This man was every bodyguard’s or security guy’s nightmare. For years, Claude Khazizian took great pleasure in smuggling himself unnoticed into political events or aristocratic festivities. All he needed was self-confidence and a good suit. Once, he had his picture taken with the president, and later, he made small talk with the Spanish princess….
The two verses from Galatians 6 do not contradict each other, as can be seen from the fact that two different words are used for “burden” in Greek. In verse 2, burden (Greek baros) means to carry something heavy, oppressive, or distressing. Every fear, every worry, every trial, every weakness is such a burden. Through…
Question: Matthew 18:15: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.” My question is: Does this always apply? Do I have the task of convicting another believer every time he sins against me? Or do I not simply have to “swallow” some things (see 1…
David reminds us that “the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite [crushed] spirit” (Ps. 34:18). Hannah is an example of one who was crushed by deep sorrow; her brokenness is recorded for us in 1 Samuel 1. Hannah lived during the period of the…
All the disciples fled in the darkest hour when their lives were at stake. But it is very moving to see in church history that probably all of them except John died a martyr’s death (John, however, died alone in exile on the island of Patmos, where he was for the sake of his faith)….
Christianity is an intimate, growing relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. It is not a set of doctrines to believe, habits to practice, or sins to avoid. Every activity God commands is intended to enhance His love relationship with His people. God designed worship for us to see Him in His glory and to…
Micah’s language is artistic yet clear and easy to understand. We do not have to be linguistic artists to be able to pass on God’s word – on the contrary (see 1 Cor 2:1-4.). But among the various people whom God uses as “instruments,” there were and are also people like Micah. God knows when,…
Question: One person in my immediate family has turned away from the Lord and gone into the world and, as far as I can tell, is living in an ungodly relationship with an unbeliever. However, this person has not yet participated in breaking the bread. I have always understood from the Word of God that…
Hebrews 11 has been called the “Heroes’ Hall of Faith.” It presents illustrations of faith, not in an abstract way, but in the real lives and circumstances of these Old Testament worthies. When we read through this chapter, we see the exploits of faith accomplished by these saints, what they did “by faith.” However,…
The Lord commissioned the Japanese evangelist Matzuzaki to preach every day on a specific street in the village. Only after 1000 days – I.e., 1000 sermons – the first conversion took place. This servant persevered faithfully and then reaped the fruit. Another Christian chopped wood with a neighbor for years to reach him. The man…
Even as redeemed ones, we often cannot forget our past sins. Whether we committed them before our conversion or afterwards, they can always come up in our memory. And they can trouble us if we do not have a firm faith in our Savior Jesus Christ. This can become a heavy burden. Complete Forgiveness But…
1 Corinthians 13 is an extraordinary chapter. Why is that? Because it is about love. Not natural, human affection, but divine love (Greek: agape). At first glance, we might be surprised that this chapter is placed between chapters 12 and 14: In chapter 12, Paul talks about various gifts of grace (spiritual empowerment) and shows…
According to an ancient Greek legend, an oracle prophesied that the person who could untie the so-called Gordian knot would gain dominion over Asia. Many are said to have tried – but no one succeeded. Even Alexander the Great could do no more than cut the knot with a sword. As believers, we are also…
Our Father wants His children to call to Him with the burdens of their heart. Have you cried out to God in faith? Be assured that He is listening! Psalm 55:22 encourages us to, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Peter…
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned’” (Mk. 16:15-16). Since the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the gospel of Jesus Christ has…
The Messenger: The prophet Amos came from the small town of Tekoa, a few kilometers southeast of Bethlehem. He raised cattle and farmed there (1:1, 7:14). His profession is always clearly evident in his speeches. His inconspicuous livelihood must have been an offense to the flashy, exploitative, and unjust class of people that the prophet…
Unfortunately, Gideon’s ending was not positive. When the men of Israel asked him to rule over them following the victory over the Midianites, he had said the right thing: “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you” (8:23). But while Gideon’s words were humble,…
Discipleship is not a walk in the park. It requires the complete dedication of the one who wants to follow the Lord. When the Lord Jesus saw many people following Him, He turned around and taught them about the three “conditions” of discipleship. In doing so, He made it clear that He wanted unreserved devotion….
Probably, no other men in the Bible are as often confused as Elijah and Elisha. This is initially due to their names: They sound very similar. There are also some similarities: They lived in the same century, they worked similar miracles… and yet they were quite different. In this article, we want to look at…
Luke refers to his Gospel in the words quoted. In the Gospel Luke is describing what the Lord did and taught. It is remarkable that the works of the Lord Jesus are mentioned before His words. Perfect Lord! He was the opposite of the Pharisees, of whom He had to say: “Therefore whatever they tell…