A divine encounter should not be expected or wished for, as it is never promised to the Christian. We are to follow by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Colossians 2:18, (CEV) “Don’t be cheated by people who make a show of acting [...]
Matthew 6:3 is part of a much larger sermon, spanning Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 that Jesus delivered to his disciples (see Matthew 5:1 for the start of the sermon). In these words, Jesus taught many lessons on the types of behaviors that are [...]
Reading 1 Peter 5:1-5 in the New Living Translation might be of help:5 And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in [...]
To properly understand the book of Revelation, one must first recognize that the book largely covers the Christian dispensation. The prophecies begin shortly after the first advent of Christ and trace the history of the Christian or “Gospel Age.” From this standpoint, the sequence [...]
Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."This statement by Jesus is in the context of sending the apostles out to preach the gospel message. He forewarned them [...]
Praying for others is important. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). This means we should forgive others who sin against us personally. An example of this was when Stephen was being stoned to death. He prayed for [...]
There is a difference between "loving the world" in a positive sense and "loving the world" in a negative sense.Let's look at John 3:16 in how "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son..." Revelation 13:8 tells us Jesus was [...]
There are many religions in the world, and not all of them follow God or recognize Jesus as the only means of salvation. One who practices a particular religion understands the basic teachings of the religion, and makes some attempt to follow those practices [...]
For Christians, an appropriate definition of being “spiritually minded” is devoting, or consecrating, one’s life to developing and possessing a mindset that prioritizes God and His word first in one’s life. Our lives are finite, so devotion to a single pursuit will of necessity come at [...]
Scientists admit they know very, very little about how the brain works. Such a complicated, intricate design could only be the work of an Intelligent Creator. Clearly we are not an "accidental" or evolved creation but are here by extremely special and unique design.We [...]
We recommend a Powerpoint sermon called “In Jesus’ Name,” by Joe Megacz.Quoting from that YouTube video:Why didn't Joseph call his name Emmanuel like Isaiah had prophesied? (See Matthew 1:18-23)Bible dictionaries tell us “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua.” The full name of [...]
The first verse of Hebrews chapter four includes the word “therefore,” indicating that the thoughts expressed in this chapter are a continuation of those of the preceding chapter. In Hebrews 3:12, the author (generally thought to be the Apostle Paul) issues a heartfelt warning [...]
1 Timothy 4:12 reads “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness and purity.” The Apostle Paul did not look down on Timothy; he expressed a deep respect [...]
Through God’s guidance and power, Moses led the descendants of Israel out of Egypt, where they had lived for several generations. The people expected Moses to lead them to the land God had promised to their ancestor, Abraham (Genesis 17:8, Exodus 3:7-8). Through God’s [...]
When a general statement is made, it is important to understand the context and the Divine intention behind the statement.The verses in Matthew 6:25-33 illustrate that God has the ABILITY to supply every need in the animal and plant creation. But He chooses to use [...]
Father Adam was created in the image of God. When he sinned, he received a sentence or curse because of his disobedience to the divine will. Thus, a law must have been given him that was sufficiently explicit. Adam and Eve were not prone [...]
The lower numbers, being foundational to all the higher numbers, may carry symbolisms which we would not expect of larger numbers. We don't normally ask, for example, the meaning of a number like 271. But smaller numbers, when used conspicuously, do seem to be [...]
It is a challenge to determine who the first Christian might be.One might say the first Christians were those who first followed Jesus. John 1:36-51 lists a number of men who later became apostles: Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. But there were different [...]
Noah entered the ark when he was 600 years old, specifically in the 2nd month, the 17th day of the month:Genesis 7:6-13: (NASB 1995) 6 Now Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water [e]came upon the earth. 7 Then Noah [...]
Genesis opens with the universe and our earth already created. Genesis chapter 1 is told from the point of view of God looking at the earth and beginning its specific creative works including mankind. Genesis 2 continues from the point of view of Adam, [...]
