Joe Barnett

Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.        —Mark 13:33 Jesus is coming again. That is certain. Nobody knows when. That is equally certain. “You do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Mt. 24:42). That hasn’t deterred date-setters. There’s a long list of self-declared prophets who […]

Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God.    —Deuteronomy 8:11 When Moses delivered his valedictory to Israel he charged them to remember how God had blessed them; then gave them fair warning that when they became prosperous, built ritzy houses, and wined and dined in luxury, they would be in danger

Do this … in remembrance of me.        —1 Corinthians 11:25 In preparation for their exodus from Egypt, Moses ordered each Israelite family to kill a lamb, brush its blood on the doorframe of their house, then roast the lamb and eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast—the Passover meal.

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman.                —Galatians 4:4 Only a few were aware of Jesus’ birth—just a cluster of shepherds and a clan of stargazers. But what a night it was. It was the night the world had been waiting

So that you may know that you have eternal life.       —1 John 5:13 General Motors worked for years to build a Safecar that would insure occupant-safety in a 100 mph crash. They never got there. In a final report, GM engineer William Larson said if the car crashed into a solid barrier

The Lord is near to all who call on him.                  —Psalm 145:18 When the gas gauge warns that you’re dangerously low on fuel, you stop and fill the tank . . . or pay the price. Sometimes we get spiritually stranded on the side of the road

Blessed are the peacemakers.          —Matthew 5:9 Rodney King’s name is etched in memory; his brutal beating by Los Angeles police in 1991 sparked one of the most violent race riots in US history. Rodney was awarded $3.8 million, but within a few years was broke. He couldn’t beat the demons of

For this I came into the world.                 —John 18:37 Scottish runner Eric Liddell withdrew from his favored-to-win 100 meter race in the 1924 Paris Olympics because it was scheduled for Sunday; his religious convictions prohibited him from running on Sunday. He switched to the Friday 400 meter

When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.        —Romans 5:6  “When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly . . . While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:6, 8). This text has our names scribbled in the margin. Maybe we could make sense of

Righteousness and peace kiss each other.                        —Psalm 85:10 Inner peace sometimes seems elusive, and is often pursued by counterproductive conduct. Some seek peace in escape. The escape of choice may be drugs, alcohol, an affair; even a hobby or work. The pursuit of peace