There are so many who bristle at the word “command.” This is because Satan has succeeded in interfering with the correct perception of God’s character. Instead of the loving Redeemer that He is, whose will it is to lead us out of our lost condition, the adversary paints Him as a cruel taskmaster.
Read MoreIn the pagan nations surrounding the land of promise, there was a broadly practiced custom of private vengeance whereby a close relative of anyone who had died at the hand of another was obliged to find the killer and kill him. This designated person was referred to as the avenger of blood.
Read MoreThere is a subtle brand of liberality which regards correct understanding of God’s word as non-essential. But, by God’s grace, history is dotted with His true servants who, for the love of truth, powerfully contended against false teachers.
Read MoreLooking to the Savior has a distinctly uplifting effect. This new paradigm brings with it a compassionate perception of the needs of others. God’s purpose in saving us is to give us a role in His plan of redemption. This is the highest honor and privilege given to man.
Read MoreIt is not likely that any of us fully comprehends the wickedness of our own heart. But if God’s Son has been truly believed upon, He takes that faith as an invitation to come into our hearts and begin the process of His cleansing work. It is essential to acknowledge our part in allowing Him to enter.
Read MoreIt is not a coincidence that Jesus was trained as a carpenter by His earthly father. The skillful input of shaping, fitting, sanding and refining is an apt metaphor for the work of the Creator as He molds our character.
Read MoreIt is obvious that God is a lover of beauty. But above all that is visibly beautiful, His greatest delight is in beauty of character, yet this is the one thing over which He has given us total control.
Read MoreNowhere in all of the Bible is there any change of the Sabbath day. But God, who sees the future, knew that it would be attempted (Daniel 7:25). Sunday-keeping is a tradition of uninspired men and it breaks God’s fourth commandment. God blessed the Sabbath and made it holy. Only He can do that. When God blesses, no man can “reverse” it (see Numbers 23:20).
Read MoreSatan intensified his efforts to undermine God’s identity as Creator when the theory of evolution burst upon the scene in 1844. But long before that, he began working to undermine His identity as our Redeemer. There is an orderly way that both creation and redemption are presented in the Word. Both are processes. They are also intertwined . . .
Read MoreThere are prevalent pagan practices which are presented under a manmade premise of honoring God. While there may seem to be an immediate reward that follows a human work, it is a fact that human work outside the will of God ushers in future troubles. On the other hand, present obedience brings future blessings!
Read MoreBeloved, do you value the Lord’s counsel above all human wisdom? It is a fact that His counsel is on a superior plain than that of human wisdom, insight or knowledge.
Read MoreThe covenant relationship that God designed for a man and his wife—the marriage commitment—is frequently compared to the covenant relationship that He designed and desires between Himself and His people. Such a relationship is characterized by love, loyalty, and faithfulness.
Read MoreLooking around, he realized that veering off of the path of righteousness casts a pallor over everything.
Read MoreA fundamental lesson taught repeatedly in God’s word is that we are to follow His instructions. Satan is consistently at work to propagate various commands that differ from the Word. Whom we obey determines where our loyalty lies, and ultimately whether or not we will live eternally.
Read MoreThe fullness of God’s character is expressed in great contrasts. He is high and lofty, yet with us in our bleakest, lowest moments; a mighty lion and a gentle lamb. . .
Read MoreIf we truly desire to live for Jesus, we will earnestly long for others to know Him. We will be ready to forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. A balanced Christian life is meant to be like a ‘slice of heaven’ for others to taste.
Read MoreThere was a coming out, a decided separation from the wicked, an escape for life. So it was in the days of Noah; so with Lot; so with the disciples prior to the destruction of Jerusalem; and so it will be in the last days.
Read MoreLeaving his country behind was not just about traveling to another earthly place that was better than the one abandoned. Neither was it about having lots of children when faced with barrenness. God’s promise to Abraham was (and is!) about the salvation of the world.
Read MoreAnother deterrent to effective prayer is a subconscious ‘unsureness’ of God. Our intimacy with Him is interrupted when our prayers emerge from a preconceived notion of what the outcome must be. We feel we must tell God how to tend the situations we bring before Him.
Read MoreIn humility we are to maintain a consistent, loving witness while trusting the Holy Spirit to do the impossible. God has the power to save the “unsavable”. . .
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