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 Piper: 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 Him 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 Stedman: How to Lose a Kingdom
What does that mean, that here must be no boasting – no exultation – except boasting and exulting in the cross of Christ? Here is some insight from Pastor John Piper: But Doesn’t Paul Tell Us to Boast in Other Things Also? This word for “boasting” or “exulting” was used in the last text that … More In what should we boast?
Mark 16:6-7 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as … More Hard promises…CHECK!
Psalm 118: Oh give thanks to the Lord……For he is good. C. H Spurgeon comments: This is reason enough for giving him thanks; goodness is his essence and nature, and therefore he is always to be praised whether we are receiving anything from him or not. Those who only praise God because he does them … More Spurgeon: It is not only that He was good, and will be good, but He IS good.
Five Steps Toward Walking by the Spirit by John Piper Let me conclude by mentioning five things that I think we must do so that it can be truly said that we are walking by the Spirit. 1. Acknowledge First, we must acknowledge from our hearts that we are helpless to do good apart from … More John Piper: Walking by the Spirit
John Piper comments on Psalm 117: “Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!” This is God’s purpose: that he be praised by all the peoples – that he be much of; that he be seen and savored and shown to be great. Missions is a cross-cultural movement aimed at helping people stop making … More Missions: Making Much of Jesus
In 2 Samuel 22, David praises God for being his Rescuer, his Refuge, his source of strength and success. You may notice that Psalm 18 is nearly the same, and meant as worship to our awesome God. Bob Deffinbaugh comments at Bible.org: David’s “successes” are ultimately God’s doing. As David reflects on his rise to … More Ultimately God’s doing
The Bible uses some harsh and pointed language. In Galatians 5, for example: 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify … More Mark Driscoll on Harsh Language in the Bible
