“A dispute also arose among them [the disciples], as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.” (Luke 22:24, ESV) Ambition. Egos. Competition. Power. Pride. It happens. We’ve seen it, but we would hardly expect to find it among the Lord’s disciples, those closest to Him. Yet, more than once they disputed among themselves about who was the greatest. Even the night of their Passover meal, just hours before Jesus’ arrest, the argument began again. Did they even grasp the meaning of Jesus’ words when He told them: “For who is the greater, one who reclines at…
The power of ONE voice—to an audience of ONE. We are well familiar with the third book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke. But who was Luke? He certainly was not one of The Twelve. Though he likely had a close relationship with at least some of His eyewitnesses, it’s very possible that he never even met Jesus. Luke was a Greek physician, thought to be the only Gentile writer of Scripture. There is still some disagreement, but it’s now believed that Luke was likely Jewish, perhaps a convert, who became a Christian. He was certainly a friend of Paul’s and accompanied him on some of his travels. (Col. 4:14, 2 Tim. 4:11, Philemon 24) Speaking of Paul, many credit him as having written the lion’s share of the New Testament, but if you look at the actual word count in the original languages, it turns out that Luke wrote a lot more. Though Paul wrote more epistle/books, Luke is responsible for writing more words. When comparing the most prolific writers in the whole BIBLE, Luke comes in THIRD behind Moses and Ezra, having penned both the longest book in the New Testament—the Gospel of Luke—as well as its…
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17, NKJV) Who doesn’t like to receive gifts? I sure do. It’s fun to be remembered on special occasions—or no occasion. A friend, who has been a frequent visitor in my home, likes to surprise me with some small gift that I find after she has gone. It isn’t lavish, just a little something that says, “I’m thinking about you and appreciate our friendship.” I love her surprises. They brighten my day. When I think about all the gifts I have received in my life, which have been many, I cannot overlook the ones I have received from my Heavenly Father. I serve a generous God Who loves to give gifts. Let me share a few things God’s Word tells us about these blessings from above. The greatest gift God bestows upon us is when He saves us and fills us with the gift of His Spirit. “For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:5, NKJV)…
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18, ESV) “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” (Proverbs 16:24, ESV) The two proverbs above give a sharp contrast in how our words affect others. Reckless words can be like sword thrusts that cut deep and leave scars? Our gracious and kind words are sweet like honey. Often, we do not realize the effect of our words on another. But we should. Why would Solomon compare kind, gracious words to honey? It’s…
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38 ESV) When the multitudes gathered and Jesus began to teach, He spoke of things that related to their everyday lives. They understood when He taught parables about planting seed, types of soil, or gathering the harvest. They lived in an agrarian society, and several of the Jewish feast days were related to times of harvest. When Jesus told His disciples that there was a bountiful harvest to be gathered but there were few to work in the fields, He was not referring to the seasonal barley, wheat, and fruit harvests. This was a spiritual harvest of souls. The need was—and still is—great, but a labor shortage existed. He then told them to pray for laborers to work in the harvest. Perhaps the first question we should address is, “Where are the harvest fields?” Often, we think of the them as being “over there somewhere” (a remote area or foreign land). In reality, the harvest is anywhere there are lost souls. We are standing in a harvest field…
There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. (Proverbs 30:11-14, NKJV) Do you have a favorite book of the Bible? I have several favorites, but Proverbs is definitely high on my list. I have a friend who for some strange reason does not enjoy reading Proverbs, and I question why. Doesn’t she realize that within its chapters we find the wisdom to address almost any situation we might face? You may ask, “How can something written 3,000 years ago provide answers for 21st century living?” A lot—if we are willing to search out and apply its wisdom to the things we face today. The Book of Proverbs is more than just a collection of nice sayings or wise quotes to hang on the wall or use as a screensaver on our computers.…