Our world is filled with people who want to speak with authority. Whenever something newsworthy happens, the media searches for authorities or experts who can comment on that particular event or issue. Jesus was notably different than those who seek authority in our world but don’t have it. He both spoke and acted with real, compelling authority.
Jesus healed all who were ill with various diseases: fever, leprosy, paralysis, a withered hand, a flow of blood, a deaf and mute man, two blind men, and raising a dead girl. Luke adds, “And laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.”
Matthew was irreligious. As a tax collector, he had been excommunicated from the synagogue and was considered a traitor complicit with foreign oppressors. He was viewed as dishonest, as an extortionist. Still, the spotless and pure Son of God sought Matthew out to be His disciple and friend.
Do you follow Christ’s example in purposely pursuing social interaction with unbelievers to seek their repentance?
Matthew 13 record what is commonly called The Parable of the Sower. But, the focus of the story is actually on the condition of the soils on which the seed falls. The point of the parable is that the reasons that people do not respond to Jesus’ message have to do with the conditions of […]
Matthew 13 records what is commonly called The Parable of the Sower. But, the focus of the story is actually on the condition of the soils on which the seed falls. The point of the parable is that the reasons that people do not respond to Jesus’ message have to do with the conditions of their hearts.
What does the Bible have to say about personal property and private ownership?
Justin Martyr, who lived shortly after the Apostle John’s death, wrote this: “When Jesus was among men, He made plows and yokes and other farm implements.” If it was not beneath the Son of God to work as a craftsman, then surely it is beneath none of His disciples. He has imparted to hard work both dignity and nobility.
If you’re a Christian, one way to walk in your Father’s footsteps is in your communication with others. We should imitate the way our Father communicates in our marriages, in our families, in our church, and in every human relationship.
Where do expressions of attitude begin? In your heart. The words you choose, the tone you use, your body language – all reveal what you’re thinking in your heart. In Ephesians 4:31-32, the Apostle Paul confronts our attitudes and how we express them.
Most of us really don’t know what it’s like to truly be without hope. In Mark 5:21-43, we meet two desperate people looking for hope. One has a dying body; the other, a dying 12-year-old daughter. Their hope has a name: Jesus of Nazareth.
Desperate people are willing to do desperate things. In Mark 5:21-43, we meet two desperate people with nothing in common, except their desire to get to Christ.
One of the greatest dangers to our souls is the deadly danger of familiarity, that is, becoming overly familiar with spiritual things, even with Christ Himself.
Intimate knowledge of Jesus and the Gospel is no guarantee of faith and salvation; in fact, familiarity can be an enemy.
Well actually it’s impossible. It’s completely impossible apart from the work of God in our hearts. And exactly what does that work look like that enables us to imitate God? Well it really starts with the regenerating work of the Spirit. It’s impossible for us (in terms of who we are by nature) to be […]
None of us likes to be ridiculed. Since the gospel is often the source of the ridicule we receive, it’s a temptation for every Christian to be ashamed of the gospel.
Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Jesus’ personal diagnosis of legalism is shown in Mark 7: 6-13. His piercing, penetrating omniscience sees into each of our hearts. He knows whether we’re trying to present ourselves as something we’re not.
Romans 1:16: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
Intimate knowledge of Jesus and the Gospel is no guarantee of faith and salvation; in fact, familiarity can be an enemy.
Before responding to the sin of others, we each have to deal with the sin in our own heart. Scripture likens it to trying to remove a speck from someone else’s eye but never realizing there’s a massive beam in your own. This happens when our self-righteousness blinds us to our sin. But how do […]
None of us likes to be ridiculed. Since the gospel is often the source of the ridicule we receive, it’s a temptation for every Christian to be ashamed of the gospel.
What does it mean to present your body as a living sacrifice to God?
When the Scripture speaks of Christians living as a sacrifice to God, it means to continually and perpetually live for Him.
Because a Christian’s body belongs to Christ, we must expend constant effort to obey the Scripture in how we use it.
Before we came to Christ we were all controlled by the mindset of the world. Now that we are in Christ, our thinking must be conformed to the Scripture.
Your thinking will always be shaped by influences outside of you. Therefore, it will either be God and His Word or Satan and his ideas that fill your mind.
Not only are we to reject the thinking of our age, we are also commanded to embrace the will of God.
How does the Spirit of God use the Word of God to renew our minds?
The first part of Christ’s plan for His church is that He distributes spiritual gifts to each true believer. Each believer is called to exercise that gift in a local church.
The first step when dealing with conflict is to identify the true source of the conflict.
The temptations and conflicts that we struggle with in this life flow from the cravings of our own hearts.
It is critical to understand that when you’re involved in a quarrel or an argument with someone else, the true source of the conflict is not the issue being argued. In fact, the problem lies in the desires of your own heart.
Not only must we identify the true source of conflict, we must also recognize the real sin behind the conflict. How do you identify the real sin that lies behind arguing, fighting and quarreling?
Worldliness means to pursue sinful pleasures with reckless abandon in order to find purpose in this life.
Another practical step when dealing with conflict is to properly apply the right solution.
We must continually rely on grace during times of conflict resolution. Specifically, we need forgiving grace, that is forgiveness for our quarreling and our arguing. Secondly, we need sanctifying grace, which empowers us to live in obedience and a whole-hearted allegiance to God.
Pride is the soul’s greatest enemy because it isolates us from the grace of God.
God has sovereignly determined to give grace only to those who humble themselves before Him.
Every time we sin we have concluded in our own minds that we know better than God knows.
How can you cultivate godly sorrow in your heart? You must contemplate the goodness of God toward you and if you really dwell on that truth, it will drive you to a godly sorrow over sin.
There are a number of wrong ideas about Christian influence that are popular in the Christian community today. And undoubtedly we have all been influenced by them.
When Christians become interested in being like the world and the people around us, we become more like rot than the salt we’re supposed to be.
In the Old Testament God promised that He would send a special servant that would be a light and bring light into a dark world.
Jesus is the source of absolute truth and moral purity.
As Christians, we must continually combat the moral and spiritual decay around us by being a light in a dark world.
By being a light in this world, we as Christians show the beauty of Christ and the gospel by our words and actions.
Unfortunately, throughout the centuries this portion of the Sermon on the Mount that deals with salt and light has been abused, misinterpreted, and misapplied.
We are called to be a light in this world and can practically do so by displaying godly character, accomplishing good works, and proclaiming the gospel of Christ.
What is the most powerful force on earth? Scientists tell us the most powerful force on earth is the Nuclear Strong Force. The Nuclear Strong force is one of the four fundamental forces in nature—the other three are gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak force. As its name implies, the strong force is the strongest of […]
Psalm 19 celebrates the power of Scripture, especially the transforming power of God’s Word to those who respond to it. The message of the second half of Psalm 19 can be summarized in this way: Scripture alone is God’s perfect, complete, and transforming revelation of Himself. In this part of Psalm 19, David expounds on […]
We all have multiple copies of the Bible. You probably have it on your phone or tablet, or maybe you have a hard copy right in front of you. You most likely have several Bibles in multiple locations as do I. But I want you to truly consider this question with me: Do you really […]
As David continues to expound on the perfections of the Word of God in the latter half of Psalm 19, he argues for its truthfulness and reliability. David writes, “The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (v. 7). The Hebrew word for sure speaks of truth that God Himself testifies of or gives witness too. […]
As we continue our study of Psalm 19, we come to a fifth expression of the perfections of Scripture, “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever” (v. 9). “The fear of the Lord” is an unusual title for Scripture and quite frankly, not one we would expect. But David isn’t referring to what […]
Today, we conclude our series on The Perfections of Scripture by looking at one final characteristic of Scripture found in Psalm 19:9, “The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.” At first glance, “the judgments of the LORD” seems to be an odd description for the nature of Scripture. The Hebrew word […]
In 1996, I had the opportunity to travel to India. The most indelible memory of that trip was a visit to the Temple of Kali, one of the chief gods in Hinduism. As I exited the temple and walked into the adjoining courtyard, suddenly a couple came in with the intent of cursing one of […]
As we continue to work through Hebrews 10, the author informs us why Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice, and he does so by contrasting it with the sacrifice that was made on the annual Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). For the nation of Israel, the Day of Atonement was the day when the people’s […]
The sacrifices in the Old Testament were like a shadow and were never considered to be the literal image or icon. By way of illustration, your shadow isn’t really you. Instead, it is a vague outline of your human body. In the same way, the sacrificial system in the Old Testament was a shadow not […]
In the Old Testament there was no real relationship between a person’s sin and the animal that was sacrificed—it was only symbolic. The Old Testament believer’s faith was not to be in the death of an animal, but in God who would one day provide a sacrifice that would forever deal with sin. How, then, […]
God intended for the sacrifice of His Son to perfectly fulfill and replace the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament. In Hebrews 10, the author demonstrates that Jesus’ death on the cross fulfills those very sacrifices as the perfect substitute. Because our sin calls for death and God’s justice must be satisfied, someone must die. […]
As we continue our series in Hebrews chapter ten, I want us to consider the reality that our Lord Jesus Christ was the perfect human substitute. In eternity past God determined to offer Jesus as a suitable sacrifice for His people. The author of Hebrews captures this truth when he writes, “By this will we […]
As we continue to look at Hebrews 10, there are some key truths that I do not want us to overlook. The author emphasizes Christ’s one sacrifice that atones for all the sins of every believer, which makes repeated Old Testament sacrifices completely unnecessary. “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the […]
The past two years have been an unusual time in the history of our country as many people have had to change and alter their work habits. I think it’s appropriate, in light of life’s recent changes, to spend time thinking about an issue that consumes the majority of our lives: work. On average, a […]
As we begin to examine the book of Proverbs as it relates to work, I want us to first take note of the fact that Wisdom teaches that work is a gift that reflects God’s character. In other words, the way we work reflects who God is. Proverbs 8 highlights this reality. In this remarkable […]
As we continue to develop a theology of work from the book of Proverbs, in particular, the gift of work, I want us to consider the two primary ways in which our God is still at work today. First, God is working providentially. That is, not only does God continue to sustain everything He created, […]
I trust that our study of the gift of work has been beneficial and profitable so far. The book of Proverbs—and all of Scripture for that matter—is rich in its teaching on work, and I am thankful we have been able to examine it together. For today, I want us to look at a second […]
Today, as we continue studying the book of Proverbs, in particular, the gift of work, I’d like to consider the sin of laziness. Specifically, how to remedy the temptation to laziness. Proverbs 6:6 says, “Go to the ant, you lazy one, observe its ways and be wise.” The ant mentioned here most likely refers to […]
As Americans, we are not used to the concept of having a king. However, through the most unlikely characters, we are taught what it means to respond rightly to the birth of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those unlikely men are the Magi. The Magi were members of a Persian priestly caste and were […]
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what […]
It is truly amazing how you can see something every day, but at the same time, not really see it at all. The chief example of this in our lives is the sun. The sun marches across the sky every day and lightens our world and enables us to see. And yet, if we are […]
There are two important issues about the profound truth that Jesus is Lord that are worthy of our attention. Today, I would like to consider the first truth: its basic definition. The Greek word for “Lord” is kurios. The leading Greek lexicon says that the primary meaning of kurios relates to “possession of power or […]
As we continue studying from Scripture what it means that Jesus is Lord, I want us to consider the primary implications of that reality. In other words, what are the main ways the New Testament applies this truth to believers? As I thought through the various implications on this subject, I came up with a […]
It has been a few weeks since we last studied the great New Testament doctrine that Jesus is Lord. In Romans 10, the apostle Paul makes a powerful case for submitting to Jesus as Lord for salvation. He says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you are really saying that […]
One of the most famous lines in American history is General Douglas MacArthur’s quote: “I shall return.” He said it as the final line in a brief statement that he made to reporters after a harrowing escape from Corregidor and his arrival in Australia during World War II. The full statement reads: “The president of […]
In our study of Revelation 1:7–8, we’ve considered the unparalleled importance of the Second Coming of Christ. This week, we’ll look at its undeniable reality. “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So […]
After looking at the undeniable reality of the Second Coming, let’s consider the unbroken promise: the fulfillment of Christ’s return in Revelation 1:7–8: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is […]
A fourth feature we learn about the Second Coming is its unspeakable glory. Revelation 1:7–8 says: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha […]
This week we need to consider the sixth feature of the Second Coming of Christ: its unwavering purpose. Revelation 1:7–8 says: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. […]
Last week, we covered the first purpose of Christ’s return, the salvation of Israel. This week, we turn to the second reason: the destruction of Jesus’ enemies. Once more, we look at Revelation 1:7-8: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the […]
The past two weeks, we’ve looked at two reasons for the Second Coming. This week, we look at the final purpose: the vindication of His name. Revelation 1:7–8 says: “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will […]
In the final installment of our current series, there is a final feature we must consider about the Second Coming of Christ: its unalterable certainty. Revelation 1:8 is God’s signature on the promise of the Second Coming: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who […]
You don’t hear much from today’s pulpits about the concept of worldliness. I think that’s tragic because although the word worldliness isn’t found in Scripture, the concept certainly is. The Apostle John writes, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). That seems like a fairly straight forward command, […]
Before we examine the issue of worldliness, we must consider John’s previous insights about love: the divine priority of love and the believer’s commitment to love. These truths are given in 1 John 2:7–17. John’s point is that you can know that you are a Christian and have eternal life because you have a new […]
Last time, we saw that John warned his readers to not love the world or the things of the world. The Greek word for “world” is kosmos, and it is by far the most common word for “world” in the New Testament, occurring over 180 times. Its basic meaning is “order or arrangement.” It describes […]
On this Thanksgiving holiday, as you gather with family and friends, I encourage you to make today about more than family, food, and football. Of course, enjoy those things, they are good in their own right—everything good comes from God. But don’t let your Thanksgiving just be about those things. Make a thanksgiving sacrifice, a […]
Last time, we looked at what John means when he says “the world.” Today, let’s consider what John means when he says “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). John adds, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the […]
The crucial truth that Christ is the Head of His church is powerfully pictured in the first chapter of the book of Revelation, in the vision the apostle John had of the glorified Christ. John writes, “I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of […]
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