A Portrait of Courage

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  (1 John 1:9) This is a marvelous promise, but we must take its condition seriously: “If we confess our sins…”  In other words, if we see the red light and bring it to...Read… Read More

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6 This is a dangerous distortion because it contains a very important truth: The Christian life can rightly be described as a journey.  Jesus spoke about the narrow way that leads...Read… Read More

The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.  The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.  Luke 16:22-23 Our Lord tells the story of two men who died.  The...Read… Read More

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Matthew 25:21 All of us want to hear the voice of God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” but what does it mean to be good?  What does it look like to be faithful?  A good starting place to answer these questions is to ask yourself: What is...Read… Read More

In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Isaiah 40:3 Take away Jesus Christ and you have no payment.  Take away the payment and you have no pardon.  Take away the pardon and you have no peace!  All this good, all this comfort hangs...Read… Read More

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.  “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 40:1-2) Notice God is speaking.  He is speaking through the prophet Isaiah.  And he is calling on someone else to speak to the people of God. God had revealed (through Isaiah) that at some point in the future, God’s people would go through...Read… Read More

Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard).  2 Peter 2:7-8 NIV Here is one “hidden” mark of a genuine believer. It cannot be known...Read… Read More

Prophecy [of Scripture] never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21 NIV). The best way to grasp what Peter is saying is through a story. Paul is under arrest and he is being taken to Rome....Read… Read More

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control (2 Peter 1:5-6 NIV).  Peter’s emphasis is on our effort to actively pursue these in the power of the Holy Spirit: Make every effort to add these things to your faith. Go after them....Read… Read More

Those…who have received a faith as precious as ours (2 Peter 1:1 NIV). Faith is a gift to receive and a command to obey. “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). That’s a command! God calls us to do it. Isn’t it strange that we say to an unbeliever, “Put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”?...Read… Read More