Tag Archives: bible

Preaching the Word

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Titus 1:3, “In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior.

Preaching is never a casual act. It is not to be taken lightly. It is not entertainment, performance, or even merely education. The preacher is not just disseminating information. Preaching is participation in the divine act of revelation. In that regard, it is an encounter with the living God. When Paul says that God “has revealed his word in the preaching,” he declares that the living God still speaks through it. The pulpit is not the platform for a man to speak his mind; it is God’s instrument to reveal His will. The preacher stands, not to offer his opinions, but to herald the truth that has “one and for all been entrusted to the saints” (Jude, 3)

Through preaching, the veil is lifted and God discloses Continue reading →

On True and False Teachers

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Of all the deceptions that exist, there is nothing so egregious than that of religious deception. People can and do (unfortunately) deceive others on a great variety of issues; but the one who deceives in religious matters brings God into his sin, associating Him with a lie. This is why false teachers are so destructive, they not only mislead people, but they also tarnish the reputation of Christ before a watching world.

Recently, a false prophet named Joseph from South Africa predicted that Christ would “rapture” His church on the Feast of Tabernacles, September 23rd or 24th of this year. He claimed with “a billion percent” certainty that Jesus Himself had spoken to him in 2018 about this event. Many pre-tribulation believers j Continue reading →

Be Fruitful

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John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

In his Systematic Theology, Charles Ryrie writes concerning this verse, “Believers have been chosen to bear fruit, not to do so would be contrary to God’s purposes.” Ryrie considers fruitlessness a sin. This is an important point to understand. While Ryrie points out the negative aspect of fruitlessness, namely that is it sinful, Jesus states the truth in the positive, namely that the Christian life was designed by Him to be fruitful. He states that we are chosen that we “should go bear fruit.” The Christian life was meant to be fruitful. Or stated another way, Continue reading →

An Unwelcome Blessing

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Jeremiah 6:27-30

God told Jeremiah that he was appointed an assayer amongst God’s people. In this capacity he was called to examine them on God’s behalf. But his job was not limited to just examining the people. He was also called to be a refiner. Through the preaching of God’s Word, he was called to lead them to live faithful lives before the Lord. Jeremiah continually called upon the people to repent of their sin. Their greatest sin was idolatry. Instead of turning to the Lord, they continually went after the many false God’s of the surrounding nations. However, despite their idolatry, they still worshiped God in the temple. He wasn’t pleased.

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A Living Faith

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Living-Faith.001

Hebrews 10:26-27, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”

We are called to live a life of faith. For many people, however, belief is equated with faith. In other words, they assume that if you “believe” in Jesus then you have faith. However, saving faith is not just intellectual belief expressed through verbal consent. Saving faith is expressed as a life lived for Christ on his terms (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Luke 14:25-33). James echoes the same truth (cf. James 2:14-18).

We live in a day, however, where false assurances of “belief” abound. People are commonly called to make decisions for Christ. Churches that lead many people to make decisions for Christ are heralded as models to emulate. If those decisions are translated into an active life of discipleship through intentional training and equipping, then they are worthy to be emulated. If no discipleship takes place and people are told they can now have assurance of eternal life while they continue to live life on their terms, then such a church is not to be emulated.

The author of Hebrews sends a strong warning to those who fail Continue reading →