“I exhort (admonish, urge) first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” 1 Timothy 2:1. Why is prayer needful, doesn’t God already know the needs, and can’t He move to address them sovereignly? First of all, prayer is a part of our relationship with God, through which […]
“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies…Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her…a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” Proverbs 31:10, 28, 30. The power and influence of a woman’s earnest prayer, virtuous example, and sound instruction holds […]
In 1 John 2:25, 28 God has made a promise, this could be translated as “an announcement with the special sense of promise”. This promise is to all those who receive Jesus as both Savior and Lord, and it is the promise of eternal life. Verse 28 gives us three words that guarantee who will […]
1 John 2:17 “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it.” The world referred to here is not the physical substance upon which we walk and call earth. Rather it is the arrangement or decoration of the age under the domination of Satan, 1 John 5:19 and St. John 14:30. Satan will […]
In addressing different age levels in the church – this should not be understood in regard to physical age, but as to their spiritual maturity – they are commended for their progress in the Lord, 1 John 2:12-14. This is also an incentive to focus on and to continue in this growing maturing process, and […]
White and black, darkness and light, two of the sharpest contrasts we know. In Bible terminology light speaks of righteousness, and darkness of sin and evil. We cannot entertain both in our life at the same time, though it seems many are trying to do just that! As it is in the natural so it […]
Once again in John 15:5 we see that abiding in Jesus is a fruit bearing position, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” A friend of mine one time said “As long as you are green you are growing; when you stop growing you are dead.” In verse 6 Jesus […]
In addition to being the only begotten Son of God and the Friend and Redeemer of sinners, Jesus was the greatest teacher to ever walk planet earth. He drew many illustrations from nature teaching spiritual lessons from where the people lived. In John 15:5 He used the grape vine; there are many branches to produce […]
Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Psalm 150:2 The Hebrew word here for “praise” is halal, and means to shine, boast, rave, and to celebrate clamorously. To some this may seem extreme, but that is the directive here: “Boast of the Lord! Rave of Him in His sanctuary.” […]
Looking again at the promise of joy we find a classical verse in Nehemiah 8:10, where the returnees from captivity assemble in the open square and Ezra the priest reads extensively from the law of God with a group of Levites meticulously explaining the meaning. This apparently produced sorrow for breaking the law, and repentance, […]