For Ezra had prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
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- Nov 26, 2023For Ezra had prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
For Ezra had prepared his heart (Ezra 7:10)
- Nov 26, 2023The Concept of Sanctification (Leviticus 20:7)
The Concept of Sanctification (Leviticus 20:7)The Christian life is a journey of sanctification. So, what exactly is sanctification? Sanctification is the work of God in us, whereby we are separated from sin and consecrated to His service. At the moment of salvation, we are sanctified in Christ so that our position before God is one of complete holiness. When we die, we will be perfectly sanctified, having been freed from the presence of sin and perfectly into the image of Christ, a concept known as glorification. Between salvation and glorification, we cooperate in the process of sanctification by consecrating ourselves to God, changing through growth in Christ-likeness, and confessing our sins regularly. From the moment we are saved until the day that we die, we should be becoming progressively more like Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions. We put off sin from our lives, and we put on Christ-like behavior. Our thinking continually changes, improving to be more and more consistently in line with God’s way of thinking. As we go through life, we learn to devote more time and energy to God’s purposes and less to our selfish desires.
When God’s work of sanctification is unhindered, God’s peace and joy can fill our hearts. We can withstand the storms that will come without our spiritual house being flattened. Life will still be full of unexpected circumstances, but we are safe in the knowledge that they are all a part of God’s plan to make us more like Christ. If we want to experience the joy and satisfaction God designed the Christian life to bring, then we must live a life of sanctification. - Nov 19, 2023Exhort One Another (II Timothy 2:24-26)
Exhort One Another (II Timothy 2:24-26)
- Nov 19, 2023How God Speaks: The Certainty of Scripture (Psalms 119:160)
How God Speaks: The Certainty of Scripture (Psalms 119:160)“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.” (Psalms 119:160)The Bible would not be sufficient and it would not be supreme if it were not absolutely true. If there were any legitimate doubt as to its accuracy and reliability, then we could never be sure that what we read in the pages of the Bible was all that we need.So, it is extremely important that we know and believe that the Bible is absolutely true. The Bible does not only contain truth, but everything it says is the truth. From the big ideas about God down to the smallest detail of historical events, the Bible is without error, and is incapable of error.The implications of this truth are huge. Since everything the Bible says is true, there is no other book in the world that we should devote more of our time and energy to. We should read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it so that we might live according to its teachings. The Bible must be our guide, and not the words, thoughts or feelings of man. We must seek to know God better and draw closer to Him through the pages of scripture and not through mystical, irrational experience centered or emotionally driven means.God is speaking to us through the scripture, but are we really listening to what He is saying?
- Nov 15, 2023The Follies of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:10-16)
The Follies of False Prophets (2 Peter 2:10-16)False doctrine is a major hindrance to Christian growth. That is why Peter took time to warn the believers against the false teachers they would inevitably encounter. We cannot assume that we would know a false teacher when we see them. They are very crafty and can often seem like the kind of people that we would like to follow. But their end is destruction, because they have denied the Lord and corrupted the gospel.
Peter pointed to many Old Testament stories to prove his statement that the destruction of the ungodly was sure and swift. The angels who were cast our of heaven, the global flood in Noah’s day and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha all prove that God knows how to punish the wicked and save the righteous. In 2 Peter 2:10-16, we are given a more complete picture of what a false prophet looks like so that we might be able to identify them and be warned against allowing them to influence us. While they might maintain an appearance of godliness, inwardly they are consumed with pride, lust, and greed. We must develop godly discernment and not allow false teachers to influence us with their deeds or their doctrines. - Nov 12, 2023Love One Another (John 13:31-35)
Love One Another (John 13:31-35)
- Nov 12, 2023How God Speaks: The Supremacy of Scripture (Psalm 138:2)
How God Speaks: The Supremacy of Scripture (Psalm 138:2)“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.” (Psalms 138:2)God has spoken to man in several ways. God has spoken through the magnificence of creation, revealing His existence and His power to all humanity. God has put His law in the hearts of man and declares to our consciences a knowledge of what He declares to be right and wrong.But neither conscience nor creation is the greatest revelation of God to man. To fully reveal all that man needed to know, God gave man the scriptures. The Word of God is the greatest communication of God to man.God’s word is better than creation and conscience, and it is infinitely better than the words of man. The words of men are inconsistent, unreliable, and uncertain. God’s word is perfect. It never changes, it is always true, and it always accomplishes its purpose.Since God’s word is the greatest, it should be most important to us. We should live according to what God says and not what we think or what anyone else says.
- Nov 5, 2023How God Speaks: The Sufficiency of Scripture (II Timothy 3:16-17)
How God Speaks: The Sufficiency of Scripture (II Timothy 3:16-17)“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” At the beginning of creation, God spoke, and God has continued speaking ever since. The Bible is a record of God’s communications to mankind and mankind’s responses to God’s speaking. God speaks, even if man does not always listen.How God speaks to man today is a subject that is worth our consideration. How we live daily will be determined by our beliefs regarding how God speaks. Some believe that God still gives special revelation to individuals, just as He did to the prophets of old. Some believe God speaks to them personally, revealing plans and giving specific directions. Others believe that God is done speaking, and we must do our best with what we already know. Which view is correct?The truth is found in a proper understanding of what God has already said. God has spoken, and His words for us were inspired and have been preserved for us today. It is true that God is still speaking today, but He is speaking to us through the pages of scripture. God does not use dreams and prophetic revelations as He did in the past because His written word has been completed, and it contains all the information that we need. Scripture is sufficient. We do not need further revelation from God. We need to immerse ourselves in the Word God has given so that we might walk in the light that it casts on our path.
- Nov 1, 2023Spiritual Sabotage (2 Peter 2:1-3)
Spiritual Sabotage (2 Peter 2:1-3)We are in a spiritual war. Satan and his army are bent on causing destruction and chaos in an effort to prevent the lost from being saved and the saved from growing in sanctification. Just like in physical war, one of the tactics that Satan loves to use is sabotage. He deploys secret agents who pose as allies but who are in reality enemies of the gospel. By means of deceit and manipulation the corrupt the truth, spread lies, and bring reproach on the name of Christ. The ensuing confusion turns people away from receiving the gospel and discourages Christians from growing in grace.
Peter was a veteran of the spiritual war who had faced off against false prophets many times. He saw the betrayal of Judas Iscariot, he argued against the elders and priests, and he had dealt with the Judaizers in the church. He knew that there have always been and there always be false prophets, agents of Satan who corrupt and deceive.
In 2 Peter 2, Peter goes to great lengths to warn believers about the danger of spiritual sabotage at the hands of false teachers. If we are not on our guard, we can unwittingly be influenced by heretical teachings that will hinder our growth and bring spiritual harm. We must arm ourselves with the truth and vigilantly guard against false doctrine and those who spread it. - Oct 29, 2023Gospel Parenting (Hebrews 12:1-13)
Gospel Parenting (Hebrews 12:1-13)
- Oct 29, 2023Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)
Giving By Grace (2 Corinthians 9:6)The Bible has a lot to say about money. Much of our life revolves around money, whether it is earning, saving, spending, or investing. It makes sense then that there are more references to money in the Bible than almost any other topic. It also explains why people can be so defensive whenever money comes up for discussion.The Biblical perspective on money is recognizing that everything we have comes from God, including our finances and possessions. God has entrusted them all to us and expects us to be good stewards of what He has given us. We are to do with our money what He has told us in the Bible to do with it. Among other things, that means giving some of our money in tithes and offerings to the Lord.2 Corinthians 9:6 gives us this principle about giving generously: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” God never promises us earthly wealth, but He does promise that if we give generously, He will see to it that we always have what we need and often have more than we need. God’s grace will work in our lives, enabling us to continue to honor Him with our generosity.This truth applies to all kinds of generosity, including our mission giving. God will sustain us by His grace if we give bountifully to the work of missions. His
provision may not always be obvious, but He will make sure that we always have "all sufficiency in all things." - Oct 25, 2023Growing in Grace, A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1:16-12)
Growing in Grace, A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1:16-12)In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter testifies to the believers concerning the reliability of the gospel message
and of all the scripture. We cannot rely on personal experience for spiritual growth. We must
replace experience driven, emotionally based views of Christian growth with reliance on the truth of
God’s Word - Oct 22, 2023Gentle Parenting Debunked (Hebrews 12:6-7)
Gentle Parenting Debunked (Hebrews 12:6-7)
- Oct 22, 2023The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)
The Church’s Role in Missions: The Church Supports the Missionaries (Philippians 4:19)Missions is the mission of the church. God has commanded the church to “teach all nations.” We cannot be everywhere at once, so God calls some to leave where they are and go somewhere else to fulfill the great commission. We call these people “missionaries.”The church supplies the missionaries. As we reach the lost and make disciples, God calls some of them to this special ministry. The church sends the missionaries. The Lord works through the local church to confirm His call, and missionaries are sent out of the local church.Once the church supplies and sends the missionary, it plays the vital role of supporting the missionary. The missionary needs help from God’s people if they are going to accomplish God’s work. They need material support in the form of finances and physical resources. They need spiritual support in the form of regular, fervent prayer for their ministry and encouragement through communication and responsiveness.We should give sacrificially to support missionaries. We should give of our money, even if it means making do with less, trusting that God will provide. We should give of our time and energy to lift missionaries up in prayer, stay in contact with them, and take opportunities to respond to their needs. And for those who support missionaries, God has given a special promise: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
- Oct 18, 2023The Blessings of Growth (2 Peter 1:10-15)
The Blessings of Growth (2 Peter 1:10-15)You can tell as you read his writings that Peter had the heart of a pastor. Jesus had commanded Peter, “Feed my sheep.” He instructed Peter, “and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” In this last letter that Peter wrote, he knew that his time to die was coming soon and he wanted to remind the believers to keep growing in grace and knowledge by diligently adding to their faith Christ-like character.
In 2 Peter 1:10-15, Peter mentions three blessings that continual spiritual growth brings. When we are growing in grace, we can have full assurance of our salvation. We can look forward to a wonderful entrance into heaven, without regrets. We are protected against spiritual amnesia by a continual remembrance of the truth.
