Archive for January 2017
Highlighting the History of Christianity in India
Mike Reddick It has been said that India is the mother of one of the oldest and most complex religions of the world: Hinduism. This native Indian belief system has produced many offspring including Jainism, Sikhism, Hare Krishna, Transcendental Meditation, the New Age Movement, and Buddhism. Sadly, today billions of people around the globe adhere…
Read MoreLord, Help Me
Matt Recker Mark 9:14-29 We do well to never minimize the reality of the devil, his demons, and their work in the world at any time. Today the troubled son in our passage might be considered epileptic, Jesus diagnosed this man’s manic manners as a demonic disorder. We can be sure that Satan still seizes…
Read MoreBelievers and Unbelievers
Warren Vanhetloo Differences and distinctions are common throughout the world. An important division of the human race is male or female. A significant division in Scripture is believer or unbeliever. Though unisex adherents would tend to obliterate the male/ female distinction, it is normally evident and surely will persist. God’s great gulf between believers and…
Read MoreO Lord, revive thy work
George Stiekes O Lord, revive thy work – Habakkuk 3:2. This phrase is taken from a prayer by the prophet Habakkuk. Hearing what the Lord had said, he was afraid because it involved the destruction of Judah. He prays that God will manifest His wrath upon Judah and Chaldea, but he also asks Him to…
Read MoreThe Necessity of Church Membership
Michael Riley A sound church must be committed to meaningful church membership. This is not a popular topic in our day, for at least a couple of (related) reasons. The first is the widespread individualism of our society. Many factors of life today have turned people inward: it is not unusual for people to barely…
Read MoreGod’s Word Never Returns Void
Jerry Sivnksty In Isaiah 55:11 the Lord promises, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” This is a wonderful truth! When we proclaim God’s…
Read MoreLord, Save Me
Matt Recker Matthew 14:30 Peter was confident he could walk on the water to go to Jesus, if indeed that was Jesus walking on the water. From the safety of the boat Peter saw it could be done, and His only goal was to go to Jesus. Obeying Jesus’ word, “Come,” Peter began to walk…
Read MoreStraight Cuts: “The Just Shall Live by Faith” (Habakkuk 2:4b)
Mike Harding This inspired text penned by the ancient prophet Habakkuk is quoted three times by two NT authors. In the NT, the prophet’s profound utterance comprises the “soul of Pauline theology.”1 Boice comments, “This is a great text. It could even be called the great text of the Bible. To understand it is to…
Read MoreAre You Getting a Call from God?
John Vaughn Imagine a young person who is considering doing something wrong, when suddenly he receives a cell phone call from a Christian friend inviting him to do something right. Now, imagine yourself facing temptation and at that very moment getting a call from God. That is essentially what Paul is teaching in 1 Thessalonians…
Read MoreDo You Really Want to Be a Slave to Sin?
Rand Hummel This Is What God Says He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. (Prov. 7:22, 23)…
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