Paul, walking alone through the streets of Athens, is moved by the spiritual confusion around him. Summoned to speak to philosophers and the public at Mars Hill, he gives his earnest demolition of the outlook that people still cling to — in modern atheism.

In closing this most practical epistle the apostle lists tendencies that ruin the vital objective of a church, and those that ruin fellowship. He then urges every working believer to support the work of God. Here also is the meaning of 'grace' being with us.

The lifestyle that adorns and commends the Gospel induces here obedience to the civil authorities, the only exception being if God's laws are contravened. Here also are the standards of conduct towards unbelievers generally, and the Gospel doctrines such conduct authenticates and commends.

'Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house…

The Holy Spirit works in the mind and conscience to show us a) the disaster of ignoring Christ, b) the gift of righteousness secured for us by Christ, and c) the failed and condemned condition of this present world order.

The Apostle emphasises the duty of looking for Christ's return, and here is how this should be done. He then provides aspects of Christ's work to reflect on, urges a sacrificial attitude with fervour for good works, and summarises the work of pastors toward believers.

Why does God allow Satan, sin and the Fall?

We all know much about people we have never met. It is empty religion to have only head knowledge of Christ. To be able to say you have met with Him, and that you know his power and love - this is the greatest objective in life.

Titus is to be a model of right conduct (speech, actions, possessions, dress) and never accommodate in teaching error, irreverence or entertainment. Words such as gravity (dignity) and sincerity stand out. Here is the believers' deportment.

'The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.'

Christ's (almost) last words, 'It is finished', refer directly to His agonising atoning death, but also to things that His atonement brought to an end in the lives of all who trust in Him, such as guilt, fear of death, alienation from God, and other consequences of being 'lost'.

While possessing much great potential, energy and capacity to learn, young men are vulnerable to many wrong steps. Here is biblical counsel, including treatment of so-called 'intentionality' in courtship - so contrary to major principles of Scripture and potentially deeply harmful.

 'Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.'

What point was Christ making when He said that a grain of corn must be buried before it could yield a harvest? And what did He mean when He said whoever loves his life will lose it, while whoever hates it will have life eternal?

Here are behavioural goals for older women. First, deportment in dress, speech and actions, the things to avoid. Also, they must show the young women by example and advice safe-minding, love for family, self-control, purity, home management, kindness and honouring of their husbands' role.

'And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.'

'But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.'

'The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high…

'And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'

'Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!'

In the Lord's first resurrection appearance to the gathered disciples we see the significance of His standing in the centre of that small group. Here are the seven hugely significant lessons and the encouragements; why, for example, did the Lord ask them to give Him food?

When the Saviour, on the cross, said, 'It is finished' He probably referred firstly to His earthly ministry (here are seven major accomplishments) but chiefly to His redeeming work on Calvary. Here is a glimpse of the depth of His atonement, and its eternal efforts.

The only source of knowledge about God and how to know Him comes from the Bible. Here is proof that it is God's infallible truth. And here is what we must believe about Christ to find Him, and to avoid the shame of a lost soul.

We learn that apparent believers enter churches bringing unbiblical activities. Some may be reformable, but their ideas must be refuted, or Christians will be damaged. Here is the authority of Scripture. Here also is the shamefulness of those who make money out of the faith.

By peace, the Bible refers to cessation of war and the close union that replaces it. Whether we are aware of it or not, all are at war with God. Here is how, and here also is the amnesty that transforms life and eternity.

Paul unfolds the assignment of Titus in Crete, the ordering of churches with a non-hierarchical leadership, each one having its own elders. Here are their qualifications, some relating to the preaching of the Word, and some intended also for all believers.

'At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.'

One of the most common impediments to believing in Christ is that of self-righteousness. It is a powerful 'enemy within' each one of us. Here are its forms, and the only way to shed it and know true conversion to God.

Titus, a Gentile convert of Paul, and over the years a trusted and effective prototype pastor in different postings, receives in Crete a letter for churches throughout time on the conduct of personal and church life. A truly pastoral epistle to lift and advance the spiritual life.

'The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.'

Atheism is the most common condition brainwashed into us today. Exactly how does it affect us? How does it change us? Here are the aspects of life torn from us by atheism, and how much God will do for those who seek Him.

The closing words of the epistle are rich in promised strength from the Lord. Here we expound the peace and mercy of believers, the 'Israel of God', how we bear the marks of Christ, and consciously keeping our spirit or soul.

'O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.'

John the aged apostle looks back to his three years with Jesus Christ. What was He like? Will He speak to us today? Where do we find Him? What will He do for us? How will I know if I will find Him?

The supreme love of believers (enshrining total trust, dependance, dedication and delight) is vested in the cross - the redemptive love of Christ. Here are some of the glories of the cross by which the world dies to us, and we to the world.

'Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.'

'If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.'

The Lord's first recorded miracle, the changing of water into wine at Cana, was an illustrated manifesto for the saving of souls. After Calvary it would be so obvious that here were the vital elements of conversion. Here is its life-transforming message.

Following 'Walk in the Spirit', Paul turns to well-doing, or beautiful deeds, the practical outcome of unselfishness and humility. Here is mutual correction, and burden-sharing which fulfils Christ's law of love. Paul presents these as the great tests of true Christian progress.

'They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.'

The eighth of Christ's 'I am' sayings occurs three times in the last book of the Bible. Here is the meaning of the most wide-ranging claim of the Saviour of the world, and how it affects us - for life and eternity.

On the last evening before His crucifixion, the Lord walked with His disciples from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. At that time He exclaimed, 'I am the True Vine.' Here is the necessity of gaining life from Him, and what it accomplishes.

Endowments, seen supremely in our Saviour, are hopefully growing continuously in believers by the power of the Spirit as they mortify the deeds of the flesh. Here is the key to our happiness in the Lord and our usefulness for Him.

'Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not…

Christ the Saviour does not merely guide us to eternal life, He is personally the road that leads there. Here is what He did to be the only true and certain way, and why only He can impart life to our souls.

From defining the command, ' Walk in the Spirit', Paul turns to how the Spirit works, because after conversion the desires of our fallen natures are still within us. Here is the progressive conquest of the old nature by the new, through the work of the Spirit.

'The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.'

In His fifth great 'I AM' statement, the Lord uses the future bodily resurrection as an illustration of the spiritual resurrection which must take place in one's life in order to know Him, and have eternal life.

It is a magnificent promise, that if we walk in the Spirit we will not succumb to the lusts of fallen nature. Here is the Bible's definition of walking in the Spirit, with the five points of special attention required by the Spirit.

'And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of…

Each of Christ's 'I am' sayings shows an element of His saving work. 'I am the Good Shepherd' points to the love and mercy of Christ as He reaches out to and calls individuals. Here are the feelings and actions of the 'lover of souls'.

The Gospel of eternal life through the atonement of Christ is the most precious treasure, and believers are called to proclaim and guard it. Here are Satan's methods of hindering and obscuring the Gospel, and the duty of opposing them and those who promote them.

'And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of…

'And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.'

The door to God and heaven is for ever closed to all who never want or seek Him. But to all who want to find Him the door stands open. Christ is Himself the door, and this is how He enables us to enter.

This message considers: 1) what Christian Liberty does and does not mean; 2) activities and objectives that entangle and ensnare us; 3) that Christ's church has only two symbolic actions (ordinances); and 4) The visible evidence of true faith (love) and its forms.

'Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.'

How easily we slip, as believers, into living without consideration of all that we do. In the Apostle's call to vigilance, we review the 'departments' of life needing close attention, and the seeking of God's will in the major decisions of life.

At the feast of Tabernacles, when the Temple was illuminated with additional giant lampstands, and torchlight processions passed through the evening streets, Christ proclaimed Himself as light to the world, and the light of life. Here is the meaning of His momentous claim.

How important it is to review our stewardship of time! The 'redeeming' word is highly significant, because we buy it back from harmful thoughts and actions to positive and spiritual use. Here are the biblical steps for the sanctified use of time.

The shepherds of Bethlehem suddenly found themselves immersed in an extraordinary light of such intensity and power that they felt under judgement and utterly weak within. Yet this was the beginning of a life-changing spiritual experience- a personal encounter with the living God.

While on earth, Christ made seven astonishing claims, using the words of God to Moses 'I AM that I AM'. The first claim 'I am the Bread of Life,' describes the work of Christ as Saviour, securing pardon and life for all who believe in Him.

The Lord's parable of the vineyard labourers tells us that our reconciliation with God is an event initiated by God, in which people in every age-group renounce their hostility and resistance to Him, and trust in the work of Christ for acceptance and new life.

How earnestly Paul pleads with the Galatians to leave the Judaisers! He urges, warns and reasons - the features of true preaching. How strenuously he evangelised and taught despite his own infirmity! We see his persistence, patience and prayerfulness in securing Christ's reign in their hearts.

'So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.'

What is the soul? How does it differ from the physical body? What are its unique and priceless capacities? What happens if it is neglected or disowned? What happens if a dormant soul is enlivened and enabled to function by God? What makes it eternal?

Christ redeemed all who trust in Him, and the Holy Spirit applies salvation to them. The Spirit is sent from on high to every true child of God to reside in the 'heart'. Here are the results and evidences of His presence. Do we have them?

'And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.'

We often hear it said that the conscience is a religious invention, a myth, inherited from ignorant generations, But such shallow thinking is easily refuted. Here is the Bible speaking on how conscience is abused, and how it may be cleansed.

Paul here focuses on the coming of Christ, and we consider why the timing was chosen by God, the love that sent Christ into the world, the obedience of Christ to the law, His redeeming work, and the privilege of adoption as sons and daughters.

'And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ... And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go…

Here is the very first sermon of the Christian Church, given by Peter in Jerusalem. Thousands of Jews were challenged to change their entire way of thinking, and to seek the forgiveness of Christ. This is what happened and how 3000 were totally changed that day.

Who is the 'seed' of Abraham to whom the promises of salvation were given? Saved people from all lands (many not being descendants of Abraham) are the outcome. Christ primarily is the seed, and the redeemed are His by adoption. Here is the key to so much.

'And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.'

'Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side.’

A parable from the prophet Isaiah shows major limitations placed by God upon human life when He is left out of consideration. Here are the consequences of a materialistic life, and the great release that comes from turning to the Lord.

A passage in which Paul gives all the reasons why salvation is through faith, and not by works, providing a full rebuttal of the 'Judaisers' who called Gentile believers to observe Jewish ceremonies. An insight into the subtle power of error in every age.

'And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians... And ye have this day rejected your God...and…

Conversion is an intensely personal experience. It is a conscious awareness of Christ intervening in our life. We become certain that Christ, in incomprehensible love, bore away the punishment of our sin in His sufferings on Calvary's cross. It is to become truly related to Him.

When Peter fell into compromise, Paul gave six convicting reproofs. It was caused by faithless fear, set a disastrous example, destroyed the Gospel, defamed Christ, placed Peter in opposition to the truth, and effectively proclaimed that Christ died for nothing. Here are today's lessons.

'Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly:…

Coming to Christ brings us to taste and feel and experience His power and kindness. It is far deeper than head-knowledge or mere sentimentality. Here, from the prayer of Scripture, we show what Christ gives to all who trust in Him.

God's true message is a simple, exclusive plan of salvation. Paul, like the other apostles, needed three years of training in God's revelation to prepare for the task. Here are Satan's attacks, the apostles' resolute defence, and how they reached out to different forms of unbelief.

'And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of…

'And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.'

When Christ healed a paralysed man, He first pronounced that his sins were forgiven. To prove that He had power to forgive, He then healed the body, giving life where all had been limp and motionless; illustrating the changes in conversion to Christ.

To prove that his Gospel was not a human product, Paul points to his Jewish training and zealotry. He did not comprehend the gospel until Christ was revealed in him. Here is the meaning, and how Christ should be seen by us daily.

'And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.'

Surely nothing is more tragic than to believe life is peaceful and secure without God, only to discover one day that one faces eternal disaster. Here is the false peace that imprisons us in this material world and keeps us from seeking and finding the Lord.

For Luther, the best of the Bible and the rallying call of the Reformation, these verses affirm the one and only true Gospel, by contrast with the alternatives offered in Paul's time and today. Here is the message that leads to God and eternal life.

'And [Elkanah] had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.'

David traces the reasons for personal sin in a life, the phenomenon of God's mercy, the benefits of trusting Him, and the tragic result of rejecting His kindness. There is no treatment of sin and salvation as profound and uplifting as this psalm.

The meaning of faith, how it is acquired, and its role in salvation and then in the ongoing spiritual life. Astonishingly, terms are used such as 'substance' (or 'foundation') and 'evidence' as proof. Does our faith honour these powerful words?

'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.'

'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that…

'Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest…

God appeals to our intelligent minds - but will we listen? Our inclination is to turn away, but if God in His mercy places in us a thirst for certain things, we listen and come to Him. Here are the needs that draw us to God.

New believers when truly enlightened and saved are moved to make a pledge or vow to God, which will be renewed and deepened throughout this pilgrimage. Here are the important features of such vows, their scope, and their benefits and blessings.

'Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not…

'And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air…