Do Not Lose Heart When Spiritual Discouragement Hits There are seasons in the Christian life when the soul feels weary, heavy, and ready to give way. The Word of God does not ignore that struggle. It speaks plainly to the discouraged heart, and it points us to the only true remedy: the sustaining grace of…
The Desires of the Heart The Struggle For the believer, life in this world does not always unfold like a fairy tale. The righteous are not always rewarded in ways we can see. Honest people do not always prosper. Faithful people do not always receive the ending they hoped for. Sometimes they do—but many times,…
Are You a Bible Window Shopper? A familiar figure on the streets is the window shopper who strolls along, gazing fondly into each display but never purchasing anything. In the spiritual realm, we often find a similar character: the Bible window shopper. He moves through the Scriptures, admiring God’s precious promises, noticing its high challenges,…
A Worthy Resolution I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians. 2:2) The recipients of these words were the members of the Corinthian church. They had become divided into competing factions, with some declaring, “I am of Paul,” and others, “I am of Apollos.” Such sectarianism, though addressed…
All Things Work Together for Good The promise of Romans 8:28 has been a source of deep comfort to Christians for centuries. Our focus today is on the opening phrase of that promise: We know. Scripture provides abundant evidence that this confidence is well‑founded. Through his own experience, Paul affirmed that in every circumstance of…
The Rise and Fall of Babylon (Part 3) Babylon Future Some Bible interpreters think that “Babylon” in Revelation 17–18 was code for some other entity (from Rome to New York City). However, I agree with those who say that just like “Israel” always refers to Israel in the scriptures, so also “Babylon” always refers to…
The Risa and Fall of Babylon (Part 2) Babylon: The Superpower A century after Isaiah made those predictions, Babylon had become the greatest power in the Middle East. In Jeremiah 50–51, Jeremiah pictures the destruction of the city and the slaughter of its people. He called on any followers of God who happened to be…
The Rise and Fall of Babylon (Part 1) The Rise and Fall of Babylon So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” “To build a shrine for it in the land of Shinar,” he told me. “When that is ready, the basket will be placed there on its…
What Now? An Eternal Perspective This verse points out that we all have a vested interest in the topic of prophecy, since the personal future of every person is part of it. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but no one can discover…
The Eternal State (Part 5) The Final Future of the Unbeliever Unlike the believer, the unbeliever will be in a place where they will experience suffering and loss. The Lord had a great deal to say about hell and often warned people about this place of judgment: Don’t fear those who kill the body…