That expression may be confusing to us and maybe even sound funny. First-century Christians would have readily understood the metaphor. Orientals wore long, loose robes, which were not conducive to running or long journeys, so they would gather up the long robes with a girdle to prepare to run or travel and to provide greater ease and freedom of movement.  The book of First…

Have you ever snatched a kid from danger (maybe falling off a piece of furniture or touching something harmful), only to put the kid back down and see them attempt the same action again? Why do kids do that? Why don’t they learn and stop their careless acts? Put yourself in God’s place. How often, do you suppose, has He snatched one of His children…

There are all sorts of things that you can buy today either “new” or “used”—homes, cars, appliances, clothes, etc. Have you ever thought about buying a “used” burial plot? Is there even such a thing? There are burial plots that are “new,” or at least “not-yet-used,” and there are burial plots that are “in use” presently. But those are the only options. Where are you going to…

The apostles endured brutal persecution because they were “preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42; 2:30-38; 4:10-12). The Jewish council arrested the apostles (4:1-4; 5:17-18, 26), put them on trial (4:5-22; 5:27-40), “severely threatened…further threatened them” (4:17-21), and “beat” them (5:40). Through all of this, the council “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (4:17-18; 5:28, 40). But…

When you read through the letters of Peter, you will come across the word “precious” several times. Of all the things that he describes as “precious,” the first one is our “faith” (1 Pet. 1:7). Have you ever thought about your faith being “precious”? The Greek word “pertains to being of exceptional value; of great worth; costly.” Have you ever considered the value and worth…

How critically important it is to be an objective listener! Too often today people just believe what they hear without evaluating what they hear. We must examine the evidence! We must not let what “everyone is saying” become “the truth”! We must search out the truth! In Luke 23, the crowd was making false accusations against Christ (23:1-5), and they were shouting, “Away with this Man…Crucify…

The word “impudent” means “marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others; rude and not showing respect, especially toward someone who is in a more important position.” Is there a more apt word to describe the behavior of those surrounding Jesus’ cross? Look at the impudence in Luke 23:35-39. The rulers “sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him SAVE HIMSELF.’” The “soldiers also…

It is a simple sentence with only two words made up of six letters, but it is a powerful life choice. It will make an immeasurable difference in the lives of others, and it will actually impact you, as you do it. God tells us, “Be kind” (Eph. 4:32). It is an imperative, meaning that it is not optional. It is present tense, meaning that it…