Jesus often used parables to teach
the truth about the Gospel. In Mark 4,
we have several parables about seeds that
help us understand how the message of
the Gospel works.
The first parable is of the seed and
the soil. A sower sows seed that lands
on various types of ground with varying
results. Some seed withers, some is stolen,
some sprouts but never brings forth fruit,
and some grows into a healthy plant that
bears much fruit.
The next parable deals with the
mystery of the seed’s growth. We may
plough a field and plant a seed, but we
cannot make a seed grow. God does that
through the mystery of creation, and we
can only watch in wonder and be ready to
reap when the time is right.
The third parable highlights the impact
that one small seed can have. A mustard
seed is small, but it grows into a plant so
large that birds can make a home in it.
There is a tremendous amount of potential
in that one seed.
All of these parables illustrate the Gospel
seed. We may not understand exactly how
God uses the Gospel to work in a person’s life,
but we know that if we sow the seed, it will
have a huge impact. We must be ready to do
our part in planting and reaping the harvest
while trusting God to do the real work of
causing that seed to bring forth fruit.
- Apr 2, 2023The Gospel Seed
The Gospel Seed
Jesus often used parables to teach
the truth about the Gospel. In Mark 4,
we have several parables about seeds that
help us understand how the message of
the Gospel works.The first parable is of the seed and
the soil. A sower sows seed that lands
on various types of ground with varying
results. Some seed withers, some is stolen,
some sprouts but never brings forth fruit,
and some grows into a healthy plant that
bears much fruit.The next parable deals with the
mystery of the seed’s growth. We may
plough a field and plant a seed, but we
cannot make a seed grow. God does that
through the mystery of creation, and we
can only watch in wonder and be ready to
reap when the time is right.The third parable highlights the impact
that one small seed can have. A mustard
seed is small, but it grows into a plant so
large that birds can make a home in it.
There is a tremendous amount of potential
in that one seed.All of these parables illustrate the Gospel
seed. We may not understand exactly how
God uses the Gospel to work in a person’s life,
but we know that if we sow the seed, it will
have a huge impact. We must be ready to do
our part in planting and reaping the harvest
while trusting God to do the real work of
causing that seed to bring forth fruit. - Mar 19, 2023The Unpardonable Sin
The Unpardonable Sin
Can God forgive every sin? The truest answer is, “Yes, God can forgive every sin, but He will not forgive every sin.” Rather than universally forgiving every sin, God has chosen to forgive the sins of those who respond to the Holy Spirit’s conviction with repentance. Understanding this truth is key to understanding what is commonly termed “the unpardonable sin.” In Mark 3:22-20, Jesus was slandered by a group of religious professionals known as the scribes. They attributed the miracles that He did to the working of Satan. Jesus responded to their libel by pointing out the fallacy of their logic, and from there, He went on to warn about the danger of what they were saying. This was the context in which Jesus revealed “the unpardonable sin.” “Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.” (Mark 3:28-29) The unpardonable sin is not stealing, murder, or adultery. It is the sin of disregarding the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to the lost is to point out their sin and their need for a Savior. If a person does not respond to the Holy Spirit’s work with repentance, they will not be forgiven of their sin. Forgiveness will always be available to them if they repent, but they will remain lost until they do. Everyone must accept Christ as their Savior to have their sins forgiven.
- Mar 12, 2023The Blessing of the Deacon
The Blessing of the DeaconWhat is the job of the deacons in the local church? In some churches, the deacons are set up as a ruling body, equivalent to the board of directors in a corporation. The church body delegates all of its decision-making power to the deacon board. In other churches, the deacons are elected to run the church's day-to-day operations, and they relegate the pastor to "preaching, marrying, and burying." According to this philosophy, the deacon's job is to control the pastor and protect the church from him. On the other end of the spectrum, you have those who think that the deacons are to be the pastor's "yes men." They provide the rubber stamp of approval for every whim and fancy of the pastor, giving legitimacy to whatever notions he may have about the direction and the decisions of the church.None of these concepts line up with the Biblical purpose of a deacon. In Acts 6:1-7, we read of the election of the first deacons in the New Testament. According to these verses, we learn what the essential qualifications of a deacon are. We also learn that deacons are a vital part of the church ministry because they assist the pastor and help free him up to focus on doing what only the pastor can do. Godly deacons are a tremendous blessing to the local church.
- Mar 5, 2023Hard Hearted & Hard Headed (Mark 3:1-6 KJV)
Hard Hearted & Hard Headed (Mark 3:1-6 KJV)
Nothing demonstrates the selfish pride in
our nature better than the times that we get
upset when good things happen to other people.
In Mark 3:1-6, we read a story about Jesus healing
a man who had a crippled hand. Instead of rejoicing
that the man had been healed, the Pharisees
became murderously angry at Jesus because He
pointed out the error in their hard hearted and hard
headed ways.If we are honest, we will admit that we each
have a tendency to be hard-hearted and
hard-headed too. We do not always respond the
right way to God’s working and God’s blessing on
others. Sometimes we act skeptical, cynical, and
jealous. We would rather be seen as right, and
therefore superior, than to see something good
happen to someone in a way that we did not expect
or that we did not think was proper.Such stubbornness grieves the heart of our
Savior. God does not always do things the way
we think they should be done. When God’s
methods contradict our traditions and preferences,
then we are the ones who are wrong. God is
never wrong. We must humble ourselves enough
to admit that we were mistaken, rejoice in what
God does, and give Him the glory for it. - Feb 26, 2023The Three “R’s” of Revival
- Feb 19, 2023Jail And The Nail Part 2 (Judges 5 KJV)
Jail And The Nail Part 2 (Judges 5 KJV)
- Feb 19, 2023Sin Sick Souls (Mark 2 KJV)
Sin Sick Souls (Mark 2 KJV)One of the criticisms leveled at Jesus by His opponents was that he was “a friend of publicans and sinners.” What they meant as an insult was actually a complement. Yes, Jesus loves sinners. He loves them so much that He left heaven, came to earth to live among them, died to save them from their sin, and then rose again to offer them eternal life.The world would have us believe that love is letting people do whatever they believe is best for themselves. But if what they are doing is destructive, it is not love to let them continue doing it. Jesus loved sinners enough to spend time with them, but not so that He could affirm them in their sin. He spent time with them so He could tell them the truth about their sin and their need to be saved.In Mark 2 we read of an instance where Jesus addressed this criticism. He answered it brilliantly with the very simple illustration of going to the doctor. If we are wise we will go to the doctor for regular well visits. But, other than that, we don’t go to the doctor just to hang out. We go to the doctor when we are sick and need something to cure us. Similarly, people who think that sin is not a problem don’t understand their need to be saved and do not seek help to remedy their sin problem. How, then, can we help sin sick souls see that need?In the medical field, they use the phrase “doctor-patient relationship.” We understand that if we want the best outcome in healthcare there must be a rapport between the physician and the patient. Jesus understood this principle and so must we. If we are going to be effective in reaching the lost, we have to connect with the lost in some fashion to do that.
- Feb 12, 2023The Courage of Revival Part 1 (II Chronicles 15:8 KJV)
- Feb 5, 2023The Loudmouthed Leper (Mark 1:40-45 KJV)
The Loudmouthed Leper (Mark 1:40-45 KJV)Mark 1:40-45 records one of the first miraculous healings that Jesus performed, and the reaction of the healed man is an encouraging example for us to follow. A man who came to Jesus had the disease of leprosy. Leprosy is an infectious disease for which there was no known cure in Jesus’ day. It resulted in a slow and painful death for the person infected. Because of its infectious nature, the person had to live in isolation or a leper colony. The fact that he broke protocol and approached Jesus so closely speaks of his courage and desperation. The Bible says that Jesus was “moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” Immediately the man was healed. Jesus then instructed him to go straight to the priest to fulfill the regulations of the Old Testament Law regarding leprosy. Jesus commanded the man not to tell anyone else what had happened until that had been done. But the man was so overcome with joy he immediately began to tell everyone he could what Jesus had done for Him. The result was an enormous number of people went to see Jesus for themselves. If a man who was cleansed from a physical disease could have so much enthusiasm about telling others what Jesus did for him, then we who have been healed from the spiritual disease of sin can too. If this man made such an impact through his disobedience to Jesus’ command, then we can have an even greater impact through our obedience. God has done so much for us, and we should be eager to “publish it much.”
- Jan 29, 2023The Field is Out There (Luke 10:2-3 KJV)
The Field is Out There (Luke 10:2-3 KJV)There is something about the image of a big, old barn against the backdrop of green or golden fields that brings a sense of peace and serenity. Whether you are a farmhand or a city slicker, you can certainly appreciate the beauty of such a scene. While everyone loves the look of a pretty barn, what good is it if the fields around it are full of barren soil and rotting crops? A barn is where the supplies are kept, the equipment is maintained, and the harvest is stored. It is where the farmhands meet their boss in the morning and get their assignments for the day. And while a lot of work takes place in the barn, the work of sowing and reaping has to occur in the field. And the field is outside, not inside the barn. “For this reason, the church membership should not be considered the field but the force. Consequently, the entire program of the church should be geared to training and challenging its force to go out into the field and to spread the gospel of Christ.” Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:2-3) The laborers in the spiritual harvest must be sent forth into the fields, and we are those laborers. God has commanded us to go, and as we are going, we are to preach and teach the gospel. Spending time in the barn is good, but we must get out in the fields to reap a harvest.
- Jan 22, 2023With Authority (Mark 1:22)
With Authority (Mark 1:22)There have been many great preachers throughout history. God has used men like George Whitfield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, and Billy Sunday to proclaim the gospel to millions of people. But there is no greater preacher than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Living Word who proclaimed the written Word like no one else has.Many things set the preaching of Jesus apart from others, but one of the first things that people noted was the authority that Jesus preached with. They were not used to someone declaring the truth without hedging or hesitancy. The religious leaders they were accustomed to hearing always seemed uncertain and left the door open for other possibilities than what they thought might be true. Jesus, on the other hand, boldly declared the Word of the Lord as absolute, unwavering, undeniable truth. That truth was to be believed and not questioned, cross-examined, or factchecked by bookworms who put more emphasis on what man said God said rather than what God actually said. Things are not all that different in our day. We have an abundance of so-called Bible teachers and preachers who will happily tell you all the ideas scholars have come up with about the meaning of scripture, but it is rare for someone to declare in simple faith, “This is the truth.” Christ taught with authority, and if we are to be faithful followers of
Him, we must have the same boldness in proclaiming the truth. From the preacher in the pulpit to the soul winner on the porch, Christians must be firm in their faith and authoritative in their witness. - Jan 15, 2023A Biblical World View
- Jan 1, 2023Sowing and Growing
Sowing and GrowingThe laws of sowing and reaping were established by God at creation. Everything multiplies after its kind and all living creatures instinctively seek to grow and multiply.The laws of sowing and reaping that apply to nature also apply spiritually. A healthy plant or animal will be growing and multiplying, and so too will a healthy church. In fact, actively seeking to increase the number of Jesus’ disciples is part of the church’s mandate. However, we must recognize that it is the Lord who builds His church and adds to it “such as should be saved.” How much of church growth is our responsibility and how much is God’s?Our responsibilities can be summed up in two words: going and sowing. As followers of Jesus, we have been commanded, “Go ye therefore and teach all ations.” (Matthew 28:19) We have to go out into the world for the definite purpose of making disciples of Jesus. We do that by sowing the seed of the gospel as we are going. “God ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)God’s responsibility is to do the growing. Just like a farmer may till the soil and plant the seed but he is dependent on God using the forces of nature for the growth of the crops and fruitfulness of the harvest, we are dependent on God to make our ministry fruitful. As Paul wrote, “So then neither is
he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:7) In 2023, we need to be busy sowing good seed and trusting the Lord to give the increase. - Dec 25, 2022The Christ of Christmas The Glory of Christ
The Christ of Christmas The Glory of Christ
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every
name: That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth; And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:9-11)Many of the Christmas carols we sing
mention the angels’ glorious announcement
of Christ’s birth. It is true that no birth in
history has ever been announced with as
much heavenly majesty as Christ’s.But the exaltation of Christ at His birth
is just a shadow of the glory that will one
day be given him. When he was born, there
were only a few people who were told. Mary
and Joseph knew. The shepherds were told
by the angels. The wise men saw the birth
announcement written in the sky and came
from afar.Jesus had a humble birth, He lived a
humble life, and He died a humiliating
death. But there is coming a day when He
will be exalted above everything. Everyone
who has ever lived will see the glory of
Christ and bow their knee to Him. They
will also confess that He is Lord, even if
they refused to acknowledge that truth
during their lifetime.Either we can bow before Christ now,
as the shepherds and the wise men did or
we can bow later. But we will bow, and it
is far better that we humble ourselves
before Christ now, receive Him as our Savior,
and live for His glory. - Dec 4, 2022Oh Come All Ye Faithful
