REDEMPTION The Old Testament places a great deal of emphasis on the role of the goel. There was a significant redemptive aspect to this person’s function. Every kinsman-redeemer was, in effect, a living illustration of the position and work of Christ with respect to His people: He is our true Kinsman-Redeemer, who becomes our human…
Why Should I Fast? 7 Examples of Fasting in the Bible
Although the Bible doesn’t give a direct command on this issue, examples of fasting appear in both the Old and the New Testaments. One of the most telling passages in which fasting is mentioned is Matthew 6:16, where Jesus is teaching His disciples basic principles of godly living. When speaking on fasting, He begins with,…
Prayer of Satisfaction
As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. — Psalm 17:15 As followers of Christ, we often look around and feel like we simply don’t fit in with the world in which we live. Our desires, our view of the world, and our…
And Lo, the Kingdom of God is Like a Terrible Football Team
My son is like me. He’s not much into athletics. But we signed him up for a flag-football league when he was in sixth grade. My wife told me the league needed someone to coach my son’s team, the Rams, and I told her, point-blank, I would not be doing it. I know nothing about…
When Little Children Get in the Way
Say Hello to My Little Friend If anyone causes one of these little ones — those who believe in Me — to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. — Matthew 18:6 Every older generation thinks…
Reordering Our Thoughts
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. — Joshua 1:8 What consumes your thoughts most days? When given the chance, where does your mind wander? Are you frequently…
Flaming Torches and Living Promises
Doubt. He’s a nosy neighbor. He’s an unwanted visitor. He’s an obnoxious guest. Just when you were all prepared for a weekend of relaxation… just when you pulled off your work clothes and climbed into your Bermuda shorts… just when you unfolded the lawn chair and sat down with a magazine and a glass of…
15 Powerful Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel in Memphis, TN. On the 50th anniversary of his passing, we honor the legacy of this powerful speaker, writer and leader of the civil rights movement — a man for whom the love of Jesus Christ was a…
God Will Help You When You Are Sick
We don’t know her name, but we know her situation. Her world was midnight black. Grope-in-the-dark-and-hope-for-help black. Read these three verses and see what I mean: A large crowd followed Jesus and pushed very close around Him. Among them was a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered very much from…
Desperate for Immanuel
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me. — Psalm 142:6 Years ago, when my second daughter, Morgan, was about two years old, I arrived home from my church office early one afternoon I was eager to spend a…