Archive for 2017
Praying against Pride
I confess that my pride and self-centeredness are always lurking beneath each breath, glance, and turn of life. They are the ever-present combatants skulking in the shadows just out of sight until the attack. They seek to draw me into their dungeon of pride through both criticism and praise, poverty and prosperity, and love and…
Read MoreBeware of a Remote Love for Christ
A lack of, or a diminishing, passion for God’s Word is symptomatic of a remote love for God. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Yet, some Christians seem content to not only fail to keep Christ’s commandments but even to spend little time to know them. If every…
Read MoreA Pastor’s Prayer
Lord, I ask that I may shepherd Your flock with the same devotion that You shepherd me. May I not seek recognition, prosperity, status, or anything that detracts from being the shepherd of Your people. May I be found faithful to feed, protect, lead, and care for them according to Your Word and not trends,…
Read MoreA Simple Prayer to Be a Faithful Follower of Christ
Lord, let me never see myself as anything more than a follower of You, and never let me lean on the flesh, what others might or can do. May I never seek to be anything more than a follower. Please allow me to quickly see when I am seeking to lead myself, and as quickly…
Read MoreThe Ghastly Gospel of Limited Atonement
To be a consistent five-point Calvinist, a person must believe the Bible teaches that the benefit of Christ’s death is limited to actually having paid for the sins of only the unconditionally elect.[1] This means that the non-elect are condemned for rejecting what does not exist. To begin with, it is important to distinguish between…
Read MoreThink About IT: God’s Will Is Not Always So Easy
Whether one has chosen the Lord’s will is not determined by whether things get better. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus surrendered to the cross that lay before Him, bearing our judgment, and that was of course the eternal plan of salvation; therefore, He made the right choice. He was in the perfect will of…
Read MoreThe Friendship of Church Discipline and the Gospel
The Friendship of Church Discipline and the Gospel On one occasion, the chief priests and elders approached Jesus while he was teaching and asked him, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” (Matt 21:23). While it is obvious that the priests and elders were disputing rather than making…
Read MoreThink About IT: Loving Those People
Showing the gentle kindness and concern of Christ toward those who love us is good, but such disposition toward our enemies is indeed supernatural. If we are truly showing Christ’s love, it can never be limited to those who love us or those whom we believe will reciprocate. Christ commanded us, “But I say to…
Read MoreThink About IT: Receiving Compliments That Honor Christ
Compliments are more pleasing to the ear and honoring to Christ when they come not from the complimented. Matthew was a tax collector prior to following Christ, an occupation which was one of the most loathed by the Jews. They saw them as traitors. If God had not used Matthew to pen the gospel that…
Read MoreBibliography for Studying Scripture
SELECTED STUDY BIBLIOGRAPHY 5/31/16 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books, 1984 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books, 1985 Unger’s New Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger, Moody Press, 2006 Logos Library System, several upgradeable levels are available. Find…
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