You do not become patient and persevering by reading a book (even this one) or listening to a lecture. You have to suffer. What were the believers in Thessalonica enduring? Paul used several words in 2 Thessalonians 1 to describe their situation: persecutions, which means “attacks from without,” or “trials”;...
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH The writer of Psalm 73, Asaph, was able to evaluate time in the light of eternity and earth in the light of heaven. He looked at godless people and said, “They have more than heart could wish” (v. 7). But later he reverses that...
During my years of ministry, I have endured many offering appeals. I have listened to pathetic tales about unbelievable needs. I have forced myself to laugh at old jokes that were supposed to make it easier for me to part with my money. I have been scolded, shamed, and almost...
God made Sodom and Gomorrah an example to warn the ungodly that He does indeed judge sin. The citizens did not occasionally commit unnatural sexual sins; this was their way of life—and death! The bent of their lives was constantly downward, indulging in unnatural acts. It is possible that the...
It is easy for Christians to get accustomed to sin. Instead of having a militant attitude that hates and opposes it, we gradually get used to sin, sometimes without even realizing it. The one thing that will destroy “the rest of our time” is sin. A believer living in sin...
The Christian really operates in two spheres: the human and the divine, the visible and the invisible. Physically, he is on the earth in a human body—but spiritually he is seated with Christ in the heavenly sphere. It is this heavenly sphere that provides the power and direction for the...
“I would like to become a Christian,” an interested woman said to a visiting pastor, “but I’m afraid I can’t hold out. I’m sure to sin again!” Turning to 1 John 1, the pastor said, “No doubt you will sin again, because God says, ‘If we say that we have...
Many people must have more and more material things in order to be happy and feel successful. But riches can be a trap and lead to bondage, not freedom. Instead of giving satisfaction, riches can create additional desires; and these must be satisfied. Instead of providing help and health, an...
Having contemplated God’s great plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles, all Paul could do was sing a hymn of praise (see below). As someone has remarked, “Theology becomes doxology!” Only a God as wise as our God could take the fall of ancient Israel, for example, and turn it...
Christian love does not mean that I must like a person and agree with him on everything. I may not like his vocabulary or his habits, and I may not want him for an intimate friend. Christian love means treating others the way God has treated me. It is an...