December 25, 2023

The Seven Churches (Part 2): Smyrna

The Seven Churches (Part 2): Smyrna

The second church addressed by the Lord in the book of Revelation was the church in Smyrna. Neither the church nor the city are mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament. Yet the Lord’s letter to them provides a message of hope because the tribulations they were experiencing at that moment would not last long.

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:8-11).

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February 3, 2021

The Christian’s Boast

Man in front of waterfall

In the first half of Romans 5, Paul explained how Christians have been justified by faith and by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross (Romans 5:1-11). In this passage, Paul used the word exult three times (NASB). This is not a term we commonly use today. The King James Version uses three different terms instead – rejoice, glory, and joy. The word means to boast about something (Thayer).

Usually we would think of boasting as something that we should not do as Christians. Yet it depends on the context. Paul told the brethren in Corinth, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). If the word of God indicates that we are to boast, glory, and rejoice in something, then we can and should do so.

In this article, we will notice the three things Paul indicated in this passage in which we are to boast.Continue Reading

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October 31, 2018

When Life Is Hard

Two Women Praying

At the beginning of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul provided a glimpse into the difficulties he faced in his life: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Most or all of the hardships that Paul faced were due to his work in preaching the gospel.

There can be many reasons why we face hardships in life – not just for preaching as was the case with Paul. Yet even when we suffer for other reasons, these hardships can cause us to feel the same way as Paul described.

When we face hardships in life, the specific way in which we handle them depends a lot on the nature of the hardships (financial problems, personality conflicts, health issues, difficult temptations, etc.). However, there are some principles that will apply to all types of hardships. These are important to remember, especially if we are not yet sure what specific course of action we should take.Continue Reading

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June 8, 2016

You Have Need of Endurance

Running

Oxford Dictionary defines endurance as the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. Thayer defines the Greek word that is translated endurance in our English Bibles this way: “not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”

Endurance is a characteristic we must have as Christians. But why is it so important? In this article, we are going to consider a few passages that explain why we need endurance as Christians. In these verses, we will notice a few English words (endurance, patience, perseverance), yet these are all from the same Greek word. So let us consider the reasons why we need endurance.
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April 4, 2016

The Importance of Faith (Part 7): Stability

The Importance of Faith (Part 7): Stability

“Having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed” (Colossians 2:7).

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November 3, 2014

The Root of the Problem (Part 14): Difficult Circumstances

The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome

Excuses are often made for sin on account of the difficult circumstances in one’s life. These excuses may be made by individuals for themselves or by others on their behalf.

  • He stole – but he was poor.
  • He has a drinking problem – but his parents were alcoholics.
  • He committed murder – but he was abused as a child.

These are just a few examples. The list is endless. Sin is regularly excused because of one’s situation. We cannot have this mindset. Sin that is excused later becomes expected and then eventually becomes accepted.
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June 20, 2012

The Good Old Days (6/20)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Ecclesiastes 7-12.

“Do not say, ‘Why is it that the former days were better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this” (Ecclesiastes 7:10).

It is not uncommon to hear people speak fondly of the “good old days.” But there is a difference between reminiscing of days gone by and making unfair comparisons between the present and the past. The former is acceptable. The latter is “not from wisdom.”
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