Hebrews 11 conludes its "Hall Of Faith" -- a recitation of the many biblical characters who, ironically, did not "receive what was promised" despite a lifetime of obedience -- with these words:"the world was not worthy of them." What a thought: that we as God's people...
Hebrews 10:19-22 is a high point in Scripture:"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened up for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over...
I John 4:4 has some of Scripture's most confident words:You, dear children, are from God and have covercome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.If you follow Jesus, his Holy Spirit, literally, bodily, resides in you. You...
I run into a lot of people who long simply to be "happy." Satisfied. Content.And they devise all kinds of ways of reaching their goal: new relationships, new possessions, new appearance, new location.But you know what happens, right? Those efforts inevitably fail to...
According to Hebrews 11:6 . . . And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.One lesson we draw from that marvelous verse is this: God loves to be...
In the "Books I Like" section on the left, you'll note that I've recently read "The Story Of Asbury Theological Seminary."I loved it.But I'm weird. And a devoted alum.Anyway, I read that Henry Clay Morrison, the founding president of the school, once said that he...
I've always loved Acts 5:41:The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.Suffering for the faith, then, is a privilege. A reward for faithfulness in the midst of persecution.Frankly, most of the...
While in the middle of some leadership development yesterday, our leadership developer gave us this gem:The difference between a proverb and a slogan is that a proverb stays with you all your life.Hmmm.Christianity all too often gets reduced to mere slogans, usually...
The Old Testament book of Nahum is an unlikely place for devotional reading.It consists primarily of warnings towards and judgments against the city of Nineveh, a locale we know mostly through the OT book of Jonah.And let's face it: Jonah is on the Hebrew best seller...
As part of "Good Smell Rising" yesterday, I shared this prayer that I found in a collection edited by Chuck Swindoll:I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;I was made weak, that I may learn humbly to obey.I asked God for health, that I may do greater things;I...