The apostle Paul writes about the struggle in Romans 7:18-19, lamenting, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”And in 1 John 3:17-18, the apostl

That is, but multiplied by a few digits, what the Israelites would have felt to learn that the presence of God is in Babylon. It isn’t good news. It’s terrible. Have they been abandoned? Has God left them? How can this possibly be? Are we no longer your kids? We get the answer in Ezekiel 10 and 11. Because of their sin and rebellion, God’s presence

1. A Prayer Recognizing Our Fragile Humanity Lord God,You are everything — the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the creator of the universe and our very souls. You set time into motion and established the air that we breathe. Indeed, you breathed your breath into our lungs, breath that gives us life and infuses us with your perfect l

How to Apply These TruthsWhen we’re thinking about adding to the comments section of an article or other post someone has put up, we should take a few moments to prepare our hearts and minds. Remembering those qualities of positive communication is a great start. Then, to set that guard around us, we can ask several questions:- Have I taken time to

A Message of Practical TipsJesus gives a lot of practical advice within this passage. For example, He tells us to love others well and go the extra mile, not to just love in required ways. He teaches that we should be honoring to others by remaining true to our words. He shares how to give generously, how to pray, and how to deal with anxiety. This

When you are fully committed in your relationship with the Lord, His voice will be louder than the voice of your flesh. When you are all in, your desires will not be your own selfish desires, but they will reflect the desires that God has placed within you.The Scripture states this plainly:“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you t

The shepherd motif is a broad one throughout Scripture. Isaiah 53:6 reminds us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah is speaking of Jesus Christ as the One on whom God has laid the iniquity of us all.Of course, the One who watches over us and k

Just Who Was Simeon? The religious leaders, who could not be bothered to travel the short distance to Bethlehem when the Magi told them of the birth of Jesus, revealed the apathy that permeated society. Only a small remnant of faithful Jews adhered to the Laws of Moses and still believed God would fulfill His promises. They were waiting for God to

Consider the wonderful families in your own life. Do you need to call a parent and express love, support, or even ask for forgiveness? Is it time to cultivate a new family of friends, or to catch up with established friends? How has your spiritual family ministered to you? Is there someone in your church family who needs some “one another”-ing? Wee

1. Guard the Purity of the Gospel “After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, ‘Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to

Elihu further states, “He repays a man for what he has done, He brings upon him what his conduct deserves. It is unthinkable that God would do wrong, that the Almighty would pervert justice” (Job 34:11-12). Job ceases his protests about fairness when Elihu speaks. The friends also sit in silence as Elihu acts as God’s mouthpiece. Elihu speaks with

Does God Work in Mysterious Ways?God does work in ways which are mysterious to us, as we understand the term. When we consider who God is, we will appreciate better why God doesn’t reveal everything either all at once, a bit at a time, or not at all. He orders His creation and its history according to His perfect will and timing and for His purpose

Matthew 1. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).This passage is part of the Beatitudes, (The Sermon on the Mount) which encompass the greater part of Matthew 5-7). Matthew 4:25 tells us great crowds followed Jesus from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and

1. Your Design and Your BodyThe human obsession with the body has always been around, but it seems to have been exacerbated by social media and the increased attention on sharing our lives with others. People become dissatisfied with their noses, their thighs, the color of their hair, and begin to seek to control those things.It isn’t necessarily w

Yes, it is clear that some of the origins of Halloween were evil. But there are also some roots in Celtic and Christian traditions. The origin is a bit muddy. Yes, there is a history of dressing up in costumes that is related to a glorification (or even a false view of protection from) evil spirits. But even if it is shown definitively that Hallowe

1. Moses, the Angry and Fearful Fugitive Turned Powerful ProphetDeuteronomy 34:10-12 may be one of the most inspiring sections of Scripture, especially considering what occurred prior.“Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt — to Pha

No mentorship relationship is perfect; I know that I have had my share of difficulties within these contexts and have by far not been the perfect mentee or mentor. However, family is family. We are eternally connected. There is a great comfort and encouragement in knowing that the Lord has provided such a sweet gift to adopt us into His family.“Poi

Also in 2 Corinthians 5, Paul taught that we receive a new identity when we place our faith in Christ (verses 17-18). No longer should we define ourselves by past failures, others’ opinions, or the work we do. We are friends with God, reconciled by the work of his Son. We’re beloved children who have confident access to his heart and his ear (Roman

Some will quibble with Mohler’s words on the grounds that if Mark 7:19 does indicate that the disciples no longer have to worry about their diet, then why is Peter saying that he still hasn’t eaten unclean food? Why isn’t this obvious to him if Jesus already taught this?The problem, though, is that Mark 7:19 is likely inserted as an editorial gloss

If you are going to be one of My disciples, if you are going to enter into My Kingdom, you can have no other gods before Me. You must love Me before your social standing, your accomplishments and your dreams and goals. And the evidence of whether I am first in your life is if you trust Me more than your wealth and possessions and obey my directions