Today's Verse: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ~Acts 4:13 Several years ago, I had the privilege of preaching the gospel to 10,000 unsaved people over two days. My heart was overwhelmed in awe at such an opportunity. As Christians, we read through the book of Acts, and we wonder if the days of great evangelism are still po

Today's Verse: And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. ~Acts 3:11 A fun team sport that we play in groups is “tug of war.” Two sides of people hold opposite ends of a rope and pull. The side that wins is the one that pulls the hardest. Before the contest begins, team members on both sides are reminded by their team captain to hold tight, dig their heels in, and

Today's Verse: Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. ~Acts 14:22 It goes without saying that life can be tough. Over the course of time, we will face tough situations, tough people, tough decisions, and tough setbacks. There is an old cliché that says, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” However, I have found that many people, including Christ

Today's Verse: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: ~Genesis 4:4 A martyr is someone who dies for what he believes in. He is willing to suffer pain and punishment instead of renouncing what he believes and holds dear. Abel is the first martyr in Scripture. He is someone who gave his life for what he held dear. The amazing thing is that his death came at the hands of his own b

Today's Verse: Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. ~1 Corinthians 15:34 Have you ever fallen asleep on public transportation and then awakened to the fact that you missed the stop where you were supposed to get off? Falling asleep at the wrong place and time can be embarrassing. Paul gives a stern admonition to us about falling asleep spiritually when we need to be awake. We see the alarm. “Awake to rig

Today's Verse: These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. ~Acts 1:14 We live in a time where there is great division and a lack of unity. There are divided opinions about how the government should run, how money should be spent, and how to protect our country. Among Christians, there is division about how to worship God, the priority of the church, whether God has predetermined who goes

Today's Verse: And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. ~2 Kings 2:6 The success of a relay race lies in the passing of the baton. The four racers for a team are strategically placed in their respective order to maximize speed and have the competitive edge. The one component of the race that is the difference between winning a

Today's Verse: There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. ~Proverbs 30:29-31 What do your traits say about you? A trait is an attribute or characteristic. It is something about you that defines and identifies you. Solomon uses some familiar animal analogies to describe people who are champions. These trait

Today's Verse: Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. ~Exodus 32:26 Sometimes, we find ourselves facing tough questions and issues regarding belief, morality, philosophy of ministry, and methodology. We face pressures from sources that clearly conflict with the precept of God’s Word. We realize we must decide whose side we on on. We see the disgru

Today's Verse: Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. ~Nehemiah 2:18 “All hands on deck” is a way of saying everyone needs to be involved and work together with the aim of getting an important task completed. It originated in the British Navy and has been a standard term used by our naval forces as well. I

Today's Verse: Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High . ~Psalm 56:2 David was way over his head in problems. Psalm 56 was written during the Absalom Rebellion. Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel and took over the nation. David and his most loyal men escaped to avoid a conflict. David was in fear and was hurt that Ahithophel, his counselor, joined ranks with Absalom. He was hurt when Shimei came forth to cu

Today's Verse: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ~Matthew 5:39 The Apostle Paul describes the age we live in as “perilous times.” This description conveys the idea of dangers and perils along the way. Most men I know try to be cautious and aware of their circumstances because of unexpected dangers. However, what do you do when you have been offended by another person? Most people I know

Today's Verse: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing . ~Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah 3:14-20 is prophetic. It speaks of the glory that Israel would have when she returned to the land after years of captivity. It is also prophetic concerning God’s blessing on Israel during the millennium. Prophecies were given to foretell the future and to be a message of hope

Today's Verse: And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him. ~2 Chronicles 23:1 When it comes to sharing information, it’s important to be “in the know.” This means you are privy to insider information about something that is beneficial to you. Jehoiada

Today's Verse: And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. ~2 Chronicles 23:19 Back in the 1990s, healthcare costs were spiraling out of control. It was not unusual for employers to see their costs for health insurance increase by 30% or more for several years. The insurance industry developed health maintenance organization products that would curb the increase in costs by requiring primary care ph

Today's Verse: And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. ~Judges 15:15 When I was a kid, I remember a new candy that came out called a “jawbreaker.” It was a super hard candy that was meant to be sucked on and not chewed or broken with your teeth. The idea was that if you tried to break it down with your teeth, you would wind up breaking your teeth or jaw instead. It was a candy that was meant to last the u

Today's Verse: Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. ~2 Timothy 4:11 Who is the best Christian you know? Who do you look up to who lives out his life as a hands-down supreme model of a Christian? This morning, we are examining the testimony of a man named Luke. He wrote a gospel that bears his name and the book of Acts. Little is said about him, but what we are given about him inspires us to follow his shining

Today's Verse: But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing. ~Deuteronomy 24:18 Several years ago, after a Wednesday evening service, I had the privilege of helping a young, career-age man and woman receive assurance of their salvation. They were both so happy about how wonderful it is to know they are saved and eternally secure. I told them it is important that they start the

Today's Verse: Let all things be done decently and in order. ~1 Corinthians 14:40 A few years ago, I had a service repairman come to my house three or four times to repair my refrigerator-freezer. It was a great relief when the appliance was back in working order. Most people want things to be in working order. We don’t want things to break down. In addition, we all desire that the events we are involved in and the things that we do be in order. Order implies excellence, or

Today's Verse: The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. ~Isaiah 50:4 Do the people in your life consider you an encourager? Solomon said that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” So much speech today is put-downs of another person. What we say, when we say it, and how we say it can either build up or cau