Paul frees a slave girl from spiritual bondage only to be thrown into physical bondage. Ironically, this leads to his jailer being set free from his spiritual bondage. Spreading the Gospel can lead to persecution and suffering. Yet, suffering can lead to salvation.
In this angelic rescue, Peter is passive; God is active. Echoing language and themes of Passover, the account emphasizes human recognition of divine rescue. Being a witness for Christ may result in persecution and even death. But God is able to preserve us for His purpose – if He so chooses — Just as He did at the First Passover. Let’s not be surprised if/when He does
If we prepare so much for weddings in this age, how much more should we prepare for the Great Wedding Banquet of Christ and His Bride (the Church) after the LORD consummates His everlasting, end-time reign? Let us prepare ourselves as God prepares us for our Big Day.
As the old saying goes, “looks can be deceiving.” It may seem that many of those living contrary to God’s will have prosperity, happiness, etc. Yet, in the end, living in such a way leads to self-destruction (cf. Psalm 1). Believing in God is not “blind faith,” it is trusting without complete (in)sight. It is trusting that, regardless of what seems right in our minds, the One who gave us life ultimately knows what is best for our lives.
As the ol’ Gospel song goes, “This joy I have the world didn’t give it to me… The world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away.” The foundation of Christian joy is salvation through Christ. Because of our past, present, and future (i.e., final) salvation, our present circumstances do not ultimately deter joy — indescribable joy.
All that glitters ain’t gold. Things are not always as they seem. When reading the account of Abram and Lot, we find an example of how self-interest can lead to fleeting fool’s gold, while godly selflessness can lead to everlasting abundance.
In this familiar passage, the foretold Anointed Messiah-Servant-King announces the Good News of the inauguration of a New Age — the just and righteous reign of God.
Jesus reads these very words at the inauguration of His ministry, identifying Himself as the the Anointed One who will usher in the Kingdom of God.
Spiritual gifts are for the present; love is everlasting. Paul tells the competitive Corinthians to act in “age-appropriate” ways. Not only are spiritual gifts useless without love, spiritual gifts are only appropriate for this age. On the other hand, love is the virtue of supreme value in both this age and the age to come.
What’s the key to “success” in life? According to the book of Joshua, from God’s perspective, true success comes from meditating on and adhering to the word of God.
The Holy City of Jerusalem had been conquered. God’s chosen people were dragged away to Babylon as slaves. Was it not reasonable for the psalmist to express his doubts and question God? Yet, these questions lead the psalmist to remember the past mighty acts of the holy, sovereign, and compassionate God — who is worthy of his and our trust.
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