Strength for Today; Hope for Tomorrow
God, who is unchanging, gives His people strength to do His will today and hope that someday our struggles and burdens will end when we see Him....
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....
Surprise! Role Reversals from God
God in His Providence is able to surprise people by a switch in places either actually or figuratively for their growth in faith and godliness....
Keep ReadingGod’s Ambassadors
God has appointed His people to be His ambassadors to those who do not know Him. The gospel goes out by word of mouth from those who have believed....
Keep ReadingWhen Believers Suffer
Believers are not automatically sheltered from suffering, but God is sovereign, good, and trustworthy whether or not He reveals His purpose for it....
Keep ReadingWanted: Celestial Mediator
The dilemma of fallen man since the Garden of Eden is to learn how to be right before God. Job called in agony for a celestial mediator. And God answered....
Keep ReadingThe Danger of Forsaking the Fear of the Almighty
When people lose their reverent fear of God, they are capable of all manner of atrocities toward other human beings made in His image....
Keep ReadingEveryone’s a Theologian
RC Sproul says, “Everyone’s a theologian, but not all are good theologians.” See how speech under great stress revealed two men to be excellent theologians....
Keep ReadingNobodies Made Famous by God
Those whom God chooses and uses for His purposes need not hold high standing in their society. Here we meet two ordinary men--nobodies until God used them....
Keep ReadingObedience by Faith
Queen Esther risked her life to obey God. So did the apostles. We applaud them now, but at the time they had to practice obedience by faith....
Keep ReadingThe Faithful Church Impacts Culture
The presence of God’s people within an unbelieving culture impacts that society. But will we learn from history and stand firm for the truth in our day?...
Keep ReadingPraying to a Big God for Big Things
How a person prays reflects much about his or her faith in and knowledge of God. Today we get a look at the prayer lives of three great men of God....
Keep ReadingGod or Government? Choosing Whom to Obey
God’s people understand that our secular rulers are servants of God who must be obeyed except when they command disobedience to the Lord....
Keep ReadingThe Importance of Expository Preaching
Good preaching is modeled in the Bible. But it is too scarce in pulpits today. Are you hearing sound preaching as the Bible commands and demonstrates?...
Keep ReadingGenerosity and Contentment: How we know we're saved
Faith alone saves, but since it is invisible how do we know we are saved? Here are two concrete evidences....
Keep ReadingEmotional Engagement
The life of faith is not a cold, intellectual exercise. The presence of God manifested by His mighty works brings deep emotional engagement to the believer....
Keep ReadingTo the End of the Earth
What is the relationship of the Christian to the world? God prohibits marriage to unbelievers, but sends us to evangelize them to the end of the earth....
Keep ReadingFollowing Christ without Distraction
God calls people to avoid distractions and focus on following Christ through careful study and applying of His Word. But when we fail is there any hope?...
Keep ReadingLife in Christ: More than a Temple
The temple was glorious but when God took on flesh and dwelt among us in His Son, He gave us more than a building. He gave us Himself. He gave us life....
Keep ReadingGod’s Sovereignty in Human History
God providentially and sovereignly rules over every event of history, whether the participants recognize it or not. Here we meet two examples of this truth....
Keep ReadingFleeing to Satan? Really?
Who would flee to Satan? If you think no one would ever consciously do that, read on. It is done every day by those who reject the Incarnate Son of God....
Keep ReadingA Basis for Confidence
Our hope is not in the triumph of an earthly kingdom, but in the coming of the Kingdom of God. Meanwhile, we serve Him with confidence. ...
Keep ReadingWhat to do when obedience brings ridicule
The price of obedience to God can be extremely high. Obedience must be by faith, because it does not always bring instant positive reinforcement....
Keep ReadingMeans of Grace in a Hostile Place
God sends us into a hostile place, and He preserves us in it by the means of grace: His word, the sacraments, and prayer....
Keep ReadingForgiveness for the Fickle
Here we meet the contrasting examples of the fickle King Joash and the triumphant King Jesus. We can trust in the One who overcame the world....
Keep ReadingThe Army that Self-destructed
God will be glorified and His and our enemies will self-destruct as we maintain our focus on Him, our confidence in Him, and our praise toward Him....
Keep ReadingDangerous Alliances with God-haters
The disciple of Jesus Christ walks carefully proclaiming the gospel to the lost but avoiding alliances with those who hate God....
Keep ReadingWho me? God’s Fellow Worker?
God gives His people productive work and He supports them in it. Paul understood this when he wrote, “We are God’s fellow workers” I Corinthians 3:9....
Keep ReadingSetting our Hearts to Seek the Lord
Evil men take God’s resources and attempt to use them to oppose Him. Rehoboam and Judas exemplify this principle. But in the end, they die....
Keep ReadingTwo Kings in Contrast
Today we meet two kings: Solomon and Jesus. Though kings they could not be more different in their lives and in their deaths....
Keep ReadingChoosing which Glory to Seek
Everyone must choose which glory to seek: the glory that comes from other people or the glory that comes from God. We cannot remain ambivalent....
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