by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” Romans 1:14 Paul discusses debt and obligation a great deal. To the Corinthians he wrote, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves yourservants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Corinthians 4:5 He tells them that he is obligated to minister to them. “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity islaid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:16 In his opening remarks to the Romans Paul says that he is indebted to the non-Christians, for from them he accrues profit in the form of fruit. “…oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruitamong you also, even as among other Gentiles.” Romans 1:13 For this reason he is “eager”to come to them. Paul longs to minister to them, for in so doing he gains fromthem; he wants fruit from them. Your desire for fruit or profit is not bad, depending on what you consider to befruit or gain. You should not try to divorce debt and obligation. Your obligation to participate in the Great Commission is tied to your indebtedness to the fruit of evangelism, for this fruit accrues to your eternal bank account. According to the eternal economics of Scripture, when you give you... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2Corinthians 12:8-9 Scripture makes a connection between sin and sickness that I find disturbing: “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” This seems to support the teaching of Jesus as well: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk… Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” It seems from this that we should conclude that sickness may result from sin, but this does not mean that those sick are ill because of their sin. We must be careful that we do not draw unwarranted conclusions from Scripture, while at the same time looking to God during times of illness to ensure that we are not living in un-confessed sin. James 5:14-15 Mark 2:5 John 5:8,... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“This He said to show by what death he (Peter) was to glorify God. And after this He said to him, ‘Follow me.'” John 21:19 As in life, so in death, Peter was to glorify God. Death affords us our last opportunity on this earth to glorify our Lord Jesus. Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, affords a good example: He died saving the life of another. Often, I have asked God, when He comes for me, to take me from behind rather than straight on. But if God answers my prayer, it may limit my ability to glorify Him. Would I rather have the opportunity to glorify Him, or the absence of pain that comes with a silent death? The only way I can hope to glorify God in death is to “follow Him” with a biblical hope as the anchor of my life. Most men who do not live their lives with a biblical hope die cynical and bitter. “For me to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t ask for the Lord’s return. With the passing of years, I find that my capacities – emotional, physical, mental, etc. – diminish. I fear that I may finish the race poorly, and thus my fervent prayer is that I can end this life without being a major embarrassment to the Savior. Jesus said, “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 Paul sought to make his life a reflection of the gospel; that is, make the messenger like the message. Just as the gospel appears weak and foolish to the world, so does the preacher. The foundation of your faith is not reason, but the wisdom of the cross. Paul, in his preaching, makes no reference to the inferiority of heathen gods or the folly of idolatry. Neither does he seek to give proofs for the existence of God. The power is not in the argument of the messenger, but in the message. “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2 Conversion comes solely through the gospel in all of its simplicity, not because of craftily formed arguments and logic. Proclaim the gospel from a posture of inadequacy and dependence. Don’t try to impress people through technique. You will not bring people to conversion by satisfying the needs of reason. They come because the Holy Spirit has transformed their hearts. The gospel is eminently reasonable when you accept its presuppositions. But logic and reason cannot bring a person to acceptance. This marks the difference between the seeker and the skeptic. Reason may help the seeker, because God has already touched his heart, but it can do nothing for the skeptic. Human wisdom is not bad. It just cannot bring a person to... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'” John 14:6 You see the offense of the gospel in Jesus claim to be the only way people can get to heaven. People find three ways to eliminate this offense. First, by arguing that there is more than one God. If there are two or more gods, then my way is as good as your way. Second, by arguing that although there is only one God, there is more than one way to find Him. If you say, “There are many ways to God, my way is Jesus,” you have eliminated the offense. Third, by arguing that there is no God; troubled people create Him to solve their problems. You can easily see why people wish to eliminate this offense of the gospel. For all three of these have in common that they abolish personal accountability. If you have more than one God or more than one standard from Him, each person can chose for himself the direction he wishes to go. Thus the offense of the gospel is not just that Jesus claims to be the only way to the Father, but also that He ensures judgment. “The hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.” John 5:28-29 Some may be indifferent to your commitment to Christ, but only because they have not made the... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false.” 2Thessalonians 2:11 In the familiar story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the messengers of God are accosted while residing in Lot’s home, we find that “young and old – all the people to the last man – gathered about the house.” Gen 19:4 The messengers blinded the crowd so they couldn’t find their way. The next day Lot went to his sons-in-law to warn them of God’s pending judgment. Evidently they were present the night before, and thus blinded by the messengers. Still, they considered Lot “as one who jests” Gen 19:14 when he warned them. Sin acts like a drug; the more one sins the more intoxicated he becomes. His senses are dulled as he repeatedly ignores God’s commands, and the fact that he seemingly escapes judgment causes him to conclude that God “jests.” Unconvinced that God will hold him accountable for every transgression committed, including “every idle word,” he day-by-day moves ever closer to the sure judgment of God. God does not “jest” when He commands, and if/when we ignore Him we do so to our own hurt. We escape God’s judgment only by obeying... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 I find that the older I become, the more acutely obvious these words are. The Apostle Paul teaches: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” 1 God introduces trials and tribulations in each believer’s life to purify his hope. With increased age I find that while the tests God brings in my life remain constant, my capacity (mental, physical, and emotional) to handle them wanes. A number of years ago a businessman graphed two lines intersecting at about age 40: decreasing capacity and increasing responsibility. Few things in life are as frustrating to me. Each day I plead with God to either come for His Church, or for me personally. I find that I can easily become discouraged constantly failing God’s tests. 1 – Romans... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes, and takes any one of them; that man is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.” Ezekiel 33:6 The believer who knows that God will judge the sinner and fails to alert the lost of his impending judgment; that believer God will judge because of his neglect. But those who die outside of Christ will not be pardoned because of the failure of this negligent believer; they will be judged and condemned. God says that you are responsible for others, but you cannot hold others responsible for you. This is the double edge of responsibility. You are obligated to minister to others, but cannot look to anyone but God to minister to you. You cannot misuse your Christian liberty and cause the weaker believer to stumble, and you cannot call yourself weak in order to restrict the liberty of others. Whether you are the “watchman” or the “man taken away in iniquity,” you are responsible. The truth of Ezekiel’s observation rests on the assumption that God alone determines the flow of circumstances that come into each person’s life. God will surely judge the one who does you wrong, but will also judge you for whatever part you played in the transgression as well as how you responded to it. The parable of the watchman should dissipate any anger or hurt you harbor in your heart for what others have done to you, while making you aware of... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“…God Knoweth Your Hearts: For That Which Is Highly Esteemed Among Men Is Abomination In The Sight Of God.” Luke 16:15 In Luke 16 Jesus Gave The Parable Of The Unjust Steward, After Which He Cautioned That People: “No Servant Can Serve Two Masters: For Either He Will Hate The One, And Love The Other; Or Else He Will Hold To The One, And Despise The Other. Ye Cannot Serve God And Mammon. And The Pharisees Also, Who Were Covetous, Heard All These Things: And They Derided Him. And He Said Unto Them, Ye Are They Which Justify Yourselves Before Men…”[1] The Pharisees, Who Were Covetous Derided Jesus, Invoking Jesus’ Response, “Ye Are They Which Justify Yourselves Before Men; But God Knoweth Your Hearts: For That Which Is Highly Esteemed Among Men Is Abomination In The Sight Of God.” [1] Luke... read more
by MIMADMIN | May 7, 2015
“So He Came Again To Cana In Galilee, Where He Had Made The Water Wine. And At Capernaum There Was An Official Whose Son Was Ill.” John 4:46 Jesus Was Returning To Galilee From Jerusalem. He Stopped In Cana, Ten Miles North Of Nazareth And About 25 Miles From Capernaum. Here In Cana A Nobleman From Capernaum Met Him Desperate For Help; He Feared His Son Was About To Die From Some Illness. Without A Sick Son He Probably Wouldn’t Have Thought Much About Jesus, And Would Not Have Walked The 25 Miles To See Him. Although Many See Tribulation As An Indication That God Has Forsaken Them, In Reality It Is The Grace Of God In Disguise. The Sun Melts Butter And Hardens Clay. Blessed Are The Troubled Who Allow Their Tribulation To Soften Their Heart To Repentance. Notice How Often God Uses Our Children To Get Our Attention. Christianity Is A Religion Of Rescue. It Is Designed For The Desperate. When You Meet People Like The Nobleman, Who Are Burdened With Their Need, Involve Yourself In Their Lives As An Act Of Christ’s Love. But Always Use The Encounter As An Opportunity To Point Them To Jesus. It Would Be Sad Indeed If The Savior Softened Their Hearts In Their Calamity, Only To Find That You Did Not Use It As An Opportunity To Share The... read more
Recent Comments