kingdom
December 30, 2019
“And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:11-12). Have you ever been ashamed of the Gospel? It’s not something Christians like to admit, but we all have experienced this feeling at some point. Sometimes it’s easier to hide our faith than to stand up to the pressure around us. We may keep quiet when non-believers criticize Christianity or the church. We may back down from our stand on sin when someone calls us narrow-minded or judgmental. We may feel embarrassed when our godly lifestyle sets us apart from our peers. Even Jesus’ disciple Peter succumbed to the temptation to publicly hide his faith in the face of antagonism. After […]
December 23, 2019
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Jesus’ words were not random when He prayed what we now know as the Lord’s Prayer. His prayers were logical and sequential petitions that ended with this last prayer: “Deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). As the chief angel in heaven, Lucifer thought he could take God’s rightful throne. It was pride that turned the chief angel into the chief devil. It was pride that took him out of the courts of heaven and put him into the pit of hell. And it is pride that he is always trying to replicate in us. This particular petition has to do with our wills. Satan’s original sin was the sin of pride, and pride attacks the will. We can memorize Scripture and read it for hours on end, but […]
December 16, 2019
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). To know Christ is to know true freedom. Jesus is the only way for us to be freed from the enslavement of sin. We owe our spiritual freedom to Jesus Christ, who paid for it on the cross. Jesus Himself said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). God’s sacrifice for us was not measured in financial expense or political cost. When Jesus came to earth, He sacrificed His untold glory and splendor in heaven to walk among us. He endured more physical and emotional pain in His final days than we can imagine. He experienced the spiritual pain of being separated from the Father while He hung on the cross. He paid for our sins with His own blood. God Himself—the almighty Creator of infinite value […]
December 15, 2019
Many Christians in the United States are finding it difficult to live out their faith. In a recent Barna study, 60 percent of American evangelicals reported experiencing opposition from their surrounding culture. As societal values and morality have shifted, these Christians have felt caught in the transition. They see traditional Christian values mocked in the public square and those who express them facing rejection and financial loss. In light of this cultural pressure, some Christians have chosen a path of silence. Others have questioned their traditional beliefs. A few have spoken up and faced the consequences. What is the answer to this problem? How should we as the church in America react to the increasing animosity toward our faith? Jesus answered this question in His introduction to the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is […]
December 9, 2019
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14). The Bible is a tale of two cities: the City of Man and the City of God. We can trace these two cities from the opening pages of Genesis to the closing paragraphs of the book of Revelation. The City of Man is symbolized by Babylon, Rome, and even today by Western civilization. In contrast, the City of God is symbolized by the elect of God from every nation, tribe, and generation. For believers currently living their earthly lives in the City of Man, it may appear to be the worst of times. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ promises that one day all believers will experience the best of times. Read Genesis 4:1-16. Here we see these two opposing cities begin to take shape in the lives of the children […]
December 2, 2019
“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light” (Revelation 22:5). Throughout the Bible, we see God leading and comforting His people with the presence of His holy light. In Exodus, the ninth plague upon the Egyptians was one of darkness so great that the people could not see one another. However, the children of Israel had light in their homes (see Exodus 10:21-23). Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, shines not only in the hearts and minds of those who follow Him, but also in their homes and dwelling places. Once Israel was released from Egyptian bondage, the Lord led them out: By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, . . . Neither the […]
April 29, 2019
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). As wonderful as God’s grace is in redeeming our past, it is equally powerful in the way it changes our future. No matter how far we strayed before God’s grace rescued us from our sin, His plan for our future cannot be thwarted because it is not contingent on our works, but on Christ’s. His saving grace entirely transforms us so that we are no longer dead in transgressions but alive in Christ. And because God wants to see us following after Him, living lives full of love and compassion for Him and for others, He will see this through in us by His grace and His Spirit (see Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:20-21). The apostle Paul, a worthy vessel to convey the power of God’s grace, wrote: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do […]