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 …
Part of the Temple Wall
God is at work in our midst, and when God works in a fallen world, He does two things. The first is a work of tearing down, of shaking, of demolishing that which rests upon the wisdom and knowledge of carnal man. He throws down the work of the fleshly man, He throws down the …
The People Had a Mind to Work
In the latter part of the Old Testament, some of the characters and dates start to run together for us, and it is sometimes hard to keep the details straight. If you couple this with the general ignorance about secular history of this time, the result—even for Bible readers—is a random collection of historical facts …
Arms Stretched to Fill the Barns
Minister: Lift up your hearts!Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! When You our Lord released us from our captivity    We were like dreamers.Our mouths were filled with laughter,    And all our tongues could do was sing. Heathen onlookers were baffled,    And acknowledged that our God had done    Great things for us.So we amen …
Everlasting Triune Language Events
We are gathered here now to worship the God who reveals Himself. Moreover, we are worshiping the God who reveals Himself by speaking and by writing, and by becoming a human being who can rightfully be called the Word. Those who seek to undermine our confidence in the ability of words to communicate truth are, …
The Wonders of Food and Drink
Heavenly Father, we rest in You and in Your gracious salvation. We glory in the wonders of food and drink, and how they display Your kindness and grace. We know that our bodies are strengthened by these means, and we pray that our souls would be strengthened in a comparable way, as we celebrate yet …