Be ye therefore perfect… (Matthew 5:48). Let us therefore, as many as be perfect… (Philippians 3:15). But let patience have her perfect work, that YE MAY BE PERFECT… (James 1:4). We can translate the word for perfect as complete or mature. The context of Philippians 3:15 relates to becoming like Christ. It indicates that it…
Acts 12 presents the first loss from the apostolic company, the death of James, brother of John, one of the “Sons of Thunder,” a member of the inner circle of the Lord’s disciples. At the same time, and from the same executioner, we find Peter delivered by the mighty hand of God. Why the difference?…
I have no aversion to new things. In my lifetime, microwave ovens, personal computers, cell phones, and a list of other innovations have made life easier. I am glad for that. However, when it comes to religion and morality I am firmly opposed to innovation. Christianity is an ancient faith, founded by Jesus Christ, the…
Worship in Greater Awe The believer who begins to comprehend the incomparable nature of the triune God soon realizes his extreme unworthiness to approach the supreme majesty of God. Like Isaiah in the presence of the Godhead, he must bow down to worship in humility and awe (Isa 6:1-8). Sharing this perspective, one theologian properly…
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before. Sometimes things that are obvious to us are not so obvious to others. I was thinking about the words of this song this week in light of the fifty dead at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. How do these…
A few years ago, George Barna published a study called “The State of Pastors.” The study revealed that the average age of pastors in 2017 is 54. “Only one in seven pastors is under 40, and half are over 55. The percentage of church leaders 65 and older has nearly tripled, meaning there are now…
Here’s a statement that will probably make most pastors and church members pause: Children’s ministry may be the most important ministry of your church. D.L. Moody once said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” Statistics show that 80-85% of those who believe in Christ…
Imagine for a moment, as painful as it might seem, that you’ve been jailed inside a maximum security prison. Even after several months of unimaginable incarceration, you remain an unrepentant convict. You’re considered by your peers a completely ruthless and lawless individual. And, indeed, you are. You hid yourself along well-traveled, lightly guarded avenues. With…
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” For much of my lifetime, I heard this verse referred to as a cleansing and restoring truth for believers who in some way had stumbled into sin. Such an interpretation affects sanctification. About…
Come bless the Lord, ye servants of the Lord. Who stand by night in the house of the Lord. Bow your heads, close your eyes, and clasp your hands together in the holy place, and bless the Lord. Wait a minute! You say. That is not how the song goes. If you use a very…