In Matthew 5:7, Christ said that it is the merciful who shall obtain mercy. James 2:13 states the same truth: For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. The spirit of this beatitude and the passage in James is seen in the Parable of the Unforgiving…
A couple of years ago, my oldest brother, Dennis, broke a toe, and he was sent to a podiatrist. This business is a big, bustling medical facility specializing in treating feet that’s been heavily advertised with a memorable jingle. We started with a positive impression. The parking lot and waiting room were full up; business…
In Joshua 9, we’re introduced to an interesting group of individuals, the Gibeonites. Having heard of the great successes of Israel (verse 3), they put together a scheme designed to save their lives. Verses 4-5 detail the great lengths they took to make it look as though they came from a far country: …they worked…
Please read about the withered fig tree in Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 and consider: Fig trees in Palestine may live as long as four hundred years. A well-cultivated tree should produce fruit for ten months of the year in those locales. However, because of the difficulties of translation, some have extrapolated a point from this text…
The book of Joshua ends with the death of Eleazar, son of Aaron. Phinehas, his son, succeeded him as high priest. Phinehas is best known for decisively ending God’s punishment of Israel for their unfaithfulness with the Moabites. God praised Phinehas: Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my anger…
Teaching in higher education for ten years taught me that you cannot assume people will do what’s obviously right, and they will not admit to understanding what is obviously wrong. When people are left without marked boundaries to exercise their own free will, they will defy their own conscience, ignore any sense of right and…
Satan secured the scepter of government in the earth from Adam by right of conquest. He has organized the present world system on his own cosmic principles: pride, ambition, selfishness, force, greed, and pleasure. The world system—scientific, cultured, and elegant—is dominated by satanic principles, and beneath its deceptive veneer is a seething cauldron of ambition…
As many of you may already know, my wife Leah and I have recently suffered some severe loss. On November 30, 2023, we lost our son, Andrew James, at 16 weeks gestation. Then again on July 2, 2024, we lost our daughter, Quincy Kay, at 20 weeks gestation. There were many thoughts that followed both…
Our words are powerful! They can tear souls down, they can destroy the closest of friendships, they can dishearten, and they can and do cause wars. Our words can build souls up, they can encourage and strengthen friendships, they can be healing, and they can prevent wars. Our words are real, and they have meaning….
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human…