“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor … to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may ...
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It is a countercultural, widely unacceptable notion to say you are not the owner of your own body. Again and again we instead read or hear things like this: “You are your own person. What you do with your body is entirely up to you. It’s nobody else’s business.” So when we read Paul’s reminder to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, it hits like a ballistic missile, exploding the mythologies of ...
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The first-century church in Ephesus did many things right. The risen and ascended Jesus Himself commended the church for its arduous work for the Gospel, its faithfulness to Him in the face of persecution, and its commitment to the truth (Rev. 2:2–3). But despite all this high praise, the task-oriented, tough-minded, truth-telling fellowship at Ephesus lacked a crucial element. In His letter to the Ephesian church in the book of ...
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“Life is tough, and then you die.” Maybe you’ve heard that sentiment in a song, read it on a bumper sticker, or scrolled past something similar on social media. Perhaps it lacks some nuance, but in a way, it is actually quite accurate: life in this world is often challenging, and we are all going to leave it behind one day.
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Men are often masters of delegation. Give them a task, and they can quickly assign just the right person to do it. A simple phone call? Let the office assistant make the connection. Household chore? One of the kids can get it done.
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Dear Friend, Learning how to swing a golf club successfully is not easy, but it is straightforward. One of my heroes, Byron Nelson, entitled his autobiography How I Played the Game. In 1945 he won 18 tournaments, 11 of them consecutively. The key to his success lay not in spectacular displays of individual talent but in his ability to “do the basics” well and with consistency. As in golf, so too in ...
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The certainty of death brings clarity to the living of life. For every single one of us, our days will soon be over, and the wise among us will take this reality to heart (Ecc. 7:2). Our mortality ought to awaken us to the truth that as we walk this earthly sod, we are all leaving a legacy.
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“How does the Bible apply to my life?” It’s a question often asked when readers don’t see the connection between God’s Word and God’s world. Alistair Begg addresses this question head-on through turning our attention to the words of the psalmist. By focusing on two simple yet revolutionary truths—the reality of God and the security of the believer—listeners are encouraged to stand firm on God’s promises to His people found ...
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You can probably think of someone who seems like just the sort of person God would use—someone, say, with fantastic gifts and an attractive personality. Perhaps you’ve wished you were like that person or that you had this gift or that quality so you could be more useful for Christ. Yet while it’s good to want to grow, we must remember: we often don’t measure usefulness the way God does.
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The central message of the book of Hebrews is the superiority of Jesus Christ. Chapter after chapter declares that Jesus surpasses all that came before Him and all that exists in creation. This glorious truth leads the writer to conclude that the new covenant Jesus inaugurated is superior to the old covenant with its laws, regulations, priests, and sacrifices—including in the way it deals with a guilty conscience.
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