The destruction of the double wall The church at Ephesus was largely comprised of converted Gentiles. In the opening ten verses of Ephesians 2, Paul shows that, prior to their conversion, they (the “you”) had shared a common spiritual predicament with believing Jews (the “we” and the “us”). Both had been spiritually dead. But, from […]
What makes fellowship so important is that man was created to enjoy fellowship with his God, and undoubtedly did so in his unfallen state in Eden. But the entrance of sin changed all that, and the spiritual death which ensued from Adam’s disobedience made such communion impossible. Now, on the basis of the abounding grace […]
The idea of tent-making has largely fallen on hard times in the 21st Century. The general consensus seems to be—either you’re “good enough” to preach full time, or else go and get a real job and pay your bills; don’t look to us for hand-outs. Usually in our day the only “tent-makers” that make it […]
The Number 1 question asked in North America today concerns God and suffering. “How could a good (or loving) God allow so much suffering in the world?” How we answer—clinically or compassionately—may have as significant an impact on the questioner as what we answer. But here are a few suggestions: 1. The Bible tells us […]
We sing about Him because we love Him. In this, we’re not alone. From cover to cover, the Bible is replete with songs about the Son of God. I remember being at a youth conference once and hearing the speaker say, “By and large, Christians are the only people who gather together to sing.” You […]
The Treasury of David is Spurgeon’s magnum opus comprising seven large volumes. Covering all of the Psalms, it is a product of twenty years of work and is probably the most comprehensive work on the Psalms ever produced. Spurgeon’s approach was to take the best commentary he could find from 16-18th century writers like Cowper, […]
Why settle for half of the truth? A fresh look at Psalm 47. We begin with God’s choice. He is the Creator and Sovereign of the universe. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over […]
The Messiah-Son The second psalm in the hymnbook of God’s people is significant in that there is no inscription given. This first of the Messianic Psalms is attributed to David in Acts 4:25. It is quoted seven times in the New Testament. At first reading, you notice that there are four different speakers in the […]
A cosmic whodunit The Hardy Boys mystery books were a favorite of mine in my pre-teen years. By close observation and deductive reasoning from fragmented facts, Joe and Frank always solved the mystery and caught the bad guy. Their real life equivalents are forensic pathologists who analyze blood, hair, or fiber evidence from a crime […]