bible – From the Chaplain

God’s Viewpoint

God sent the prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint Saul’s replacement when he determined to remove Saul from his kingship over Israel. At the time Samuel did not know who the new king would be. When Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse’s son, he said “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him” (I SamuelContinue reading “God’s Viewpoint”

To Know Jesus Is To Know God

Have you ever tried to contemplate what can be known of God? An acquaintance of Job, Elihu, while rebuking him made this statement about God: “Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out” (Job 37:23). His point was that God is far beyond our limited human comprehension and no amount of searching on our partContinue reading “To Know Jesus Is To Know God”

Christ Died For Our Sins

Many think that Jesus died as some kind of martyr. Others think that he was the unfortunate victim of a miscarriage of justice. But we can be assured from the Scriptures that Christ was no martyr though he did die purposefully. Nor was his death merely the result of injustice on the part of theContinue reading “Christ Died For Our Sins”

There Is None Good

A certain ruler came to Jesus with a question that every thoughtful person has entertained at one time or another. “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). From his question at least two things are evident. First, he believed unquestionably that eternal life was real and, secondly, he did notContinue reading “There Is None Good”

Pharisee or Publican?

One of the chief spiritual lies that leads to the damnation of men’s souls is the belief that one can earn his way into heaven by good works. The Bible is plain in its declaration of man’s sin. The Scriptures point out “there is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). Yet, somehow, we areContinue reading “Pharisee or Publican?”

Nehemiah Responds to a Need

Thousands of Jews were carried into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, over a series of three deportations beginning in 605 BC. Exile from Judah, their homeland, and captivity in Babylon (and later Persia) was God’s judgment on his people for failing to keep his covenant. The length of their exile, 70 years, meant thatContinue reading “Nehemiah Responds to a Need”

Men Ought Always to Pray and Not Faint

Every child of God has struggled at one time or another with “unanswered” prayer. I know in my own life there have been times when I’ve prayed and prayed with regard to some specific burden, but it seems as if my prayers have gone unheard. When this occurs discouragement begins to take hold, and weContinue reading “Men Ought Always to Pray and Not Faint”

Forgiving One Another

The failure to forgive one another lies at the heart of more ruined relationships than any other personal failure. I don’t have statistics to back that assertion, but I believe there would be a consensus as to its veracity. Both our experience and observation would find us regrettably nodding in agreement. Many a bitter soulContinue reading “Forgiving One Another”

The Rich Man and Lazarus

In the Gospel of Luke, our Lord tells of the death of a certain rich man and a beggar, Lazarus. In doing so he pulls back death’s curtain to reveal a brief yet compelling insight to that which awaits each of us. Christ begins, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purpleContinue reading “The Rich Man and Lazarus”