From Prison to a Palace

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…

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…

Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them” (1 Samuel 26:25). The blessing of God on David could hardly be clearer in this story. Three times we are told that the Lord was with David: Saul was afraid of David because the Lord...Read…

David came to Saul and entered his service (1 Samuel 16:2). It was a not long before Saul rejected David, and in this way, David points forward to Jesus Christ. He too served sinners who hated and despised him in return. Jesus was the Lord’s anointed, bringing good to everyone, yet he is rejected. He came...Read…

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) Christ gives his people a new heart and a new Spirit, but then he also gives us a new struggle. Don’t expect the road ahead to be easy. That’s what we learn from both the...Read…

“You will…bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus… the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.”  (Luke 1:31-33) God sent another king into this world of self-appointed kings. This is what we celebrate at Christmas: “Where is he who...Read…

I will remove from you your heart of stone (Ezekiel 36:26). Here are a couple more worthless stones in the human heart that can keep you from following Jesus Christ: 1. Comfort. “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27 NIV If your heart is set on maintaining a...Read…

The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20) Understanding our wretched condition apart from Christ is profoundly helpful for us as we pray for and long for unbelieving friends and relatives to come to Christ. Think about a father and mother who have been grieving for many years for their...Read…

“We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world.”  (1 Corinthians 8:4 NIV) Remember, conscience functions according to knowledge, so what we know is important: “We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all… There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live, and...Read…