In the Scriptures, Simon Peter is always listed first in any list of the apostles that is given. He is certainly a striking figure, and no attempt to tell the story of the new covenant community would be complete without him. It is hard to imagine him as anything but a large man, but whether …
Silence is Good
A common way of sinning with the tongue is to talk a lot, aimlessly. This kind of verbal scribbling is certain to lead to tangles, problems, and difficulties. Scripture says, “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, …
Marriage As Manifest Glory 39
Introduction Well, we come at last to the conclusion of this series of messages on marriage. This may be a cause of rejoicing for some, disorientation and sadness for others, and relief for still others. But remember that this subject is not like a series of particular messages to locomotive engineers or architects. We cannot …
The Lord Jesus
We come now to the main point of all the stories we have been telling, that is to say, we have come to the story of the Lord Jesus. This is a very difficult story to tell, for at least two reasons. First, no storyteller or preacher is really sufficient for the task. The apostle …
Happy Are The People
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! O Lord our God, we bless the Lord, Our strength, and the one who teaches strength; You teach our hands for war, And our fingers for fighting. You are goodness itself, our goodness. You are our fortress, and high tower Our deliverer, …
Insult and Neutrality
When the question of “trading insults” comes up, one of the first things we should see is how the false assumption of neutrality has crept into our thinking. An insult is not simple invective, detached from questions of truth. When two football teams play, we require a level playing field, a penalty for one team …
This is the Place
We are now assembled in the throne room of the Ancient of Days. We are in the presence of the one who gave to the Son of Man universal dominion and glory, and a kingdom, so that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. From the east to the west, His name will be …
Our Foundation Stone
Our Father and holy God, we rejoice that You have given us so much to be grateful for, and we thank You in the name of Jesus Christ. This Sabbath day is our foundation stone, upon which we build the rest of the week. We look forward in faith to the week You have given …
Can’t Argue With That
A certain man once claimed that he had a special kind of fish net, one that could capture any kind of fish in the lake. A friend asked to see the net, and was astonished when the proud fisherman brought out a net with a mesh that had openings that were two inches square. “Don’t …
Kindness and Truth Together
One of the ways that we avoid biblical balance in speaking is by assuming some kind of distance between truth and kindness. But Scripture says, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart” (Prov. 3:3). Merciful kindness and truth go together. They are …