Johnson Oatman began writing spiritual hymns in 1892. He averaged writing about 200 songs a year, totaling over 5,000 during his life. Some of the popular hymns he wrote included, “Higher Ground,” “No, Not One,” “The Last Mile of the Way,” and the one I want us to think about tonight, “Count Your Blessings.” If […]
There are two ways that we might be idle—physically and spiritually, and both are bad. Let us begin with being idle in the physical realm. Paul condemned this in his second letter to the brethren at Thessalonica. At some point, the false notion that the coming of Christ was near began to be taught among […]
As Jesus concluded the great Sermon on the Mount, He taught those who would be citizens in His kingdom a very important lesson. He taught them that if they were going to be blessed by His words, they had to be doers (Matthew 7:24-27). The same continues to be the case for those of us […]
Do you believe you are committed to God? We all should examine ourselves occasionally to make sure that we are. One question that we can ask ourselves is, “Am I committed to the Lord’s church?” If you are not committed to the church, you are not committed to God. In some ways the two are […]
Are you glad that God is such a loving God? We all should be. Can you imagine if God was anything but a consistently loving God. With all His unimaginable power and strength, we would be in trouble if God had bad days once in a while. Fortunately, we do not have to worry about […]
God’s faithfulness to Israel in times past is an encouragement to God’s people today. Listen to what God told His people of old through the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 44:21-22 (ESV) 21 Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not […]
The word faithful simply means to be trustworthy. It refers to those on whom you can rely to keep their word and fulfill their promises. The world of professional sports epitomizes the opposite of faithfulness. Contracts are broken all the time simply because of a thirst for monetary gain and the prestige of being able […]
In the book of Romans, Paul emphasizes that man is justified by faith rather than by works (works of the law that demand sinless living). Romans 5:2 (ESV) 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. […]
Jesus promised that the gates of Hades would not prevail against the church that He would build. How would Jesus build His church? He would do so by going to the cross and dying for our sins. While the death of Christ was necessary for the salvation of our souls, it was not enough. For […]
The gospel is the greatest message the world has ever received. It is the message about Jesus. It tells the story of Him giving up heaven, taking on the form of a servant by being born in the likeness of men, and ultimately showing His obedience by dying on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8). Of course, […]