People tend to dismiss the devil as a joke, a cartoon character, or a figment of religious imagination. Not very smart. Satan is a fierce predator, and we can’t resist him if we don’t take him seriously.
Speaking the Truth in Love
Speaking the Truth in Love
Sermons on Comfort and Hope
Many young people in the United States are frightened by all the talk about climate change. They have been led to believe that, without their immediate attention, the earth will stop supporting human life. Is this a legitimate concern?
Peter says that “the righteous is scarcely saved” (1 Pet. 4:18). Does he mean that a committed Christian has little chance of actually making it to heaven? Absolutely not!
In the United States, hostility to Christian faith is mounting. The church is in for a fight. But our weapons aren’t worldly, and the struggle itself will be blessed. Yes, you read that right.
2 Kins 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him…
God expects us to listen to his word. We understand and accept that. But we also expect him to listen to us when we really need help. So why do our prayers sometimes seem to fall on deaf ears?
The final chapter of Daniel predicts “a troubled time” for God’s people. The prophecy seems to foretell the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. But maybe the emotion stirred by Daniel’s vision is more important to the reader than the information revealed in it.
Distress affects all of us in different ways. Some of us feel anxious and panicky. Others feel irritable or depressed. But Jesus has a gift for us – if we will receive it.
King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that all his officials worship his idol, a tall golden image set up on the plain of Dura. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused – and that meant death. Their trust in God challenges us to make faithful choices when the state punishes righteous behavior.
What will we do in heaven – stand around God’s throne endlessly singing hymns? Will eternal life be an interminable worship service? The Bible says otherwise.