Evangelistic Motivation

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel; but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds. What then? only thatContinue reading “Evangelistic Motivation”

Providential Purposes

“Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel; so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest; and that most of the brethren in the Lord, being confident through myContinue reading “Providential Purposes”

Prayer of a Pastor

“For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offenceContinue reading “Prayer of a Pastor”

Confident Completion

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, bothContinue reading “Confident Completion”

Thankfulness

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;” (Philippians 1:3–5, KJV) In our self-indulgent and self-centered world, we have become an increasingly thankless society. When I was growing upContinue reading “Thankfulness”

A Blessed Greeting

“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:1–2, KJV) When I was in school, we were taught how to address aContinue reading “A Blessed Greeting”

Authoritative Word

“These are the commandments and the rules that the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.” (Numbers 36:13, ESV) We now come to the last chapter and the last verse of the book of Numbers. Here we see a summarizing truth. “These areContinue reading “Authoritative Word”

Polluting the Land

“You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midstContinue reading “Polluting the Land”

Merciful and Just

“then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.” (Numbers 35:11-12, ESV) Early on, aContinue reading “Merciful and Just”

Proportional Giving

“And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.” (Numbers 35:8, ESV) Here,Continue reading “Proportional Giving”