Articles

The Keys To A Beautiful Life

As Peter and John were entering the temple one day, they encountered a lame man just outside one of the gates. This particular gate was called the Beautiful Gate, and the man had been sitting there for many years, begging people as they entered. In Acts 3:1-10, we read that Peter and John performed a great miracle that day and healed this lame man. The man immediately rose up and went into the temple. Acts 3:9-10 say, “And all the people saw him walking and praising God … and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.”

If you keep reading, Acts 4:4 reveals what happened as a result of this miracle: thousands upon thousands were saved—some estimate as many as twenty thousand because the Bible says there were five thousand men alone. Something incredible happened! And there were three basic ingredients.

Celebrate the Difference

A hammer and a screwdriver are different tools designed for different jobs. Is the hammer better than the screwdriver? No. Is a screwdriver better than a hammer? Of course not! Can you use a screwdriver as a hammer? Maybe, but it won’t work as well.

Who is better, men or women? The answer to that question is “Yes!” A man is infinitely superior to a woman at being a man, and a woman is infinitely superior to a man at being a woman. Men and women are different—by design. Neither is superior to the other, but they are very, very different.

I want to address the wonderful differences between men and women. These differences aren’t true in every single case, but they are generally true.

These Are The Good Old Days

Have you ever thought how wonderful it would have been to have lived when Jesus walked on this earth? How grand and glorious would it have been to have lived back in the “good old days”? But I want to tell you it’s better to live right now than back then. These are the good old days! Let me explain why.

Bring Back the Glory

Apart from Israel, no other nation has had such a Christian beginning as America. Under the blessing of God, Israel began with a glorious heritage. Like Israel of old, God’s blessing rested upon early America. In the Mayflower Compact, our Pilgrim forefathers said their express purpose for coming to these shores was to propagate the Gospel. We were founded as a Christian nation to the very core. Yet like Israel, America has not only forgotten our heritage, we’ve forgotten God and abandoned the Gospel’s influence on our national life. America has lost her glory. How did this happen? The same way it happened in Israel.

Five Ways You Can Encourage Others

Barnabas was a man who had the gift of encouragement. Acts 4:36 introduces him as, “Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation).” The apostles gave him a nickname that meant “encouragement.”

By looking at some events in the life of Barnabas recorded in the book of Acts, we can learn some ways to encourage others.

Homemade Happiness

Did you know that everyone ought to have three homes? Everybody needs a heavenly home, a church home, and a family home—and Jesus Christ is the key to all three! Being a “loner” is not God’s plan for us, for He “sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6).

Why families? In them we experience the deepest love, apart from His, we will ever know. The family is our training ground for life. It’s His workshop where the members become some of His best tools to prune, polish, and refine us—sanding down the rough edges of our lives!

Jesus, the Friend of Sinners

Perhaps you think you’ve sinned too much — that there is no hope for you. But Jesus has always reached out to sinners. In Luke 15:1-2, the Pharisees were questioning Him about this. Then, Jesus answered them with a three-part parable describing a little more about the character of man and a lot more about the character of God.

Life's Greatest Adventure

I believe that the greatest Christian who has ever lived was the apostle Paul. Before he was saved, he persecuted the Church of Jesus Christ — hauling Christians into prison and watching while some of them were literally put to death. But he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and when Paul — who was then called Saul — saw Jesus, he asked Him the two greatest questions anyone can ever ask: “Who are You, Lord?” and “What would You have me to do?” He spent the rest of his life discovering the answers to those two questions.

Backsliding: Watch That First Step!

If you wanted a study of character, nobility, wisdom, courage, and devotion; you could not find a better man than David. The Bible calls him, "...a man after God’s own heart" (Acts 13:22).

Yet there was a dark chapter in David’s life. Even though he was a great man and loved God, David committed a horrible and egregious sin against Almighty God. He entered into an adulterous affair with Bathsheba. Then, in an attempt to cover his sin, he arranged to have her husband killed.

How to Make Sense Out of Suffering

Do you know sorrow and suffering … pain and disappointment? If not, just wait—you will.

Something is desperately wrong in this world! Sickness, war, hate, riots, sorrow, and confusion fill our age. Man longs for a better day, but this millennium has become pandemonium.