Love is what makes all the difference.Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to propitiate our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 4:10-11Loving others, even enemies flows out of knowing love.What Does it Mean to Love Our Enemies?In the two portions of scripture where Je

So, too, I cannot provide a certain answer to how old the earth is. I was not there when God created it. I have the testimony of his Word, and from his Word, I will look out into the observable data that I find in the world. And when I do, I understand that the earth was created in six days and later underwent a dramatic transformation. I understan

I never loved the story of the beggar being slighted at the lavish marriage celebration and then given the place of honor because I recognized in my own heart the tendency to rank people and treat them according to my earthly and flawed “tiers of importance”. My uncomfortable response to the story of the marriage feast is exactly the reaction the p

1. Read “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8).Study. The very word requires effort and exudes the dread of the impending work required; however, studying the Word every day is the only way we w

He was ready to live. I hear people say, “I would die for Jesus.” But I want to know, “Will you live for Jesus?”Paul was also ready to die. He was ready to preach the Gospel in Rome where I believe he lost his life. He knew the dangers, but he was ready to die for His Lord.He was ready to go. In verse thirteen he said, “. . . I purposed to come unt

Why Does This Happen?There are two reasons why sometimes we feel that God’s plan is going south in our lives. They are expectation and elevation.1. ExpectationQuite frankly when you hear that God is good and he has good plans in store for your life, you generally come to a simple conclusion…everything that happens in my life is going to be good. Co

Genesis 9:7 - to Noah and his sonsGenesis 17:20 - to Abraham as a promise about his son IshmaelGenesis 28:3 - a blessing from Isaac to JacobGenesis 35:11 - to JacobGenesis 48:4 - from God to Jacob; Jacob recounting the eventIn each circumstance where this phrase is found in Genesis, it is a blessing as well as a command. It grants the person or gro

3. We are duped into believing that we don’t hear God’s voiceOf course we hear it. Jesus said we would, and He doesn’t lie. The enemy of our soul wants to keep us doubting ourselves and doubting God. How about if we stop buying what he is selling?Whatever the issue, this is not a good situation. Hearing and knowing His voice is essential.Here’s the

What Does the Bible Say about Fear and Peace for the Christian?For those who follow Jesus Christ, we can take comfort in one critical, all-important truth: We are children of the Lord, “born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:13). Indeed, we belong to God. For in Jesus, we have eternal life,

- A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land (Psalm 68:5-6)- See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a)-

What Are Mediums and Where Does the Bible Talk about Them? Although there are a number of words used in the Bible to describe those who practice certain mystical arts, the word usually translated as “medium” is the Hebrew word ‘owb. In essence it is a necromancer or someone that communicates with dead people in an effort to gain knowledge or influ

Yes, he confused their language to stop them building a structure which had possible astrological purposes. But also, he confused their languages to help assist them in obeying his command.7. To Christians Today, the Tower of Babel Symbolizes the Birth of Many LanguagesBut also, it represents what happens when you attempt to thwart God’s plan or pu

Who Is My Neighbor?Though we often like to think of our neighbors as the people who live next door or down the street, the Bible teaches that our neighbors are the people all around us. We pass them at the park, in the grocery store, at church, and on the highway. Yet so often we miss the opportunities to love them well because we don’t look at the

1. Stay Informed and Only Spread Truthful Information It doesn’t take a lot to cause a panic. It takes even less for people to fall into fear or turn to their own self-preservation. Right now, we’re seeing a lot of reacting, and not all reactions are positive or even rational.This is a medical emergency, and there are many people around the world w

1. Do You Know Who You Are?One of the greatest hindrances to living a quality life for the Lord is the inability to come to grips with who we actually are in Him. This inability to grab a hold of our identity carries with it a most serious liability. If someone does not know their identity in Christ, and what it means, then how can they live proper

How Christians Should Interpret "Blessed Are the Meek”“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29Jesus came to show us the way. “Learn from me,” He says in the verse above. He gave us a glimpse into the very character of our Creator and modeled a life in hono

What Does It Mean to Question God?When my daughter was stillborn, I questioned God. I asked him, “Why?”— driving my inquiry into His character, my words into His mind for me and this world. My question was an expression of anguish taken to the God who could have changed the outcome of labor and delivery. It was also an expression of trust taken to

1. To show the comparison between a heart that reflects Godly love and one that lacks it2. To highlight the inward attitudes and outward actions that result from eachIn some ways, Paul’s list here resembles his list of the fruits of the Spirit. The fruits, “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control

When Praise and Worship Feels Like a Sacrifice: Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We're weary.  Or maybe, we feel like God has let us down. He may seem distant to us, like He doesn't really care about what we’re struggling through or worrying about. Painful life blows and losses may have

Where Did The Phrase What Would Jesus Do Come From? What Would Jesus Do grew out of the Biblical concept of the "Imitatio Christi," or the "Imitation of Christ," one of the teachings stressed in The Roman Catholic Church. Thomas a Kempis wrote a book with the title Imitation of Christ in the 1400s. John Wesley later built on the foundation of this