Living the life of slave in the Roman Empire was not an easy thing. For the most part, slaves were regarded as being on equal level with animals with few, if any rights. Some slaves had good masters and challenging work, but most were given menial tasks to perform. They worked long hours with little […]
There was once a daughter who complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it, and wanted to give up. She was tired of all the fighting and struggling. It seemed as though in solving one problem, two […]
Honesty must be woven into the fabric of our character if we are to have an effective influence for Christ. Even the secular world recognizes the importance of integrity (1 Peter 2:12).
Most people have heard of the Roman Emperor Nero (54-68 A.D.) throwing Christians to the lions, but Nero isn’t the only emperor who was involved in persecuting early Christians.
Holding up the hands of others is a principle that is found in both the Old and New Testaments (Exodus 17:8-13; Hebrews 12:12-13; cf. Job 4:3-4; Isaiah 35:3). It not only provides encouragement for those who need it, but great reward for the ones who offer their assistance as
We are often frustrated because we desire two mutually exclusive things: (1) evil pleasures and (2) a pure conscience; (1) idleness and (2) success; (1) a selfish life and (2) a reputation for generosity.
Have we ever thought about the fact that we breathe approximately 12 to 18 times per minute (see #44), and those breaths are automatically executed without us even having to think about them? Just think, if we have reached the plateau of 60 years of age (using the 18 times per minute figure), we have […]
Yesterday’s Nudge in The Fellowship Room was, “Share a recent question you have asked God.”
A woman driver was having difficulties getting her automobile started after it had stalled in traffic. The gentleman (?) in the car behind her insisted on expressing his impatience with her by blowing his horn every few seconds. Finally, the lady worn out by his thoughtlessness, stepped out of her automobile, walked back to the […]
Evolution teaches that the creation of the universe was self-generated; that it just “happened” (Big Bang Theory). It also teaches that mankind “evolved” over eons of time separating the initial “big bang” from the commencement of the human family. These two ideas can easily be refuted by the following biblical evidences: In Romans 1:20, the […]
From time to time, I receive email from Christian friends that contain poignant stories and biblical applications. The following is such a story:
Our Lord considers every one of us as being extremely important to Him, for in Matthew 10:30, He states, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” In other words, not only does the Lord know the total of “how many” hairs we have, but he knows them to the extent that He […]
If you think you are beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don’t. If you’d like to win, but think you can’t It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
When Jesus spoke, He not only did so in positive terms but also conveyed truth using negative expressions: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). And similarly He said: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself….” (Matthew 16:24). Self-denial is […]
The first necessary quality of a spiritual leader who “stands out” is the spirit of excellence! He who strives for excellence will not be counted among the also-rans. The question is asked, “How does a spiritual leader develop the attitude of a spirit of excellence in a day when almost anything can be passed off […]
While rummaging around in our garage, I found all the awards that our son had achieved during his years as a boy scout, including his Eagle Scout badge. There they were in a box — about to be thrown out. I immediately thought of the blood, sweat, and tears that had gone into gaining those […]
The Bible lists several kinds of fools. Hopefully, none of us fit into any category of the fools listed in a negative sense. However, as Christians, have we ever thought of ourselves as being a “fool“? Paul and the rest of the apostles thought of themselves as being “fools
In a study of the Bible, it would be well for the student to clearly identify the different kinds of figures of speech. These are used in ordinary literature, and God has employed
The religious experts in Jeremiah’s day were misrepresenting God by prophesying “the delusions of their own minds” (Jeremiah 23:26 NIV) and leading people astray with their lies (Jeremiah 23:32). Due to their dishonesty, the people did not know the true nature of God.
The story is told of a mother, who at the outbreak of a thunderstorm, rushed upstairs to check on her son who had just been put to bed. She was certain that he had to be panic-stricken because of the severity of the lightning and the thunder. However, when she got to his room, she […]