There were some individuals in John 12 who believed in Jesus. Not everyone in Jesus’ day actually believed in Him, so these people were already in an elite group. However, note carefully what Scripture reveals about them: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;…

How can you tell how much someone respects God’s Word? There may be a number of ways to answer that question, but one key measurement is to listen to his words. Consider the highest respect that two persons had for God’s Word—a respect that we must emulate.   In John 12:49-50, Jesus stated, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father…

Do the latest news reports have you worried about what’s going on? Are the stresses of your job becoming more unbearable? Is there family tension that is causing you to feel increased levels of anxiety? Are your personal finances not enough to meet increased expenses? Are you stressed, anxious, worried, overwhelmed, maybe even a bit panicked? For 60 seconds, take a pause. Take two deep breaths. Shut out…

41 times in the Old Testament, you will read the expression, “His mercy endures forever.” Perhaps not surprisingly, 33 of those 41 times are in the book of Psalms. And one of those psalms, which has 26 verses in it, contains that marvelous expression 26 times. At the end of every verse in Psalm 136, the psalmist exclaims, “For His mercy endures forever.” Is that…

When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he was very concerned about the spiritual condition of “some” brethren. He stated that “some” had “strayed” from “faith” in Christ (1 Tim. 1:6). More than once, he lamented that “some” had “strayed” and even “rejected” “the faith” (6:10, 21; 1:19). He not only looked at such in the recent past, but he pointed to the future…

When you look at a child’s face, can you sometimes see the resemblance to their parents? Maybe their eyes or their mouth reminds you of their parent’s eyes or mouth. As you know, it is not just the physical features that they will mirror, but their behavior will follow suit as well. This is especially noticeable in the church setting. The children that you see…

The challenge of preaching is to make sure to proclaim “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), and still, to regularly (and repeatedly) cover Biblical matters that require regular (and repeated) attention and action by children of God. Sometimes there is a sense of, “You don’t need to hear this again, but I’m going to say it again anyway.” Actually, there is Biblical precedent…

What is necessary in order to be a faithful Christian? Many answers could be given to that question, but how often do we think about “discernment” as a critical Christian quality? Paul prayed for his brethren in Philippi, “that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment” (Phil. 1:9). God ties our discernment to our growth in “more and…