Mark 13:32-37 32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house…
1 Peter 3:1-6 3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair,…
“Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18) is a passive command. We can’t fill ourselves with the Spirit. We don’t control God. We can give him more room in our hearts, though. But how?
Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to rebuild the city’s damaged walls and gates. But Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem fiercely resisted the reconstruction project (Neh. 2:10, 19). Any church seeking revival must expect God’s enemies to employ the same tactics used against Nehemiah.
Americans who think themselves sophisticated tend to believe that gray is the best moral color. Question everything. Reject any moral principle that seems old-fashioned or inconvenient. But the Bible addresses moral issues in sharply contrasting terms (Eph. 5:3-14).
Nehemiah was a great leader. He saw a serious problem, prayed about it for months, formulated a vision for resolving it, and boldly asked the king of Persia to support it. But the plan to rebuild ruined Jerusalem would have failed if the people had refused to work (Neh. 2:18).
Many heaven jokes feature a conversation with Peter at the pearly gates. Most Christians are able to spot the misconceptions about heaven implied in such jokes. But myths about heaven persist, even in the church.
Paul urges the church to put off the old nature and “put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). But what do real “righteousness and holiness” look like?
Before Nehemiah told the Jewish officials of his plans to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he carefully inspected the damage (Neh. 2:9-16). His leadership is a good example for the church. It’s impossible to rebuild unless we see what’s broken.
The old nature is impure, ignorant, and insensitive (Eph. 4:17-24). Paul doesn’t encourage us to hide it. He challenges us to cast off the old nature and put on something new.
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