“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 KJV

The season is upon us! Yesterday marks the first day of this year’s Advent season.

What is Advent?

The season of Advent (which means “coming/arrival”) begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day. This year, that day was yesterday.

The celebration is a short season of waiting. It diverts our attention from the cultural consumerism that surrounds us and reorients our attention on the “coming” or “arrival” of Jesus—His birth and subsequent ministry. The Advent season also points us forward toward His promised return.

Celebrating the First Advent of Christ

In honor of the birth of Christ we have created a special page that deals with this event as well as those surrounding it. The page serves as a starting point for those seeking to study this great moment in history. We pray that through them, you are stirred to joyfully worship the King!

The content is divided up into five different types:

• Bible Accounts (Text)
• Bible Readings (Audio)
• Hymns
• Text Commentaries
• Audio Sermons
• Images

Whether you’re a pastor or Bible study leader looking for study resources, a parent looking for family devotional material, or an individual wanting to meditate on the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we hope you’ll find these resources helpful for you this Christmas season.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
—Colossians 1:12, 13.

In order to excite your gratitude to God the Father, I propose to dilate a little upon this passage. If you will look at the text, you will see two blessings in it. The first has regard to the future. The second blessing, which must go with the first, for indeed it is the cause of the first, the effective cause, has relation to the past. Let us meditate a little upon each of these blessings, and then, in the third place, I will endeavor to show the relation which exists between the two.

I. The first blessing introduced to our notice is this-”God the Father has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”

It is a PRESENT BLESSING.

Not a mercy laid up for us in the covenant, which we have not yet received, but it is a blessing which every true believer already has in his hand.

Ah! this makes the heirs of glory think much of God the Father. When we reflect, my brethren, upon our state by nature, and how fit we are to be fire-brands in the flames of hell-yet to think that we are this night, at this very moment if Jehovah willed it, fit to sweep the golden harps with joyful fingers, that this head is fit this very night to wear the everlasting crown, that these loins are fit to be girded with that fair white robe throughout eternity, I say, this makes us think gratefully of God the Father; this makes us clap our hands with joy, and say, “thanks be unto God the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.”

Do ye not remember the penitent thief? It was but a few minutes before that he had been cursing Christ. I doubt not that he had joined with the other, for it is said, “They that were crucified with him reviled him.” Not one, but both; they did it. And then a gleam of supernatural glory lit up the face of Christ, and the thief saw and believed. And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, this day,” though the sun is setting, “this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” No long preparation required, no sweltering in purifying fires. And so shall it be with us. We may have been in Christ Jesus to our own knowledge but three weeks, or we may have been in him for ten years, or threescore years and ten-the date of our conversion makes no difference in our meetness for heaven, in a certain sense.

True indeed the older we grow the more grace we have tasted, the riper we are becoming, and the fitter to be housed in heaven; but that is in another sense of the word,-the Spirit’s meetness which he gives. But with regard to that meetness which the Father gives, I repeat, the blade of corn, the blade of gracious wheat that has just appeared above the surface of conviction, is as fit to be carried up to heaven as the full-grown corn in the ear. The sanctification wherewith we are sanctified by God the Father is not progressive, it Is complete at once, we are now adapted for heaven, now fitted for it, and we shall enter into the joy of our Lord.

Into this subject I might have entered more fully; but I have not time. I am sure I have left some knots untied, and you must untie them if you can yourselves; and let me recommend you to untie them on your knees-the mysteries of the kingdom of God are studied much the best when you are in prayer.

II. The second mercy is A MERCY THAT LOOKS BACK. We sometimes prefer the mercies that look forward, because they unfold such a bright prospect.

It is a PAST BLESSING.

“Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood.”

But here is a mercy that looks backward; turns its back, as it were, on the heaven of our anticipation, and looks back on the gloomy past, and the dangers from which we have escaped. Let us read the account of it-”Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” This verse is an explanation of the preceding.

Ah! my brethren, what a description have we here of what matter of men we used to be. We were under “the power of darkness.” Since I have been musing on this text, I have turned these words over and over in my mind-”the power of darkness!” We all know that there is a moral darkness which exercises its awful spell over the mind of the sinner. Where God is unacknowledged the mind is void of judgment. Where God is unworshipped the heart of man becomes a ruin. The chambers of that dilapidated heart are haunted by ghostly fears and degraded superstitions.

Now, my brethren, all of us were under this power once. It is but a few months-a few weeks with some of you-since you were under the power of darkness and of sin. Some of you had only got as far as the curiosity of it; others had got as far as the sleepiness of it; a good many of you had got as far as the apathy of it; and I do not know but some of you had got almost to the terror of it. You had so cursed and swore; so yelled ye out your blasphemies, that you seemed to be ripening for hell; but, praised and blessed be the name of the Father, he has “translated you from the power of darkness, into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

But where are we now? Into what place is the believer brought, when he is brought out of the power of darkness? He is brought into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. Into what other kingdom would the Christian desire to be brought? I love to have Christ an absolute monarch in the heart. I do not want to have a doubt about it. I want to give up all my liberty to him. for I feel that I never shall be free till my self-control is all gone; that I shall never have my will truly free till it is bound in the golden fetters of his sweet love. We are brought into a kingdom-he is Lord and Sovereign, and he has made us “kings and priests unto our God,” and we shall reign with him. The proof that we are in this kingdom must consist in our obedience to our King. Here, perhaps, we may raise many causes and questions, but surely we can say after all, though we have offended our King many times, yet our heart is loyal to him. “Oh, thou precious Jesus! we would obey thee, and yield submission to every one of thy laws, our sins are not wilful and beloved sins, but though we fall we can truly say, that we would be holy as thou art holy, our heart is true towards thy statutes; Lord, help us to run in the way of thy commandments.”

So, you see, this mercy which God the Father hath given to us, this second of these present mercies, is, that he hath “translated us out of the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son.” This is the Father’s work. Shall we not love God the Father from this day forth? Will we not give him thanks, and sing our hymns to him, and exalt and triumph in his great name?

What’s the connection between the two verses?

When I get a passage of Scripture to meditate upon, I like, if I can, to see its drift, then I like to examine its various parts, and see if I can understand each separate clause; and then I want to go back again, and see what one clause has to do with another. I looked and looked again at this text, and wondered what connection there could be between the two verses. “Giving thanks unto God the Father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” Well, that is right enough; we can see how this is the work of God the Father, to make us meet to go to heaven. But has the next verse, the 13th, anything to do with our meetness?-”Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”

Well, I looked it over and I said I will read it in this way. I see the 12th verse tells me that the inheritance of heaven is the inheritance of light. Is heaven light? Then I can see my meetness for it as described in the 13th verse.-He hath delivered me from the power of darkness. Is not that the same thing? If I am delivered from the power of darkness, is not that being made meet to dwell in light? If I am now brought out of darkness into light, and am walking in the light, is not that the very meetness which is spoken of in the verse before? Then I read again. It says they are saints. Well, the saints are a people that obey the Son.

Here is my meetness then in the 13th verse, where it says “He hath translated me from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son.” So that I not only have the light, but the sonship too, for I am in “the kingdom of his dear Son.” But how about the inheritance? Is there anything about that in the 13th verse? It is an inheritance; shall I find anything about a meetness for it there? Yes, I find that I am in the kingdom of his dear Son. How came Christ to have a kingdom? Why, by inheritance. Then it seems I am in his inheritance; and if I am in his inheritance here, then I am meet to be in it above, for I am in it already. I am even now part of it and partner of it, since I am in the kingdom which he inherits from his Father, and therefore there is the meetness.

I do not know whether I have put this plainly enough before you. If you will be kind enough to look at your Bible, I will just recapitulate. You see, heaven is a place of light; when we are brought out of darkness, that, of course, is the meetness for light. It is a place for sons; when we are brought into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, we are of course made sons, so that there is the meetness for it. It is an inheritance; and when we are brought into the inherited kingdom of God’s dear Son, we enjoy the inheritance now, and consequently are fitted to enjoy it for ever.

Having thus shown the connection between these verses, I propose now to close with a few general observations. I like so to expound the Scripture, that we can draw some practical inferences from it. Of course the first inference is this: let us from this night forward never omit God the Father in our praises. I think I have said this already six times over in the sermon. Why I am repeating it so often, is that we may never forget it. Martin Luther said he preached upon justification by faith every day in the week and then the people would not understand. There are some truths, I believe, that need to be said over and over again, either because our silly hearse will not receive, or our treacherous memories will not hold them. Sing, I beseech you, habitually, the praises of the Father in heaven, as you do the praises of the Son hanging upon the cross. Love as truly God, the ever-living God, as you love Jesus the God-man, the Savior who once died for you.

 

Daniel 2:14-23

¹⁴ Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise [men] of Babylon: ¹⁵ He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why [is] the decree [so] hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. ¹⁶ Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: ¹⁸ That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise [men] of Babylon. ¹⁹ Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. ²⁰ Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: ²¹ And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: ²² He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. ²³ I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast [now] made known unto us the king’s matter.

---

The following text is edited from Matthew Henry’s commentary (available at BLB). This classic commentary has been in circulation since the early 18th century and is considered the most widely used and distributed Bible commentary.

---

Daniel gives honor to God in this thanksgiving with a copious expression:

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever.

There is that for ever in God which is to be blessed and praised; it is unchangeably and eternally in Him. And it is to be blessed for ever and ever; as the matter of praise is God’s eternal perfection, so the work of praise shall, likewise, be everlasting.

Knowing this, Daniel sees fit to give glory to our unchangeable and blessed God for the following reasons:

1. He gives God glory for what He is in Himself.

Wisdom and might are His, wisdom and courage (so some); whatever is fit to be done He will do; whateverHe will do He can do, He dares do, and He will be sure to do it in the best manner, for He has infinite wisdom to design and contrive and infinite power to execute and accomplish. With Him are strength and wisdom. Think about that. God is infinite in His wisdom and infinite in His might. This is great news! Read on to learn why.

2. He gives God glory for what He is to the world of mankind.

He has a universal influence and agency upon all the children of men, and all their actions and affairs. Are the times changed? Is the posture of affairs altered? Does every thing lie open to mutability? It is God that changes the times and the seasons, and the face of them. No change comes to pass by chance, but according to the will and counsel of God. Are those that were kings removed and deposed? Do they abdicate? Are they laid aside? It is God that removes kings. Are the poor raised out of the dust, to be set among princes? It is God that sets up kings; and the making and unmaking of kings is a flower of His crown who is the fountain of all power, King of kings and Lord of lords. Are there men that excel others in wisdom, philosophers and statesmen, that think above the common rate, contemplative penetrating men? Well, it is God that gives wisdom to the wise, whether they be so wise as to acknowledge it or not; they have it not of themselves, but it is He that gives knowledge to those that know understanding, which is a good reason why we should not be proud of our knowledge, and why we should serve and honour God with it and make it our business to know Him.

3. He gives God glory of this particular discovery.

He praises Him, First, For that he could make such a discovery (v. 22): He reveals the deep and secret things which are hidden from the eyes of all living. It was he that revealed to man what is true wisdom when none else could (Job 27:27, 28); it is He that reveals things to come to His servants and prophets. He does himself perfectly discern and distinguish that which is most closely and most industriously concealed, for He will bring into judgment every secret thing; the truth will be evident in the great day. He knows what is in the darkness, and what is done in the darkness, for that hides not from him, Psalm 139:11, 12. The light dwells with him, and He dwells in the light(1 Tim. 6:16), and yet, as to us, He makes darkness his pavilion. Some understand it of the light of prophecy and divine revelation, which dwells with God and is derived from Him; for He is the Father of lights, of all lights; they are all at home in him.

Secondly, For that He had made this discovery to him. Here he has an eye to God as the God of his fathers; for, though the Jews were now captives in Babylon, yet they were beloved for their father’s sake. He praises God, who is the fountain of wisdom and might, for the wisdom and might He had given him, wisdom to know this great secret and might to bear the discovery. Note this: Whatever wisdom and might we have we must acknowledge to be God’s gift. Thou hast made this known to me, v. 23. What was hidden from the celebrated Chaldeans, who made the interpreting of dreams their profession, is revealed to Daniel, a captive-Jew, a babe, much their junior. God would hereby put honor upon the Spirit of prophecy just when He was putting contempt upon the spirit of divination. Was Daniel thus thankful to God for making known that to him which was the saving of the lives of him and his fellows?

Much more reason have we to be thankful to Him for making known to us the great salvation of the soul, to us and not to the world, to us and not to the wise and prudent!

The Blue Letter Bible has Matthew Henry’s complete unabridged commentaries for each Bible book.

God created us to be in relationship with Himself and with others. In eternity there will only be two things other than God: His Word and His children. If this is the case, it should challenge us to seek more God-honoring relationships now.

There are over 50 references in the New Testament about how we are to relate to “one another.” Most of these passages address our behavior, not just our attitudes.

I pray that the Holy Spirit uses this list to make you more Christ-like in your relationships!

Love One Another
John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Ephesians 4:2, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”

Hebrews 13:1, “Let brotherly love continue.”

1 Peter 1:22, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,”

1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”

1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 John 3:11, “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

1 John 3:23, “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”

1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

1 John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

2 John 1:5, “And now I ask you, dear lady–not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning–that we love one another.”

Be of One Mind with One Another

Romans 12:16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”

1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”

1 Thessalonians 5:13, “and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”

The word “unity” in 1 Peter 3:8 means literally to be “of one mind” or to be “like minded.” From the Bible we learn how God thinks. Then, in faith we apply His Word as the Spirit shows us. Being of the same mind with one another is embracing God’s viewpoint or attitudes towards life and one another. When we have the mind of Christ, we think with His values, we possess His vision and we allow Him to change our attitudes which in turn will change our actions toward one another. What can you do today to gain more of the mind of Christ?

Bearing with One Another

1 Corinthians 11:33, “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another–”

1 Corinthians 12:25, “that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Ephesians 4:2, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

In the last verse, “bearing with” one another is literally “to hold up.” Additionally, it conveys the ideas of “to endure, to bear with, put up with,” either in relationships or circumstances. In the context of Ephesians 4:2, the Word points us to four qualities that are needed to “bear with” one another: humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Our natural tendency is to be provoked by others especially when they do not share our ideas or convictions. When we cling to our desires rather than the well being of others, unity is threatened and we are in danger of hurting others.

Instead of getting provoked, Paul instructs us to “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) Being kind and compassionate means doing whatever is beneficial and benevolent to others. Forgiving one another is extending grace, treating others as Christ treats us.

Who is grating on you right now? How can you extend Christ’s love to that person by “bearing with” him/her and place his/her interests ahead your own?

Encourage One Another

1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

When Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church they were facing severe trials and persecutions (1 Thessalonians 1:6 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4). Yet Paul told them that they not only had the ability, but also the responsibility to encourage one another and to show their support for each other.

Every Christian is to be involved in the process of building up other Christians. The word “encourage” in the above verses is the Greek word “parakaleo” which translates as “comfort” or “encourage.” The word can also mean “to summon, or to call to one’s side to give aid” as one who comes alongside another to give aid, strength, comfort, and courage.

Who do you know needs encouragement today? Look around. Most likely many of the Christians around you are hurting and need your encouragement to bring courage to their lives.

Come Together With One Another

Hebrews 10:25, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Romans 15:14, “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.”

Ephesians 5:19, “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,”

Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Hebrews 10:25, “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Hebrews 10:24 says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,” The Greek text literally translates: “let us consider one another to stimulate (incite, promote) to love and good works.” The word “consider” is the Greek word “katanoeo” which means “to consider attentively, to perceive, to observe.” The author of Hebrews is calling us to take notice or pay attention to people so that we might better understand each others needs and pain. That way we can minister to those needs with a listening ear, an open caring heart, an encouraging word, and loving actions. But, to be able to do this we need to come together with one another.

How about you? Are you coming together with other Christians in the context of the local Church to stimulate other towards love and good deeds?

Greet One Another

Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

1 Corinthians 16:20, “All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

2 Corinthians 13:12, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”

1 Peter 5:14, “Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

The command to “greet one another with a holy kiss” is found four times in the New Testament. The Greek word that is translated “greet” means “to greet or to welcome,” but the basic idea seemed to be “to embrace.” In the New Testament epistles “a holy kiss” was a sign of love, affection, and genuine interest in others. “A holy kiss” is different within each culture. Here in the US, it would be a warm hand shake, an arm around the shoulder, or a hug. But, however we extend “a holy kiss” today, we are encouraged to greet one another warmly and genuinely.

How are you doing with extending “a holy kiss” to other Christians?

Yet More One Another Commands

Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Ephesians 5:21, “submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Colossians 3:13, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

1 Peter 4:9, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

1 Peter 5:5, “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”"

James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Negative One Another Commands

Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.”

Galatians 5:26, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

Colossians 3:9, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices”

James 4:11, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.”

James 5:9, “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy redeemer the Holy one of Israel.”
(Isaiah 41:14)

Get rid of fear, because fear is painful. How it torments the spirit! When the Christian trusts, he is happy; when he doubts, he is miserable. When the believer looks to His Master and relies upon Him, he can sing; when he doubts His Master, he can only groan.

What miserable wretches the most faithful Christians are when they once begin doubting and fearing! It is a trade I never like to meddle with, because it never pays the expenses, and never brings in any profit—the trade of doubting.

Why, the soul is broken in pieces, lanced, pricked with knives, dissolved, racked, pained. It knoweth not how to exist when it gives way to fear. Up, Christian! thou art of a sorrowful countenance; up, and chase thy fears.

Why wouldst thou be for ever groaning in thy dungeon? Why should the Giant Despair for ever beat thee with his crabtree cudgel? Up! Drive him away! Touch the key of the promises; be of good cheer! Fear never helped thee yet, and it never will.

Fear, too, is weakening. Make a man afraid—he will run at his own shadow; make a man brave, and he will stand before an army and overcome them. He will never do much good in the world who is afraid of men.

The fear of God bringeth blessings, but the fear of men bringeth a snare, and such a snare that many feet have been tripped by it. No man shall be faithful to God, if he is fearful of man.

No man shall find His arm sufficient for him, and His might equal to his emergencies unless he can confidently believe, and quietly wait. We must not fear; for fear is weakening.

Again; we must not fear; for fear dishonors God. Doubt the Eternal, distrust the Omnipotent? Oh, traitorous fear! Thinkest thou that the arm which piled the heavens, and sustains the pillars of the earth shall ever be palsied?

Shall the brow which eternal ages have rolled over without scathing it, at last be furrowed by old age? What! Shall the Eternal fail thee? Shall the faithful Promiser break His oath? Thou dishonorest God, O unbelief! Get thee hence!

God is too wise to err, too good to be unkind; leave off doubting Him, and begin to trust Him, for in so doing, thou wilt put a crown on His head, but in doubting Him thou dost trample His crown beneath thy feet.

—Charles Haddon Spurgeon. From a sermon titled, “Fear Not”

Pastor and author Jared Moore has compiled a list of the Top 250 Christian sites according to Alexa ratings. At his blog, All Truth Is God’s Truth, Moore explains how he compiled his list:

My list is solely based on Alexa’s 3 month traffic rankings checked on November 9, 2013. Why only use Alexa? In blogdom, the only thing that matters concerning rankings is traffic. Traffic is currency in blogdom. Alexa is one of the best sources for estimating website traffic (depending on who you ask)… I tried to only include blogs from evangelical Christians who would be considered orthodox… The list provided below was compiled by examining Church Relevance’s Top 200 Ministry Blogs list (they examined over 1,000 blogs), various high-ranked Christian blogs listed on Technorati, and blogs listed on various Christian blogrolls across blogdom. I examined over 450 Christian Blogs.

Click here to view the entire list (we rank #14).

 

Theological Resources from Our Library to Yours

Introducing a digital edition of The Glorious Feast of the Gospel, a series of sermons on Isaiah 25:6-9, by Richard Sibbes. Originally published in 1650, this collection reads comfortably for both devotional and study purposes. The writer petitions all believers, in their need of encouragement, to a renewed communion with God. Sibbes herein awakens the senses of the reader to the rich truths and promises presented in Jesus Christ.

You can purchase this eBook at http://www.blueletterbible.org/products/gloriousfeast/

Receive it Free

Or, you can receive it FREE as a gift from all of us on the Blue Letter Bible team. Just subscribe to our newsletter and a coupon code will be provided once your subscription is confirmed! (Note: If you are already subscribed, you can get the coupon code in our latest newsletter.)

(by Aaron Armstrong)

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Jude 1:3

Each of us, at various stages of life, will be called to say “no” to certain things for the sake of Christ and the good of others, even when it seems much simpler and more satisfying in the short term to say “yes.” But to walk closely with Jesus is worth far more than any worldly comfort. Unbelieving family members won’t understand your decisions. Even some believing friends may struggle at times. But contending is the cost of discipleship.

If we love anything—our comfort, our reputations, even our families—more than we love Christ, we will fail to contend for the faith. We will fail to truly live the Christian life as Jude calls us to. We must understand that contending is divisive because Jesus is divisive, and that adds friction to a life that we desperately want to be smooth and easy. The world wants us to be quiet and play nice. Enemies of the cross want us to be content with just doing good deeds and not talking about Jesus. Traitors to the cross portray doctrinal uncertainty on the essentials as humility and confidence in Christ as anathema even to the “way of Jesus.” It can all seem rather perplexing and draining and cause much consternation. The fight takes a lot out of us, and we can easily become weary. If contending is all duty and no delight, then we will eventually throw up our hands and say, “Can’t we all just get along?”

—from Contend: Defending the Faith in a Fallen World

 

The following is taken from the commentaries of F.E. Marsh, available at the Blue Letter Bible.

There are two things the child of God ever needs to remember, and these are, that he has a wise Keeper, and that he has a wily enemy, and this wily enemy is always on the look-out to entangle us in the meshes of his snares.

1. The snare of pride. ”The snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:7 KJV). The snare in which Satan entangled himself to his own downfall was pride (Ezekiel 28:1-9 KJV). Beware of this gin. It has many colours and shapes.

2. The snare of riches. ”They that will be rich fall into temptation, and a snare” (1 Timothy 6:9 KJV). Glittering gold is a snare that has fascinated many to their overthrow and destruction (Acts5:1-9 KJV).

3. The snare of sleepiness. ”Awake (margin) themselves out of the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26 KJV). Strife will stir up the old man, but it will put the better man to sleep.

4. The snare of idolatry. ”Gideon made an ephod . . . . . which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house” (Judges 8:27 KJV). Idolatry is committed when anything or anyone is put in the place of God.

5. The snare of faltering. ”Thine eye shall have no pity upon them, neither shalt thou serve their gods, for that will be a snare unto thee” (Deuteronomy 7:16 KJV).

6. The snare of fear. ”The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Proverbs 29:25 KJV). If we fear God, we need fear no one else, be he man or devil.

7. The snare of evil companionship. ”They shall be snares and traps unto you” (Joshua 23:13 KJV). The breath of the world will tarnish and infect us in our spiritual life.

Take heed and beware of the devil’s snare! But remember that your only true hope and strength is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.