Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea . . . If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 2 Corinthians 11:25,30 “What’s in it for me?” That can be a selfish question. It can also be a legitimate question. The person may simply want to know whether the sacrifice they’re going to make will be worth it. If not, it would all be in vain. Jesus made a ...
Love . . . is not self-seeking. 1 Corinthians 13:4,5 It was not a very long piece on the TV news. I don’t even recall the mother’s name. But what she does and why she is doing it, I will not soon forget. The news piece is about this disastrous earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath. It centers on a mother and her young children. Their small house is now rubble. The mother does not know what they are going to eat. She does not know what they are going to drink. She does not know where ...
[Jesus said] “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:25-27 Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he knew his disciples would be troubled. They would witness his arrest and crucifixion, but even ...
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” Revelation 1:9-11 Imagine you’re on a Mediterranean island with limestone cliffs and deep sapphire waters. ...
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:27 Here’s a question. Can you say the names of your great-great grandparents? Unless you have a passion for genealogy, you will likely have to give that question some research. And yet, that’s only four generations in the past. Four generations. Your great-great grandparents lived, laughed, worked, and cried on this earth only a short time ago. Which leads to another question. Four short generations from now, how many people will remember your name? Once again, unless someone in your future ...
[Jesus said] “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:18 Keys are small. Their importance is not. We don’t give keys much thought until we need them or lose them. Have you ever misplaced your keys? There’s a feeling of frustration and fear when you lock yourself out of your car or house. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they lost the key ...
She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7 I have never met the President of the United States. I am guessing that you haven’t either. I have seen one of them in person. In fact, I was less than fifty feet from him! But I didn’t shake his hand or have any personal interaction with him. The President doesn’t know me. I don’t have his phone number. I don’t have any sort of access ...
Hope does not disappoint us. Romans 5:5 Of all the different kinds of pain you and I can experience in life, the pain of disappointment crushing hope can be one of the worst. Examples from life? A parent tells you that you cannot go to the amusement park as planned. Your first romantic relationship comes to a heartbreaking end. Your dream of flourishing in a certain field does not come true. Your move to a new city does not pan out. A child with great promise grows up to make some destructive life decisions. Your retirement ...
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:9,10 To live forever. That has been the goal of many a man throughout history. You might think back to your school days and reading about Juan Ponce de Leon and his quest for the Fountain of Youth. Maybe you think of the nightmarish tales of vampires and the immortality they seek. ...
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 With what are you struggling today? Maybe you don’t deal with stress in the healthiest way? Bills pile up, you can’t make ends meet at the end of the month, and your boss is far too demanding. So, you find yourself being short-tempered with your family. Maybe there are even times you grab for pills, or the bottle and you tell yourself, ‘It’s just to take the edge ...
