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The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever doesn't take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it. - Matthew 10:37-39 HCSB

Discussions of what it means to have a Christ-centered marriage often fail to address the issue of the marriage in which only one of the two are actually Ransomed. How does one pursue a Christ-centered marriage when one half of the relationship is seriously…  ( Click for more )

A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings. - 1 Samuel 25:2-3 HCSB

Though Saul was still on the throne, it was widely known that David had been anointed as the next king. The hatred Saul had for David and his relentless, mad pursuit for David’s death was also be well-known.

Abigail was not just any farmer’s wife.…  ( Click for more )

"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" "The one who showed mercy to him," he said. Then Jesus told him, "Go and do the same." - Luke 10:36-37 HCSB

A certain poor man came upon such hard times that he despaired for his life as well as the lives of his family. He tried everything, but it was a time of scarcity and people’s hearts had grown hard, thinking only of their own needs and unwilling to help.

One day he heard that there was a community of righteous people, true…  ( Click for more )

Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you also. - Philippians 3:13-15 HCSB

I spent years as a professional martial artist. I lived for my sport. I would get up early in the morning so I could get my cardio done before school (and later, work). I got to the dojo while the sun…  ( Click for more )

"The LORD of Hosts says this: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth will become times of joy, gladness, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace." - Zechariah 8:19 HCSB

An old tzaddik used to make a habit of fasting on a regular basis. He was an elder in the church and people were coming to him constantly for his help. The only way that he could get these precious times of spiritual renewal was to go out into the woods. He would fast for days at a time as he communed…  ( Click for more )

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. - Romans 12:21 HCSB

An elderly holy woman decided to serve God by living in a third world country and serving the destitute people there. She lived among them, as poor as they, yet radiated Hashem’s loving care to them. She showed them how to bathe upstream from where they defecated. She brought them mosquito nets and showed them the advantage of sleeping under them. She toiled all day long under the sweltering sun in a garden showing them how to increase their crops through irrigation so that they would not go hungry…  ( Click for more )

The righteousness of the blameless clears his path, but the wicked person will fall because of his wickedness. The righteousness of the upright rescues them, but the treacherous are trapped by their own desires. When the wicked dies, his expectation comes to nothing, and hope placed in wealth vanishes. - Proverbs 11:5-7 HCSB

What is the expectation of wealth if not power? What is its hope if not the ability to grant wishes? Quoheleth clarifies that the wicked will not necessarily fall to an outside threat. It is his wickedness, his selfish desire to place his desires above morality,…  ( Click for more )

"How can you say, 'I love you,'" she told him, "when your heart is not with me? This is the third time you have mocked me and not told me what makes your strength so great!" Because she nagged him day after day and pled with him until she wore him out, he told her the whole truth. - Judges 16:15-17a HCSB

Delilah was a beautiful young woman who lived in the valley of Sorek. I think that it is somewhat telling that the Midrash[1] tells us that the sorek is a fruitless tree. If ever there was a fruitless pursuit, it was Samson’s pursuit of Delilah. …  ( Click for more )

If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the LORD your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. - Deuteronomy 15:7 HCSB

A rich man’s daughter fell in love with a poor shepherd. Her father was so incensed that he vowed the couple would never receive so much as a penny from him. However, the daughter valued the shepherd far more than she valued her father’s gold, so after an appropriate time of betrothal, she left her father’s house and became one with the poor…  ( Click for more )

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ the righteous One. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. - 1 John 2:1-3 HCSB

I once had a jiu-jitsu student who was born to fight. That kid had more natural talent than any three others combined. But he’s not fighting today. He kept winning with his talent until he found a…  ( Click for more )

Some time later, he fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley. - Judges 16:4 HCSB

Samson, for all his miraculous strength, was a sucker for bad girls. On three occasions, he chose a woman based on her looks and all three times he was betrayed.[1] If you are in that phase of life when dating is an option, date people who will help you pursue tzedekah (righteousness). Date those who, like you, call on the Lord from a pure heart.[2] It is not only unwise to date someone who doesn't love God – it is a direct violation of God’s command.[3]…  ( Click for more )

To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. - Titus 1:15 HCSB

A tzaddik decided that he wanted to find a city that would be conducive to holy living. Being a wealthy man, he sent servants everywhere, each with a sum of money for expenses, and gave them the mission of finding him a potential home.

One of the servants arrived in a town we’ll call Caleb, but instead of doing his job, he decided to spend the money on a lavish hotel and a hedonistic lifestyle. Of course,…  ( Click for more )

“Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink…” Matthew 20:21-23

In the jungles of Africa, a hunter walked down a path followed by a child. The hunter suddenly stopped. The child also stopped. In the closeness of the jungle, sight is not very useful; so the hunter listened intently…  ( Click for more )

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but [only] the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?' 23Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23 HCSB

Exterior modification without spirit transformation is useless. The Lord uses a man’s spirit as a lamp, searching all the innermost parts of his humanity.[1] The Holy…  ( Click for more )

All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 HCSB

There once were two wealthy men who each wanted to hoard their riches. The first man buried his gold beneath a tree, but he had no sooner left when a thief, who had been spying on him, came and stole it.…  ( Click for more )

“Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6 HCSB

“Ch’anak na’ar derek peh zaquen cuwr” literally reads “dedicate a child to a way of mouth, elder not depart”. There are three critical elements to understanding this verse. The first is the word “ch’anak. This verb is primarily used in the sense of “to dedicate” and is the source of the term Hanukkah, which is the feast celebrating the rededication of the temple by the Maccabees in 165 BC.[1] Elsewhere…  ( Click for more )

Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead, expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. -- Ephesians 5:11-12 HCSB

I was recently asked, “If an unmarried adult couple who lives together in their own home comes to stay with you for the weekend, do you ask them to sleep in separate rooms?”

Hospitality is a practical way to serve God. It should be an automatic response to a perceived need and the Ransomed should be passionate about it. When we have guests, we should serve them and give them our best.[1] After…  ( Click for more )

For anger kills a fool, and jealousy slays the gullible. - Job 5:2 HCSB

When Hashem created us in His image, He gave us the full panoply of emotions that were available. He gave us the potential to feel love and hate, joy and sorrow – everything ranging from acceptance to zest.

The reason He gave us these feelings is so that they would motivate us to right action. There is an appropriate time and place for each one.[1] For instance, we would normally say that hatred is a wrong feeling, but Yahweh hates.[2] Jealousy is not normally encouraged, yet the Lord God feels…  ( Click for more )

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, "Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?" And the LORD heard it. - Numbers 12:1-2 HCSB

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses, using his marriage to a black Cushite[1] woman as a pretext. I say a pretext because everything they said afterwards leads us to believe their words were completely motivated by jealousy. It is important to note the Lord’s reaction to their accusation. The Lord’s anger burned against…  ( Click for more )

My soul, praise the LORD, and do not forget all His benefits. He forgives all your sin; He heals all your diseases. - Psalm 103:2-3 HCSB

Like any good father, Hashem is interested in both our spiritual and physical health. On 14 distinct occasions Jesus performed miracles of either physical or mental healing. He then commanded His disciples to carry on His ministries, which included healing.[1] This ministry continued in the book of Acts.[2] Even if we believe that this type of miraculous healing was reserved for the early New Testament church as a way of demonstrating that the…  ( Click for more )

Then one of the Pharisees invited Him to eat with him. He entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house. She brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil and stood behind Him at His feet, weeping, and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with the hair of her head, kissing them and anointing them with the fragrant oil. When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and…  ( Click for more )

Deborah, a woman who was a prophet and the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. It was her custom to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her for judgment. - Judges 4:4-5 HCSB

By all accounts, Deborah was well named. Her name means “honeybee” in Hebrew and like that popular insect, she provided nourishment while also carrying a sting!

In a day (between 1209,1169 BC) when most women stayed at home and took care of the children, Deborah became the nation’s premier…  ( Click for more )

And in the same way, wasn't Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. - James 2:24-26 HCSB

Jericho was the second oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, having apparently been established around 9,000 BC. Its walls were enormous! There were two sets of walls. These were not simply free standing walls like those of Jerusalem. Each was cut directly into the mountainside with the mountain backing them up like…  ( Click for more )

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, "Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?" And the LORD heard it. - Numbers 12:1-2 HCSB

Moses owed his sister Miriam. She watched over him as floated in the reed basket his mom had made. She rescued him and reunited him with their mom when he was discovered. She stuck it out in Egypt under horrific conditions after he took off and hung out in the desert for forty years.[1]

She was equally used and called of…  ( Click for more )