Are We Genteel or Maśkîlîm (Dan 12:3, 10)?
Despite warnings from Christ and His Apostles, there seem always to be some in Christ’s church who simply deny reality.
Whether, then, we look within the church or outside of it, we in Christ’s church find good reason to prepare ourselves to speak truth. The Apostle Paul tells us how to prepare in Eph 4:12-16. Through the ministry of the word, we grow up into Christ; we attain the faith of an adult Christian (cf.... Continue Reading
Giving Priority to the LORD of Glory
Are Idols Really Worth the Cost?
It’s hard to give a defense for the faith that is within you if you can’t give up the things of the world in order to follow Christ. We show the world how we love Jesus a lot more by how we act and prioritize our life than what we say to them in words.... Continue Reading
Andrew Brunson: Don’t be Offended by Christ
The offense in my heart was strangling my relationship with God.
We don’t know how, when, or even if our difficulties will end. And this uncertainty tests our hearts. Some people have said to me that the main narrative of my imprisonment was trusting God. I’m not sure about that. Often when we talk about trust, we link it to an outcome. But I couldn’t find any... Continue Reading
I Belong (5): Comfort in the Visible Church
The visible church is a mixture of justified and condemned, righteous and unrighteous, saved and unsaved, sincere and hypocritical, etc.
Local churches are the visible expression of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. King Jesus reigns over, rules, governs, cares for, and provides for his people in and through these churches. This is the visible church. Belonging to a local church is essential for you and me. It is a non-negotiable if... Continue Reading
The Doctrine of the Atonement
The law’s demands of penalty must be satisfied. There is no escaping that. But Jesus Christ satisfied those demands for us when He died instead of us on the cross.
It is very important to observe that the Bible’s teaching about the cross of Christ does not mean that God waited for someone else to pay the penalty of sin before He would forgive the sinner. So unbelievers constantly represent it, but that representation is radically wrong. No, God Himself paid the penalty of sin... Continue Reading
Union with Christ and Participation in Christ’s Sufferings
The Divinely Appointed Purpose of Participation in Christ’s Suffering
We can rejoice when we participate in the sufferings of Christ, knowing that God has divinely ordered and appointed them for the good of both ourselves and Christ’s Body, and the strength to withstand the suffering steadfastly is made possible through our union with Him. God is making us perfect through both our union with... Continue Reading
Aslan and the Path of Faithful Pain
Many Christians cannot conceive that God’s will for our lives could involve anything unpleasant or uncomfortable.
In and of itself, pain is not good, but it is meaningful. Pain indicates that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. Without pain, we’d never know. In the same way, breaking bad habits of the past requires pushing beyond our comfort levels, through the pain, and onward on the path to full restoration. ... Continue Reading
Anthropomorphism?
God’s emotions are real, holy, perfectly controlled, and do not interfere with any of His attributes, including His unchangeableness.
Let us never go beyond what is written, but with child-like faith, take God at His Word. When God tells us he is displeased, pleased, angry, reconciled, and so on, He is speaking truth. We also have feelings because we are made in God’s image, and are thus able to understand what He is communicating... Continue Reading
Enough with the Online Worship Excuse – Go Back to Church
Your church congregation needs you – and you need them.
Some may suggest it’s possible to love one another in various ways beyond being together at a church service, but there is no adequate substitute for being together in fellowship. The Holy Spirit works in marvelous and wondrous ways when believers congregate. By staying away from your church’s services, you’re snubbing your nose at one... Continue Reading
What Are the 3 Marks of the Church? Distinguishing between Healthy and Dangerous Consumerism
Are we aware of the depth of consumerism we bring to the church?
If we can start to compare our perceived needs with what Christ’s church is actually meant to be, we can start moving towards a healthier understanding of need and avoid destroying the local church for not meeting all our expectations. We all have this natural disposition to be consumers. The question we should really be asking... Continue Reading
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