How then will ye know all parables?

In Mark 4, after Jesus shared the parable of the sower and the seed, his disciples asked him what the parable meant. Jesus explained to them in Mark 4:11, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in…

Fulfilling the work of faith with power

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Paul shares a prayer of his for the saints in few words that give a glimpse of the responsibilities and ramifications in the Christian lifestyle. Like Paul, our prayer and hope should be that all who claim Christ will be counted worthy of "this calling." Our worthiness in this calling can…

Approaching ministry full blast with confidence

I'm thankful to the Lord every day for his word and for the saints whose actions are recorded in it, setting the example for me in how I should conduct myself. Although I'm not even close to being in the same class as the apostle Paul, it's something I strive toward. I admire how he…

Sanctified to be like olive trees in the house of God

As someone who loves olives and loves cooking food in olive oil because of the good flavor and health benefits, I'm biased in my view that the olive tree is one of God's great creations in the plant world. The olive tree also symbolically plays a significant role in the kingdom of God and it…

God’s anointing teaches you all things

We as Christians sometimes forget this, but God saved us and placed the anointing of the Holy Spirit in us so that ultimately we could hear directly from the Lord to learn what we need to know on spiritual matters. Hearing from him requires us to familiarize ourselves with his word to remind ourselves what…

Miraculous, yet misinformed: when faith is targeted by fakes

The church of Galatia was truly blessed by God and experienced some wonderful things because of their faith. They also went through some suffering for it. However, both the suffering they endured and the blessings they experienced served as reminders that God's hand was on them by faith in Christ. But that's when trouble reared…

Hanging on for dear (eternal) life to God’s incorruptible things

What is my salvation based on? Am I really doing good works for God's glory or for man's? Could I ever turn my back on the Christian faith or God's word? I believe if we answer these types of questions honestly to examine ourselves, our honest answers, actions and motivations will reveal a lot about…

A triumphant praise in the midst of tragedy

Lamentations, in my opinion, is the saddest, most depressing book in the Bible. It is believed to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah, who gave an eyewitness account of the aftermath of the death, violence, destruction, and suffering that took place when Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem. Throughout it's verses, Jeremiah laments over how the Lord's…

Praying in the Spirit does not require speaking in tongues

What does it mean to pray in the Spirit? For many decades, those who consider themselves Pentecostals have been teaching that it means that one has to pray in an unknown tongue to pray in the spirit. They usually refer to 1 Corinthians 14:14 to back it up. There's a huge problem with that idea.…

God uses normal occurrence as a miracle to aid Bible smuggler in Vietnam

This story comes from Voice of the Martyrs. A Christian man (whose name has been withheld for his safety) recently felt led by God to secretly distribute Bibles in various remote areas of Vietnam. In Vietnam, there are random checkpoints manned by police on the roads and they search travelers' belongings for any contraband, which…