Month: August 2010

The word “worship” comes from an Old English word meaning “worth-ship.” It has two components: seeing what God is worth and giving what He’s worth. It’s about simply and honestly worshiping God with our whole being and life because He is worthy to be praised—Jn. 4:24; Matt. 2:2; Rev. 4:11; Job 23:12. But how do...

My wife, Nancy, and I had a miserable travel experience a few years ago. She and my granddaughter, Emily, went up to Canada to get Nancy’s mother for Thanksgiving. Because my neck was killing me, I prayed and felt it would be okay if Emily and Nancy went by themselves. I never like her going...

Training Principles for Parents, from Deuteronomy 6   The sixth chapter of Deuteronomy introduces what many have called the Magna Carta of the home,a passage of Scripture that summarizes in a few brief statements the great principles of the home, principles later developed in many other places in the Word of God. This passage is...

From these observations of the setting, we can now see Six Characteristics of Spiritual Renewal from Nehemiah 8-9. 1. Reverence and Love for the Reading of Scripture Chalk Prayer #3: We’re praying for a restoration of our love for and study of the Word. This experience is typical of those entering into spiritual renewal. It...

I am continuing to read about some of the major revivals and revivalists/evangelists in history (especially this century). This week I read an article by David Smith about the revival that took place in Wales in the first part of this century. He writes: “As Christmas neared in 1904, the small Celtic country of Wales...

Luke 12:1-12 Christian History magazine tells a number of stories that reveal St. Francis of Assisi’s intense and complex personality. I was particularly struck with how he dealt with temptation and repentance. Once he got sick after eating too much chicken. After regaining his strength of body, he entered the city of Assisi. When he...

Revelation 2 and 3 Part Two: Thyatira In Revelation 2-3, John is taking dictation from Jesus Himself to be given to the seven churches in Asia. These letters are very revealing to us about the churches, but they provide great benefit for us as well. In these seven letters, Jesus is giving us some insight...

Revelation 2 and 3

Part One: Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum

Introduction:

Think with me about some basic but intriguing questions.

• What does Jesus think about us individually?
• Is there an evaluation of our spiritual lives only in eternity, or is it also done in the present?
• Does Jesus evaluate and judge a local church, or just its individual members?
• What if an angel from God delivered a letter from Jesus to our church; what would be affirmed and what would be criticized?