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Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?

How many of us recognize the words of the title?.

I have often wondered what it must have been like for those who heard Jesus preach directly to them. Their hearts must have burned within them as the Holy Spirit used the Savior’s own words to create and sustain faith.

As the risen Savior joined them on a walk to Emmaus, Cleopas and a friend had this amazing opportunity. Jesus asked them what made them sad. They told Him that “He who was to redeem Israel” had been crucified.Read More »Did Not Our Hearts Burn Within Us?

Called To Be Witnesses

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
(Acts 1:8)

In the first chapter of Acts we read the account of how Jesus, in the weeks leading up to His ascension, appeared to His disciples on various occasions and confirmed for them His great Easter victory. At this time He also informed them that He would soon bless them with power from on high that would enable them to serve as His gospel witnesses. After His departure to heaven He would use them as His instruments to broadcast far and wide in the world the news of His death-destroying, life-restoring work as mankind’s Savior.Read More »Called To Be Witnesses

Living For Christ

When you read the following Bible words, you can be certain they are talking specifically about your heart—that it “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked...” (Jeremiah 17:5).

At first you might feel insulted. It’s normal—just your sinful flesh acting up. The original Hebrew words are frightening (the English is bad enough!). The situation is serious; you may have forgotten how and why.

In your heart there are two religions. Both come from superior beings. Both give revelations. Both have doctrines and writings. Both claim rulership over you. Both talk of sinfulness and forgiveness. Both have a doctrine of justification. Both have commandments. Both of them promise advantages (good) and to ward off disadvantages (evil). Both use the idea of fear, promise to provide knowledge, and promise to give eternal life. And both encourage worship and praise to be directed to them.

You are a Christian, and you believe that things in the previous paragraph pertain to Christianity. And so they do.Read More »Living For Christ

Wedding Address

Dear family and friends of the bride and groom, and especially today, dear Jackie and Mac:

The text you’ve chosen is a most appropriate one for your wedding day. The setting is Old Testament Israel, where the people had recently conquered the Canaanites under the leadership of Joshua. The Lord, going before them, had won the battles. He had kept all of His promises to His people, to the last word.

Then the aging Joshua, after all the military campaigns, was about to retire from his post as commander in chief. They had reached a milestone, and they faced a fork in the road for their future. Joshua presented them with a choice—one of two options. They could choose to blend in with unbelieving world around them, OR they could resolve to remain faithful to the true LORD, their Deliverer.

Read More »Wedding Address

A Winning Team

Christian education is, first and foremost, an activity for the home. God has called parents to train their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4) and make them wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15).

A Christian fellowship is able to support the home by providing Sunday School, Christian Day school, Vacation Bible School, and other opportunities. Of these, a school is probably the most recognizable “face” of Christian education; if this is the case, then graduation becomes a visible “sign of success.”Read More »A Winning Team

The Blessing Of Fellowship

Just exactly what is “Scriptural fellowship”?

Fellowship may be companionship or an exercise of friendliness toward one another. It expresses what the dictionary defines as a “community of interest.” The exercise of such fellowship serves society. But fellowship as society defines it is quite shallow—certainly a far cry from the scriptural concept.

“Fellowship” in the scriptural sense does not revolve around coffee but around the Word of God. A God-pleasing exercise of fellowship is based upon a common understanding of God’s Word and a Spirit-wrought acceptance and agreement in all that Scripture teaches.Read More »The Blessing Of Fellowship

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic to the Glory of God

There is a change that takes place somewhere between 4th grade and High School. When we were young, going back to school was an exciting time—new folders, new pencils, and we got to spend the day with our friends!

But as we grew older, we realized how fun the summers could be and how much hard work came with going back to school. What once was exciting soon became the dreaded return to school after a summer of fun.Read More »Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic to the Glory of God

A Deliverance for the Ages

Moses was in a showdown with Egypt’s powerful king. Though the king despised Moses, the people of Egypt had come to live in fear and awe of him: “The man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people” (Exodus 11:3).

As plague followed plague, Moses’ reputation among the people grew quickly, and soon Egyptian magicians could no longer mimic those plagues.

Moses became “very great” in Egypt when the plagues stopped affecting Goshen at all and after their intensity increased. While the people could not ignore that Moses was the agent of a God much different than any of their own, with a hard heart Pharaoh remained unmoved.Read More »A Deliverance for the Ages

Lord, Save My Son!

Who among us would deny that Hezekiah was a man of prayer?

We recall two incidents in Hezekiah’s life that were made memorable by answered prayer. In both cases the answer was clear and immediate.

When Sennacherib of Assyria threatened Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem with destruction, reviled the Lord God of Judah, and boasted that He would not be able to save them, Hezekiah prayed. That very night an angel from heaven strode through the Assyrian campsite and left 185,000 corpses in his wake.

In shame Sennacherib hightailed it home, only to be murdered by his own offspring.Read More »Lord, Save My Son!

The Beatitudes

“1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you….” Matthew 5:1-12 Read More »The Beatitudes