We have an advocate with the Father. —1 John 2:1 In Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story, The Devil and Daniel Webster, Jabez Stone, from Cross Corners, New Hampshire, has been battered with a barrage of bad luck. “It’s enough to make a man […]
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[God is] not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. —2 Peter 3:9 Hell is not a reform school; it is a final destination. And it is not the Lord’s desired destiny for anyone. God said, “I
The bigwigs huddled secretly, hatching a plan to arrest and kill Jesus. But they had a problem: pilgrims were pouring into Jerusalem by the tens of thousands to observe Passover, and they were in a frenzy of excitement about Jesus. Jesus had to be eliminated. “But not during the Feast,” the schemers whispered, “or there
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. —2 Corinthians 5:17 If you are in Christ: You are a new creation. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things
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A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. —Proverbs 29:11 The word “fool” is often linked with anger in the Bible. “A quick-tempered man does foolish things” (Prv 14:16). “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is
I have called you friends. —John 15:15 Lexicographers add new words to the dictionary each year: 370 to Merriam-Webster last year. In 2009, the number one new word was “unfriend.” Thank Mark Zuckerberg for making it possible for you to “friend” someone you’ve never met. If it doesn’t work
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Rise! Let us go! —Matthew 26:46 In Gethsemane, Jesus’ three closest friends did the unthinkable—they went to sleep. Jesus had told them he was overwhelmed with sorrow and asked them to keep watch while he went private and poured out his heart to the Father in prayer. When he returned to his friends, they were
The Lord your God will deliver them over to you. —Deuteronomy 7:23 God promised he would be with the Israelites when they entered Canaan—would give them victory over seven nations that were larger and stronger than they were (Dt 7:1). But they wouldn’t conquer all of them in one fell swoop: “The Lord your God
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. —Proverbs 27:1 There is something you ought to do that you’ve been putting off, right? A letter you ought to write. An apology
I have loved you with an everlasting love. —Jeremiah 31:3 Scottish minister and hymnist Gorge Matheson wrote, “Something happened to me, which caused me the most severe mental suffering.” What was it? His fiancée returned his engagement ring when she was informed that
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