In the words of Thomas Carlyle, “Prayer is and remains always the native and deepest impulse of the soul of man.” This instinct of prayer is universal, and idolatry is a proof of it. Among the most depraved tribes and savage peoples are found idols to which prayers and sacrifices are offered. The instinct of […]
There are perhaps seven functions of prayer: worship, praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession, supplication, and advocacy. Most of these we are familiar with. However, there is one aspect perhaps not so commonly utilized–advocacy. This is one of the great ongoing ministries of the Lord Jesus “out of this world” on behalf of “His own…in the world.” […]
Variety is a divine principle in more than one realm, and a change of position may be as beneficial to the mind as to the body. Heart attitude is all-important, and unless the exterior is a true index of an interior state, it is of no worth. A physical attitude which embitters the mind, adopted […]
There is a hidden wisdom. Paul writes: “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” In the center of their being, God makes His own to know wisdom. They have an unction from above which teaches them of all things. “Knowest […]
It will be well to obtain, at the outset, a true conception of what is meant by confession. The use of the word in Scripture, together with illustrations, must be our guides. The Meaning of Confession A variety of ideas unite in this, such as candidness, definiteness, openness, truthfulness, and submissiveness. In the Old Testament, […]
God is once more calling His people loudly to a revival of faith in the divine efficacy of prayer. Will you and I respond to His call? That we may know what such a response may involve, may we let the Holy Spirit reveal to us the condition of our prayer life, and empower us […]
Let us examine the incident with Mary in John 12 negatively, and seek to discover what she did not come to do on this memorable occasion. From this negative approach, we can learn much of the positive character of true worship. Mary Did Not Come to Hear a Sermon The greatest Teacher the world has […]
In a recent issue of Time magazine (Jan. 13, 1997), Bill Gates was interviewed in a multi-page article. His religious life warranted one short paragraph. It told us that his wife, Melinda, is a Catholic, but has agreed Bill can select the religion in which their daughter, Jennifer, will be raised–if he begins attending church. […]
Our word ‘preach’ represents several words in the Greek New Testament, two of the main ones signifying ‘to proclaim as a herald’ and ‘to tell good news.’ What, then, has led to the timid announcements about the ‘speaker’ for next Sunday–a word so full of insignificance–instead of the use of the robust and scriptural ‘preacher’? […]