He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other […]
Author: bumchecks
Christian Charity
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the […]
Lord’s Supper
During the Vietnam War, several hundred American officers and enlisted men were held captive for years and brutally treated in a prison camp dubbed the “Hanoi Hilton.” Imagine that the commander of the American armed forces secured the release of those prisoners by substituting himself for them and was then immediately tortured to death. Imagine […]
Acceptable Worship to God
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,” Heb. 12:28 NIV. NOTE: Not all worship is acceptable to God! We must worship God in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, John 4:23-24. The KEY to understanding: worship and service are interchangeable. […]
Disapproving of God Does Not Disprove God
“Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn’t care to, or he doesn’t exist. God is either impotent, evil, or imaginary. Take your pick, and choose wisely” (Sam Harris, Speaking on the Tsunami in Japan in 2011) “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in […]
Jerusalem’s Four-Wheel-Drive
As a group of us walked down a narrow cobble-stone street in Jerusalem in 1968, a man leading a donkey which was loaded with goods, said to me, “This is the Jerusalem-four-wheel-drive.” He was comparing his donkey to four-well drive vehicles in the U.S. Donkeys are known to be sure-footed and beasts of burden. Not […]
Pray for Justice: We Need You Lord (Psalm 83)
As much as we try to live lives characterized by love and kindness, gentleness and patience, it is also true that we might have people who don’t like us – maybe even hate us. Since Jesus was the most perfect person who ever lived and He was crucified, it should not surprise us that we […]
THE MASTER’S FAMILY
The church—built by Jesus, paid for by his blood at Calvary (Acts 20:28)—will glorify God throughout all eternity (Eph 3:20-21). The church is God’s family. Note: In 1886, an Austrian monk named Gregor Mendel, began to make detailed observations about the pea plants that he was growing in his garden. He noted that some of […]
Becoming humble
Becoming like Christ is a full-time, life-long pursuit. It is a journey which includes both forward and backward movement. Times of advancement and times of stagnation should be expected. It is important to understand that this “walk” with Christ which we are on is our life’s work. We must continue to press forward. While perfectly […]
Coping with Life
He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). Living in the modern pressure-cooker of the world of today is tough. It is a dog-eat-dog society in the business world. It seems more and more people are finding more and more ways to be dishonest. Christians are often discriminated against. Many couples feel the need to spend […]