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Affliction and Joy
Disciples are not above their master, so we cannot think that we are above suffering for the sake of God’s kingdom (Matt. 10:24). Jesus and His Apostles suffered, and we must be willing to do the same. As we trust ...Read More
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Being Spiritually Minded
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Signs of Divine Election
John Calvin comments, “The election of God, which is in itself hid, is manifested by its marks—when he gathers to himself the lost sheep and joins them to his flock, and holds out his hand to those that were wandering ...Read More
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Prayers of Thanksgiving
One commentator notes that Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 shows us that Christian prayer gives first place to thanksgiving to God and to others’ self-interest.Paul thanked the Lord regularly for the Thessalonians and for His good work in them. ...Read More
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First Thessalonians
Paul opens 1 Thessalonians with a greeting expressing grace and peace to the Thessalonians. Indeed, the whole of the Christian life is lived in the grace of God, which produces peace between the Lord and His people. Let us thank ...Read More
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The God of Second Chances
The full story line of the Old Testament Historical Books points us finally to Christ. We learn in these books our need of a perfectly righteous king when we see the leaders of God’s people fail time and again. Because ...Read More
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Divine Reversals of Fortune
The early church father Athanasius of Alexandria comments that the fifth-century-BC Jews “called a feast, thanking and praising the Lord, because he had changed the situation for them.” When God intervenes to rescue His children, the only appropriate response ...Read More
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The Christmas Letdown
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The Invisible Hand of Providence
There is no such thing as chance in the sense of things that “just happen”; chance is simply a name for mathematical probabilities. Our universe is not randomly running on its own, and things never occur by coincidence. The Lord ...Read More
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The Moment of Decision
Matthew Henry comments on Esther’s decision to intervene: She “said not this in despair or passion, but in a holy resolution to do her duty and trust God with the issue; welcome his holy will.” We may not have to ...Read More