The backdrop of this story is the mess of disobedience. It is the outcome of years of covenant unfaithfulness and years of exile as a result. This is what happens when the curses of Deuteronomy fall upon a people. The name of God departs and wickedness abounds. Do you want to know what it looks like for evil to be winning? Look no further than the

Like the Philippians, we can benevolently share our financial and material blessings as we depend upon the one who gives all good gifts (James 1:17).What Else Does 'My God Will Supply All My Needs' Teach Us?Let’s break down Philippians 4:19 to discover other truths in the verse.1. “And my God . . .” As someone intimate with the Lord and familiar wi

What Themes Stand Out in the Gospel of Mark?A characteristic term which occurs with great frequency in Mark's Gospel is the Greek word Eutheos, which is variously translated "straight away, immediately" etc. Notice a few of the occurrences of this word in the first chapter alone: "And straight away coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens ope

Created to Reflect the Image of GodSystematic TheologyRestoration of the Image BearerMade in the Image of Godlike a mirror Ruth Clemence is a wife, mom, writer and award-winning blogger based in Cardiff, Wales. Read more at: ruthclemence.com.

Blue Letter Bible shares, “Thus the text seems to teach that there was no rain before the Fall, because there was sufficient water from the streams to irrigate the land. However, this does not mean that there was no rain after the Fall. After sin entered the world things radically changed.”This means that the harsh winters that came as a result of

Is It Okay for a Christian to Engage in Politics?There is nothing inherently wrong with a Christian entering the political arena, as long as he or she remembers our first role is ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) and as such, our first priority is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.To that point, Albert Mohler, president of Southern Bapti

…the Scriptures?…God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)?…salvation?…grace and works?…the Church (both local and universal)?…sharing the gospel?…our relationship with the culture?What Are Some Warning Signs That We May Be Straying into Heresy?C.H. Spurgeon said, “It is a remarkable fact that all the heresies which have arisen in the Christian Church hav

“That the Baptism of infants is pleasing to Christ is sufficiently proved from His own work, namely, that God sanctifies many of them who have been thus baptized, and has given them the Holy Ghost; and that there are yet many even to-day in whom we perceive that they have the Holy Ghost both because of their doctrine and life; as it is also given t

We read of it in his attitude towards Mary of Bethany. Scripture reveals that Judas was a thief from the money bag. John 12:5-6 says, “But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasnt this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a years wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about

Grant us peaceto use these gifts from your handswith thankful, reverent hearts.Let your blessing rest on these your gifts,to our comfort and sustenance.Grant, good Lord,that as we hunger and thirst for this food for our bodies,so may our souls earnestly long afterthe Bread of eternal Life,Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.Source: Freely modif

Against all odds, the Jewish people have once again returned to the “land of milk and honey” promised by God in Exodus and as exclaimed by prophets throughout the Old Testament.But — is this the true and final fulfillment of God’s promises and the multitude of prophecies, or simply an event that foreshadows what is to come?Israel Events Foreshadowi

Why Did God Choose Prophets to Speak Through?Historically there were people whom God would speak to one-on-one. God would walk with Adam and Eve in the garden, but after the Fall of mankind due to sin, God could not appear to them the same way. Sinners cannot be in the presence of Holy God.He found ways to communicate directly to other individuals

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”I, like many people, have struggled with being an impatient person. And when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I wanted to be delivered from everything right away. It took a while before I saw the value of slowing down and letting God work in His timing. This verse is a clear invitation to let myse

1. Run to God When You Need Wisdom We are not God, and His thoughts and ways are often beyond us (Isaiah 55:8-9). But that does not mean we shouldn’t run to Him when we get confused, or when we desperately need His perspective for decisions or to deal with tough circumstances. The writer of Proverbs said we should not lean on our own understanding

The Kingdom of God Is Like… For many people, forgiveness does not come easily or naturally. It simply feels right and justifiable to even the score when we’ve been wronged. So when Jesus told his disciples they must forgive 70 x 7 times (essentially always), He must have known something about forgiveness that we really need to learn and practice. H

A prayer for the Spirit to fill me might by something like this, “God, I need You today. I need Your help to live for You. Holy Spirit, fill me up again so that I can live by Your strength and not by my sinful nature. Forgive me for the ways that I have already failed and help me to walk in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Open my eyes to Your purpos

3. A Prayer and Verse for Those Triggered by Memories“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm

These passages in Luke indicate that Anna, the prophetess, recognized who Jesus was and how significant he would be to the people in Jerusalem awaiting redemption. Her recognition of Jesus’s significance comes just after Simeon’s and shortly after the spectacle displayed by God’s angel, who had appeared to shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem sin

Why Is “Bearing False Witness” a Big Deal?Once again, God’s people were coming out of 400 years of enslavement in a pagan country. They needed to be reminded that He was to be respected as the creator of the universe—the One True God. It would be offensive to Him to have idols made of Him that would be worshiped. He was the one who wanted the relat

In His grace, the Lord Jesus came to serve, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Ought we not serve the One who came to serve us?Romans 12:11 commands, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”Why do we serve the Lord? Because of His many gr