“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble” (1 Pet 3:8, NASB). “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah” (Neh 1:1) are the introduction to the book of Nehemiah. It’s a rare thing to find a first-person autobiography in the Bible, but this is one. We’re informed that he was busy “in […]
CHRIST the JOYFUL SOUL-RESCUER: “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Lk 15:6). “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, […]
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk 11:13). Is this prayer for today? Certainly every believer has been given the presence of the Spirit: “If anyone does not have the Spirit […]
Andrew Stenhouse writes: “We rented a hall on one of the main arteries of the city. It was busy and noisy, but God gave us the joy of seeing souls saved there. On one occasion a gentleman, Senor Marfan, was walking by when he had a seizure of pain and looked around for somewhere to […]
Spiritual accomplishments are designed so they require both faith in God and grace from God. Although Ezra and Nehemiah were individual writers inspired by the Spirit, in the Hebrew Bible their books were treated as one. While there is overlap, they each deserve their own place in the Canon. Remember, there were three waves of […]
CHRIST the EMPIRE BUILDER: “Indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Lk 11:31). Harold St. John tells a story from the days of the persecuting emperor Diocletian. A Christian was brought before him, and the Caesar mockingly quipped, “Tell me, what is your carpenter doing now?” The soon-to-be-martyred saint replied, “He is busy making a […]
“According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Ps 51:1-3). For some perverse reason, the fallen human condition makes us much more adept at seeing others’ sins […]
“If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God…” (Jn 7:17). When Pilate asked Jesus the question, “What is truth?” Jesus answered him with a categorical response. In effect, Jesus was asking Pilate if his was a genuine question or purely an academic one. Jesus was […]