In Joshua chapter 2, we have the prelude to Israel’s first battle in Canaan to conquer the land God had promised centuries earlier to Abraham. Their first conquest would be Jericho, which was strongly defended in a strategically critical location. Israel’s leader, Joshua, secretly sent spies across the river to look over the land, especially…
Jesus says in Matthew 6:6, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” This is a quotation from the NKJV, but it is one place where…
In striving against sin, it should help to remember that… #1. You are not alone. Your temptations are not so rare that no one can relate to them. Sometimes, a Christian may begin to believe that he’s all alone in his struggles, that no one could possibly understand. This pleases Satan, since it inclines us…
“I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him….
The parable of the unjust steward is among the most thought provoking of all the parables of Jesus. The steward, who was soon to lose his position due to either incompetence or negligence or both, negotiates with his master’s debtors, settling with them for pennies on the dollar. He does so to win favor for…
Aesop told a story of a lion startled by a mouse. The lion slapped a paw over the mouse and was about to lick it up when the mouse pleaded for her life, promising that someday she would repay the kindness. The lion was amused by the idea of the little mouse ever helping him…
When the patriarch Jacob thought his young son Joseph was dead, he believed that in death they would be reunited, “he refused to be comforted and said, ‘No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.’” (Gen 37:35b ESV). “Sheol” is the Hebrew word for the abode of the souls of the dead,…
Erica and Hayley, sisters, are complete opposites. While Erica is quite shy, Hayley is outgoing. Their mother, Anna, works very hard to make a living for them. But Hayley’s desire to “fit in” causes problems at times. Hayley hates the idea of buying clothes from off-brand department stores. In fact, it’s pretty common for Hayley…
The letters to the seven churches of Asia provide a full picture of the church. Though each of these congregations face unique circumstances and challenges in comparison with one another, they are not unique in comparison to other churches down through the centuries. There have been churches like Pergamos or Smyrna or Laodicea since the…
The letters to the seven churches of Asia provide a full picture of the church. Though each of these congregations face unique circumstances and challenges in comparison with one another, they are not unique in comparison to other churches down through the centuries. There have been churches like Pergamos or Smyrna or Laodicea since the…