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An Unpayable Debt
How does one repay an unpayable debt? To ask is to answer. An unpayable debt is by definition impossible to repay. Such a proposition may seem discouraging to some. If I can never fully satisfy my obligation, then why try at all? But this is not the proper attitude and it was not the mindset of the apostle Paul. As he reflected upon the sacrifice of Christ and his responsibilities as an apostle and minister of the gospel, Paul wrote,…
Light in a Dark World – Troy Spradlin
The disciples of Jesus Christ are described in various ways throughout the New Testament through the use of analogies and metaphors. Some of these include words like, “sheep,” “little children,” and “saints.” The purpose of these terms is to provide depictive imagery concerning how a Christian should live. Perhaps, one of the most descriptive metaphors is the term, “light.” For example, in Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said “You are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before…
We Preach Christ – John Haffner
What a glorious work and high responsibility—to preach Christ Jesus! We proclaim the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:1-5). We announce the message of the gospel, God’s power to salvation (Rom. 1:16). Sadly, many reject the preaching of Jesus Christ. Paul recorded how preaching Christ presented a stumbling block for the Jews and appeared to be foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1:22-24). The Jews only wanted signs and often asked for them…
“Glorify Your Son” – John Baker
As He contemplated His impending trial and execution, Jesus prayed to His Heavenly Father: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you” (John 17:1). Later the same night He prayed again, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). These two prayers remind us of, “the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow” (1 Pet. 1:11).…
Highly Exalted (Phil. 2:5-11)
Within the heart of one of Scripture’s most beloved books lies one of the most exalted, challenging, and thought-provoking passages in the entirety of God’s Word. Philippians emphasizes the priority of the gospel (1:27). Paul was in chains because of the gospel yet he used his difficult circumstances as an avenue to proclaim the gospel and exhorted the Philippian saints to do the same (cf. Phil. 1). But the message of the gospel cannot exist without it’s Person and primary…
You Are Worthy: Revelation 5 – Kevin Cauley
Revelation 4 pictures God on His throne. The four living creatures cry out, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” Revelation 5:1-7 occur in the same setting. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy…
Beloved, Believe Not Every Spirit… (Part 2)
The meat of John’s admonition is found in two present tense imperatives. First, John says, “believe not every spirit.” Second, “try the spirits.” In the first century the Holy Spirit miraculously inspired men to preach and teach the word of God (c.f. 1 Cor. 12-14). Unfortunately, there were many who tried to take advantage of that by falsely claiming inspiration in order to deceive God’s people into believing a lie (Eph. 4:14). Therefore, Christians were commanded not to continually believe…
Beloved, Believe Not Every Spirit… (Part 1)
It is a sad but true fact that God’s people have always had to deal with false teachers and false teaching. Moses warned of false prophets who would speak that which would not come to pass (Deut. 18:21-22). Jeremiah wrote of those who prophesied for dishonest gain (Jer. 6:13-14), and whose message originated from within their own hearts (Jer. 23:16). The New Testament speaks of “false Christs” (Matt. 24:24); “false teachers” (2 Pet. 2:1); “false apostles” (2 Cor. 11:13); and…
The Wicked are like the Chaff
The Bible is full truths that fly square in the face of typical human thinking. Scripture’s description of a blessed and happy life stands as a perfect example. Man seeks blessing in wickedness. For many, life is about self-actualization and fulfilling the desires of the flesh. Psalm 1 teaches us that such a life is destined for ruin. The Psalmist said the ungodly “are like the chaff which the wind drives away.” The ancients brought their grain to the threshing…
To Envy a Bird in God’s House
Birds are fascinating creatures. One could argue that they possess more freedom than anything else God has created. A bird is not contained to any one area, he can fly wherever he wishes. Yet, wherever a bird goes he eventually finds a place to settle and nest. The sons of Korah were servants in the house of God and undoubtedly watched birds of all kinds and numbers settle into comfortable nests throughout the temple complex. The Psalmist’s desire to be…
Why Doctrine Matters
History is an unending cycle. Buried within the pages of the past are previews of the problems of the present. Humanity’s desires and needs, joys and struggles never change. Consider the problem of unhealthy teaching in the early church. This was one of Paul’s primary concerns in his first letter to Timothy and thus correct doctrine is an emphasis throughout the book. If Paul were writing today, he would write the same thing. The church still needs to be reminded…
Thinking Right About Abortion
People are masters at taking something simple and making it complicated. With the passing of S.B. 8, abortion is front-page news again, people are doing what they do best, complicating the issue. Statements about constitutional rights and vigilante justice, due to the way the law was written, are simply noise to distract the populace from seeing the picture clearly. Regardless of what may be said or what law may be written, the truth remains–abortion is murder. Scripture unequivocally condemns the…