Contemplations
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...
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) When Christ our Good Shepherd says, “I lay down my life for my sheep,” (John 10:15), He is promising to love us with the most exceptional love imaginable. For there is no...
Fleeing Our Spiritual Egypt
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” [1](Hosea 11:1) The theme of bondage and deliverance runs deep throughout the course of Scripture. As early as the first chapter of Exodus we begin reading of the physical oppression of God’s...
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) Both in the context of society at large, as well as in the local congregation, divisions and schisms between friends and families occur all too often. And so it has been...
Abounding in Knowledge
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” (Philippians 1:9) Wisdom is a wonderful quality to possess. The ability to discern, to see beyond the obvious, to weigh a matter thoroughly so you can make...
Justified with Christ’s Righteousness
“…who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25) Notice how your ears perk up when you hear someone say, “I’ve got some good news!” But do you have the same response when the gospel – or “good news” – of God is...
The Foundational Nature of God’s Covenant
“But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’” (2 Tim. 2:19) The foundation of a thing is critical to its integrity, strength, and longevity. In...
Growing Through Prayer
"Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan," (Psa. 55:2). Oppressed by enemies and deserted by friends, the writer of Psalm 55 cries out for help, “I mourn in my complaint.” C.F. Pfieffer said in his commentary on this passage, “In...
Reconciled to God
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him.” (Colossians 1:21-22) Just how destitute is our condition...
God Sees You and Me
“For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.” (Job 34:21) Right now, this very moment, God sees you and me. While Christ has a glorified body, He is also like God the Father as an eternal spirit and as such He is infinitely and eternally...
The Omniscience of God
“And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:13) God sees and knows everything everywhere, for He fills both heaven and earth. He inhabits eternity – every space at every...
God’s Righteous Works
“…for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works that He has done.” (Daniel 9:14) Holiness is the essence of God’s nature, so much so that all God’s attributes are defined by it. He is said to have a holy anger, a holy justice, a holy love. And it is...
Giving Thanks for the Family of God
“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) As Paul considers what God has done in...
Awareness of God’s Providence
“He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” (Daniel 2:21) Instead of being concerned with making a list of resolutions, the New Year is an excellent opportunity for a...
Born of a Virgin
“Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) More than 700 years beforehand, Isaiah prophesied that Christ’s coming would be quite miraculous. And one of the most...
Greater Condemnation
"…who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." (Mark 12:40) One of the most misunderstood aspects of God’s justice is how He punishes unrepentant sinners in hell with varying degrees of torment. Of...
Exalting God’s Holiness in Our Holiness
“Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” (Psalm 99:9) One of our responsibilities as Christians is to continually evaluate whether or not our attitudes, intents, and actions exalt the holiness of God because, as...
Christ the True God
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:2) Though the term “Trinity” is not found in...
The Reason for Thanksgiving
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (1 Chronicles 16:8) The countless hosts of angels, elders, and all living creatures who inhabit heaven continually do one thing, day and night – they give thanks, honor, and...
God Draws Near a Broken Heart
"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psa. 34:18). People are in a state of grace who are truly contrite and broken because of sin. How do we know this? The Lord is near to them. He that is contrite (crushed in spirit) has...
Praise to the Lamb
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12) The fifth chapter of Revelation begins by describing a heavenly court room… the Righteous Judge seated on the throne and in His...
Which Side Are You On?
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has...
God’s Enduring Covenant of Grace
"…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." (Ephesians 1:4) God’s covenant of grace runs as a singularly consistent thread throughout all of Scripture. Its glorious truth is...
Rejoicing in God
“My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:47) Picture a poor outcast, sitting outside the city gates in the sorrow and shame of an ash heap, begging for his next meal. Filthy, gaunt—a mere skeleton of a man—his hollow eyes reflect only desperation and need....
Out of the Darkness and Into the Light
“Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” (Ephesians 4:18) A full moon on a clear night is both a thing of beauty and a marvel. Recently, as my family and...
Yahweh is Salvation
“You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)“Of [David’s] offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised.” (Acts 13:23) A poor, young Jewish girl in Nazareth, around the year 5 B.C., received an...
God Our Hero and Avenger
“I the LORD am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” (Isaiah 49:26) Our culture is captivated by heroes. Nearly every story, every film, centers around a figure who fights for justice, overcomes evil, and delivers the weak from harm. This is evident...
Our Filthiness for His Righteousness
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6) We desperately want to believe we are good people—that our sincerity, kindness, and best efforts count for something before God. But if we were to gather all our...
The Gift of God
“And because of Him [God] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Cor. 1:30) We are accustomed to earning our way in society – we earn a living…we earn respect…we earn the trust of another…we...
King of Kings
“…who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:15) One of the most comforting truths in all of Scripture is that the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) has no rights to creation and no power to deceive and destroy beyond...
The Prophet Who Fulfills
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1-2) When we think of...
The Secret to Imitating Christ
“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done…” (John 13:15) How are Christians to demonstrate Christ-likeness? Christ said in John 15:5, 8: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,...
Christ Our Sacrifice
“Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt… the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” (Isaiah 53:10) One of the most effective ways to teach a new concept or principle is with a picture. It...
Forgiven
"If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalm 130:3-4) It might seem unusual that the psalmist’s response to God’s forgiveness is one of fear rather than immediate devotion,...
Amazing Faith
“When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, ‘I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’” (Luke 7:9) Faith in Christ is the foundation of our hope, the assurance of our...
By His Stripes
“…for I am the LORD, your healer.” (Exodus 15:26) You and I suffer from a fatal disease—one we inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. We were born under the curse of the law, guilty before a holy God, separated from Christ, and utterly without hope (Eph....
From Life to Death … and Back to Life
"And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." (Romans 7:10) The Law of God is a reflection of His virtue, goodness, and holiness. When He gave it, it was designed to bring life. Adam, created in holiness, was given a commandment of...
Watch Your Heart
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23) Like a fresh, pure spring brings life to all who drink from it, a heart that is pure before God produces godly attitudes and actions. But if that spring is polluted, if it is...
Christ Our Example
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Corinthians 11:1) Paul’s statement to the Corinthian believers is bold, yet entirely humble. He does not present himself as the ultimate standard, but as one who follows the ultimate standard—Christ Himself. He...
Imitating Our Father
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1) A good father is a treasure to his children. He protects, provides, instructs, and loves them, guiding them in truth and wisdom. And what child, blessed with such a father, does not desire to...
Alive in Christ
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22) It was a dark and dreadful day when Satan, taking the form of a serpent, entered the Garden of Eden and deceived Eve into doubting the goodness of her Creator. Adam, following...
The Perfect Word of God
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalm 19:7) Because God desires to be known by His people, He has revealed Himself through the holy Scriptures—His perfect and immutable Word. When we hear...
The Good Law of God
"But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." (1 Timothy 1:8) Weak Christians, as well as those who wish to appear Christian without having a true relationship with God, often misuse Scripture to excuse their sin. Romans 6:14 is one such passage...
Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) It would be unthinkable to approach an earthly king without first ensuring that we are properly attired and in a presentable state. Yet, how often do we presume to enter the presence of the King of...
Looking to the God of 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). At the outset of Isaiah’s ministry, he had a rare experience – a vision of God – which he describes in the sixth chapter of his book:...
Holiness Matters to God
"Her priests have violated my law and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among...
God is Our Shield
“Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto those that put their trust in Him,” (Prov. 30:5). God’s people are strangers in a hostile land, but the enemy cannot harm us because God Himself is our shield (Ps. 28:7). He protects those who take refuge in Him (Ps....
What It Means to Walk with God
“Enoch walked with God…” (Genesis 5:24) In the simplest of terms, we can begin to understand the biblical concept of “walking with God” by considering what it means to “walk” – in the broader sense of that word – with another person. For such a scenario to work,...
Grace to Grow in Grace
“So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:7 NASB) Have you ever thought about how you “get grace” to work daily in your life, or how you actually “grow in grace” as Peter encourages us to do in 2...
Strength to Carry On
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NASB) Paul opens his second letter to the church at Corinth with words of comfort and encouragement for what they were going through. I’m sure that was a welcome greeting to those believers,...
What is My Purpose, Lord?
“Give unto the Lord, ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:1-2) Do you ever ask yourself those big questions like: “why am I here?” or “what is the...
The Glory of God in Christ
“Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person...” (Hebrews 1:3) Before the foundation of the world Jesus existed eternally with God; and being One with God He shared in the glory of God. But then the Eternal Word became flesh (John...
Witnessing Heavenly Glory
“Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him." (Luke 9:32 NASB) If you’re a student of Scripture, you are no doubt familiar with the gospel accounts of the...
The Redemptive Work of the Trinity
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.” (2 Corinthians 13:14) The biblical doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one God (Isa. 44:6) who eternally exists as three distinct Persons –...