The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” —Luke 17:5 J.C. Ryle comments: Faith is a grace which admits of degrees. It does not come to full strength and perfection as soon as it is planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit. There is “little” faith and “great” faith. There is “weak” faith … More J. C. Ryle: Faith is a grace which admits of degrees.
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. Proverbs 11:1 John Piper, in a 1987 sermon, “The Pleasure of God in Public Justice” The implications here are very far-reaching. But let’s get the specific picture clear in our minds. Suppose you were a merchant in the Old … More Piper: God is much more secular than we often think.
Nehemiah 6 tells of a tough situation in Nehemiah’s life. He and the people were just about finished building the wall, but his enemies were out to get him. they intended to do Nehemiah harm(v 2) they were spreading false rumors, “invented in their own mind” v8 (that Nehemiah and the people were intending to … More We get His strength and He gets the glory
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. —2 Timothy 1:5 Who knows what lifelong influence a mother and grandmother can have in the life of a child? Sure, Timothy was strengthened greatly … More A mother’s prayer…a choice blessing
John Piper, in a sermon, “Preparing to Receive Christ: Hearing Moses and the Prophets”, comments on the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16: So the rich man in the parable is one of those who presumed to say, “I am secure as a child of Abraham.” But he bore no fruit that befits repentance, … More Delighting more in luxuries for himself than in love for Lazarus?
When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. —Proverbs 10:19 Jim Bordwine comments: This is such an interesting verse. It is a verse that serves as one of the foundational principles when it comes to understanding the Biblical doctrine of language, in general, and the use of … More Much talk tends to result in a negative outcome
In Nehemiah 4, we come to two statements which contain elements of God’s awesome power and sovereignty, and also elements of our responsibility. The setting is the rebuilding of the wall and the fierce opposition from the enemies of the Jews. In verse 9 we read: And we prayed to our God and set a … More Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight …
Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” J.C. Ryle comments: Thousands on every side are continually trying to do the thing which Christ pronounces impossible. They … More Mission impossible: Serving two masters
A longer-than-usual post today, but worth reading the whole thing… John Piper on Proverbs 10:11 (entire sermon text included here) Several things are clear and lie right on the surface of today’s text. The first obvious thing is that God is a lover of life; he likes to promote life, not violence and death. “The … More The mouth of the righteous is a fountain not a factory
In Nehemiah 3, we read of the section-by-section, gate-by-gate repair of the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem. This was a group project, demonstrating their collective desire to see the wall restored. Spurgeon helps us see a spiritual dimension to this wall. C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, on Nehemiah 3: The broad wall afforded a … More Spurgeon: The broad wall
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 