- May 7, 2023Two By Two Part 2
Two By Two Part 2Jesus did not attempt to proclaim the gospel to the world singlehandedly. Instead, He recruited others to spread the message of salvation. In Mark 6:7-13, we read of the first time Jesus officially commissioned His disciples to go out and preach. Notice first how Jesus called and commissioned the twelve disciples to go out as His representatives. They went out by the authority of Jesus. In so doing, they went out in total reliance on God for provision and success. Note how the disciples responded with obedience. “They went out and preached….” Some would receive the message they were to deliver, and some would reject it, but they were not responsible for the actions of others. They obeyed and their obedience would honor God. The content of their message was simple. People needed to change their minds about sin and their need for a Savior and turn to Christ. That is the message of repentance. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, that Jesus preached, and that all followers of Jesus should preach. We also see how God worked through them to confirm their message. God gave them miraculous abilities that proved that the gospel they preached was of God. While we do not have the same miraculous abilities today, we do have the same Holy Spirit working through us to confirm God’s word in the hearts of those who hear. Believers today are in a similar position to those apostles. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the message of the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we will answer to God for our obedience. We go out by the authority of Jesus and preach, relying on God to work through us.
- May 7, 2023Two By Two Part 1
Two By Two Part 1Jesus did not attempt to proclaim the gospel to the world singlehandedly. Instead, He recruited others to spread the message of salvation. In Mark 6:7-13, we read of the first time Jesus officially commissioned His disciples to go out and preach. Notice first how Jesus called and commissioned the twelve disciples to go out as His representatives. They went out by the authority of Jesus. In so doing, they went out in total reliance on God for provision and success. Note how the disciples responded with obedience. “They went out and preached….” Some would receive the message they were to deliver, and some would reject it, but they were not responsible for the actions of others. They obeyed and their obedience would honor God. The content of their message was simple. People needed to change their minds about sin and their need for a Savior and turn to Christ. That is the message of repentance. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, that Jesus preached, and that all followers of Jesus should preach. We also see how God worked through them to confirm their message. God gave them miraculous abilities that proved that the gospel they preached was of God. While we do not have the same miraculous abilities today, we do have the same Holy Spirit working through us to confirm God’s word in the hearts of those who hear. Believers today are in a similar position to those apostles. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the message of the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we will answer to God for our obedience. We go out by the authority of Jesus and preach, relying on God to work through us.
- Apr 30, 2023Ephraim’s Terrible Temper
Ephraim’s Terrible Temper
- Apr 23, 2023A Disappointing Homecoming
A Disappointing Homecoming
In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy famously said, “There’s no place like home.” Returning to the place you grew up after being gone for years is often a happy experience, with fond memories and reunions with old friends as you visit familiar sites and reminisce. For many, returning home after a long absence is a joy and a relief. Sometimes we forget that Jesus had a childhood home and a hometown that He grew up in. Though little is recorded of it, the first thirty years of
His life were spent primarily in one small town called Nazareth. But when, in Mark 6:1-7, Jesus returned to His hometown to do for them as He had done for so many others, the reception they gave Him was anything but warm and friendly. Their rejection of Jesus limited His ministry to that community. “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6) Perhaps the old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” explains why they did not believe on Jesus. Jesus was not a new and exciting figure to them like in other towns. Their rejection of Jesus resulted in their missing out on miracles and blessings because they would not believe. We can limit God by doubting. We do not limit His actual power, but we limit what He will do in our life, just like the Israelites when they doubted God in the wilderness. They “limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:41) Don’t limit the work of God in your life, and don’t let familiarity with God erode your faith in God. - Apr 19, 2023When God’s Will Is Unfair
When God’s Will Is UnfairThe theme of suffering is woven throughout the book of 1 Peter and when we come to 1 Peter 3:17-22, we find it once again. In this passage, we are told directly that it is better to suffer unfairly than to suffer fairly. That is not an easy truth to accept when you are receiving unfair treatment. To help us understand that benefit of unfair treatment, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us.
- Apr 17, 2023Five Faith Facts
Five Faith FactsFaith is believing what God says. When you think of it this way, you realize that faith is not complicated. It is not always easy to have faith. Sometimes it is very hard, because life is complicated and confusing. But having faith is simply choosing to believe what God says, even if you don't understand how that makes sense in your current situation.God rewards faith. He rewards saving faith (faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ) with eternal life. He continues to reward the saved who walk by faith with the blessing of answered prayer and extraordinary blessing. If you want to see God solve big problems and meet enormous needs in our life, then you must have faith that God can and will do it.
- Apr 16, 2023Who We Are
Who We Are
- Apr 9, 2023Jephthah and the Foolish Vow
Jephthah and the Foolish Vow
- Apr 9, 2023Living in Light of the Resurrection
Living in Light of the Resurrection
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20-21) When one trusts Christ, many amazing things happen. Among them is the fact that you identify with the death of Jesus on the Cross. You die to sin and you die to the Old Testament Law. You also identify with Christ’s resurrection. You are given new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ. Jesus dwells in you and He is the source of your spiritual life. Here is a key to living the Christian life. You must recognize that Christ is in you and that is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) The life that you now live is not yours. It is Christ’s, and therefore it should be lived as
Christ would live it. Paul summed this truth up when he wrote, “the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.” We should not walk in the flesh, following sinful impulses. We must live by faith and that faith must be in Christ. It is He that lives in us and it is He that will live through us. Moment by moment, we must choose to believe that Jesus is all we need. He is all we need to be justified. He is all we need to live justly. Because He rose
from the grave and lives forever, we can live a life that glorifies God and satisfies the believer. We must live in light of the resurrection. - Apr 2, 2023God, I’ve Done It Again
God, I’ve Done It Again
- 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 8, 2023A God Honoring Marriage – The Husbands Role Part 1 (I Peter 3:7 KJV)
A God Honoring Marriage – The Husbands Role Part 1 (I Peter 3:7 KJV)Marriage is the most sacred institution in the world. When a husband and wife are demonstrating the proper love and respect for each other, it is heaven on earth. Because it is such a vivid picture of the relationship between Christ and His people, it is the target of Satan’s concentrated attacks. We see this on large scale, as even the definition of marriage has been changed in our day to include unions that God calls abominations. We also see it on the personal level as marriages are routinely destroyed by the sin of one or both spouses.
Peter’s letter to the believers included instructions how to live a life of good works, even in the midst of suffering. The lost might oppose us, but they will be ashamed when they cannot find anything bad to say about how we live, and therefore God is glorified through our reputation of righteous living. 1 Peter 3:1-6 gives instructions to wives about their role in a God-honoring marriage. In verse seven, we read the instructions to husbands about their role in such a marriage.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Why is there only one verse for men when the women got six? Maybe it is because men have shorter attention spans. Though the number of words used in the instruction to the men may be small, the expectations placed on husbands are huge. He is expected to always be studying his wife to know her better and better. He must treat his wife with tremendous respect, understanding that she is the weaker vessel. He should appreciate that they are equal in Christ, and that his fellowship with God can be helped or hindered by his relationship with his wife. By fulfilling his God-given responsibilities, the husband can direct the marriage to honor God. We will study this verse in two parts. In this first lesson, we will answer the question, “What does it mean to ‘dwell with [your wife] according to knowledge’?” There is the first and obvious meaning that husbands and wives are supposed to live together. But this verse is instructing men on how they are to live with their lives. Husbands should live with their wives in an intelligent, knowledgeable way. The husband must learn to understand his wife and get to know her better and better. - Mar 5, 2023Gideon’s Failure (Judges 8:22-35 KJV)
Gideon’s Failure (Judges 8:22-35 KJV)
