In a classic scene from the movie Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick shoots the detestable Nazi, Major Strasser. When police reinforcements arrive, police chief Renault orders his men to “Round up the usual suspects”, knowing full well who the shooter was. The police chef conspired to indict innocent men, who were then questioned and presumably released or put on trial. …
Humility before Honor
Have you ever had the honor of bestowing spiritual blessing upon a great spiritual leader? How would you feel if the Pope or Billy Graham asked you to pray for them? Would you feel up to the task? Would you feel inadequate and request this person pray for you instead? Such feelings came naturally to John the Baptist when Jesus …
Conquering Adversity with Love
Being a Christian does not exempt you from life’s hardships, pain, or suffering. Because God did not spare His own Son from suffering, why should He treat us any better? In His mercy, God gives myriad promises to the man of faith; but one promise He withholds is the promise to spare you from adversity or pain. This included the …
Facial Recognition
If Jesus Christ appeared to you in the flesh, would you recognize Him? What would it take to divert your mind from your troubles and sorrows long enough to realize He stood in your presence? Then, once you recognized Him, how would you react? In the last chapter of the Book of John, we see how people recognize and receive …
The God of Light
What are the history, nature, and attributes of light? The short answer is God. In Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. In Genesis 1:4, God saw the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. In John 8:12, Jesus revealed, “I am the light of the world”, indicating Jesus was separated from …
He Gave
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14). For God so loved the world, He gave – He gave His Son in the flesh. He gave us the most …
O Holy Night
My favorite Christmas carol is O Holy Night. The words and music capture well the magnificence and grace of the evening of our Savior’s birth. My heart melts when the chorus commands, “Fall on your knees”. He is truly worthy of my bow before Him and one day I will meet Him in person on my knees (Isaiah 45:23, Romans …
The Branch
Unmentionable. People in Jesus’ time used this term to characterize the town of Nazareth in Israel. In all of the Old Testament, the word Nazareth never appears, nor does it appear in rabbinical writings. Of the dozens of prophecies made in the Old Testament, none mentions the small, uninspiring town of Nazareth. In spite of its obscurity and the slight …
Under the Radar
The birth of royalty is heralded with great fanfare and expectation. When a new royal child is about to be born, the upcoming event is celebrated throughout the land. The pomp and ceremony typically begin immediately after discovering the woman of nobility is with child, accompanied by announcements to prepare all subjects and to generate excitement for the impending birth. …
Wise Men
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Wise Men, or Magi, came to visit Him (Matthew 2:1-2). But who and what were these Wise Men? How do we recognize Wise Men when we encounter them? Is it possible for others to be so wise? And if so, how does one achieve such status? First, it is wise to take a …