My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.—1 John 2:1-2 … More How is Jesus an advocate for us before God?
John Piper, an Advent Poem from 1984 Ezekiel sat stunned and cold. The word that he had just been told Converted every large complaint He ever made into a faint Concern. No pain would be absurd, He thought, if this one word Of God could be withdrawn tonight, “I would engage in any fight For … More Weep not, great seer, for me nor you
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger on the first half of Job 9 Despite his lowly state, Job cannot let these heartless words go without a response. In chapter 9, Job addresses Bildad directly, while in chapter 10, Job pours out his heart before God. As the dialogue with his friends now takes on the shape of a … More Win an argument with God?
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work … More The Bible makes an issue out of blindness, both physical and spiritual
Comments on Ezekiel 22:17-22 by Alan Carr, Sermons and Outlines: Israel is pictured as impure silver. They have allowed themselves to become mingled with the world, and, as a result, they are no longer pure, but have become worthless and weak. God is pictured as a refiner of metals. God is determined to rid them … More God, the Refiner
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach … More A radically different perspective
Ezekiel is a book of the Bible filled with strange things, hard to understand things. It is tempting to skip over some of these passages. I’ve done that. But in doing so, we miss some wonderful things. When you read through Ezekiel 4-8 today, notice how many times God tells Ezekiel about things that will … More Knowing God Through Ezekiel
John Piper, from Part 1 of a sermon series on Job, “Reverent in Suffering”: Did you notice that in the two heavenly scenes God handed Job over to Satan’s power? But when Satan had done his work of taking Job’s wealth and family, Job said in 1:21, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken … More Ultimate Sovereignty in God’s Hands, not Satan’s
What can we learn about God this month as we read through the book of Job? In chapter 1 we read: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan … More Learning About God in Calamity
Ray Stedman, concludes his comments on Lamentations 4-5: Chapter 5 describes the humiliation of judgment, but in the end, Jeremiah comes to another flash of insight (verse 19): But thou, O Lord, dost reign for ever; thy throne endures to all generations. (Lamentations 5:19 RSV) What does this mean? Well, it means that though man … More All that God does endures forever
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 