by Ray Viola | Aug 22, 2025 | Devotionals
When Jesus turned the money changers’ tables over in the temple, He declared that His house was to be called a house of prayer, but they had turned it into a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-17). While He was on earth His disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray”...
by Ray Viola | Aug 21, 2025 | Devotionals
We can point our fingers and cross reference our doctrinal “proof texts” until we are blue in the face, but if there is no real love for our brothers and sisters in Christ, according to John, our alleged conversion is a farce (1 John 3:14,15). Make no mistake about...
by Ray Viola | Aug 20, 2025 | Contemporary Christianity
How we handle our differences within the body of Christ in those “gray areas” dealt with in Romans 14 is a critical part in maintaining the spiritual health of the church family. We see in Romans 15 that Paul wrote to a body of Jewish and Gentile believers who were...
by Ray Viola | Aug 19, 2025 | Devotionals
The church of Smyrna was told by the risen Lord Jesus that it would face an intense time of persecution, but not to be afraid (Revelation 2:10). Put yourself in that sanctuary that morning when the messenger of the church stood before them to make the morning...
by Ray Viola | Aug 18, 2025 | Devotionals
One of the idols of contemporary Christianity is the idol of activity. You would think that busyness always meant godliness. Undoubtedly there is the true work of God that is a labor of love, night and day (1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8), but it is very...