‘The king said to me, “What is it you want?”’ Nehemiah 2:4 The rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls began with two questions the king asked Nehemiah. The first question was ‘What is bothering you?’ Nehemiah 2:2. The second question was ‘What is it you want?’ Nehemiah 2:4. Nehemiah replied, ‘… send […]
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” – James 2:12-13 In her book “In His Image”, author Jen Wilken writes: “My husband, […]
“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you [from us], so that you may be zealous for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I […]
‘The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.’ Romans 1:17 The story has been told of a mother who said to her son, ‘It’s time to get up and go to school.’ He replied, ‘I’m not going to school today!’ His mother said, ‘Why not?’ He replied, ‘Because […]
‘”Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God.”’ Acts 10:4 God told Cornelius that his prayers had gone up as a memorial before him. Memorials are usually built for people who are dead and gone. What a great promise this is. Even after […]
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:10 In India, Adesh Soni, a Hindutva leader, has called for attacks on Christians in March 2025. Soni called for […]
“For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.” – 2 Corinthians 4:11 In his book “The Forgotten God”, author Francis Chan tells the story of Domingo and Irene Garcia from Sun Valley, […]
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” – James 1:22 Author Colleen Strachan writes: “Dallas Willard gave a series of lectures on the kingdom of God. In one, he discussed the popularity of the phrase, ‘The truth will set you free’ by […]
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 Pastor Ray Johnston, in his book “The Hope Quotient”, wrote: “David Letterman’s old late-night segment “Will It Float?” once inspired our staff to fill […]
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 In his book, The Enormous Exception, Earl Palmer tells about a pre-med undergrad at the University of California, Berkley, who became […]
“For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” 2 Corinthians […]
“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:12 Author Tom Nelson writes: “After attending a conference in New York City, a pastoral colleague, Reid Kapple, was flying home to Kansas […]
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” – Judges 2:10 In 2021, Paul Maxwell, a former Desiring God writer and the author of the book “The Trauma of Doctrine”, announced he […]
“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 Joseph Lombardo is a powerlifter and a Christian. He writes: “The Reverend Matthew Holbert, an ordained Lutheran pastor in West Virginia, is a coach as well as judge in several powerlifting federations. The […]
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw […]