As Paul comes to the end his first letter to the saints in Corinth he admonishes them, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (15:58). The first word in this verse calls attention to all that had just been said. He had devoted…

There are many wonderful things to know about Jesus, and oh, how we ought to wish that the whole world would know them!  He was born of a virgin in the city of Bethlehem.  He had Divine power on this earth and taught many magnificent things.  He lived a sinless life but was still murdered by crucifixion.  He was raised from the…

I have no problem with the poetic nature of the song about a “land of cloudless day” as it contrasts the dark “clouds” of trouble that seemingly surround us on this ball of clay. However, there is another aspect of the clouds emphasized in the Bible and how they are so often associated with the presence of God and His glory. Take…

How are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? Is everything really “ok” or are you just trying to be polite? No one wants to be a bother. Each of us has their own problems to worry about, so we will go to great lengths to avoid burdening others with ours. First, we need to understand that our brethren are…

Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He left the apostles with the Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission summarizes the mission of the apostles and of Christians everywhere. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles fulfilled the Great Commission in Peter’s first sermon. We can look to Acts 2 and see how each part of Christ’s mission statement for…

We know the hymn.  Perhaps it is one of your favorites.  How could it not be?  We reference it often, as it is a needed reminder (from the eloquent pen of Johnson Oatman, Jr.) that we need to count our blessings, even (or maybe especially) when we are “tempest-tossed” on “life’s billows,” when we are “discouraged,” “burdened” or “amid the conflict.” To…

The songs that we sing are often a mirror of our hearts. This is clearly seen in the songs sung before the early Christians became saints and those songs which they sang afterwards. This is so vividly seen when we look at the contrast of the “before” and “after” songs of the Christian faith. This is what Paul does in Ephesians chapter…

Isaiah 53 is probably the most famous Messianic passage of all Scripture. In this chapter, we learn of the Suffering Servant. The prophet tells us that this servant would be “despised,” “rejected,” “a Man of sorrows,” “smitten by God,” “wounded for our transgressions,” “bruised for our iniquities,” and heal us “by His stripes.” If you are in any way familiar with the…