Just before the crucifixion Jesus shared an evening meal with his disciples. Customarily, a servant washed guests’ feet before seating them at the table. No servant was present on this occasion, though. Who would humble himself and do the servant’s task? Each of the apostles considered himself too important, and so Jesus “rose from supper,…
Isaiah 1:18 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who call upon him. For, “Every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” (Rom. 10:9-15).
Some years ago I heard an amusing news story about a couple in Jackson, Michigan. The owner of a trash collection business there proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes. There was nothing unusual about that, but the setting for the wedding was definitely peculiar. The man wanted to have their ceremony on the back…
“For God so loved [the people of Guinea-Bissau] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Senegal, Guinea, and the Atlantic. Guinea-Bissau has a population of 1.7 million. Its capital and largest city is Bissau. The nation’s official language is Portuguese. However, Upper Guinea Creole is spoken far more commonly. The national motto is: “Unity, fight, progress.” Traditional African paganism and Islam are the predominant religions. Today we pray that every Bissau-Guinean will “fight the good fight” of faith in Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 6:12). Note: Wikipedia is the primary source for the geographical information in this feature.
Quarterly Potluck Fellowship 4/24/16
In hope [Abraham] believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, “So shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness.” But the words, “It was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Rom. 4:18-25).
The anonymous author of Psalm 116 suffered an affliction that had brought him to the brink of death. “The snares of death encompassed me,” he said. “I suffered distress and anguish” (v. 3). However, when he prayed fervently for help, the answer was gracious. God delivered his “soul from death,” his “eyes from tears,” and…
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