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Attitude isn’t everything, but it cannot be replaced by anything! I don’t know who said this, but whoever it was, I agree with her/him one hundred percent. Before you jump to conclusions about today’s message, I’ll tell you it isn’t what you think! It is not about Esau’s attitude, the man being spoken of in the focus text. Rather, it is about our attitude toward God’s word and the attitudes of those who handle it in critical capacities.

I invite you to read carefully the following four excerpts from today’s focus text (Hebrews 12:17).…  ( Click for more )

I heard about a special prayer meeting that was called at a particular church. Specifically the members of the small country congregation were called together to pray for rain in view of the severe drought that had besieged the farming community. An atheist that lived nearby stopped one of the members as she was walking back to her house. As they chatted, the “believer” proudly announced that she was returning home after a specially called meeting to pray for rain. The atheist, having an analytical mind, remarked, “Well, I guess that is all well and good, but I am…  ( Click for more )

“The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” The King of Israel!’ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.’ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these…  ( Click for more )

Solomon wrote, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 1.12-14). A materialist is someone who believes that “... physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phonomena can be explained as manifestations or results…  ( Click for more )

Warning! Today’s message will be a bit on the didactic side; if you are allergic to such things, take appropriate precautions!

The following excerpt is taken from the first instructions given to the Hebrews regarding the observance of a ritual that was destined to become an annual event. “And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover.”

Of course this first observance of this feast was the real thing! The Hebrews were enslaved by the…  ( Click for more )

Jesus had a way of putting things that frequently silenced those who opposed Him. It was not that He was unfair or unkind; He just had an insight that you and I cannot have and He used such tactics with the greatest of wisdom. I can recall an event that happened to me several years ago after which I bragged that I put to silence some folks with whom I disagreed on certain religious matters. I think I was wrong to brag and I think I was wrong to have been putting the people to silence; a better objective would have been to open doors of discussion rather than closing them. Today’s…  ( Click for more )

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” (Romans 12.9).

Magnets have always fascinated kids. Even in today’s high tech world, give a kid a couple of magnets and he/she will be amused for hours. On top of the amusement factor, if the person is observant at all, she will come away with some experiential knowledge. One thing that is sure to be noticed is that there are opposing forces involved as well as forces that attract. Even if the child does not know that these forces are located at the opposite “poles” of the…  ( Click for more )

Where in the Bible does it say, “God helps those who help themselves”? Or for that matter, where does it say, “As a tree falls, so shall it lie”? There are other "verses" also that can't be located. “Cleanliness is next to godliness” is another example of what has been termed “chimney corner” scripture. Even if a particular verse does not appear verbatim in scripture, it does not mean that the concept is not there. Consider the following account and a principle that permeates several biblical events.

“Peter was therefore…  ( Click for more )

God spoke the worlds into existence (see Psalm 33.6). On each of six days of creation, God said things like, “Let there be light,” “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters,” “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear,” and so forth (see Genesis 1.3, Genesis 1.6, Genesis 1.9, etc.).

At the end of His creative works, He gave instructions to the humans He had created; these instructions were in the form of words. “And the…  ( Click for more )

If “evil company corrupts good habits,” (1 Corinthians 15.33) what does righteous company do? Today’s message will focus on this question.

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ So Abram departed as the…  ( Click for more )

Politics, depending on how and where the word is used, has many shades of meaning. The word can be descriptive of the occupation of a principled patriot, or it can be used to describe the deeds of a despot. The difference arises from the motives and principles of the politician. Some make decisions based upon what they personally expect to get out of the process. They may obtain power, money, fringe benefits, or they may just get to keep their job. In any of the above cases, politics is a dirty word. That is what we get when character is not considered in electing or appointing our…  ( Click for more )

Visualization techniques are modern methods used by athletes and other performers to enhance the outcomes of their efforts. These techniques vary in details but the basics are the same. The performer “sees” himself in a particular desired outcome (as the winner of a race, a star of a show, etc., etc.) and then mentally places himself into that role (including all the feelings and sensations that he might expect and intend to experience). Although these methods produce enhanced performances in the physical realm, there is another visualization technique that God requires…  ( Click for more )

David was far more than an “ordinary Joe” in biblical history. In fact, as a king, he was the “gold standard” against which all other kings were to be measured for centuries. It is not uncommon to read the history of a particular king of Israel only to have it conclude with a statement about whether the ruler walked according to David’s example or not. For this reason, we could surmise that David was “a hard act to follow” when it came to pleasing God.

Yet, in spite of this well deserved reputation, we find this statement concerning Israel’s…  ( Click for more )

It is thought that Aesop lived about 600 years before Christ. Many sayings, mainly fables and proverbs, are attributed to him. One saying, whether he originated it or not, has come down to us and exists today as an American Proverb. It goes roughly as follows: “After all is said and done, a lot more is usually said than done.” We will consider this proverb in the light of what many say and believe about biblical faith.

Hebrews 11 is sometimes referred to tongue-in-cheek as the biblical “Hall of Faith.” Our focus today will be on the type of faith that…  ( Click for more )

Years ago I read an informative and helpful little book entitled, I Know It When I See It! It dealt with the fact that some things are hard to define, but easy enough to recognize. For instance, it may be hard to say what makes a great paint job on a car, but it can usually be spotted easily. It is just as true that the converse of this principle is true – It is sometimes easy to see when a particular quality or trait is missing. Take the same idea of looking at a paint job; I may not know whether it is great or not, but if it is splotchy and the color is inconsistent and dull,…  ( Click for more )

“Death is not optional.” Do you agree with this statement? Well then, how about “Death is optional,” do you agree with this statement? Maybe you agree with both statements. Actually you could agree with both statements and be totally rational since the two statements are not contradictory. How can that be? Today's devotional will answer that question by noting one of the better known events in the New Testament.

“Jesus said to her [Martha], 'Your brother [Lazarus] will rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection…  ( Click for more )

When the previously mute person spoke, it was quite enough to convince those who were open-minded of Jesus' authority. However, not everyone concluded that He was sent from God; some accused Him of being one of Satan's ministers. Specifically, they said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” (Luke 11.15).

“But He [Jesus], knowing their thoughts, said to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because…  ( Click for more )

With friends like these, who needs enemies? Surely at some time in Job’s trials, he must have at least had this thought. After all his troubles were enough to make angels weep, but as if that were not enough, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar came to “comfort” him. However rather than comfort him, they accosted Job with innuendos, insinuations, and outright accusations of evil on his part. The following excerpt from one of Zophar’s speeches is an example of the haughty and arrogant tirades of his friends.

“If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far…  ( Click for more )

There’s something about sweet and sour pork that really appeals to me. I think it is the contrast of tastes that I experience when I eat it. Regarding taste, I understand that there are only five different taste sensations that we are capable of experiencing – sweet, bitter, savory, sour, and salty. Sweet and sour are on somewhat opposite ends of the pendulum of tastes; maybe it is this paradox of tastes that makes “sweet and sour” dishes a popular item with me and many other people.

It was this same “poles apart” doctrinal contrast that moved…  ( Click for more )

“So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of thieves.” And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished…  ( Click for more )

Water is universally needed. All living things depend upon it in one form or another. In times of great thirst or deprivation, men will do almost anything for a drink of water. Sometimes however, our thirst for water is dictated by our wishes and not our needs. Today’s devotional has to do with David, the second king of Israel and his wish regarding water from a special source.

“David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David said with longing, ‘Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well…  ( Click for more )

In a biblical context, what do you think of when you hear the name Thomas? You shouldn't have any problem knowing the Thomas to which we are referring since there is only one in the entirety of the Bible. If you are like most of us, you might refer to this disciple as Doubting Thomas since he refused to believe that Jesus had raised from the dead without firsthand corporeal evidence.

If you wish to know anything about Thomas other than the fact that he was one of the twelve apostles, you will have to read these facts from the book of John. The other three gospel accounts merely…  ( Click for more )

“Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He [Jesus] was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.' And His disciples heard it.” (Mark 11.12-14). This reading has been the text from which hundreds and thousands of preachers have taken their sermon text. The gist of their sermons take Jesus' words and expand on them such that they conclude…  ( Click for more )

“An idiot will become intelligent, When the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.” (Job 11.12; NASV). “For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.” (Job 11.12 NKJV). Do you see any humor in this verse as translated by two popular translations? If not, go back and read it again. It is similar to statements like, “When pigs fly,” or “When cows have wings,” or “When the sun rises in the west.”

Actually these are all adynata, figures of speech in the form of hyperboles taken to such…  ( Click for more )