Archive for December, 2017
Loving God Equals Obedience…
John makes several statements at the end of 1 John 2 that we need to focus on. The first one deals with our reaction to Jesus when we ultimately and physically see Him. If we lived our days as Christians until we die striving to be in obedience to Jesus (from the heart), we will not be ashamed when we see Him. However, if we lived in a way that feeds and glorifies self, giving into the temptations around us, we will be ashamed when we come into Jesus’ Presence.
Continue Reading December 28, 2017 at 11:19 AM Leave a comment
NAR’s Call for Restoration of the Church
I clearly recall the new worship leader inviting people to clap and even dance in the aisles of the sanctuary during morning service. He wanted people to worship God in the way he thought was appropriate, through emotional displays. Where is the self-control? Where is the decorum that is so often spoken of in Scripture? Too often today, love for God is relegated to our emotions. While we certainly should be glad for what God has done for us, with hearts filled with genuine praise, the reality is that love is best seen in our quiet, submissive obedience to every aspect of His will. Anyone can dance in the aisles and shout “hallelujah!” However, it means nothing if our lives do not conform to His will in obedience.
Continue Reading December 27, 2017 at 7:21 AM Leave a comment
Knowing God’s Will: The Rest of the Story
Waltke says that to know God’s will, sometimes, we must seek the counsel of other Christians. He notes that when he has done this, it is almost as though the Lord has prepared the other person’s heart for the meeting. Waltke is not saying (like those in the signs and wonders movement), that you seek the counsel of another Christian so that they can give you a “prophetic word” or “word of knowledge.” Sometimes, simply having another mature Christian provide their biblical opinion helps to flesh out God’s will for us. We should all have someone we can go to for wise, biblical counsel. If nothing else, they can hear us and pray for us.
Continue Reading December 20, 2017 at 8:16 AM Leave a comment
When Christian Leaders Fail
The church does no good by allowing fallen leaders to remain in their positions of authority. They’re actions have brought disrepute on the Name of Christ. Their hypocrisy is what they then become known for and while this has nothing to do with a need to forgive, it is clear that according to Scriptures, they have lost the ability to oversee and manage people because they failed to oversee and manage their own lives.
Continue Reading December 16, 2017 at 10:37 AM Leave a comment
Knowing God’s Will: Context Means a Great Deal
Taking this verse out of its natural context, it’s not difficult to see how it can be twisted to mean something it does not mean. The idea here is that meditating on God’s Word will pave the way to success and prosperity, so we’re told. But is this what Joshua meant when he spoke those words? Hardly. The context fleshes out the full meaning.
Knowing God’s Will: Focusing on God or Satan?
The best way to face temptations is with the Sword of the Lord, God’s Word, but our focus is to be on God, not ourselves, and certainly not on Satan. Demons will attack Christians wherever they are weakest, as previously noted, and only as God allows. What is your specific weakness or Achilles’ heel? Demons will attempt to cause a Christian to become angry, to lust, to want to murder someone, or something else entirely because of the weakness that is already inherent within that particular Christian. It is not because that particular demon specializes in one particular sin and goes by that name.
Knowing God’s Will: Living It!
God’s clearly wants Christians to be loving, especially to one another. How often is the exact opposite of this on display to the world? God wants us to refrain from all forms of sexual immorality. God wants us to no longer lie, cheat, steal, or commit other crimes. If we are not faithful in obeying these things, how can anyone think God would be willing to live other aspects of His will in and through us? It won’t happen.
Knowing God’s Will: What Every Christian Needs to Know
It should come as no surprise that Walthe’s first point is that Christians must read the Bible and this should be done on a daily basis. We should read it, study it, meditate on it, and memorize it. Doing all of this will bring us closer to God since His Word is “…living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12 ESV).
Knowing God’s Will: A Better Way than Signs and Wonders
It is very easy to forget that God’s Word is living. It is active. It is not simply a collection of stories or words on a few thousand pages. It is God’s revelation to us about Himself and His plans for this world. Because God is alive, living, and powerful, so is His Word. How we understand God’s Word has a direct impact on us, our lives, and our spiritual growth in Christ. If we have erroneous theology (as exists within much of the signs and wonders arena), our lives will be negatively impacted and not only will we will not take on more of the character of Christ, but we will do great spiritual harm to ourselves and possibly others.
Modern Christian Mysticism Stems from Existentialism
The mystic becomes his own determiner of truth (his own god). He needs nothing outside of himself to verify his experiences. He leans heavily on his own inner feelings to determine the veracity of his experiences. If an experience seems good to him, it is good. The Bible is secondary, at best, if used at all.
Continue Reading December 5, 2017 at 9:13 AM Leave a comment
Study - Grow - Know 