KNOWING AND FOLLOWING YOUR SPIRITUAL CALLING It didn’t take long for the early church to experience the complaints of its members. The apostles had apparently started a food distribution ministry to the widows, but the church had grown so rapidly that the size of the task had become overwhelming. Even more concerning, the Greek background
FOLLOW THE NARROW PATH There are those who say that there are many paths to God. They say that all religions are essentially the same, so it doesn’t really matter what you believe as long as you have faith. Yet, God’s Word says otherwise. For there are many paths that seem right, but only one
FINISHING WELL IS BETTER When King David was old, his son Adonijah decided to make himself king. He followed the tactic of his rebellious older brother, Absalom, and started riding around Jerusalem in a chariot with fifty men running before him. As before, David was passive and did nothing to stop his son’s behavior.
THE AUTHOR OF LIFE Peter boldly proclaimed the central facts of the gospel to the crowd gathered in the Temple. They gathered in order to see how the man lame from birth, was now able to walk. Yet, Peter’s explanation must have been for more than they bargained. He told them that the lame man
LAST WORDS OF DAVID THE PROPHET David’s last words began with the assertion that the Spirit of the Lord had spoken by him. He had an awareness that the multitude of psalms he had written were really from God. They were not merely the “fruit of his genius” (Gill), but by the inspiration of the
LUKE’S SECOND BOOK Luke’s second book, The Acts of the Apostles, picks up where his gospel left off. Luke was a physician and a traveling companion of the apostle Paul. He wrote an “orderly account” (Luke 1:3) of what Jesus “began to do and teach” in his first book. In his second book, he wrote
THE LAST LIVING APOSTLE After Jesus told Peter the manner in which he would someday die for his witness, he asked about John’s future. Peter asked, “What about him, Lord?” The Lord responded that he shouldn’t worry about the plan God had for John’s future. He should focus on following Jesus, not on what happens
THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE As the apostle John closed his gospel, he gave its purpose statement, namely, that his gospel was written that its readers might believe. Believe what? First, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One, the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem humanity. He is the Son of
THE FIRST JUDAS The story of David’s betrayal by Ahithophel foreshadows that of Jesus by Judas. For just as David was betrayed by a trusted member of his inner court, who later hung himself; so was Jesus betrayed by one of his own disciples, who later hung himself. Along with Judas Iscariot (Matt. 27:5), Zimri
BEHOLD THE MAN! The Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, brought Jesus out to stand before the accusing crowd. He had been scourged, beaten, mocked, and spit upon. A crown of thorns was pressed down upon his bruised brow and a purple robe thrown across his torn and bleeding shoulders. He stood silently before his