Life is full of surprisesLaban tricks his son-in-law Jacob into marriages with both of his daughters by switching them on their wedding night. Jacob has to work twice as long to win the woman he desires.Things go wrong in lifeRachel has fertility problems for many years. This is particularly frustrating because God promised Jacob he would continue

In verse 14 Paul says, “bless those who persecute you.” This word bless means a few things. It means to give thanks to, to speak well of, or to act kindly towards. The first practical step is treat those who are evil towards you with kindness. To respond in kindness typically requires a slower response not an immediate one. You may have to take a m

Thank you for filling the world with children to bring joy and excitement to the world, as well as to remind us of what it was like to have faith without over-thinking everything. Lord, I lift up the kids in my life, both related to me and those who I know through church and through friends. Bless them with wisdom as they grow. Keep them safe from

Modern Importance of Speaking in TonguesIn modern cultures, many look around and feel they do not see Christians speaking in tongues, and doubt its existence. Others insist that anyone with the Holy Spirit can and should be able to speak a heavenly prayer language.When assessing these claims, it is important to hold them up against the Bible, “Belo

When you are looking for a counselor, I recommend you interview a few candidates and have a few questions prepared in advance. With whom do you feel most comfortable? Do you prefer working with a male or female? Would you like your counselor to open and close in prayer?Encouragement for Those Suffering from Mental IllnessThe Bible may not say much

There is another theory concerning the structure of these psalms. Some have hypothesized that these psalms are set apart as they are as a restoration of the Aaronic benediction (Numbers 6:24-27). It’s possible that you have heard this benediction even in your church.“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracio

Now Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her home, along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). Jethro,

Does Prayer Physically Aid Us?As great as the spiritual benefits are from prayer, there have been studies that show there are physical ones as well. Admittedly this is not my area of expertise, but here is information from a 2009 study:“A 2009 study by Koenig and colleagues found that six weekly in-person Christian prayer sessions with patients at

The Great White Throne JudgmentIt will be brilliant—dazzling. The Lord God Almighty’s glory will emanate from His Great White Throne as He renders judgment on the whole of history’s unsaved people. A person’s works speak of his heart’s standing before God, and each will be judged at the Great White Throne (Romans 2:6-10, 13, 16).At both judgments,

Who Was Apollos, and What Was He Like? Apollos was a contemporary of Paul in the first century church. He was a Hellenized Jewish Christian from Alexandria, Egypt, the second largest city in the Roman Empire. Some teachers say his name came from the Greek culture—from the Greek god, Apollo. Others say it is a shortened version of the name of a grea

1. A Prayer of Humility1 Chronicles 7:14 – “If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”Lord, we humble ourselves before You and confess that we are a sinful people too. Were it not for your grace, w

4. Prayer for Guidance about MovingHoly Father,Thank you for guiding my steps, for knowing every detail of my life, and not failing me, even if I don’t always follow the path You have for me. Lord, I feel You may be leading me to relocate to another place to serve You and to spend a period of my life somewhere new to me. Help me to know if this rea

What Is a Strong Tower?Looking at the original language, (which in this case is Hebrew), we find that the word “defend” in Psalm 20:1 means, “to be set safely and securely on high; to be too high for capture”; and by implication means, “to be too strong so as to be inaccessible.” When we compare this to Solomon’s phrase, “strong tower,” the connect

5 Lessons We Can Learn from Paul’s First Missionary Journey1. Suffering and hardship are part of the call to follow Jesus. Often as believers today, when we encounter suffering, we wonder why God doesn’t step in an rescue us. Yet, Jesus warned us that, “In this life you will have trouble” (John 16:33). However, He also promised that He would overco

It’s the life found within the blood that makes atonement for sins by infusing life into death.The blood of animals, however, was not potent enough. It was only in the blood inherited from the Divine—pure blood that did not contain a trace of death’s contamination—that could forever purge us of our sins.So, when we accept Christ into our life, our

What Happens in 1 Samuel? 1 and 2 Samuel contain mostly history, with individuals who foreshadowed traits of the Messiah, the Savior and King of Israel.1 Samuel begins with the cry of a mother. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was unable to have children, and she asked God for a son, dedicating that child to His service. When the child came of age, Hannah

This is why paraklesis in Romans 12 is so often translated as exhortation. It’s a kind of encouragement that not only comforts us—it motivates us to do what is right.How Do You Give Exhortation?Now we know what perfect exhortation looks like. But what does it look like for an imperfect human to give exhortation?Again, it comes back to the Holy Spir

This means, no matter what comes our way: suffering, turmoil, tragedy, death, and heartbreak. God will conquer it all. In other words, “Hope has a sanctifying effect. We who look expectantly for the return of Christ, knowing that when we see him we shall become like him, purify ourselves "as he is pure" (1 John 3:3 ). Hope also stimulates good work

Give Thanks Where It Is Due … to God!Do you begin each day with thanksgiving? When you wake up, do you immediately count your blessings? When you grumble and complain, do you try to counteract that by focusing on the good in your life? Will you choose to count everything joy because God is God, and he is Jehovah Jireh? "The sting of death is sin, a

7 Ways to Be Ready to Meet Others’ Needs From a gospel perspective, the man lying on the side of the road represents an unbeliever – someone who does not have personal relationship with Jesus. People without Christ are in great need; they have been robbed of the truth and are victims of our enemy’s desire to steal, kill and destroy. The merciful re