everyone likes a little seasoning to enhance the taste of their food. For some, it might be some mild seasoning just to bring out certain flavors. Others want the bold seasoning or let’s just say…spicy and extra spicy. What about when it comes to our speech? Most everyone flavors their speech with some kind of seasoning. There are rarely any words…