When I say the word “city,” what picture comes to your mind? Some people think of lights and wonderful opportunities. Some people think of crime, smog and traffic. These people see city life as Henry David Thoreau once described, as “millions of people being lonesome together.” A sad picture indeed.

Regardless of how you view cities, aren’t you glad that Jesus desperately loves them? Remember in Matthew when Jesus is weeping over Jerusalem? He loves cities! And, one of the pictures of heaven is the “city of God.” God wouldn’t use that picture if He didn’t care about cities. No matter where people are, city or country, there will be sin. Even if the people in your life aren’t perfect and aren’t friendly, they still need the Lord.

My friend, do not ignore your city, or your street, today. The world’s cities need a revival caused by changed hearts that only the Gospel can activate! YOU may be the only person willing to share God’s Good News with your bus driver. With the person next to you on the Subway. With your taxi driver. YOU have a purpose in your city. Say “YES!” to reaching your world today for Jesus Christ!

Do you know someone who is mathematically and scientifically minded? Maybe that person is you! You love experiments. Your thought process is linear. You like equations, evidence and proof.

Now, many argue that science clashes with God. They say that a decent scientist cannot believe in God. However, God never stifles pure science- never. Believing in God actually helps a scientist enjoy his research even more! To put it simply, the Bible does not say to the scientist, “Believe in God, shut your mouth and shut off your brain.”

In fact, the Bible says to the scientist, “Believe in God, the Creator, and enjoy the search for different truths of God’s creation.”

In the Bible, Paul writes to the Romans, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” You see? All of creation points back to God! Do you have a skeptical, science-minded friend around?

Encourage this person to enjoy science through the lens of faith in God. And God’s written revelation in the Bible. The Bible has power! Get them reading the Bible and you never know what can happen in your life. Their faith will only increase as God reveals Himself through scientific study.

In a recent conversation I had with an atheist friend of mine, he said, “The Bible is good literature. Integrating Hebrew, Greek and Roman culture, it abounds in beautiful prose, proverbs and poems. What is more, he continued, it has formulated many ethical standards for many people, then and now.”

My friend is exactly right! He understands the essential meaning of the Bible from the writers’ perspective. But what distinguishes a Christian’s belief about the Bible from an atheist’s is that we see the Bible as part of God’s total revelation to man.

God is personal, having created us humans to be in relationship with Himself. And because He is invisible, He chose to reveal Himself in written form through the Bible. Christians believe the Bible is inspired by God.

That even as human authors wrote freely, God made sure the end result was everything He wanted us to know about Him. That’s why we call it inerrancy- it has no errors. In the book of II Samuel in the Bible, it says, “the word of God is flawless.” The more we study it, the better we get to know God and His ways.

Let God reveal something new about Himself to you. Dig in to His flawless Word today. It does NOT disappoint and you will be very spiritually motivated!

Many people today attack the authority of God’s Word. They throw out certain passages they don’t understand, and question many others. Yet Jesus Himself recognized the Scriptures as God’s perfect Word. The Bible itself clearly states in 2nd Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed.” So if you’ve recently led someone to faith in Jesus, it’s critical to establish the truth and authenticity of the Bible with them. Remind your new brother or sister in the Lord that the Bible is God’s authoritative word. Nothing in God’s Word is unimportant. Now, not all of truth in the Bible is immediately understandable. So if your friend is struggling to understand a passage, encourage them to pray about it, and talk to someone who can help them gain insight. Nothing that the Lord has said in the Bible should ever be treated irreverently or dismissed. By accepting the Bible as God’s Word, your friend will experience authority, power, and fellowship in their new relationship with God. Belief in the full authority of Scripture is vital to living an authentic, victorious Christian life! Only through such faith can your friend receive all that God has in store for them