I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1,2 When the apostle Paul urges Christians to pray for all people, it might be tempting to conclude that he only means those people who face trouble and challenges in this life. Certainly, he can’t mean that we should pray for those who live in royal palaces, people who seem to have everything in this world that their ...
This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. 1 Timothy 2:6,7 Who’ll Be a Witness for My Lord?” That’s the title of an old spiritual song that asks the same question the Lord himself once asked in Isaiah chapter 6. It’s there that the prophet tells us, “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And ...
[Jesus said] “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 Jesus’ love for us was so great that he came to earth, leaving his glorious heavenly home to live humbly among us. He came to take our place. He took upon himself the frightful burden of our sin and allowed it to crush him by a cruel death on the cross. Victoriously, he rose from the dead, proving he is the world’s Savior. He did all this for us so we might live forever with God. Though our ...
[Jesus said] “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:19,20 I would be happy if I could confront any snake without fear of being bitten. That would clear up a bit of anxiety in my life. And when it comes to scorpions, it would be great not to have to check my shoes in the morning with some worry ...
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them ...
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1 “Be nice to everyone.” Everyone? I couldn’t believe what my mother was telling me. How could I be nice to everyone when everyone isn’t nice to me? But she was standing on solid ground by laying down that principle for life because no less a person than Jesus expressed it himself in the same way, only with slightly different words. “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Mt 7:12). But by giving ...
I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:61,62 Imagine a man stranded on an island. He’s lost all hope of survival. He’s as good as dead. Then someone comes to his rescue. Once he realizes he’s saved, he climbs aboard and doesn’t look back. That’s the way it is with a person who follows Jesus. Jesus has rescued them from death and ...
So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.1 Kings 19:21 A woman once showed her Christian pastor a handbook from her former religion. That religion emphasized her good works rather than God’s gift of salvation. It’s like she was under a yoke of slavery. When she came to know Jesus and his full and free forgiveness, she was relieved; ...
Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. Ezekiel 3:3 Books designed for children under the age of one have bold black, white, and red illustrations. Those are seen best by developing eyes. Those books often have thick, sturdy pages that can stand going into a baby’s mouth. At that age, everything a baby touches goes into the mouth. It must taste terrible. In the days of the prophet Ezekiel, ...
“I will praise you, LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:1,2 When someone offends or hurts you with words or actions, what’s your most likely response? To show grace or fume with anger? For many of us, too often, we react with anger. In our Bible reading for today, the author says that God was angry with ...
