Archives for October 2020

PRAYING THE PASSAGE (1 Thessalonians 1:1): "To the church of theThessalonians" (verse 1a)"The assembled people of God who have been graciously called out of the world by God through the proclamation of the gospel." Lord, it is absolutely remarkable that you have called out a people and brought them to yourself. Thank you that you chose each of us to be a part of your chu...

"1 Thessalonians opens a window on to a newly planted church in the middle of the first century AD. It tells us how it came into being, what the apostle taught it, what were its strengths and weaknesses, its theological and moral problems and how it was spreading the gospel. What is of particular interest, because it applies to Christian communities in every age and place,...

PRAYING THE PASSAGE (Philippians 1:3-6): Philippians 1:3 "I thank my Godin all my remembrance of you,4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.6 And I am sure of this, that he who begana good work in youwill bring it to completion atthe day of Jesus Christ." CJ -"The ult...

But here in Philippians our text has at its heart a depth of fellowship that exceeds any earthly fellowship-'your partnership [fellowship] in the gospel' (v5)-which is rooted in God and is a quest that can only be described as eternal." Kent Hughes "Paul rarely thanks God for things, his thanksgivings are for people. For those special 'gifts' whom God has brought into his...

"To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion." Isaac Watts "No psalm more neatly or succinctly lays bare the heart of genuine worship." Robert Davidson "The New Testament will show wi...

PRAYING THE PASSAGE (Psalm 98):Robert Davidson - No psalm more neatly or succinctly lays bare the heart of genuine worship. This psalm joyfully and noisily celebrates the salvation God has worked for his people in the sight of the nations, calling on all the earth and ultimately all of creation to join in the jubilant praise of the true and living God who saves, reigns and...

A SONG OF DELIVERANCE PAST, PRESENT, and FUTUREPsalm 40 PRAYING THE PASSAGE: God's faithfulness to deliver us from trials in the past gives us confidence to praise him through trials in the present.Deliverance Remembered Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and s...