Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Unity

    “Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me” (John 17:20-21). Jesus’ petition for unity among His followers as part of His “High Priestly prayer” has reverberated throughout the generations. Many who confess the name of Christ seek that unity, even though it has proven to be quite the challenge throughout time. Normally, when people consider what… Continue reading

  • The House of Mourning

    It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2). The Bible exposes the vast gulf between the perspectives of human beings and God. Humans tend to focus on the short-term and that which seems beneficial in the short-term: pleasure is always preferable over pain, and that which is easy and comfortable is valued over what may be more difficult and painful. Humans also tend to forget that their perspective and views are… Continue reading

  • Our Need for Atonement

    What concept of sin, separation, and salvation do the patriarchs under the old covenant have? Psalm 32:1 begins with blessings for those whose sins are forgiven by God, and David acknowledges the sorrow associated with separation from God. Also, Psalm 38:1 opens with a plea for mercy from judgment, the consequences of the sins he confesses in verse 15. Psalm 51:1 begins again with a plea for mercy, asking the psalmists’ transgressions be blotted and cleansed. He asks for purification by God in verse 7. These psalms demonstrate an understanding of sin, separation, and forgiveness that we sometimes don’t attribute… Continue reading

  • The Kingdom Perspective on Difficulties

    And [Jesus] lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, “Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh…But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you, ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep” (Luke 6:20-21, 24-25). There are many difficult sayings that Jesus spoke. We either just move on to more easily understood… Continue reading

  • The Autumn of Covenant

    Thus the Lord GOD showed me: and, behold, a basket of summer fruit. And he said, “Amos, what seest thou?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then said the LORD unto me, “The end is come upon my people Israel; I will not again pass by them any more” (Amos 8:1-2). “Woe is me! For I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-ripe fig” (Micah 7:1). Autumn is a season of transition. For those of us in the… Continue reading

  • Praying As the Psalmists Prayed

    Usually, when we study the Psalms, we study them as poetry and songs, as passages of comfort and praise. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but two-thirds of these psalms are laments. They are petitions to God, and one aspect we can appreciate from these poetic verses is that we can approach God in prayer the same way these psalmists appealed to God. They are open and honest about their feelings and frustrations where we today feel compelled to bury our feelings. We are often uncomfortable with open and emotional interaction with God, but these psalmists serve as an… Continue reading

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  • Welcome to Our New Contributor

    Ethan Longhenry is a brother in Christ who preachers for a church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio. I met Ethan online several months ago and have been continually impressed with his ability to self-reflect and to look at difficult scriptural matters with a level head. Not long after I got to know him, Ethan began publishing a devotional through Facebook called Spiritual Manna, and it’s one of the few online devotionals I read on a regular basis. I asked Ethan if he would mind me posting his devotionals to this site, and he graciously agreed. I have several of his… Continue reading

  • Necessary Changes

    Psalm 51 occurs after David’s sin with Bathsheba becomes public knowledge. He prays to God to be purified in this Psalm. He calls to be cleaned whiter than snow. In verses 16-17, he expresses a broken heart and a humbled sacrifice in sacrifice to God. David recognizes the change he needs in his life, and David vows to help others turn to God as he himself has made necessary changes. We should all want to share God’s word with others, but David recognizes his need to change himself before attempting to influence others. Points of Transformation In Acts 3:19, in… Continue reading

  • Feed Issues

    If you subscribe to this site through our RSS feed, you might notice that some of the entries are mangled in your RSS reader of choice. I’m recently aware of the problem, but I’m not sure what’s causing it. I haven’t seen this problem on either of the other blogs I administer. That said, I’ll be investigating this issue. Thanks for your readership, and I apologize for the inconvenience of the feed issues. Continue reading

  • Facing the Challenge of the Christian Journey

    There are lessons we can take from facing extreme challenges. We may enjoy backpacking, kayaking, skydiving, or we may just enjoy seeing others participate in these challenges on survival reality shows, but the most extreme challenge we can take is to walk the Christian life. We watch these television shows or read about others facing the challenges of nature, and we think, “I can do that.” Many of us think that, but few of us would ever try – only five percent of visitors to the Grand Canyon, for example, ever descend below the rim.. Like the tiny percentage of… Continue reading