As humans desire to exercise control over everything that God made and which he ought to control, our work becomes labor, burden, and pressure. We lose the original joy the Lord gave us: the opportunity to work in concert with him.
Read MoreThe norm of a life of faith – for both the psalmist but also for us – is to be besieged by the pursuit of the proud and the strong. Those of us who are Chinese Christians and often experience persecution for our faith feel immediate empathy for the author of this passage.
Read MoreThe locked-down city is full of lies, sins, oppression, and violence. Where is my refuge? How can I rest in peace? Where is the salvation of my countrymen, of my country?
Read MoreThose who do not have families or children can freely enter the family made up of the bloodline of Jesus… We no longer have a narrow, nationalistic worldview, because our hope is not in this earthly kingdom. Through Jesus, we have entered God’s kingdom, a kingdom where Jesus reigns.
Read MoreGod calls us to fear him, and, amazingly, it is fear of God that ends all fears. Our fortress, built on the solid cornerstone of Christ, is personally protected by the Sovereign King…We are already in his fortress and under his protection. He is our great Shepherd, who lives among us.
Read MoreWe must know we are not righteous, but wicked, before we can be justified by faith in Christ and move from the camp of the wicked to that of the righteous. Only when we read this Psalm again, in the position of those who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness, will God's exhortation to us through David be truly meaningful.
Read MoreTrue repentance begins with sorrow, but ends with joy and praise. Sorrow for sin and joy for salvation are intertwined with each other as the defining characteristic of Christian life. In traditional Chinese culture, repentance ends with moral correction. But for the people of God, repentance ends with rejoicing and praise.
Read MoreThe kingdom of heaven has been here since Jesus’s incarnation…The church is the embassy and outpost of the kingdom of heaven, a part of the territory of heaven. Members of the church are ambassadors of the kingdom. Psalm 15 should first reflect every church member, and the culture of Psalm 15 should become the culture of the church.
Read MoreEven as I write, guns rumble in Ukraine and bullets shatter the ordinary lives of families and their hopes of eternal happiness. Violence and persecution continue to hurt brothers and sisters. Heartbreak and desolation occur in every corner of the world. Can our hearts still touch happiness? Yes! Indeed!
Read MoreJesus’s name is praiseworthy and memorable. Because of his name, we can turn from sorrow toward joy. Because of his name, we receive the smile of God, and our relationship with him is reconciled. We turn from weeping in despair to rejoicing with peace and joy.
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