Biblical Teachings

“Come unto me.” Matthew 11:28 The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, “Come.” The Jewish law harshly said, “Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt live.” The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with a scourge; the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good Shepherd going before his sheep, bidding them follow him, and ever leading them onwards with the sweet word, “Come.” The law repels, the gospel …

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When Jesus came, He was so much more than people expected. And the same salvation He offered then, He offers now. OUR SAVIOR Isaiah 53(KJV) 53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and …

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The major passage for the first illustration is John 10:1-39, which contains the discourse on the Good Shepherd. 1. Ten Specific Points All together this passage makes ten specific points. First, John emphasized that it is the Messiah who came in by the door in verses 1-2: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The point of these verses is …

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My father never liked Christmas. When our family would drive into the Italian and Irish neighborhoods of Brooklyn, to look at the Christmas lights, he refused to join us. He couldn’t understand how anyone could believe in a virgin birth. Moreover, he associated the celebration of Christmas with the anti-Semitism of his small village in […]

By Nancy W. Gavin It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt …

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Never be ashamed to share the best news that was ever offered to mankind. It could change someone’s eternal destiny UNASHAMED TO SHARE THE GOSPEL 2 Timothy 1:6-12 (KJV) 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the …

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The Servant, the Messiah describes His calling in Isaiah 49:1: Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name: The verse begins with a call for the whole world to listen to what the Servant has to say. He then points out that He, the Servant, the Messiah, was elected by God for this specific mission: Jehovah has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother. It is interesting to note that, while there are …

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Paris is burning. I’m not talking about the controversial 1990s film. I’m talking about Paris, France. Burning. Well, the city isn’t burning, but there is plenty of fire in the streets. Especially the Champs Elysées. Massive protests have shut down major parts of the country over the past several weekends. In fact, on a recent Saturday, the French government deployed almost 100,000 police officers to contain the demonstrations. The protesters are called “yellow vests.” They are wearing the yellow safety vests that French law requires all motorists to carry in their cars to be worn in case of a roadside …

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Dr. Mike Murphy Despite every effort by the local school board, the parents insisted that the story of the Nativity was going to be a part of the Oakdale Christmas Pageant this year.  But with the parents insistence, the board also became insistent, demanding that certain changes would have to first be made. So both sides decided to sit down, so the school board could tell the parents exactly what they had in mind. As the story of that night in Bethlehem was read, you could see the school board officials starting to squirm in their seats.  And as the …

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Death of a loved one. Failed hopes. Fears about a health problem. Broken relationships. Betrayal by friends. Everyone goes through times of trouble. Sometimes we ask God why. Sometimes we just want to cry. Blessings We pray for blessings, we pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering And all the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things ‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops What if Your healing comes …

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We often don’t share our faith because we lack confidence. But if you ask God for boldness, He will answer your prayer. THE REASON FOR OUR BOLDNESS Philippians 1:19-20 (KJV) 19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. Even though Christians are familiar with …

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“They go from strength to strength.”—Psalm 84:7. “They go from strength to strength.” That is, they grow stronger and stronger. Usually, if we are walking, we go from strength to weakness; we start fresh and in good order for our journey, but by-and-by the road is rough, and the sun is hot, we sit down by the wayside, and then again painfully pursue our weary way. But the Christian pilgrim having obtained fresh supplies of grace, is as vigorous after years of toilsome travel and struggle as when he first set out. He may not be quite so elate and buoyant, …

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In this verse, the Apostle Paul summarises a personal experience he underwent after his salvation found in Acts 9:1-20. Paul was “alive apart from the law” when he came to saving faith in the Messiah. That was when he was freed from the Law. Only three days after becoming a believer, he knew what it was like to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to live a Spirit-filled life. However, because of his spiritual immaturity as a young believer, he had the misconception that he could then be sanctified by the Law. So having been freed from the Law …

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Bright Hope in Dark Days by Charles H. Spurgeon “Thou art my hope in the day of evil.” Jeremiah 17:17 The path of the Christian is not always bright with sunshine. He has his seasons of darkness and of storm. True, it is written in God’s Word, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace,” and it is a great truth, that religion [i.e. Biblical Christianity] is calculated to give a man happiness below as well as bliss above. But experience tells us that if the course of the just be “As the shining light that …

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