“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life ” (John 3:16). Here is a vast vision of hope: “For God so loved the world.” The world is vast with good prospects for everyone. “‘Therefore go into the highways,…
The world grows darker as each day passes. We, like the Philippian brethren of old, live in, “the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (2:15). While the world sinks deeper into the dark abyss of depravity and perversity, we must uphold the light of Christ…
For thousands of years now men have known that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins. The story has been told from generation to generation that God assured Abraham that He would not destroy Sodom if ten righteous souls could be found there, but alas, there were not even ten. Angels, appearing as…
Jesus and his chosen disciples were Jewish, living under the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. As such, most of Jesus’ teachings during his ministry were built upon principles already known by Jews familiar with the Old Testament. On four points, Jesus specifically instructed his disciples not to be like the Gentiles…
Because the values of societies either differ one from another or change over time, it seems that some parts of the Bible carry more relevance to some generations. For example, Ecclesiastes is particularly well suited to identify the consequences of humanistic or atheistic thought in a post-modern world. John’s gospel account bears greater weight in…
As you walk down the street, have you ever seen it to be bright and sunny on one side, and dark, stormy, and raining on the other side? Then how can we expect our life to always have only good things happening to us? When the rains come in our lives, why should we complain, “Lord, why me?” We know this is a sin-cursed earth; bad things just come with the territory. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:24, “God causes the sun to shine on the bad as well as the good and the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”
John 3:16 has been called the golden text of the Bible, and with good reason. In it we are told of the greatest Giver, the greatest gift, the greatest love, and the greatest blessing. God so loved the world, because God is love (I John 4:8). Agape is the strongest term for the highest degree of love. God is agape. He seeks our good. He wants the best for us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ” (I John. 4:10). “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
We have all purchased something or at least known about, a market place where fruits and vegetables are placed in bins, such as lettuce, tomatoes, grapes, cabbages, apples and such things that we need for a healthy body. At God’s market place there are also many things available which are necessary for a good and healthy spiritual life; and they are found in the church, the kingdom of God’s dear son; Jesus Christ.
Sincerity is honest authenticity and genuine wholeheartedness. It is freedom from hypocrisy and is often a pleasure to see. What is the relationship of this wonderful attribute to the salvation of the human soul?
One of the outstanding features of the early New Testament church was the zealous spirit of evangelism that seemed to fill the heart of every saint. The same enthusiasm with which Peter preached on the day of Pentecost was a driving force in the lives of the brethren. Even to this day men are impressed…