Not all suffering is a “fiery trial” from the Lord. If a professed Christian breaks the law and gets into trouble or becomes a meddler in other people’s lives, then he ought to suffer! The fact that we are Christians is not a guarantee that we escape the normal consequences...
The Holy Spirit is called “the Spirit of adoption.” The word adoption in the New Testament means “being placed as an adult son.” We come into God’s family by birth. But the instant we are born into the family, God adopts us and gives us the position of an adult...
Our Lord’s experience of temptation prepared Him to be our sympathetic High Priest. It is important to note that Jesus faced the enemy as man, not as the Son of God. He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4). We must not think that Jesus used His...
Many believers have such a comfortable situation here on earth that they rarely think about going to heaven and meeting the Lord. They forget that they must one day stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ. It helps to hold us up and builds us up when we recall that...
When Verdi produced his first opera in Florence, the composer stood by himself in the shadows and kept his eye on the face of one man in the audience—the great Rossini. It mattered not to Verdi whether the people in the hall were cheering him or jeering him; all he...
The word castaway is a technical word familiar to those who knew the Greek Olympic games. Paul used the term to say he did not want to be “disapproved” or “disqualified” as a servant of God. At the Greek games, there was a herald who announced the rules of the...
Why did Peter refer to God as a “faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4: 19) rather than a “faithful Judge” or even a “faithful Saviour”. Because God the Creator meets the needs of His people. It is the Creator who provides food and clothing to persecuted Christians. and who protects them...
Has God abandoned His kingdom program for Israel? Of course not! Israel is merely setaside until the time comes for God’s plans for Israel to be fulfilled.Today the saved Gentiles provoke Israel “to jealousy” because of the spiritual riches theyhave in Christ. Israel today is spiritually bankrupt, while Christians have...
Submission to God and others is an act of faith. There is danger in submitting to others; they might take advantage of us. But we can trust God. His mighty hand that directs our lives can also direct the lives of others. God never exalts anyone until that person is...
When Jesus called Himself “the Living Bread,” He was not claiming to be exactly like manna. He was claiming to be even greater! The manna only sustained life for the Jews, but Jesus gives life to the whole world. The Jews ate the daily manna and eventually died; but when...