“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Paul had been anxious to hear from Titus how the Corinthian church had received his first letter. Had they...
“For He Himself is our peace…” Ephesians 2:14 There is a well-known story of a Canadian missionary couple working with Indonesian tribal groups in the 1960’s who became increasingly frustrated with the tribes’ treacherous actions. When the missionaries threatened to...
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 Various times in the Old Testament the pre-incarnate Son of God temporarily visited earth, drawing near to encourage, teach, and commission His servants. For example, the Lord visited Abraham in Mamre (Gen....
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore.” Psalms 86:11-12 When the Lord decided to replace Saul as king, He spoke to him...
Every member of a relay team is vital to its success. They must brilliantly run their leg of the race and then securely hand off the baton to the next runner. Similarly, each believer may be viewed as a runner on a multi-generational relay team, responsible for...
That Rock Was Christ “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’” Matthew 16:15 In 2013, I was in Caesarea Philippi, located twenty-five miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the southwest base of Mount Hermon, three miles south of...
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 Typically, many people around the...
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 In Washington DC, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, there is an elaborate ceremony that takes place at appointed...
It is truly wonderful to witness the transformation that takes place when someone comes to know the Lord. I for one have seen the undeniable evidence of many lives dramatically changed to the glory of God. For years, I worked at a Christian conference center and...
“…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Ephesians 4:22 I remember the event as if it were yesterday, even though it took place more than 40 years ago. At the time, I worked as a produce...
“…so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe… also in every place your faith toward God is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.” 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 The question has often been asked “Is there any such thing as the...
…when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 When Moses uttered the words “for their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deut. 32:31), he did more than just declare a mild difference between the...
“If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.” 1 Corinthians 3:14 We often sing the hymn, “Glad day, glad day! Is it the crowning day? I’ll live for today, nor anxious be; Jesus, my Lord I soon shall see; Glad day, glad day! Is it the...
“…And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace…” Isaiah 9:6 Asking my co-worker years ago how she came to name her son, she caught me by surprise when she said, “I made it up.” I had expected her to say that it was...
When Nehemiah received word from one of his brethren that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates had been burned with fire, he sat down and wept after hearing this disturbing news (Neh. 1:2-3). It was disappointing enough that the conditions of the wall...
“So, then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Galatians 3:9 It was King David who cried out, “Help, Lord; for the godly man ceases; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” (Ps. 12:1). A generation later, his son Solomon...
“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.”Hebrews 6:9 In writing to the Hebrews, the author of that epistle draws from the world of nature to present the case for effective...
…“He [Benaiah] also had gone and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day.” 2 Samuel 23:20 The achievements of David’s mighty men recorded in 2 Samuel 23 is truly worth reading with a ready heart and a ready mind. How David inspired these distressed,...
“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord…declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:3-4 “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all...
“but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”Joshua 24:15 These words spoken by Joshua to the children of Israel after their conquest of the land, stated the matter very clearly. Regardless of Israel’s choices, Joshua’s commitment to the Lord was firmly fixed....