The Bible is full of promises that speak to the restoration and hope we find in God, even when our sinfulness has caused the trouble. We see one such promise in Hosea 2:15. After God brings Israel low for their transgressions, he says, “And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley … Continue reading The Valley of Trouble is a Door of Hope
As Children of God, we often find ourselves confronted by our own sinfulness. These falls can be disheartening experiences, but the book of Micah offers us profound encouragement. In Micah 7:8, after the sins of the nation have brought them low, the prophet declares as their spokesperson, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when … Continue reading Hope for Fallen Christians
We are likely more conformed to the age in which we live than we realize. Even those of us who stand firmly opposed to many of its most significant sins might still conform in other ways. We rarely recognize much of the worldliness around us because it is well-mannered and has an air of … Continue reading The Invisible Chains of Cultural Conformity
"Call upon Me in the day of trouble! I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me!" Psalm 50:1 Believer, in this portion of the divine word, you will discover 1. your present portion, trouble; 2. your constant privilege, prayer; 3. your future prospect, deliverance. 1. Your present portion is trouble. You must expect trouble, and will certainly be deceived if you expect … Continue reading Troubles, Prayer, and Deliverance
What is the weight of your soul? Though it cannot be measured by scientific means, it does have a weight of its own. The only way to measure it is to attempt to balance it on a scale against all the world deems significant. J.C. Philpot once explored this idea to our benefit. Below is … Continue reading The Weight of Your Soul
Why bother to pray? I have recently posted two articles about the power of prayer here on the blog, but I also had the opportunity to preach a sermon on the same topic this past Lord’s Day at Bethel Grace Baptist Church. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, we … Continue reading The Power of Prayer [Sermon]
We often approach the Word of God as if we are above it—as if we are the judge to determine what is significant and what is not. We do this unconsciously when we give Scripture a surface-level reading and think we have given it the consideration it deserves. We regularly sit as judges over the … Continue reading An Encounter with the Word
Sometimes, to protect a passage of scripture from the abuses it receives from those who twist it, we add so many qualifications that we eliminate not only the false teaching but also the profound truth it communicates. We find one such passage in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, “Ask, and it will … Continue reading The Power of Prayer
Sin wants us to itself. We find this heart-stopping line in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work, Life Together. “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in … Continue reading Sin Wants Us Isolated
Jesus will pronounce many people "unclean" when they stand before him, because they do not accept the deeper teaching of this verse. -Click to Read More
The Fight of Faith 