Love Forsaken
Two of the wonderful characteristics of God are that He is true and He is love. If God were not true, we could not know whether He was telling us the truth. If God were not love, we could expect nothing from Him except to suffer His wrath. However, the Scripture assures us that God […]
It Is Not The Healthy Who Need A Doctor (Luke 5:27-39)
Many people express support or enthusiasm for a particular cause. Until, that is, they are asked to give up something for it. To put it another way, we can measure the extent of our dedication to something by what we are willing to sacrifice for it. Simon, Andrew, James and John proved their commitment to […]
As A Testimony To Them (Luke 5:12-26)
When we consider the miracles of Jesus, we are amazed not only by the number of them He performed, but also by the variety of them. Through the miracles Jesus demonstrated His power over nature, time and disease. But the miracles also raise an important question. What was the purpose of them? It is clear […]
Let Down The Nets For A Catch (Luke 5:1-11)
We can tell what is really important to someone by seeing how he spends his time. For example, if a man says that he loves his family, but never spends any time with them – even though he has the opportunity to do so – we know that his family is not as important to […]
What Is This Teaching? (Luke 4:31-44)
How we react to rejection says a lot about what kind of person we are. Some people allow rejection to destroy them. They withdraw from others and will not take the risk of trying again. Other people view rejection as a challenge. They will go somewhere else or try a different approach to accomplish their […]
Anointed To Preach (Luke 4:14-30)
It is often easier to accept teaching and correction from an outsider than from someone whom we knew when he was a child. Jesus encountered this problem when He returned to the place where He grew up. In chapter 4, verses 14 through 30 of his inspired Gospel, Luke writes, “Jesus returned in the power […]
Tempted Like Us (Luke 4:1-13)
Sometimes we experience our most severe times of hardship and testing immediately after a spiritual victory. At Jesus’ baptism God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. God also declared, “…You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22 NIV). But then, Jesus faced a severe test. […]
Out Of The Same Mouth
Tools are intended for specific uses. If we don’t use a tool as its designer intended, the results will probably not be entirely satisfactory. For example, if we use a wrench as a hammer we will probably mar the surface of the thing we are hitting and will likely damage the wrench. Similarly, if we […]
More Than All
We enjoy watching people who are skilled at what they do. We marvel at how an expert craftsman or artist can bring an intricate design to life. We thrill at the performance of an acrobat who can make complex flips and maneuvers look effortless. We applaud the smooth and precise playing of a musician. We […]
Not Against Flesh And Blood
We often have to face opposition of one sort or another. Perhaps it comes from a bully at school. Perhaps it is a rival at work. Perhaps it is a competitor who is trying to take business away from us. Perhaps it comes in the form of family members or neighbors who have a different […]