Genesis 19:24-25 “Then, when Lot had got safely into Zoar, then this ruin came; for good men are taken away from the evil to come. Then, when the sun had risen bright and clear, promising a fair day, then this storm arose, to show that it was not from natural causes. Concerning this destruction observe, 1. God was the immediate author of it. It was destruction from…
Call to Worship January 9 2022
Ephesians 4:17 “I would remind you that the particular matter here is, that as Christians, we are entirely new men and women, that regeneration is the profoundest change in the world, and that therefore we must always keep this in the forefront of our minds. A Christian is not just a man who has decided to be a little bit more moral than he was, or who…
Call to Worship January 2 2022
“As Jesus grew he became increasingly conscious of God’s timetable for his life. He referred to his ministry as a ‘time’ that had been set out in the divine plan. Hence such comments as, ‘My time has not yet come’…even more precisely…his ‘hour’. In John’s Gospel this refers to his passion and crucifixion, which, along with his resurrection, are seen as the foreordained climactic events of his…
Call to Worship December 19 2021
“In a day not dissimilar to our own the prophet Isaiah announced that Immanuel will come: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). It is easy for us to lose sight of the fact that ‘Immanuel’, ‘God with us’, was one of the most familiar and important convictions of the Old Testament. It lay at the heart…
Call to Worship December 12 2021
“When I was a child, Christmas seemed to die every year by bedtime on December 25th. The anticipation seemed long; the realization all too brief. I even tried wrapping up my presents again and opening them the following day. But my childhood disappointment could not be relieved. It was gone for another whole year. I know now why that was true for me, as it is for…
Call to Worship December 5 2021
Expository Thoughts on 1 Samuel 31 While David had been rescued by God from joining the Philistines against his people and from the wiles of the Amalekites (Ch. 29&30), Saul was in a battle for his livelihood and life (31:1). When the Philistines were fighting against Israel, they killed Saul’s sons and eventually the king himself. Just as Samuel foretold, Saul’s reign as King of Israel came…
Call to Worship November 28 2021
Expository Thoughts 1 Samuel 30:21-31 After the reckoning with the Amalekites, the reclaiming of goods, and reconnection with their families, much joy returned to the people. David was no longer under scrutiny and they praised him as their king once again. While traveling home many said the spoil taken from the Amalekites was David’s, but some “wicked men” were plotting amongst themselves to have their way with…
Call to Worship November 21 2021
Expository Thoughts on 1 Samuel 30:1-20 There must have been some relief for David and his men as they traveled back to Ziklag. God spared David the difficulty of defending Achish at the upcoming Philistine battle against Israel. He and his men got to go home and see their families. Nevertheless, when David and his men arrived at Ziklag another frowning providence was evident. Ziklag was burned…
Call to Worship November 14 2021
Expository Thoughts on 1 Samuel 29 The anointed King of Israel lived in the land of Israel’s arch enemy, Goliath’s people, the Philistines. David voluntarily resided there – not by kidnapping or under protest. He deceptively raided pagan tribes from his base at Ziklag (27:6-12). Furthermore, he was Achish’s side-kick and bodyguard (28:1-2). Seemingly, he was ready to defend Achish even against the Israelites, his own people…
Call to Worship November 7 2021
Expository Thoughts on 1 Samuel 28 Remember, Samuel was dead and Saul had decreed the removal of any spiritists from Israel (3). Now, the Philistines and Saul gathered for war. The site of their army brought fear to the heart of Saul. He recognized their military movement threatened the economic life of Israel.[1] His heart was so troubled by the camp of the Philistines he did something…