A friend told me about a church officer on the mission field who was causing great problems in the church. Whenever the missionary was in the village, the officer lived a godly life; but whenever the missionary left, the man would behave as though he were controlled by Satan. Finally...
Earnest is a fascinating word. In Paul’s day it meant “the down payment to guarantee the final purchase of some commodity or piece of property.” Paul used the term in writing to the Ephesian Christians: “Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our...
Satan is still alive and busy, but he is disarmed. He can do only that which is permitted by God (Job 1:12; 2:6). But because Satan is the author of sin and sin brings death, in this sense Satan exercises power in the realm of death. Satan uses the fear...
A group of church members were discussing their new pastor. “For some reason,” said one man, “I really don’t feel at ease with him. I believe he’s a good man, all right—but something seems to stand between us.” Another member replied, “Yes, I think I know what you mean. I...
As we live and work here on earth, it is relatively easy for us to hide things and pretend. But the true character of our works will ultimately be exposed at the Judgment Seat of Christ. He will reveal whether our works have been good or bad. The character of...
God’s Word teaches that when we were unsaved, we owed God a debt we could not pay. Jesus makes this clear in His Parable of the Two Debtors in the Gospel of Luke. Two men owed money to a creditor, the one owing ten times as much as the other....
If you want to make the best use of “the rest of your time,” live in the light of the return of Jesus Christ. All Christians may not agree on the details of the event, but we can agree on the demands of the experience. We shall someday actually stand...
Jesus Christ offered just one sacrifice for our sins and settled the matter forever. This is the kind of High Priest we need! We are prone to sin daily, even hourly; we need to be able to turn to Him for spiritual help. As our High Priest, Christ gives us...
When Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a young preacher in London, his successful ministry aroused the envy of some clergymen who attacked him through slander and gossip. His sermons were labeled “trashy,” and he was called “an actor” and “a pulpit buffoon.” Even after his ministry was established, Spurgeon was lied...
Is it possible to command love? Yes, when you understand what Christian love really is. Many people have the mistaken idea that Christian love is a feeling, a special kind of “religious emotion” that makes us reach out and accept others. Certainly emotion is involved, but Christian love is basically...