In times of upset and upheaval, we have a reliable, unchanging foundation—the Word of God. The words of Jesus are more reliable than anything else in this shifting, chaotic world. Read More ...
Apart from the biblical authors themselves, Calvin stands as one of the most influential Christian leaders the world has ever seen. Luther’s colleague, Philip Melanchthon, revered him as the most able interpreter of Scripture in the church, and therefore labeled him simply “the theologian.” And Charles Spurgeon said that Calvin “propounded truth more clearly than any other man that ever breathed, knew more of Scripture, and explained it more clearly.” His influence remains strong within numerous branches of the church even today. Read More ...
We can have confidence that all of the things Jesus tells us here will happen. The culmination of this plan is the 2nd Coming of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom. And before the kingdom arrives, believers will experience the kinds of things Jesus warns about here—persecution, wars, natural disasters, betrayal, and even death. We must endure such difficulties; we must persevere in faith and in good works until the Lord returns. Read More ...
The scribes were vain, greedy, and hypocritical abusers. To outward appearances, they looked like holy men, humble servants of God. But inwardly, under the veneer, they were just the opposite. They were selfish and materialistic. They didn’t really care about others, even the most pitiful and vulnerable among them. They cared only about themselves. Read More ...
I hope that you are not greatly mistaken in what you believe about Jesus and the resurrection, as the Sadducees were. Great theological error can cost you your eternal soul. Make sure that you “shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection of the dead.” Recognize that Jesus is the master teacher of the Scriptures, and trust in him to grant you eternal life. Read More ...
We must render to God what is due to him—faith, hope, love, worship, and obedience. Are we as concerned about paying what we owe God as we are about paying what we owe the government? We must give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, but we must be even more diligent to render to God what is God’s. Read More ...
The Jews rejected their Messiah, and God transferred his interest from the nation of Israel to the church. God has taken away the privileged position of the Jews and given it to “others.” We are now living in the church age. We are now the tenant farmers serving in God’s vineyard. He’s given the vineyard to us. It’s now our responsibility to be fruitful and have something to show for our labor. God wants us to be productive and bear fruit. Are we producing anything? Are we being fruitful? I hope/trust that God will not say of us what he said to the Jews. Read More ...
People fail to see the truth because they don’t want to see the truth. If Jesus really is sent from God, then I must follow him. People don’t want to deal with the implications of Jesus’ authority, so they just deny it. They don’t deny it because it’s not true; they deny it because they don’t like the consequences of that truth. Read More ...
That one phrase, “The Lord hath need of him” (vs. 34) is very powerful. What genuine disciple of Christ would hold anything back if we knew “the Lord needs it”? Yet sometimes we are reluctant to give what the Lord needs—our time, talent, treasures, ourselves. Parents may have to give up their children for the Lord’s service. There may be any number of things we may be called upon to sacrifice for the Lord’s work. Read More ...
Even the worst human, even the oddest or most eccentric, even the most different, the most diseased and the most deformed still bear the image of God. The oldest and the youngest, the best and the worst all share the image of God. Read More ...