08 Apr 2026
May the understanding of Easter cause our eyes to be opened. May we see what the Lord did for mankind and rejoice. May this change in perspective invigorate our walk on this side of eternity. Isaiah 35:1-8.
How Sweet Is Revenge?
Is revenge really so great, or is it just a way to sink deeper? Theresa was a woman scorned. When she went to see her ex-boyfriend a few weeks ago now, she found him with another woman! Nobody likes to be rejected. Nobody likes the feeling of humiliation and injury that comes of the experience. We human beings have feelings and don’t appreciate having them stomped and betrayed. Theresa is no exception. So she had a few choice words for him and stormed out – still seething with anger. It was only about an hour later that she spotted him driving on the street in front of her. So she put her frustration in action to ram his car. Not once but twice. After the second slam into his rear bumper, she had forced the car off the road. Only when the driver got out and started toward her did she realize her mistake. It wasn’t her former boyfriend. It was a confused fellow driving a car similar to his! For her out-of-control assault on an unsuspecting and innocent driver, Ms. Wilson was arrested by state troopers on charges of vehicular assault. She not only learned that several different makes of compact cars from the 1980s look very much alike, but that revenge is seldom as sweet as it looks from a distance. Before we are too harsh with an angry woman bent on revenge, maybe the rest of us need to ask ourselves a few questions: How prone am I to harbor a grudge? How inclined to get even when wronged? How quick to take offense? There is a line near the end of Camelot that stuck in my mind the first time I heard it. As King Arthur surveys the ruin and carnage of war, he looks forlornly over the landscape and laments that revenge is “the most worthless of causes.” Countless wars have been fought to avenge tarnished honor. Friendships have been destroyed, marriages broken apart, and children set against their parents for this most worthless of causes. Simply because it leads to such terrible outcomes, most of the great ethical teachers across the centuries have rebuked the urge to retaliate. Jesus not only taught his followers to let offenses pass – to turn the other cheek – but to forgive our enemies. He said to return good for evil. If you have suffered some slight that is haunting you still and tempting you to get even, you might reflect on Theresa’s experience. Is the pettiness of revenge any less if you ram the right car? Hurt the person you intended to injure? Or does retaliation simply diminish you and reveal your lack of character? Revenge is never about getting even but is always a form of falling below another person. Only forgiveness allows you to rise above. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. (Romans 12:17-18) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
He Died for Me!
How are we to respond to such an extravagant gift? This week, more than any other week of the year, the world is tuned to remember the last few days of Jesus’ life. Jesus was falsely accused, illegally tried, brazenly beaten, severely scourged, brazenly spat upon, blatantly taunted, viciously ridiculed, openly humiliated, purposely made a public spectacle, and brutally crucified before a jeering mob. He endured all of this even though he could have prevented it, for you and me! The Son of God submitted to the Father’s will and offered himself as a sacrifice for sins. The early followers of Jesus said it clearly and forcefully: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures … (1 Corinthians 15:4 TNIV). Christ died for our sins! Let’s make this more personal: Jesus died for your sins. The Son of God died for my sins. How should we feel about such a gift? What should our response be to such a great sacrifice? Buddy was 19 years old when he was taken as a prisoner of war. During the 3 1/2 years of his imprisonment, he and his friends worked as slave labor, ate starvation rations, were tortured in unspeakable ways, endured daily abuse, and faced all sorts of diseases. Almost two-thirds of them died. I can’t imagine surviving such horrors for such a long period of time at such a young age. The cost that Buddy and his friends paid is enormous. As I read through Buddy’s now nearly 70-year-old copy of the New Testament, I realized that what I was touching was precious. This Book and these words sustained him during indescribably awful times. I also read the notes Buddy had written about those who endured these horrors with him – some of whom paid the ultimate price and never returned home to their families and friends. As I held this small Bible in my hands, I was moved in ways I can’t verbalize. As I read the Lord’s Prayer out of that Bible at Buddy’s memorial service, I was barely able to hold myself together. Several days prior to Buddy’s funeral, I visited with his family. Their words were filled with memory and admiration. As they told stories of his life, they made it clear that they wanted the cost paid by Buddy and his band of brothers to be remembered, respected, honored and appreciated. They also wanted everyone to know how proud they were of the way Buddy had celebrated life! They felt that Buddy’s life and sacrifice were not only awe-inspiring, but also life-inspiring! They didn’t want us to be sad, but thankful. They didn’t want us to feel guilty, but grateful. Nothing is comparable to Jesus’ sacrifice and his unparalleled gift of mercy and grace. Yet the sacrifice of Buddy and his band of brothers helps me understand a little better what my response should be to such a great sacrifice. While I am deeply saddened that my sins made such a costly sacrifice necessary, my primary focus is not on the sadness of his death, but his love for us in giving such an extravagant and life-transforming gift. (Romans 5:6-11; Romans 5:6-11; Ephesians 2:1-10; Colossians 1:20-22) God wants us to remember, appreciate, and honor his Son’s sacrifice. Yet rather than wanting us to live sullen lives of guilt and muted passion, the Father calls us to live bold and passionate lives of vibrant celebration. Look at the book of Acts and notice the lives of those who were first touched by Jesus’ death and resurrection: they lived passionate, vibrant lives of appreciation and hope. And when we look in the mirror, who are we to see? Aren’t we are the recipients of God’s extravagant love? How can we not respond with passion and celebration. So as we journey through this week, let’s take time to remember Jesus’ sacrifice with humility, reverence, and deep appreciation. But as we do, let’s also celebrate with confidence and joy, know that we are loved and called to live bold and vibrant lives that bring glory to our Lord who sacrificed so much to make us his own! Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him … … to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us … … in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory … … to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 2:3-14) When you remember that Jesus died for you – how do you feel? Is it easier for you to feel … … guilty? … sad? … joyous? … victorious? Why? Should we feel each of these different emotions when we remember Jesus’ death for us? Do you think it is significant that the early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper together on the first day of the week, the day of Jesus’ resurrection, and not the day of his trial, persecution, and crucifixion (Acts 20:7)? Jesus told his followers to take the Lord’s Supper “in remembrance of me.” The apostle Paul also adds, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:24-26). How does this emphasis on anticipating the return of Jesus as we remember His death change the way we view the Lord’s Supper and the death of Jesus? If our “life-song” is to bring God glory (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14), then how do we move from sadness to joyously living for the “praise of God’s glorious grace” (Ephesians 2:10) ? About the
07 Apr 2026
May we have many reasons to tell the next generation about the greatness of Jehovah. May the Lord find us worthy enough to be a recipient and carrier of His glory. May there be evidence of Him in our lives. Psalm 145:3-7
When I Can’t, He Can!
What can’t you do? For the past year I have worked with a program that was specifically developed to help teenagers in danger of dropping out of school. To say the job is challenging would be an understatement. I was raised in a home with two parents who loved me and made sure I went to church every Sunday. I grew up thinking that the rest of the world had the same sort of home I did. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The problems my students deal with on a daily basis would make any soap opera on television seem tame. Because I want to protect their privacy, I’m not going to use real names in this story; but I want you to meet a few my students. My life has been enriched by knowing them, and after you read this, I think you will see why. Brenda is a very quiet girl who is fairly new to my program. Her mother died about a year ago, her father is remarried to a woman she doesn’t like and there are no other real family members who live in our area. Brenda is eighteen and lives in the house her mother left her, with only her pet cat for company. She can’t afford to pay her heating bill, so she’s moved a kerosene heater into one room and keeps the door shut to stay warm. She’s trying to work, go to school, and pay her bills. She’s struggling just to survive. She is extremely intelligent, but she is frequently absent from school. She is definitely college material, but will she make it there? I don’t know; she has a mountain of problems to climb. Another girl, Sybil, came to me this week and confessed she was addicted to drugs and wanted help. I spent the day dealing with social services, school personnel and her family. It wasn’t easy to get everyone to cooperate to get her into treatment. Even though she asked for help, the grandparents – who are raising her because the mother gave her up when she was just a baby – didn’t believe anything she told them. In a way, I can see why: Sybil’s lied to them many times. But, she wasn’t lying about this. I’d suspected for awhile that she was using and I wasn’t the only one. Like Brenda, Sybil has a mountain to climb, but hers is Mount Everest. Sybil’s mother has done crank for so long she only has six teeth left. Beside all the problems that come with crank, her mom is schizophrenic. One of Sybil’s greatest fears is that she’ll end up like her mother. Recently, her mother spent time in jail for beating up a man. Sybil was so distressed the whole time her mother was incarcerated that she acted out those frustrations at school. She was in and out of detention for weeks. Then when her mother was finally released, Sybil was thrilled … until her mother told her to find something else to do as she wanted to spend time with her boyfriend. The day Sybil asked me to help her get into rehab, I sat with her at Lifeskills until 6 p.m. When I left her, I kissed her goodbye, hugged her, and tried to keep back my tears. As I write this, she is in a hospital being evaluated. She’ll be there at least 72 hours. After that, it’s possible she’ll be released and go back to her grandparents’ house. Will she be strong enough to say “No!” the next time someone offers her drugs? She’s only sixteen, too young to be climbing Mt. Everest alone. I left Sybil and went to hear one of my students speak to a youth group at a local church. From the first time I met Todd, I knew he was different. It wasn’t until I heard his life story that I knew why. The room where Todd spoke was packed with teenagers. Todd held us spell bound for over an hour. He began by telling us about his childhood. His parents were alcoholics who verbally and physically abused each other on a regular basis. He told us how he became addicted to drugs and eventually joined a gang. He spent years stealing to feed his drug habit and then became a dealer. He eventually broke enough laws that he was wanted by the police; so he fled. For over a year and a half, Todd was on the run. By the time he was 17, he found himself in Michigan, far from the small Kentucky town where he’d grown up. He drifted around with unseemly characters and ended up in a Satanic church. He went to a party, got high and stoned, was beaten, robbed, and almost killed. Driven beyond despair and filled with self hate, Todd put a gun to his head. Before he could pull the trigger, he heard a voice whisper, “Todd, go to church. Go to church.” Todd called the one person he knew who attended church, a distant cousin. Todd not only attended a service, he became a member there. Now he carries a Bible with him wherever he goes – including my classroom – and he counsels troubled teens. He ministers to prisoners at the local jail and speaks to youth groups. After he finished telling his story, he was surrounded by teenagers. I managed to push my way to him, hug him, and then I left. I walked to my car with a lump in my throat and tears on my cheeks. All the way home, my thoughts swirled around in my brain like dark gray storm clouds. So many times I look at the teenagers in my class and think, “No way, they’ll never make it.” But I should be looking at them and thinking, “I can’t change their lives, but God can!” I felt as if Jesus were looking right at me, down into my soul, and saying
When Does Day Begin?
So how soon is it till dawn? You probably get discouraged about events in the news too. Terrorism. Family violence. Unemployment. Economic uncertainty. Some of the scary news may even be closer to home than the newspaper. Health problems. Damaged personal relationships. Friction among people in your church. It can be discouraging. And just whose responsibility is it to make things better? If your first thought is God, I would not propose to correct your answer. I would only remind you that God acts in this world through human agents. There is an old Hasidic story about a rabbi and his students. As they walked along one day, he asked, “How can we know the hour of dawn – the time at which the night ends and the day begins?” No one ventured an immediate answer, so they continued to walk. Then one of the rabbi’s disciples offered something. “Is it when you can look from some distance and distinguish between a wolf and a sheep?” “No,” said the rabbi. And they continued to walk. “Is it when there is light enough to distinguish between a grapevine and a thorn bush?” ventured another student. “No,” said the rabbi. There was a long silence. “Please tell us the answer to your question,” said one. “How is it possible to know the precise time at which the dawn has broken?” “The dawn comes for each of us,” said the wise old teacher, “when we can look into the face of another human being and – by virtue of the light that comes from within us – recognize that even a stranger is our brother or sister. Until then, it is night. Until then, the night is still with us.” Self-centered lives are cramped, provincial, and sad. It is only those souls large enough to live for others that are expansive with joy and bright with love. Love is, in fact, the only spiritual power great enough to overcome the selfishness that seems to be instinctive to being alive. There is so much darkness. Let’s pray for the dawn to come. Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard (Isaiah 58:8 RSV). About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
Today’s Verse – 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. —2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What are you living for? What drives your life? What is the compelling motivation for your life? While these are all important questions, the most important question, however, is this: “Who am I living for?” Only one person can ensure that my life will count in meaningful ways after my body quits working (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). Only Jesus enables me to confidently know that I will never die (John 11:25-26). He has already died for me and conquered death! If my body fails, the living part of me will go to be with Jesus, awaiting the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 1:19-24). If he was willing to do all of this for me, then I’m for sure going to live for him as long as we have breath in our lungs! My Prayer… Victorious LORD, thank you for giving me triumph over death through Jesus, my Savior. Thank you for giving me victory over sin through his sacrificial death. Thank you for giving me victory today in my life, as I live for him based on his resurrection. Through the precious name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
I Don’t Want Them to Change Me!
Why keep doing what you’re doing? Elie Wiesel was brought up in a closely knit Jewish community in Sighet, Transylvania (Romania). When he was fifteen years old, his family was herded aboard a train and deported by Nazis to the Auschwitz death camp. Wiesel’s mother and younger sister died at Auschwitz – his two older sisters survived. Wiesel and his father were then taken to Buchenwald, where his father also perished. Wiesel has devoted his life to ensuring that the world does not forget the atrocities of the Nazis, and that they are not repeated. He tells this story: A just man decided he must save humanity. So he chose a city, the most sinful of all cities. Then he studied. He learned all the art of moving people, changing minds, changing hearts. He came to a man and woman and said, “Don’t forget that murder is not good, it is wrong.” In the beginning, people gathered around him. It was so strange, somewhat like a circus. They gathered and they listened. He went on and on and on. Days passed. Weeks passed. After a while, they stopped listening. After many years passed, a child stopped him and said, “What are you doing? Don’t you see nobody is listening? Why do you continue shouting and shouting? Why?” And the man answered the child, “I’ll tell you why. In the beginning, I was convinced that if I were to shout loud enough, they would change. Now I know they won’t change. But if I shout even louder, it’s because I don’t want them to change me.” We live in a world where there is a battle going on. I’m not talking about the conflict in Iraq or Afghanistan or Kenya. You may not even be aware that this battle is taking place, but I assure you that it is. It is a spiritual battle being waged between God and his people and Satan and his people (Ephesians 6:12). It is a battle for the control of the hearts and minds of men and women, including you and the people around you. We sometimes use the word “evangelism” to describe our attempt to influence ungodly people in a way that will draw them to God, the God who created them and loves them. But, we sometimes forget that efforts – sometimes diligent efforts – are being made by ungodly forces to pull us away from God. Be assured of this: One of two things is happening, either you are having an influence on other people or other people are having an influence on you. It’s a constant battle, much like a tug-of-war. And there are times, as in the story above, when we need to speak up or take some action, not so much to change others, but to prevent others from changing us. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2 NKJV). About the author: Alan Smith ministers with the Church of Christ in White House, Tennessee and publishes the email devotional “Thought for the Day.”
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 1:7
In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. —Ephesians 1:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Forgiveness! What a sweet and precious gift. What we were powerless to fix or pay for, God did for us in Jesus. He gave us the gift of forgiveness. With him, each day is a fresh start and a rebirth of the springtime of our souls. But my, such a terrible cost he paid to give it to us! Jesus paid for what we could not afford so we could find “the riches of God’s grace” in Jesus. Praise God! My Prayer… Thank you, Father, for your anguish and cost to forgive my sins by the blood of your Son. I refuse to take the cost of my sin lightly. I commit to live for your glory in appreciation for your grace. In the name of him who sacrificed all for my salvation and gave me the gift of “the riches of God’s grace,” I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “He drives where he looks, he drives where he looks!” That statement by Nan, a wife disgruntled by her husband’s driving, absolutely spoke the truth. Vail invariably would turn the steering wheel in the direction he was looking, terrifying all of us who rode with him as he looked around. This principle is also true of each of us and our lives: “We live where we look!” What our hearts seek and what our minds focus on steer us toward our goal, like a heat-seeking missile following its target’s exhaust. That’s why we must “fix our eyes on Jesus.” We focus upon Jesus to both know him and become like him (2 Corinthians 3:18). Our lives will follow where we look. So let’s fix our gaze and focus our hearts on Jesus. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Almighty and holy God, without your grace and the gift of your salvation, I could not approach you with the confidence that I have today. Thank you for sending Jesus! Thank you for his life, his death, his resurrection, his exaltation, and his intercession. I pledge this day to keep my eyes on him! Please guard me from distractions. Through his holy name I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.