We do not always know the circumstances in which the psalmist found himself when he took his pen in hand. However, as we can read his psalms, we often find that we have experienced similar circumstances in our lives, which have brought about the same feelings he had. Consider Psalm 43 where David asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?”…

While Jesus taught more than thirty parables, only two of them are explained. He used these earthly stories to convey heavenly truths, and the message of each of these stories becomes obvious to those who seek to understand them. These two parables both deal with the planting of the seed (the word of God) in the hearts of men. After Jesus told…

If we are saved by grace alone, then all men would be saved, for His saving grace for all mankind had appeared to all men by the time Paul wrote to Titus (Tit. 2:11). If grace immediately covers all sin, then there is no reality to sin, for it would be impossible for sin to separate us from God (Isa. 59:2). It…

Christianity was never designed to be a religion of sadness. The words “joy” and “rejoice” are found more than 400 times in the Bible. How could any relationship with God be anything other than the most marvelous experience one could have on this earth? When Paul described the fruit of the Spirit working in our lives, the second word he used was…

As you read the Bible, you will find so many references to your life being compared to running a race. We are told to run with patience the race that is before us, always keeping our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:1). The next verse then points us to Jesus and the way He lived His life. Paul so often compares life to…

Sometimes when you meet a person there is just something about them that sets them apart from others. There are those negative people who impact us in such a way that we find it difficult to see their souls and the potential they may have in Christ. On the other hand, there are those to whom we are immediately attracted, and we…

As one reads the Bible or listens to sermons, he learns great truths. He learns the truth about the origin of the created world, and this knowledge becomes the basis of faith. He reads about the lives and struggles of godly men and is filled with awe when he sees their faith and how it sustained them. Yet, sometimes he just wishes…

There is no doubt that the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. After the apostles received the Spirit, they could lay hands on others, giving them miraculous powers when they also received the Spirit. The question is, did Cornelius and his household have this same ability to impart the Spirit after being baptized in the…