DO YOU HAVE A GOSPEL PERSPECTIVE? The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi from his jail cell in Rome. He wrote to encourage his gospel partners, so that they would see that his chains were actually increasing the “furtherance of the gospel.” He noted that the gospel had become evident to
THE CURRENCY OF THE KINGDOM IS ASKING The Lord questioned Israel as to why they labored so hard for things that did not “satisfy.” Why not come to the Lord and freely receive His bread “without money” and wine “without price?” But Israel had fallen into idolatry. They pursued the blessings of God, rather than
THE LORD HAS LAID OUR INQUITY UPON CHRIST JESUS Seven hundred years before Christ Jesus, the Lord gave the prophet Isaiah a description of His coming. There are two types of Messianic prophecies revealed in the Old Testament. Both are seen in Isaiah. The first is the Messiah as conquering king, who will rule the
CHRIST’S LOVE FOR US IS INSCRIBED ON HIS HANDS When Israel accused the Lord of forsaking them, He replied saying that He could never forget them. He compared Himself to a mother, saying, “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” Then, He said that He had “engraved” them on His hands. The word “engraved” might
DO YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE? In this verse, Paul described both the goal and the means of our speech to one another. The goal is maturity in Christ. And the means is twofold: “truth” and “love.” The mission of the Church is to make disciples who are being conformed to the image of
EVER WONDER WHAT GOD IS UP TO WITH YOU? We cannot earn salvation, but having received it by God’s grace through faith, we become God’s “workmanship” (Greek: “poiema”). We become God’s poem, His masterpiece. We are a new creation, therefore we begin to display the new nature in our daily walk, doing good works. Yet
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO RENEW YOUR STRENGTH? Do you feel weak and worn out? The Lord gave an answer through the prophet Isaiah saying, “Wait on the Lord.” There is a fatigue that afflicts both young and old. Days off and vacations seem to have no effect on this deep fatigue. Recreation and entertainment
NEVER DIG UP IN DOUBT WHAT YOU PLANTED BY FAITH The apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia, not to “grow weary” in their good work. Perhaps because they had tilled the soil and sown the seed like a farmer, but nothing had yet come up. But Paul told them to stop worrying about whether
DO YOU BEAR THE FRUIT OF WALKING IN THE SPIRIT? The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church to teach them the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit. The word “walking,” means “living.” It is that which both motivates and marks one’s life. Paul taught that those who live by
DO YOU TRUST IN CHARIOTS OR IN CHRIST? From Abraham’s time until that of Isaiah’s, the people of Israel had often looked to Egypt when they should have been looking to God. Trusting Egypt for help is a metaphor for trusting the world and human strength. Who are you trusting? Egypt or the Lord? Isaiah