A ransom was the value paid to deliver a slave. Jesus paid the ransom for us since we were unable to pay it ourselves. His death set us all free from the bondage to sin. The disciples believed that Jesus' power and his life would save them from Rome; Jesus said that his death would save them from their sins, which was a considerably more prominent

The story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) is a good example of this. We see the Pharisee brag to all who could hear that he has done all these achievements, while the tax collector could only beat his chest and cry out for God’s forgiveness for his sins. However, the tax collector’s admission of his deeds was more pleasing to G

For those who have been victims of the Assyrians, these are comforting words. This is especially obvious in the last verse that says, “There is no healing for your wound; your injury is fatal. All who hear of your destruction will clap their hands for joy. Where can anyone be found who has not suffered from your continual cruelty?” (Nahum 3:19)What

What Is God’s Response to Job and His Friends?(Chapters 38:1-40:2; 40:6-41:34):The Lord had had enough of the four men’s erroneous counsel. He speaks out of the whirlwind beginning in Job 38:1 through Job 41:34 (with a brief reply by Job in 40:3-5).God begins his cross-examination regarding some of Job’s responses to his friends. God brings proper

Every time he raised someone from the dead, he spoke to them before raising them. He talks to the widow’s son and calls to Lazarus to “come forth.” He literally commands dead people to live again. For the natural eye, this appears crazy. Dead people can’t respond. But the power wasn’t in the dead person but in his words. Jesus also commanded healin

1. Through the Teachings of Jesus Part of Jesus’ ministry on Earth was to represent God to the world. As He explained it to His disciple, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). And as we read through the Gospels, it becomes clear that God reveals Himself through what His Son did and taught.Jesus shows us God’s character “Suppose

Matthew 13:55 reveals that Joseph was a carpenter, which would have been a humble position. Joseph was by no means fancy in the world’s eyes, but he was a craftsman – a faithful follower of God and a wonderful husband and father. Joseph is a man worth modeling our lives after, from what we read of him in the Scriptures. I also find it no accident t

However, when reading the Bible, you may come across verses that may use different words in translation and some can cause debate. Here is another example."Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14While many translations use the word virgin, some use

The enemy is sneaky, he even tries to use the truth to get us to sin. He misuses the Word of God to cause us to fall. We think back to Genesis 3 and the devil was able to push humanity to sin by causing them to question the truth spoken from their Creator God. Even though Adam, Eve, and all of us fail and sin, Jesus modeled perfect belt of truth li

We ask this in Jesus’ precious name,Amen.4. For Those Who Don’t Know How to TrustIt took me a decade and a half to feel emotionally safe with my husband. Although I was immediately drawn to his kind and gentle nature, I feared it wouldn’t last. I was figuratively holding my breath, waiting for the day when everything fell apart. It took time, praye

Lewis’ literary criticism training allowed him to read the New Testament in its original languages. Yet, to Lewis, the Bible was not a reference book that offered quick answers to dilemmas. It was a true story, revealed by a God that loves humanity with an agape love.To Lewis, storytelling could reflect transcendent truth. Growing up in County Down

The Cepher plays loose with history but purports to be full of hidden and previously undisclosed meanings. The “return to the original” has a great appeal in our day, as does a lack of scholarship. As our trust in institutions continues to decrease, a project such as this one will likely gain traction.To even question the scholarship and truthfulne

Whatever way God speaks to you about rededicating your life to Him, you can be sure that desire will grow stronger the more you ponder it.How Do You Go about Rededicating Your Life?The best first step to take in rededicating your life is always to pray, asking God if this is a prompting from Him for rededication. Confirm that you come into agreemen

1. Perseverance in AdversityAthletes in the Paralympics embody resilience, determination, and unwavering spirit, showing that obstacles can be overcome with faith and tenacity. Paralympic athletes encounter a great deal of challenges, more than many other people, and their journey mirrors the biblical call to persevere through challenges, trusting

Saul’s God experience transformed him from who he was, a man he was never destined to be, to the man whom God chose him to be from before the foundation of the earth. That’s what a God experience can do! So how does this happen, and can we position ourselves to encounter God in this life-changing way?God Experiences Change Us Through “Imprinting”Th

This proverb contrasts the consequences of a wise son and a foolish son. A wise son makes his parents glad; a foolish son makes his parents sad. The idea is, would you rather be a wise child or a foolish child? It also shows how we have a choice regarding how we behave, and those choices affect the ones we love.3. Synthetic parallelism: consider th

On the topic of giving out food, if you are on the road and see a homeless person looking for a handout, you can always give a handheld snack and/or bottle of water (with or without money) to help someone right where they are. Especially on a hot day, the gift of a drink of water can be a major blessing.Another great way to help the homeless could

Vicky Arias is passionate about using any gifts God has given her to bring glory to Jesus and raise awareness about people who are suffering from poverty, exploitation, persecution, and the loneliness of enduring hardship under the radar. She has worked with International Justice Mission – a global Christian organization that aids survivors of huma

Sarah, Deborah, Hannah, and Ruth’s names all reflect their roles or status.Esther: Esther is an interesting name because that wasn’t her Hebrew name but her Persian name, meaning “star.” Her Hebrew name was Hadassah meaning “myrtle” but Esther and her guardian, Mordecai were exiled in Persia. Though initially she hid her faith, Esther would eventua

Earlier in his ministry, Jesus wept over Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you” (Matthew 23:37). The earthly city and the old covenant had become a system of legalism, unbelief, and condemnation rather than a place fully devoted to God. The apostle Paul had his own issues with the Jews. A Jew hims