When Jesus came to be baptized of John, He said, “it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). The Greek word for “fitting” is prepo, which indicates that something is “becoming, suitable, proper, seemly.” Take that word and see it other times in the New Testament. Regarding Jesus, it was “fitting” (becoming, suitable, proper, seemly) for Him to be made “the…

James B. Coats wrote a hymn in 1940 that expresses the heart of every faithful Christian. Here we are, “Living below in this old sinful world,” and “striving alone to face temptations sore.” And, while “life here is grand with friends I love so dear,” it is not an easy life. So, as a Christian, whether I am facing life’s difficulties, Satan’s temptations or “the…

Family trees. Have you ever checked to see who you’re connected to? That used to be a lot harder of a task than it is these days. With the internet, all sorts of connections can be found now. Have you ever done an ancestry search that requires you to send off a blood sample to test your DNA? Guess what I found. I’ve done some digging into…

We place a great deal of emphasis and trust in so-called “Bible scholars.” We entrust our understanding of the Bible and the foundation of our faith, often times, to what some educated person writes in a book or in an article. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve got around 4,000 books in my personal library. I read, study, digest and consider what a host of Bible scholars…

Your flashlight doesn’t shine as bright as it once did. Your car doesn’t start as quickly as it once did. The buttons on your remote control don’t respond as well as they once did. What’s going on? We recognize the signs when battery power is weakening. It’s not always the flashlight or the starter or the remote that is dying but the battery that is powering it. Replace…

When times are tough, what keeps us going? When the world seems to be winning, what keeps us going? When our health, finances, relationships and/or spiritual fervor seem to be faltering, what keeps us going? Perhaps one word can summarize what keeps the Christian going: hope! Part of that hope is for the promises that God has made to us for this life. He has promised…

Have you ever been walking through a marketplace or similar place where there are a lot of vendors vying for your attention and, especially, your business? “Come over here and look at this!” “Have I got a great deal for you!” “You have gotta have one of these!” Have you ever tried to get through there without stopping or getting sidetracked and tried to shoo vendors…

Our world is trying get you to see things and think things that Jesus Christ would NEVER have you to see or think. Who are you going to follow? Whose approval are you going to seek?  Satan’s greatest attacks against the church are often those attacks that come from within. If the devil can get us turning on each other, then he’s won the battle. Thus,…