The final judgment described in Revelation 19 demonstrates the holy love of God. Many today resist the idea of God as judge, but when they do so, they are left with a one-dimensional God—a sappy, sanitized deity whom they can easily manage. He nods and winks at our behavior, much like a kind elderly man...

John wept at the thought of no one being able to open the scroll “or even to look in it” (Rev. 5:3). Imagine what must have gone through his mind in that moment. No one will be able to bring about the happy ending to this war-torn world of suffering. No one will be able...

The letters to the seven churches are filled with insight into what constitutes a faithful Christian congregation. In the first four, we see several important emphases. In the letter to Ephesus, we’re reminded of the need for a passionate, right relationship with God from which good works flow (and without which good works are dead)....

Revelation begins and ends with blessing. We see blessing in the beginning in verse 3, where the author blesses the one who “reads aloud the words of this prophecy.” And we see blessing at the end in Revelation 22:14: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the...

Bible commentators often point out the similarities between Jude’s and Peter’s epistles. Like Jude, Peter often spoke about our common salvation. First Peter 1:3-5 points out that God has given us “new birth” into His family through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Amazingly, by the grace and power of God, our spiritual DNA...

Understanding the depth and breadth of the gospel cannot happen until we have received Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sin. It is the result of a lifelong journey that starts with God’s love and begins because of God’s initiative. The apostle John was able to speak about God’s love on...

The Letter to Philemon is a short letter. Paul was succinct and direct in his brotherly exhortation to Philemon. Paul opened by identifying himself as a prisoner for Christ, and he identified Philemon as a fellow worker in the Lord, one who provided space in his home for the gathering of the church in his...

There’s nothing more humbling than being on a boat in the middle of a large body of water. You come to realize the level of faith you have in that boat to keep you safe. It’s convicting to grasp how often we can place our trust in something that is made by human hands and...

Paul was able to give his defense before Festus. Paul’s accusers knew they couldn’t get what they wanted as long as the trial was in the Roman court system. This helps us reflect on Jesus’ trials and how execution was granted by Pilate. Jesus’ execution was not only because of the pressure applied by Jesus’...

Paul expressed how much joy the Philippian believers’ gospel partnership brought him and reminded them that their sovereign and faithful God would keep them to the end (1:3-6). He prayed that God would cause their love to increase so they would stay pure and blameless, full of the fruit of righteousness (vv. 9-11). That’s what...

After a brief greeting, Paul in Ephesians 1 praised God for all He accomplished through Christ for our redemption and restoration (vv. 3-4). Paul thanked God for the believer’s maturity in faith in Christ. By His glorious grace, people chosen from before the foundation of the world have come together in praise of His glory...

God had a plan for Paul, and what God decrees will always come to pass (see Isa. 46:9-10; Eph. 1:10). As we see Acts 23, Roman soldiers protected Paul from harm and death, but God is the One who sends protection. He also is the One who reveals His plan in His time. Cutting through...

In this Acts 18 we see Paul beginning his third missionary journey. His heart was always toprovide encouragement to the disciples in every city he had visited previously. May wetoo consider how we can check in on the body of Christ. How can we encourage believers if they’re struggling in their walk? How can we...

Christ, our infinite God, is the only One who can quench that infinite longing in us to be known completely, be safe, and be made whole. His promise that He will come back for His people and we will be with Him always is not meant to function as a bandage but as a balm...

In Galatians 3:1-9, we see Christ crucified (v. 1), the Spirit received by faith (v. 2) and working miracles among the Galatians (v. 5), God the Father supplying the Spirit (v. 5), and Scripture foretelling God’s justification of Gentiles by faith as He did Abraham (vv. 8-9). While it’s clear that God the Father has...

As we share the gospel, we need to understand up front that some people will receive the message (Acts 17:1-4) while others will reject it (vv. 5-9). Regardless of the response, we learn from Paul how to continue sharing the gospel clearly, winsomely, and compellingly. Notice how Paul shared the gospel. He “reasoned with them...

The salvation we enjoy first came to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea. The Jews were expecting a Jewish Messiah to come and restore the kingdom to Israel on the promise of a new covenant: a new heart, forgiveness of sin, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. When they heard that Gentiles were also...

Paul and Timothy had a special relationship. Throughout his letters, Paul referred to Timothy with much affection. In 1 Timothy 1:2, he used the phrase “my dearly loved son.” In 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul said to the church at Corinth that Timothy was his “dearly loved and faithful child in the Lord.” A sign of...

It seems strange that Paul would thank God that he had not baptized people (vv. 14-15). Paul’s point in making this statement was not to suggest that baptism is unimportant; rather, it was that people should not seek to identify with the person who baptized them because their only saving union is with Christ. Paul...

Having been sent out by the Holy Spirit, the missionaries Barnabas and Saul, with John as their helper, enjoyed smooth sailing and success in the early phase of their journey. However, in Paphos the missionaries encountered resistance in the person of Elymas. One must not mistake ease and large audiences as evidences of God’s favor,...

Reflect on the fact that James, a disciple of Jesus and brother of John, was executed at the hand of King Herod, while Peter, another disciple, would miraculously be set free. Did God display greater love to Peter than to James? Many believers find it easier to acknowledge God’s sovereignty when His will aligns with...

Neither angels nor an empty tomb were enough for Mary. She still assumed that Jesus’ body had been stolen (vv. 2,13). Dead or alive, she wanted to be near her Savior but did not know where His body lay. Though she was slow to believe in the resurrection, her allegiance to Jesus was nevertheless steadfast....

Known as the “Hall of Faith,” Hebrews 11 reminds us of men and women throughout Old Testament history who walked with God in faith. In particular, the chapter speaks of their faith being evident in what these heroes did on the basis of what they believed. Their actions demonstrated their faith. Abraham is one of ...

Some years ago, the television show Touched by an Angel was quite popular. The show featured an angel in human form who visited people and offered them hope, healing, and other blessings and lessons. Its popularity evidenced our craving for hope in a hurting world, but it also reflected our fascination with heavenly messengers. The ...