Christian Worker (Page 2)

Pretending to be faithful isn’t enough. Have you ever seen a child trying to cover up something they’ve done wrong with a lie? Perhaps they took a chocolate chip cookie when they knew was supposed to wait until after dinner. With chocolate smeared all over their hands and face they will still tell their mother they didn’t eat the cookie to try and avoid punishment. We must appear like little children to God when we attempt to fool Him and…

The Book of Jonah, well known in the Old Testament, is often remembered for the great fish. However, it also emphasizes God’s grace, mercy, and love. The story shows God’s sovereign control over creation and His mercy toward pagan sailors, Nineveh, and His reluctant prophet (Ps. 145:9). Jonah, whose ministry occurred during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:23-25), received an unusual commission. Rather than preaching to Israel, God commanded him to travel to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria,…

Before we consider Peter in Luke 5:10, I want usto travel back to 2 Kings 7 and consider how fourdesperate lepers learned a timeless truth that mighthelp us understand the importance of evangelism. Howgood news was never meant to be kept to oneself. In 2 Kings 7, we see Israel’s dramatic rescue from abrutal Syrian siege led by King Ben-Hadad. Determinedto dominate the North Kingdom, Ben-Hadad failed to seethat God was in control and was using His prophet Elishato expose…

The apostle Paul reminded the church of Christ atRome about the patriarch Abraham and his strengthconcerning the promise of God. “He staggered notat the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong infaith, giving glory to God” (Rom. 4:20). To the church atCorinth he would pen, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quityou like men, be strong” (1Cor. 16:13). When writing to thechurch at Ephesus, he would exhort them to live worthy of their calling by writing, “Finally, my…

Hostility seems to be the default today. No matter thesubject, there is an ever-present risk that contrastingviews or conflicting data points will cause thediscussion to devolve into HR reports, cancel culture, oroutright violence. And that’s just talking about gardeningpractices. So how do we handle the fear of potential persecution when we are called to share something farmore impactful and controversial, the Great Commission(Matt. 28:19-20)? The initial audience of Peter’s first epistle foundthemselves asking the same question, though withmuch more violent…

Towering above the landscape at Israel’s northernmostborder lie three summits, snowcapped for most ofthe year, and the streams from them serve as theheadwaters of the Jordan River. In the shadow of Hermon’slofty heights lies ancient Panias, the pagan city devoted tothe Greek god Pan, the goat deity of the wild, shepherds,and flocks. Today it is called Banias, but in Jesus’ day it wasCaesarea Philippi. What He and His disciples would havewitnessed upon visiting was a reddish limestone wall over130 ft…

Wrong thinking about God leads to wrongattitudes and actions. If I imagine Jehovahas the “Grandfather in the sky” who willgrant all my wishes because He loves me so much —I’ve created a new god by the same name. Similarly, if Ithink He is a hard Master just waiting to punish me, I’llreact in fear like the one-talent servant and hide insteadof serve (Matt. 25:24-25). God has revealed Himself tobe a loving and merciful Judge Who wants to save all,but will…

How incredible it must have been to have witnessedthe miracles of Jesus. To see the dead raised, leperscleansed, and storms subdued must have producedunshakable faith within those who experienced it first hand.Or, at least it should have. Miracles were not an “end” in andof themselves but were rather a “means to an end.” Theirpurpose was not to “wow” the crowds into following Jesus,but to prove the veracity of His claims and point them toHis Word (Mark 16:20). Sadly, many who…