EXCUSES

There are many and varied reasons why we make excuses. An excuse is a reason or explanation to either defend or justify one’s words or actions in a particular instance. For example, the home owner took immediate action to prevent the fire from spreading to his neighbor’s property. And there is the lawyer who attends court to defend his client from criminal charges. Depending on the circumstances, people will try to find an excuse to clear themselves of blame or suspicion. Some excuses have proven to be genuine and truthful. Others have been false, deceitful, and proven to be lies. […]

Fellowship with who?

The apostle John writes, “Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ . . . This is the message we heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:3,5-7). “God is light, and in […]

God’s Infinite Wisdom and Knowledge

In his letter to the Roman Christians, the apostle Paul concludes chapter 11 with the following, which some have referred to as a doxology. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36). With our finite minds, we will never […]

Come Away And Rest

In returning from their mission “to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal,” the apostles gathered to report to the Lord Jesus “all that they had done and taught.” In response, Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat” (Mark 6:31). Note: the apostles “had no leisure even to eat.” There seems to be a message in Jesus’ statement for many of us as Christians. We are so very busy and involved in our day-to-day work activities that there is little or […]

He Is Ever-Living

Who is the “Ever-Living?” Let’s find out from the Holy Scriptures. The apostle John “was on the island called Patmos, on account of the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). John gets a divine vision of “seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man” (Revelation 1:12,13). John continues, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am […]

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, […]