7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10 “THE THORN IN THE FLESH”)
It was a flesh-and-bones body like ours, recognizable to His followers (John 20:20), still scarred by the crucifixion (John 20:25-29; Revelation 5:6), and able to eat food (Luke 24:30-33, 41-43).
Continue reading WHAT KIND OF BODY DID JESUS HAVE AFTER HIS RESURRECTION?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (MATTHEW 10:26-31 “FEAR GOD”)
Jesus could not live without prayer. When Jesus sought out solitary places for prayer, He gave a clearer picture of the three persons of God (the Trinity)-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Continue reading WHAT WOULD JESUS PRAY ABOUT-IF HE WAS GOD, WASN’T HE JUST TALKING TO HIMSELF?
Looking at Genesis 1, were read that God created the heavens and the earth in such a way that they are functional, vibrant, and pulsating with life. On the fifth day, God started forming the creatures that would live on the earth. Then, on the sixth day, he reached the pinnacle of his creative purposes with the creation of humankind.
Continue reading A PHOTOGRAPH OF GOD
In Paul’s time, slaves were branded with distinctive marks to show that they belonged to their masters, much as cattle are branded in modern times (Psa 40:6). Paul declared that his body bore marks from the persecution he had endured in Christ’s service. These showed the he belonged to the Lord Jesus.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (MARKS OF PERSECUTION)
SOAP – Cleaner made by mixing olive oil and alikali from burning certain salt-producing plants. It was used of washing the body (Jer 2:22) and of washing clothes (Mal 3:2). Perhaps the scant references to soap are due to the fact that people in the Near East use oil for cleansing the body and pound clothes on rocks while wet to cleanse them.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (SOAP, SOBER)
The biblical text gives us a clear picture of Delilah. She was a calculating woman. She was aware of the power her sexuality gave her and quick to use sex for personal gain. While Samson had fallen in love with Delilah, she only pretended affection for him. Delilah was more than willing to let Samson use her body, for she was using him to become rich.
How Samson failed to see what was happening we cannot imagine. Her repeated efforts to get him to betray the secret of his strength seem so transparent. But Samson was blinded by his passion and was easily manipulated by Delilah. Her pretended doubt of his love, and her appeal to prove his love by revealing his secret finally wore Samson down.
Continue reading A CLOSER LOOK AT DELILAH
This verse compares the Christian life to the footrace in which athletes competed in the Greek games (read 1 Cor 9:25). The foot race was one of the most popular events of the Greek games that were held every year in Athens. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (A LIFETIME RACE)
The fact that God has gifted each member of the church does not mean that the church is to be without leadership. To the contrary, the NT speaks of God’s calling out leaders for His church for the building up of the body (Eph 4:11-16). The officers of a NT church are pastors (called “overseers” or “bishops” or “elders”) and deacons (1 Tim 3:1-13). These men are gifted by God and called out from the congregation to serve the church. Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH)