Contemplations
Anchored in God’s Immutable Word and Oath
“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”(Hebrews 6:18) Hebrews 6 reminds the believer of the unwavering promises of God and urges us...
The Son Not Spared
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11) The depths of God’s mercy and justice were displayed in their highest form when He did...
Upholding the Gospel with Conviction
“The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth forever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of...
Unshakeable Oath
“And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, ‘The Lord swore and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek’).”(Hebrews 7:20-21)...
Incessant Praise for His Holiness
“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”(Revelation 4:8) Holiness is one of the most noted attributes...
Him With Whom We Have to Do
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that...
Christ the Fulfillment of God’s Covenant of Grace
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” (John 15:9) The divine covenants of Scripture form a golden thread through the whole fabric of redemptive history, yet none shines more brightly than the covenant of grace—the eternal...
Embracing the Covenant – God’s Unfailing Promise
“Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?” (Isaiah 40:13) Of all the treasures revealed in Scripture, God’s Covenant of Grace stands as one of the most profound and assuring truths ever given to His people. This divine...
Understanding Christ’s Timeless Nature
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) No words more directly and clearly assert the eternal divinity of Christ than His declaration in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was, I am.” In a single sentence, Christ lays bare...
Finding Strength in God’s Promises
“He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” (Psalm 102:17) Psalm 102 is a cry arising out of the affliction of captivity, and it is wrought with grief, loneliness, and weariness. Yet from within that groaning a beam of hope shines...
Embracing God’s Reforming Word of Life
“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.” (Philippians 2:16) Before the congregation ever gathers, before a single psalm is sung or a prayer is lifted, the heart must be prepared to...
Christ the King Over His Church
“But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.” (Daniel 10:21) We’re reminded throughout Scripture that the governance of the Church is not left to human speculation...
Finding Beauty in Divine Providence
“He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Life unfolds under the sovereign hand of God as a series of providential...
The Unchanging Promise of Christ
“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.” (2 Corinthians 1:19) In his second epistle to the Corinthian church, Paul reminds his readers that the message he and...
Anchored in God’s Sovereign Will
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) One of the most staggering truths of Scripture is that an all-sufficient, all-knowing God chose from eternity...
The Christian’s Wardrobe
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29) The Christian life may be pictured as a progression of garments—each one symbolizing a vital stage of the...
Power in Faith’s Assurance
“For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.” (2 Corinthians 13:4) The greatest biblical definition of faith stands over the entrance to Hebrews...
Growing in Grace through the Means of Grace
“What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:18) In eternity past, God intricately designed the path by which fallen man might be reconciled...
The Glory of Christ’s Redemption for Us
“These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” (John 17:1) In the grand narrative of redemption that reaches beyond time, there is perhaps no moment more pivotal than...
Unchanging Promises, Unending Love
“And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD but serve the LORD with all your heart; And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they...
The Eternal Gospel
“And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” (Revelation 11:11) The timeless truths of the Gospel serve as an unbreakable link between the pages of time...
Atonement Ultimately Fulfilled by The Lamb
herefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?”(Leviticus 10:17) We know from multiple passages of Scripture that in...
Implications and Evidences of the Fall
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Down through the ages mankind has grappled with this most significant question: Why do we bear the burden of Adam’s...
The Healing Stripes of Christ
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”(Isaiah 53:5) In all of human history, the spotless life and sacrificial death of Christ is untouched and...
How to Rest in Eternal Certainties
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”(Revelation 20:10) Our ever-changing world leads to a number of concerns and...
Do You Enjoy a Vital Union with Christ?
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6) There’s a magnificent beauty in the simplicity of nature. Consider, for example, the splendid display of...
The Burden of Sin and Shame Christ Bore for Me
“But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”(Psalm 22:6) In ancient Hebrew texts, the idea of “bearing iniquities” is not about assuming the guilt for sin intrinsically but rather bearing the burden of its external debt and due...
The True Mirror for Sin and Salvation
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”(Mark 10:45) In a world increasingly swayed by appearances, where mirrors can distort and flatter, our perception of self as well as our sin requires a...
Waking and Walking in God’s Embrace
“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the...
Embracing the Life of Christ in Me
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) In Galatians 2:20 Paul explains the...
Faith That Exhibits Christ Above All
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”(Genesis 6:8) In the cacophony of life’s demands and the many temptations it presents, there is an enduring truth that calls out to every believer’s heart. This truth, timeless and unwavering, reminds us of a...
Do You Possess Unwavering Faith?
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;but that the world through him might be saved.”(John 3:17) John 3:17 shows us that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world as there was no need for that; the world was already...
A Guide to True Christian Affection
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18) Abiding love is at the heart of the Christian faith: love for God and love for others. Both loves are...
Is the Aim of Your Christian Walk in Line with God’s Grand Design?
“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.” (Psalm 36:6) God’s creation operates with breathtaking precision, every element moving in harmony with His divine purpose. From the smallest...
The Wonders of God’s Promises
“And the LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD...
How Well Do I Know God?
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) The pursuit of knowing God is the highest calling and greatest privilege of every believer. Which is to say that theology — described by William Perkins as having “two parts:...
Is Christ Lord of All to Me?
“And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” (Luke 1:33) Christ is revealed in Scripture as the Prophet, Priest, and King of His people. These three offices embody the fullness of His divine role in the redemption and...
Have I had a Life-Altering Vision of God’s Holiness?
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) Isaiah’s vision of God in His temple — seated on a throne high and lifted up with the train of His robe filling the sacred space,...
Transforming Treasures Reserved for God’s Elect
“I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” (1 Timothy 5:21) In a world where many spend their life pursuing material wealth,...
The Lord’s Eternal Name: Remembering Jehovah in the New Year
“Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.” (Hosea 12:5) The prophet Hosea calls our hearts to reflect on the majesty and faithfulness of our God by referencing His eternal nature and identity as the Lord of Hosts and Jehovah. These names speak to God’s...
A Year in Perspective
“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.” (Psalm 26:2) Our God is omniscient, which means He holds an infinitely perfect, divine, all-seeing understanding of Himself and all things, including the innermost thoughts and intents of each heart. “For...
Is Christ My Lord?
“Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15) The recognition of Jesus as “My Lord” is far more than a mere label. It is a profession of faith that defines my life and informs my...
The Sacred Kiss of Christ’s Word
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Christ the Good Shepherd declares, “I lay down my life for my sheep” (John 10:15). In this promise He reveals the highest form of love known to heaven or earth—the...
Fleeing Our Spiritual Egypt
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1)[1] The exodus of Israel from Egyptian bondage is a beautiful picture of redemption. Four hundred years of slavery under Pharaoh left Israel helpless. But God, by His mighty arm,...
Jesus is the Bridge over the Chasm of Division
“And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” (Colossians 3:14) Division has plagued humanity since the fall, when sin destroyed the harmony between God and man in Eden, setting brother against brother, tribe against tribe, and nation...
Is God the Source of My Grace?
“And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” (Psalm 143:2) Scripture repeatedly declares that no one can stand before God on the strength of their own righteousness, for divine judgment based on human merit...
Do I Experience the Infinite Grace of Christ?
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) Every Christian experiences these divine gifts at salvation—Christ’s grace (Eph. 2:8), God’s love (John 3:16), and the Spirit’s...
Does the Seed of God Dwell in Me?
“Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9) The doctrine of regeneration lies at the heart of the Gospel. To be born again is not a matter of personal reform or behavioral...
Am I Reborn?
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews, sought out Christ under cover of night. Though well versed in ritual, law, and...
Can I Earn Grace?
“Ho, every one that thirsts, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isaiah 55:1) God’s grace, freely offered to the undeserving, is the heart of the Gospel, as Isaiah...
The Intertwined Mystery of Divine Grace and Our Will
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13) In this passage Paul reveals a truth so mysterious that it both humbles us and calls us to worship. God Himself, by His Spirit, dwells within His people and...
No Surer Foundation
“And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48) God’s grace shines brilliantly in Acts 13:48, demonstrating His sovereign, loving plan to redeem those He chose...
The Only Grace That Ignites True Faith
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”...
The Magnitude of God’s Grace
“The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, the LORD brought you...