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When Paul wrote his epistle to the church at Rome, he reminded them of the urgency of being prepared for whatever was in their future. The Romans knew the times that lay before them (13:11), and Paul told them how to prepare. Their approaching trial may be different from one each of us faces—the end of our lives—but Paul’s words seem so applicable to what each of us must do as we see the end approaching. As the end approaches,…

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6). Since there are times when all of us suffer from sinful pride, what are some helps for overcoming it in our lives? Remember That God Hates Pride. The Bible makes that very clear in passages like Proverbs 6:16-17 and 8:13. And anything God hates should be as far removed as…

For as long as I can remember, I have heard preachers sound the alarm about the sad state of preaching in many pulpits throughout the country. Johnny Ramsey would often talk about preachers who “didn’t preach enough Bible to fill a thimble.” I recall Andrew Connally lamenting an occasion on which he stepped into a pulpit for a gospel meeting and found a sermon outline book the local preacher had preached from the night before without any study or preparation…

The writer of Hebrews could so easily see the dangers faced by those Jewish Christians. The nation that killed God’s Son turned its wrath on the church almost from the day it began. Jesus had warned them about the trials that were coming. Obviously, they persecuted those Gentiles who had become followers of Jesus, but their persecution was even more fierce on the Christians addressed in this epistle. They had begun their walk with Jesus and faced many trials which…

Today we live in a world in which many have lost the desire to care for others. Some have become so self­ centered that the only people they will look out for are themselves. This is not what the Lord intended. When we study the Scriptures, it is evident that we are commanded by God to be concerned for others, not only ourselves. Even in the first book of the Old Testament (Genesis), God showed that we all have a…

Sometimes words are easy to dole out. Things like love, caring, giving, etc., are all spoken with great frequency, and it is proper to have such concepts in our minds. The real challenge, however, is to show our concern for others by taking an active role in their lives. Perhaps we go out of our way to give a ride to someone who cannot drive. Or, maybe we take money from our own pockets and give to someone who needs…

How do you view God? Think carefully about how you answer that question because your answer determines your response. There are many people in the world who have a distorted view of God and therefore respond to Him in a completely unacceptable fashion. For example, there are some who live lives of complete, open, and unmistakable rebellion against the Lord, yet when they die their friends and loved ones adamantly declare that they have “gone to a better place.” The…

Several years ago I read an article written by Dan Jenkins that impressed me greatly. It had to do with what some who call themselves Christians will do when put to the test, and also what one Christian refused to do, and it cost him his life. Please read the following and ask yourself, “Which of these would I be?” Following a recent Friday night football game many high school students were having a “victory party.” The air was full…

There were several times in Paul’s letters that he had to defend his apostleship and authenticity. On one such occasion he wrote, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). This raises a good question for us. Who are we trying to please? It is easy to see how this motivation…

One of the great challenges facing Christians is peer pressure. We all want to be liked and so the tendency is to alter our lives just enough so we will be accepted by others. How many Christians have compromised values simply because they did not want to stand out and be different? One lesson each of us must learn is how fickle those around us are. Look at two incidents in the life of Paul. When he cured the crippled…

I remember a game I played as a child, but I am not sure what it was called. I think it was called “Follow the Leader,” where one child became the leader and whatever he did had to be exactly duplicated in all those other children who were following the leader. If he jumped, they jumped. If he turned in a circle, they turned in a circle. If he walked backwards, they walked backwards. If he did all three in…

The fabled “Pony Express” was short lived. It lasted only about a year and a half (April 1860 -October 1861). The transcontinental telegraph put an end to the need for the horses and their riders. However, in the brief time it existed, the service made a lasting impact on American history. Before the creation of the Pony Express it took a long time for news from the East coast to reach the West coast. For example, when James Buchanan was…