Paul saw Christians as being athletes for Jesus. They were competing in the arena while they were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). They were individuals in a race which must be run according to rules (2 Tim. 2:5). They were fighters/boxers who were not just “punching into the air” but had precise blows planned for the enemy (1…

So, what are the last words you say when you are leaving others? I find myself often ending a phone conversation with family members by saying, “Goodbye, I love you.” Those words are not just meaningless words, but are intended to remind those who are so precious to me that I cherish them. Thinking about this led me to wonder what parting…

He was just six months from the cross when He saw the blind man whose affliction some attributed to his sins or those of his parents. Jesus seized the opportunity to show His compassion and then to teach that it is wrong to associate sickness with sin. His explanation for interrupting His plans for that day was, “I must work the works…

The situation in Jerusalem was one of immense danger. The northern kingdom of Israel was being overrun by the Assyrians, and in the southern kingdom the holy city of Jerusalem was being threatened by the same army that had invaded the north. Isaiah was in that city, and his writings allow us to sense what was happening. To study this event gives…

What word comes to your mind when you think of the writings of John? I suppose that the first word which comes to mind is that the disciple whom Jesus loved speaks so much about love. He does. He uses the word love, in its various forms, almost sixty times as he writes about the life of Jesus. The remarkable thing is…

Sometimes we hear individuals say, “Why should we be so concerned about doctrine? We should just preach Jesus and ignore doctrine. Preaching doctrine creates division, but preaching Jesus will bring unity.” Those who say these things often are motivated to bring about harmony among those who follow Jesus, but we must begin by asking, “What does the Bible teach about the importance…

When the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, He left behind amazing proof that mankind is not simply the result of a “big bang” billions of years ago. Design demands a designer and our Designer has left in our bodies absolute proof that we are created beings. When the psalmist said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psa.…

I don’t know what we would do without friends. God created us with a need for them. Each day of God’s creation has the phrase, “God saw that it was good,” in connection with it. However, after God created man, He said, “It is not good that man should be alone.” He created us as social beings and has given us friends.…