In our reading of the Old Testament, we arrive at the passage in 1 Kings 4-5, where Solomon begins his preparations for building the Temple. From THEOPEDIA.com on Solomon’s Temple The building of the Temple under Solomon spared no expense to provide a house for Yahweh, the covenant god of Israel. This Temple served as … More No Expense Spared
John Piper on Ephesians 1:23- Christ fills all in all. Verse 23: “Which is his body, the fullness of him [i.e., Christ] who fills all in all.” So Christ fills all in all. Or as the present tense and the middle voice imply: Christ is now filling for himself all in all. I take this … More “Christ fills all in all”
John Piper comments on Luke 1: The first thing Gabriel reveals about Jesus is that “He will be great” (1:32). This Jesus is going to be a great man. That is the first thing Theophilus needs to hear about Jesus. You may have never heard of Nazareth, Theophilus, and this young girl may be poor … More He will be GREAT!
Psalm 119:9-11 9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. John Piper, in a sermon, “Thy … More The Ultimate Goal
1 Kings 3:6-14 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit … More A wise and discerning mind
This morning I found a very helpful blog post by Tim Challies writes at Challies.com. It goes beautifully with the passage from Psalm 119 that we read today, June 1-Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,: Through the past couple of weeks I have been fighting for joy, … More Longings After God
We begin our reading of Ephesians this month. Here is a snippet from a sermon by John Piper, “God Has Chosen Us in Him Before the Foundation of the Earth” God’s purpose in the salvation of his people is invincible—it cannot fail—because it is based first not on our choosing God but on God’s choosing … More God’s Invincible Purpose in Our Salvation
John Piper, in a sermon, “How Not to Talk to an Angel” Luke is the only gospel writer who recounts the foretelling and birth of John the Baptist. He begins in 1:5–25 with the announcement of John’s birth to Zechariah, his father. Then in 1:26–38 comes the announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary his mother. … More Luke 1: A Lesson in “Compare and Contrast”
In Psalm 119:2 we read: Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, Do I seek God with my WHOLE heart? If not, how can that happen? Look at the promise of Jeremiah 24:7: “ I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and … More Seek God with your whole, new heart!
Pastor Ray Stedman writes: First Kings is the gripping story of how to lose a kingdom. As we read these Old Testament books, the key to making them live and be vital in our lives is to see that they are visual aids by which God is showing us what is going on in our … More 1 Kings: How to Lose a Kingdom
