“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (II Corinthians 13:5, ESV). We are now just over one week into the new year. Many use…
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” (Galatians 4:4, NKJV) In just a few days, we will be celebrating Christmas. For some, it is only a secular holiday with an emphasis on decorations, gifts, family time,…
“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in . . . When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and…
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, NKJV). Have you ever watched a parent intervene in a childish squabble? With a stern voice they instruct, “Say you’re sorry.” Head down and mumbled, a reluctant “sorry” is finally squeezed…
“But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway.” (Jeremiah 18:15, ESV) A vacation adventure gone wrong found me walking through mud and muck. I really did…
“My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” (James 1:19, CSB) A friend and I were having a phone conversation one day recently. Or, more accurately, we were “almost” holding a conversation. While chatting, I was also scanning…
“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” (Psalm 104:33, ESV) Which do you remember best: a song from your childhood or what you had for lunch last week? Probably the song. Music “sticks” in our minds, and…
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not…
“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.” (Psalm 119: 142) The first sentence of a newspaper article grabbed my attention: “Morality evolves constantly,” the writer boldly declared. He went on to list many things considered taboo fifty years ago that are now considered acceptable behavior.…