Entering By Grace

Posted on 2014/03/05 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 5:7 says, “But as for me, by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house …”. This little half-verse is packed with significance regarding our salvation: Continue reading →

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And WATCH!

Posted on 2014/03/04 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 5:3 David says, “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. In the morning, I will order my prayer to You, and eagerly watch.” Those last words are important. David did not just say that he was going to get up and pray; he said he was going to get up and pray — and then WATCH!

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Morning Prayer

Posted on 2014/03/03 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice. In the morning I will order my prayer to You, and eagerly watch.” The words “in the morning” are repeated in this short verse, indicating that there is an important emphasis on them.

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Faithful Intercessors

Posted on 2014/02/28 by Shawn Thomas

In Colossians 1:9 Paul wrote: “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask …”. Here Paul was declaring the faithfulness and consistency that he (and evidently Timothy and perhaps others, since he used the plural) had in prayer for the Colossians. He said that since the day they heard, they had not ceased to pray.

Their commitment to pray for the Colossians should challenge us:

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Grace to You — and Others

Posted on 2014/02/27 by Shawn Thomas

In Colossians 1:2 Paul greets his readers with “Grace to you and peace.” It is significant that it is GRACE that Paul prays for his readers. GRACE is the keynote of the Christian message. Think about it: he does not pray “justice” to you — how condemning and discouraging that would be!

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Responding Graciously When You’re Unjustly Accused

Posted on 2014/02/26 by Shawn Thomas

In II Samuel 16:5-8 the man Shimei made accusations against David that were hurtful, but groundless — and David’s gracious response should be instructive to us: Continue reading →

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The Ultimate Good

Posted on 2014/02/25 by Shawn Thomas

Psalm 4:6 says: “Many are saying, ‘Who will show us any good?’ Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD.” Where is good to be found? The Psalm says, this is what everyone is asking: what good is there in this world? Its answer is that the greatest good is found in “the light of Your countenance.”

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Only Trust Him

Posted on 2014/02/24 by Shawn Thomas

In Psalm 4 we find the command: “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.” In what was another difficult situation of David’s in Psalm 4 (:2 says his honor had become a reproach to men, and in :6 “many are saying, ‘who will show us any good?'”) David said that God’s command to him in this trial was to “trust in the LORD.” Continue reading →

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A Contagious Faith

Posted on 2014/02/21 by Shawn Thomas

There were several very noble and courageous sentiments expressed by David and others when King David left Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion. One of them came from Ittai, a foreigner (:19) who refused to stay in Jerusalem with the new king, but said in :21, “As the LORD lives and as my lord the king lives, surely wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.” This is the definition of real lordship, and should challenge each of us to be committed to follow Jesus our Lord in the same way.

But the statement he made, “As the LORD lives” is also a significant one. Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Reason For God, by Tim Keller

Posted on 2014/02/20 by Shawn Thomas

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Tim Keller has defied conventional wisdom by planting Redeemer Church — a growing, evangelical fellowship — in the unlikely ground of Manhattan, New York. In the course of his work, he has engaged thousands of lost people and their questions about a Biblical worldview. He shares some of the fruits of his labor with us in his book, The Reason For God.

Keller divides his book into two parts: the first deals with a number of common questions and objections to Christianity, and the second gradually builds a positive case for the gospel. Both sections are full of excellent apologetic arguments, presented in a winsome way — which is not always the case with “cultural warriors.” It is difficult to imagine gospel truths being presented, and objections answered, in a less offensive way.

It is evident throughout that the author has had multiple conversations with unbelieving people and knows how to interact with them. On page 187 he writes: Continue reading →

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