Written by Ben Quine

With so much rain and fog, vision was extremely limited, but the drivers stoutly continued on. What the drivers on this busy road did not know, was that this very day the bridge had collapsed. Every driver that proceeded as normal would perish. One young person managed to stop in time, and with as much speed as they could muster, they ran back to warn the other drivers —“Stop! The bridge is out! You’ve got to turn around!!” But they were met with contempt, “Get out of the road!” “Can’t you see that we’re in a hurry!” “We’ve got to get to work.”

Stories…they shape our lives. They inspire, educate, motivate, and illustrate. They clarify and entertain. They enrich and sanctify our memories. Stories stay with us—often for a lifetime.

The late Leonard Ravenhill…used to say, “Many want an Upper Room experience like on the day of Pentecost, but they’re unwilling to humble themselves on their knees at the Cross of Christ.”

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

When it comes to our words, whether sent around the globe in nano-seconds or spoken at the family dinner table, let us as Christians resolve to show the love of Jesus Christ in everything we say.

What’s something that makes you uncomfortable? Maybe fingernails on a chalkboard? Or the sound of a fork scratching on a plate? As children of God, we are called to “speak the truth in love,” something that is often very uncomfortable for all parties involved. But like taking a distasteful but life-giving medicine, the truth is vital for health.

If we are to understand Biblical Conduct, we must have a solid grasp of truth and love, especially since our culture has distorted and materially altered the meaning of these two vitally important words.

You and I are engaged in a titanic spiritual warfare. The destructive forces unleashed upon the world—forces aimed at our children, our families, our freedom, and our values; our compassion, virtue, justice, and our very humanity—are not the fault of misguided politicians of either party. They are the designs and agenda of the evil one.

The little boy stared nervously at his Sunday School teacher. He was trying to remember the verse. He thought for sure he knew it.

“A lie is an abomination to the Lord.” He grinned with satisfaction. “And a very present help in time of trouble.”

We smile at a child’s mangled memory. We smile too because the boy’s rendition is often the case. Lying one’s way out of trouble is a time-honored and quite dishonorable resort for many who are caught doing something wrong.

John the Baptist did not mince words — like the prophets of the Old Testament, he clearly told the religious leaders of his day that they were wicked and needed to repent.

One of the most effective teaching methods employed by Scripture is the telling of stories, and there is a treasure trove of instruction for us in the accounts of men and women who lived by the fear of the Lord.

“So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side.”

Have you ever been tempted to refashion bad news so that it will land more gently on the ears of those who need to receive it?

Humans, as emotional beings, can rarely tolerate pure honesty without discomfort. What is it about the truth that makes it undiplomatic and unsafe? Is it possible to present the teachings of the Bible and not be offensive? This is a very important question and is essential in understanding how Christians should live.

Ministry Resurrects Bible Leadership Principles to ‘Rebuild America’s Broken-Down Walls’

The disciples did not understand the scriptures and did not expect the resurrection, and yet we have the hope of the resurrection.

Now — more than ever — our hurting and confused culture is a raging battleground between the very real forces of good and evil and light and darkness. America is at a crisis point, yet the Body of Christ is still asleep in many places and non-existent in our communities where our light must shine.

The resurrection gives purpose and value to our labor. All our efforts to alleviate suffering, show compassion, advance justice, combat corruption, educate for virtue, and create opportunity are never in vain. Never. Why? Because Jesus Christ has risen. He lives and reigns, and in due time he will make the world over.

As Aaron, Moses’ brother, placed his hands on the goat’s head he had confessed “over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. . . The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert” (Leviticus 16: 21-22).

This goat would carry the sins of the people to a lonely and forbidding place.