This letter was written to encourage the scattered Christians to maintain hope while suffering. The intended recipients of 1 Peter appear to have been facing significant hardships as a result of social and governmental opposition to their faith in Christ. In this Study of 1 Peter 1 and 2, Peter reminds these believers to stand fast, to endure persecution, to …
Matters of the Heart
Why is the heart important? Well, from a biological point of view, it sustains life. Without the heart pumping the life-giving blood, the body would quickly die. The same is true spiritually. The heart is the well-spring of life. When it is allowed to become infirm with sin, a person’s spiritual life quickly deteriorates. This is why God, our concerned …
The Book of Titus
The Book of Titus is a letter Paul wrote in AD 63 to one of his faithful ministers, a man named Titus, a fellow-laborer who Paul left on the island of Crete in the Mediterranean to complete a work he had previously started. This Pastoral Epistle tells of Titus’s assignment regarding this Church at Crete – to “set in order …
Too Good To Be True
The first Christmas I remember was 1962. I was five years old. I recall rubbing my eyes in wonder and eagerly watching as the gifts were passed around by my two older brothers and sister. To my complete surprise, I got a BB gun; a small, lever-action Daisey BB gun! I was shocked and remember thinking, “Surely Santa made a …
The One Body
As Christians, individually, Christ is in each one of us – hence the name, Christian, meaning Christ-In. And we, both individually and as a Church, are in Christ, “In Christo.” This phrase signifies something dynamic, and not static; it signifies life and growth. Most importantly, it signifies union. We are in union with Christ. God provided this unchangeable reality of …
You Love Righteousness and Hate Wickedness
Scripture states that Jesus “loved righteousness and hated wickedness.” That’s amazing. This phrase defines in a nutshell what it means to be a followers of the Lord Jesus. As he did, so are we as his followers to “love righteousness and hate wickedness.” In this regard, complacency is our enemy. When we are complacent, the black and white precision of righteousness …
No Partiality
The early definition of the word “partiality” connotes something that is not whole or complete. The word later developed into an idea of one-sidedness, or, an unjust or unreasonable preference for a person or a group over against another, and this is its general meaning in scripture. In the Authorized Version, God testifies that He is not a “respecter of …
God’s Peace
The Bible tells us that God is not the author of confusion but of peace. Peace and order are essential to one’s relationship with God. When we consider God’s still, small voice, peace is essential for our well being in our walk with God. We cannot remain emotionally and spiritually balanced without it. That secret place in our hearts is …
Become Like Christ
West Virginia’s mountains are ablaze with color, announcing the change of season from summer to fall; which is by far my most beloved time of year. The smell of a fresh, cool, fall morning is unlike any other. Perhaps it is the fond memories of camping and hunting with my Dad and brothers. Or maybe the memories of high school …
Joy Of The Lord
Joy, is clearly a rare condition in our world today. Few people even feel happy, much less joyful. When we focus on the present state of our world it seems impossible to “feel” joyful. Yet, God’s word tells us about many believers who experienced joy in the midst of austere conditions. So how can we, today, experience and hold onto …