Reading with M’Cheyne

In the first six verses of this chapter, the writer to the Hebrews urges us to fix our attention on Jesus--to keep him in our eye and to hold and cling to him. One reason why we should "consider Jesus," why we should fix our attention on him is because of his character displayed in his office. He...

"O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption."-Psalm 130:7 What is "plentiful redemption"? This is a rich and full expression, and one used nowhere else in Scripture. As the climax of a penitential prayer, the phrase sums up the...

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine."- Titus 2:1 Sound doctrine is that which is healthy, whole, balanced. It does not only inform the mind but enflames the heart. It leads to right living (orthopraxy), as well as right thinking (orthodoxy). It is displayed in the following...

"For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind."- Hosea 8:7 Hosea prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel during its closing decades. He witnessed the decline and fall of a once strong nation. Assyria became the rod of God's wrath against his people in its destruction in 722 BC. Yet...

"Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season: reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching"- II Timothy 4:2 Last Monday I got together with several other men with whom I went to seminary thirty years ago. It was an informal reunion built around the visit of Peter, a...

We would do well to meditate on the truths and the tone of this chapter as we live and speak for Christ in the twenty first century world. Those in ministry, especially during the early years, would do well to return to this chapter again and again. Amidst all the riches on offer we will focus on...

When the great Scottish minister Thomas Chalmers was converted, even though he had been a minister for several years, it led to a seismic shift in his preaching. Gone were the days filled with mathematical and scientific studies, with but an hour or two on a Saturday evening given to sermon...

Leadership is a vital issue for the Church. Appointing the right leaders, with the right qualifications (think godliness as well as giftedness, as per 3:1-7 and 4:12-16), is a top priority. The wrong kind of leaders can wreak havoc in the life of the church (as per 1:3-7; 4:1-5; 6:3-5). That said,...

The old hymn "The Church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord," in describing the ongoing struggles of the Church militant, contains the poignant line "by schisms rent asunder/by heresies distressed." Is that how you feel about heresies? Heresies are regarded by some as bold statements made by...

By the time that we reach the close of the third chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul makes it clear that the letter is intended to teach people how to behave in Church. Paul knows that his arrival may well be delayed and is not prepared for the life of the Church to be left in a vacuum, hence the letter (3:...