Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. (Psalm …
What Christ Does with Our Sins (Part 1)
Jesus said: Your sins are forgiven….Go in peace….I do not condemn you….Go now and leave your life of sin. (Luke 7:48,50; John 8:11) Even solid Christians sometimes lack assurance of salvation. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, and C. S. Lewis struggled with doubts. True believers can worry and wonder if God is really reconciled to us. The Lord told …
Hiding In Jesus
You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance….The Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. (Psalm 32:7; 94:22) A Gifted Hymnwriter William Orcutt Cushing (1823-1902) was raised in a Unitarian family, but through Bible reading, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, …
The Blue Marble Revisited and Peace in Christ
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom….So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand….For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of …
Christ is My Strong Tower
For you (Christ) have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe….The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe….The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. (Psalm 61:3; Proverbs 18:10; Nahum 1:7) This continues our comments on Scriptures selected by …
Christ is My Hope, My Trust, My Confidence
You are my hope; O Lord God, you are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth. From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you….Now we have great confidence in God through Christ. (Psalm 71:5-6; 2 Cor 3:4) This continues our series commenting on Scriptures …
What God Is to Me: Elisabeth Elliot (Part 3)
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned….For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One …
What God Is to Me: Elisabeth Elliot (Part 2)
Never again will they hunger or thirst. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Revelation 7:16-17) A Faithful Missionary Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) was one of the most influential Christian women of the 20th century. Her …
What God Is to Me: Elisabeth Elliot (Part 1)
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert…, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. (Deuteronomy 8:2) Elisabeth Elliot Elisabeth Howard Elliot Gren (1926-2015) was a much loved Christian missionary, author, and speaker. Through her writings and …
The Five Points of Calvinism (Part 2)
I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no Savior. (Isaiah 43:11) Originally written to answer questions at Belhaven University: “What are The Five Points of Calvinism and are they biblical?” I used it again recently in prison ministry. Introduction (Part 2) I agree with John Piper that the more we know the Lord (Father, Son, …