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06 Oct

Spiritual Warfare #3 The Fighting Old Fogies

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [2 Tim 4:7] “Where in the Bible do we see retirement? Did Moses retire? Did Paul retire? Peter? Do military officers retire in the midst of war?” Dr. Ralph Winter I have a pastoral friend who told me of a great story concerning his three year old granddaughter. He caught her staring at him for a long time. Finally, he said to her, “What’s a...

16 Sep

Psalm 27 #3 Beauty in the Midst of Beasts

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. We must not think worse of him or his ways for the hardships we meet with his service. There is enough in God to furnish us with matter of joy in the...

16 Sep

Spiritual Warfare #2 Strong In the Lord

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:10-12 His adversaries complained that “Wilberforce jumped up whenever they knocked him down.” One of...

01 Sep

Psalm 27 #2 A Fortress of Faith

A Fortress of Faith The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? Ps 27:1 A believer is to be known not only for his peace and joy; but by his warfare in distress. Robert Murray McCheyne Introduction: If you are a Christian, you are engaged in war. The moment you placed your faith in Jesus, you became a soldier in the army of God....

21 Aug

Spiritual Warfare #1 Basic Training

[The first in a series of articles designed to show how we can fight and win the battle for faith and joy by being strong in the Lord and by using the spiritual weapons he has provided.] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the...

01 Aug

Psalm 27 #1 My Testimony: An Introduction

My Testimony: An Introduction Psalm 27 is like a dear and trusted friend to me. If you have ever had someone stand by your side during a very dark and painful time in your life, you know what I mean. It started several years ago, when I changed my normal devotional pattern from going through the entire Bible in a year, to focusing on one passage of Scripture. For 365 days, I meditated on Psalm 27. Early in the morning, I...

02 Jul

Psalm 119 #22 Help for the Straying Heart

Help for the Straying Heart The purest saint at the moment of his greatest strength is as weak as he was before his conversion.  What has happened is that he has switched from his little human battery to the infinite power of God.  He has quite literally exchanged weakness for strength, but the strength is not his; it flows into him from God, as long as he abides in Christ. — A. W. Tozer:  The Incredible Christian, page 33) INTRODUCTION:  We are...

02 Jul

Psalm 119 #21 Great Peace!

Great Peace “God never pursues his glory at the expense of the good of his people, nor does he ever seek our good at the expense of his glory.  He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together.” — Gerry Bridges INTRODUCTION:  We live in a dangerous world.  Read the papers or listen to the news and you will be reminded of just how evil and unpredictable it is.  Consequently, many people are gripped...

02 Jul

Psalm 119 #20 The Poison of Profession Without Practice

The Poison of Profession without Practice “Open sin, and avowed unbelief, no doubt slay their thousands.  But profession without practice slays its ten thousands.” — J. C. Ryle INTRODUCTION:  Religious ritual can be so deadly.  It is like a sugar coated poison.  It tastes sweet and good going down.  It isn’t until later, after many doses, that we discover its deadly consequences.  We maintain a form of religion but it is without power.  We still participate in the ritual but the joy...

02 Jul

Psalm 119 #19 A Battle Cry

A Battle Cry “The Bible was not given to make us comfortable, but to shake us up with radical life changing truth.” — J. I. Packer INTRODUCTION:  God has one great purpose.  His purpose is to manifest His glory through a people He would create and redeem by His grace.  His people, chosen in eternity past, would bring Him glory by the way they live for Him on earth (Ephesians 1:11-12).  His plan cannot be thwarted.  Even sin is used to bring...