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Communication: Fuel to the Fires of Evangelism
by Jim Deason via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14 No. 8, August 2014 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:16). It is called the Great Commission, and so it is. First given to the apostles, the work of Christians everywhere is to take the gospel to the lost. The church…
Read MoreHarvesting the Fruit of His Spirit
by Randall Caselman When Jesus genuinely, truly comes into our lives, things change. Opening our hearts to His presence means we’ll never be the same. Go with me to a well outside the city of Sychar. Jesus, tired from the journey, sat down by the well. A Samaritan woman came. She and Jesus struck up…
Read MoreThen God Remembered
by Zeke Flores Genesis 30:22 says, “Then God remembered Rachel.” That doesn’t mean He forgot her; it means He acted on her behalf at the right time. Rachel had watched her sister have child after child while she waited, prayed, cried, and probably wondered if God cared. Waiting can feel like abandonment, especially when you…
Read MoreSlaves of Corruption
by Edwin Crozier Jesus told a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:39-40 ESV). Peter’s warnings about false teachers in II Peter 2 build…
Read MoreWilling to Wait
by Zeke Flores Jacob works seven years for Rachel, and Genesis 29:20 says they “seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” It’s a beautiful picture of how love reframes effort. Jacob isn’t counting the cost; he’s focused on the joy set before him. There’s a spiritual parallel here. When…
Read MoreGod’s Nation
by Doy Moyer One of the most significant promises of God to Abraham was that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Peter connected this promise to Jesus, raised up in fulfillment of this promise “to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (Acts 3:25-26).…
Read MoreThe Way of Balaam
by Edwin Crozier via Read the Bible, Make Disciples Peter’s descriptions of the false teachers in II Peter 2 are as creative as they are intense. We could spend pages and pages walking through each description. However, I want to home in on one allusion. This reference highlights the slippery slope even we in Christ…
Read MoreHow We Know Plato Was a Real Historical Person
by Terry Wane Benton Multiple ancient writers refer to Plato as a real person Plato is mentioned by numerous ancient authors—some who knew him personally, others who lived shortly after him. These include: Aristotle, his student, who repeatedly and critically refers to Plato in his own works. Xenophon, a contemporary of Socrates, whose writings align…
Read MoreThe Lord Knows How to Rescue the Godly
by Edwin Crozier via Read the Bible, Make Disciples Let’s admit it. II Peter 2 is pretty dark. A surface reading makes the prospect look dim. If we are not careful, we can read these two chapters as saying we are all in danger of falling away from God’s grace. In fact, we will likely…
Read MoreThe Spirit of the Sword
by Steve Dewhirst via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 20 No. 3, September 1994 When Alexander Campbell first issued the Millennial Harbinger in 1830, he had a clear – if incorrect- vision of the future. Campbell, like many others in the early days of the Restoration, believed that the book of Revelation foretold a glorious day in which…
Read MoreMen Spoke from God
by Edwin Crozier Text: II Peter 1:12-21 Peter explains why he so strongly wants to pass on the path to partake in the divine nature and participate in God’s glory and excellence. He witnessed it with his own eyes. Calling to mind the Mount of Transfiguration (see Mark 9:2-8), Peter explains he witnessed the majesty…
Read MoreDo All in the Name of the Lord
by Terry Wane Benton “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through…
Read MoreWhat Holiness Should Mean to the Christian
by Gary Henry via WordsPoint.com “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (I Peter 1:15-16). Perhaps we who are Christians today do not often think about our holiness. But we should think about it. If it does…
Read MoreGod Is Closer Than We May Realize
by Zeke Flores In Genesis 28:16-17, Jacob wakes up from his dream of the ladder and says, “Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know it.” He wasn’t praying. He wasn’t worshiping. He wasn’t even in a good spiritual place. He was running from the consequences of his own deception. Yet God…
Read MoreFalse Teachers
by Edwin Crozier In II Peter, we learn what is at stake. If we do not take Peter’s instruction to heart, we will drift back into corruption. When we return to the beginning of II Peter 2, we discover that the situation is even more precarious. We are not growing in neutral territory. The fear…
Read MorePretense
by Zeke Flores In Genesis 27, Jacob approaches Isaac, pretending to be Esau, and Isaac says, “The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s.” It’s such a striking line because it captures the tension of a divided identity: one thing on the outside, another on the inside. Jacob is trying to secure God’s blessing…
Read MoreNot Saved by Saying Alone
by Gary Henry via WordsPoint.com “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do” (Matthew 23:2-3). Saying and doing are closely related, but they are two different things. It…
Read MoreIf Not Easy, Then Doable
by Gary Henry via Wordspoint.com “Most assuredly, I say to you [Peter], when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death…
Read MoreThe Cause
by Terry Wane Benton If something is not eternal, then it must have come into existence at some point in time. The universe came into existence at a point in time. Modern scientists call it the “big bang.” Thus, the universe is not eternal, but came into existence at a point in time. Now, what…
Read MoreGod Blesses Obedience
by Zeke Flores “Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, and Yahweh blessed him” (Genesis 26:12). Isaac plants crops during a famine and reaps a hundredfold. It’s such a simple detail, but it carries a huge truth: God can bless obedience even in environments that look completely unproductive.…
Read MoreAlways a Child of God?
by Terry Wane Benton If it is true that “once you are a child of God, you can never be lost or cease to be a child of God,” then what happened to Adam and the rest of the sons of God? Adam is called the son of God (Luke 3:38), and the rest of…
Read MoreThe Language of Feelings
by Gardner Hall Have you heard this type of language from disciples you know? “I took it as a sign that God wanted us to be here.” “I think that God was trying to tell me something by allowing this to happen.” “I felt a providential nudge to do it.” Our evangelical friends have used…
Read MoreTired of the Filthy Mouths
by Brad Harrub, Ph.D. One of the clearest indicators of cultural decline is not found in court rulings or political debates, but in everyday speech. Profanity has exploded in our culture—not only in conversations, but emblazoned across clothing, plastered on car decals, and casually promoted as humor or “being real.” It’s everywhere!! What once shocked…
Read MorePersonal Perfection to Get to Heaven?
by Perry Hall Ever hear someone say, “I hope I did enough to go to heaven?” Or have you heard preached, “That church isn’t ‘sound’ so anyone baptized there is still lost”? Those are dangerous thoughts. If we have to be perfect in all areas to get to heaven, then we only need grace until…
Read MoreConfirm Your Calling
by Edwin Crozier Augustine reportedly summarized Christian salvation and growth this way: “Without God, I cannot. Without me, God will not.” Peter demonstrates this dynamic cooperation as he outlines Christian maturity in II Peter 1. Apart from God’s divine power, divine promises, divine call, and divine election, we could not possibly grow to maturity by…
Read MoreJesus and the New Wine
by Doy Moyer John records the miracle at Cana of Galilee, in which Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-12). Jesus, His disciples, and His mother attended a wedding feast. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother came to Him and said, “They have no wine.” We don’t know exactly what she was expecting Jesus…
Read MoreFaith and Commitment Must Be Grown
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “And all of us… are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another” (II Corinthians 3:18 AMP). For Christians, the goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ. As Paul indicates in this text, this transformation…
Read MoreDealing with Grief
by Zeke Flores When Sarah dies, Abraham mourns deeply — and then he rises to secure a burial place. It’s a tender picture of grief and responsibility living side by side. Abraham doesn’t rush past his pain, but he also doesn’t get stuck in it. He honors Sarah by grieving honestly and acting wisely. This…
Read MoreAdd to Your Faith
by Edwin Crozier via Read the Bible, Make Disciples Text: II Peter 1. Because God has given us everything we need to become partakers of His divine nature, we need not sit on our hands moping that we cannot be with or become like God. No doubt, our efforts alone would always fail to bring…
Read MoreThe Mystery of Christ
by Hugh DeLong Text: Ephesians 3 The mystery of Christ, as mentioned in Ephesians, is that “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Such was not revealed as (in the same way, to…
Read MoreEvery Day Is a New Opportunity to Fight the Devil
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (I Peter 5:8-9). In the New Testament, encouragements to resist Satan…
Read MoreSaved by Faith
by Hugh DeLong “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ…
Read MorePrayer for Our Nation
by Terry Wane Benton “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of…
Read MoreTwo Churches Want to Grow
by Bill Hall via Seeking Things Above Two churches want to grow, but their attitudes toward growth differ greatly. The first church looks upon growth as its primary purpose. Goals are placed before the membership: “We want to double our membership within the next three years,” for instance. Success (or failure) is judged almost entirely…
Read MoreThe Role of Women in the Church
by Mike Johnson via Seeking Things Above The role of women in society has changed dramatically in recent years. Some changes have been good, but many have not. Societal changes eventually filter into the church. Renewed discussion is occurring on this issue, and some are contending for an expanded role for women in the church. …
Read MoreWhen Jesus Marveled (Baggett)
by Michael R. Baggett There are many occasions when individuals and crowds marveled at the gracious words and mighty miracles of Jesus. Did you know there were times when Jesus marveled at individuals and groups? There were ways people behaved that caused Jesus to observe with wonder. On one occasion, Jesus returned to his hometown…
Read MoreLife’s Choices
by Jason Hardin via In God’s Image Life is all about choices. Some of those choices are relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. “What do you want to eat for lunch?” But it’s not an overstatement to say that some choices are immeasurably more weighty because they will impact the rest of your…
Read MoreModern, Urban, Digital
by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We might wish we’d been born in another world, but that choice is not ours. What we’ve got is what we’ve got. Jesus’ prayer for…
Read MoreWhy People Thousands of Years Later Don’t Know More Than the Eyewitnesses
by Gardner Hall The president of Colombia caused quite a stir in Latin America when he recently said, “Jesus made love, yes … because a man like that couldn’t exist without love.” There’s more to the quote that I don’t care to repeat, but this kind of nonsense is heard increasingly. Here are two of…
Read MoreFalse Teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses
by Jon Gary Williams They speak of Christ, the soul, hell, the resurrection, and other fundamental biblical ideas. But what they espouse regarding these and other biblical terms does not align with what the Bible teaches. Has a Jehovah’s Witness ever knocked on your door? If not, someday they will. Are you aware of what…
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