Have you ever noticed that in John 4 the apostles went into Sychar, came back out to Jesus, and not one single person started following Jesus. Yet, the Samaritan woman went into the exact same city and many of the Samaritans came out to see Jesus. Many of those came out began to believe in Jesus. (John 4:39-42)

Why did this happen? I see two reasons. The first is a shortcoming on the part of the apostles and the second was an advantage on the part of the Samaritan woman.

First, the apostles’ shortcoming: The apostles…

One of the challenges that we face as children of God is to learn to wait on the Lord. Waiting for anything is hard. Most of us want what we want on our time schedule, which usually means we want it sooner than later. This mentality sometimes creeps into our personal dealings with God. When we are anticipating a particular blessing from God, perhaps something for which we have recently prayed, it is easy to lose patience when the blessing doesn’t arrive when we think it should. Once in a while we forget that God operates on His own time…

A deer hunter in Indianapolis, Indiana, fell out of a tree stand and suffered a severe spinal injury which paralyzed him from the shoulders down. The 32-year-old man was asked if he wanted to live in that state, to which he emphatically answered “no.” Life support was removed and he died five hours later.

Certainly the great Judge of all the earth will do what is right for this man (Genesis 18:25), and I do not wish to judge him lest I be found in error in my judging. But the article went on to say that…

It is reported that several years ago researchers did a study to determine the effect hope has on those undergoing hardship.  Two sets of laboratory rats were placed in separate tubs of water from which they could not escape unaided.  The researchers left one set in the water and found that within an hour the exhausted rats all drowned.

The other rats were periodically lifted out of the water and then returned.  These animals swam for over 24 hours.  Why?  Not because they were given rest, but because they had hope!  They had come to believe that if they held…

He went back to the original pattern. “.. He who made them from the beginning made them MALE and FEMALE, and said, For this cause shall a MAN leave his FATHER and MOTHER, and shall cleave to his WIFE; and the two shall become one flesh .....What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:4-6). This is God’s definition of a natural marriage as contrasted with that “which is against nature” (Romans 1:26, 27). To redefine marriage is to put asunder what God enjoined. This verse also shows God…

(Luke 9:49) Answered what? The word may mean, "began to speak" but Vine says always "where something has preceded, either statement or act to which the remarks refer." The Harper-Bagster Lexicon says, "in N.T. to respond to certain present circumstances." What "brought on" John's remarks about the man he had "forbidden"?

The preceding verses show that the Disciples has been disputing about how among them should be greatest, and Jesus had rebuked them for their pride. (Mark 9:33-37). John is not named specifically, but other passages say James and John…

A "country meeting" had gone exceedingly well, and elders from another community asked the preacher to work with them the following year. He came at the appointed time, and found his reputation had spread, and the building was packed. The elders met him at the car, told him they had never had such a gathering of Methodists, Baptists, and no-church folk, so he must be very careful lest he offend someone with his forthright teaching.

Being young and brash, and having no more tact than to tell the truth, he reminded them of the undiluted lessons that had been given…

In the Bible, "diligence" refers to "haste," (being quick to act), "earnest care," being eager and desirous of acheiving a goal or result. Thus, we are to "study" (give diligence) to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim 2:15). Giving all diligence, we are to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love ( 2 Pet 1:5-7). Christians must "give diligence to make (their) calling and election sure" (2 Pet 1:10).

"Cursed be the one who does the Lord's work negligently" ---that is, without diligence (Jer 48:10)! "Thou hast commanded us to keep thy percepts…

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were called before the king and faced charges of refusing to worship the golden image he had erected, Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands?" Things looked pretty dark. 

But they replied, "We have no need to answer thee in this matter". The King James version reads, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter" (Dan 3:15-16). The thought seems to be, we will not choose our words carefully ---- concerned lest we offend; we will not try to "talk our way out of" this situation.…

Three men rebel against hypocrisy, but they vary greatly in their reactions. The first man turns to total moral abandonment. He throws off all restraint as he gives himself to the fulfillment of every fleshly desire. "Self" becomes his god. He hardens himself to the tears of his family as he goes out to do what he wants to do His "justification" for his shameful conduct: "At least I'm not a hypocrite!"

The second man goes to the opposite extreme. He is fed up with the weakness and hypocrisy that he sees in all the churches, and he is not…

Ezekiel 18 is a marvelous chapter on the fairness and justice of God. Its message is in an Old Testament setting, but it portrays and attribute of God which is unchanged; and it should be read today ---- with care.

The Israelites had a proverb: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" ----by which they blamed their troubles on an earlier generation. God said, yes, your fathers sinned, but "ye have done evil more than your fathers." "Every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grapes, his…

When one disregards the sacredness of that which belongs to God he can hardly be expected to be reliable in his word and in dealings with others. He can be depended upon only so far as business policy, public sentiment or some such motive many seem to him best in promoting his own selfish interests.

To some, these statements may seem extreme. But, are they? Can you expect one who does not respect that which belongs to God to respect that which belongs to man? Why should you? A man who will sacrifice his religious principles for profit will also…

"Rejoice always" (1 Thes 5:15). "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Gal 5:22,23).

JOY -- "a feeling of delight, happiness, gladness" (American Heritage Dictionary)

Christians are often thought of by people in the world as sad, dull people who never have any fun and do not enjoy life. Nothing could be further from the truth! (There may be some Christians like that who haven't fully realized that or captured the real meaning of Christianity). The life of a Christian is one of joy, happiness and…