Every Knee Will Bow!

“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” is one of the great hymns of the Christian faith. It’s significant that evangelist Billy Graham chose it as one of six songs to be sung at his funeral, and as only one of two hymns to be sung by the congregation on that occasion. As one verse proclaims: “Let ever…

Judge of the Living and the Dead

Theologian Jonathan Edwards said in “The Excellency of Christ”: “[Jesus Christ] is the Judge of the world, and the infinitely just Judge of it, and will not at all acquit the wicked, or by any means clear the guilty…Yet how wonderfully is infinite mercy towards sinners displayed in him! Though he b…

Our Returning King

Are you eager for Christ’s return? Evangelist Billy Sunday once preached: “The mission of the church—the bride of Christ, or body of Christ—is to be ready to meet the bridegroom. When the body of Christ is completed He will reveal Himself to the members who are alive and in this world at that time,…

Lord of Glory

When we characterize something as “glorious,” we mean it is spectacular, amazingly beautiful, almost defying description. The English word “glory” has its origin in the French gloire (c. 1200) meaning “the splendor of God or Christ.” Jesus is the Lord of Glory, both kingly and divine (Ps. 24:7–10).…

Bridegroom of the Church

Weddings today are usually a grand event, many costing thousands of dollars. Prospective brides spend months, even years, preparing for the big day: reserving a church and a banquet hall, finding the perfect dress, ordering flowers. Often, the couple will send out a save-the-date card, inviting the…

The Messiah

Did you ever think about the parallels between the biblical story of Ruth and Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth? In Small Faith, Great God, one Bible scholar notes: “The city of David, which Ruth and Naomi reached without hope except in God, became the birthplace of the Son of God in whom all the n…

Prince of Peace

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, following the death of his wife and in the midst of the American Civil War. The sixth stanza reads: “And in despair I bowed my head; ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said; ‘For hate is strong, And mocks the song, Of peac…

Our Savior from Sin

In the United States, Christmas involves lots of money. During one recent Christmas, $22.7 billion was spent in retail department stores…in December alone! Nearly 50 million Christmas trees were sold, including 27.4 million real ones and 21.1 million fake ones. And, last year, the average American …

Son of David

Once King David was securely established on his throne, he wanted to build a temple for the Lord. God told him no, but also made a remarkable promise: “The LORD himself will establish a house for you” (2 Sam. 7:11). God’s faithful love would never be withdrawn from the line of David: “Your house an…

The Resurrection and the Life

“Death be not proud,” begins a famous Holy Sonnet by poet John Donne, “though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so.” Donne addresses Death as a person, saying it has no real power, but is rather “slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.” He compares it to rest or s…