Many Christians seem to have mixed-up contentment priorities. On the one hand, external circumstances tend to make us feel dissatisfied. We may be unhappy about our physical appearance, lack of money needed to purchase a coveted item, or even the weather. On the other hand, we tend to be perfectly content with our spiritual growth—or…
Yes. Have you ever heard of “the duck test”? If a bird looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck. This humorous test is an example of logical reasoning. A sensible person makes an observation and reaches the conclusion that most simply explains what is…
Luke 9 18 And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” 20…
One time I saw a TV commercial promoting laundry detergent. The ad promised that the product gave sheets a wonderful lavender scent. The stuff worked so well that a married couple going to bed angry would find themselves in an entirely different mood as soon as they got a whiff of the clean sheets. How…
Even the best Bible scholars and Christian thinkers wrestle with the idea of God’s becoming a man. The perfect blending of deity and humanity in the person of Jesus is something beyond human understanding. When the Bible makes a difficult claim, we can either deny it or accept it and try to make sense of…
Revelation 7:17 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ ”
Carrying tablets engraved with God’s own handwriting, Moses descends from Mount Horeb and commands Israel to “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8). Some denominations maintain that this commandment is still in effect. One church has even named itself after belief in the seventh day as the true day of Christian worship.…
“Progressive revelation” is the idea that God revealed more and more of himself as the scriptures were written. Noah, for example, was a righteous man (Gen. 6:8-9). But he couldn’t have quoted the Ten Commandments. They hadn’t been given yet. And Abraham was a righteous man (15:6). But he didn’t know the name of Jesus.…
Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Although Daniel procured government posts for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, their positions failed to protect them from the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian king built a golden idol and commanded all his officials to worship it (Dan. 3:1-5). When these three friends refused to obey the edict, Nebuchadnezzar threatened them with death. Believing that the…