He Came Down From The Mountain, But Not The Cross – Tom Wacaster
If the Sermon on the Mount were all that Matthew recorded, that small piece of inspired literature would declare the very majesty of the One Who spoke those words. The sermon now complete, our Lord leaves the mountain to enter His market place. The very first words we encounter as we enter the eighth chapter of Matthew capture our attention: “And when he was come down from the mountain” (8:1). Strictly speaking those half dozen English words describe His descent…
What Wouldn’t You Do For Your Kids? – Jordan Moore
Every parent’s worst nightmare is to lose their precious child. As expected, any devoted parent would do whatever it took to save their child: climb a mountain; cross a raging river; dive to the depths of the ocean. If it meant dangling from a cliff, gripping the child with one hand to keep them from falling- they would try. Were a parent to discover a climbing ropae and carabiners, would they not certainly use them in their cliff-side rescue? If…
How to Give Thanks
How does one express gratitude for an overwhelming gift? When the words “thank you” do not seem adequate, how can a person sincerely express their appreciation? Confronted with the same conundrum, the Psalmist put inspired pen to paper to answer this very question. Psalm 116 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His abundant benevolence. The Psalm can be divided into two parts¬–what God had done for the writer (vss. 1-11) and the writer’s response (vss.…
“I Can’t Come To Church Because Of Covid” – Neal Pollard
Covid has touched nearly every family I know, including my own. It would be foolish to say that it is harmless. It has claimed nearly 5 million lives as of today. So, I have heard from many good, thoughtful people, this statement: “I can’t come to church because of Covid.” Please accept that with deep, genuine love, there are a few questions that need to be asked alongside of this. Are we being consistent? Are we still going to the…
Glorifying God with our Speech (Part 2)
If we are to glorify God in our speech then we must also be mindful of the power of our words to accomplish both good and evil. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Pro. 18:21). The classic text on the tongue’s power is James 3:1-12 where James personifies the tongue as a bit in a horses mouth, a ship’s rudder, and fire. Note verses 5-6: Even so…
Glorifying God with our Speech (Part 1)
One of the more disturbing societal trends of late is the degradation of acceptable speech. A person could scroll through any social media news feed and see a barrage of language which would have shocked and disgusted most in years past, but today is so common that many think nothing of it. However, though the world’s standard of acceptable speech may change, God’s standard does not. The psalmist best captured the essence of God’s expectation for our speech when he…
Some Reasons to be Thankful
Christians are commanded to give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:18). November is the time of year when many people pause to reflect and show gratitude. Christians should do the same, but not just for one month out of the year. God has given us much to be thankful for. Here are three items for your consideration. First, God’s providential care. Simply stated, providence refers to provision. Consider the various ways in which God provides for His people. Spiritually speaking…
An Unpayable Debt
How does one repay an unpayable debt? To ask is to answer. An unpayable debt is by definition impossible to repay. Such a proposition may seem discouraging to some. If I can never fully satisfy my obligation, then why try at all? But this is not the proper attitude and it was not the mindset of the apostle Paul. As he reflected upon the sacrifice of Christ and his responsibilities as an apostle and minister of the gospel, Paul wrote,…
Light in a Dark World – Troy Spradlin
The disciples of Jesus Christ are described in various ways throughout the New Testament through the use of analogies and metaphors. Some of these include words like, “sheep,” “little children,” and “saints.” The purpose of these terms is to provide depictive imagery concerning how a Christian should live. Perhaps, one of the most descriptive metaphors is the term, “light.” For example, in Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said “You are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before…
We Preach Christ – John Haffner
What a glorious work and high responsibility—to preach Christ Jesus! We proclaim the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:1-5). We announce the message of the gospel, God’s power to salvation (Rom. 1:16). Sadly, many reject the preaching of Jesus Christ. Paul recorded how preaching Christ presented a stumbling block for the Jews and appeared to be foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1:22-24). The Jews only wanted signs and often asked for them…
“Glorify Your Son” – John Baker
As He contemplated His impending trial and execution, Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (John 17:1). Later the same night He prayed again, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). These two prayers remind us of, “the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow” (1 Pet. 1:11).…
Highly Exalted (Phil. 2:5-11)
Within the heart of one of Scripture’s most beloved books lies one of the most exalted, challenging, and thought-provoking passages in the entirety of God’s Word. Philippians emphasizes the priority of the gospel (1:27). Paul was in chains because of the gospel yet he used his difficult circumstances as an avenue to proclaim the gospel and exhorted the Philippian saints to do the same (cf. Phil. 1). But the message of the gospel cannot exist without it’s Person and primary…