God wants us to be real with Him. “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Ps 103:14). Here is a simple outline of Psalm 116. 1. The Psalmist’s Cry (vv 1-2). Every prayer should have a point, and this one certainly does. The psalmist needs the help only God can give. 2. The Chance to Die (vv […]
JESUS, SUFFERER with HIS PEOPLE: “…if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom 8:17). Wandaro, whose father was a witch doctor among the Wolayto people in southern Ethiopia, was invited one day to take shelter in a clinic from a sudden downpour. Earl Lewis, recently arrived missionary, began to […]
“… making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are […]
“All things were created by Him, and for Him” (Col 1:16). Albert Einstein recognized the impossibility of a non-created universe: “I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts—the rest are details.” […]
CHRIST in the NOW: “But the hour is coming, and now is…” (Jn 4:23). So was the hour coming, or had it arrived? The answer is, both. Time is a process, constantly changing. But time meets us in the moment, and all we really have is NOW. We should not live for the present, but […]
“I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (Lk 16:27-28). What a strange request! A call to evangelize—from hell! I’m reminded of the small community of Delburne, Alberta. There’s […]
Lionel Fletcher tells of gospel work at 20 years old. One night a blacksmith came to cause trouble. Toward the end, he made his move, “strode to the front, threw himself on his knees, and for the first time in my life I saw a man in the grip of deep conviction of sin.” The […]
CHRIST the WINE-MAKER: “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” (Jn 2:10). As a young preacher, I came to the final night of a series of Bible teaching. Greeting folks at the door, one […]
“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain” (2 Tim 1:16). The name Onesiphorus comes from joining two words. The one means to “bring joy” or “be profitable,” as used in Philemon verse 20, there a play on the similar name “Onesimus.” […]