Is there a difference between the teaching of Paul and James on whether a person is saved by faith alone or by faith plus works? Paul writes: “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted […]
Jotham’s name means “Jehovah is perfect.” That’s an encouragement to look to Him, not ourselves. For the last ten years of his life, King Uzziah “dwelt in an isolated house, because he was a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the Lord” (2 Chron 26:21). Those stricken by leprosy, like Miriam, Gehazi, and […]
“Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments” (Ps 119:5-6). Here is a prayer for alignment—my ways directed by God’s Word. F.B. Meyer tells of a crisis in his life at age 60. Lord Strathclyde invited him for a few […]
A key Bible word is justification, defined as “to judicially declare right so as to have the force of law.” A person is “justified freely by His grace” (Rom 3:24); “justified by faith” (Rom 3:28); “justified by His blood” (Rom 5:9); “justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our […]
Why did Jesus say to pray for daily bread? It fosters humility, dependence, and a lifetime of thankfulness. King Uzziah’s successes piled up. He had victories in foreign wars (2 Chron 26:2-8). His building projects were legion. “He built Elath” (v 2), and “built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the […]
How is this statue a good analogy of what the Christian’s goal for 2025 should be? May we not only “see the Lord” but allow the Lord to be seen in us this year. […]
“Help, Lord…” (Ps 12:1). This is one of the shortest prayer requests in the Bible. Patricia Laitin tells about a school teacher who was explaining to her young charges the benefits of brevity in writing. She then gave them the assignment of writing about something exciting, but as briefly as possible. One little fellow turned […]
“The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls” (Lev 17:11). In his remarkable book, More Than Meets the Eye (p 26), physician Richard Swenson writes: “Red blood cells are tiny but plentiful. We each make over two million […]