In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 1 Timothy 3:8 NIV Too often, the church suffers in its ability to spread the truth of the gospel because of the reputations of those who serve the church. For this reason,...
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27 KJV In contrast to religions that teach reincarnation or secular views of degrading into nothing, the Christian faith teaches rebirth in Christ and thereafter the righteous judgment of God. Each of us is held...
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13 NIV Paul opens his letter to the church in Ephesus with a greeting that offers his wishes of grace...
Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 10:25 WEB In the first section of chapter ten of Luke’s gospel account, Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples to prepare the townships he planned to visit. He sent them out in pairs...
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14 WEB Moses lived an extraordinary life. Born to Hewbrew parents in bondage, he escaped the death ordered by Pharoah as his mother placed him in a reed basket and set...
You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. Matthew 5:14 WEB Hebrew scripture uses light as a cultural symbol of godliness, truth, and righteousness. In human perception, light extinguishes darkness and darkness is synonymous with evil, corruption, and sin. Jesus...
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 NIV In the preceding verses, James encourages believers to listen to the word of God and put it into practice in...
He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. John 2:15 WEB Our scripture describes Jesus’ reaction to the materialism he encountered in the temple when visiting Jerusalem. Early in his...
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” John 5:14 WEB Many people criticize Christianity for the concept of forgiveness. Some assume that God’s willingness to forgive leads to a cycle of sinning with...
When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Acts 1:9 WEB This statement describes Jesus’ ascension into heaven in the presence of his faithful as they were looking. The event happened after his resurrection and forty days...
But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers. John 4:23 WEB The Bible teaches of Jesus in Collossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. WEB” John...
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Colossians 1:15 WEB The Bible teaches that God made us in his image. As we read in Genesis 1:27, “God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. WEB” Further, Paul teaches in...
