It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. — Galatians 2:20 Jesus Christ was crucified between two thieves on a rugged cross on Calvary, just outside Jerusalem. Think of it: the very Son of God came down from Heaven and “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the…
He Is With You Always
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. — Matthew 28:20 When David Livingstone returned to his native Scotland after sixteen difficult years as a missionary and explorer in Africa, his body was emaciated by the ravages of some twenty-seven fevers that had coursed through his veins during the years of his…
You Are No Longer Outcasts
And so you are no longer called outcasts and wanderers, but citizens with God’s People. — Ephesians 2:19 (The Voice) Someone once described a church as a group of porcupines in a snowstorm: we need each other to keep warm, but the closer we get, the more we poke each other — and the more…
The Greatest of These is Love
But now faith, hope, and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love. — 1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Voice) He who loves his wife loves himself. — Ephesians 5:28 There are three elements to a successful marriage. The first is love—not just an emotional feeling or a physical attraction, but a…
Using Our Skills For God
Every skilled person to whom the Lord has given skill and ability… [is] to do the work just as the Lord has commanded. — Exodus 36:1 We sometimes forget that during most of His life Jesus was a carpenter, working with His hands among His neighbors in the town of Nazareth. “Isn’t this the carpenter?”…
Transforming Power of the Holy Spirit
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. — Acts 2:3-4 Within fifty days of Jesus’ death and the apparent collapse of His cause, the city of Jerusalem rang with the cries of those who boldly declared that God had raised Jesus from the dead, and…
What Kind of “Sheep” are You?
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. — Psalm 23:1–3 (NIV) No Psalm is better known or better loved than Psalm 23, which probably owes its origin (at least humanly speaking) to David’s boyhood years as…
Fear not for I am with You
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.”— Isaiah 41:10 Whenever I think of God’s faithfulness in the midst of suffering, I am reminded of my dear late friend Corrie ten Boom, the remarkable Dutch woman who, with her…
True Love Puts Others First
Love is patient, love is kind… It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. — 1 Corinthians 13:4–5 “I can’t live with him, but I can’t seem to live without him either,” her letter said. She added that she had moved out of their house three times,…
Keeping Money Our Servant
Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. . . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. — Matthew 6:25, 32 We aren’t supposed to let money become the most important thing in life, but when bills mount, it’s hard not to become preoccupied. The problem is that…