Sovereign God, Sovereign Love

God uses kings for His purposes. Cyrus was one of these, Jehu was another. Isaiah 45:1-3 speaks of God’s sovereign plan. Here, God uses Cyrus to rescue the Jewish captives following their 70 year exile in Babylon.   “Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand...

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Obey and Be Ready for the Battle

“Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices” (Proverbs 1:29-31) In Proverbs, Lady Wisdom gives her directions. She tells us that the way to live a wise life begins with a choice. Each of us must decide to live in the “the fear of the Lord.” It is...

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Love Makes for No More Stumbling

Rom 14:1-4 teaches,  ” Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.  For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eats herbs.  Let not him that eats despise him that eats not; and let not him which eats not...

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Two Sides of the Same Mind

Romans 7 presents a discourse of indecision. Expositors comments, “… it is the cry of a human soul, if ever there was a personal cry.” The passage betrays a kind of conflict far deeper and more mysterious than merely that of “I ought” with “I will not.” –It is a...

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Joseph, the Dream and the Ant

“I am with Child.” How did those words fall upon the ears and heart of Joseph? Imagine the questions he must have asked and the answers Mary gave him. Betrothal was a sacred right, an agreement and covenant arrived at and legally sealed between two families. Joseph had entered into...

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Mary Got a Song to Sing

It was an ordinary day in a hardscrabble town situated in northern Judea. And then the extraordinary happened to a seemingly simple girl who had grown up in Nazareth, a village of about 400 residents. The place featured a collection of committed Jews by all accounts. That is, the families...

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Spirit Love vs. Natural Love

The perfect love of Jesus casts out fear. 1 John 4:10-18 makes this clear.  “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” “We love because he first loved us.” Propitiation?  “ …the...

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Certainty in Uncertain Times

These perilous times are so full of uncertainty for those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. But we who have believed and trusted in Him as Lord and Savior have the privilege of being cemented in certainty. Living by faith is the key. His Word, His Presence, His Spirit...

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The King’s Table

“And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Samuel 9:1 David never forgot the love of his friend, Jonathan. This man had helped David escape at a time when Saul’s jealous wrath was pointed toward...

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Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

The Way. The Truth. The Life. Jesus defined Himself – very clearly, very concretely in Chapter 14 of John. He made a declaration about who He is. The definite article “the” introduces each one of these realities about the Savior. There’s no wiggle room in these words that He spoke....

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