Some teachers of the truth should be listened to but not imitated. Simply holding a leadership position in a church or preaching a good sermon does not mean we are godly. The Pharisees were often a picture of this. Not everything they said was false. They taught the law of Moses, and this is why Jesus said of them, "Observe what they tell … Continue reading Woe to the Pretenders of Godliness
The closer we follow Jesus, the more we realize this world is not our home. Jesus, himself, had no place to lay his head, and we are indeed strangers and aliens in this world, where the people follow the prince and power of the air. We, too, were once like them. We were dead fish … Continue reading Mansions for Homeless Souls
In the Christian's devotional life, prayer has an essential place. The godly men of the Bible were all men of prayer. Jesus, who showed us in Himself the ideal Christian life, had regular habits of prayer. He who would live the Christian life well, must regularly commune with God! It is important, however, that we … Continue reading What Does Communion with God Look Like?
Many people live with leanness of soul. It is a spiritual condition related to gratitude, and we get a glimpse of it in Psalm 106. The psalm begins by calling the people of God to praise and thanksgiving. The following 12 verses continue by reminding them of God’s great and merciful works. How He showed His power and set … Continue reading Thanksgiving, Gratitude, and Leanness of Soul
In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. - 1 Peter 1:6 Those two little words, “if necessary,” contain a world of truth. In the prior verses, Peter has just informed us of our glorious salvation in Jesus and the new birth he has … Continue reading If Necessary, You Have Been Grieved
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of … Continue reading The Description of the Godly Man
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" -Psalm 43:5 It is one source of the eternal freshness of the Psalms that they tell the story of a struggling soul. They open a window on to that battlefield with which no other battle can be compared, the moral struggle of the individual with himself. And … Continue reading The Poetry of the Disheartened Soul
The Lord is my present help and salvation. Though we are troubled with poverty, shame, or any other affliction, God is our salvation and help. If you are in trouble, God is deliverance; if you are persecuted by malicious enemies, God is your castle. Who is a rock, except our God? I call upon the … Continue reading If You Are in Trouble, God is Deliverance
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. -Ephesians 3:8 The apostle Paul felt it a great privilege to be allowed to preach the gospel. He did not look upon his calling as a drudgery, but … Continue reading The Idler’s Conceit and the Worker’s Humility
The heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 19:1 When we look at the universe, we wonder at the magnificence. We stand in awe as the massive spheres move perfectly in their orbits. We stand amazed at the power of our sun and realize it pales in comparison to many other stars, let alone the vastness … Continue reading Recognizing the Glory of God
The Fight of Faith 