The Israelites needed to commit to outwardly following God’s commands – and failed even at that. In their hearts, they were idolaters. Like today, there are those who give lip service to serving the Lord, but their hearts are far from him.“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts

However, when you are single, you can make it a point to care for your needs, especially getting proper rest. God Himself gave us the example of prioritizing rest when He devoted the seventh day of the week to rest. Jesus also reminds us that with rest comes the release of struggles we are holding onto. We can know and trust that God will take care

James 5:16 also talks about the cleansing nature of confession: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Here, the confession happens within the community, to brothers and sisters, who pray for each other and receive spiritual healing. This is a humbling but necessary process. Just like yeast ne

Is the Jewish Identity a Race, a Religion, or Both? When considering the race of an individual, it is important to define our terms.Race is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits.”Ethnicity is defined by the same dictionary as “a particular ethnic affiliation or group,” which can gene

Expanding on this, Wayne Grudem, author of Bible Doctrine, wrote, “In such cases, the hardness of heart would be so great that ordinary means of bringing a sinner to repentance would already have been rejected.” These people had “tasted,” knew, and had been convicted by the truth but deliberately chose to deny it.This aligns with Jesus’ words regar

Where Can We Read about King Uzziah?The Bible mentions King Uzziah, also known as Azariah, in 2 Chronicles 26 and 2 Kings 15. His reign followed his father’s, King Amaziah. Amaziah mostly ruled righteously. He tried to follow God, but his heart was led astray after God gave him victory against the neighboring kingdom of Edom. Despite Yahweh’s grace

“Then Jesus answered and said: ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead’” (Luke 10:30).“A certain man.” The wounded man in the story was a faceless figure whose occupation, nationality, religion, race, and political affiliation were

What is Meant by the "Dark Night of the Soul"?The dark night of the soul refers to a time of intense doubt, struggle, or isolation. In this phase, an individual feels distant from God, even questioning their faith. The concept isn’t explicitly named in the Bible but was developed through Christian history. St. John of the Cross, a 16th-century Span

Thou shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images. (Exodus 20:4-6)Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (Exodus 20:7)Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)Commandments 5-10Honor your father and mother. (Exodus 20:12)Thou shalt not murder. (Exodus 20:13)Thou

Fourth, God’s miracles revealed his special servants. Particularly with the dead man who lived again after touching Elisha’s bones, the Old Testament makes the point that God empowered his prophets and servants to accomplish great things and give him glory. Additionally, we see the lesson of persistent prayer with Elisha, how he didn’t give up when

In Obadiah, God points out Edom’s pride. The nation trusted in its wealth and alliances, not realizing any success came from God. “The pride of your heart has deceived you” (Obadiah 1:3). Their arrogance led to believing they could rest in their own ability and wouldn’t be held accountable for violence against others. For us, we are reminded that n

2. When the “To Do” List Is Long "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).Father, each item on my list is doable in its own right. The problem is there are so many things on that list. When I think about it, or glance at the squares on my calendar filled wi

God acts with compassion toward other nations besides his people. When Jonah preaches judgment and destruction to Nineveh (a disturbingly violent and evil pagan people), the people repent. Instead of destroying them, God forgives and doesn’t carry out his dire warning. Jonah becomes angry that God would have compassion for Israel’s enemy, but God s

Women also do not have the right to abuse their children or husbands, as the call in the Christian life is to love, to see people as God sees them, and to grow more like the Lord in character and behavior.In cases of abuse, the safety of the victim should be the first priority of church members and leaders who become aware of it. Once that is estab

Why Is God Wrathful if He Is Good? God is a dynamic being, with a personality and characteristics just like the people He created. Some of His character traits include loving, merciful, long-suffering, and creative. He is also righteous and holy. When considering why a being described in these wonderful, magnanimous terms may also be wrathful, it i

All who trust in Him as the Messiah will be saved, for He has indeed given us His favor and His promise to provide for our spiritual needs — salvation.You will notice Jesus did not quote the last part of Isaiah 61:2, which also proclaims, “the day of vengeance of our God.” That day would find a twofold fulfillment, with 70 A.D. being the first part

2. We Won’t PrayWhen we get to heaven, we won’t have to pray anymore. I know that sounds strange because prayer is such an integral part of our lives now. When you consider why we pray now, you will realize why we won’t have to in heaven. Prayer is one of our primary means of communicating and living in relationship with the Lord.Since we can’t see

1. Talk to God about Your Struggle with Doubt Praying is often not on the top of the list for those who are wrestling with doubts. They may feel resentment or bitterness toward God. Some could also feel ashamed of their doubt and assume the Lord would not want to hear from them.But talking to God is what we should be doing when we are struggling wi

9 Ways the Bible Says Children Are a Blessing1. They Bring Us Joy“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord” (Psalm 128:3-4).David wrote this Psalm describing the wonderful things God will bring those who are fait

God loves us and sent His Son Jesus to die in our place. When we place our faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven and our home is heaven. Death is final. Eternity is real. Jesus is victorious over evil. We can stand secure and unafraid!How Should Christians Handle Halloween?First, I believe it is the choice of the Christian