Our Role in Culture: Finding the Balance
Can believers make a positive impact on culture without being consumed by it? How can we avoid the dangers and find the balance?...
Keep ReadingMiracle in the Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel shows us the stunning contrast of spiritual death and God's power. His life-giving power overcomes even hopeless death....
Learning to Relish Isaiah
Isaiah challenges us, but we can learn to relish this prophecy. Here's why and how to glean much from the prophet Jesus quoted frequently....
Luke: the unlikely gospel writer
If we consider that the writer of the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles was not Jewish but a Gentile and not a fisherman but a physician who never met Jesus in person (Colossians 4:14), we might expect his gospel to have a somewhat different flavor from the others. Our expectations will not be disappointed...
When Kingdoms Fall
Kingdoms fall. So what should we do? Wring our hands and weep? It happened to Israel and Judah. What can we learn from their history?...
Learning Contentment; Awaiting Glory
Our readings this week show that nothing in this world will ever completely satisfy us. But there is One who does fill our souls....
Good Lessons from Bad Kingdoms
Ever wonder why we read about the failed kings of Israel and Judah? Are there good lessons from bad kingdoms? Yes, indeed! Read on and see....
The Joy of Being in Christ
It is hard to exaggerate all the joy of life in Christ. Do you know what it means to be in Him? This theme runs through Paul's letters....
Reflections on Reading Poetry and Proverbs
Mary and I recently took a drive through a scenic part of our rural Virginia county on a beautiful late Spring afternoon. We drove as slowly as was prudent in order to drink in the sights and smells of newly mowed hay fields, wildflowers and honeysuckle, cows and calves, sheep and goats, rolling hills and mountain peaks....
David as King
The Bible gives us a rather in depth look at the life of David. We are fortunate in this because there are many great lessons to learn from one whose life would otherwise be an enigma....
Emotions and the Imago Dei
Our emotions can be troublesome leading us down paths we later regret, but should we attempt to escape them? Or can they be redeemed by God for a good purpose?...
Time Out
I hope you were able to complete our scheduled reading for last week in 1 Samuel 21-31 and Psalms 16-30....
God’s Providence in an Historic Moment
Many ask why certain occurrences happen. The Bible doesn't answer all our questions, but it does teach us what we need to know--that God is in control of the most personal details of human life as well as of the events at the highest levels of nations and empires....
False Teachers: why they abound & what to do
False prophets and deceptive teachers are everywhere now and always. But do you know why so many follow them? Do you know how to protect yourself from them?...
Keep ReadingPreparing for the Bad, Last Days
What should we do to prepare for the future? Scripture is clear. Know God’s Word well and you will be ready to complete whatever assignment God has for you....
Keep ReadingChrist, Our Righteousness
In Jesus Christ there is sure salvation. Why? Because those of us whom He saves do not depend on our own merits. Rather, He is our righteousness....
Keep ReadingThe Calling to Carry a Cross
Obedience to God does not prevent all suffering. Two godly men were unjustly imprisoned, and Jesus calls His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him....
Keep ReadingFlee Idols; Worship God
God rules over all things, including us. He promises blessings as we flee idols and honor and submit to Him willing. If not, great suffering will be ours....
Keep ReadingCompetition for Glory
When God is ignored or rejected, the vacuum left is filled with something else, something which usurps the glory due to Him....
Keep ReadingThe Danger of Neglecting God’s Word
When we neglect the Word of God and the Scriptures are not taught or not heeded or both, evil feels normal and people stand under God’s judgment....
Keep ReadingWhat a Church Leader Needs
Local churches need leaders but what do those leaders need? Here we find a clear answer from the Apostle Paul and a vivid example from the Prophet Jeremiah....
Keep ReadingHealing for Sin-sick Souls
Sin causes pain and death, but the sinless Lord Jesus Christ’s pain and death resulted in a full and final cure for the iniquity of His people....
Keep ReadingConscience: Good or Bad?
The one whose conscience no longer functions is not content to merely destroy himself, but he seeks to bring down others with him....
Keep ReadingGod’s Plan; Our Part
God is working out a plan to redeem His elect people from all the nations of the earth. It will succeed. Do you know your part in this grand plan?...
Keep ReadingThe Meaning and Purpose of Life
In God, we see our lives are not a result of random molecules coming together, but we are chosen by Him and for Him. We have meaning and purpose....
Keep ReadingWhat God Wants
God needs nothing from us. Everything we have comes from Him and belongs to Him. But there is something He wants from us. Does He find it in you?...
Keep ReadingDon’t Put Out the Fire of the Spirit
Christians, beware! Although our relationship with God is secure, we can act in ways that seriously jeopardize our fellowship with the Holy Spirit....
Keep ReadingSin--Why We Can’t See God
Sin is what blocks us from seeing and hearing God. He calls us to holiness, but we disobey especially in the area of sexual purity and love toward others....
Keep ReadingDistress and Comfort
The Christian rests in his relationship to God through Christ and finds comfort when the spiritual state of those he loves distresses him....
Keep ReadingThe Victory of the Gospel
Will the gospel win the victory? God’s word--though ignored, thwarted, ridiculed, and opposed--will always triumph. He guarantees it....
Keep ReadingThe Extent of Salvation
How far does salvation extend? God saves people completely and He saves them everywhere--from every tribe and tongue and nation to the ends of the earth....
Keep ReadingLife Under Surveillance
Believers are under surveillance, and they are called to live so that neither their lifestyle nor their speech enable disbelief by others....
Keep ReadingGod Wins; Don’t Fight Him
At the end of this age, God wins. Each of us must decide today. Do we take Him as our God or substitute something else, something earthly?...
Keep ReadingComplete in Him
Do you feel incomplete in yourself? We should, because God’s full deity is in Christ and only in Him are we complete having all we could ever need....
Keep ReadingWhy Nothing is Going Wrong
Ultimately, nothing is going wrong, because Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of all things, including us who believe in Him. His will is being done perfectly....
Keep ReadingWhy Everything is Going Wrong
Why does it seem everything is going wrong? We will never find the solution to our problems, until we find the cause of them....
Keep ReadingNo Confidence in the Flesh
The only path to acceptance before God is the way of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone can make us righteous. Flee from any confidence in your flesh....
Keep ReadingIt’s About God
What is life about? The Bible tells us there is coming a day of judgment. Every knee will bow before God and recognize Him. Life is about Him--not us....
Keep ReadingZion: The City Filled with Righteousness
The ultimate aim of the Christian is to bear the fruit of righteousness that comes from God and brings Him glory and praise. Our destiny is Zion....
Keep ReadingAuthenticity in Worship and Work
God hates hypocrisy whether done in the name of religion or done in the workplace. We ought to be alert to its presence and repent of it promptly....
Keep ReadingTo Spiritually Multi-task
God’s people are called to walk in holiness and bear fruit that glorifies Him. By His grace and the power of His Spirit we can spiritually multi-task....
Keep ReadingGod’s Grand Narrative
Though we live in a time of corruption and conflict, God's grand narrative for His people comforts us and assures us. He will complete it with certainty....
Keep ReadingThe Purposes of God
God’s purposes include all nations, all peoples, and all times and result in the exaltation of Jesus Christ as Lord of all....
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