A foreign soldier was brought before his commanding officer and accused of communicating with the enemy. He had been seen emerging from an area where their troops were known to patrol. The poor man summed up his defense in a few words, stating that he had slipped away to spend an hour alone in prayer. “Have you been in the habit of spending an
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Proverbs 16:9. Plan this, plan that; we all try to take charge of our schedules and plan accordingly. In and of itself that is admirable. But when we try to control everything, and when we try to do so in our own strength, that is when we run into trouble. It can be
And the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Exodus 14:19 When the Israelites left Egypt, He showed the way by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night so that they would always know the way to go. Each one
According to church history, the apostle Thomas died in Calamina, a city in the East Indies. While there, Thomas had put a stop to the idolatry that was running rampant in the land. The idolatrous priest was not happy about this at all and accused him before their king. The king sentenced Thomas to death — first to be tormented by red hot plates
Salt has a wonderful history. It was such a valuable commodity in biblical times that the Romans paid their soldiers with it. Incidentally, that is where we get the expression that someone who is overpaid is “not worth their salt.” Salt does many things, one of which is to give flavor to something. We are to be salt, so that whatever we do and
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” James 4:8. If we want to build our relationship with God then we need to spend time with Him. God is always telling us that He wants to spend time with us, but we are
Several years ago, we built our current home, from the ground up, ourselves. There were designs drawn, mistakes made, time taken and help given from others. Whether it’s a road, or a building project, construction takes time. There can be obstacles, mistakes, issues and delays, but the final result is worth the effort. When we accept God’s gift of salvation, we begin the process
The king of the birds was looking in the mirror one day and was disappointed to see that his feathers were not as bright as they were once. “I am getting old,” he said, “I think it will soon be time to choose a new king.” He decided to announce that on a certain day, all the birds will gather and present themselves before
A little girl climbed into her daddy’s lap and asked him to build her a dollhouse. Much to her delight, he promised to do so. Distracted by his business, the father forgot about his promise. One evening, he entered his daughter’s room and saw all her dolls and doll furniture packed in boxes. When he questioned her about it, she simply said she was
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15. Paul’s use of the phrase “the fragrance of Christ” would present an immediate analogy for his audience, but it should also be something with which we should identify. During Paul’s time the Roman military paraded captives of war through the
