THREE RESPONSES TO THE GOSPEL The apostle Paul was called before the Areopagus, which was the high council of Athens, where they invited him to explain what he was teaching. For the Athenians were known for their interest in new philosophies, many of them spending much of their time discussing new ideas. They listened closely
NO ONE IS INNOCENT BEFORE GOD David understood that he could not stand before the Lord as one accused. For he was a sinner, as are we all. So, he called on the Lord’s “unfailing love” (v.8) instead of His judgment. God’s “unfailing love” or “chesed” as it is in the Hebrew, is His covenantal
FOUR LEPERS SHARE THE GOOD NEWS When the armies of King Ben-Hadad of Aram besieged Samaria, the people of Israel were dying of starvation. Yet, the Lord revealed to His prophet Elisha that there would be plenty of food in the marketplace of Samaria within a day. That night the Lord caused the soldiers of
TAMING THE TONGUE David understood something about the human tongue, no one can control it. We need help from the Lord to tame the tongue. So, David prayed that God would take control of his words and set a guard over his lips. The Spirit inspired James to write about the same topic saying,
THE FIRST CHURCH MISSIONS REPORT Although the 72 disciples that Jesus sent out two-by-two were perhaps the first to offer a missions report, this report by Paul and Barnabas to the church at Antioch may have been the first to a church. While there was no mention of souvenirs brought back, nor a slide show
ARE YOU GLAD FOR GOD’S ATTENTION? The psalmist David wrote of his wonder at God’s constant awareness and attention towards him. He considered it wonderful that God would be so attentive to him. Yet, not everyone wants God to see everywhere they go and know everything they do. They desire a secret life hidden
HOW CAN WE BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD? Paul and Barnabas preached justification by faith in Christ alone while visiting the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, which was a prominent Roman city located in what is now SW Turkey. This was on Paul’s first missionary journey. They made it clear that what the law of Moses
HAVE WE BECOME SO COMFORTABLE IN BABYLON THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN ZION? The Jewish captives composed this melancholy song while exiled in Babylon. Having lost their homes in Judah and seeing their holy city Jerusalem with its Temple destroyed, they gathered somewhere on the shores of the Euphrates, and wept. Surely they mourned as homesick
TWO KINDS OF SPIRITUAL MOUNTAINTOPS After God had used Elijah to win the victory over Baal’s prophets on Mount Carmel, he had no doubt expected a revival to break out in Israel. Instead, he was left spiritually drained, discouraged, and afraid for his life by the renewed threats from Jezebel to kill him. He responded
RUNNING LIFE’S RACE WITH GOD’S STRENGTH After using Elijah to defeat the prophets of Baal in a fire from heaven contest, and sending rain in response to the prophet’s prayer, the Lord strengthened Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot. Some have suggested that he ran the 16 miles from Mount Carmel to Jezreel before the king’s