Patience is an important characteristic of the maturing Christian life. If we do not learn to be patient, we are not likely to learn anything else. As believers, we are able to rejoice even in our tribulations, because we know that tribulation brings about patience; and patience, experience; and experience,...
The Lord Jesus repeatedly warned people about the wrong kind of hearing, and His warnings are still needed. “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9). In other words, “Take heed that you hear.” Use every opportunity you have to hear the Word of God. But He...
The Flood of Noah’s day pictures death, burial, and resurrection. The waters buried the earth in judgment, but they also lifted Noah and his family up to safety. The early church saw in the ark a picture of salvation. Noah and his family were saved by faith because they believed...
Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, is enthroned in heaven. He is also ministering mercy and grace to those who come for help. Mercy means that God does not give us what we deserve; grace means that He gives us what we do not deserve. As believers in Jesus...
“My wife is going to have plastic surgery,” a man said to his friend. “I’m taking away all her credit cards!” How easy it is to purchase things we do not need with money we do not have. Then we lose not only our credit, but also our good Christian...
Chastening is evidence of the Father’s love. Satan wants us to believe that the difficulties of life are proof that God does not love us, but just the opposite is true. Sometimes God’s chastening is seen in His rebukes from the Word or through circumstances. At other times He shows...
We belong to one family of God and share the same divine nature. We are living stones in one building, priests serving in one temple. We are citizens of the same heavenly homeland. It is Jesus Christ who is the source and center of this unity. If we center our...
Have you noticed that animals do instinctively what is necessary to keep them alive and safe? Fish do not attend classes to learn how to swim (even though they swim in schools), and birds by nature put out their wings and flap them in order to fly. It is nature...
God is speaking to us today through His Word and His providential workings in the world. We had better listen! If God shook things at Sinai and those who refused to hear were judged, how much more responsible are we today who have experienced the blessings of the New Covenant!...
The normal desires of life were given to us by God and, of themselves, are not sinful. Without these desires, we could not function. Unless we felt hunger and thirst, we would never eat and drink, and we would die. Without fatigue, the body would never rest and would eventually...