The Leaven of Society
“...bring forth him that...cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones." (Lev. 24:23) If one conducted a poll and asked what one blight upon culture has contributed most to the downfall of society, answers would vary. One would claim the worst problem to be abortion on demand while…
An Atmosphere of Grace
In the last post we discussed Peter's wondrous turn of phrase: "growing in grace". I likened it to a plant that grows in the soil, and we discussed briefly being rooted in Christ and established in the faith. I want to return to Peter's primary thought today, and specifically to…
I Have Seen Thy Tears
“...I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears...” (II Kings 20:5) Brief study of II Kings 20 will demonstrate that this chapter falls during the reign of Sargon, the Assyrian who was king after Shalmaneser and before Sennacherib. Among the evidences of this order of events is that,…
How Do I Become a Godly Man?
1 Peter 1:13-16, Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (14) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (15) But…
Grow in Grace
One of the best known of all the references to grace in the Bible is Peter's summary statement at the conclusion of his second epistle, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. Certainly, this…
Four Hundred Fifty To One
“…I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men” (I Kings 18:22) Odds and chances are concepts common to our current culture of gambling. Polling data and probability statistics are equally common to our present politics. Words such as likelihood…
Hannah: Commendable & Unusual
“…the name of the one was Hannah…” (I Samuel 1:2) Hannah stands spiritually above her contemporaries and counterparts even as Saul stood physically head and shoulders above the people of his day. Her quality of spirituality is both commendable and unusual. She demonstrated in her everyday life better Christian character…
3 Reasons to Think Biblically About Everything
We Christians are often guilty of “compartmentalizing”; that is, placing God in his little box while we--living in the “real world”--take care of our own problems and live according to our own devices. But the Bible advances a different view of reality. On this view, there is no ultimate significance…
The Grace of His Lips
Grace is the means by which I become a Christian, and faith is the mechanism that makes those means effectual. Put another way, faith is the hand that reaches up to God to access the grace I must have in order to get saved. By whom also we have access by faith…
How To Deal With Pride (Part 2)
Proverbs 16:17-25, The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. …