Fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Peter, ignited a gospel movement that spread from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the world. Acts 2 records the riveting historical account of timid followers of Jesus leaving their hiding places and boldly preaching to crowds gathered…
Deuteronomy 4 gives us two strong statements about the nature of God. I am calling them “propositions.” A proposition is “Something which is asserted or avowed; a sentence or form of words in which this is done; a statement, an assertion.”1 Years ago, I read John Broadus on preaching and discovered the idea of a…
I’m sure that every child of God has experienced a time when they longed for that confirming presence of God and yet felt very alone. Does that mean that God was not there? Do we interpret the silence as meaning that he, perhaps, does not care? The Old Testament records the experience of a godly…
As the calendar turns to 2025, the temptation to set lofty goals is ever present. New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting planners promise transformation and success. But by the second Monday of January, most will have quit the goals they started. This year, I’m choosing a different approach, and here’s why. In 2017, my carefully crafted…
Romans 12:1–2 is a fun text to study. It’s easy to notice three imperatives that guide the passage (present, do not be conformed, be transformed) and also two sets of three descriptors—one for “sacrifice” (living, holy, acceptable) and the other for “the will of God” (good, acceptable, perfect). In short, this passage teaches us to…
Love Turned: A Look at Michal, the Daughter of King Saul When I started my most recent read through the Bible, I decided that this time I would focus special attention on the women mentioned in the Scripture. Having reached mid-life, I find that my perspective has changed greatly from that of my youth, and I…
I always emphasize Bible reading at this time of year. I also provide several Bible reading schedules for our people. (If you haven’t already found one of your own, see links at the end of this post.) For our annual message on Bible reading this year, we turned to Deuteronomy 17.18-20, the second mention of…
Maybe you’ve heard what the Massachusetts Historical Society has done. It’s posted online all fifty-one volumes of the private diaries of John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States. Unfortunately, they’re not yet searchable by key word or phrase. But just today I came across an entry that stood my conscience up straight. The…
What if one lifetime were like one year? Moses said in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Here’s an idea: plan your life like you plan your year. All of us prepare for the seasons of the year. (If you don’t believe me, check…
The wisdom of God’s Word encourages us to prosper on earth but not as an end unto itself. This world and its goods are passing away, but we are to be faithful with what we have until we win our heavenly rest. Our eyes will see Christ, and our true treasure in heaven will finally…