We cannot succeed by working alone. by Dr. David R. Downey While we serve God, our challenges are real. Our obstacles are great. Our success is assured! But we are going to need some help. We cannot do this alone. If God is, in fact, going to be glorified by what we do in service […]

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Obedience and its reward. by Dr. David R. Downey If there is a concept that rises above all others in Scripture, it may be that of obedience. God constantly points to this characteristic in the people He can bless, for obedience is nothing more than observing, first, that God is sovereign and then trusting Him […]

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Why patience is key in the believer’s life. by Dr. David R. Downey People are fond of saying, “Don’t pray for patience.” The inference is that God will send trials to build patience, rather than just dropping it on us as a gift. This is usually true, but should we hesitate? Is patience not worth […]

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Learning the way of biblical wisdom. by Dr. David Downey One of my favorite hymns (I confess I have many “favorites”) is “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” — partly because of its beautiful melody in a minor key, but mostly because Jesus has had a tremendous impact on my life with His gentle leading. […]

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Looking to the One who gave to us, then sharing it with others. by David R. Downey Someone said, “A life wrapped up in itself makes a very small package.” This would certainly apply to a person who lacks mercy and finds it difficult to forgive other people. To be unforgiving, one would need to […]

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Learning the meaning of true service. by Dr. David R. Downey Speaking to a class recently while discussing the office of deacon in the church, I said, “This is a very high calling, as the deacon responsibility is rooted in service to the church and, in this, imitates the Savior who revealed Himself in exactly […]

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A balanced look at the atonement. by Dr. David R. Downey All history points to Jesus’ work among us. It was appropriate that time-dating used to go according to bc and ad (before Christ and anno Domini, or “in the year of the Lord”). Though often criticized by some, for us, history still pivots on […]

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Many accurate prophecies in Scripture are in the book of Daniel. Though it is by no means the only repository of prophecies, it is possibly unparalleled in references to historical events and the coming of Jesus. This book adds another layer of proof to the veracity of the Bible. Daniel is sometimes hard to follow […]

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The nineteenth psalm, written by King David, starts with such statements as “The heavens are telling,” “their expanse is declaring,” and “Day to day pours forth speech.” It closes with an appeal for the acceptability of “the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart.” We could write the Word over this entire […]

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One of the most memorable failures in the Bible is recorded in Mark 14:27-31 and 66-72. Just after the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that they would all be scattered and desert Him. The apostle Peter assured Him that if everyone else were to deny Him, he would not, and was prepared to die. […]

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Philippians is a wonderful book. We have heard references to this letter of Paul’s many times and know familiar verses: He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (1:6). Therefore God also has highly exalted Him [Christ] and given Him the name which is above […]

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Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things (Isaiah 40:26). In reference to this verse, Oswald Chambers said that the people in Isaiah’s day had been gazing on idols, and now they were encouraged to use their imagination rightly to see the Creator. In My Utmost for His Highest: Selections […]

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