Jesus has been crucified and buried. In the early morning hours on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene goes to the grave. She is shocked to find the stone rolled away and an empty tomb. She runs to tell Peter and John. They came, saw the empty tomb, and then left. But Mary…
There is a sharp dividing line between being a Christian and living a sinful life. That line has become blurred in recent years, at least in the eyes of the world, but not in the eyes of God. It was first stated by Jesus in John 18:36 when He said, “My kingdom is not of…
While meditating on this devotional, I began to wonder what we would do if God did not attempt to reconcile us to Himself. Would we even try to get right with God? Would we even want to? Since sin entered the Garden of Eden, humanity has been in rebellion with God, ourselves, and everyone else.…
Every day is filled with choices – things that I decide to do or not do. My actions produce consequences. Newton’s third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Strictly speaking, that’s not always true. The choices we make determine whether the consequences will be positive or negative. The choice Adam…
Isaiah 8:11, “The Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people…” It’s much easier to float downstream than it is to swim upstream. On a recent kayaking adventure in Florida, I was vividly reminded that it’s much easier to go with the flow than…
I preached a sermon almost forty years ago about a man named Abner. Abner lived during a time of transition. He had faithfully fought with King Saul and had gained a reputation as a capable military leader. But as Saul grew weaker and David grew stronger, decisions had to be made. In a battle that…
Luke 14:16-20, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, Come, for all things are now ready. But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground,…
1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” Job 19:25-27, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand…
It seems to me that many people in America know something is missing in their lives. There is a longing deep within the soul that needs to be filled, but if it isn’t filled with the right thing, it will remain restless and unsatisfied. In Luke chapter 11, Jesus told the story of a man…
Mark 7:20-23, “And Jesus said, What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” Several years ago,…