One of the things we see in Genesis is that sin is the cause of all that is destructive. It also shows us that sin separates us from God, and it separates us from each other. When we are separated, we feel alone. A person can feel alone yet be surrounded by people. In fact, a person can feel alone in his own home. The sense of aloneness is heightened by rejection. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God, alone. Sin also placed a barrier between the two of them

The psalmist said in Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Hiding God's Word in our heart helps to keep us from sinning. You see, when God's Word is in your heart, it is in the core of who you are. It is in the part of you that is the foundation of your thoughts, will, and emotion. When you hide God's Word in your heart, you put it deeply down in you, as though there is no chance for it's escaping. You do this because you want t

The United States is an exceptional country, officially 250 years old. The Lord has blessed our country with abundant natural resources, wide-ranging borders, access to waterways and oceans, capitalism, a pioneer mindset, and some of the most brilliant innovators of modern times. Also included in these blessings are our founding fathers, who established a constitutional republic, and desired "a more perfect union." The earliest days of our country set the trajectory for what

Someday, all things will be made new: a new heaven and a new earth. John writes in Revelation 21 that he saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, like a bride adorned for her husband. Here's what comes next: a voice saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." That is the great blessing of eternity: for God to dwell with us a

When the Lord sent the prophet Jeremiah to preach to the southern kingdom of Judah, He sent him with directions, some of which were expected, some perhaps surprising, but all reassuring. "Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth" (Jer. 1:9). Praise the Lord for His Word! It is God's Word that changes men's hearts. Having His Word is the part we would expect. But notice the next verse: "See, I h

The difficulties we go through as believers come with a promise: that all things work together for good to them that love God. We are familiar with Romans 8:28, and we love Romans 8:28. In the moment, we may not see how all things work together for good, but by faith we know that they do. Overall, God uses the situations in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ. Whatever the ordeal, God is at work sanctifying us. That gives us comfort. Whether the situation is a tria

One of the fundamental traits of manhood is responsibility. Part of what it means to be a man is to take responsibility and to do well with one's duties. In Genesis 1:26-28 God chose to make man, and to make him in His own image and after His likeness. From there, God gave man responsibility: to subdue the earth and to have dominion over everything in it. Responsibility means working. Man was created to work, originally in the Garden, to dress it and to keep it (Gen. 2:8, 15)

When considering a hymnal to sing from as a church, first and foremost, the words we sing must be Scriptural. They should be words of the nature of God, the deliverance of God, the works of God, the faithfulness of God, and the love and goodness of God. They are also songs of testimony about what God has done to save us, to deliver us, to protect us, and to comfort us. The psalmists write repeatedly of what God had done for them and about their fellowship with Him. They are p

O the importance of hearing instruction! Listen to the inspired words of Solomon: “ Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law ” (Pro. 4:1-2). The instruction of a father is the instructions that a father gives. As a general principle, a child might agree that he should hear and receive what his dad says, but where the rubber meets the road is if he receives a particular instruction

When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 says, “ And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world .” Jesus satisfies God’s wrath for our sins when He died for our sins (cf. I Cor. 15:3). Think of that: He died for our sins (plural). How many sins is that? When Jesus asked the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane if it be possible to let the cup pass from Him, He was speaking of th

The Lord wants His churches active in reaching lost souls for Christ. Jesus commanded His church, “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature ” (Mk. 16:15). Spread out, into every continent, every country, and every culture and preach the gospel. Preach it to “ every creature .” There are 197 countries in the world today, with a total population of 8.3 billion. They all need to be evangelized. How will they hear? A preacher. How will the preachers get

God has a plan for His people Israel. The covenants that God made in the OT with His people—the Abrahamic Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant—are eternal. During the seven-year Tribulation, the Lord will work to redeem His people. In that day, one third of the Jews will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation ((Zech. 13:8). Zechariah 12:10b foretells that the Jewish people will have one last chance to receive Christ when they see Him coming back to sl

None of us can presume our obedience in the Christian life. All of us must fight the good fight of faith. We all have the same adversary. Peter says that our adversary is the devil. “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour ” (I Pet. 5:8). Satan seeks to destroy us; so, we must restrain ourselves (our thinking, our actions, our desires, our emotions, our speech), and we must be ever vigilant, ever w

When we get ready to eat a meal, the Bible directs us to pray and thank the Lord for the food He has provided, that we are about to eat. Jesus gave us this example when He miraculously fed the 5,000. “ Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude ” (Lk. 9:16). The Apostle Paul echoed these words when he wrote in I Timothy 4:4-5, “ For every creature of God is good,

Natural thinking says that when you give, you have less. But spiritual thinking says that when you give, you have more. The reason is because God blesses giving. Jesus told His disciples that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Giving is to be by faith. We give because it is right to give. We give because God gives to us. We give because we want to be like Christ. We, first of all, give to God by way of tithes and offerings. The Lord loves a cheerful give

Pastor George Printiss and his wife Elizabeth stood grief-stricken beside the grave of their four-year old son Eddy. The lad had contracted a disease, and within two months he died. The year was 1852; the place was New York City. Just a few months later, Elizabeth gave birth to Bessie, and three months later the infant died. The Lord had blessed Elizabeth with a talent for writing, and following these tragedies Elizabeth set pen to paper and composed the text of “ More Love t

Peter wrote, “ For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls ” (I Pet. 2:25). Lost sheep, without Guide and Overseer, without spiritual protection and nourishment, and without spiritual authority and wisdom, that is what we were before salvation. But praise the Lord, in salvation we are now returned to the One who healed us by His stripes, to live unto righteousness for His glory, under His authority and His direction. What

The Book of Hosea begins with the Lord giving a unique command to the prophet of God: to marry an unfaithful wife, Gomer, who illustrated Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. The three children born to them had unique names: a son Jezreel, “God soweth”; a daughter Loruhamah, “unbeloved, unpitied”; and a son Loammi, “not My people.” The Lord would severely judge His people for their spiritual idolatries. Bad news. The good news is that the Lord, even though He would set His people

Peter exhorted the brethren in I Peter 2:2: “ As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby .” Newborn babies want to grow; it is their nature. In fact, they let their mothers know on schedule when they are ready to eat. Not only does their mother’s milk satisfy them, it also calms them. Mostly, it grows them. Without that regular, designed nutrition, well, we know what happens. Peter applies the analogy to us. Regardless of how long you have

The Apostle Paul struggled with a “ thorn in the flesh ” for quite some time. Some think the “thorn” was an oozing eye problem, but Paul calls it “ the messenger of Satan to buffet me ” (II Cor. 12:7). The “thorn in the flesh” could have been a person who antagonized Paul severely. Each time Paul prayed for the removal, the Lord said, “ My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness ” (II Cor. 12:9). The Lord’s grace is the key to all of our stru