It Takes Preparation!

It Takes Preparation!

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). I was recently asked to present some thoughts before a congregation regarding my interaction with elders and elderships over the years. Toward the close of my lesson, a…

Playing the Sympathy Card

Playing the Sympathy Card

God’s word endorses mercy, as Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The prophet Hosea wrote that God desires “mercy, and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6), which Jesus echoed (Matthew 12:7). The Lord wants mercy more than rituals performed by worshipers. James warns us that “judgment is without mercy to…

It is Written

It is Written

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” With this statement, Jesus began his defense against Satan. Jesus accepted the authority of God’s word. This should also be the foundation of our defense. Satan cannot destroy the word of the Lord: if he could…