“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:12 Judges 6 begins with an angel talking to Gideon saying, “thou mighty man of valor!” However, in this passage Gideon isn’t feeling very valiant, rather, […]
‘For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.’ Proverbs 23:7 What separates the best from the rest? Have you ever given that some thought? What separates a gold medallist from a silver medallist in the Olympics? What separates a successful entrepreneur from someone who doesn’t make it? What […]
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12 In an article titled “The Hands of Jason Bateman and the Hands of Christ,” Matthew Eldridge, who was a body double for actor Jason Bateman, compares […]
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” 1 Timothy 2:1 There is the story by Anthony Bloom, of an elderly woman who had been working at prayer with all her might but without ever sensing God’s presence. Wisely, the archbishop encouraged […]
“Wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.” Ecclesiastes 2:13 The most important skill you can acquire is learning to learn. Gifted people can sometimes act like they know it all, which makes it hard for them to keep growing. Teachability isn’t so much about competence and mental capacity as it […]
‘There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ Proverbs 18:24 Ancient Roman writer Marcus Tullus Cicero said, ‘Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.’ The fact is, it’s impossible to have more than a few close friends […]
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” – 1 Timothy 1:15 Growing up in the projects of St. Louis, Marcus Gray never felt safe. Even his own family couldn’t protect him. 1His father […]
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.” Revelation 2:11 You can read the same Scripture on different occasions, and it will speak to you in totally different ways. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is attributed with saying, ‘You never step into the same river twice.’ And […]
“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” – 1 Timothy 1:5 On May 2, 1962, a dramatic advertisement appeared in the San Francisco Examiner: “I don’t want my husband to die in the gas chamber for […]
‘My son, pay attention to my wisdom.’ Proverbs 5:1 Solomon told his son: ‘Pay attention to my wisdom … the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end, she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as […]
‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.’ Hebrews 10:23 You will notice that during the creation process, God counts days based on the previous nights. The Bible doesn’t say, ‘The morning and evening were the first day.’ No, the Bible […]
“One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.” Genesis 39:11-12 The […]
“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” – Genesis 47:31 In 2023, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that the Reverend D.N. Benford Sr., leader of Texas City’s Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church, was […]
“They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine […]
‘By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.’ Hebrews 11:3 The human body is truly amazing. It contains up to 100 trillion cells, and each contains a database larger than the Encyclopedia Britannica! […]