One of the descriptions the New Testament gives for the Church is that of a temple, also known as the house of God. More than just a metaphor, this allusion to the Old Testament temple is meant to stir our imagination to think of that temple–its worship, service, and structure–and to draw applications to the […]
John 10 is one of the great chapters of the Bible. It presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the Shepherd in a fivefold light: He is the true Shepherd (vv. 1-6); the good Shepherd (vv. 7-11); the only Shepherd (vv. 12-16); the obedient Shepherd (vv. 19-42). Still further, as the Head of the Church, He […]
It is well known that the Ephesian and Colossian epistles are, in large measure, mirror images. Their overall layout is very similar: after a greeting, thanksgiving and prayer, Paul gives a doctrinal section where he discusses the gospel coming to the Gentiles. After that, both letters teach us about Christ and the Church as the […]
My wife and I had occasion recently to visit the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens which sit on a peninsula jutting into Sarasota Bay in sunny Florida. The gardens are noted for their bromeliad and orchid collection (there are 2,500 different kinds of bromeliads in the world, they told us, and 25,000 different kinds of orchids, […]
A silent Heaven! Yes, but it is not the silence of callous indifference or helpless weakness; it is the silence of a great sabbatic rest, the silence of a peace which is absolute and profound–a silence which is the public pledge and proof that the way is open for the guiltiest of mankind to draw […]
Let us look at a passage much dwelt on nowadays: “And when even was come, they brought unto Him many possessed with demons: and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, […]
If we find a tour through the human body breathtaking and mind-boggling, what can we do with these four mysteries but fall down and worship! THE INCARNATION BODY The mystery of the incarnation body of Christ is spoken of in poetic symmetry, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in […]
John Hambleton (1820-1889) was raised in the seaport city of Liverpool, England. His saintly mother was one strong link in the events leading to his conversion. “I shall never forget the lovely way she used to place her hand upon my head, and talk about that peerless Person who was ‘God manifest in the flesh,’” […]
I have closed my eyes. My shoes are kicked off, and I am wiggling the small bones in my right foot. Exposed, they are half the width of a pencil, and yet they support my weight in walking. I cup my hand over my ear and hear the familiar seashell phenomenon, actually the sound of […]