So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. (Luke 5:11, NKJV) So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. (Luke 5:28, NKJV) Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose the twelve men He did to become His disciples? What qualities did He…
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. (II Corinthians 4:7-9, NKJV)…
The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever. (Isaiah 32:17, Christian Standard Bible) As I was growing up, a dear lady in our small church sometimes said, “If there wasn’t a heaven to gain or a hell to shun, I’d still live…
Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again, but the wicked will be brought down by calamity. (Proverbs 24:16, New English Translation) Anyone who knows me well knows I am a total klutz. I’m sure I was born with some yet undiscovered gene that causes klutziness.…
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23, Christian Standard Bible) Do you have bumper stickers on…
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1) It’s Sunday—the day we come together to worship God. Recent events have affected our weekly time together, or at least altered the way in which we typically gather, but still we…
In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but trouble befalls the income of the wicked. (Proverbs 15:6, English Standard Version) Sometimes while reading the Bible a particular word or phrase will catch my attention and cause me to pause and reflect. Many times, it’s just what I…
“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear.” (Isaiah 59:1, English Standard Version) Imagine the crowds, and the curiosity, that day on Mount Carmel. Why has everyone been summoned to gather here? Is that Elijah standing beside King Ahab?…
“But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently…