One said, “If I were Satan, I would put as many barriers around the Bible as I could. I would plant thorns and hedges to frighten people off.” The devil has been busy planting thorns (cf. Matthew 13:18–22). A Gallup poll showed that only twenty-four percent of Americans believe the Bible is the literal word…
The gospel is the good news that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:1–5). It is the total message of God’s power to save all who will hear, believe, and obey it (Romans 1:16). The gospel is contained in the second law God gave. “If the first covenant had been faultless, then should no…
1. Thou Shalt Love People, Not Just Use Them (Matthew 22:39). The greatest thing in the world is a person. The greatest thing about a person is his motives, and the greatest motive is love. 2. Thou Shalt Develop Thine Understanding (Matthew 7:12; 1 Peter 3:7). “If every man’s care were written on his brow,…
Christians are not subject to man-made rules. Paul warned against commandments of men such as, “Do not touch . . . taste . . . handle” (Colossians 2:21–22). Such rules, he said, “have an appearance of wisdom” in man-made religion but are of no value in restraining fleshly indulgence (2:23). Jesus rebuked those who were…
Paul and Timothy were great friends. Paul converted Timothy, counted him the son he never had (1 Timothy 1:2), and watched him follow in his footsteps to become a preacher and missionary. He said of his young pupil, “I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state” (Philippians 2:20). There was no…
Two sisters went driving Sunday afternoons with the goal of getting lost. Taking random turns at intersections, trying new roads, going farther and farther afield, they had an adventure each week. The starting and ending points were the same, but the path was always different. Is this how the path to heaven is? This is…
If life is a flight through time, who is in the cockpit? If life is a joyride, who is behind the wheel? If life is a voyage, who is at the helm? Decisions determine direction (Joshua 24:15). Direction determines destiny (Matthew 7:13–14). Will we ascend or descend at the judgment? It depends on who makes…
1. God is self-existent and eternal; He had no beginning and will have no end (Genesis 1:1; 21:33; Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 90:2). 2. God is the creator of all things, including mankind (Genesis 1:1–2:1; Exodus 20:11; Acts 17:26–28). 3. God is Almighty God; He is omnipotent (possessing all power) (Genesis 17:1; 18:14). 4. God is…
Currently, the hottest pepper is officially the Carolina Reaper, cultivated by “Smokin” Ed Currie in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The official 2017 Guinness World Record heat level was 1,641,183 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Is your good influence detectable in a crowd? Jesus spoke of influence in the Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt…
“MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9 Because the Jews had defended it so fanatically, the Roman general Pompey was anxious to see what was in the temple’s most sacred room, the Holy of Holies. He was surprised to find it empty. He wondered why so…