FrontLine
At a Glance: Pauline Paradigms for Prayer
Layton Talbert Prayer is a very personal spiritual exercise. Perhaps “exercise” sounds like something we do out of duty, whether we want to or not, because of perceived benefits. Prayer is conversation with God and, as such, is a vital dimension of our personal relationship to the Lord. Why, then, would the Bible record the…
Read MoreWhat Made Elijah Run: Fear or Frustration? (1 Kings 19:3)
Randy Fox When we look at the story of Elijah’s flight and subsequent prayer for death, we wonder at his sudden reversal from power and boldness to fear and panic. It is startling to think of someone so strong as Elijah frightened away by the threat of Jezebel. Some would translate 1 Kings 19:3, “he…
Read MoreThe Three Dimensions of Discipline — Part 3
Jerry Sivnksty In the last two articles I’ve presented the areas of discipline that are crucial in our lives. First, the discipline of the mind by memorizing and meditating on the Scriptures. Second, the discipline of the body by eating properly and exercising regularly. Now I’m going to discuss the third area of discipline, which…
Read MoreThe Three Dimensions of Discipline — Part 2
Jerry Sivnksty The second area of personal discipline that is needed in our lives deals with the discipline of the body. This is a very difficult area, and many of the Lord’s people struggle in combating the appetites of the flesh. Many have a desire to see improvement but feel defeated in the constant “battle…
Read MoreThe Three Dimensions Of Discipline—Part 1
Jerry Sivnksty One of the greatest struggles that many Christians have is maintaining a proper balance in their lives. This isn’t an easy task, but we should stop to consider how well balanced our lives are. Before I proceed any further, I want to point out that for us to be a disciple of our…
Read MoreDying Words — the Blessing of Hope
Dave Barba On a frigid, gray Monday morning I visited a cemetery in Nova Scotia, the burial ground of some Titanic victims. The snow crunched as I walked down the rows of granite tombstones. One epitaph is etched into my memory: “Here lies Lee Waldron King.” I lifted my camera to capture a memory. When…
Read MoreThe Fundamentals of Worship
John C. Vaughn Not too long ago, a lady who had agreed to visit our church at the invitation of a friend explained to me why she was returning to her Charismatic megachurch to enjoy its more aerobic service. “I need worship. You people don’t worship here.” That charge certainly got my attention, but the…
Read MoreThe Faithfulness of God
Bud Talbert God’s faithfulness is His reliability, His determination to fulfill all that He promises. His faithfulness is grounded in His absolute truth. God is perfectly sincere in all His undertakings and dependable in discharging all His engagements (A. A. Hodge Outlines of Theology, p. 161). God’s faithfulness is made possible by His omnipotence. “Thus,…
Read MoreThe Kingdom in Matthew
Tim Miller Matthew is the only New Testament author to use the phrase “kingdom of heaven.” While the other Gospels frequently reference the kingdom of God, “kingdom of heaven” is unique to Matthew. His extensive use of this phrase (thirty-two times) invites the question, “What does Matthew mean by ‘kingdom of heaven’?”
Read MoreHow to Give without Being Taken
Terry Hagedorn Having served one tour in Vietnam, I was wise to murderous thieves and con men. (The Vietcong were fairly nasty, as well.) However, on my way to visit Vietnam for the second time, my commercial flight landed in the Philippines. Two skycaps in uniform — that is, one uniform (one wore the skycap…
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