Our Cross

All trials are occasions for the exercise of faith, especially in times when we struggle to understand God’s providence. It is during those dark days that we are called to believe in God’s Word, whether preached, read, or given at the Lord’s Table. It is typically in the midst of our trials that we are driven to prayer. Those moments of need bring out our utter dependence upon God in a way that self-made crosses cannot. Our Father does not give us more than we can bear, but the cross that our Father gives us is sufficient to train us and to conform us to the image of His Son.

As Christians who have fixed our hope on the appearing of our Lord Jesus, we have been called to follow in the footsteps of our Lord. Thus, the call of discipleship is a central theme of the Christian life and this calling is intimately connected to our sanctification. Jesus Himself gives an important prerequisite for anyone who claims to be His disciple.

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

and again:

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Monday: A Praise Psalm of Thanksgiving

Theme: Overlapping Movements

From this week’s lessons we see that Psalm 66 tells us to praise the Lord and gives us an example of one who is doing just that.

Scripture: Psalm 66:1-20

There is a link between the last verse of Psalm 65 and the first two verses of Psalm 66, which is probably why Psalm 66 is placed where it is in the Psalter. The last verse of Psalm 65 was about the meadows and valleys of the land, and it is said of them that “they shout for joy and sing.” The first verses of Psalm 66 call for this same response from the entire earth, that is, from human beings: “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of his name.”

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Friday: All Good Gifts from Our Good God

Theme: Praise the Lord!

In this week’s lessons we focus on the gracious power of God seen in the wonders of creation and in the bounty of his provision.

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

We come then to the stanza for which the two preceding sections have prepared us. It is about the people's harvest, and it tells us that the God who is gracious to his people and all-powerful in effecting his purposes, has shown both his grace and his power in blessing the harvest and the land.

We come then to the stanza for which the two preceding sections have prepared us. It is about the people's harvest, and it tells us that the God who is gracious to his people and all-powerful in effecting his purposes, has shown both his grace and his power in blessing the harvest and the land.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

The Story and the Suffering

Scripture has quite a lot to say about suffering. Many verses give us great hope and comfort during our trials. But the Story, the grand Story of what God has done and is doing, is one we need to turn to time and time again. It’s one we need to rehearse. As a child of God, it's your Story. It’s my Story. Let's tell it to one another. Until that day when we can turn the page to the next chapter, the one titled: Eternity.

The Bible has a lot to say about human suffering. Most believers can reference or quote a few passages that speak to the pains and sorrows we face in life. We all know the story of Job. Most of us have probably memorized Romans 8:28. We might have a list of go-to passages that give us hope and encouragement during a trial such as that in Isaiah 43:1, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." We may turn to passages like James 1:2-4 to remind ourselves that God is doing something important through our trials—necessary and eternal work.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is member supported and operates only by your faithful support. Thank you.

Christward Collective is a conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Christward Collective and the mission of the Alliance.

Thursday: All Good Gifts from Our Good God

Theme: God’s Power Shown

In this week’s lessons we focus on the gracious power of God seen in the wonders of creation and in the bounty of his provision.

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

God is gracious, but he is mighty too, as the second stanza of the psalm points out. God's strength is more than equal to any gracious design he may have. In this stanza the psalm mentions three specific displays of God's power: 1) in raising the mountains; 2) in calming the seas; and 3) in quieting the nations.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Wednesday: All Good Gifts from Our Good God

Theme: The Psalm’s Universal Significance

In this week’s lessons we focus on the gracious power of God seen in the wonders of creation and in the bounty of his provision.

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

A psalm which is as focused on a national Jewish festival as this one might easily have become narrowly nationalistic, that is, a psalm in praise of One who is thought to be the God of Israel only. But however special the relationship between Jehovah and his specially chosen people may be, the God of Israel is nevertheless the God of all other peoples too, and this important balance is maintained in the opening verses.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Tuesday: All Good Gifts from Our Good God

Theme: The Psalm’s Place in the Nation’s Life

In this week’s lessons we focus on the gracious power of God seen in the wonders of creation and in the bounty of his provision.

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

How was this psalm to be used in Israel? And when was it sung? It could have been sung at any time, of course, and probably was. But since it deals with the bounty of a good harvest, it is likely that it was composed for the Jews' annual harvest festival, the Feast of Tabernacles. This was the longest and most joyful feast of the Jews.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Monday: All Good Gifts from Our Good God

Theme: A Harvest Hymn

In this week’s lessons we focus on the gracious power of God seen in the wonders of creation and in the bounty of his provision.

Scripture: Psalm 65:1-13

Psalm 65 is an extraordinary, exquisite poem about nature. But it is also predominantly about the God of nature, who is gracious to man, powerful in his acts and the source of all nature's bounty—which is what we would expect of a song written by David, the great poet of Israel.

Psalm 65 is an extraordinary, exquisite poem about nature. But it is also predominantly about the God of nature, who is gracious to man, powerful in his acts and the source of all nature's bounty—which is what we would expect of a song written by David, the great poet of Israel.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

Robert Gagnon Responds to Thabiti Anyabwile

Who has actually been blinded by politics?

 

Thabiti Anyabwile has stirred up a bit of controversy with an op ed published by the Washington Post. In it he makes some rather serious statements concerning fellow evangelicals who differ with him on certain political issues.

 

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Mortification of Spin is a casual conversation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Mortification of Spin and the mission of the Alliance.

Friday: Sudden Destruction for the Wicked

Theme: Eventual and Sudden Judgment

In this week’s lessons we see that as David looks to God for victory over his enemies, there is much we can learn as we face battles of our own.

Scripture: Psalm 64:1-10

For five verses the wicked have been hatching their nefarious plots against King David. They have done it secretly, cunningly and with mutual bucking one another up and with encouragement. They have reached the point of congratulating themselves on their efforts, saying, "We have devised a perfect plan” and "Who will see us?” But suddenly, just when they think they have succeeded brilliantly, God, who has been watching it all from heaven, launches his bolt against them and quickly brings them down. Indeed, they have been in his sights all along, and it does not require a quiver full of arrows to destroy them. One arrow does the job.

Think and Act Biblically from James Boice is a devotional of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. It is supported only by its readers and gracious Christians like you. Please prayerfully consider supporting Think and Act Biblically and the mission of the Alliance.

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