Samuel the prophet was sent by God to anoint the next king of Israel following Saul’s disobedience. The people had chosen Saul, but God chose David. Acts 13:20-22 recounts the story: “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the…
When God gives us gifts, he does not leave us to figure out what to do with them. God commands us to use our gifts. He even gives us specific instructions on how to use our gifts. Allowing your gifts to lay dormant is not an option. When we allow our skills to be used…
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph. 4:1-3 NIV) Stay in your…
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai—with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain—he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone! They were…
One of the things that set Jesus apart was the way he treated women. Throughout the gospels, each writer records Jesus’s unique choices. For example, he went against cultural norms and spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Ben Witherington III writes, “It is fair to say that a low view of…
With a blast of its whistle, the vintage locomotive shuddered to a stop along the tracks at the top of the bluff. The charming conductor tipped his hat and a grin spread beneath his handlebar mustache as he helped us down the stairs. We found ourselves in what felt like a scene straight out of…