Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Some good insights here. For instance, the word “alert” here is the kind of alertness that is a continual and perpetual alertness. From Crosswalk.com…………….
This article wades a little deeper into Psalm 90, to show us some important points for us to take to heart: our lives are short; God is eternal; so, it is best for us to seek God’s favor now, and to enjoy Him forever after our short lives are over. From Knowable Word………………
The title for this article alone drew me in, because it certainly seems these days that peace and unity are really hard to come right now. In fact, I am a fan of the Denver Broncos, and I had to endure through a summer of arguments between the fans who were split between the two different quarterbacks who were vying for the job as the starter! We need help, folks! From Core Christianity………………….
Another very nice overview of a biblical book that Knowable Word is known for. This time it is for Mark’s Gospel………………..
I live in Colorado, so needless to say, I love mountains. And I believe God does too because He certainly likes to hang out around them! Here are some insights about mountains in the Bible from Crosswalk.com………………
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-are-mountains-so-important-in-the-bible.html
The answer to this question is this article might surprise you. Jesus didn’t get most angry with His disciples and their lack of faith. Neither did He get most angry with people suffering illness due to lifestyles of sin and neglect of God. No, Jesus got most angry at those who tried to impede those who most needed God from gaining direct access to Him through Christ! From FaithGateway.com………………
Spoiler alert: We can trust the Bible because Jesus trusted the Old Testament. God superintended and protected the Old Testament for almost 1500 years up to the time of Jesus, and He has protected the New Testament for the last 2000 years in the same way! From Knowable Word………………
Many people, including even many believers, want to make the Book of Revelation a book about the wrath and judgment of God. While God’s judgment is an aspect of that book, as this article illustrates, it is merely a facet of the love of God for His people. From Determine Truth………………….
Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with a person who would not shut up for 5 minutes? Well, God would like to speak with us more often, but sometimes we need to be more quiet. This article discusses that more in depth. From BibleStudyTools.com………………….
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/tips/how-to-meet-god-through-silence-and-solitude.html
This article reminds us that when we walk the path of righteousness with Christ, we will always have enemies trying to get us off that path. But we also have four friends who will help us to stay on that path. From A Place for Truth…………
Here is a very worthwhile article from a very wise and conservative biblical scholar, Vern Poythress. Enjoy! From Desiring God………………………..
Like Bob Dylan once said, “You gotta serve somebody.” It is a good thing to belong to Christ rather than the Devil. An encouraging article from Sam Storms……………
https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/-you-are-not-your-own—living-as-slaves-of-christ-
Another in a recent series of articles on the Book of Ecclesiastes from biblical counselor and minister Jared Ingle. This time, he digs into the Preacher’s summation of the best things in life…………..
Yes, I am a phony. I am not really as holy and righteous as I might appear. But neither are you….or you over there. But God knows this, and He is not surprised. Nor is He done with us! From Your Mom Has a Blog……………….
I feel that when we combine our understanding of God’s love with His sovereignty, this will equal a security and comfort for believers in every circumstance. Here is a helpful article from Crossway.org…………….
https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-key-bible-verses-on-gods-sovereignty/
Jesus told us that Scripture was real spiritual food, and so we should see the Bible as more than a source of pithy memes. This short article encourages us to move beyond basic applications to a deeper appropriation of the truths of Scripture into our spirits and our minds and hearts. From Knowable Word……………..
This is some beautiful writing from Randy Alcorn. And I suspect this article will be an encouragement for believing loved ones who are watching their loved ones prepare to meet Jesus. From Eternal Perspectives Ministries………………
I enjoyed this short article from Seth Lewis! Lord, let our actions line up with our words!!
Answer: Very; more than we can imagine. And that is very good news! From Beautiful Christian Life…………………
https://www.beautifulchristianlife.com/blog/how-patient-is-god-with-us
This is a continuation of a recent series looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes. In this article, Jared Ingle is still in Chapter 3 of the book, but he digs a little deeper to ask what God’s will really is, and how should followers of Christ interact with what the Bible teaches about “following God’s will.”
The title of this article kind of says it all: That real rest in our society today does not come easily or automatically. So, it takes some work on our part to enter the rest that God has provided and gifted to us. From RickThomas.net……………….
This is an article that is eminently practical and biblical on the important topic of spiritual gifts. It comes from a trusted source of biblical wisdom and discernment, Randy Alcorn, so I hope you find it helpful! From Eternal Perspectives Ministries…………..
With this article, we have a concise and informative theology lesson on a very important topic: what is salvation? From Crosswalk.com……………..
It is important for us to remind ourselves that God is not far off, but is as close to us as our own hearts. But He also has walked among us in the earth….and still does today! From Core Christianity…………….
by Josh McDowell and Ben Bennett (Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2021)
The authors, well-known author and apologist Josh McDowell, and pastor and speaker Ben Bennett have joined forces to examine why so many Christians struggle through life rather than thrive as children of God. Due to their own experiences and their years of ministry, they believe most believers are suffering due to unmet needs in their lives.
McDowell and Bennett make the case that God has designed all people with seven basic needs:
The authors contend that hurting Christians with unfulfilled longings suffer because they try to satisfy those longings themselves or with other earthly things or people. But God placed those longings in us so that we might always go to Him with our needs.
McDowell and Bennett are unusually open and honest in sharing their own unmet longings and the adverse effects those had in their personal lives and ministries. Writing as fellow strugglers, they encourage readers to understand that they are not unusual in trying to satisfy their longings without God and give practical steps to begin looking to God for help and comfort. The book concludes with helpful appendices of the Longings Table and websites and books for further ongoing support. I heartily recommend this book.
It is very hard for me to understand in my heart that God actually likes me. But the Bible is full of proof that God loves His children with a love that is so great that we cannot fathom it! From Crosswalk.com………………..
When we were kids, we did not want to wait for our birthdays and Christmas, and if we are honest, as adults, we are not really big fans of waiting still. But God operates on His own timetable which is practically never on our schedule. Why is that? This article tries to answer that. From Two Journeys………………..
I have often wondered about this passage in I Corinthians, and this article addresses it with some possible answers. From The Gospel Coalition………………..
Wow….the topic of this article really touched me, and the writing is simply gorgeous. Here is a brief sample: “As God’s royal priest, you are meant to, very intentionally, share the love and presence of Jesus with every person you come in contact with – be it a friend, stranger, or enemy – by naming them well.” From Christians in General……………..
I happen to live in Colorado, so it might be easier for me to grasp all of the meanings behind the phrase “God is my Rock,” than someone in Florida, say, so here is an article to help a little with that! From Crosswalk.com………….
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-god-is-my-rock.html
Joy is a positive outlook of hopefulness based upon a pervasive, overall sense of well-being. Joy, like love, has a “feeling” component that is pleasant. Yet joy, like love, is not a feeling. Joy maintains a positive posture in life that assumes that good will be supported and eventually triumph over any apparent obstacle. Therefore, joy is fully compatible with the experiences of pain, disappointment, or sorrow, because joyfulness always takes a wider view of circumstances and works with hope to expect good to prevail. Joy enables patience, faithfulness to commitments, and the all-important ability to defer instant gratification. Joy gives one the ability to say no, or perhaps a very firm “not yet,” to the immediacy of desire. Both responses are evidence of joy’s ability to overcome the tyranny of the urgent, since one is joyful with the present state of affairs, whatever that may be. The bearing of joy on the good life should be obvious. It is indispensable to steady contentment and perseverance in any task. Joy liberates from the demand or temptation of immediate satisfaction, which resists waiting for what is good or best. Accordingly, joy is the best platform from which to make any sound investment.
From The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God’s Kingdom on Earth. Copyright © 2014 by Dallas Willard amd Gary Black Jr. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Just like any other important endeavor, we should ideally prayer before, during, and also after. From Crossway………….
This link to the article on The Gospel Coalition site looks a little wonky, but I encourage you to go ahead and click on the article title because you will find it worth it due to all of the useful links and the helpful words from singer Bethany Barnard. By the way, she wrote one of the best lines I have heard in any Christian song: “You [God] can do in my waiting than I can do in my doing”……………………
C.S. Lewis once made the observation that modern people were intellectual snobs about the past, thinking that nothing about the past was better or instructive to us in the modern age. But that is so wrong for us in the Body of Christ. This article makes this point well. From pastor and author Andrew Davis and Two Journeys………………..
https://twojourneys.org/articles/detail/1887579/why-study-church-history/
This article makes the important point that it is one thing to ask the Holy Spirit to bless something you have already decided to do, and another to determine to wait on Him and not do anything until you hear from Him! From Crosswalk.com…………..
We might be tempted to skip this book in the Old Testament, because it seems like going to Barnes & Noble and looking for a book titled The Saddest Book Ever. But Lamentations has a lot of good things for us (like everything in the Bible, a mixture of some bad with much good). This article gives us the rundown. From Knowable Word……………
The Epistle to the Philippians is one of my favorite parts of the New Testament, and this article highlights the encouragements to be gained from reading and meditating on this wonderful letter from Paul. From Crosswalk.com……………
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/lessons-from-philippians-to-encourage-believers.html
Many people were not aware that the great 19th Century preacher and writer Charles Spurgeon struggled with often debilitating and crushing depression. This means he also labored with prayer. So, he provides a model for us mere mortals who also struggle. Here is a little tidbit: “The essence of prayer lies in the heart drawing near to God; and it can do that without words.” From The Chorus in the Chaos……………
More in the series from minister and biblical counselor Jared Ingle as he examines the Book of Ecclesiastes. This time, he looks at a number of issues brought up in Chapter 3, including peace, love and hate……………..
Minister, author, and blogger Kevin Halloran has written an eminently helpful and encouraging book on how to handle the most common difficulties with prayer. He covers prayer problems such as being at a loss of what to pray, being hindered by guilt or shame, unable to focus, being too stressed or too busy. Halloran writes on nine of the most common obstacles to prayer reported by laymen and clergy alike as a fellow struggling pray-er so that the reader does not feel either belittled or unusual for needing assistance in developing a healthy and consistent prayer life.
The author begins the book by demonstrating through Scripture why prayer is essential, and the benefits to every believer for persevering through the difficulties often found in praying to God in any kind of meaningful and fulfilling manner. Readers will probably recognize themselves in more than just one of the difficulty areas described and are encouraged to skip around if they wish. Each of the chapters provides doable action plans that are thankfully not very complicated. At the back of the book, Halloran offers a listing of psalms to pray grouped by topic and verses to find the prayers of the Apostle Paul. Finally, he lists many recommended books for those who want to go deeper into the subject of prayer. This is one of the most practical and approachable books on prayer I have read. I highly recommend it!
Another article in this ongoing series from pastor and biblical counselor Jared Ingle on the Book of Ecclesiastes. This time, it is on the Preacher’s admonition to “fear God” or to live in awe of God as a proper mindset for all believers………………..
Continuing in a series of articles on the Book of Ecclesiastes by Jared Ingle and the importance of understanding the times…………………….
This article begins a series on that most interesting of books in the Old Testament — The Book of Ecclesiastes. From pastor and biblical counselor Jared Ingle……………
I put “patience” in parentheses because that is how the Hebrew is translated in the old King James Bible, but it is translated in newer versions as “perseverance,” “endurance,” and “steadfastness” in James 5:11. From Crosswalk.com…………….
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/5-important-lessons-from-the-patience-of-job.html
Wait…is this even possible? It is! Not easy; but possible. And something that each of us might have the opportunity to practice probably at least once a day or more! Here is a takeaway for me: “Secure in Christ’s righteousness, our aim is not ultimately to please other people, nor is it to gain an upper hand on our critics. Rather, our aim is to please Christ with lives of humility, faithfulness, and love. Our aim is to pursue a kind of character and humility that makes it difficult for others to accuse us, not for our own glory but for the glory of Christ.” From Eternal Perspectives Ministries…………………
https://www.epm.org/blog/2021/Aug/23/welcome-criticism-respond-grace
In this article from Rick Renner, rather than focus on one or two words in the Greek in a New Testament passage, he looks at Romans 8:26 as a whole. From Crosswalk.com…………………………..
Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World by Mike Cosper (IVP Books; 2017)
Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper tackles the very real difficulties that Christians in the West face to try to connect with and commune with a transcendent God, while all the world around us screams that there is no God or no better place other than the broken and disenchanted world all around us. Cooper makes a point of discussing the “disenchantment” of society in the West in anything outside our sense experiences, and that there is no absolute truth, and nothing to hope for after one dies. While fully and honestly admitting that life is very hard —- even for Christians (no “name it and claim it”) —- still, God’s grace can be easy at times to appropriate. This is the aim of Cosper’s book.
After a brief review of our post-modern and materialistic society and its impact on all people, including Christians, the author quickly launches into what he calls “pathways” to regaining our enchantment for the world around us, as well as the spiritual realm which is actually more real than what we can see and experience with our five senses.
The pathways that Cosper fleshes out are: One —- Re-enchanting Our World; Two —- Experiencing Grace; Three —- Bringing Scripture to Life; Four —- Withdrawing With God; Five —- Practicing Abundance; Six —- Throwing a Feast; and Seven —- Writing a Rule of Life. Cosper writes not as an expert in mastering these pathways, but rather as a fellow struggler who is learning how to live a transcendent life through wrestling with God, like Jacob did in the Old Testament. I believe a vast majority of believers struggle mightily in this area of living as God being the most real Person and true reality, and would greatly benefit from a book like this one. Highly recommended!
Atheists will sometimes claim that they have “looked for God” but did not find Him, so they concluded He does not exist. But God might not reveal Himself exactly in the way that the proud and insincere demand of him. An eye-opening article from apologist Kenneth Samples at Reasons to Believe……………….
Learning to Love the Psalms by W. Robert Godfrey (Reformation Trust Publishing; 2017)
In this most enlightening and informative book on the Psalms. Godfrey laments the fact that this vital part of holy Scripture which played such an important role in the life of the Jewish community for thousands of years, as well as for the Christian church for almost 1800 years has now fallen into a theological corner. In this book, Godfrey hopes to spark a new interest in the use the Psalter, both in corporate worship services, and in the personal devotions and prayers of believers everywhere.
Learning to Love the Psalms is neither a commentary or a devotional —- technically speaking. Yet the author both explains the occasions and use of the Psalms in ancient Israel —- like a commentary; but also shows how the theme of each psalm discussed can be used as a devotional and as a springboard to prayer and communion with the Father.
Godfrey describes the make-up and apparent theme and aim of each of the five Books that make up the Psalms in our Bibles today. After that description, the author details more of the interesting facts behind the psalms described (over 80 in all), how they tie into the overall theme of the Book in which they are found, and how modern-Christians can better understand and make more practical and spiritual lessons contained in each psalm. The book is written in a clear and entertaining manner, making it very accessible to the general reader; but with enough theological and expository insight to be very useful for pastors. Most highly recommended!
WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE by Klyne Snodgrass (Eerdmans Publishing Co.; 2018) covers a topic that sounds overwhelming and intimidating, but is rather an important core issue for every human – identity. By “identity,” Snodgrass means what “makes me me;” and since we all have a divine Creator Who made us the people we are for some distinct purposes, there can be no more important question for anyone to answer, but especially Christians. “Why did God make me like this, and does my life reflect who I really am?” But rather than a stuffy anthropological or philosophical treatise, Snodgrass does a wonderful job of demonstrating and explaining this issue in compelling and inviting ways.
After establishing the fact that only Christians have the ability to truly understand themselves – as opposed to all non-Christians – because we know our Maker; then the meat of the book discourses on nine factors the author says comprise the total makeup of our true identities. Quickly, those factors are: Our body; our history; our relations (and relationships); our self-interpreting of our memories; our chosen commitments; our actions; our boundaries; our ongoing change in temperament and styles of living; and the future we see for ourselves. The theme and goal of this timely book when “identity” is in so much confusion in the world, is that we can only truly understand ourselves by understanding the God Who not only created us, but loves us. Highly recommended.
I really get a lot out of the insights gleaned from these articles that dig into the meanings of the various names of God in Scripture. From Ann Spangler……………..
Rosh Pinnah, Eben — Cornerstone, Stone
