“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:10) The little voice from the back seat suddenly asked, “Is your name written in the book?” Our excursions together often proved interesting, and apparently this would be another of those times. Once I had learned that Grandma came to visit for “forty days and forty nights.” Shifting my thoughts to her question, I soon grasped what she meant. “Yes, my name is in the book” I assured her. “When was it written in the book?” she pursued. “A long…
“But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” (Genesis 8:1, ESV) I forget things. Most of us do—some more than others. That’s why I keep a calendar on my phone, set reminder alarms, and write myself notes. Those notes may be stuck on my bathroom mirror, on my refrigerator, or placed on the kitchen counter. Life gets busy and it’s easy for things to slip my mind. I suspect many of you may have the same problem. While reading the story of Noah and the great flood, I paused when I read, “But God remembered Noah.” What! Did He forget about Noah for a while and then suddenly remember he was still on the ark? Not at all. When we explore the meaning of the Hebrew word zakar, which is used here, it means “to bring someone to mind and then act on that person’s behalf.” God, Who is infinite and all-knowing, was ready to act on Noah’s behalf. There may have been times in the 370 days Noah and his family were shut in on…
Let’s start with a few scriptures from the NKJV translation and see if you can tell what they have in common. John 4:5, 7: “So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’” Mark 7:32: “Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged Him to lay His hand on him.” Mark 10:17: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’” Luke 23:32, 39-42: “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then…
The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. “Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:2-3, CSB) So many restaurants I go into these days have a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. It seems there is a shortage of servers in most places. These signs remind me of the events described in Acts 6. There may not have…
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? It happens. The motive behind such an action may be done out of spite, envy, or the desire to make themselves look better. It hurts when your good name and reputation are unjustly attacked. Those false accusations may cause you to suffer severe consequences—job loss, damaged relationships, serious legal issue, or more. Numerous ones in the Bible suffered from unjust accusations and endured many things because of them. Many of their stories are familiar to us. Joseph refused the sexual advances of Potiphar’s wife, so she falsely accused him of attempted rape. He not only lost his position, but he was also thrown in prison (Genesis 39). Because of jealousy, Korah and others accused Moses of exalting himself above the congregation. They challenged his leadership (Numbers 16). Because of his excellent spirit and abilities, Daniel advanced to the number one position under King Darius. Out of jealousy, other presidents and princes schemed against him. Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). James 1:2 tells us to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” I think most would agree that it’s difficult to be joyful when…
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” (John 6:9, NKJV) Recently, I heard a minister relate the very familiar story of the feeding of the 5,000—with a twist. He told the story from an angle that I had not considered. His remarks were directed to those who feel that what they are doing for God is insignificant, of little importance. Have you ever felt that way? I have. The feeding of the 5,000 is an oft told happening during the ministry of Jesus. The story is found in each of the Gospels (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6). The cast of characters includes the Lord, His disciples, a young boy (no name or age given), and a massive crowd of people. The boy had brought his lunch with him, which apparently others had not. Even if it was a hearty portion, the five small loaves and two small fish weren’t that much food considering the great need. There is one important, but unmentioned, person in this story. I believe that although unrecognized, she was an integral part of the miracle that happened that…