Joe Barnett

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.                   —Romans 5:1 The verdict? Guilty! (Rom 3:23). The sentence? Death! (Rom 6:23). But Jesus came down, stepped up, and died in your place. You walked away: Justified.  You have been “justified freely by his grace” (Rom […]

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?                 —Psalm 13:1 God is always on time: never early, never late. His calendar for our salvation was heavenly timed: “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4). “At just the right time .

By faith the walls of Jericho fell.                   —Hebrews 11:30 Jericho was bulletproof: “The gates of Jericho were securely barred . . . No one went out and no one came in” (Josh 6:1). But God told Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands.” The process

Brethren, pray for us. —1 Thessalonians 5:25 Does prayer change things? Paul thought so. He was the primary personality in the last sixteen chapters of Acts: the most productive missionary in history. Yet, as the curtain falls on Acts, Paul is in prison: a depressing ending. But Paul didn’t see it that way. During his

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.    —Psalm 119:105 In Allen Isbell’s weekly blog to his congregation, he always ends: Come to Church; Bring your Bible. Only in the last few centuries has a minister been able to say to the assembly, “Please turn in your Bible to

He will call on me, and I will answer him.                              —Psalm 91:15 The Papago Freeway Tunnel, which opened in 1990, is a slice of Interstate Highway 10 that snakes under downtown Phoenix. Motorists in trouble could contact the Papago controller through

They saw no one except Jesus.             —Matthew 17:8 Jesus’ three closest friends were terrified. Imagine yourself on the mountain with them, and you’ll see why. Their drowsiness gave way to wide-awake bewilderment when Jesus’ face suddenly shone like the sun, and his clothes became as bright as a flash

Pray without ceasing. —1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7). Ask Asking implies a consciousness of need: the petition of an inferior to a superior; according to his will (1 Jn 5:14). Therefore, a request,

Do not forget the Lord your God.          —Deuteronomy 8:11 Bill Gunn was wealthy. And generous. Every year, he came to my office in the last week of December to inquire about the status of the church budget. If there was a deficit, he wrote a check to eliminate it. When I

God loves a cheerful giver.         —2 Corinthians 9:7 Grudge giving says, “I have to.” Duty giving says, “I ought to.” Grateful giving says, “I want to, I get to, and I’m happy to.” Generous giving is a response to God’s grace; a clear and grateful understanding that we have nothing but