When Naomi and I were engaged to be married, a brother in Christ offered us this advice: “The world will work relentlessly to separate you.” This warning alerted my wife and me to our need for constant maintenance of our relationship. Since the Scriptures use marriage...
Isaiah 53 is the gospel in the Old Testament. Many Jews and most rabbis will not read it. In fact, they are forbidden to read it.1 It concerns the vicarious sufferings and death of Jehovah’s Servant who we know and believe is Christ Jesus, our Lord. As a nation the...
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.””Luke 2:13-14 The birth of a child was a very special occasion in Israel, particularly if the...
The purpose of all patterns and types in Scripture is to declare the glory of God through metaphoric form. The pattern of order for the Church to follow is for this purpose—it declares God’s wisdom and grace in the Church (Eph. 3:9-11). God is presently using the...
In chapter 15 of John, the Lord Jesus Christ gives believers a powerful exhortation when he says, “Herein is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples” (John 15:8). We are told that we are to glorify the Father and bear much fruit if...
The universal body of Christ provides immediate “membership” to believers in Christ (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 4:3-4). This world-wide universal body of Christ is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The local church assembly needs not to offer...
The apostle John wrote in his first epistle, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13, NASB). The believer has peace with God, eternal security independent...
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Exodus 12:13 The blood on the lintel secured Israel’s peace. There was nothing more required in order to enjoy settled peace, in reference to the destroying angel, than the application of the blood of sprinkling. God...
People intuitively demand justice. Unfairness and unrighteousness move them to indignation. If their rights are trampled on, they revert to the revolutionary-era motto: “Don’t tread on me.” Perceived wrongs produce anger and lasting bitterness, often leading to...
Perhaps the most serious consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic is the impact on the church. Almost every local church has experienced some degree of division over differing opinions and reactions. This is regrettable to say the least, particularly in light of Paul’s...
Silence in Practice In 1 Timothy 2, Paul first instructs men (not women) “to pray everywhere while lifting up holy hands”; 1 Tim. 2:8). The lifting of hands while leading God’s people in prayer followed the practice of Jewish priests and kings (Lev. 9:22; 1 Kgs....
A Plea to Return to New Testament Principles Romanticism, characterized by its emphasis on the glorification of the past, was at its peak in the first half of the nineteenth century. Not surprisingly, its influence was at work in the ecclesiastical world of...
“Question authority” was the self-defining cry of the baby boomer generation. A half century on from the adoption of that credo, their children and grandchildren see no need to question it, for they believe that authority resides in themselves. In an age where truth...
Scripture affirms that not only is God wise but He alone is wise: “to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” (Rom. 16:27; see also 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25). It is this wisdom which enables Him to attain right ends in a way that most...
What does God desire from the Church during her earthly sojourn? The answer is to reveal “the manifold wisdom of God…to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”…“to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13, 3:10). We are to glorify God by magnifying Christ in every situation (Phil. 1:20). As directed by God, selfless […]
The Lord’s Table and the Lord’s Supper These two phrases are often used interchangeably in assembly circles. This begs the question, are they both referring to the same thing? Do we gather on a Sunday at the Lord’s Table to observe the Lord’s Supper or is there a distinction? Context A proper interpretation of any […]
The Christian’s Security and Assurance in Christ That “Salvation is of the Lord” is a good thing, for if man had any part in it, it would be inherently unstable (John 2:9). If being saved were a cooperative effort between humans and God, then our moral frailty would engender eternal insecurity within us. Thankfully, well-known […]
Introduction Jonah has been called the wayward prophet. I would like to suggest that he is a prophet with an attitude! God gave him a clear command to do something and he did the exact opposite. Yet after chastening him, God, in grace and mercy, gave him a second chance. With that second chance, He […]
Some people are last minute shoppers while others are on the other end of the spectrum, having already bought their Christmas gifts in early summer. Contemplating the infinite gift of the ages, the eternal God purposed in eternity to give His eternal Son to us (Titus 1:2). Yet the revelation of this Gift was gradually […]
The apostle Paul commenting on the perfect deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus wrote “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” (1 Tim. 3:16) W.E. Vine defines the word “mystery” as being “outside the range of unassisted natural comprehension and can only be made known by […]