Posts from 2021 (Page 2)

“There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours.” (Ps 86:8) When we say “God” today it is typically understood to be in reference to the God of the Bible, which is Jehovah. It is normally no longer needed to say Yahweh or Jehovah for someone to know who you are addressing or talking about. Though today there are still many individuals who believe in another god or many gods they do…

Psalm 51 In this well-known psalm of repentance, David comes clean before God concerning his sin with Bathsheba and his having Uriah killed (read 2 Samuel 11& 12). The words of David are especially appropriate from another occasion: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm34:18). Few passages anywhere in the Bible resonate with such truth and emotion regarding confession of sin. This psalm deals with 12 words that will change anyone’s life. Psalm…

Are you running from God? There are many times in our lives when we find ourselves doing just that. Maybe we don’t even notice in the moment, but our boots are still pointed in the opposite direction. In John 12:26 Jesus said His servants must follow Him and we know that having accepted salvation we have become servants to the Lord. (II Cor. 6:4) Yet still, in times that our hand should be on the plow, we have walked out…

Psalm 86:11-12 Once someone accepts the salvation that Jesus Christ offers through the watery grave of baptism their journey to Heaven is far from over. The old saying “once saved always saved” is simply just not true and this belief is proven to be incorrect throughout the New Testament. A good example of this is 2 Timothy 4:10 when Demas fell in love with the world rather than the work of a Christian and fell away. The truth is when…

The Fountain of Youth is maybe one of the most famous mythological legend. Appearing as early as the 5thcentury BC in the writings of Greek historian Herodotus, it is a spring that has been sought after through the course of time. This legend appears in stories from the 3rdcentury AD, during the time of the crusades (11th/12thcenturies), but maybe more memorably from the Age of Exploration during the 16thcentaury. During that time, according to legend, many conquistadors, explorers, colonists, and…

In 1937, Thomas A Dorsey wrote the song, “Peace in the Valley.” It didn’t become a “hit” until 1951 when Red Foley sang it. Since that time many artists have recorded it, the most famous among which was Elvis in 1957. The song is often sung at funerals due to the comforting words offered regarding peace that allegedly waits for the deceased after death. In the song’s third stanza, there is a line about the lion laying down with the…

If you need a passage that will help you focus on the Lord’s day, I would suggest reading the opening section of Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and give some heed to the phrase “the sacrifice of fools.” Let’s begin with this understanding –there are many things that we might want to be called when we come into the presence of God; saint, servant, son or daughter, humble, empty, holy, worthless, tired, hungry, or joyous. However, we would never want to be…

Between the years of 1976 and 1981, a man named Donnie Brasco began working for the Bonanno crime family. During this time, he reported to several captains in the crime family and was trusted with important jobs. In fact, in 1981 he was set to become a “made man” and officially become part of the Bonanno family. However, Donnie Brasco wasn’t real. He was actually an undercover FBI agent whose real name was Joseph Pistone. This undercover operation became one…

What is it that separates Christians from the world? There are several answers to this question, namely a unity with the Lord. However, there is another one that is of key importance: the Christian’s forgiving attitude. The New Testament illuminates the fact that Christians are to have a peaceable attitude. (Phil. 2:14-15) More to the point, Christians are to be of the same mind as Christ. (Phil 2:5) This means we are to show love to everyone, even those who…

A couple of weeks ago we asked the question, “am I my brother’s keeper?” Looking to the New Testament we saw that Christians are to look after their brethren. (1 Jn. 3:11-15) This means that we are to look after each other as brothers. However, this does not make us “scorekeepers.” This point is not original with me, but it is a point we need to understand. We are not to be Christians who keep tabs on our brethren. The…

Psalm 23 There are many psalms that we have and know that are prayers to the Lord. This psalm is among those that show a prayer to God, but in this psalm,we also see the rejoicing that comes when God answered the prayer. The Psalm is accredited to David though the time and occasion is uncertain. This psalm shows David pleading to God for help and pleading with the Lord for his very life. The Lord answers David’s prayer and…

Maybe one of the most famous quotes from the book of Genesis comes from Genesis 4:9 – “Am I my brother’s keeper?” In context, Cain had just murdered his brother Abel and was trying to avoid telling God where his brother was. Fast forward to today and that is still a popular question. So, what is the answer? Am I my brother’s keeper? The New Testament answers this question quite clearly; yes. There are over 130 instances where Paul uses…