The book of Ecclesiastes teaches us among other things that life is challenging, frustrating, often disappointing, but never meaningless! Indeed, nothing is meaningless. The Psalmist both encouraged and warned “Verily, there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth” (Psalm 58:11). Everything that a man or womanContinue reading “Building with My Life”
Tag Archives: Devotional
Believing All Things
Paul makes some remarkable statements in his description of love that is born from above. One of them is “love…believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (I Corinthians 13:7). When he says that love “believes all things” he is not saying that we believe everything we hear and, consequently, that we exercise noContinue reading “Believing All Things”
Begotten of God
James noted in his epistle that “God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James 1:13). Conversely, he declares in that same passage “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). It is from this background that James (under theContinue reading “Begotten of God”
Ask God!
In his Epistle, James’ (the Lord’s half-brother) admonished his readers to “count it all joy” when they encounter trials and difficulties. He understood these trying times fall to all of us from a loving heavenly Father whose purpose is to use them to produce the image of His Son in each of us. Hence, weContinue reading “Ask God!”
And Now Abideth…
Paul makes a remarkable statement in his concluding remarks about love to the believers in Corinth, “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). First, he sets these three spiritual gems – faith, hope, love – in surpassing beauty to the brevity of prophecies, tonguesContinue reading “And Now Abideth…”
An Unruly Evil
James, the Lord’s half-brother, speaks clearly in his epistle of the relationship between faith and works. It is true that we are saved through faith alone, but James goes on to point out that faith that saves is never alone. In fact, he concludes that “faith without works is dead” (James 1:26) and by implicationContinue reading “An Unruly Evil”
Adulterers and Adulteresses
James made a comparison of earthly wisdom to wisdom that is from above (James 3:17). It is understandable that James spoke of a wisdom that is “from above” when he described how Christians should live. After all, believers are in the world but are not to be of the world. Yet his audience was characterizedContinue reading “Adulterers and Adulteresses”
An Expectation for Growth
The Apostle Paul had made clear to the Corinthian believers that God had given his children his Spirit “that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Corinthians 2:12). In spite of that blessed privilege, they had remained spiritually immature so Paul found it necessary to rebuke them forContinue reading “An Expectation for Growth”
His Understanding is Infinite
The Psalmist wrote “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). It really should not surprise us to understand that the God who created all things quite literally knows all things, as well. One naturally follows the other. He created the galaxies, our universe and solar system; he hungContinue reading “His Understanding is Infinite”
A Warning Against Contentious Behavior
The Apostle Paul thanked God greatly for the evident grace in the lives of the Corinthian believers (I Corinthians 1:4). Even so, as often is the case with every Christian, they had just as evident a need for correction as well. Consequently, Paul rebuked them for the contentions that had arisen among them as reportedContinue reading “A Warning Against Contentious Behavior”
From the Chaplain 