The story is told of an older woman. She had run out of money and did not have the means to pay any of her bills, including her rent. In her moment of need, the landlord was unwilling to show mercy. She began to threaten the older woman and told her, if she could pay her rent soon, she would be evicted. It was in the middle of winter, and her cable, water, and electricity had been shut off. She only had a few candles to keep her warm! One cold day, she was warming her hands over the candle when she heard a knock at the door. However, the woman was afraid to answer the door as she thought it might be her landlord coming to collect the rent which she did not have the money to pay. So, she blew out her candle and quietly waited in the darkness for the landlord to leave. Two weeks later, she ran into her friend at the store where she now worked. She found that the knock on the door had not come from her landlord, but her friend who was bringing her a check with enough money to pay her rent and all her debts. In her moment of need, if only she had opened the door, her friend would have paid all her debts. However, because she did not answer the door, she found herself in the dark.            The words of Jesus to church at Laodicea …

Can I begin with a personal anecdote? In writing this article, I was humbled as it challenged me on every spiritual and emotional level.  I suppose it is human nature to become frustrated toward a specific person or group of people whose beliefs differ from our own. Daily, I am frustrated by the brazen actions of those who openly support abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and false doctrines. While I am frustrated toward other actions and lifestyles that are condemned by the word of God, these four specific issues appear to be at the forefront of the spiritual and political polarization within this great nation. Each day, I study my Bible and see the error of these ideologies – sometimes feeling as Isaiah did with Jezebel, alone and helpless to fight against them. In speaking from personal experience, it is quite easy to direct my own personal frustrations toward these issues onto certain individuals, who either embody or advocate the ideologies that most irritate my spirit. In those moments, I find it easy to resort to the instinctual comeback that appears to be embedded in all of humankind, “I am right, you are wrong.” However, in my moments of vexation, I fail to realize that it is not the sinner that should be at the focus of my frustrations but rather the sin. It is in my empathy toward the sinner that I recognize they are a victim of sin much like myself. The difference is: They continue to cling to sin …

By: Zach Collins In 2012, a Bible given to Elvis Presley at his first Christmas in his home in Graceland in 1957 was auctioned off in London, England. It was evident that Presley had used the Bible, as the book was filled with his handwriting and notes that he taken throughout the years. In fact, outside of the words of Jesus in Luke 9:25, when Jesus considered the cost of discipleship, Presley had written in the margins of his Bible, “For what is a man advantaged if he should gain the whole world and lose himself or be castaway.” I don’t know about you, but I agree with that statement. Of all people, did not Elvis Presley have money, fame, and anything the heart could desire? Yet, Presley understood, even if he gained all the pleasures this world had to offer, it would not bring him true fulfillment. When the auction was concluded, the Elvis Presley Bible sold for $94,600 to a collector. As I examined this story, I found the selling price particularly interesting. Clearly, the price reflected the worldly sentiment that the value of the book was determined by the person who owned the book. Now, I understand the whole “celebrity” thing. If a celebrity touched it or sat upon it, the value increases in the eyes of the world. However, do you find it ironic that, from the world’s perspective, the value of this Bible was increased by the owner of the Bible? Let’s explore this thought …