"Therefore be imitators of God as dear [beloved] children." Ephesians 5:1 The Greek word mimētēs can be translated “imitator” or “follower” (YLT) and is related to mathētēs, meaning “disciple” or “pupil.” Because the word “imitator” can refer either to...
"…Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials." James 1:1-2 A young college student had her scholarship cut, a family member fell seriously ill, and someone at school spread slander about her. During her daily Bible reading, she read...
“O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 Meditating upon the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Christ we notice several praiseworthy features....
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Juliet asks, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as...
“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14 Shortly after the assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, I watched a video showing him...
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”Luke 24:27 Today, it is increasingly difficult to separate truth from fiction, distinguish facts from opinions, and discern what is news versus what...
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 “All hands on deck!” is an English naval idiom, an order demanding an immediate, collective, and concerted effort by everyone...
“…Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory…” James 2:1 Beyond definition, the resplendent beauty of God’s glory stretches from eternity to eternity, permeating throughout God’s Word from the opening curtain of Genesis to the climax of Revelation. Our transcendent God...
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul had been anxious to hear from Titus how the Corinthian church had received his first letter. Had they...
“For He Himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14 There is a well-known story of a Canadian missionary couple working with Indonesian tribal groups in the 1960’s who became increasingly frustrated with the tribes’ treacherous actions. When the missionaries threatened to...
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 Various times in the Old Testament the pre-incarnate Son of God temporarily visited earth, drawing near to encourage, teach, and commission His servants. For example, the Lord visited Abraham in Mamre (Gen....
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.” Psalms 86:11-12 When the Lord decided to replace Saul as king, He spoke to him...
Every member of a relay team is vital to its success. They must brilliantly run their leg of the race and then securely hand off the baton to the next runner. Similarly, each believer may be viewed as a runner on a multi-generational relay team, responsible for...
That Rock Was Christ “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” Matthew 16:15 In 2013, I was in Caesarea Philippi, located twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the southwest base of Mount Hermon, three miles south of...
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 Typically, many people around the...
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 In Washington DC, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is an elaborate ceremony that takes place at appointed...
It is truly wonderful to witness the transformation that takes place when someone comes to know the Lord. I for one have seen the undeniable evidence of many lives dramatically changed to the glory of God. For years, I worked at a Christian conference center and...
“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Ephesians 4:22 I remember the event as if it were yesterday, even though it took place more than 40 years ago. At the time, I worked as a produce...
“…so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe… also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.” 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 The question has often been asked “Is there any such thing as the...
…when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 When Moses uttered the words “for their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deut. 32:31), he did more than just declare a mild difference between the...