“Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Rom 12:12). William MacDonald and I stepped into a room in a retirement home. Aunt Essie sat by the window, knitting an afghan. The preacher and the prayer warrior were old friends. I stood in the background as they began a round-the-world journey. Stopping at […]
“There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Not in empty words do Christians testify to the sufficiency of their Savior and the supremacy of His Name. They tell us that He is far better than even His own promises…In Him all the longings of […]
You may think “honest politician” is an oxymoron like “deafening silence” and “jumbo shrimp.” But it happens every now and then. […]
The King who doesn’t break bruised reeds was given a reed as a scepter by men. How fitting! Psalm 2 is the first of the Royal Psalms. While the 150 psalms form a continuous revelation, we see groupings of psalms that share a common theme or purpose. We’ll study these as we meet them, but […]
“Though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs” (Lk 11:8). Author Fay Smart writes: “We find an excellent illustration of intercession in Luke 11:5-10, when one man, on behalf of a friend, woke […]
While coming across Texas, I was given a ride by a Seventh Day Adventist. I said, “My friend, do you know why God gave the law?’ He looked at me a little puzzled. “First I want to read Romans 3:19, “We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the […]
“In all perfectly beautiful objects there is found the opposition of one part to another.” —John Ruskin As we travel through the Psalms with devotional comments along the way, we’ll notice some helpful tools to make the most of our study. Right at the start, we want to ask: What are some components that distinguish […]
“We…do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, […]
Christian Science: founded by Mary Baker Eddy in 1879, now lists 2,000 congregations in 80 countries. Eddy was raised Congregationalist but reacted against the Calvinistic view of predestination. In 1866, she fell on ice and reportedly was severely injured (denied by her doctor under oath), but attributed her recovery to “spiritual healing.” She determined to […]