What has Paul been doing in Galatia? He’s been engaged in the spiritually exhausting, emotionally demanding, mentally taxing work of introducing sinners to Jesus and trying his best to make sure they understand who Jesus is and what He did and what that now means for them. It’s labor, he says, toil, struggle; it’s hard work.
Read MoreI’ve been reflecting on the Bible’s historicity. That is the question of whether the story of the Bible is meant to be read as existing within the same universe, the same timeline, on the same planet, having the same sorts of people, as our lives. The answer, of course, is yes: The Bible is clearly, thickly, meant to be read as historical. All measures of historicity verify this.
Read MorePsalm 112 describes a man whose "righteousness endures forever." In ten verses there are three references to how "his righteousness endures forever... he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever." (3, 6, 9)
Read MoreLast week’s devotional (“Good is Perfect”) captured was has been such a helpful truth for me through the years. And it’s one that puts us on a much more biblical, practical, realistic, foundation for life with God. See, God didn’t design us to be perfect, He designed us to be useful, “good” for His purposes. The question isn’t, “How can I be a better me this year?” It’s, “How can I be of more use to my Lord?”
Read MoreWhen the Bible uses the word “perfect” it means “good.” And this is a more useful standard for us to employ.
Read MoreAs a Bible Church, we believe it is important for us to read God's Word.
It is one of those simple, non-spectacular, habits--along with prayer and church attendance--that accounts for so much of our spiritual health or unhealth. No one who neglects these habits will be spiritually healthy. Anyone who invests in them will get healthier.
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1Co 15:1-2)
Read More"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch... that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit....4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (Joh 15:1-5)
Read MoreFew places in Scripture give such close attention to the nature of God's relationship with us. We are often admonished to consider the love of the Lord, but here we see what that looks like. And so we encounter God's thoughts toward us, His knowledge and love for us, in detail. And this carries significant implications for how we think about God and how we live as His people.
Read MoreJeremiah 31 describes a day of redemption. (31:11) It tells of a time when “they shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,” and “I will turn their mourning into joy… and give them gladness for sorrow.” (13) It’s a day when the LORD will “make a new covenant with the house of Israel.” (31) This refers to work of Jesus: “This is the New Covenant, in My blood.”
Read MoreThe fellow formerly known as Legion wanted to go with Jesus. Who wouldn’t!? After all Jesus had done for him—setting Him free, washing Him clean—that makes good sense. We all want to walk with Jesus. Amen.
Read MoreLast week we met “a man with an unclean spirit who lived among the tombs.” And we saw Jesus go out of His way to meet this man and set Him free. Jesus haunts the haunted places and sends the demons away. He is greater-than and He is not afraid.
Read MoreIn Mark 5, Jesus steps out of the boat and is immediately confronted by “a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs.” (2-3)
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.(Psalm 63:1)
“This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” -Jesus, Mark 9:29
Jesus’ disciples had just asked Him, “Why could we not cast out the unclean spirit in that child?”
“What account is he?” This means: they don’t count. You don’t need their approval to be who you are or do what you’re supposed to do. They can’t approve of you (or disapprove of you). They don’t count because you don’t have to give an account to them. They’re not your master; they breathe air through their nostrils just like you do.
Read MoreEcclesiastes 1:9 says, What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, 'See! This is new!' It has been already in the ages before us. The author of Ecclesiastes, we should point out, wrote roughly 3,000 years ago. Since then, only one new thing has happened. Only one thing has happened that is truly, genuinely, new. And we call it The Good News.
Do you ever wonder what God sees when He looks down upon us?
God sees all that is. God sees “the things now hidden in darkness.” God knows “the purposes of the heart.” (1Cor 4:5) God sees and knows all sin.
Psalm 150 is the final psalm.149 reflections precede it. 149 poems, songs, and laments describe the wide variety of experiences of walking with God. They describe God in unique ways. We know Him through the psalms as a fearful God, a strange God, a wondrous God, a tender God, a gentle and loving God, a ferocious God, a faithful God. The Psalms are the variety of the experiences of God.
Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.
I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.
Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!
(Psa 31:21-24)
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