In many ways, this month’s meditation is a sequel to last month’s teaching on the seventh man at the well. Both studies follow essentially the same approach in that they are stand-alone investigations of biblical truths while they – at the same time – serve as lessons...
The purpose behind this study is two-fold. Not only do I want to suggest some new insights into an old story, I also want tp present an approach to studying the Bible that can revolutionize your personal time with the Word of God and expand the horizons of revelation...
The story is told of a New York City news team who uncovered the relationship between two men in their city. One was a homeless man on the streets who always slept over the steam vent beside one of the skyscrapers in the city’s business district. The other was a...
Also, no matter how much we try to adjust it, if the thermostat is faulty, we won’t get any results from the furnace. In the spiritual realm, we can have defective hearing, which will short-circuit the effectiveness of the Word of God. There seem to be several basic...
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6) I often imagine a light switch when I read this passage. When we flip the switch up, the lights come on; when we flip the switch down, darkness invades. The same is true...
In describing the influence that Jeroboam had upon the people of Israel, II Kings 17:15 uses one significant key word – vanity. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and...
Meditation October 2020 - Jeroboam Jeroboam proved himself to be an industrious young man and a mighty man of valor in the courts of Solomon; therefore, the king elevated him to a position of authority in the nation – not knowing that he would eventually rise up...
God asked one requirement of Solomon when He established him on the throne of his father David – that he walk according to the legacy that his father had established. (I Kings 3:14, 9:4, 11:38) However, Solomon failed to do so (I Kings 11:6) and set in motion a...
William Carey – after being told to sit down and shut up – eventually won the privilege to stand up before the top leadership of the British churches and convince them that it was the responsibility of European Christians to evangelize the “heathen” of lands they had...
I’ve spent essentially the whole time up to this point dealing with the question of why bad things happen to good people; so, now it is time to consider why good things happen to bad people. But before we do any theological study on the point, I’d like to invite you...
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?...
The humanitarian aspect of my missionary work has taken me around the world in relief projects associated with every kind of natural disaster short of a volcano eruption. I’ve seen firsthand what the insurance companies refer to as the “acts of God” – a legal term...
Have you ever noticed how it’s always the Democrats or Republicans who are at fault? We always want to blame the President – and always without even giving him the respect of prefacing his name with the title “President” or even “Mr.” It’s just “Clinton” or “Bush” or...
One of my friends tells the story of how his father often promised him things and somehow failed to come through, but the most traumatizing event was the day that he sat at home all day waiting for his dad to show up to take him to the circus. When nightfall came,...
A Hindu philosopher once said, “Unless you specifically declare that you are not a Hindu, you are a Hindu,” – and I’ve come to believe that all humans really are intrinsically Hindus and that we all instinctively believe in karma. Just think about when anything out...
As Christians, we often have the simplistic opinion that we live by the New Testament and the Jews live by the Old Testament. However, if you were to investigate the Jewish faith, you would discover that their beliefs and practices are not actually formulated from the...
In the only line I remember from the Christmas special of a long-forgotten sitcom, a Jewish lady who was trying to adjust to the Christian-dominated society made a statement about something which had to do with one of our holiday customs. Because Hanukah -- the Jewish...
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. (Psalm 39:5) In this psalm, David reminded himself of the brevity of man’s life and summed up his thoughts with...
Although King David left an indelible impact on all of human destiny, we can see that he essentially “missed the boat” in one specific area of influence where he should have focused his attention. In this one arena of life -- his parenting skills, well actually, his...
At the height of his career as Israel’s second king, David desired to build a monument to the God who had so spectacularly blessed him. When David presented his plan to build a temple in Jerusalem to his spiritual advisor Nathan, the Lord’s response came that David...