Posts (Page 12)

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) As Christians, we know that this universal sense of imperfection and that our moral failures incur debts are rooted ultimately in our estrangement from our Creator. Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall…

“The kingdom is the Lord’s, and He rules over the nations” (Psalms 22:28)   Understanding God’s sovereignty over the nations opens the door to peace. When we realize that God influences the hearts of all rulers, we can then choose to pray for them rather than fret about them. Rather than wring our hands we bend our knees, we select prayer over despair. Jeremiah did…

I have never heard a sermon on what I consider to be, perhaps, the greatest text on the subject; namely, III John 8. Which is as follows:  We, therefore, ought to take up (support) such men   so that we may be fellow-workers for the truth.  Gaius, along with unnamed others, had been thrown out of the church by Diotrophes (whom we assume was the pastor), who refused to…

“These were more fair-minded … in that they received the word with all readiness…” [Acts 17:11] Just think what our lives might be, if only we heard every sermon as the Bereans heard Paul’s sermons. If only we heard the Word so gladly and then considered it carefully, comparing it with the Holy Scripture as a whole — not only to verify its…

“Father in heaven, long ago you wrested Abraham from the grip of idolatry, delivered your people at the Red Sea, and preserved them in the wilderness. You reversed the curses of Balaak and issued blessings through Balaam. You gave your people a home they did not build, and food they did not…

When Peter says “Be holy for the Lord is holy” he’s obviously encouraging us to pursue likeness to God. But precisely where do we look to find this? I think holiness needs to be seen in a Trinitarian framework where we think of imitating the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When God says “be holy for I…

The stories of the Old Testament contain much more than mere moral lessons. In fact, these stories reveal a bigger story, a more expansive plot. While we can and must learn from the good examples we find in the Bible, we need to see that what unites these stories isn’t morality but redemption. From Adam to Abraham to David, all of these Old Testament characters and…

A holy heart is the garden where God plants the flower of His love. God’s love to His people is an ancient love, it dates from eternity: Ephesians 1:4, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him” He loves them with a choice, distinguishing love; they are the “dearly beloved of His soul.”…

(7) A right heart is HONEST, UNDIVIDED and TRUE “But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15) “of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks” (1 Chronicles 12:33) “Let…

(6) A right heart is a heart that FEELS CONFLICT within it.   “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:17) It finds within itself two opposing principles contending for the mastery—the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit…