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Satan has too much sense to tempt some people with gross sins. He knows very well that it would be time wasted and thrown away. We are fortified against the great evils that engulf many of the ungodly. But how about the little things that creep in and spoil the experience and interfere with our…

Jesus said it first. He was praying for His disciples—first century and twentieth century—them and us. His petition—“Sanctify them” (John 17:17, NIV). Why? First, that they might be kept clean in a dirty world – protected from “the evil one” (John 17:15, NIV). But just as clear and important is the…

Jesus said it first. He was praying for His disciples—first century and twentieth century—them and us. His petition—“Sanctify them” (John 17:17, NIV). Why? First, that they might be kept clean in a dirty world – protected from “the evil one” (John 17:15, NIV). But just as clear and important is the…

In the summer of 1876, grasshoppers decimated crops all across Minnesota. Desperate farmers worked day and night to keep their fields from ruin. As the crisis mounted, Governor John Pillsbury proclaimed April 26, 1877 as a statewide day of prayer and fasting. All the schools and businesses closed…

Salt is referred to several times in the New Testament. Though it is quite common today, it was considered a valuable commodity in ancient times and was even a form of payment in some cases (this is where we get the phrase, “worth his/her salt”). Salt was certainly used to add flavor, but its most…

The big fish in Jonah’s story often gets treated unfairly. He (or she) is often made out to be the villain or an instrument of punishment. Perhaps we mistake the story of Jonah for that of Gepetto, the father of Pinocchio, who gets trapped inside an evil whale while searching for his wooden boy.…

It is difficult to be both prophetic and diplomatic at the same time. Nathan’s prophetic statement in 2 Samuel—which, in this case, proclaims God’s truth with clarity rather than predicting the future—is the kind of statement that is hard to speak and even harder to hear. The nature of most…

Raquel Pereira is administrator of the Portugal Learning Center and coordinates outcomes assessment at European Nazarene College (EuNC) in Büsingen, Switzerland. She also works as an accountant for a construction company. Pereira lives in Lisbon, Portugal, with her husband, João Pedro Pereira, who…

Jennifer Gillett is a professional woman from Lord's Bank, a community just outside Belize City, Belize. Her father, Archie Gillett, served as pastor of Zion Church of the Nazarene in Belize City. One of four siblings, Jennifer is an elementary school teacher. She received her education at the…

I am the son of a great storyteller. Like most people, I can't remember much about my early childhood. But I could tell you about it in great detail. Instead of memories, my childhood is constructed predominately by the stories of my father. I think that's pretty cool. I have been listening…