The story of Joseph and his brothers in the book of Genesis provides many valuable lessons that are still relevant today. Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was later renamed Israel. Out of jealousy, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. However, God was with Joseph and blessed him, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Joseph eventually became second-in-command to Pharaoh and was able to save Egypt and his family from a severe famine. The account of Joseph’s life provides insight into God’s sovereignty, the importance of forgiveness, and how God can use anyone…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 and spent over 40 years ministering to the sick and destitute in the slums of Calcutta, India. Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. She died in 1997 and was beatified as “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta” by the Catholic Church in 2003. Many people wonder, did someone as holy and selfless as Mother Teresa go to heaven when she died? According to the Bible, getting into heaven requires faith in Jesus Christ…
In the Old Testament, God gave laws and regulations to the Israelites to set them apart as His chosen people. One area that was closely regulated was sexual purity and impurity. According to the Mosaic Law, a husband and wife were considered ceremonially “unclean” after engaging in sexual intercourse and required a period of abstinence and ritual cleansing before they could reenter regular religious activities (Leviticus 15:18). There were several reasons for this regulation: 1. As a reminder of the sacredness of marriage and sexuality God designed sex to be enjoyed exclusively within the covenant of marriage between one man…
James, the brother of Jesus, is mentioned several times in the New Testament and played an important role in the early Christian church. He was one of several brothers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels, along with Joses, Judas, and Simon (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). Though Catholic tradition holds that these “brothers” were actually cousins of Jesus, most modern scholars believe they were literal brothers, born of Mary and Joseph after the birth of Jesus. James first appears by name when Paul mentions meeting “James, the Lord’s brother” when he visits Jerusalem after his conversion (Galatians 1:19). This implies that…
The question of whether a Christian can use CBD oil is an important one. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis plants like marijuana and hemp. Unlike the psychoactive compound THC, CBD does not produce a “high” and has shown potential therapeutic benefits. However, since CBD comes from cannabis, some Christians have hesitated to use CBD products due to potential associations with drug use or abuse. When approaching this issue from a biblical perspective, there are a few key considerations: 1. The Bible does not directly prohibit or condemn CBD use There are no verses in the Bible…
The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament, consisting of only 21 verses. Despite its brevity, Obadiah contains an important message – a prophecy against Edom for its violence and betrayal against Judah. Here is a summary of the key events and themes in Obadiah: Background Obadiah likely prophesied sometime after 586 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. During this invasion, the Edomites, descendants of Esau, betrayed their Israelite relatives and aided the Babylonians in plundering Judah (Obadiah 1:11-14). This betrayal was especially egregious since the Israelites and Edomites were blood relatives descended from…
Jokes and humor are a major part of human interaction and communication. Laughter can help relieve stress, improve moods, and strengthen social bonds. However, some jokes can be inappropriate, hurtful, or offensive. This raises the question – is joking itself a sin according to the Bible? The Bible does not specifically prohibit humor or comedy. In fact, there are several examples of humor in the Bible. For instance, the name Isaac means “laughter,” referring to Abraham laughing in disbelief when told he would have a son in his old age (Genesis 17:17). When Sarah overheard she laughed as well (Genesis…
The tribe of Benjamin was one of the twelve tribes of Israel that descended from the twelve sons of Jacob. Benjamin was the youngest son of Jacob and Rachel (Genesis 35:18). The tribe of Benjamin plays an important role throughout the Bible, and there are several key lessons we can learn from examining their story. 1. The small tribe that produced great leaders The tribe of Benjamin was one of the smaller tribes, but they produced several great leaders for Israel. For example, Israel’s first king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin (1 Samuel 9:1-2). Saul started off well…
Jonah was a prophet in the Bible who was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance to the people there. However, Jonah resisted God’s call and instead tried to flee from the Lord by boarding a ship to Tarshish. God then sent a violent storm while Jonah was at sea, and the sailors on the ship realized it was because Jonah was fleeing from God. Jonah told them to throw him into the sea to appease God’s anger. After being thrown overboard, Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish that God appointed. Inside the…
Marah is a place name that appears several times in the Bible, most significantly in Exodus 15. Marah was one of the first places the Israelites stopped at after crossing the Red Sea as they fled Egypt. After witnessing God’s mighty power in delivering them from Pharaoh’s army through the parting of the Red Sea, the Israelites traveled into the Desert of Shur. After three days without finding water, they arrived at Marah, but they could not drink the water there because it was bitter (Exodus 15:22-23). The people grumbled against Moses, but he cried out to the Lord for…