The Inner Spirit of the Cross

The following is from a pamphlet by G.D. Watson. The act of crucifixion is one thing, but the spirit in which the crucifixion is to be borne is another. In some respects the act may be brief and finished, but the inward heart disposition that should pervade crucifixion is a continuous principle extending through life,…

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Everything Will Fall

On December 1st I woke from a dream that left me unsettled.  It was a long rambling dream, but I knew the end was from the Lord.  In the dream, I was talking with a friend who pastors a church.  He was telling me the church suddenly fell apart and closed.  He said, “Everything seemed…

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IN

In 1 Thessalonians chapter four, Paul turns to discussing behavior and growing in separation to the Lord (1 Thess. 4:1-12).  But he starts with a phrase, easily overlooked, that provides vital context for what follows: “We ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus….” (1 Thess. 4:1).  In other words, “in Jesus” is where Paul’s…

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Embalmed

After Jacob dies, he is embalmed (Gen. 50:2-3).  Embalming was an Egyptian practice and betrays something of the world’s mindset. Embalming was and is meant to preserve the dead person.  There have been various methods throughout history but the basic idea is the same: the dead flesh is treated with substances that slow decay.  Modern…

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Christmas Presence

The following appeared in our local paper this past weekend. It is a revision of a post previously published under the title, “Those Jell-o Loving Antichrists. *** Scripture tells us “God is love,” and that God’s love was most profoundly shown through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (1 John 3:16, 4:16).  At one point in my…

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New Page—Recommended Reading

Many visitors to The Voice of One know this blog site has multiple pages. Most of these contain links to booklets I’ve written about the Lord and scripture. One page is a place where readers can make suggestions, ask questions, or otherwise communicate with me. I wanted to let everyone know I published a new…

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Before Your Throne I Now Appear

”Before Your Throne I Now Appear” is a chorale written by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is known as his deathbed chorale because some said he wrote it just before he died. This isn’t far from the truth. It seems an earlier form of the chorale existed. But having suffered a stroke that left him blind,…

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Circulation

First Thessalonians three finds Paul relieved that the Thessalonians are continuing to believe Jesus despite persecution: “For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8).  This is an expression of happiness but also much more. Paul has written much about the Thessalonians’ participation in the sufferings of Jesus, as well…

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Incar-Nation

The following is adapted from my booklet, This Is What Is Written *** In the time of Christ, the temple and Israel’s nation status were two pillars of Jewish identity. Many Jews at that time saw the nation of Israel as an end in itself, the goal of God’s plan in the earth. This was…

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Beyond Needing Again

Just before dying, Jacob prophesies over each of his sons.  The prophecies can’t be called blessings, exactly.  They are honest appraisals.  Some soar with praise: Joseph is called prince and compared to a fruitful vine by a spring.  Judah is predicted to rule his brothers.  Others are tongue lashed: Reuben for sleeping with one of…

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