From the Director’s Desk (April 2024) – Trent Kennedy
The power of God is on full display in the work of the Prophets. Isaiah’s prophecy of Cyrus (Isa. 44:24-45:7) demonstrates the foreknowledge of God and shows His power to perform His will in the governments of men. However, King Cyrus and his government pale in comparison to another King that Isaiah predicts. Isaiah describes a King (Isa. 9:7) Who would sit on David’s throne and rule a spiritual kingdom. This King could be called “God” and described as “eternal”…
Preaching From The Prophets – Kerry Clark
Gospel preachers need to stand boldly as the apostles did and preach from the prophets. As more preachers are moving away from the simple preaching of God’s Truth and being turned to fables (2 Tim. 4:4); the preaching we draw from the prophets is both humbling and empowering. But the question we are considering is how does one preach from the prophets? We need to look no further than the preaching recorded in the book of Acts to find the…
Preaching Like The Prophets – Ronnie Scherffius
What type of preaching is heard from our pulpits today? What is the character of the men who call themselves gospel preachers? Are they men of the book? Do they speak only “what the Lord saith” (1 Kings 22:14)? Do they stand in the counsel of God, turning those that hear to the way of the Lord (Jer. 23:21, 22)? Encouraging the saints to endure grief, James pointed to the paragon of the prophets of old, “Take, my brethren, the…
Why Study the Prophets? – Cody Westbrook
There are 39 Old Testament books in your Bible. Each one inspired of God and full of great lessons and eternal truths which every child of God should learn and apply. Though it is no longer in force as law, it is there for our learning. As Romans 15:4 says, “whatsoever things were written aftoretime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” The “writing prophets” make up 17 of the…
The Prophets: God’s Spokesmen – Ross Haffner
What kind of man did it take to be chosen to be a spokesman for God? Out of 39 Old Testament books, 17 bear the name of a prophet. Apart from them, there are dozens of prophets who make appearances in the Biblical narrative who played their part in revealing the will of God. Despite the honor of the position, ordinary men were chosen to leave their current circumstances to become men of God, ready to deliver His message no…
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” This commonly misunderstood passage carries great implication in general, and specifically for the context in which is it found. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? How does the passage apply? Paul’s command implies an important truth about the Holy Spirit, namely, that He is a person. The Godhead is one divine essence composed of 3…
Developing the Mind of Christ
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). What Paul says here about his own identity with Christ is to be true of all Christians. Christ is “our life” just as he was Paul’s (Col. 3:4). Within living this life of Christ, it has to do with taking on the mind of Christ. That is why Paul commands in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Yet,…
7 Things You Can Do to Help the Church Grow!
1. Make sure YOU put the Kingdom First! You don’t want to fall into the trap where everything becomes an empty habit – you show up to AMPM worship, Wednesday night, all of the events and activities (all are needed) but stop to ask WHY? Habit? Duty? Sense of accomplishment? No one else will do it? Or because you love the Lord and His kingdom? 2. Have a sense of Identity! We are Christians (Acts 11:26) – those who belong…
The Pure in Heart
Did you know that at the heart ofevery snowflake, there is a tiny speck of dust? Typically, they are known for their beauty and symbol of purity, but in reality, they are dirty-hearted little snowflakes. When it comes to us, is it the same? What are we at our core when we look beneath the facade or the dressing? The word, “pure,” carried the idea of “unmixed; it is a singleness of heart, as opposed to a divided heart.” In…
The Importance of Context
How many passages of Scripture were written to you? How many inspired words were written to directly address your specific situation in life? The answer may surprise you. Not one word of one verse of Scripture was written directly to you, or to me, or anyone else in the 21st century. That is not to say that God does not speak to us today through His Word–He does. It is not to say that the Bible is not applicable and…
The Merciful
In Habakkuk 2:4, the prophet declared, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Although this is the first time the principle is stated in these words, it is not new. It is as old as God’s dealings with man. The righteous have always and will always live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, it is important for us to understand faith, and how to develop a faith approach to living.…
Time Changes but Doctrine Never Does!
Hebrews 13:8 stands as one of the most memorable passages in the book–“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” It is common to hear this verse quoted in reference to the unchanging nature of Christ, but while that may be a true principle, it does not exhaust the full meaning of the passage. Contextually, the writer has in mind not just the immutability of the Savior, but the immutability of the Savior’s Word. Hebrews was written to Jewish…