During what had to be a very somber occasion, Jesus said to one of His dear friends, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me” (Luke 22:34). Peter “spoke more vehemently, ‘If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’” (Mark 14:31). Only hours later, Peter was…

As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem in the last week of His life, He sent two of His disciples into a village, “where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat” (Luke 19:30). Two verses later, they “found it just as He had said to them” (19:32). A few days later, Jesus sent Peter and…

After a long night of agonizing, blood-stained prayers, followed by a friend’s betrayal and a criminal arrest, then hours of kangaroo court proceedings, accompanied by taunts and violent mobs, which culminated in a vicious scourging, Jesus was “led away” to be crucified, “bearing His cross” (John 19:16-17). Somewhere along the way, the executioners “compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian…to bear His cross”…

The service representative that you’re talking to on the phone didn’t make the policies that you’re upset about. The cashier at the store didn’t decide the prices or what’s on sale. The front desk clerk at the hotel is not the one who failed to clean your room properly. The restaurant worker taking your order is not responsible for the company’s app not working.  It’s…

The car that you own has 46,885,247 parts that can break and need to be replaced. (Well, not really, but it feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?) So, it is fairly easy to tell the mechanic, “No, I don’t want to do that suggested maintenance.” But most of the suggested maintenance is designed to keep your car running for a longer time and, more importantly,…

Coming up short can be heart-breaking, frustrating and even life-threatening. Have you watched a professional golfer’s putt come just two inches short? Have you had family members stop just three credits short of a college degree? Do you know any fellow workers who always seem to stop short of finishing a job? Sometimes coming up short can be trivial, but when it comes to the…

There are some things that you know in your head, but even after knowing certain things for a lifetime, it can still boggle the mind and surpass complete understanding. The love of God is one of those things that we can “know” but never fully comprehend. Consider parts of 1 John 4. “God is love…the love of God was manifested…He loved us…God so loved…

Jeroboam was a devious and divisive character in the Old Testament, perhaps best known for dividing the nation of Israel and becoming the first king of the northern kingdom. Among his first acts as king were major changes that he made to the worship of the Lord. Go and read about these in 1 Kings 12:25-33. These changes came about when “Jeroboam said in…