David begins Psalm 139 marveling about God’s knowledge: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.” We conduct a search to find something that is lost or to obtain information about something of which we want to know more. But that doesn’t apply here. It is not that at some moment God chose to […]
The wonderful effect of God’s grace is that a sinner can cry out to God for salvation and receive forgiveness of sins. But in salvation, God does more than just forgive. He saves people from their sins and begins the process of changing us from a sinner having a desire to sin to a saint […]
The wonderful effect of God’s grace is that a sinner can cry out to God for salvation and receive forgiveness of sins. But in salvation, God does more than just forgive. He saves people from their sins and begins the process of changing us from a sinner having a desire to sin to a saint […]
Introduction The teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture has been taking quite a beating over the past couple decades. It comes from teachers that have abandoned ship and embraced the popular view which insists that the Church will go through the Tribulation. I, however, am not among this number. This is not because you cannot teach […]
God is the sovereign Lord of the universe and the centrality of divine Lordship is a prominent theme in the Bible. Scripture reveals that God possesses absolute authority and rule as King. He is the living God, the eternal King. “But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God and the everlasting […]
In numerous verses, the Bible declares or assumes itself to be the Word of God. The fact that this Book claims to be the inspired Word of God cannot be denied. It is the constant claim of the New Testament and Old Testament writers, and of Christ Himself. Now, why is this an important subject? […]
The Lord Jesus has been revealed as the elect and beloved Servant, “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased” (Matt. 12:18). In John 13, the feet-washing is a living parable on the self-humbling of Christ as outlined in Philippians chapter 2. It teaches us something of […]
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 […]