Fisherman: a Popular Occupation The sons of Zebedee, along with their father, owned a fishing business that employed other fishermen (Matthew 4:18–22). Thomas, Nathaniel, and Philip may have chosen fisherman as their occupation, for they were among those out in the boats when Jesus appeared on the shore after his resurrection (John 21:2–8). Perhaps, to…
Teaching in higher education for ten years taught me that you cannot assume people will do what’s obviously right, and they will not admit to understanding what is obviously wrong. When people are left without marked boundaries to exercise their own free will, they will defy their own conscience, ignore any sense of right and…
One of the things that makes the Bible so real to us is the relatability of the stories it gives us. On some level, each of us will no doubt have very similar issues as those that we read about in these stories. What got me started down this path was considering the story of…
One hundred and forty-three years ago, a fellow named Charles W. Fry wrote a hymn entitled “The Lily of The Valley.” The opening line is, “I have found a friend in Jesus; he’s everything to me.” That sentiment of friendship with Jesus turns up in quite a few Christian songs, singing of “friendship with Jesus,…
“Aquila and Priscilla” recounts the works of two of Paul’s fellow-workers in places like Ephesus and Corinth.
The apostle John, writing in his gospel account, speaks: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his…
The very first sin committed on earth was a result of believing the devil’s lie in preference to accepting God’s truth. God had told Adam and Eve that eating of the forbidden fruit would bring death, but the serpent contradicted God, and with his smooth, deceptive words beguiled the woman, and she fell into his…
In II Corinthians 4:13, Paul said, “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” Deep convictions with reference to the welfare of the human race, are not to be kept locked up in our hearts. They should be…
In the city where I live, there are many churches, a conglomeration of many faiths or beliefs. From the standpoint of soul saving, there is little excuse for some of them to exist, for they make no effort to bring people into a closer walk with God. In a recent edition of a weekly paper…