Posts Tagged ‘Gospel’
Three Reasons Why the Exclusivity of the Gospel Causes Offense
Have you been there? You’re just trying to obey God and be a good witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). But suddenly, your pleasant conversation turns combative. This was not your intention, but there you are. The friend you care about is upset, and you feel like it is your fault. All you did was…
Read MoreThe Missing Gospel at Funeral Services
Several years ago I wrote an article for P&D about the ministry of funerals for unbelievers. In this article I would like to focus on a growing, and disturbing, tendency at funerals. Our small town (population ~18,000) has three funeral homes. Over the thirty years my wife and I have lived here I have officiated…
Read MoreThe Powerful & Permanent Tool of Language
From Creation until the Tower of Babel incident recorded in Genesis 11 (around 2200 B.C.), mankind had one language and culture. When God confused mankind’s language, it meant that He created the beginnings of the major language families. Some studies list 14 major language families.1 Others identify between 75 and 150 language families as the…
Read MoreFBFI 2023: Nathan Mestler – "I Will Build My Church" (podcast)
During our recent Annual Meeting held at Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa, our theme was “Reclaiming the Great Commission.” Our featured message for this podcast comes from Nathan Mestler, President of International Baptist Bible College & Seminary in Chandler Arizona. I Will Build My Church You can find it at our podcast, here.…
Read MoreDo you know Mel Trotter?
Mel Trotter is a familiar name to folks living in West Michigan. It is the name of a large rescue mission and soup kitchen in Grand Rapids, as well as the name of a series of thrift stores found throughout the region. Unfortunately, many are unfamiliar with the man after whom these organizations are named.…
Read MoreDon’t Give Up Ministering the Gospel (Part 3)
This is the third in a series of posts. Click here for previous posts: part 1, part 2. In a culture that is growing in opposition to the Christian gospel and Christian living, we need Paul’s encouragement in 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 not to faint. The verb “faint not” refers to not being cowardly or to…
Read MoreDon’t Give Up Ministering the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)
I first came across 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 in light of my physical struggles. I suppose the verses can be applied in principle even to such a situation like that. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which…
Read MoreThe Old-Fashioned Revival Hour
As a teenager I used to listen to a local Detroit radio station that broadcast reruns of old time radio shows. I enjoyed the comedy of Abbott and Costello and Fibber McGee and Molly. Adventure and mystery shows like The Shadow, The Lone Ranger, and The Green Hornet were personal favorites. Today such “theatre of…
Read MoreThe Gospel in the Gardens
I recently gave a challenge in which I was asked to give the gospel. I was working in my garden as I thought about how I would present it, and I thought about the connections between the gardens in the Bible and the gospel. The Garden of Eden and an off-limit tree In the beginning,…
Read MoreHow Uncle Johnny Got Rich
As I was meditating on Philippians 4:19 (“my God shall supply all of your need”) my thoughts shifted to Dad’s uncle Johnny. Let me explain. Like most promises in the Bible, this one comes with strings. As the whole of the book and especially the preceding context demonstrates, this promise belongs to generous people. Philippians…
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