Your Prayer . . . Before Me

God appeared to King Solomon before the commencement of the building of the temple. Solomon must have felt that God had honored him in answering his prayer. The Scripture says, “The LORD appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me” (1 Kings 9:2,3). The words “your prayer and plea, which you have made before me.” These words are most significant in terms of prayer. This is part of God’s response to Solomon prayer. And it is essential for […]

Completely Forgiven!

Have you ever had doubts about your salvation? If so, you have the full assurance and guarantee from God that “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh (but according to the Spirit)” (Romans 8:1). Everyone who has trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior is completely forgiven. God also assures us that “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who […]

Preeminence of Jesus Christ

The word preeminence means “surpassing all others in authority, power, and status.” This could be said of the Lord Jesus Christ, with whom there is no equal and no rival. The theme of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians is the “Preeminence of Christ.” The context for this subject is found in the very first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossian Church: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things […]

What Is Sin?

Is the word “sin” is very much more than just a three-letter word? Sin is an act of offense against God. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. To “transgress” means “to step across the law,” the divine boundary between good and evil and to “miss the mark.” Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is also lawlessness. The Bible declares, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1John 3:4). And again we read, “All wrongdoing is sin” (1 John 5:17). A brief summary of sin is, rebellion, lawlessness, pride, arrogance, evil, and wickedness. Man sins […]

Faith Works Patience

The apostle writes as follows: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). The subject here is the testing of faith, and the purpose of testing. To the average person, trials and adversity are never welcome visitors in any form. However, for the Christian, God wants us to “count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds.” Humanly speaking, that is not easy to do. However, […]

A Living Sacrifice

The Christian life and service for the glory of God requires commitment and dedication. In his letter to the Christians at Rome, the apostle Paul wrote this: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present you bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans :12:1,2).  In this exhortation, Paul is drawing our attention to our […]

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is foundational to the Christian faith. Though some may think that the resurrection is a myth, the Holy Scriptures provides ample proof that Christ actually rose from the dead. Jesus Himself testified of His own resurrection prior to His death on the Cross. On one occasion Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Jews thought that He was speaking of the temple building. “But He was speaking about the temple of His body” (John 2:21).  In Matthew’s gospel, we read: “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of […]

Getting Along

“Getting Along” means unity, harmony, agreement, understanding, sharing, and having a “common mindset.” It is most important to get along with others. When the opposite is true, the human element raises it ugly head, and causes strife, setbacks, confusion, disharmony, and misunderstanding. The same is absolutely true in the Christian community.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the Christian’s pattern for getting along with others, generally and especially those of the “household of faith.” In his letter to the Church at Philippi, the apostle Paul writes: “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the […]

The Great Divide

What does the Cross of Jesus Christ mean to you? Have you ever given some thought to this important question? When Christians speak of the Cross, they mean the death and shed blood of Christ. For Him to die, He had to be nailed to the Cross in order to bear your sins and mine in His own body there. The Bible says, “He himself bore our sins His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The word “tree” means the Cross. This was essentially God’s way to bring about the forgiveness for the sins of mankind. Sin is man’s rebellion against […]

Walk, Stand, Sit

The book of Psalms, in its first chapter opens, with a “wisdom” Psalm because the intent is to teach and instruct Christians how to maintain a Godly lifestyle in a world of evil, wickedness, corruption, and lust. Psalm 1 portrays the righteousness and fulfillment of the Christian life and the uncertainty, ruin, despair, and misery of the ungodly. The Psalm also contrasts two men, two ways, and two destinies. It cannot be over emphasized that the world is spiritually bankrupt, immoral, evil, and wicked. There is definitely no true peace, lasting joy, and satisfaction for Christians. Thats why we are in […]