Dive Deeper

We, the Church, are the bride waiting patiently yet expectantly for her groom, Jesus Christ.  Like an earthly bride approaching her wedding day, there is much to be done.  Namely, the bride must be prepared to present herself to the groom dressed in holiness and cleanliness, purified and spotless.  We may look forward to that…

The word of God tells us that the sickness of the human heart is such that no person can understand it. [Jer. 17:9]  We can take this scripture to mean that it is impossible to understand the workings of the spiritual heart in a general sense.  Or, we can take it to mean that it…

In the recent past, we have had to endure a period of unexpected change.  Life slowed to a crawl in many respects, and questions lingered regarding when or whether things would return to normal.  Even today, we still feel the effects of these changes, and it seems an opportune time to explore the principle of…

On a recent mission trip, I was asked to lead a morning devotional for a youth group outing.  Being young and impressionable, at that stage of life when one must figure out who one is, I knew that I wanted to speak to these kids about identity.  I reviewed scriptures I knew on the subject,…

Who does not want to live better?  No matter who you ask, everyone can point to some improvements they desire in life.  When we think about life quality, it is not about the house or the car or the job.  We know that the body is more than clothing, and life is more than food…

If we study the scriptures carefully, we will see that our Lord is one who takes measure.  It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that faith, obedience, and love are things we possess and exercise in full or simply lack completely.  It is easy to think that these are all or nothing. …

This great faith of ours at times can be a mystery.  This mysterious nature can lead us to think of the walk of our Christian faith in a spiritual context that lacks practical considerations.  It is no surprise, then, that the words of our Savior and the remainder of the scriptures are rife with practical…

God’s kingdom is founded on his characteristics.  These include justice, mercy, love and wisdom.  Biblical instruction in our walking in the Spirit and producing the gifts that He bestows upon us speaks of this character of God.  [Gal. 5:13-26]  When we see these things, what we are looking at is a reflection of him, and…

One of the clearest and most compelling statements made by Jesus was that He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. [Mt. 5:17-20]  This statement should have perked the listeners’ ears and made them look for how He could fulfill prophecy.  We know now that Jesus fulfilled hundreds…

There are many things which distinguish our one true God from the plethora of false gods out there.  Whether his love, his mercy, his truth or anything else about him, the biggest distinction from other gods is his permanence.  He is the God who endures, and everything about him endures as well.  His precepts never…