Sometimes students will complain that they “deserve a better grade.” Sometimes employees will argue that they “deserve a raise.” Sometimes children will claim that they “deserve a treat.” The word deserve means “to do something or have or show qualities worthy of reward or punishment.” Sometimes people get what they deserve. Sometimes people get what they don’t deserve. Let’s consider two monumental…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 7)
Have you ever seen a fellow Christian have a particular need and deflected your eyes away and thought, “Not my problem! Someone else can deal with this. I’ve got other things to do”? Is that a big deal? Consider first these instructions to the Jews long ago. “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them…You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his…
Did you ever loan someone some money, and then you wondered if you would ever get paid back? Do you think that God would be good at paying someone back? There is some interesting terminology to that effect in Colossians 3. Read it carefully: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord…
Every parent (and probably every teacher) knows what this is like. You tell your kid to do something and the immediate response is something like, “Ok, but first I’m going to do this other thing.” What’s going on in that response? “This other thing” has taken priority over whatever the child has been instructed to do. The child thinks he/she knows better…
The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was so egotistical that he thought that he was all-powerful and could wield his authority to coerce anyone to do anything that he wanted. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego did not bow down to him or his image, the king threatened to throw them “into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” And then he asked this sneering question, “Who…
There is a Greek word used often in the New Testament that literally means “to place or lay away from.” It was used of clothes in Acts 7:58, but mostly it is used figuratively. Romans 13:12 states, “Let us cast off the works of darkness.” The idea of the word is to “put away from oneself, never to take it up again.” In Colossians 3:8,…
As Israel’s “old” and final judge was nearing his last days, the elders of Israel gathered to Samuel and made their demands. The first thing they basically said was, “We don’t want you or your sons!” And then they laid out this directive, “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). Notice several things about…
When the twelve spies came back from their 40-day reconnaissance mission into the Promised Land, the majority reported that “the people” and “the cities” in the land were “greater” and seemingly indestructible. The report, although based on false information, “discouraged” (literally, “melted”) the “hearts” of the people (Deut. 1:28). What a negative influence! Compare that with Philemon in the New Testament. Paul wrote that he…