Surprisingly, idolatry has always plagued the people of God. Even before they became a great nation, while they were just beginning their trip toward the land of promise, the Israelites turned from God to worship a golden calf (Exodus 32:1-4). A shocking development after God had just delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. Just […]
God’s gracious giving is indisputable. He has given us everything from life itself to all that we need to sustain us in life. James was not exaggerating when he wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow […]
It is no secret that we live in an angry society. We are surrounded by people who are mad at the world, demonstrated by their constant outbursts of anger. There seems to be more and more violence in the world each passing year. Christians must be different. Our anger must be controlled. We must be […]
God is the progenitor of mercy. He gave birth to the concept of being merciful. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (ESV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, To show mercy is to demonstrate pity and compassion. From the time sin was introduced […]
How much time do you waste? We all waste time. No one is likely to deny this. The question is, how much? Paul tells us to be careful with our time. He put it like this: Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV) 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the […]
Not everyone who believes in Jesus is going to make it to heaven. The words of Jesus in the closing portion of the “Sermon on the Mount” should be taken very seriously. Here is what He said. Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, […]
Just after Jesus was baptized, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1). Satan tempted Him three times on that occasion, but Jesus overcame them easily (Matthew 4:1-11). Afterward, the devil left Him until an opportune time (Luke 4:13). After Satan’s third attempt to cause Jesus […]
Who does not want to be free? Freedom is a blessed state of being. Those who have it, cherish it, and those who do not, crave it. Think of all the sacrifices that have been made and the lives that have been given in the quest for freedom. The greatest freedom of all, however, is […]
In 1982-83 the Cougars of the University of Houston was the greatest men’s basketball team on the planet. They featured several first-team All-Americans, led by two future Hall of Famers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. They entered the college basketball championship game with an impressive 31-1 record and a 26-game winning streak. The final game […]
The devil is not a figment of one’s imagination, nor is he a mythical being that man has conjured up in his mind. The devil is real. If you believe in the Bible, you must believe in the reality of Satan because inspired writers constantly spoke of his reality. One of the more familiar passages […]