The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 (ESV) Supporters of euthanasia are trying to paint a rainbow on the Grim Reaper’s face. “Death [is] a friend to be welcomed,” said one, “not an enemy to be defeated.”1 To most people, that kind of reasoning sounds hopelessly artificial; and rightly so, for it is one of the oldest and deepest instincts of humankind to loathe and shrink from death. The thought of welcoming death as a cherished friend—this cruel inflictor of unending sorrow and horror in human experience—simply offends the human spirit. But destroying it? Now […]

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Mark 2:18-22

  When Isaac Watts’ mother found some of his early verse and expressed doubt that he wrote it, the child immediately composed this acrostic for her: I  am a vile polluted lump of earth, S o I’ve continued ever since my birth; A lthough Jehovah grace does daily give me, A s sure this monster Satan will deceive me, C ome, therefore, Lord, from Satan’s claws relieve me. W ash me in Thy blood, O Christ, A nd grace Divine impart, T hen search and try the corners of my heart, T hat I in all things may be fit […]

  For thirty years, Charles Spurgeon faithfully proclaimed the gospel at London’s New Park Street Church. Though quite capable of literary allusion and rhetorical flourish, Spurgeon explained that the heart of effective teaching is simplicity and love for one’s subject. In this passage from “The Mustard Seed: A Sermon for the Sabbath-School Teacher,” he talks of the gospel, but the principles apply to teaching in general.

  The United States has long illustrated the truth of Proverbs 14:34, which says that “righteousness exalts a nation.” Though far from perfect, America historically has upheld biblical standards of justice and liberty, and consequently enjoyed God’s blessing. A contributing factor to the nation’s virtue doubtless has been the devotion of its presidents to the Bible, recounted by Tevi Troy in a February 13 Wall Street Journal article.1 Spanning four centuries, occupants of the Oval Office have shared a unique love for Scripture—even those who exhibited prominent moral flaws or were not committed followers of Jesus. Consider the following:

  The young television newscaster was dashed when he discovered that the camera had malfunctioned in the freezing cold. Here was his golden opportunity to make a name for himself; CBS news was waiting for the footage, which was to be broadcast around the nation. Scrambling to recover, the journalist asked the preacher they had been filming to repeat his spontaneous prayer, but he refused, saying, “Wouldn’t be honest.”

Pastor John Scripture Reference: Mark 2:1-12

  Before accepting law as his vocation, John Adams, America’s second president, undertook pre-ministerial studies. His wife, Abigail, was a minister’s daughter, born into a distinguished line of New England Puritan pastors. Both were well tutored in Scripture, and their letters to one another were full of biblical references.