Is Christianity a crutch? It was Karl Marx who famously said, “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” There is truth in that statement, because millions have blindly followed their blind religious leaders, as the Lord Jesus described. But true Christianity is no mere religion, and certainly not a drug; it is a living relationship […]
God doesn’t always save through the first verse quoted or respond to the first prayer prayed. But the true believer knows that there is life-giving power in one sentence from the Bible because God speaks in this way to us; and there is life-changing power released through one petition sent heavenward, because that’s how God […]
That the book of Job is superb poetry doesn’t negate the fact that it is also dramatic biography. “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job” (Job 1:1). Some suggest that the uncertainty of Job’s time and place in history, the extremity of his circumstances, and the extravagance of the […]
CHRIST the MASTER DESIGNER: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Ps 139:14). “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (Jn 1:3). It is generally accepted that an adult body consists of […]
“And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jer 29:7). Are we the first believers who have seen troubled times? Of course not. Every believer in one sense is a “resident […]
My friend John Bjorlie was arrested while preaching from a public sidewalk to some college students at a campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The trial took all day. When the judge came to his summation, he told the packed courtroom that he had found this an unusual trial. It made him take down his Bible […]
Job’s longing for a Mediator and confident hope in a Redeemer point us surely to the coming Christ. Before beginning such an arduous journey up towering peaks and into forbiddingly deep valleys, it would be helpful to have a look at the roadmap of the book of Job. There are three main parts: the Prologue […]
CHRIST the MAN of PRAYER: “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray’” (Lk 11:1). The Lord Jesus was the only Man who could have, by Himself, made the right decision every time. But […]
“In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted” (Ps 77:2). Audra Lexin writes: “More people than ever are searching the internet for information on how to pray. Averaging 33,000 searches per month, 2020 has seen more searches […]