Moments For You

I am reminded of a story from the Civil War about a young man who had been tried by court-martial and ordered to be shot. The hearts of his father and mother were broken when they heard the news. But the young man’s sister had read the life story of... Read more →

Since Christ is the incarnate display of the wealth of the mercies of God, it is not surprising that His life on earth was a lavish exhibit of mercies to all kinds of people. Every kind of need and pain was touched by the mercies of Jesus in His few... Read more →

Have you ever paused to marvel at the compassion of Christ? What a wonder that when God Himself takes our own flesh and blood, and walks among us in our fallen world, He is known for His compassion. We might expect He would be erupting with anger and frustration at... Read more →

For a Christian, the battle against sin is an everyday fight. One sin that is difficult to expose is selfishness. Surveys show that Americans, who live in one of the richest nations in the world, give less than 2 percent of their income to charitable and religious causes. While we... Read more →

“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17). We are to give to the poor out of compassion. Not to be seen and applauded, or to get influence over them, but out of pure... Read more →

The word that jumps out of the gospels describing Jesus’ emotion toward people in need is compassion. Our Lord often felt compassion, or was moved with compassion to heal and to save. The compassionate care He and the apostles gave to the poor and sick is inspirational. His unheard-of acts... Read more →

For a Christian, a “testimony” is an open acknowledgement of our personal experience of following Jesus Christ, shown by both our lifestyle and our words. A testimony must be public because its purpose is to tell others what has taken place. Our regeneration should be a testament (evidence) to other... Read more →

The apostle John began his first letter by affirming the certainty of what the apostles knew about Jesus Christ: “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). John wasn’t relaying... Read more →

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe” (John 1:6–7). Why does the writer of this gospel introduce John the Baptist like this? It seems abrupt. Verse 5... Read more →

“Ye are the light of the world … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). The Necessity of Light Bearing The very purpose of being a Christian is to give light. Giving light... Read more →

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner” (2 Tim. 1:7-8). These words of encouragement were written by the apostle Paul to... Read more →

Sometimes I can worry too much about how to evangelize. The Samaritan woman in John 4 taught me not to worry so much. She shared a simple testimony about what she saw and experienced, and encouraged people to meet this Man for themselves. When they did, they realized and believed... Read more →

Lists can be boring, but not the one in Hebrews 11. It’s an impressive list of Old Testament believers and their amazing accomplishments. However, the writer kept interspersing the words “by faith,” for his emphasis was strictly faith, not fame. Through faith these people obtained a good testimony (v. 39).... Read more →

When detailing qualifications for leaders, the apostle Paul stressed the importance of possessing “a good report” from the world (1 Timothy 3:7). In other words, a candidate ready for leadership among God’s people is one who already enjoys a good witness in the community—one who confirms from Monday to Saturday... Read more →

“There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). For a long time those who studied the constellations believed that a star would signal the birth of a mighty king in the land of Israel. The Magi were wise men who... Read more →