Posts from December 2022 (Page 2)

                  Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player who ever lived.  Yet, even Michael Jordan was cut from his basketball team during his sophomore season of varsity basketball.  Following being cut, he worked even harder at his game and saw that failure as an opportunity to succeed.  Michael once said, “Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”   I would imagine that Michael worked nearly every day on the fundamentals of the game…

                                As we live in this world, there a lot of things that are out of our control.  We cannot control what the stock market will do, we can’t dictate the weather, we can’t even control how other people treat us.  When we notice all the things that are beyond our control, it is easy to remember what we can control…ourselves.   As Paul imparts his words of wisdom from the Holy Spirit to Titus he says…

  The apostle takes his metaphor from athletics. He advises Timothy that if he is striving to win in his ministry, he will not be crowned unless he disciplines himself to follow the rules. In games (whether cards, croquet in the backyard, basketball, or whatever), we are often confronted with the opportunity to bend or to break the rules. The player must discipline himself or face the penalties and maybe even find himself disqualified. If a player breaks the rules…

  In the first chapter of I Timothy, Paul is concerned about sound doctrine. He describes for Timothy (and us) the damaging results when faith is replaced by speculation and when dissension is substituted for love. What could Timothy do in such a situation? He could not remain silent in the face of heresy and could not compromise with it.  He was to stay at his post and fight for the faith. If chapter one is concerned primarily with sound…

  Paul was compelled to give thanks for the Thessalonians.  The principle reason for his gratitude is that they had been chosen of God.  It was a dual choosing.  God chose them through the invitation of the gospel, and they were among the chosen by accepting God’s invitation.   Every Christian is called by the gospel into salvation when he obeys it.                          (2 Thessalonians. 2.14) The Thessalonians had obeyed the gospel and had come into this salvation, causing Paul…

  Nature will have her due.  Tears will fall, and hearts will seem near breaking.  Nowhere does God rebuke the tears of natural affection.  It is written in Scripture that “Jesus wept.”  God sets Himself to extract their bitterness.  Sorrow you may, and must, but not without hope. Those who die in Christ are with Him.  They are said to sleep, not because they are unconscious, but because their death was not filled with terror.  Believers have died once in…

  (Phil 4:6) Our prayers should reflect our gratitude toward God for what He has done in our lives and what He gives to us. Our everyday words and thoughts should reflect a positive mindset of hope and joy in thankfulness toward God for His great plan of salvation and our parts in it. Thankfulness is a form of contentment.  We could view it as peace of mind or tranquility. A truly thankful person is usually not an individual who…

  These words are a conclusion of Christ’s descent from heaven, from his ascension there, for if he had not first descended from heaven, it could not have been said of him that he ascended.  “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” ( John 3:13, ESV)  Paul, along with the whole New Testament church, believed in the preexistence of Christ with God, before the world was, worshipping him as Lord, Saviour,…

    The definition of “sealed” or to seal up, in this instance, means to close and make fast with a seal, or signet, items such as books, letters, etc., so they would not be read.  It is also used in the sense of setting a mark on anything, or a seal, to denote that it is genuine, authentic, confirmed, or approved, as when a deed, contract, or agreement is sealed.  “Sealed” can also be applied to persons, denoting that…

  Twice in Galatians Chapter 4, Paul referred to the “elementary principles.”  In the first instance, the term refers to the Law that bound the Jews.  The second involves Gentiles, and it has a dual meaning.  The phrase “turn back” associates “elementary principles” with pagan idolatry (which the Gentiles had once practiced) as well as the Law (which they were embracing due to the Judaizers’ influence.  Neither of these had the power to save them. The Law served as a…

  We sometimes sing a hymn with the line, “I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene.”  Anyone who comes to know the God-man will truly be amazed.  Jesus shared the Father’s glory before the world was, and it was through Him that the worlds were created.  He was made flesh by the instrumentality of the Holy Spirit and a devout young Jewish virgin.  This took place in an insignificant land and in humble circumstances.  Jesus grew up…

  Sometimes we hear these words spoken or maybe we have said them ourselves.  Do we really appreciate the depth of the meaning?  Communion signifies being in common.  It is used about our fellowship with one another (1 Cor 10:16) and with God (1 John 1:3).  The bond of such friendship is always through the Holy Spirit. How wonderful it is to have the privilege of divine fellowship.  We need never be alone again, we can turn to Him for…