Contemplations
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) This simple declaration in Acts 13 echoes the central theme of the Gospel, that God’s unmerited and...
Suffering Persecution
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12) From the point when darkness entered the world, Satan and his minions have been on a mission to seek out, persecute, and inevitably destroy the people of God....
The Protective Love of God
“God is jealous, and the LORD revenges; the LORD revenges, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserves wrath for his enemies.” (Nahum 1:2) God's deep love and commitment to justice ensure that He is a refuge for those who trust in...
Can We Weary God?
“And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?” (Isaiah 7:13) Is it really possible to weary a God who is Almighty… one who never “slumbers or sleeps?” (Ps. 21:3-4). According to the prophet Isaiah...
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...
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...
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...
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) Scripture is replete with the promises of God to His people – promises of protection, peace, and joy when we love, trust, and obey Him. But in addition to His many promises, divine...
Finding Strength in God’s Promises
“He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.” (Psalm 102:17) In the depths of their exile in Babylon, God’s people faced unparalleled trials and tribulations (Ps. 102). Yet the psalmist in verse 17 is reassuring them that they have both...
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...
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 we as believers ever gather in places of worship, we must prepare our hearts to be open and our minds to be ready...
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 unfathomable truths of Scripture is that an all-sufficient God chose in eternity past to create...
The Most Fearful Circumstance of All
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31) Earlier in chapter 10 of Hebrews, the Apostle goes to great length to compare the superiority of the once-for-all, sufficient sacrifice of Christ over the lesser, perpetual sacrifices...
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...
The Eternal Comfort of Forgiveness
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;...
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) The concept of a singular, supreme authority governing the Church has long been a subject of...
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...
Walking by Faith, Not by Sight
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) One of the characteristics of a Christian who truly walks with God is that they are not governed by what can be seen or humanly “reasoned,” but rather by the truths of Scripture and what can be discerned and...
Twice as Bad
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15) In this passage in Matthew Christ decries the scribes and...
The Divine Demand for Righteousness
“And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekial 7:4) Much can be learned from history if we take the time to...
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) From a symbolic angle, the Christian life can be likened to donning garments from our wardrobe that...
The Remedy for Our Unclean Hearts
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6) Scripture makes it clear that our nature is corrupted by sin from the moment of birth. One such verse is Psalm 51:5, which reminds us that we are “shapen 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...
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 is intricately laced with both sunshine and shadows, seasons of...
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) Few themes in Scripture resound with as much significance as that of a covenant between God and His people. Francis Roberts saw insightfully into this profound...
Reflections of God’s Love
“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” (John 3:35) God’s infinite love and delight for His only begotten Son is expressed and demonstrated all throughout Scripture. One such example is this simple, yet powerful statement, “The Father...
The Weight of Sin and Our Need for Christ
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Sin is a heavy burden, one that weighs upon every Christian professor. As Romans 3:23 reminds us, there is not one righteous person on this earth by their own merit. Each of us is born into a...
The Believer’s Inner Struggle
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the...
Do You Have the Mind of Christ?
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16) What does it mean to “have the mind of Christ?” Simply understood, having the mind of Christ is to think like Christ thinks. But we know this is...
A Call to Humility
“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that...
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 all-time greatest definition of faith is displayed over the entrance to...
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 Paul’s second letter to the Christians at Corinth, he reminded them of the fact that...
Why Men Cannot Stand Before God
“The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.” (Psalm 58:3) Scripture makes it patently clear that those who persist in their sin cannot stand before a holy God… that is, they cannot be counted among the redeemed. And...
Understanding Christ’s Timeless Nature
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) In terms of theological discourse, few verses inspire as much contemplation as John 8:58, where Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I am.” This self-proclaimed seminal truth...
To Whom Will You Liken God?
“To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”(Isaiah 40:18) Perhaps the simplest, yet most comprehensive name for God in all of Scripture is that declaration of Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 – “I AM” – as it encapsulates the essence of...
From Humility to Honor
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10) This simple yet powerful verse reminds us of one of the core principles of the Christian faith so beautifully exemplified in the life of our Lord Jesus and outlined in this passage in...
Evidence of God’s Commitment
“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) The biblical account of God’s relationship with his people is a compelling story of divine benevolence and human...
Christ’s Connection to His Own
“For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” (Hebrews 2:11-12) Hebrews...
The Everlasting Beauty of God’s Timing
“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 makes from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Everything God created was good and perfectly set in the context of His...
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...
Christ Our Mediator as Prophet, Priest, and King
“And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things...
Unparalleled Humility
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6) The biblical call to humility stands in stark contrast to a society in which ambition and self-promotion are both sought after and celebrated. But as...
Paths to Repentance
“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) Our journey to a place of genuine repentance is a deeply personal one. And yet it is often influenced by the company we...
The Path to Sanctification
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” (Colossians 3:5) The believers in Colosse were young Christians struggling with ongoing evidences of...
Implications of the Divine Covenant
“And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.” (Exodus 20:21) God’s giving of the Ten Commandments through Moses to the Israelites camped at Mount Sinai marked a pivotal moment between Himself and His people. At the heart...
The Foundation For Lasting Prosperity
“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his...
Chosen in Christ Before the World Began
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4) The amazing truth that God chose His elect in Christ before the foundation of the world, as stated in Ephesians...
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 preserve man and beast.” (Psalm 36:6) Every action in God’s grand design has a purpose. Even every particle, every occurrence, every gust of wind in our vast universe all...
The Manifestation of God’s Glory
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) Our text in Hebrews 1:3 provides...
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 whereby fallen man would be reunited with...
Anchored in His Love
“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” (John 15:9) Scripture, rich with divine wisdom and insight, reminds us how essential constancy is in our Christian walk. Jesus teaches us this in John 8:31 and then further illuminates it in...
God’s Loving Discipline
“Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.” (Psalm 74:18) God’s love for His people is not shallow or indulgent; it is rather a love that refines, corrects, and perfects. Scripture reminds us that...
The Eternal Christ
“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) The first verse of the Gospel of John beautifully parallels the first verse of Genesis in that they both begin with the phrase, “In the beginning.” John goes on to say in his...
Dwelling in Thick Darkness
“Then spoke Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.” (1 Kings 8:12) Throughout history, God’s presence has always been veiled in “dark” mystery or obscurity, because the incomparable nature of His awesome glory transcends what humanity can...