Joy and peace are rare in America. Politics have divided people into two camps: angry and angrier. Scripture says: “The wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.”1 The 24-hour news cycle, combined with the barrage of economic recession, the pandemic, moral crises, natural disasters, and social unrest, has exhausted many of …
Sins Blotted Out in Christ (Part 2)
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22 ESV) Thank God, He provides fresh starts and new beginnings for Jesus’ followers! Scripture says: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great …
Sins Blotted Out in Christ (Part 1)
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. (Isaiah 44:22 ESV) Amazon Alexa I don’t have Alexa, the voice-controlled device, but I read that it has a surprising feature. It can erase everything you say. Whatever you have asked Alexa to do, whatever information you’ve asked …
Christ Is Everything: Our Living Hope
In Matthew 28, Jesus had already been raised from the dead. But the women did not know that yet and came to His gravesite. The angel said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where …
Christ Is Everything: Jesus the Capstone
Lord, thank you for responding to me. You’ve truly become my salvation! The stone the masons discarded as flawed is now the capstone! This is God’s work. We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it! This is the very day God acted—let’s celebrate and be festive! Salvation now, God. Salvation now! Oh yes, God—a free and full life! (Psalm 118:21-25 …
Christ Is Everything: Resurrection Reality
Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18) This builds on a previous post. You can read Christ Is Everything: I Need Him Our Historical Foundation Remember what we believe: God the Son became human through His miraculous …
Christ Is Everything: I Need Him
In Christ all the richest treasures of divine wisdom (insight into God’s ways and purposes) are stored up and safely kept. Jesus is the key who opens all the riches of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment. (Colossians 2:3, my expanded paraphrase) Introduction. I providentially stumbled onto the song, “Christ Is Everything; I Need Him.” I don’t know the author, but if …
The Christmas Spirit (Even in Summertime)
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45) This builds upon our previous post. You can read Jesus the Suffering Servant In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer echoes Scripture’s teaching that Christ-like service is essential to our walk with …
Jesus the Suffering Servant
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even …
Christ and His Bible (Part 2)
Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing Christ’s day; he saw it and was glad….Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he spoke his prophecies, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. (John 8:56; 12:41) Here are some more quotations that I use in teaching and counseling to help people trust Christ and His Scriptures. These are …