I invite you to read and think through eighteen “treasures” that the Holy Spirit is to us and secures for us.  My goal is not simply to give you information, but to use these verses to impress on your soul the supreme value of the Holy Spirit to our lives every day.  Jesus, in Luke 11:13 promises, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in

The incarnation narrative clearly underscores that what’s in the womb is a human (a baby). Luke 1:41, 44 (see also Luke 2:12, 16) “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit … As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy … This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying

Let’s think through four more passages. Job 31:13-15 “If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, what will I do when God confronts me?  What will I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” Granted this is not a familiar text.  But it is compelling.  Essentially Job argued that he dare

This question brings us face to face with the most serious ethical dilemma we face as a nation. It has to do with the sacredness of all human life – born or unborn. It brings us face to face with issues like abortion and euthanasia. It is a difficult and emotionally volatile issue. It is the core question politicians feel the heat over. It is hotly debated in every form of media. It is a subject that even divides religious

I resolve to master the good news of Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection recorded in the Gospel of Mark by reading it through once every month during 2012. I think this is a resolution worth keeping. Filling your mind with Mark’s verbal portrait of Jesus will deepen your love for him as you walk with him on the path of discipleship. Here is Mark’s Gospel broken down into 26 readings. One reading each day makes it possible to read

Mary praised God for his favor on her life. The shepherds praised God on their return trip to the Bethlehem hillside. Simeon and Anna expressed deep adoration to God for the joy of seeing the promised redeemer. The wise men bowed before Jesus and worshiped him and gave gifts to him. All who came face to face with the infant Jesus worshiped him. Consider this definition of worship from these Gospel advent narratives: “Worship is praising God with reverence and

Knowing God is our greatest privilege. Consider this famous quote from Charles Spurgeon. “I believe that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of the Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest [pursuit], the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of [our] great God … Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so

So far I have written about Scripture reading and praying and singing in my series of letters on public worship. I now turn to the theme of preaching. I need you, for the sake of space, to read Nehemiah 8:1-12. This passage tells us that all the people gathered in a huge assembly for one grand purpose. They came to hear Ezra read the Law of God and the Levites teach the word of God. What we have in these

Christianity is a singing faith. One reason this is true is because singing is prominent in the Bible and pleases God (Ex 15:1-18; Jud 5; Psalms; Lk 1:46-55). Another reason is because our Lord and his apostles sang (Matt 26:30; Acts 16:16-40). A third reason is because heaven is filled with singing (see Revelation chapters 4, 5 and 7). All through Scripture we find that those who are truly redeemed by the mercy of God sing praises to God for

I am continuing a short series of letters on public worship. My hope and prayer for us is that we will go hard after God when we assemble on Sunday. In other words, my desire for us is that we will engage our hearts and minds every moment and in every element of worship. I long for us to be mentally alert and wholehearted in all our singing and praying and hearing of God’s word. My theme for this letter