So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.Philemon v.17 (ESV) Receive him. RECEIVE him. RECEIVE HIM! Recently I heard Alistair Begg, the senior pastor of Cleveland’s Parkside Church, teach from the book of Philemon. He landed on verse 17...

For anything that becomes visible is light.Therefore it says,“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”Ephesians 5:14 (ESV) Is my mind dull? Is my soul asleep? Am I sleepwalking through life? Our entire culture has become dull. Dullness...

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him,“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth,and the truth will set you free.”John 8:31&32 (ESV) This verse is well-known for the phrase that the truth will free us—but from what?...

He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit,beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations,believed on in the world, taken up in glory.1 Timothy 3:16 (NASB) I have been attending a church where we sing hymns—all the verses—every Sunday. Singing...

Psalm 23:6 Part 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.Psalm 23:6 (ESV) When Darryl and I were first married we owned a Volkswagen bug. The next summer we decided to drive back to Iowa to...

Psalm 23:5 Part 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows.Psalm 23:5 (ESV) There are plenty of plot twists in life and this verse addresses a particularly painful one—the presence of enemies! The Bible...

Psalm 23:4 Part 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.Psalm 23:4 (ESV) One serious side-effect of getting older is that many things change—health, friends,...

Psalm 23:2 Part 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.Psalm 23:2 (ESV) Recently when I started to explore the subject of safety, up from the mists came a little melody that was hidden in my heart in childhood. It goes like this:...

Psalm 23:1 Part 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.Psalm 23:1 (ESV) Walking by faith is not for the faint of heart. Have you noticed that you need more than a handful of principles, strategies and tips to live in the story that God is telling? In his book,...

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.Ephesians 5:11 ESV This anecdote may be extreme, but I must admit, I find it amusing! A Muslim cleric in northern Iran has complained that a woman attacked him after he chastised her for...

I hope in the Lord to send Timothy to you soon…For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus…So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men,for he nearly died for the...