Atonement

Everyone needed atonement, without exception-rich and poor, old and young, men and women. As God commanded, each person needed to have their sins forgiven in order to become right with Him. Atonement was linked with the giving of an offering. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron was to make atonement "with the blood of the sin offering" (v. 30). This was "most holy to the LORD." God also…

Free Indeed

What does it mean to be free? To English Puritans in the 17th century, freedom meant serving God without interference. To Africans sold into slavery, freedom meant being released from bondage. To the 18th century American colonists, freedom meant charting their own course as a nation. Colonial leader, Patrick Henry, whose father came to America from Scotland, believed that freedom was based on a…

Moral Compromise

Many people live according to “situation ethics,” a concept made famous by Joseph Fletcher in the 1960s. This lifestyle rejects the concept of moral absolutes. It’s a philosophy advocated by men like British writer, Somerset Maugham, who once wrote, “No action is in itself good or bad, but only such according to convention.” Those with this belief have no reservations about living according to…

Confidence

Cephas (the apostle Peter) was a special disciple. He had a unique relationship with Jesus. He was trained for leadership, became a powerful minister of the Gospel, and was used mightily by the Holy Spirit. Yet Paul had done something remarkable: He had the courage to confront Peter, telling him that he “stood condemned.” He told Peter that he had made a mistake—he was wrong! What had Peter done…

At Calvary

Born in 1868 in Savannah, Ohio, William Newell became known for his insights into Biblical truths, expressed through preaching, commentaries, and teaching. He spent much of his adult life as an evangelist, Bible teacher, and assistant superintendent of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. One day, on his way to class, he was thinking about what Christ had done for him on the Cross, and words began…

Mistakes and Failures

When Josef II died on this day in 1790, he had been the Holy Roman emperor since 1765 and the sole ruler of the Austrian Habsburg dominions since 1780. Known as an “enlightened despot,” he had been an active reformer even when such policies were controversial. He lessened religious persecution, abolished censorship, and gave some freedom to serfs. These were radical concepts in his day. But…

Ready

On Sunday, October 20, 1974, residents and tourists in the Miami region of South Florida went about life like normal—going to church, visiting the beach, shopping, attending a big football game. To them, nothing seemed unusual. But people located about sixty miles north of Miami were scrambling to survive torrential downpours and floods. Over a period of just a few hours, a freak storm had dumped…

Spiritual Opposition

Daniel prayed and sought God, but for days he received no answer. What thoughts went through his mind? Why weren’t his prayers answered? Had he displeased God? Was he guilty of sin? Finally, he received God’s reply. His prayers had been heard. In fact, they were heard the first moment he prayed. Why, then, had he not been told anything for several weeks? Because of spiritual warfare in the…

Light in the Darkness

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would bring about a powerful transformation to those who walked in darkness. These people were imprisoned by darkness that gripped their minds and hearts. It cast a shadow over their lives that could be felt in relationships, thoughts, and emotions. This darkness bound them with sin and disease, fear and depression, broken relationships and financial…

Salvation

Why was Jesus born? Why did He leave His Heavenly throne and come into the world? We learn a vital key in the message the angel relayed to Joseph. He said Mary would have a son born of the Holy Spirit, and He was to be called “Jesus” for an important reason: He would “save His people from their sins.” Jesus was born to save us from the penalty for our sins and also from the power of sin over our…