The Son can do nothing of Himself. —John 5:19 Jesus was fully God, yet He was fully man. As a man, His power, wisdom, and grace flowed not from His divine nature but from His utter dependence on God. “The Son can do nothing of Himself,” He said (John 5:19). How much did Jesus do apart from God? Nothing! Jesus […]

READ: Genesis 22:1-12 Pastor Ed Dobson was speaking to a congregation on “putting all on the altar” in total surrender to Christ. After the service, an old German farmer came forward. He told Dobson that he had eight cows that were dying, which would mean great financial loss, and he had been struggling with accepting this as God’s will. Then […]

Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; . . . yet I will rejoice in the Lord. – Habakkuk 3:17-18 In the book 450 Stories for Life, Gust Anderson tells about visiting a church in a farming community of eastern Alberta, Canada, where there had been 8 years of drought. The farmers’ economic […]

You, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.  Jude 1:20 Saul Gellerman, in his book How People Work, says, “Solving tough organizational problems may require counter-intuitive strategies.” In business, counter-intuitive is a fancy way of referring to ideas that go against common sense. Consultants who advocate […]

 “You have not returned to Me,” says the Lord.  – Amos 4:6 The Old Testament book of Amos has given us some memorable phrases: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (3:3). “Pre-pare to meet your God” (4:12). “Let justice run down like water” (5:24). But the most-repeated phrase in Amos occurs five times in chapter 4. Time after […]

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. – 2 Timothy 3:16 Read: Jeremiah 36:20-26 In every era there has been a spirit of the age that challenges our acceptance of Scripture. The temptation is to remove or alter those portions that seem old-fashioned. Whether it’s the doctrine of hell or God’s view on sexual behavior, many feel pressured to […]

Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.  – 2 Corinthians 7:1 Read: Galatians 5:16-26 I had not worked in my yard for several weeks, and I was amazed at how quickly weeds had sprung up and taken over. Weeds don’t need tending; they seem to love to sprout up for anyone who just lets things […]

Ryan Duncan | Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor H/T to Thomas One of the little foibles about growing up in the 90’s is that I got to experience a “Rapture Phase” within Church culture. Thanks to the popularity of Tim LaHaye’s and Jerry B. Jenkins’ Left Behind series, many Christians became convinced the return of Christ was imminent. I remember being told […]

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7 Brandon Moody was attending his uncle D. L. Moody’s church on Easter morning. The final scene in the impressive pageant was a depiction of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. The actor who was playing Jesus […]

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. – James 3:10 Good grammar matters to me. As a writer and former English teacher, I’m bothered when I hear the wrong word used by people I think should know better. For instance, using “I” instead of “me” or “who” instead of […]

They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, saying, “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace. – Jeremiah 6:14 A sprained ankle, so common during summer activities, can cause lingering problems if not properly treated. Minor sprains respond well to RICE: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. But people who ignore a serious sprain and keep going in spite […]

Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. – Daniel 1:8 When a professional musician nicknamed “Happy” became a Christian, he quit playing in nightclubs and offered his services to a rescue mission. Some time later, he received a phone call from a club manager who wanted to hire him to do a show that would have […]

Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. – 1 Peter 3:15 What’s the best argument we can give those who ask why we have accepted Jesus as our Savior? How can we most persuasively bear witness to our faith? “Always be ready,” Peter urged, “to give […]

I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.  – Colossians 1:29  When John became a salesman in a well-known insurance company years ago, his aim was to work effectively in his firm without compromising his Christian integrity. But there were those who considered him naive. In their view, one could possess either job security or […]

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. – Psalm 34:15 It was a sad day in May 2003 when “The Old Man of the Mountain” broke apart and slid down the mountainside. This 40-foot profile of an old man’s face, carved by nature in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, […]

Honor your father. – Ephesians 6:2 Amid the celebration, there was tragedy. It was the opening ceremonies of the 1992 summer Olympic Games in Barcelona. One by one the teams entered the stadium and paraded around the track to the cheers of 65,000 people. But in one section of Olympic Stadium, shock and sadness fell as Peter Karnaugh, father of […]

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image.” – Genesis 1:26  I built my first racecar for less than $15. With band-saw precision and painstaking effort, I carved a solid rectangular block of pine into an impressive aerodynamic package. My 9-year-old son painted the finished product French blue. I polished the axles to a mirrored shine. Together we detailed […]

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. – James 4:7   Down in Texas where I was raised, the standard way to respond when someone sneezed was to say, “Scat!” It was common practice, but I never knew why we said it. Now I know. It’s an old custom dating back to ancient times, when folks believed that sneezing […]

By Bill Bumpas (OneNewsNow.com) A spokesman for a Christian think tank says the commissioning of a “non-binary” transgendered person in the United Methodist Church is only about advancing a political agenda. The Northern Illinois Conference of the UMC commissioned the first UMC deacon who openly identifies as neither male nor female.  The person, who was born a woman, goes by […]

Strive together with me in prayers to God for me. – Romans 15:30 In his book Dear Zoe, Max De Pree writes, “The way to turn problems over to the Lord is to ask His people for help.” Before flying to Europe on business, Max learned that his daughter was pregnant. Her marriage, however, was in serious trouble. Sorrow and […]