The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential because it proves everything the gospel claims. It confirms Jesus as the true Messiah, the very sign he promised to give. It shows that his atoning work was fully accepted, that the ransom for sin was paid, and that we are justified. His resurrection gives believers new … Continue reading Why is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ so important?
hope
The Dark Night of the Soul (Psalm 42-43)
The dark night of the soul. This phenomenon describes a malady that the greatest of Christians have suffered from time to time. It was the malady that provoked David to soak his pillow with tears. It was the malady that earned for Jeremiah the name, “The Weeping Prophet.” It was the malady that so afflicted … Continue reading The Dark Night of the Soul (Psalm 42-43)
Waiting with Hope
We can so easily lose hope while we wait for the Lord, His provision and answer to our prayers. Alec Motyer, in his commentary on Isaiah’s Prophecy, writes: "Those who have waited through the darkness will come to the objective reality of dawn and the subjective experience of seeing the light… As always the people … Continue reading Waiting with Hope
Praying Scripture | Revelation 22:6–21
Preparation: Pray and Read Through Your Passage Record your prayer for God’s help. Father, your desire to reveal your will and plan to your servants is greater than our desire to know it. As we study your Word, grant us a growing capacity to trust and obey you in all things. For, you promise to … Continue reading Praying Scripture | Revelation 22:6–21
Praying Scripture | Revelation 21:1–8
Preparation: Pray and Read Through Your Passage Holy Father, the pressure to compromise our allegiance to Jesus Christ is great. Galvanize us with fresh courage by opening our eyes to the wonderful ending of the story of human history and what awaits in the future. AMEN Adoration: Praise God for Who He Is What should … Continue reading Praying Scripture | Revelation 21:1–8
Is there any hope for the church?
Our world seems to be descending more and more into moral chaos and confusion as moral relativism and secularism wreck havoc on people's lives. Rather than the church of Jesus stepping up to provide the gospel cure and model a better way forward, the church and many of her leaders seem to have been ensnared … Continue reading Is there any hope for the church?
Do Not Forsake Me Until I…
Recently I led a group of men through a study of Psalm 71 on "What do you hope for and what do you live for?" The Psalmist prays: "So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those … Continue reading Do Not Forsake Me Until I…
Hope for the Hopeless
From Isaiah 61:1-3... To those who think that their lives are so broken that they have no more heart to try… To those who are bound up in various addictions and besetting sins so that real liberty seems like a cruel mirage… To those who think they will never experience again the favor of the … Continue reading Hope for the Hopeless
The Power of the Word of God in a Young Pastor’s Life
J.I. Packer, as a young pastor, found himself “marginalized, isolated and required to work on unfulfilling and flawed agendas, in a manner that made him think of the Israelites having to make bricks for Pharaoh.” He claims to have lived “like Moses in Midian, with frustration in [his] heart, wondering what God could possibly be … Continue reading The Power of the Word of God in a Young Pastor’s Life
Make Us Thy Mountaineers
Make us Thy mountaineers; We would not linger on the lower slope. Fill us afresh with hope, Thou God of hope, That undefeated, we may climb the hill, as seeing Him who is invisible. -- Amy Carmichael, Missionary to India ((1867-1951)
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