All Posts (Page 29)
Christ’s Nazarite
John was filled with the Spirit in the womb, and would drink no wine (Luke 2:15), a Nazirite vow. Shadows of this Nazirite vow show up in Ephesians 5:18, “And do not be drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit.” In essence Paul is saying: Don’t be overcome w wine so you can be overcome with the Spirit. To be “filled” with the Spirit is like a man who is filled with rage or filled with ambition. It means…
REPENTING EARLY
David’s tryst with Bathsheba illustrates how one sin brings another. A look led to lust; lust in the heart led to adultery; adultery led to an attempt to cover up by David calling her husband in from battle so he might lie with her. That failing, David sets his faithful servant Uriah up for death on the battle field–murder! Then follows months of agony & guilt (Ps 51) until finally David crumbles in repentance before Nathan. For believers, the chain…
SO THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS BEFORE YOU
Speak to them, whether they listen or not, “Thus says the Lord God”(Ez 3). We shouldn’t be so arrogant as to think we’re prophets like Ezekiel, hearing direct words from God. Rather, we humbly speak what the prophets spoke. We sometimes succeed, yet they preached with the knowledge that almost all would not obey. So, don’t despair when you meet up with insults and resistance to words God first gave through His writing prophets.” In the same way they persecuted…
MOTIVE FOR EVANGELISM?
I was asked, “What should be the primary motivation for evangelism and missions: Love for Christ or love for the lost? The question is an impossible one to answer because it offers a false dichotomy. In the NT, love for others is the way we love God. “How can you say you love God if you do not love others?” James and John and Paul said. Both are always at play. For instance, Paul was so passionate about the lostness of his…
FORGETTING LABELS
I hope it’s a sign of becoming more heavenly-minded to find myself uninterested in labels among true believers any more. When we’re the next world, what possible difference could they make? What good are they now, except to create division, end conversation, and promote loyalties that may diffuse our true loyalty to Christ alone? I don’t mean Bible TRUTHS are unimportant, or that they shouldn’t be talked out passionately—just that it seems more consistent to be Bible Christians than system…
RIGHTEOUSNESS ON THE BROAD WAY?
In the Sermon on the Mount, the broad way that leads to destruction is the external religious way. The narrow way is the way Jesus taught. This is seen particularly in the “antitheses” section in Mt. 5. For instance, the broad way is by fulfilling the command, “You shall not murder,” but the narrow way is found in Jesus’ statement: “but I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother is guilty…” Or again, “You shall not commit adultery” is…
BABY SPRINKLING
Went to a friendly mainline church this morning (ours meets in the afternoon), where I witnessed a baby sprinkling. The minister announced that in this experience the baby received the Spirit and was reborn. The child was then displayed as the newest member of the church. Whatever the rationale for this practice, we must all agree that such an experience did not take place in the New Testament.
Are You Poor in Spirit?
Are you poor in spirit, mourning over sin everywhere you find it, gentle and approachable in your relationships, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful to others, pure and unmixed in your devotion to Christ? Are you a peacemaker? Are you sometimes persecuted in subtle or even striking ways for your distinctiveness as you live out life from a changed heart? If not, you should have no assurance that the kingdom of heaven is yours, that you will receive comfort from God…
What You Need to Know About The Da Vinci Code
Do you know someone who has read The Da Vinci Code? If you don’t by now, you probably will. Dan Brown’s suspense novel has been on the NY Times best-sellers list for over 3 years, and, according to Brown’s website, "has become one of the most widely read books of all time."1 A quick search of a national bookseller’s website yielded no less than 15 books written about this novel, and a major motion picture based on the book is…
A Journey in Search of Comfort as a Christian Parent of Unconverted Children
There are few events in the Christian life that can be more disturbing and cause more anguish of heart than to see your children become young adults while continuing to evidence a spiritual disposition that seems to betray that these most precious gifts from God remain strangers to His grace. Yes, they may think that they are believers, but there is no love for His Word, no desire to be with His people, and no desire to live for the…
Old Testament 180 Day Reading Plan – Part Two
DAY BOOK CHAPTERS 91. HABAKKUK ALL 92. ZEPHANIAH ALL 93. EZRA 1-6 94. HAGGAI ALL 95. ZECHARIAH 1-5 96. 6-10 97. 11-14 98. EZRA 7-10 99. NEHEMIAH 1-4 100. 5-9 101. 10-13 102. ESTHER 1-5 103. 6-10 104. ISAIAH 1-5 105. 6-9 106. 10-12 107. 13-16 108. 17-20 109. 21-23 110. 24-27 111. 28-31 112. 32-35 113. 36-39 114. 40-42 115. 43-46 116. 47-50 117. 51-54 118. 55-58 119. 59-62 120. 63-66 121. JEREMIAH 1-4 122. 5-8 123. 9-12 124.…
Old Testament 180 Day Reading Plan – Part One
DAY BOOK CHAPTERS 1. GENESIS 1-5 2. 6-11 3. 12-16 4. 17-21 5. 22-26 6. 27-31 7. 32-36 8. 37-40 9. 41-45 10. 46-50 11. EXODUS 1-4 12. 5-10 13. 11-15 14. 16-19 15. 20-24 16. 25-28 17. 29-31 18. 32-34 19. 35-38 20. 39-40 21. LEVITICUS 1-4 22. 5-9 23. 10-14 24. 15-19 25. 20-23 26. 24-27 27. NUMBERS 1-4 28. 5-8 29. 9-11 30. 12-14 31. 15-18 32. 19-21 33. 22-25 34. 26-29 35. 30-32 36. 33-36 37.…
Strategically Distributing God’s Word: Stories & Strategies
My wife makes tasty candy every year at Christmas. For the past several years, we’ve shared some of these delectable treasures with our neighbors. This past Christmas, we decided to distribute to our non-Christian neighbors not only chocolate-covered peanut clusters, but also a copy of the gospel of John. We’re praying for God to use His word to save our neighbors. Whenever God’s Spirit grants understanding (see Matthew 13:11), it’s always in partnership with the message of Christ. I want…
The Muller Center for Biblical Studies
Frequently asked questions: What is the Muller Center? Why did we name the Center after George Muller? Where is the Muller Center located? Who are the tutors for the Muller Center? What is required of Muller Center students? What is the cost for becoming a Muller Center student (for our main 2 semester courses)? May I study in the Muller Center’s two semester forums if I live outside the Kansas City area? What is the typical weekly schedule for two…
What Was Reformed in the Reformation
If one wants to know what the Protestant Reformation was all about without reading huge volumes of historical literature, it is perhaps most clarifying to look at the theological results. One should specifically note the rediscovery of five critical biblical doctrines that had been obscured from public view by the medieval version of what we now know as the Roman Catholic Church. And just so you know, Rome still either openly opposes or seriously distorts these doctrines. Using the Latin…
Speaking Biblically About the Death of Christ
Among conservative Bible-believing Christians there is often passionate resistance to the doctrines of unconditional election and the limited atonement. One reason for this, I believe, is a commendable zeal for evangelism coupled with a common misconception about the essential content of the gospel message. I think it would be fair to say that most Christians believe that preaching the gospel means saying two things to the unconverted: (1) “God loves you and wants to save you,” and (2) “Christ died…