“Therefore, brothers,since we have confidence to enterthe holy places by the blood of Jesus,bythe new and living way that he opened for us throughthe curtain, that is, through his flesh,and since we havea great priest over the house of God,let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our heartssprinkled cleanfrom an evil conscience...”—Hebrews 10:19-22
When Old Testament High Priests entered the Holy Place and went behind the curtain into the Holy …
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”—Hebrews 4:12-13
We should not be surprised that the Word of God is compared to a sword. A Roman sword had two edges; it cut both ways. God does not use the sword of the Word to destroy His people, but rather …
“God is ourrefuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”—Psalm 46:1-3
“‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”—Psalm 46:10-11
Katrina, Irene, and Sandy—just three of the mighty hurricanes that have hit our shores here in America recently. …
“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in theLord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in theLord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to theLord; trust in him, and he will act… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”—Psalm 37:1-5, 7
There are several commands in these verses that, if we were to obey them, we would find many heavy …
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know…I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”—Job 42:2-3; 5,6
Last time, we saw Job’s despair in trying to find God in the midst of his unforeseen trials, and yet he also saw the light of hope, …
“Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments…Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”—Job 23:3-4, 8-10
Job felt abandoned by God and his grief was increased by listening to …
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”—Philippians 1:9-11
Today we come to the prayer that I personally pray for each of my grandchildren individually each week. If this prayer were answered, it would encompass the hopes and dreams of any parent or grandparent. No prayer covers so much of what is essential for all of …
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do …
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…”—Ephesians 1:16-19
Have you ever prayed for something—perhaps for someone to be healed—and then you ended your …
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”– Galatians 2:20
The changes God makes in our lives after our conversion are profound and lasting; God does a deep work that rituals cannot perform. Consider this: God so profoundly put us into Jesus—in a legal way—that His history becomes our history. We were crucified with Him, and we were “raised with Him” (Romans 6:5). This …
