Obedience From The Heart
But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” I Samuel 15:22 The words of Christ to His Father not as I will but as […]
The Self-Sufficiency of Babylon
You have forgotten God your savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Isaiah 17:10 The nations in the time of Isaiah were filled with turmoil. The city of Babylon is seen throughout both the Old and New Testaments as a city plagued with pride and self-sufficiency. Babylon symbolizes the world powers arrayed […]
Numbness
I’ve been so busy the last few months. This has been an unusually strenuous season of ministry. Nothing’s out of control, but I have little margin. The work is good and worthwhile, and there’s fruit to be seen. I’m tired, though. Last week I was asking a friend for prayer, and I tried to sum […]
Christ, the Living Stone
…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. […]
All Under the Power of Sin
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. Romans 3:9 Paul says that all people are under the power of sin. Speaking to the 1st Century church, he uses language that reflects the domination of […]
Jehovah, the Holy One
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:1-2 Jehovah is a holy God, and He expects us to be a holy people. When Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God, the consequences of their […]
God’s Kindness Leads to Repentance
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? Romans 2:4 It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. He is patient, desiring that none should perish. As I meditate on this Scripture, I am reminded of how often […]
All Under the Power of Sin
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. Romans 3:9 Paul says that all people are under the power of sin. Speaking to the 1st Century church, he uses language that reflects the domination of […]
Jehovah, the Holy One
The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:1-2 Jehovah is a holy God, and He expects us to be a holy people. When Adam and Eve sinned and disobeyed God, the consequences of their […]
Stumbling Blocks
We all want to be good people; good citizens. And hopefully, we are. But it’s difficult in a fast paced-make money-seek significance-power hungry world. I have heard it said, “If you cannot keep up the pace get out of the race.” Years ago, I got out of the race. I met Jesus and my identity, […]