A verse that grips me every time I read it is a text that refers to “the days” of Jesus in “His flesh,” and focuses on those moments when “He suffered” so tremendously for us (Heb. 5:7-9). The scene portrayed in the following words may be that of the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-36), or while He was hanging on the cross (Mark…

Self-evaluation is critical for every human being. More than that, balanced self-evaluation is a skill vitally needed today. We are (and probably should be) our own worst critics. But, at the same time, we may give ourselves “a free pass” too often. How do we find the balance? Unfortunately, especially for the many people that it affects, I am not the man that I should be. Likewise,…

It’s interesting how some folks try to use certain information in the Bible to prove a point that is not actually parallel. For example, during these times of quarantine, some have tried to justify worshiping from home by stating that the early church didn’t worship in church buildings but in homes. While the early church did worship in homes (Rom. 16:5, 14, 15; 1…

There are 377 steps from the main lobby of the Statue of Liberty up to the crown. Each step is essential in order to reach the crown. Some climbers pause occasionally to regain their energy, but then they must begin their ascent again, one step at a time, to reach the goal. In the Christian life, there are steps that are essential in our…

On his third missionary journey, Paul was hurrying to reach Jerusalem for the Day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16; 18:21), perhaps so that he might find many souls in need of the gospel. As he got closer and closer to arriving in the city, his Christian friends tried to dissuade him from going there (21:4). In fact, when the prophet Agabus warned that he would…

There are a number of factors that motivate us to action. Some slam their brakes on at a yellow light because they fear getting a ticket. Some work extra hard on the job because they long for praise from their boss. Many factors drive us to action—fear, praise, love, hate, money, etc. What kind of motivating factor is faith? Does our faith move us to action? Paul…

April 15th is a day that all Americans know well! It’s the dreaded “Tax Day.” But, due to our present circumstances, April 15th this year has been moved to July 15th. So, “Tax Day” this year really isn’t “Tax Day” (so to speak). (Check with your accountant for all tax information.) What if we moved other days like that? Or what if we could? What if your “Salvation Day” could…

Maybe you recognize this situation. A person who is in a position of authority tries to find a way to flex that authority or to force a subordinate into a certain action. Sometimes in those situations, the one in authority will take to threatening the person in his charge to do what he wants done. Did you know the Bible deals with that situation? In…