There is a story among the Jews about a man who wanted to learn the entire Torah (the Law) while standing on one foot. He inquired of one rabbi, who chased him away with a stick. Finally he went to the rabbi Hillel, who told him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor; this is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Now go and study.”

Whether or not that story is true, its point certainly is. Jesus summed up His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount…

The eye is one of the most complex parts of the human body, provides light to the rest of the body.

(Matthew 6:22) "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  (NAS95)

(Matthew 6:22) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.  (KJV)

In the previous verses…

            When a friend, family member, or brother is facing some serious problem or stressful situation, we may tell them, “Just have faith. It will all work out.”  But what is faith?  How do we acquire it?  How does it work (within us)?

            In the New Testament, the word translated “faith” is the Greek work pistis.  Strong’s Expanded Dictionary of Bible Words says, “Faith means trust, confidence, assurance, and belief.”  It is the word used in Heb. 11:1, “Now faith (pistis) is the assurance…

            When David was younger, he had a joke book he kept in the van.  When we would be riding somewhere, he’d pick it up and start reading it out loud.  One of the jokes asked, “What is the sharpest tool in the Bible?”  The answer?  “The axe of the apostles.”

            Have you ever thought about how much we learn about the church from the Acts of the Apostles?  This is the record of the disciples carrying out the Great Commission, taking the gospel…

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.”

This hymn, written by Helen Lemmel in 1922, was inspired by a tract written by Lilias Trotter. Trotter observed the difficulty of maintaining focus while living in a world that provides so many choices. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.”

God is so full of light John 1:5 says, “He IS Light.” He is not illuminated from…

The entirety of Psalm 34 reassures God’s oppressed people that He can deliver them. No matter how poor, oppressed, or downtrodden His people are, God is the ultimate deliverer and provides a refuge liken none other. The psalmist does not assume peace would automatically be given, but that peace would come by action. Some of the action verbs in this psalm include magnify, seek, look, cry, fear, listen, desire, turn away, and take refuge. Paul wrote to Christians in Romans 14:19 telling them to “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Now – in…

He Wasn’t Smart Enough Our cat Bosco was killed by an automobile on highway 8 in front of our house. We had Bosco for 4 ½ years, and are thankful for the time we had him. He enriched our lives … Read More →

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