It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 13:11 The prophets and the apostles preached the coming kingdom of God (Dan. 2:44, Acts 28:31). But it was Christ Jesus that revealed the mystery phase. 1. What is the Kingdom of God? “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done […]
Inasmuch as Hebrews draws numerous comparisons between the priesthood of Aaron and that of Christ, numerous questions arise from these comparisons. As an immoveable principle, one must always endeavor to neither go beyond nor fall short of what God has revealed. One question which comes up is this: Will Christ’s priesthood continue after the rapture? […]
“For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Rom. 6:7) The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, declared all slaves in the Southern Confederacy to be free.1 However it was dependent upon the North winning the on-going Civil War. In Romans 6:7 we have the believer’s Emancipation Proclamation grounded […]
Orthodox theologians have universally agreed that Jesus Christ never committed any sin. He was sinless, blameless, and holy. The sinlessness of the Lord Jesus Christ is an absolute necessity for the efficacy of His penal, substitutionary death and is a decisive proof of His deity. Any moral failure on the part of Christ would compromise […]
A person may be a citizen of a country and commit treason or in some way embarrass their nation on the world stage. This type of activity may result in punishment but one does not cease to be a citizen of their own country. In the same way, our children may rebel against our authority, […]
“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 At a time when the empire of Assyria was bulldozing nations, Isaiah boldly proclaimed the coming of the victorious virgin-born child. Assyria was on the rise but so was […]
A familiar hymn states: “Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not abide with me.” It seems that nothing is exempt from the relentless forces of change in us and around us. But God is! Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore, you are […]
At the start of a regional Missionary Study Class, I asked for all missionaries present to show their hands. There were a few who did. I chose to begin with this exercise to set the stage for re-defining the term “missionary” from a biblical perspective. What is a...
Speaking Gifts In the last issue we considered the temporary sign or foundational gifts. Let us now consider the speaking gifts beginning with prophecy (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28; Eph. 4:11). In the early church some received direct revelation through the Spirit and conveyed it to other believers (Acts 11:27-28; 21:11). On some of […]
It is customary for some couples in North America to bring a gift, such as chocolates, flowers, or dessert when invited to someone’s home for dinner. Similarly, when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us at the time of our new birth (1 Cor. 6:19-20), He comes with a gift. Freely given by God’s grace […]
Think of three or four people that you really enjoy being with. What are the intriguing qualities of each person’s character that you appreciate? Now imagine how delightful it would be to converse with someone that possessed all of these favorable qualities. Furthermore, ponder what it would be like to interact with a person who […]
The story of Joseph is a favorite Bible story for many of us with one-fourth of Genesis about him. Perhaps the best reason for this is that he is telling us a bigger story. His life reflects the life of the Lord Jesus in so many ways. In fact, the whole Old Testament is a […]
Our Lord says, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink” (Jn. 7:39). His invitation goes out to all— “if any man”—and He gives all people the choice and power to come— “Let him come.” Here, we see two choices: God’s choice and man’s choice. God made a choice to invite all […]
A godly man is strong to bless others, as he brings the Lord into situations, inspiring confidence through his excellent character. In scene one of God’s record of Ruth, Naomi is empty and bitter with the Lord. Enter Boaz and a radical change occurs. By the end of scene two, the one who was bitter […]
The Work of the Holy Spirit TodayHe Gives the Believer Gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11; Rom. 12:3-8; Eph. 4:3-13; 1 Pet. 4:7-11) The Holy Spirit gives every believer something to do. He distributes spiritual gifts so each believer can be involved in building up, binding up, and beautifying the body of Christ. Some gifts were only […]
We consider the priesthood of all believers as one of the distinctives of our faith and endeavor to faithfully apply the doctrine in our assembly gatherings. Our open worship and remembrance meeting, the freedom in ministry, and the liberty to exercise one’s spiritual gifts are indeed a splendid demonstration of the grandeur of this precious […]
Human beings are clearly designed to enjoy the blessing of love, both by showing love and by being loved. If we felt totally unloved then we would wonder whether life was worth living. Love is very important to us and is expressed in the close relationships of marriage, family and friendship. Life loses a great […]
The Work of the Holy Spirit Today From the first chapter of Genesis (Gen. 1:2), to the final chapter of Revelation (Rev. 22:17), we read about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. He is described as a Person, having intelligence (Isa. 11:2; 1 Cor. 2:10-11), emotions (Isa. 63:10; Eph 4:30), and a will […]
The Christian’s great source of rejoicing is God’s grace, which reconciles us to God. Reconciliation is when God brings sinful man into a perfect, eternal, and harmonious relationship with Himself. Paul writes to the Romans, contrasting man’s attempt to become righteous through his own efforts with God’s way of faith (Rom. 3:28). Righteousness is gained […]
Mary Magdalene received the honor of being the first person the Lord appeared to after His resurrection. She was one of the women who followed the Lord Jesus as he went about His itinerant ministry. These women ministered to the Lord and His disciples out of their own substance (Lk. 8:3). Though Christ performed miracles […]